for a Parâ—… because we suppose Justice Obedience and a mind reformed in all manner of vertues to be contained in it so when I say that the Faith of one Article iâ— sufficient 〈◊〉 salvation it may well be lesse wondred at seeing that in it so many other Articles are contained for these words Jesus is the Christ do signifie that Jesus was that Person whom God bad promised by his Prophets should come into the world to establish his Kingdom that is to say that Jesus is the Sonne of God the Creatour of Heaven and Earth born of a Virgin dying for the sinnes of them who should beleeve in Him that Heâ— was Christ that is to say a King that He reviv'd for else He were not like to reign to judge the world and to reward every one according to his works for otherwise he cannot be a King also that men shall rise again for otherwise they are not like to come to judgement The whole Symbol of the Apostles is therefore contained in this one Article which notwithstanding I thought reasonable to contract thus because I found that many men for this alone without the rest were admitted into the Kingdome of God both by Christ and his Apostles as the Thief on the Crosse the Euâ—uch baptized by Philip the two thousand men converted to the Church at once by Saint Peter But if any man be displeased that I doe not judge all those eternally damned who doe not inwardly assent to every Article defined by the Church and yet doe not contradict but if they be commanded doe submit I know not what I shall say to them for the most evident Testimonies of Holy Writ which doe follow doe witâ—â—old me from altering my opinion VII Secondly this is proved by the preaching of the Apostles For they were the Proclamers of his Kingdome neither did Christ send them to preach ought but the Kingdome of God Luke 9. vers 2. Act. 15. vers 6. And what they did after Christ his Asâ—â—nâ—â—on may be understood by the accusation which was brought against them They drew Jason saâ—… Saint Luke and certain Brethren unto the Rulers of the City â—rying These are thâ— men that have turned the world upside down and are come hither also whom Jason hath received and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar saying that there is another King one Jesus Acts 17. vers 6 7. It appears also what the subject of the Apostles Sermons was out of these words Opening and alleadging out of the Scriptures to wit of the old Testament that Christ must needs have suffered and risen again from the dead and that THIS JESUS IS THE CHRIST Acts 17. vers 2 3. VIII Thirdly By the places in which the easinesse of those thingâ— which are required by Christ to the attaining of salvation is declared For if an internall assent of the minde were necessarily required to the truth of all and each Proposition which this day is controverted about the Christian Faith or by divers Churches is diversly defined there would be nothing more difficult then the Christian Religion and how then would that be true My yoke is easie and my burthen light Mat. 11. vers 30. and that litle ones doe beleeve in Him Mat. 18. vers 6. and that it pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save those that beleeve 1 Cor. 1. vers 21. or how was the thiefe hanging on the Crosse sufficiently instructed to salvation The confession of whose Faith was contained in these words Lord remember me when thou comest into thy Kingdome or how could Saint Paul himselfe from an enemy so soon become a Doctor of Christians IX Foutthly by this that that Article is the foundation of Faith neither rests it on any other foundation If any man shall say unto you Loe here is Christ or He is there beleeve it â—ot for there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders c. Mat. 24. vers 23. Whence it followes that for the Faiths sake which we have in this Article we must not beleeve any signes and wonders Although we or an Augell from Heaven saith the Apostle should preach to you any other Gospel then what we have preacht let him be accursed Gal. 1. 8. By reason of this Article therefore we might not trust the very Apostles and Angels themselves and therefore I conceive not the Church neither if they should teach the contrary Beloved beleeve not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world hereby know yee the spirit of God every spirit that confesseth Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God c. 1 John 4. vers 1 2. That Article therefore is the measure of the Spitits whereby the authority of the Doctors is either received or rejected It cannot be denied indeed but that all who at this day are Christians did learn from the Doctors that it was Jesus who did all those things whereby he might be acknowledged to be the Christ yet it followes not that the same Persons beleeved that Article for the Doctors or the Churches but for Jesus his own sake for that Article was before the Christian Church although all the rest were after it and the Church was founded upon it not it upon the Church Mat. 16. vers 18. Besides this Article that Jesus is the Christ is so fundamentall that all the rest are by Saint Paul said to be built upon it For other foundation can no man lay then that which is layd which is Jesus Christ that is to say that Jesus is the Christ now if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stone wood hay stubble every mans work shall be made manifest if aâ—y mans work abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward if any mans work shall be buâ—nt he shall suffer losse â—ut he himselfe shall be saâ—ed 1 Cor. 3 vers 11 12 13. c. From whence it plainly appears that by foundation is understood this Article THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST For gold and silver precious stones wood hay stubble whereby the Doctrines are signified are not built upon the Person of Christ and also that false Doctrines may be raised upon this foundation yet not so as they must necessarily be damned who teach them X. Lastly that this Article alone is needfull to he inwardly beleeved may be most evidently proved out of many places of holy Scriptures let who will be the Interpreter Search the Scriptures for in them yee think yee have eternall life and they are they which testify of me John 5. 39. But Christ meant the Scriptures of the old Testament only for the new was then not yet written Now there is no other testimony concerning Christ in the old Testament but that an eternall King was to come in such a place that He was to be born of such Parents
Philosophicall Rudiments concerning GOVERMENT and Civill SOCIETY 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury Ro Vaughan sculp Philosophicall Rudiments CONCERNING Government and Society OR A DISSERTATION Concerning MAN in his severall habitudes and respects as the Member of a Society first Secular and then Sacred Containing The Elements of Civill Politie in the Agreement which it hath both with Naturall and Divine Lawes In which is demonstrated Both what the Origine of Justice is and wherein the Essence of Christian Religion doth consist Together with The Nature Limits and Qualifications both of Regiment and Subjection By THO HOBBES LONDON Printed by J. G. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1651. TO THE Right Honourable WILLIAM Earle of Devonshire My most honoured Lord. May it please your Lordship IT was the speech of the Roman people to whom the name of King had been render'd odious as well by the tyrannie of the Tarquins as by the Genius and Decretals of that City 'T was the speech I say of the Publick however pronounced from a private mouth if yet Cato the Censor were no more then such That all Kings are to be reckon'd amongst ravenous Feasts But what a Beast of Prey was the Roman people whilst with its conquering Eagles it erected its proud Tropheeâ— so far and wide over the world bringing the Africans the Asiaticks the Macedomans and the Achaeans with many other despoyled Nations into a specious bondage with the pretence of preferring them to be Deâ—…zons of Rome So that if Cato's saying were a wise one 't was every whit as wise that of Pontiue Telesinus who flying about with open mouth through all the Companies of his Army in that famous encounter which he had with Sylla cryed out That Rome her selfe as well as Sylla was to be raz'd for that there would alwayes be Wolves and Depraedatours of their Liberty unlesse the Forrest that lodg'd them were grubb'd up by the roots To speak impartially both sayings are very true That Man to Man is a kind of God and that Man to Man is an arrant Wolfe The first is true if we compare Citizens amongst themselves and the second if we compare Cities In the one there 's some analogie of similitude with the Deity to wit Justice and Charity the twin-sisters of peace But in the other Good men must defend themselves by taking to them for a Sanctuary the two daughters of War Deceipt and Violence that is in plaine termes a meer brutall Rapacity which aâ—…ongâ— men object to one another as a reproach by an inbred custome which they have of beholding their own actions in the persons of other men wherein as in a Mirroir all things on the left side appeare to be on the right all things on the right side to be as plainly on the left yet the naturall right of Preservation which we all receive from the uncontroulable Dictates of Necessity will not admit it to be a Vice though it confesse it to be an Unhappinesse Now that with Cato himselfe a Person of so great a renowne for wisdome Animosity should so prevaile instead of Judgement and Partiality instead of Reason that the very same thing which he thought equall in his Popular State he should censure as unjust in a Monarchical other men perhaps may have leisure to admire But I have been long since of this opinion That there was never yet any more-then-vulgar-prudence that had the luck of being acceptable to the Giddy People but either it hath not been understood or else having been so hath been levell'd and cryed downe The more eminent Actions and Apothegms both of the Greeks and Romans have been indebted for their Eulogies not so much to the Reason as to the Greatnesse of them and very many times to that prosperous usurpation with which our Histories doe so mutually upbraid each other which as a conquering Torrent carryes all before it as well publick Agents as publick Actions in the streame of Time Wisdome properly so call'd is nothing else but this The perfect knowledge of the Truth in all matters whatsoever Which being derived from the Registers and Records of Things and that as 't were through the Conduit of certain definite Appellations cannot possibly be the work of a suddaine Acutenesse but of a well-ballanc'd Reason which by the Compendium of a word we call Philosophy For by this it is that a way is open'd to us in which we travell from the contemplation of particular things to the Inference or result of universall Actions Now look how many sorts of things there are which properly fall within the cognizance of humane reason into so many branches does the tree of Philosophy divide it selfe And from the diversity of the matter about which they are conversant there hath been given to those branches a diversity of Names too For treating of Figures t is call'd Geometry of motion Physick of naturall right Moralls put all together and they make up Philosophy Just as the British the Atlantick and the Indian Seas being diversly christen'd from the diversity of their shoares doe notwithstanding all together make up The Ocean And truly the Geometricians have very admirably perform'd their part For whatsoever assistance doth accrew to the life of man whether from the observation of the Heavens or from the description of the Earth from the notation of Times or from the remotest Experiments of Navigation Finally whatsoever things they are in which this present Age doth differ from the rude simplenesse of Antiquity we must acknowledge to be a debt which we owe meerly to Geometry If the Morall Philosophers had as happily discharg'd their duty I know not what could have been added by humane Industry to the completion of that happinesse which is consistent with humane life For were the nature of humane Actions as distinctly knowne as the nature of Quantity in Geometricall Figures the strength of Avarice and Ambition which is sustained by the erroneous opinions of the Vulgar as touching the nature of Right and Wrong would presently faint and languish And Mankinde should enjoy such an Immortall Peace that unlesse it were for habitation on supposition that the Earth should grow too narrow for her Inhabitants there would hardly be left any preteÌ„ce for war But now on the contrary that neither the Sword nor the Pen should be allowed any Cessation That the knowledge of the Law of Nature should lose its growth not advancing a whit beyond its antient stature that there should still be such siding with the severall factions of Philosophers that the very same Action should bee decryed by some and as much elevated by others that the very same man should at severall times embrace his severall opinions and esteem his own Actions farre otherwise in himselfe then he does in others These I say are so many signes so many manifest Arguments that what hath hitherto been written by Morall Philosophers hath not made any progress in the knowledge of the Truth
the morall Law Mat. 22. 36. Master which is the great Commandement in the Law Jesus said unto him Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind this is the first and great Commandement and the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self On these two Commandements hang all the Law and the Prophets But to love our neighbor as our selves is nothing else but to grant him all we desire to have granted to our selves XIII By the tenth Law respect of persons is forbid as also by these places following Mat. 5. 45. That ye may be children of your Father which is in Heaven for he maketh the sun to rise on the Evill and on the Good c. Collos 3. 11. There is neither Greek nor Jew circumcision nor uncircumcision Barbarian or Scythian bond or free but Christ is all in all Acts 10. 34. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of Persons 2 Chron. 19. 7. There is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts Ecclus 35. 12. The Lord is Judge and with him is no respect of Persons Rom. 2. 11. For there is no respect of persons with God XIV The eleventh Law which commands those things to be held in common which cannot be divided I know not whether there be any expresse place in Scripture for it or not but the practise appears every where in the common use of Wels Wayes Rivers sacred things c. for else men could not live XV. We said in the twelfâ—h place that it was a Law of Nature That where things could neither be divided nor possess'd in coÌ„mon they should be dispos'd by lot which is confirm'd as by the example of Moses who by Gods command Numb 6. 34. divided the severall parts of the land of promise unto the Tribes by Lot So Acts 1. 24. by the example of the Apostles who receiv'd Matthias before Justus into their number by casting Lots and saying Thou Lord who knowest the hearts of all men shew whether of these two thou hast chosen c. Prov. 16. 33. The lot is cast into the lappe but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. And which is the thirteenth Law the Succession was due unto Esau as being the First-born of Isaac if himself had not sold it Gen. 25. 30. or that the Father had not otherwise appointed XVI Saint Paul writing to the Corinthians Epist 1. Chap. 6. reprehends the Corinthians of that City for going to Law one with another before infidell Judges who were their enemies calling it a fault that they would not rather take wrong and suffer themselves to be defrauded for that is against that Law whereby we are commanded to be helpful to each other But if it happen the Controversie be concerning things necessary what is to be done Therefore the Apostle Ver. 5. speaks thus I speak to your shame Is it so that there is not one wise man among you no not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren He therefore by those words confirmes that Law of Nature which we call'd the fifteenth to wit Where Controversies cannot be avoided there by the consent of Parties to appoint some Arbiter and him some third man so as which is the 16 Law neither of the Parties may be judge in his own Cause XVII But that the Judge or Arbiter must receive no reward for his Sentence which is the 17. Law appears Exod. 23. 8. Thou shalt take no gift for the gift blindeth the wise and pervertâ—th the words of the righteous Ecclus. 21. 29. Presents and gifts blind the eyes of the wise Whence it followes that he must not be more oblig'd to one part then the other which is the 19. Law and is also confirm'd Deut. 1. 17. Ye shall not respect persons in Judgment ye shall hear the small as well as the great and in all those places which are brought against respect of Persons XVIII That in the judgement of Fact witnesses must be had which is the 18. Law the Scripture not only confirmes but requires more then one Deut. 17. 6. At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death The same is repeated Deut. 19. 15. XIX Drunkennesse which we have therefore in the last place numbred among the breaches of the Naturall Law because it hinders the use of right Reason is also forbid in sacred Scripture for the same reason Prov. 20. 1. Wine is a mocker strong drink is raging whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise And Chap. 31. 4 5. It is not for Kings to drink wine lest they drink and forget the Law and pervert the judgement of any of the afflicted but that we might know that the malice of this vice consisted not formally in the quantity of the drink but in that it destroyes Judgement and Reason it followes in the next Verse Give strong drink to him that is ready to perish and wine to those that be heavy of heart Let him drink and forget his poverty and remember his misery no more Christ useth the same reason in prohibiting drunkenesse Luk. 21. 34. Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharg'd with sâ—rsetting and drunkennesse XX. That we said in the foregoing Chapter The Law of Nature is eternall is also prov'd out of the fifth of S. Matth. 18. Verily I say unto you till Heaven and Earth passe one jot or one tittle shall in no wise passe froÌ„ the Law and Psal 119. v. 160. Every one of thy rightcous judgements endureth for ever XXI We also said That the Lawes of Nature had regard chiefly unto Conscience that is that he is just who by all possible endeavour strives to fulfill them And although a man should order all his actions so much as belongs to externall obedience just as the Law commands but not for the Lawes â—ake but by reason of some punishment annext unto it or out of Vain glory yet he is unjust Both these are proved by the Holy Scriptures The first Esay 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lod and he wil have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Ezek. 18. 31. Cast away from you all your transgressions where by you have transgressed make you a new heart and a new spirit for why will you die O house of Israel By which and the like places we may sufficiently understand that God will not punish their deeds whose heart is right The second out of the 29. of Isay 13. The Lord said Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips doe honour me but have removed their heart far from me therefore I will proceed c. Mat. 5. 20.
Common-weal and on the other side where the goods themselves are taxt there every man while he spends his private goods in the very act of consuming them he undiscernably payes part due to the Common-weal according to not what he hath but what by the benefit of the Realm he hath had it is no more to be doubted but that the former way of commanding monies is against equity and therefore against the duty of Rulers the latter is agreeable to reason and the exercise of their authority XII In the third place we said that that trouble of minde which riseth from ambition was offensive to publique Peace For there are some who seeming to themselves to be wiser then others and more sufficient for the managing of affaires then they who at present doe govern when they can no otherwise declare how profitable their vertue would prove to the Common-weale they shew it by harming it but because ambition and greedinesse of honours cannot be rooted out of the mindes of men it s not the duty of Rulers to endeavour it but by constant application of rewards and punishments they may so order it that men may know that the way to honour is not by contempt of the present government nor by factions and the popular ayre but by the contraries They are good men who observe the Decrees the Lawes and Rights of their Fathers if with a constant order we saw these adorned with honours but the factions punisht and had in contempt by those who bear command there would be more ambition to obey then withstand notwithstanding it so happens sometimes that as we must stroke a horse by reason of his too much fiercenesse so a stiffe neckt subject must be flatter'd for fear of his poweâ— but as that happens when the rider so this when the Commander is in danger of falling But we speak here of those whose authority aund power is intire Their duty I say it is to cherish obedient subjects and to depresse the factious all they can nor can the publique power be otherwise preserved nor the subjects quiet without it XIII But if it be the duty of Princes to restrain the factious much more does it concern them to dissolve and dissipate the factions themselues Now I call a faction a multitude of subjects gathered together either by mutuall contracts among themselves or by the power of some one without his or theirs who bear the supreme Rule A faction therefore is as it were a City in a City for as by an Union of men in the state of nature a City receives its being so by a new union of subjects there ariseth a faction According to this definition a multitude of subjects who have bound themselves simply to obey any forreign Prince or Subject or have made any Pacts or Leagues of mutuall defence between themselves against all men not excepting those who have the supreme power in the City is a faction Also favour with the vulgar if it be so great that by it an Army may be rais'd except publique caution be given either by hostages or some other pledges contains faction in it The same may be said of private wealth if it exceed because all things obey mony Forasmuch therefore as it is true that the state of Cities among themselves is naturall and hostile those Princes who permit factions doe as much as if they received an enemy within their walls which is contrary to the subjects safety and therefore also against the Law of nature XIV There are two things necessary to the enriching of Subjects Laobur and thrife there is also a third which helps to wit the naturall increase of the earth and water and there is a fourth too namely the Militia which sometimes augments but more frequently lessens the subjects stock The two first are only necessary For a City constituted in an Island of the Sea no greater then will serve for dwelling may grow rich without sowing or fishing by merchandize and handicrafts only but there is no doubt if they have a territory but they may be richer with the same number or equally rich being a greater number but the fourth namely the Militia was of old reckoned in the number of the gaining Arâ—s under the notion of Booting or taking prey and it was by mankind disperst by families before the constitution of civill societies accounted just and honourable for preying is nothing else but a warre waged with small forces And great Common-weales namely that of Rome and Athens by the spoyles of warre forraigne tribute and the territories they have purchased by their armes have sometimes so improved the Common-wealth that they have not onely not required any publique monies from the poorer sort of subjects but have also divided to each of them both monies and lands But this kind of increase of riches is not to be brought into rule and fashion For the Militia in order to profit is like a Dye wherewith many lose their estates but few improve them Since therefore there are three things only the fruits of the earth and water Labour and Thrifâ— which are expedient for the enriching of subjects the duty of Commanders in chief shall be conversant onely about those three For the first those lawes will be usefull which countenance the arts that improve the increase of the earth and water such as are husbandry and fishing For the second all Lawes against idlenesse and such as quicken industry are profitable the arâ— of Navigation by help whereof the commodities of the whole world bought almost by labour only are brought into one City and the Mechanicks under which I comprehend all the arts of the most excellent workmen and the Mathemacicall sciences the fountains of navigatory and mechanick employments are held in due esteem and honour For the third those lawes are usefull whereby all inordinate expence as well in meats as in clothes and universally in all things which are consumed with usage is forbidden Now because such lawes are beneficiall to the ends above specified it belongs also to the Office of supreme Magistrates to establish them XV. The liberty of subjects consists not in being exempt from the Lawes of the City or that they who have the supreme power cannot make what Laws they have a mind to but because all the motions and actions of subjects are never circumscribed by Lawes nor can be by reason of their variety it is necessary that there be infinite cases which are neither commanded nor prohibited but every man may either doe or not doe them as he lifts himselfe In these each man is said to enjoy his liberty and in this sense liberty is to be understood in this place namely for that part of naturall Right which is granted and left to Subjects by the civill Lawes As water inclosed on all hands with banks stands still and corrupts having no bounds it spreds too largely and the more passages it findes the more freely it
springs from Contract we have already shewed in the 6. Chapter And the same Right is derived from nature in this very thing that it is not by nature taken away for when by nature all men had a Right over all things every man had a Right of ruling over all as ancient as nature it selfe but the reason why this was abolisht among men was no other but mutuall fear as hath been declared above in the second Chapter the 3. art reason namely dictating that they must foregoe that Right for the preservation of mankinde because the equality of men among themselves according to their strength and naturall powers was necessarily accompanied with warre and with warre joynes the destruction of mankinde Now if any man had so farre exceeded the rest in power that all of them with joyned forces could not have resisted him there had been no cause why he should part with that Right which nature had given him The Right therefore of Dominion over all the rest would have remained with him by reason of that excesse of power whereby he could have preserved both himselfe and them They therefore whose power cannot be resisted and by consequence God Almighty derives his Right of Soveraignty from the power iâ— selfe And as oft as God punisheth or slayes a sinner although he therefore punish him because he sinned yet may we not say that he could not justly have punisht or killed him although he had not sinned Neither if the will of God in punishing may perhaps have regard to some sin antecedent doth it therefore follow that the Right of afflicting and killing depends not on divine power but on â—…siâ—s VI. That question made famous by the disputations of the Antients why evill things befell the good and good things the evill is the same with this of ours by what Right God dispenseth good and evill things unto men and with its difficulty it not only staggers the faith of the vulgar concerning the divine providence but also of Philosophers and which is more even of holy men Psal 73. v. 1 2 3. Truly God is good to Israel even to such as are of a clean heart but as for me my feet were almost gone my steps bad well nigh slipt And why I was grieved at the wicked I doâ— also see the ungodly in such prosperity And how bitterly did Job expostulate with God that being just he should yet be afflicted with so many calamities God himselfe with open voyce resolved this difficulty in the case of Job and hath confirmed his Right by arguments drawn not from Jobs sinne but from his own power For Job and his friends had argued so among themselves that they would needs make him guilty because he was punisht and he would reprove their accusation by arguments fetcht from his own innocence But God when he had heard both him and them refutes his expostulation not by condemning him of injustice or any sin but by declaring his own power Job 38. v. 4. Where wast thou sayes he when I laid the foundation of the earth c. And for his friends God pronounces himself angry against them Job 42. v. 7. Because they had not spoken of him the thing that is right like his servant Job Agreeable to this is that speech of our Saviours in the mans case who was born blind when his Disciples asking him whether he or his Parents had sinned that he was born blind he answered John 9. v. 3. Neither hath this man sinned nor his Parents but that the works of God should be manifest in him for though it be said Rom. 5. 12. That death entred into the world by sinne it followes not but that God by his Right might have made men subject to diseases and death although they had never sinned even as he hath made the other animalls mortall and sickly although they cannot sinne VII Now if God have the Right of Soveraignty from his power it is manifest that the obligation of yeelding him obedience lyes on men by reason of their * weaknesse for that obligation which rises from Contract of which we have spoken in the second Chapter can have no place here where the Right of Ruling no Covenant passing between rises only from nature But there are two Species of naturall obligation one when liberty is taken away by corporall impediments according to which we say that heaven and earth and all Creatures doe obey the common Lawes of their Creation The other when it is taken away by hope or fear according to which the weaker despairing of his own power to resist cannot but yeeld to the stronger From this last kinde of obligation that is to say from fear or conscience of our own weaknesse in respect of the divine power it comes to passe that we are obliged to obey God in his naturall Kingdome reason dictating to all acknowledging the divine power and providence that there is no kicking against the pricks By reason of their weaknesse If this shall seem hard to any man I desire him with a silent thought to consider if there were two Omnipotents whether were bound to obey I beleeve he will confesse that neither is bound if this be true then it is also true what I have set down that men are subject unto God because they are not omnipotent And truly our Saviour admonishing Paul who at that time was an enemy to the Church that he should not kick against the pricks seems to require obedience from him for this cause because he had not power enough to resist VIII Because the word of God ruling by nature onely is supposed to be nothing else but right reason and the Laws of Kings can be known by their word only its manifest that the Laws of God ruling by nature alone are onely the naturall Lawes namely those which we have set down in the second and third Chapters and deduced from the dictates of reason Humility Equity Justice Mercy and other Morall vertues befriending Peace which pertain to the discharge of the duties of men one toward the other and those which right reason shall dictate besides concerning the honour and worship of the Divine Majesty We need not repeat what those Naturall Laws or Morall vertues are but we must see what honours and what divine worship that is to say what sacred Lawes the same naturall reason doth dictate IX Honour to speak properly is nothing else but an opinion of anothers power joyned with goodnesse and to honour a man is the same with highly esteeming him and so honour is not in the Party honoured but in the honourer now three Passions do necessary follow honour thus placed in opinion Love which referres to goodnesse hope and feare which regard power And from these arise all outward actions wherewith the powerfull are appeased and become Propitious and which are the effects and therefore also the naturall signes of honour it selfe But the word honour is transferred also
not having any other Gods for in that consists the essence of the Covenant made with Abraham by which God requires nothing else but that he should be his God and the God of his seede Also the Precept of keeping holy the Sabbath for the Sanctification of the seventh day is instituted in memoriall of the six dayes Creation as appeares out of these words Exod. 31. ver 16 17. It is a perpetuall Covenant meaning the Sabbath and a signe betweene me and the Children of Israel for ever for in sixe dayes the Lord made Heaven and Earth and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed Of the third kind are the Politique judiciall and Ceremoniall lawes which onely belong'd to the Jewes The lawes of the fiâ—st and second sort written in Tables of stone to wit the Decalogue was kept in the Ark it selfe The rest written in the volume of the whole Law were laid up in the side of the Arke Deut. 3. ver 26 For these retaining the faith of Abraham might be chang'd those could not XI All Gods Lawes are Gods Word but all Gods Word is not his Law I am the Lord thâ— God which brought thee out of the Land of Aegypt is the word of God 〈…〉 is no Law Neither is all that which for the better deolaring of Gods Word is pronounc't or written together with it instantly to be taken for Gods Word For Thus saith the Lord is not the voice of God but of the Preacher or Prophet All that and onely that is the word of God which a true Prophet hath declar'd God to have spoken Now the writings of the Prophets comprehendng as well those things which God as which the Prophet himselfe speaks are therefore called the word of God because they containe the word of God Now because all that and that alone is the Word of God which is recommended to us for such by a true Prophet it cannot be knowne what Gods Word is before we know who is the true Prophet nor can we beleeve Gods Word before we beleeve the Prophet Moyses was beleev'd by the People of Israel for two things His Miracles and his Faith for how great and most evident Miracles soever he had wrought yet would they not have trusted him at least he was not to have beene trusted if he had call'd them out of Aegypt to any other worship then the worship of the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob their Fathers For it had beene contrary to the Covenant made by themselves with God In like manner two things there are to wit supernaturall Praediction of things to come which is a mighty miracle and Faith in the God of Abraham their deliverer out of Aegypt which God propos'd to all the Jews to be kept for marks of a true Prophet He that wants either of these is no Prophet nor is it to be receiv'd for Gods word which he obtrudes for such If Faith be wanting he is rejectin these words Deut. 13. ver 1 2 3 4 5. If there arise among you a Prophet or a dreamer of dreams and giveth thee a signe or a wonder and the signe or the wonder come to passe whereof he spake unto thee saying Let us goe after other Gods c. That Prophet or that dreamer of dreames shall be put to death If Praediction of events be wanting he is condemn'd by these Deut. 18. ver 21 22. And if thou say in thine heart how shall we know the word which the Lord hath not spoken When a Prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord if the thing follow not nor come to passe that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously Now that that is the word of God which is publisht for such by a true Prophet and that he was held to be a true Prophet among the Jewes whose faith was true and to whose praedictions the events answer'd is without controversie but what it is to follow other Gods and whether the events which are affirm'd to answer their praedictions doe truly answer them or not may admit many controversies specially in praedictions which obscurely aenigmatically foretell the Event such as the praedictions of almost all the Prophets are as who saw not God apparently like unto Moyses but in darke speechâ—s and in figures Numb 12. ver 8. But of these we cannot judge otherwise then by the way of naturall reason because that Judgment depends on the Prophets interpretation and on its proportion with the Event XII The Jewes did hold the booke of the whole Law which was called Deuteronomie for the written word of God and that onely forasmuch as can be collected out of sacred history untill the Captivity for this booke was deliver'd by Moyses himselfe to the Priests to be kept and layd up in the side of the Ark of the Covenant and to be copyed out by the Kings and the same a long time after by the authority of King Josiah acknowledg'd againe for the Word of God 2 Kings 23. ver 2. But it is not manifest when the rest of the books of the Old Testament were first receiv'd into Canon but what concernes the Prophets Isaiah and the rest since they foretold no other things then what were to come to passe either in or after the Captivity their writings could not at that time be held for Prophetique by reason of the Law cited above Deut. 18. ver 21 22. Whereby the Israelites were commanded not to account any man for a true Prophet but him whose Prophecies were answer'd by the events And hence peradventure it is that the Jewâ— esteem'd the writings of those whom they slew when they Prophesied for Prophetique afterward that is to say for the word of God XIII It being known what Lawes there were under the old Covenant and that Word of God receiv'd from the beginning we must farthermore consider with whom the authority of judging whether the writings of the Prophets arising afterward were to be receiv'd for the Word of God that is to say whether the Events did answer their praedictions or not and with whom also the authority of interpreting the Lawes already receiv'd and the written Word of God did reside which thing is to be trac't through all the times and severall changes of the Commonwealth of Israel But it is manifest that this power during the life of Moyses was intirely in himselfe for if he had not been the Interpreter of the Lawes and Word that office must have belong'd either to every private person or to a congregation or Synagogue of many or to the High-Priest or to other Prophets First that that office belong'd not to private men or any Congregation made of them appeares hence that they were not admitted nay they were prohibited with most heavy threats to heare God speake otherwise then by the means of Moyses for it is written Let not the Priests and the people break through to come up unto the Lord lest
among their brethren like unto thee and will put my words in his mouth and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him and it shall come to passe that whosoever will not bearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name I will require it of him Deut. 18. vers 18. Isaias The Lord himselfe shall give thee a signe Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Sonne and shall call his name Emanuel Isai 7. v. 14. The same Prophet Unto us a child is born unto us a Sonne is given and the government shall he upon his shoulders and his name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellour the mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace Isai 9. vers 9. And again There shall come forth a Rod out of the stemme of Jesse and a branch shall grow out of his roots the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him c. he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes neither reprove after the hearing of his cares but with righteousnesse shall he â—udge the poor c. and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked Isay 11. vers 1 2 3 4 5. Furthermore in the 51 52 53 54 56 60 61 62. Ch. of the same Isay there is almost nothing else contained but a description of the coming and the works of Christ Jeremias Behold the days come saith the Lord that I will make a new Covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah Jerem. 31. 31. And Baruch This is our God c. Afterward did he shew himselfe upon earth and conversed with men Baruch 3. vers 35 37. Ezekiel I will set up one Shepheard over them and he shall feed them even my Servant David And I will make with them a Covenant of Peace c. Ezek. 24. vers 2 3 25. Daniel I saw in the night visions and behold one like the Sonne of man came with the clouds of heaven and came to the antiâ—ut of dayes and they brought him near before him and there was given him Dominion and Glory and a Kingdome that all People Nations and Languages should serve him his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion c. Dan. 7. vers 13 14. Haggai Yet once it is a little while and I will shake the Heaven and the Earth and the Sea and the drye Land and I will shake all Nations and the desire of all Nations shall come Haggai 2. v. 8. Zachariah Under the type of Joshuah the High Priest I will bring forth my servant the Branch c. Zach. 3. v. 8. And again Behold the man whose name is the Branch Zach. 6. v. 12. And again Rejoyce greatly O Daughter of Sion Shout O Daughter of Jerusalem behold thy King cometh to thee he is just having salvation Zach 9. v. 9. The Jewes moved by these and other Prophesies expected Christ their King to be sent from God who should redeem them and furthermore bear rule over all Nations Yea this Prophesie had spread over the whole Roman Empire which Vespasian too though falsly interpreted in favour of his own enterprises That out of Judea should come he that should have dominion II Now the Prophesies of Christs Humility and Passion amongst others are these Isa 53. v. 4 He hath born our grieses and carried our sorrowes yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God afflicted and by and by He was appressed he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a sheep before her Shearer is dumb so opened he not his mouth c. vers 7. And again He was cut out of the Land of the living for the transgression of my People was be stricken c. vers 8. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great and be shall divide the spoyle with the strong because he hath poured ouâ— hiâ— soule unto death and he was numbred with the transgressours and he 〈…〉 the sinne of many and made intercession for the transgressours vers 12. And that of Zachery He is lowly riding upon an Asse and upon a Cols the foale of an Asse Zach. 9. vers 9. III. In the reign of Tiâ—â—rius Caesar JESUS our Saviour a Galilâ—â—n began to preach the sonne as was supposed of Joseph declaring to the people of the Jewes that the Kingdome of God expected by them was now come and that himselfe was a King that is to say THE CHRIST Explaining the Law choosing twelve Apostles and seventy Disciples after the number of the Princes of the Tribes and seventy Elders according to the pattern of Moyses to the Ministry teaching the way of salvation by himselfe and them purging the Temple doing great signes and fulfilling all those things which the Prophets had foretold of Christ to come That this man hated of the Pharisees whose false doctrine and hypocriticall sanctity he had reproved and by their means of the People accused of unlawfull seeking for the Kingdome and crucified was the true CHRIST and King promised by God and sent from his father to renew the new Covenant between them and God both the Evangelists doe shew describing his Genealogie nativity life doctrine death and resurrection and by comparing the things which he did with those which were foretold of him all Christians doe consent to IV. Now from this That CHRIST was sent from God his Father to make a Covenant between him and the people it is manifest that though Christ were equall to his Father according to his nature yet was he inâ—erior according to the Right of the Kingdom for this office to speak properly was not that of a King but of a Vice-roy such as Moyses his Government was for the Kingdom was not his but his Fathers which CHRIST himselfe signified when he was baptized as a subject and openly profest when he taught his Disciples to pray Our Father Thy Kingdome come c. And when he said I will not drink of the blood of the grape untill that day when I shall drink it new with you in the Kingdome of my Father Mat. 26. veâ—â— 29. And Saint Paul As in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive but every man in his own order Christ the first fruits afterward they that are Christs who beleeved in his coming Then cometh the end when he shall have dâ—livered up the Kingdom to Goa even his Father c. 1. Cor. 15. vers 22 23 24. The same notwithstanding is also called the Kingdome of Christ for both the Mother of the sonnes of Zeâ—â—die petitioned Christ saying Grant that these my two sonnes may fit the one on thy right hand the other on thy left in thy Kingdome Mat. 20. vers 21. And the Theef on the Cross Lord remember when me thou comest into thy Kingdom Luke 23. vers 42. And Saint Paul For this know yee that no whormonger
c. shall enter into the Kingdome of God and of Christ Ephes 5. ver 5. And elsewhere I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quick and dead at his appearing and his Kingdome c. 2 Tim. 4. ver 1. And the Lord shall deliver me from every evill worke and will preserve me unto his heavenly Kingdome ver 18. Nor is it to be marvelled at that the same Kingdome is atttibured to them both since both the Father and the Son are the same God and the new Covenant concerning Gods Kingdome is not propounded in the Name of the FATHER but in the name of the FATHER of the SON and of the HOLY-GHOST as of one God V. But the Kingdome of God for restitution whereof CHRIST was sent from God his Father takes not its beginning before his second comming to wit from the day of Judgement when he shall come in Majesty accompanied with his Angels For it is promis'd the Apostles that in the Kingdome of God they shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel Ye which have followed me in the regeneration when the Soune of man shall sit in the Throne of his glory ye also shall sit upon twelve Thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel Mat. 19. ver 28. which is not to be done till the day of judgement CHRIST therefore is not yet in the throne of his Majesty nor is that time when CHRIST was conversant here in the world call'd a Kingdome but a regeneration that is to say a renovation or restitution of the Kingdome of God and a calling of them who were hereafter to be receiv'd into his Kingdome And where it is said When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he set upon the throne of his glory and before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from another as a Shepheard divideth his Sheep from the Goates Mat. 25. ver 31. We may manifestly gather that there will be no locall separation of Gods Subjects from his Enemies but that they shall live mixt together untill CHRISTS second comming which is also confirm'd by the comparison of the Kingdome of heaven with wheat mingled with Darnell and with a net containing all sorts of fish But a multitude of men Enemies and Subjects living promisâ—uously together cannot properly be term'd a Kingdome Besides the Apostles when they askt our Saviour Whether he would at that time when he ascended into heaven restore the Kingdome unto Israel did openly testifie that they then when CHRIST ascended thought the Kingdome of God not to be yet come Farthermore the words of CHRIST My Kingdome is not of this world And I will not drinke c till the Kingdome of God come And God hath not sent his Son into the World to judge the World but that the World through him might be sav'd And If any man heare not my words and keepe them I judge him not for I came not to judge the World but to save the World And Man who made me a judge or divider betweene you And the very Appellation of the Kingdome of Heaven testifies as much The same thing is gathered out of the words of the Prophet Jeremiah speaking of the Kingdome of God by the new Covenant They shall teach no more every man his Neighboâ—r sayiâ—g 〈◊〉 the Lord for they shall all kâ—… me 〈◊〉 the least of them to the greatest of theâ— saith the Lord â—er â—…4 which cannot be understood of a Kingdome in this World The Kingdome of God therefore for the restoring whereof CHRIST came into the world of which the Prophets did Prophesie and of which praying wee say Thy Kingdome come if it must have Subjects locally separated from Enemies if judicature if Majesty according as hath beene foretold shall begin from that time wherein God shall separate the Sheep from the Goats wherein the Apostles shall judge the twelve Tribes of Israel wherein CHRIST shall come in Majesty and glory wherein lastly all men shall so know God that they shall not need to be taught that is to say aâ— CHRIST his second comming or the day of Judgement But if the Kingdome of God were now already restor'd no reason could be rendered why CHRIST having compleated the work for which he was sent should come againe or why we should pray Thy Kingdome come V I. Now although the Kingdome of God by CHRIST to be establisht with a new Covenant were Heavenly we must not therefore thinke that they who beleeving in CHRIST would make that Covenant were not so to be govern'd here on the Earth too as that they should persevere in their faith and obedience promsâ—'d by that Covenant For in vaine had the Kingdome of heaven beene promis'd if we were not to have been led into it but none can be led but those who are directed in the way Moyses when he had instituted the Priestly Kindome himselfe though he were no Priest yet rul'd and conducted the People all the time of their Pâ—regâ—ination untill their entrance into the promis'd Land In the same manner is it our Saviours office whom God in this thing would have like unto Moyses as he was sent from his Father so to governe the future Subjects of his heavenly Kingdome in this life that they might attaine to and enter into that although the Kingdome were not properly his but his Fathers But the government whereby CHRIST rules the faithfull ones in this life is not properly a Kingdome or Dominion but a Pastorall charge or the Right of teaching that is to say God the father gave him not a power to judge of Meâ—m and Tâ—â—m as he doth to the Kings of the Earth noâ— a Coercive power nor legislative but of shewing to the world and teaching them the way and knowledge of Salvation that is to say of Preaching and declaring what they were to doe who would enter into the Kingdome of Heaven That CHRIST had receiv'd no power from his father to judge in Questions of Meâ—m and Tâ—um that is to say in all Questions of Right among those who beleev'd noâ— those words above cited doe sufficiently declare Man who made me a judge or divider betweene you And it is confirm'd by reason for seeing CHRIST was sent to make a Covenant between God and men and no man is obâ—…'d to performe obedience before the â—…ontract be made if he should have judg'd 〈…〉 Questions of Right no man hâ—d been â—…ed to obey his sentence But that the disâ—…erning of Right was not committed to CHRIST in this world neither among the faithfull nor among infidels is apparent in this that that Right without all controversie belongs to Princes as long as it is not by God himselfe derogated from their authority But it is not derogated before the day of Judgement as appeares by the words of Saint Paul speaking of the day of Judgement Then commeth the end when
the new Testament and therefore could not be done by Christ himselfe much lesse by his Pastors and to remit the impenitent seems to be against the will of God the Father from whom Christ was sent to convert the world and to reduce men unto obedience Furthermore if each Pastor had an authority granted him to remit and retain sinnes in this manner all awe of Princes and civill Magistrates together with all kind of civill Government would be utterly destroyed For Christ hath said it nay even nature it â—elfe dictates that we should not feare them who slay the body but cannot kill the soule but rather feare him who can caâ—t both soule and body into hell Mat. 10. vers 28. Neither is any man so mad as not to choose to yeeld obedience rather to them who can remit and retain their sinnes then to the powerfullest Kings Nor yet on the other side it is to be imagined that remission of sinnes is nothing else but an exemption from Ecclesiasticall punishments for what evill hath excommunication in it beside the eternall pains which are consequent to it or what benefit is it to be received into the Church if there were salvation out of it We must therefore hold That Pastors have power truly and absolutely to forgive sinnes but to the penitent and to retain them but of the impenitent But while men think that to Repent is nothing else but that every one condemn his Actions and change those Counsels which to himselfe seem sinfull and blameable there is an opinion risen that there may be repentance before any Confession of sinnes to men and that repentance is not an effect but a cause of Confession and thence the difficulty of those who say that the sins of the penitent are already forgiven in Baptisme and theirs who repent not cannot be forgiven at al is against Scripture and contrary to the words of Christ Whose soever sins ye remit c. We must therefore â—o resolve this difficulty know in the first place that a true acknowledgement of sin is Repentance for he that knows he hath sinned knows he hath erred but to will an errour is impossible therefore he that knowes he hath sinned wishes he had not done it which is to repent Farther where it may be doubtfull whether that which is done be a sin or not we must consider that repentance doth not precede confession of sins but is subsequent to it for there is no repentance but of sinnes acknowledged The penitent therefore must both acknowledge the fact and know it to be a sinne that is to say against the Law If a man therefore think that what he hath done is not against the Law its impossible he should repent of it Before repentance therefore its necessary there be an applicacation of the facts unto the Law but it s in vain to apply the facts unto the Law without an Interpreter for not the words of the Law but the sentence of the Law-giver is the rule of mens actions but surely either one man or some men are the Interpreters of the Law for every man is not judge of his own fact whether it be a sin or not wherefore the fact of which we doubt whether it be a sinne or not must be unfolded before some man or men and the doing of this is confession Now when the Interpreter of the Law hath judged the fact to bee a sinne if the sinner submit to his judgement and resolve with himselfe not to do so any more t is repentance and thus either it is not true repentance or else it is not antecedent but subsequent to confession These things being thus explained it is not hard to understand what kinde of power that of binding and loosing is for seeing in remission of sinnes there are two things considerable one the Judgement or Condemnation whereby the fact is judged to be a sinne the other when the Party condemned does acquiesce and obey the sentence that is to say Repents the remission of the sinne or if he repent not the Retention The first of these that is to say the Judging whether it be a sinne or not belongs to the Interpreter of the Law that is the Soveraign Judge the second namely Remission or retention of the sinne to the Pastor and it is that concerning which the power of binding and loosing is conversant And that this was the true meaning of our Saviour Christ in the institution of the same power is apparent in the 18. of Mat. vers 15 16 17 18. thus He there speaking to his Disciples sayes If thy Brother sinne against thee goe and tell him his fault betweene thee and him alone where we must observe by the way that if thy Brother sinne against thee is the same with if he doe thee injury and therefore Christ spake of those matters which belonged to the civill Tribunall he addes if he heare thee not that is to say if he deny that he hath done it or if having confest the fact he denies it to be unjustly done take with with thee yet one or two and if he refuse to heare them tell it the Church But why to the Church except that she might judge whether it were a sinne or not But if he refuse to hear the Church that is if he doe not submit to the Churches sentence but shall maintain that to be no sin which She Judges to be a sinne that is to say if he repent not for certain it is that no man repents himselfe of that action which She conceives not to be a sinne he saith not Tell it to the Apostles that we might know that the definitive sentence in the question whether it were a sin or not was not left unto them but to the Church but let him be unto thee sayes he as an Heathen or Publican that is as one out of the Church as one that is not baptized that is to say as one whose sinnes are retained For all Christians were baptized into remission of sinnes But because it might have been demanded who it was that had so great a power as that of withholding the benefit of Baptisme from the impenitent Christ shewes that the same Persons to whom he had given authority to baptize the penitent into the remission of sinns and to make them of heathen men Christians had also authority to retain their sins who by the Church should be adjudged to be impenitent and to make them of Christian men Heathens and therefore presently subjoynes Verily I say unto you Whose soever sinnes yee shall binde upon Earth they shall â—ee bound also in Heaven and whose soever sins yee shall loose upon Earth they shall be â—oosed also in Heaven Whence we may understand that the power of binding and loosing or of remitting and retaining of sinnes which is called in another place the power of the keyes is not different from the power given in another place in these words Goe and teach all Nations Baptizing them
in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Mat. 28. ver 19. And even as the Pastours cannot refuse to Baptize him whom the Church judges worthy so neither can they retaine his sinnes whom the Church holds fitting to be absolv'd nor yet remit his sinnes whom the Church pronounceth disobedient And it is the Churches part to judge of the sinne the Pastours to cast out or to receive into the Church those that are judg'd Thus Saint Paul to the Church of Corinth Do not ye judge saith he of those that are within Yet he himself pronounc't the sentence of Excommunication against the incestuous Person I indeed saith he as absent in body but present in Spirit c. XXVI The act of retaining sinnes is that which is called by the Church Excommunication and by Saint Paul delivering over to Satan the word Excommunication â—ounding the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 easting out of the Synagogue seems to be borrowed from the Mosaicall Law wherein they who were by the Priest adjudged â—eprous were commanded to be kept a part out of the Camp untill by the judgement of the Priest they were againe pronounc't cleane and by certaine rights among which the washing of the body was one were purified Levit. 13. ver 46. From hence in processe of time it became a custome of the Jewes not to receive those who passed from Gentilisme to Judaisme supposing them to be uncleane unlesse they were first washed and those who dissented from the Doctrine of the Synagogue they cast out of the Synagogue By resemblance of this custome those that came to Christianity whether â—hey were Jewes or Gentiles were not receiv'd into the Church without Baptisme and those that dissented from the Church were depriv'd of the Churches Communion Now they were therefore said to be deliver'd over to Satan because all that was out of the Church was comprehended within his Kingdome The end of this kind of Discipline was that being destitute for a time of the grace and spirituall priviledges of the Church they might be humbled to salvation but the effect in regard of secular matters that being excommunicated they should not onely be prohibited all Congregations or Churches and the participation of the mysteries but as heing contagious they should be avoided by all other Christians even more then Heathen for the Apostle allowed to accompany with Heathen but with these not so much as to eate 1 Cor. 5. ver 10 11. Seeing then the effect of Excommunication is such it is manifest in the first place that a Christian city cannot be excommunicated for a Christian City is a Christian Church as hath been declar'd above in the 21. Art and of the same extension but a Church cannot be excommunicated For either she must excommunicate her selfe which is impossible or she must be excommunicated by some other Church and this either universall or particular But seeing an Universall Church is no Person as hath been prov'd in the 22. Artic. and therefore neither acts nor does any thing it cannot excommunicate any man and a particular church by excommunicating another Church doth nothing for where there is not one common Congregation there cannot be any Excommunication Neither if some one Church suppose that of Jerusalem should have excommunicated an other suppose that of Rome would it any more have excommunicated this then her selfe for he that deprives another of his Communion deprives himselfe also of the Communion of that other Secondly No man can excommunicate the subjects of any absolute government all at once or forbid them the use of their Temples or their publique worship of God for they cannot be excommunicated by a Church which themselves doe constitute for if they could there would not onely not remain a Church but not so much as a common-weale and they would be dissolved of themselves and this were not to be excommunicated or prohibited but if they be excommunicated by some other Church that church is to esteem them as Heathen but no christian Church by the doctrine of Christ can forbid the Heathen to gather together and Communicate among themselves as it shall seem good to their Cities especially if they meet to worship Christ although it be done in a singular custome and manner therefore also not the excommunicated who are to be dealt with as Heathen Thirdly a Prince who hath the Soveraign power cannot be excommunicated for by the doctrine of Christ neither one nor many subjects together can inâ—erdict their Prince any publique or private places or deny him entrance into any Assembly whatsoever or prohibit him the doing of what hee will within his own jurisdiction for it is Treason among all Cities â—oâ—any one or many subjects joyntly to arrogate to themselves any authority over the whole City but they who arrogaâ—e to themselves an authority over him who hath the supreme power of the City doe arrogate the same authority over the City it selfe Besides a Soveraign Prince if he be a Christian hath this farther advantage that the City whose Will is contained in His is that very thing which we call a Church the Church therefore excommunicates no man but whom it excommunicates by the authrity of the Prince but the Prince excommunicates not himselfe his subjects therefore cannot doe it It may be indeed that an Assembly of rebellious Citizens or Traytors may pronounce the sentence of excommunication against their Prince but not by Right Much lesse can one Prince be excommunicated by another for this would prove not an excommunication but a provocation to Warre by the way of affront For since that is not one church which is made up of Citizens belonging to two absolute Cities for want of power of lawfully assembling them as hath been declar'd before in the 22 Art they who are of one Church are not bound to obey an other and therefore cannot be excommunicated for their disobedience Now what some may say that Princes being they are members of the Universall church may also by the authority of the Universall church be excommunicated signifies nothing because the Universall church as hath beene shewed in the 22. Art is not one Person of whom it may be said that shee acted decreed determin'd excommunicated absolv'd and the like personall attributes neither hath she any Governour upon Earth at whose command she may assemble and deliberate For to be guide of the Universall church and to have the power of assembling her is the same thing as to be Governour and Lord over all the Christians in the world which is granted to none but God onely XXVII It hath beene shewed above in the 18. Art that the authority of interpreting the Holy Scriptures consisted not in this that the interpreter might without punishment expound and explicate his sentence opinion taken thence unto others either by writing or by his owne voice but that others have a not Right to doe or teach ought contrary to his sentence
sometimes false either of which apart is called thinking and also beleeving both together doubting But when our reasons for which we assent to some Proposition derive not from the Proposition it selfe but from the person Propounding whom we esteeme so learned that he is not deceiv'd and we see no reason why he should deceive us our assent because it growes not from any confidence of our owne but from another mans knowledge is called Faith And by the confidence of whom we doe beleeve we are said to trust them or to trust in them By what hath been said the difference appeares first betweene Faith and Profession for that is alwaies joyn'd with inward asseâ—… this not alwayes 〈◊〉 That is an inward perswasion of the minde this an outward obedience Next betweene Faith and Opinion for this depends on our ownâ— reason that on the good esteeme we have of another Lastly betweene Faith and Knowledge for this deliberately takes a proposition broken and chewed that swallowes downe whole and entiâ—â— The explication of words whereby the matter enquir'd after is propounded is conducible to knowledge â—ay the onely way to 〈◊〉 is by deâ—… but this is prejudiciall to Faith for those things which exceede humane capacity and are propounded to beleev'd are never more evident by explication but on the contrary more obscure and harder to be credited And the same thing befalls a man who endeavours to demonstraâ—â— the mysteries of Faith by naturall reason which happens to a sick man who will needs chew before he will swallow his wholsome but biâ—…r Pillâ— whence it comes to passe that he presently brings them up againe which perhaps would otherwise if he had taken them well downe have prov'd his remedy V. We have seene therefore what it is to beleeve But what is it to beleeve in CHRIST Or what Proposition is that which is the object of our Faith in CHRIST For when we say I beleeve in CHRIST we signifie indeed Whom but not What we beleeve Now to beleeve in CHRIST is nothing else but to beleeve that JESUS IS THE CHRIST namely Hee who according to the Prophesies of Moyses and the Prophets of Israel was to come into this world to institute the Kingdome of God And this sufficiently appeares out of the words of CHRIST himselfe to Martha I am saith he the Resurrection and the life HE THAT BELEEVETH IN ME though he were dead yet he shall live and WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND BELEEVETH IN ME shall never dye Beleevest thou this She saith unto him Yea Lord I beleeve that THOU ART THE CHRIST the Soâ— of God which should come into the world John 11. ver 25 26 27. In which words we see that the question BELEEVEST THOU IN ME is expounded by the answer THOU ART THE CHRIST To beleeve in CHRIST therefore is nothing else but to beleeve JESUS HIMSELFE saying that he is THE CHRIST VI. Faith and Obedience both necessarity concurring to Salvation what kinde of Obedience that same is and to whom due hath beene shewed above in the 3. Article But now we must enâ—â—iâ—e what articles of Faith are requisite And * I say that to a Christian there is no other article of Faith requisite as necessary to Salvation but only this THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST But we must distinguish as we have already done before in the 4. Article betweene Faith and Profession A Profession therefore of more articles if they be commanded may be necessary for it is a part of our obedience due to the Lawes but we enquire not now what Obedience but what Faith is necessary to salvation And this is prov'd first out of the scope of the Evangelists which was by the description of our Saviours life to establish this one Article and we shall know that such was the scope and counsell of the Evangelists if we observe but the History it selfe Saint Matthew beginning at his Genealogy shewes that JESUS was of the linage of David borne of a Virgin Chap. 1. that He was adored by the Wise men as King of the Jewes that Herod for the same cause sought to slay him Chap. 2. That his Kingdome was Preacht both by John the Baptist and Himselfe Chap. 3 4. That He taught the Lawes not as the Scribes but as one having authority Chap. 5 6 7. That he cur'd diseases miraculously Chap. 8 9. That He sent his Apostles the Preachers of his Kingdome throughout all the parts of Judea to proclame his Kingdome Chap. 10. That He commanded the Messengers sent from John to enquire whether he were the CHRIST or not to tell him what they had seene namely the miracles which were onely competible with CHRIST Chap. 11. That he prov'd and declar'd his Kingdome to the Pharisees and others by arguments parables and signes Chap. 12. and the following Chapters to the 21. That He maintain'd himselfe to be the Christ against the Pharisees That He was saluted with the title of King when he entred into Jerusalem Chap. 21. That he forewarn'd others of false Christs and That He shewed in Parables what manner of Kingdome his should be Chap. 22 23 24 25. That He was taken and accused for this reason because He said He was a King and that a Title was written on his Crosse THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWES Chap. 26 27. Lastly that after his resurrection He told his Apostles that all power was given unto Him both in Heaven and in Earth Chap. 28. All which tends to this end That we should beleeve Jesus to be the Christ Such therefore was the Scope of Saint Matthew in describing his Gospell but such as his was such also was the rest of the Evangelists which Saint Iohn sets down expresly in the end of his Gospel These things saith He are written that ye may know that Jesus is the Christ the Sonne of the living God Iohn 29. vers 31. I say that to a Christian Although I conceive this assertion to be sufficiently proved by the following reasons yet I thought it worth my labour to make a more aâ—…ple explication of it because I perceive that being somewhat new it may possibly be distastfull to many Divines First therefore when I say this Article That Jesus is the Christ is necessary to salvation I say not that Faith onely is necessary but I require Justice also or that Obedience which is due to the Lawes of God that is to say a Will to live righteously Secondly I deny not but the profession of many Articles provided that that profession be commanded by the Church is also necessary to salvation but seeing Faith is internall Profession externall I say that the former onely is properly Faith the latter a part of Obedience insomuch as that Article alone sufficeth for inward beleefe but is 〈◊〉 sufficient for the outward profession of a Christian Laâ—â—ly even as if I â—ad said that true and inward Râ—pentance of â—innes was onely necessary to salvation yet were it not to be held