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A30816
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The necessity of subjection asserted in an assise-sermon preached in the Cathedral Church at Sarum, July 17, 1681 / by John Byrom ...
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Byrom, John.
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1681
(1681)
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Wing B6408; ESTC R2657
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11,598
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34
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be thought as averse in their Principles as the never-to-be-united Poles of Heaven shall we therefore Exalt moving dirt for man is no better to the Soveraignty of God and vest it with a power which is the sole prerogative of Omnipotence God as he is the Creator and Preserver of men hath a just and unquestionable Dominion over them and this his Dominion he in part transfers to Soveraign Princes that order might be preserved in the world and that the Inhabitants thereof might lead a quiet and peaceable life in all Godliness and Honesty 1 Tim. 2.2 The Crowns which encompass their royal heads are the entire gift and donative of Him who is encircled for ever with an eternal Crown of glory and this is most plain from our Apostles words which alone confound these Babel-builders and break in pieces all their Arguments There is no power says he at ver 2. of this Chapter but of God the powers that be are ordained of God whoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and again v. 4. He beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God And inasmuch as Corah and his Seditious followers rebel'd against their lawful Governour it is said by the Holy Ghost that they were gathered together against the Lord Numb 16.11 which plainly intimates that Dominion is founded and established by God he accounting this Faction against Moses his Representative as form'd against Himself and it is further confirm'd by that Heavenly wisdom which cannot err Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes decree Justice by me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the earth Seeing then the Authority of the lawful Magistrate descends from the Soveraign Lord of all things how can the Violators and Opposers thereof be excused from the monstrous crime of lifting up the head against him that gave it and making an assault upon the very Godhead do they not in effect rebel against Heaven it self who rebel against Him whom Heaven has set up the anointed of the Lord is not Magistracy according to our Apostle's express words an Ordinance of God and therefore sacred and inviolable not to be blasted by venemous breath or to be touch'd by the unhallowed arms of Sedition If the sons of Faction and Disloyalty would weigh and ponder this if they would consider as they ought the Divine original of Government they would soon discern the necessity of Subjection Opposition against the lawful Powers upon earth for from Him their Authority proceeds being level'd at a distance against the greater one in Heaven II. The necessity of Subjection will further appear from the Doctrine and Practice of Christ and his Apostles although the Holy Jesus is the great and everlasting God God blessed for ever yet like the meanest of humane Race he subjected Himself to the Dominion of men although he had the immortal Scepter of Heaven and an immarcessible Crown of endless Glory yet he yielded submission to the frail Scepters and the fading Crowns of the earth witness the whole course of his life which he led with so much Meekness and Obedience that his implacable enemies the Jews could not find whereof to accuse him The Pharisees in particular endeavoured to ensnare Him in this matter and therefore as flatteringly as insidiously say Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in Truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men St. Matt. 22.16 Thus by giving him the specious Title of Master and such soft and pleasing words which in their opinion might be grateful unto him they thought to induce him to speak as they would have him i. e. Factiously for under this fair Covert disguising a black and villanous Design they demanded of him whether it was lawful to pay tribute to the Roman Emperour unto which having seen a peny which by their confession was stamp'd with Caesars Image he gave this unexpected but loyal reply Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods St. Matt. 22.21 But to make the matter unquestionable when himself was demanded Tribute the imposition whereof is an evident token of Soveraign Authority and the payment as evident a token of Subjection he refused it not but wrought even a miracle to do it at last drawing nigh to his mournful death the Sun of Righteousness being to set in blood he gave a never-dying instance of his peaceable Submission the occasion was this he being apprehended by a multitude of People which Judas brought a multitude armed with Swords and sharper Revenge St. Peter in the heat of his Passion drew and with an unhappy success cut off the High Priests servant's ear the Holy Jesus resented this unlawful action so much that he sharply and severely rebuked him for it and plainly told him that they who without deriving any Authority from him that bears the Sword will yet presume to use it shall find it fatal to their own ease and quiet they shall fall themselves by it and further continues he Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father and he will presently give me more than ten Legions of Angels St. Matt. 26.53 Cherubim and Seraphim and all the mighty host of Heaven were entirely at his Devotion and Command and yet that He might give no colour or umbrage of opposition he called them not to his Assistance and so being brought before Pontius Pilate he neither disclaim'd nor opposed his Authority but was obedient in the highest degree obedient to the painful and infamous death of the Cross. Now our Saviour that was thus submissive hath left these commands upon Record Learn of me St. Matt. 11.29 and very often follow me St. Matt. 4.19 St. Luke 5.27 from whence there is an indispensable necessity to follow his example and he being obedient to the supream Magistrate the same indispensable necessity lies upon us to be obedient also In his steps did his Primitive followers afterwards tread as is evident from what is Recorded of them by St. Luke in the Acts of the Apostles and by Ecclesiastical Writers I shall instance at present but in one namely St. Paul both because he was the Penman of my Text and likewise brought up in a Religion that discountenanced 't is true all manner of Rebellion but it was of a warm Spirit He as it is recorded in Acts 9. was Converted to Christianity by the miraculous appearance of the Blessed Jesus his journey to Damascus becoming to him the way to Heaven after which his happy Conversion he gained many Proselytes to the Christian Faith confounding the obstinacy of the stubborn Jew the Philosophy of the learned Greek and the strength of the powerful Roman but amongst all that he acted or spoke in order to bring them to the obedience of God he never utter'd a syllable that countenanced their disobedience to man For an orderly subjection to the Powers on earth
Countrey and resist the legal Magistrate They have cited that of the Royal Prophet in Psal. 149 8. where he speaks concerning binding their Kings in Chains and their Nobles with links of Iron but the words are directed only against those superstitious Heathens upon whom God design'd to execute his wrath for their gross Idolatry as is evident from the preceding verse and so nothing at all to their purpose Lastly not to rake into all their abuses they have cited and grosly misapplyed to themselves that saying of the Apostles we ought rather to obey God than men Acts 5.29 as if they without any disparity in the Case were acted by the same spirit that the Blessed Apostles were and pursued the same end and design with them it is easie enough to plead and distort Scripture The most â—bstinate Hereticks the most profligate Sinners nay Devils themselves can do it however then by a kind of profanation of the words they term'd their own ambitions and intemperate Desires Gods Cause however they encouraged the people to Arm as if to unsheath the Sword against the Lords Anointed was to fight the Lords Battels This is undeniably certain that no pretence whatever can justifie such proceedings for it is impossible for a man whatever is flourished to the contrary to be at once a bad Subject and a good Christian. What lastly shall we say unto them who under the colour of Christian Liberty would break down the fences of Government and lay it so wast that not so much as one stone should be left upon another The liberty which our Saviour purchased by the effusion of his sacred and inestimable blood is wholly spiritual and yet to serve such designs which I am unwilling to call to your thoughts these are some who would have it to be temporal but can any rational person believe that Christ who came to free us from Sin hath yet given us a freedom to do wickedly as we apparently must if we resist the lawful Magistrate whom Christ hath commanded us to obey This is such a solecism and wild contradiction that nothing but deep Atheism or if I may joyn such distant words together religious Phrensie can be guilty of it and in truth it may justly raise our Admiration that such persons as these claim to themselves the name of Protestant when Protestants as I have made appear from their respective Confessions disclaim and renounce such horrid Principles they may peradventure protest against the errors of Rome and in this they do well but they protest too against the truths of God and what distracting Schisms in the Church and convulsive Agonies in the State this at last may produce is easie enough to foresee without a Prophetique Spirit and therefore how justly they would appropriate to themselves this name when they who were first called thereby acted upon different principles I leave all considering men to judge And now my Lord having asserted the rights of that Power which causes your presence here and authorizes your judiciary proceedings among us give me leave to be your remembrancer that what subjection soever we owe to the higher Powers your selves are subject to the highest of all God he the supream and soveraign Judge of the World will call mankind to an account for their actions by Him we must stand or fall without an Appeal to another if it should be your unhappiness which God forbid to tread in the path of violence or wrong you cannot but expect a heavier doom than that which you here pronounce against the guilty But if you observe the rules of Justice and determine according to the tenor of it you will surely receive most righteous Judgment Judgment temper'd and sweetned with Mercy at the great Tribunal of Heaven and then it will be a comfort and pleasure unto you to behold your omniscient Judge and King whose countenance otherwise will shoot forth horror and dart amazing fearfulness then when the Statutes of Heaven are opened it will be more to your advantage and honour than that which you at present enjoy or can possibly expect from those that are made upon earth then in a word you will be exalted to an immortal state of Glory for happiness and justice are eternal Companions and cohabit in the Regions above for ever Let me therefore intreat you in the name of God to cast up your Eyes towards this glorious Eternity that neither fear nor 〈◊〉 those spiritual Traitors may cause you 〈…〉 of it 'T is true if we 〈◊〉 men we live in an Age wherein 't is impossible to please neither can it be in reason expected so long as the fury of Rome and Enthusiastique rage ferment and boil among us But this is your comfort that the discharge of a good Conscience will be pleasing to Him who can infinitely reward you and what ungrateful clamors soever you meet with in this world you will be sure by this means to hear most sweet Hallelujah's in the other In the mean time let us who are here unanimously pray That we may live in due subjection to the present that is to the best of all Governments and that God would so direct your design'd proceedings in this City and elsewhere that they may tend to the honour of our Soveraign Lord the King who sent you to the peace and welfare of this I wish I could not say divided People and to the re aladvancement of the divine Glory FINIS