divers manner of existence of these three ones in the same one substance we may through their union amongst themselves conceive deity it self to be more fixed and setled in unity or one-ness then it would be otherwise From the observation of the manner of existence and working of any thing objected to humane sence where agent and patient stand circumscribed and limitted by the laws of matter it must be very heard to deduce any satisfactory conception how these things should be brought to pass It must needs be hard for us to apprehend how one God should thus be three at the same time truly one as to the Godhead and truly three as to the persons and this without division of substance or confusion of peresons that he that was begotten should be as ancient as he which did beget him and againe that that person that had procession from the other two should yet be as much without beginning as either of them And all because created bodies being to work according to those rules which nhe Creator did appoint to the intent that that end which was by him aimed at in the course of his providence might have a regular and certain effect it was necessary that they should be ascertained stated and limitted by the laws of number time place c. Forasmuch as if any one or more of them should not be numerically and separately that very one or that very number more a perpetual miscellany and confusion would follow to the defeating nature in her operations and to the depriving her of her variety for want of distinct subsistences and individuals And should not natural Agents be confined to time and place whereby that which is now done or here done was not at all times and every where done it must then fall out that things thus left at liberty must work infinitely to the degree of deity or else being impeded by the like unconfined operation of others all must perish by reluctance and disorder Whereas God that had thus by number and measure stated and bounded other things must be looked upon as unlimitted in himself by those limitations which he puts upon others That unity that moment that point from whose simpleness the numbers times proportions wherewith other things stand bordered do take their original and derivation although they were from him yet they are not at all afficient on him he cannot be confined by those confinements he puts on others but remaines in himself still so much more simple then they as not to be patible by them It would be derogatory to him to think him so numerically and determinately one as to say he is but one for that were to say or suppose there were more ones which this one did not comprehend and so he not the whole and incomprehensible one No he is one as being all his oneness is from his allness his unity from his ubiquity Not seperately and singly one as in relation to another but as comprehending all things else he is totally and universally one and that without confinement of time or place But however there be coequality and coeternity amongst those three as considered in themselves and in relation to that one divine substance whereof they are possessed and wherein they do unite yet as they stand differenced in order amongst themselves according to their relations so are they in their emanations and operations upon men and other Creatures distinguishable by their order of working also For whatever is done by God the Father is done in the Son and through the holy Ghost who as last in order is neerest unto us in the participations of deity here For that second person in the Trinity who in his natural and eternal generation as God was begotten of God the Father when he took our nature upon him and did in it perform the work of our redemption was then conceived by the holy Ghost by whom also we receive all those spiritual blessings graces and favours which by means of Christs Mediatorship and merits are from God the Father to be expected by us as the earnest of his love in his Son From whence it comes to pass that the sin against this person is set downe as unpardonable as including all the rest by being a more neer contempt against them all because none can act alone Lastly although by these divers personal subsistencies in the same substance we may conceive deity as to inward operations and respects to be so fully compleated that no farther generation or procession needed because understanding and will stand hereby alwayes satisfied with adequate objects of truth and good yet as those incomprehensible rayes of love and glory which before all time were mutually and continually communicated by these three most blessed persons as coming from omnipotent Agents could not otherwise otherwise be confined in operation then by their owne good pleasure so it being the property of glory and goodness to be extensive and as natural to do good as be good it came to pass in time that that inward contemplation which was at first the generation of him that was the Image of his Fathers glory and thereupon of that love which was from them both proceeding was for the farther manifestation of the same glory the cause of all those effects of his love which appear in the whole creation and of those several inferiour participations of divine resemblance heretofore spoken of In the former way of working the divine substance it self is wrought upon and communicated in this only the attributes thereof are imparted according to matter newly created The working of deity in the first way was natural and necessary but in this voluntary For the Father could not be said to will to beget the Son nor could the holy Ghost be thought to take voluntary procession from the other two because none could be said to will that to be done which at no time was or could be undone The cause of the operations in the first case was perfect love arising from perfect similitude in this as the similitude was more imperfect so the intercourse of affection also was more properly an expression of charity or gift upon objects of want then an ayme at fâ—uition through sence of likeness and same-ness the which we may make the definition of love and thereby somewhat difference it from charity because the one seeks to enjoy the other to bestow though usually they are taken for the same and fall into one another For that whosoever loves is alwayes ready to bestow and none was ever bountiful to any thing unloved or unlike In declaration of these sublime misteries much more might be said but when we have said all we can it is not to be conceived that the feeble brain of man can ever attain any steady degree of comprehension of that in accessible light it being more easy to lose our reason in a curious search then satisfie it in any full discovery And therefore our safest
course is to confess we know him not having indeed no warrantable rule for our direction herein but what God himself hath of himself in the holy Scripture set downe The which had it not stiled the second person the the Image of the invisible God the brighâ—ness of his fathers glory and the express Image of his persons And so leading us to conceive of the procession of the holy Ghost I see not how the true personal existence of those three that bear record in heaven could have been apprehended As for that hypostatical union of the two natures in that one person of our Saviour a mystery also necessary in some sort to be comprehended and believed it is learnedly done by others especially by the pen of Judicious Hooker and is not to our present occasion so proper But so much I thought necessary to premise in this place for the better conception of the personal subsistance of deity by way of supply to what was briefly spoken of the unity thereof and its operations in the entrance of the first book and what shall be spoken thereof in the last chapter of this book this being as necessary to be known to state us Christians as that was to remove us from Atheism and also for the better understanding the original and nature of love it self whereof we are now to treat For hence we may perceive how God himself is said to be love as being the foundation thereof and that also if we love one another God dwelleth in us and his love is made perfect in us The which is not onely true in the natural state wherein all creatures had existence and perfection from the love of God manifested in Christ by whom he made the world and had that thereby also recourse back towards God again by occasion of those natural propensions to mutual love and beneficence seated in men and other things by means of that blessed spirit which moved upon the waters but also true in the state of grace and regeneration wherein God the Father was pleased to love men again as in his beloved Son when they had now lost that Image and likeness wherein they stood lovely as his creatures before even by the love of God shed abroad â—n our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given us By whose blessed influence we are not onely holpen and directed in our love and obedience upward whereby to meet the God of love more directly even to the degree of a miracle-working faith where it is strong enough but also stand inwardly affâ—cted towards the assisting him in his course of providence by love to those his Images now presâ—nt amongst us men being not otherwise capeable of approving themselves to be Godly or God-like then by the expression of this their love according to such rules of obedience as Christ himself hath appointed and in Scripture plainly set down For as we are inwardly made preceptive and participant of this love by the grace of faith even by having our understandings cleared concerning the reallity of God and his goodness and of the communication thereof unto us of which we have spoken in this last discourse so again do we stand outwardly confirmed and conformable herein by the grace of obedience even by signal testification of our true love to him by our ready and conformable expression of it according to his direction of which we shall now speak in that which follows As the general praise of love is most plainly and largly discoursed of by Saint John so is he most of all copious to shew how love and charity being the general precept for Christians are the fulfilling of the law and how they secure us in a state of innocence And therefore commending love to us he saith I write no new Commandment unto you but that which ye have heard from the beginning meaning from Christ himself who had shewed that this precept of charity or love was as hath been hitherto shewed the sum and scope of all the Law and the Prophets that is of those particular precepts set down in the Law Again saith he a new Commandment I write unto you which things is true in him and in you because the darkness is past and the true light shineth That is true in him that hath thus rid us of strict legal observance and from the darkness and multitude of litteral precepts and hath enlightened us with so much supernatural wisdome as to see this one performance of love to be the summ of their meaning they without it not being able to state us innocent For he that saith he is in the light and hateth his Brother is in darkness even until now but he that loveth his brother abideth in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling in him Which last words point plainly to the stating of our condition of innocence by love he concluding all Christian foundation and commandment in these words That we should believe the name of Christ Jesus and love one another And therefore is this Gospel single light hinted unto us as a single eye which enlighteneth the whole body This state of innocence through love may be also compared unto the strait Gate both for its singleness of precept in regard of those many precepts formerly given us and for its difficult too as for loving of Enemies and the like This is that wedding garment which whilst we have on we need not doubt our selves true members of and truly fitted for Christs Church and kingdome but if wanting it we are then to be rejected and cast out For without this roab of charity we shall be ready to devide this his kingdome against it self by breach of peace and order this being the leaven that must season all we do This is that rock on which we founding our Christian duties through faith in Christ they shall stand unmoveable against the stormes and tempests of the world whereas else prophesie miracles mighty works though done in Christs name and with never so religious pretences shall not make him owne us without its being their ground work And to this purpose he saith If ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love and then he ads this is my Commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you And least any one should think that this Commandment was but a single precept and not general and including all the rest of his Commandments he farther adds these things I Commanded you that ye love one another Where the command of love is put in the plural number as the sum of all the Commands we are to keep as truly his So that then no love to Christ without keeping his Commandments no keeping his Commandments without loving one another For as Christ in his actions stood excepted from sin notwithstanding his likeness to us in the
disturbance of one another where a supreme definitive sentence is not kept up And as we usually thus search into his Councels for the Reason of his Laws so set we up models of equity of our own for measuring his Justice Insomuch as upon every extraordinary and remarkable event how peremptory are we to assign this or this for a cause each one judging his own apprehensions of right and wrong as the onely necessary patterns for Gods proceedings and intentions herein Which whilest they shall differ so much one from another and can be but one true if any be must they not charge God foolishly For example amongst us that have now felt in so high measure his deserved hand those that are of the Romish opinion say This late revolt is in Justice for our Kings deserting his Obedience to that See and our particular Schisms the punishment of our grand Schism from them and the more particular pressure thereof lighting on the Nobility and Gentry are the punishments of their ingrossing the Churches Patrimony which like the coal from the Altar hath almost consumed their nests These looking upon this kingdom as the head and pillar of Protestantism say That as Reformation of Religion was first set up by our Princes out of State designs of alteration of Government and of being independent on the power of Rome so are they now but justly punished with the same pretensions by their own Subjects who in their risings they presume have as great Authority to interpret Scripture against their Civil Governors now as formerly against their spiritual head And they farther say That as to gain strength and general assistance from the Laity was the onely reason we first made the Scriptures vulgar and common that under the obliegingness of so high a favor whereby their abilities seemed to be flattered to an equal pitch with the Clergy they might be gained to that side that therefore our present requital from popular wresting these Scriptures again to publik disturbance amongst our selves is but just also Others that are from them in opinion most contrary so are their reasons also They tell you that Popery and Superstion were here too much and too long countenanced and abetted they tell you that the Clergy were yet too high and powerful and their maintenance too great and unbecoming that things have thus happened because the true sense of Scriptures and thorough Reformation from Rome were too little regarded Others that it may be regard neither of those extreams but look on things as polititians will tell you That the assistance of the Scots formerly against their Queen the assistance of the Dutch and Rocheller against their Kings were the just causes of insurrection now and they will tell you also that the beheading of the Queen of Scots was ominous to the like fatal blow Believing it a Vice against common prudence for Princes out of consideration of any mischief to one another to do that which should be destructive to all as well as it is a sin against Religion neglecting the rule of Do as thou wouldst be done unto By all which and many more instances which might be given of like nature being first bewitched with our Understandings and then idolizing our own justice to be the same with Gods we do cause Rebellion to creep on us as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness as Idolatry That is we will then onely begin to serve God and obey his Laws when we have first interpreted them to serve our own turns which is in effect never to obey them more Whereas that more remarkable token of Obedience that was to Abraham imputed for righteousness was in fact seeming as contradictory to justice and goodness so far as humane ability could reach as it was to the stream of his own particular affection For my own part I am not more in love with those four letters that spell King then with the rest of the Alphabet And could I see probable hope how that thirst of governing might be satisfied to general liking and agreement by that soveraignty which each subject should by this means have over the common vassal the King I should have rest contented with my share therein and have rather given encouragement to this so common a benefit where first all of us should have had our contents by being real governor of this one and then that one contented again with the titles formalities and shews of his Government also then have made my self subject to so much labour and censure But as in all works that are to be done there must be the worker the work and the instruments whereby he brings it to pass the which in order to the work must be at the workmans appointment and choice so in this work of Polity and Government the commanding are workers the commanded the work and the Law Magistracy Councellors c. are the instruments for effecting it Whether Prince or people shall be workmen I will not here say onely thus much is evident that Laws Magistrates c. must be at the choice and dispose of such as rule and also above the ruled as holding necessarily a middle term to unite and agree them in the work it self If as considering how things are now practised and the many opinions to the contrary I shall be by any hastily condemned of ungrounded novelty for that not contenting my self in the modest and equal way of commending Monarchy above other Governments I have quite cast Aristocraty and Democraty out of the right number and reckoned of them but as Anarchies I shall entreat them to consider that I onely undertake to look into Government and its forms as they stand authorized in Scripture or Reason and not as they stood in humane device or practise and therefore I hold my self no further blamable then failing hereof For unto my strictest enquiry there could not be found one Text amongst those we call Canonical countenancing and mentioning any other form not so much as one word of the power of People or Nobility Parliaments Senate c. which the restless wits of men have since devised as in derogation to the other Nay when God means to express himself by titles of power common to men it is either of King or Father which as the greater and lesser Monarchs have alone divine Authority to command over mens persons And I believe all knowing men will confess that as onely God expresly appointed this form so nature also at least at first in her golden age and whilst she was at the best insomuch as for some thousands of yeers it is by all concluded there was no one sort of people otherwise governed then by Kings And therefore by that same rule of strangeness and wonder where with others may behold my Positions in condemning I may behold theirs in approving them even that a sort of men there should be that pretending their utmost and onely subjection to Gods word should yet contemn the power of Kings
certain nobleman went into a far Country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return and he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds and said occupy till I come By which is set forth that trust of power which in his absence should be committed to the several Heads of Churches But his Citizens hated him and sent a message after him saying we will not have this man raign over us Where we may see Antichrianism stated and defined that is when such as are members of Christs Church or his Citizens do so far express their hatred unto him as to deny his deputed Christs to Raign or have power over them And therefore after he hath taken the accompt of his Deputies trusted talents he then comes to censure these Rebels against his Vice-gerents just as if they had been so to himself saying But these mine enemies which would not that I should raign over them bring them hither and slay them before me And that this sentence was directly intended to such as refuse this his power in his Deputies and not of his Deputies disobedience to him appears in that S. Matthew setting down the like Parable of trusted talents but without mention of the particular fact of the Citizenâ— hath no such expression in his relation thereof although he record afterwards Christs owning his Ministers as himself as elsewhere shewed So that now who is a lyar but he that denyeth that Jesus is the Christ he is Antichrist that denieth the father and the Son It is not said he that denieth the Holy Ghost or he that denyeth Jesus that is the belief of his Saviourship for this being wrought inwardly by the work of the Holy Ghost it maketh its denial or refusal more properly the sin against the Holy Ghost casting Christ forth from within us as an unholy thing but offending against Christs regency or power over us outwardly offends also against Charity and so by destroying Monarchy or Union hinders our wel fares here as infidelity doth our welfares hereafter And that this mysterie of Antichristianism is the denial of the Father and the Son and that in regard of power to be exercised by persons here below and from them sent and empowered may be notably gathered from these very words of Mission and Delegation which Christ always used at the empowering of any from him using stil these speeches or the like He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me In which there being always mention of delegation of power from the Father and the Son and never from the Holy Ghost it comes to pass that Antichristianism is plainly opposition in the execution of such power as is from God the Father and Christ delegated In which delegation because Christ is to them the immediate Donor it therefore takes the name of Antichristianism For these being anointed and established by God in Christ although they are not to personate Christ in having dominion over ther faith as being the object thereof yet are they to personate Christ in claiming their obedience in all things and so forgive also as in the person of Christ lest Satan should have advantage over them as seeming to be done out of original power in themselves and not as acted in Christs Name and Authority So that now the means of accomplishment of our welfare here being by Christ reckoned as his service under the notions of Love and Charity and our obedience to him therein making us participants with him of what he meritoriously did in obedience to God in performance of the Moral Law for us it follows that as we deny the Holy Ghost in denial of Jesuship so also God the Father in denial of his Christ-ship For all things being ours through Christ and as through him that was both God and man all mankind came to be capable of the benefits and favor of the Godhead so single men being members of particular Churches through obedience to particular Christs under him come to be participant of Christ also and of those benefits promised to the whole Church his body under the condition of obedience Again as by faith we lay immediate hold on him the second Adam for forgiveness of original sin so by obedience to him and his Church we attain the benefit of his obedience and remission of actual sins In the first way by our particular offerings to him of inward faith and love we are all of us through Christ made Kings and Priests to God on our own behalfs in the second way we as members of particular Churches must have for what we do warrant and direction on from other Kings and Priests having therein Authority from him Nor are Kings Supreme Deputies as Christi only that is because their oyl and unction is ever in Scripture distinguished from what is ordinary but they are also his most immediate and eminent Deputies for execution and accomplishment of his Jesu-ship I mean so much of it as concerns the Churches temporal safety which was part of that work which as King Christ was to do as appears by that his speech The son of man came not to destroy mens lives but to save them But because it could not be personally compleated by that the son of man himself it must be presumed entrusted to those who to that purpose are so often in Scripture eminently adorned with this title of Saviour Nay it is taken as an office so proper to Kings that God for his peoples greater assurance puts himself under that notion The Lord is our king he will save us so likewise is Christ called A Prince and Saviour as he is also called the Saviour of the body that is of his whole Church by his deputed Saviours in the several parts thereof But most remarkably clear to this purpose and also to shew the following advancement of the Church by these Saviours under the Saviour and that this Church in that glorious condition is that which is to be called Gods Kingdom is that last verse of Obadiah And Saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau and the kingdom shall be the Lords For the Prophet having before set forth the Churches enemies and oppressors under the notion of Edom doth at length foretel all their deliverance and glory to arise by the means of these Saviours and that in regard of this more eminent and glorious condition of the Church at that time then before it shall be more remaâ—kably owned by God as his Kingdom And the kingdom shall be the Lords And so being his and Christs by means of these Deputies it will follow that they that oppose them oppose Christ and so are Antichrists But to know these things the better and the persons defined we will more particularly take notice of two places set down amongst many in the New Testament to this purpose The one is of the lesser and many
our love made perfect that is brought to its issue that we may have boldness in the day of judgement for there is no fear in love that is no fear of future torment because of their Faith and assurance gathered through present obedience And if we consider the persons unto whom more particularly this description of Antichrist is addressed as most concerning them it will give us full light and confirmation herein For the warning hereof is particularly given to the Apostles or heads of Churches under the notion of little Children a loving term which this beloved Disciple useth to difference them in imitation of his Master as formerly noted saying Children it is the last time c. And that the persons comprised under this notion of little Children were different from others whom he therefore stiles my Children and my Beloved c. because he hath begotten them in the Faith appears in that he writing particularly to Gaius salutes him under these notions And the matter comprehended under these different addresses will by its difference shew the difference of persons thereby meant And therefore when we finde little Children spoken to before Fathers it must shew some of higher rank for if we should have thought him to have proceeded with the instruction of the lower rank first then young men would have been spoken to next and Fathers last of all But by writing to those little Children first twice over and that under such descriptions and representations as were to them most proper must shew that they were different persons from these Fathers and young men and from those he calls my little Children Brethren Beloved and the like all which are indifferently used when he is to express those duties which may generally concern all men And because some of those admonitions and duties may also concern all in a second degree which are given to the heads of Churches under the notion of little Children therefore do we not finde them set down in restrictive terms And this not onely in regard of that common engagement to mutual love and obedience they as others are concerned in but also in regard care is always taken not to make the difference too plain whereby persons in Authority might be too proud or the mystery of Antichristianism too much revealed Which may be the reason why our Saviour speaking of these things would not give St. Peter a direct answer when he asked Lord speakest thou this Parable to us or even to all but goes on with the description of their duties as Stewards or Rulers over Gods houshold not letting them know their own power it is like till after his Resurrection that he spoke of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God So that when he says My little children I write unto you that ye sin not and then tells them that if they do they have an Advocate with the Father we are to conceive them to be such as he had newly converted to the Faith and so needed instruction to know that Christ was the propitiation of sins Wheras the others because they more fully had known the Father according to Christs former Promises might be said by vertue of that washing they had from him and many exhortations made for loving one another and keeping his Commandments to have their sins forgiven for his names sake or to be more remarkably sanctified by the promised spirit of truth and by Gods word to be left in their trust By which means also they come to have higher degree of illumination into this mystery of Antichrist according to the following words but ye have received an Unction from the Holy One and know all things For no doubt in the number of all those truths they were to be guided into they should have the revelation of this mystery more then other men which was it is like some of those many things Christ had to say unto them which were not fit for their knowledge till after Christs Ascension At which time they might be supposed to expect revelation from the Holy Ghost in that particular concerning Christs Glory according to that Promise He shall glorifie me for he shall recive of mine and shall shew it unto you which we may presume to import something of eminence and power by the following words all things that the Father hath are mine therfore said I he shall take of mine and shall shew it unto you Twice we see the word is used of shew it unto you whereby we may conclude it was not the Unction of power onely but of Revelation of something concerning the exercise of that Power and Function And this may be farther evinced by the following words where his departure is made an Argument of his greater manifestation unto them Again a little while and ye shall me because I go to the Father that is as at by my departure ye shall be sent by me as I was sent by my Father so shall ye also have farther knowledge concerning your Mission and of those cross accidents which shall accompany it In which respect this spirit of truth shall be to them also a spirit of joy when they shall be enabled to endure those indignities from the world which shall come unto them by reason that Christs name is more remarkably set on them then on others And therefore since this anointing could not but teach them of these things in the next mention of little Children these heads of Churches are spoken to by way of exhortation to be notwithstanding abiding in him that is to be keeping themselves like good Stewards in the just execution of their charge according to his commandment that then when he shall appear they may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming as expecting his sentence of well done thou good and faithful servant c. And further also if that abide with them which they heard from the beginning then shall they continue in the Son and in the Father That is the Power and Unction from them received shall be both their director and protector According to that former saying of our Savior to his Disciples if ye keep my Commandments ye shall abide in my love even as I have kept my Fathers Commandments and abide in his love As for the next verse it contains also an assurance to them of uprightness or justice in the execution of their Offices whilst they continued as obedient Children to him that was the Fountain of Justice or Righteousness If ye know that he is Righteous or just ye know that every one that doth righteousness or Justice is born of him that is such as are his particular seed for righteousness sake and are by him entrusted for administration of justice or righteousness are by his power and grace so illuminathed and upheld that the righteousness of their acts is not to be questioned by any below them For
differ in choice and pursuit In which respect although that addition to pleasure which understanding must yield from the contemplation of prudential choice or managery may make wise mens pleasures more good yet doth it not deny the other to be in degree good too no more then the acknowledgement that full pleasure or acquiescence of mind which is nowhere but in God to be had as the only object that can fill both the Sensitive and Rational appetite with full acquiescence as in its full and final object doth deny every degree of pleasure and content to be in proportion good also CHAP. VI. Of Honor. OUr discourse past was to prove mans end to be Pleasure wherein we proceeded no further then in declaring that part of it which was not altogether proper to him as man but as an individual Sensitive But now being to enter on the discourse of Society it is necessary we treat of the other part thereof which is proper to him as a moral and intellectual agent and doth arise from very Society it self because as from company and converse with others I come to affect and be provoked to imitation so again the desire to have my proficence therein appear makes me for honor sake to affect Society and Company Whereupon we may say that Honor Estimation Reputation Pride c. grow from without us and do receive both their appearance and encrease through degrees of subordination being for the most part the return of gratitude from Inferiours to Superiors For if all were equal as in nature outward honor or shame could not be in comparison of one to another Now as Superiors have high Power above those under them so have they advantage of being pleasurable to them in their many senses which because it cannot be from them adequately repaid in kind to him that hath but the sense of one person therefore by the expressions of the Inferiors joy in possessing this benefit he hath so lively a sense in his contemplation hereof that the joys of many come to be his And hence is it that it is a more blessed thing to give then to receive and that not only in respect of God who is the rewarder of charity but also because there must be more joy in the pleasures of many then one Therefore the honoured must have two properties Power and Goodness answering two other relations in the honouring Obedience and Gratitude And yet Power seems but for Goodness sake and when it is given by God or Authority is but in order to that For as in God himself the attribute of Optimus hath by the consent of all People been put before that of Maximus so in all offices of honor from him derived Power is added but as a servant to that degree of beneficence wherein by their Places they are put to represent him and act in his stead after the same manner as the means or instrument is in any thing a servant to the end So that to make power alone the object of honor is to make it the same with fear and it is also to make it not onely the same with obedience but not to difference it whether it be hearty or just or not For although to honor and to obey do usually signifie the same yet because the inferiour is alwayes in that kinde to honour his superiour it is still with presupposition of the right and merit of the person commanding else to obey the usurped power of a robber although in a greater command is not so much honour to him as it is to my Prince or father when I obey them in a less And not so onely but the several returns of our obedience and acknowledgements to persons of rightful power are in degree more or less honourable in themselves as the drift of that command is more or less meritorious So that although some of the heathen out of supposition of those many other benefits received might in complement or ignorance forbear publickly to upbraid their own Gods with those scapes and faults acted by their power yet doth the story of Pallas punishment of Arachne for pourtraying them assure us that they thought meer power to be dishonourable when it had not goodness in design Whereupon it was their use to reverence and worship as publike gods those that had first been publike benefactors Whilst a beneficial action is in intention and execution it is merit and when received it is duty which do again differ in proportion as the Courtesie and the freedom thereof do that is as the one is free and intentional in the gift and as the other is so also in the return When merit is assumed without sense of desert it is pride and when given without it it is flattery flattery being but the be-lying of our one sense to the honouring of another And therefore vulgar flattery is the basest because they can be but little worthy Whereas flatter God we cannot because he deserves beyond any expression of ours In this intercourse of obligation between superiours and inferiors a paction may seem implyed and the benefit or courtesie to call for gratitude If this gratitude come from a particular person it is called thanks if from many applause which when it is past present sense and is a fruit of memory is called honour In the pleasure formerly spoken of every mans own sense is judge this is judged by the sense of others for they had the benefit and our pleasure is in the intellect as being the reflex of theirs And as good and bad actions have the private testimony of the parties conscience so have they also the publike attestation of the people or those that receive them called honor or shame Without this way of being sensible of the pleasures of others the rule of Do as thou wouldest be done unto would not have its availe for upholding the mutual benefit of one another in society For since pleasure was our end why should I labour the pleasure of others if my self had no share therein Therefore God to provoke us to common preservation and good imparts to us of this ability of being sensible of pleasure received by others and even as for our individual preservation he makes us apprehensive of pleasures proper to senses of our own so hereby for common preservation sake he makes us sensible of the pleasures of others When we assume this honour and yet conscience consents not it is as aforesaid pride If we affect it to publike disturbance it is ambition vain-glory c. Yet ambition seems to regard the mark of it to wit publike imployment but vain-glory and applause may rest in self-content Honour arising from being beneficial to others it must be more as that is more true and general and being the reward that inferiors give to superiors it is in the first place due to God as obliging all creatures for all those pleasures they enjoy Then as it is to him onely due so from him onely
unto me seventy men of the Elders of Israel whom thou knowest to be Elders of the people c. and I will come down and talk with thee and will take of the spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them and they shall bear the burthen of the people with thee that thou bear it not thy self alone Which places plainly shew that although God at Moses suit did give others power to bear part of the burthen yet is their manner of constitution so ordered as to minde them of subordination to the Monarch and again there is nothing of popular consent herein All which would be well considered by such as are so credulous of the soveraign power of the Sanhedrim This delegation of power from God to Kings was usually conferred under the name of Unction for so saith Samuel in annointing Saul is it not because the Lord hath annointed thee to be Captain over his inheritance plainly implying the power and office to be conferred with the unction and that also as coming from God the Lord hath annointed thee And therefore under this incommunicable and sacred title of Gods anointed their protection is again by God more expresly owned then of other persons This unction or mark of power is in the first place due and proper to Christ thereupon called the Christ or the annointed of God Hereupon all the kingdoms of the earth are our Lords and he also is King of kings and Lord of lords and prince of the Kings of the earth Moreover he being the eternal wisdom of his father by and under him it is that kings raign and princes decree justice nay the very heathen are his inheritance and the utmost ends of the earth his possession And as in acknowledgement of derivation of office and power from Christ Kings as anointed under him do waer his cross on their Crowns so by vertue of this Unction as by a kinde of Sacrament it is that their persons have ever been held so sacred that none have ever yet found out a way or dared to practice the annihilation of the stile it self of King more then that of Father from the same persons that were really so as in other officers set up by humane authority is usually done by way of degradation The which amongst Christians hath been chiefly confirmed by the example of Davids usage towards Saul and Ishbosheth both of them his open and professed enemies Against the first of which although there might be high faults objected and that against God also who did thereupon by Samuel make so much known of his will of rejecting him that the people could not be ignorant thereof yet because they wanted express warrant from God to be actors therein as Jehu had they durst not presume to lift up their hands against the Lords annointed Nay David himself durst not do it although his advantage by his overthrow and his oportunity to do it were most apparant and who also had as high provocations from Saul as might have tempted any ordinary humor of revenge and had farther beyond the pretence of any ordinary subject or any order of them as great a presumption of insubjection as could be because of his own Unction by Gods appointment and from his knowdledge of Sauls rejection Yet he in proof of derivation of kingly Power from God only findes nothing but express authority from that God that hath set them up to be warrantable for the pulling them down they were the Lords anointed not the peoples It was therefore his part and much more is it the part of others now to permit that powerful hand that brought this rod upon them to have liberty to remove it in a way and time of his own For how can they do it as subjects and from whence should they derive insubjection If then they be Gods anointed the rightful power to govern accordingly must be therewith conferred or else the Unction were vaine and in a mockery of God If the politick corporation confer the power let the charter and seal of Office that speaks it be produced let us see the hands and seals of those that conferred this power as also their Commissions and authorities for so doing that we may be satisfied with the just derivation thereof But now as donations and assignations of humane interests use to pass and be conferred from one party to another by such like wayes of conveyance and none else so this passing by anointing it must shew it to be confessedly of a different nature But to give a cleerer light to the comprehension and distinction of Divine Right and Authority in these things we shall here take leave a little to digress As to deny God Almighty to be the prime and supreme cause of all things and of those vertues and abilities whereby each thing is effected is perfect Atheism so on the other hand to submit and fasten on him as immediate Agent those operations which by the ordinary course of his Providence he hath appointed to be the productions of natural causes doth as strongly argue ignorance but if in those effects and productions which may to our sense be observed to come to pass by the interposition of such second Agents as neither by any naturalness in themselves nor observation of ours could be reasonably concluded the causes of them in that case again to deny divine power and ascribe to Nature and second Agents what is above their reach is both Athiesm and folly too To ascribe the hardening of the Clay to God Almighty and not to the Sun or Fire is to be foolishly derogatory to him even as it is also to deny him to be the cause of that heat and vertue in the Sun or Fire whereby it came to pass And no less then so it is to ascribe to the vertue of the Clay that Cure which our Saviour wrought on the blinde man for neither any known naturalness in that Agent nor observation of the like elswhere could reasonably warrant such presumption therein As thus in Inanimates and the general course of Providence there ought to be a discreet distinction made by us in the setting down of what operations are immediately Divine and what Natural so much more in those things which are wrought by Creatures reasonable and where as well the Agent as Patient are voluntary as in Matters of Government and instruction it fareth In which respect since there cannot be any natural Reason or Cause assigned why the will of one should be efficatious to the Government of the will of another as in it self it must follow that that constant course and setled way of so doing must be attributed to Divine Authority only Constant and setled way I say for that there may many humane contrivances be made to introduce temporary subjection and agreement which cannot lay claim to be of divine institution and because again although this Monarchical Government be alone Jure Divino and so onely
constant as to the way and form yet through humane frailty it may many times fail in the measure and end of its efficacy The Officers that are to claim their Functions and Authority as Jure Divino are first the King or Monarch who is from and under God himself established as well in causes Ecclesiastical as Civil supreme Governor And then Fathers Masters and Husbands as Civil Governors And then those of the Clergy as spiritual guides and directors under this their chief guide and director unless it be where and when this Master or Father of the Family is insubjected and independent at which time he being himself a supreme Monarch hath as Elder Brother those Priest-like and Civil Offices of instruction and coertion by the Law of God united in the same unsubordinate person even as amongst those great and more ancient Families it fared before Nations came to be under kingship or that the Priesthood was divided from the Civil power Nor doth matter of Reason alone as already and hereafter to be shewed prove the Authority of these Functions to be Divine but the express precepts by God himself to that purpose given do beyond dispute settle these Officers and none else as of Divine right immediately to them derived for authorising them in their acts of Government and Power By which words of immediately derived we may know how to put a difference between that Power and Authority which is exercised by Kings themselves who hold of none but God above them and that which others their Magistrates perform who being ordained in their power by the Prince cannot be said to hold their powers otherwise then as immediately received from him But although in this regard of subordination it may be in some sense true that the Priest and Master of the Family may be also said to derive their power from the King where Kingship is even because in the exercise thereof they may be by him directed or limited yet is there a great difference to be put between them and Magistrates in respect of claim to divine right in performance of their Functions The Magistrate as he is positively affirmatively impowred by the Prince so is he also negatively under him in the execution thereof the Priest and Master of the Family on the other side have all their positive power of instruction and jurisdiction from God alone derived being negatively onely restrainable by the Monarch in the outward act and execution thereof whereas to the King himself it is alone peculiar as to be by none but God affirmatively impowered so to be by none but him negatively restrainable But then again although in each independent family the offices of instruction and coercion be united in chief in the person of the same Master yet between the Authorities which those of the Priesthood and the Masters of Families do severally execute where they are not united there is unto the Order of Priesthood a greater honor annexed in respect of divine Claym and Authority then to the other and that not onely because instruction must be supposed to precede coercion in time and order but also in dignity in respect or the different dignities of those that are to be the objects of their Authorities the Priestly Function presupposing always a more noble Object namely such an one as is indued with understanding and wit whereas bare coercion can reach unto neither of them And under the Gospel again a farther addition of honor and divine Authority will arise from the observation of that more spiritual charge and Function they inwardly claim towards the promotion and exercise of Gods kingdom in our hearts whereas amongst the Jews the drift of the Priests instructions had for objects the outward acts and Ceremonies chiefly In which regard of instruction and preaching the Fundamentals of Christianity taken as Gospel duties they stand by means of special ordination thereto not onely separately distinguished and enabled above other humane power as the persons to instruct and teach Gods will are distinct and in that respect above those that are to obey but also whilst they meddle not with such things as have tendency to civil Peace and Duty they are unsubordinate to the Prince himself nay above him too as his spiritual Fathers and as having their efficacy and holding their authority herein immediately from Christ as his Ministers and not of the political head of the Commonweal The Father and Master of the family enter upon their authorities and function according to natural course and equity without personal designation and appointment from the Prince and his power and are afterwards restrainable in all things as he shall think good but those of the Priesthood although they were by the laws and authority of the prince personally ordained to stand as Gods Ministers yet are they on the other side as Gods immediate Ambassadors and prophets subordinate to none And this Gospel duty of preaching besides publike prayers and administrations of the Sacraments are to remaine as the proper duties of persons in holy orders without exemption of the prince himself For although to each prince in order to peace and government the chief and general care of instruction in the wayes of righteousness doth appertain as it doth also in each family to the Master thereof yet doth the office and efficacy of instruction in the mysteries of Gods inward kingdome depend on the authority of none but God himself But these things are to be understood of the Clergy in their spiritual Functions onely and as they relate to one another as equally Gods Ministers and not as they are differenced amongst themselves in reference to that distinct proportion of external jurisdiction and power alotted them for peace and order sake For as in the first respect they are under none but God so in the second they are wholly subjected to the Prince he being as great Bishop and overseer of the whole Church to preside over the Bishops of the particular Diocesses thereof upon the same Reason and divine Authority that the Diocesan doth preside over the Parochial Minister And upon the same ground that the Prince as great and general Father and Master of the whole kingdom doth preside in the Government of each Family by means of that civil Magistracy which is exercised under him in like manner doth he as head of the Church preside over the whole Clergy in Ecclesiastical administrations by means of this Episcopal jurisdiction which is to be by him directed or restrained of all which more hereafter Having thus far premised in the declaration and distinction of Officers and Functions of Divine right for the better understanding the present Question as well as many other discourses which will hereafter follow where the same shall be farther proved by Scripture I hope it will to all unprejudiced men appear That although God doth not now as sometimes formerly so immediately expresly operate in the unction and designation of particular persons or
and yet it was by Gods secret appointment ordered to be done to make good the threat against Elies house namely to fulfil the word of the Lord concerning the house of Elie even so we may interpret the punishment of Sauls first fault that is the cutting off his blood from the Crown to be accomplished in Michal and his other fault in sparing Agag threatned to be punished in the rejection of his person to be made good by his untimely slaughter And the due observation of these Stories will also instruct us how that the building of the Temple signifying the glory of the Church and the settlement of Kingship and Priesthood were all accomplished together and how Kingship was the leader in this Chorus of happiness as Gods chief Instrument for compleating of them For so are we instructed by the direction which Moses gave concerning matters of Appeals wherein the expression of the Judge that shall be in those dayes not only denotes another manner of Judge then formerly but the Priests and he and the place which the Lord should choose being conjoyned must signifie their contemporary establishment for perpetuity for to none of the other Judges God had said Why have yee not built me an house nor was Kingship nor Preisthood setled but in Solomon and Zadock the sons of David and Samuel and immediate instruments in building this Temple the figure of the Christian Church to succeed Nay this Office and power of kingship is so cleer in Scripture that it is usual with the abetters of Polarchies now adays to balk it in the plain sense thereof and to hearken to Philo Josephus and I know not what Antichristian Authors to learn from them the Authority of the people of the Sanhedrim and such like Magistrates not considering the interest and prejudice wherewith these men writ For they designing to bring their Writings and Nation into the more esteem amongst the learned persons of those times and having so long lived and been so well entertained the first among the Grecians and the other amongst the Romans as to be affected with their humors and way of learning they had the same reason to commend those other Forms and to depress this Kingly Office and Power as they had to commend thereby their own writings and Country And as in Kings all power is thus united so he alone it is that is the true Representative whole and whose actions may binde the people without their consent but not theirs without his And so much is often by God acknowledged making the good or ill of the King and Kingdom all one Thus Abimilechs particular detaining of Sarai is by him apprehended as an evil threatning his whole kingdom and we finde Sauls particular act against the Gibeonites punished with the peoples famine as Davids numbring the people afterward was punished with their Pestilence And in that whole story we may observe the punishment or reward the good or ill of the people still to answer and be proportioned with the Vertues or Vices of their Princes and that though the people did offer in the high places or had not prepared their hearts to seek the God of their Fathers or the like yet if this general Representative person was upright before God even for his sake a blessing did ensue which is nowhere observed to be done in respect of any subjects piety And this may seem less strange since we finde that Adam being made Monarch of all Creatures should have the violence of his race imputed and charged on them so as to involve them in the same guilt and destruction by flood Nor is this degree of power before spoken of much more then what before was practised by Moses himself according to the advice of his Father-in-Law as we read Exod. 18.20 namely to make Laws and Ordinances for them to live by and where Law was already made by God to reserve to himself the interpretation thereof as also all appeals and all difficult and important causes and for the better dispatch sake to refer common causes to subordinate Judges All which is again farther expressed Deut. 19 to the 18. where he owns the making Judges and last appeal Our of all which it may be found that the most material marks of Soveraignty were in many of these temporary Judges as the power of making some Laws and interpreting them the last appeal and supreme decision of controversies especially in Moses because he was a King too as formerly noted and so made by God and not by the people And unto Ioshua next as made by Moses for on him by Gods appointment was he by imposition of hands to put some of his honor that all the Congregation of Israel might be obedient that is that he by receit of this justly derived power from God his Vicegerent might have full power to command them And therefore are they also called Kings as in the inte-rregnum when there was no Judge it is said there was no King in Israel and yet was these Judges power inferior to that of Kings coming after This soveraign power of Kings we may finde implyed in that answer of Samuel to the people of the manner or power of a King which had it but been equal to that of their former Judges what needed it have been told the people And they that will not have the things there set down to be in his power but that he was to give account thereof or that his actions were controleable by any order or body of the people do yet commit a greater absurdity for then to what purpose should Samuel go about to fright the people with a thing of no danger and which was in their power to remedy For so it follows that they should cry out in that day because of their King and the Lord should not hear them meaning that they had none but God in that case to appeal to by whose forbearance to hear them therein they had no lawful remedy left them For had his words imported no more terror to their understanding but what they had right and power to remedy they might have answered Nay but we will have a King under us and not over us No he shall be onely King of the less number of the people and their Representatives but unto the major part or Vote he shall be subject upon all occasions they shall think good and so making our selves Soveraigns over our Soveraign we shall prevent those threats for thereby having upon the matter no King we shall do but what unto every one seems good in his own eys And by the expression over thee so often there used must be meant over the whole people being the same thee that should choose him so that if his election were by the major part or such as stood for them as so it must be or elese it could be no Election his power must be above the major part or their
father to his servants Master and yet is the same person so if a Duke or Lord as those of Edom and the Philistins sometimes were be absolute their smalness of territory debars not their right to Monarchy more then the Master of a less Family to be in his Office of government as absolute as he that hath a greater And the like may be said of a Soveraign Officer in a Commonwealth also if he be supreme and not accountable to any one earth for his actions as was that famous Cesar and other the dictators in Rome For whosoever hath the sole independent prerogative of Kan-ning from which the word King is derived he is truely a King also but so far as he hath not his soveraignty is so far defective and Anarchy introduced which shall be our next discourse THE SECOND BOOK OF GOVERNMENT AND Its Ground and Foundation according to VULGAR POSITIONS The Introduction IN pursuance of my first Proposal for establishment of publike Peace and good I have in the passed Book brought Monarchy to its just height and that from such general and obvious Arguments from Reason and Scripture as do to my thinking point directly to that end and no way else But being to write in an age where contrary prejudice will not ordinarily give men ability or leisure to attend the discovery it fareth therefore with me as with that Artificer who having brought something unexpectedly to pass is forced for the farther confirmation of the thing it self to submit it to the handling and tryal of the spectators in their own way And because it may again be objected to what purpose all this ado since these very ends are or may as well be attained by the ways already approved of and that by men of great Eminence and Learning amongst us It seems therefore now again needful to take all this Structure of Government in pieces and to examine it farther part by part according to that Fabrick and those materials which are usually brought to the constitution thereof In which Discourse having first cleered and rectified those vulgar political Maxims from their former rubbish and disguise I shall then prove that so much of each of them as is compatible with just Government and the ends thereof are to be appropriate to Monarchy onely In this my undertaking in the defence of Gods true Vicegerent amongst us there seems to lye on my part the like task as there did formerly on Moses in the manifestation of God himself that is not onely to prove the Monarch to be so by way of plain demonstration but also to extend this Reason to the eating up of all those serpentine shews wherewith these Janni and Jambri the rebellious Enchanters of our times have hitherto deceived the people and thereby kept them in a kinde of an Egyptian darkness And in this course I shall begin first with â—he head thereof the fained unity in Aristocracies and Democracies CHAP. I. Of Anarchy THey that suppose the word to imply onely that state and condition of men where no Government at all is exercised will much to seek to finde out any instance or example for proof of their Assertion or indeed any possibility how it should at all come to pass Therefore that which hath hitherto been spoken of the original of Government in the fourth chapter of the precedent book must be understood onely as supposing it to have its Reason in Nature and that thereby it might have been known although the same had been by no other light or positive Law found out and appointed and not as determining that ever men were or could be left by a careful God in such a confused condition where like a brood of Cadmus wanting all manner of Breeding and Instruction they should fall to the slaughter of one another till their bleeding wounds and not his Precepts or Providence had taught them rules of Subjection No it would be too plain and great compliance with Athiesm to think Gods Omniscience in foreseeing or his Goodness in preventing so small or slack as to leave man a Creature upon whom above all the rest he had bestowed such workmanship and care to the common hazard and condition of that which was meanest Leaving therefore these fancies aside that think men should like swarms of Bees be brought to choice of Policy without any foregone experience or knowledge of Government we must make Government the elder brother to Anarchy For so we finde that while there were but two persons in the world the woman by special appointment was to have her desires subject to her husbands and he was to rule over her And as Wives so Children and Servants were subject to the Father of the Family in such sort that no man but being either Head or Member of a Family by one relation or another either had or yeilded subjection And even before Kings to finde an Ex Lex or person like Caine under no protection and consequently under no Government was a vain attempt And this prime or more natural Prerogative of Primo-geniture and Father of the Family although it had not the name yet it had the truth and reality of Monarchy and that as well in the Authority as Unity of the person as by that phrase the father of the Moabites and Amonites to this day may appear which must signifie succcession of these Monarchical Governors in right of the firâ—t Father So that now under the name of King there is but a continuance and restitution of that ancient form by change of the name from Pater Familiae to Pater Patriae importing a continuance of Power and Office notwithstanding the encrease of tâ—rritory and number of Subjects For the length of life that gave these Ancients advantage to see many Families peopled out of their own loyns gave them also right of Government in chief But this common Parent now dead Pride Covetousness Ambition c. quickly clouded the respect due by birthright to the elder brother who by the Law of God should rule over the other and have their desires subject to him and so through stubbornness did break that course which if it had been observed would have made Monarchy perpetual but not being so Anarchies succeed For the divided Families finde many occasions of controversie amongst themselves which they in their reputed equality of Jurisdiction knew not how to determine because not submitting to that hereditary right before spoken of by the which Isaac had appointed Esau as servant to Jacob as apprehending him the elder and which Jacob also for Peace-sake gave to Judah amongst the Tribes of Israel namely to be perpetual Law-giver discord and dissention quickly broke in upon them And this no doubt was the state of the old world before the flood for we read not of any Monarchs but that as men began to multiply in the earth so began they for want of restraint to be ruled onely by their own likings which the heads of
Tribes for want of a common Head exercising over one another as men of renown the whole earth came to be filled with violence For although each Family had its Government within it self and so all men within one Government or other yet since there wanted a definitive sentence or Monarch to unite these Governors amongst themselves they were in the true estate of Anarchy But to Noah and his sons that were to people the world afterwards as these mischiefs were well known so were they avoided For after that the earth came to be so fully inhabited that now Families must interfere one upon another and could not part peaceable as Abraham and Lot did we finde them under Kings as a necessary form for preservation of mankinde Which blessed Government was ever accompanied with Gods promises of fruitfulness as before recited But if by accident they were removed these people were in the sense of Antiquity if without Kings without Government also and in the estate of Anarchy and confusion And thereupon we finde it threatned Isa. 7.16 that before the overthrow of Judah and Israel the Land should be forsaken of both her Kings And so much as will suffice to convince Anarchy to be absence of Monarchy is in Holy Writ implyed when in the inter-regnum of the Judges it is said there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was righteous in his own eyes And yet were all men at the same time subject to the Fathers and chief of their Tribes as appears by the act of the Danites they had also the same Laws they had before for their direction But because there was now no single judge who might interpret and inforce this Law and give direction and command in chief it was reckoned a state of Anarchy The like at that time was imputed to the men of Laish and made a reason of their easie destruction for there was no Magistrate in the Land that might put them to shame in any thing Where by Magistrate in the singular number or heir of restraint for so the original will bear we may conceive their want of Monarchy was intended for it was always esteemed as a wo to a Land when many were the Princes thereof And indeed is the punishment of rebellion for casting off the one first head and so making many in their divided Factions and Tribes And again the state thereof is in the Text counted as preserved by having one Prince called there a man of understanding and knowledge Meaning one of such capacity as can act by himself and not leave the kingdom to be governed by others after Democratick principles They that think understanding and knowledge was here more pointed at then the unity of the person will be then troubled to finde why the plurality of Princes should be disliked since in that respect many understanding men must in quantity be more then one And again likely it was for one single person to want it and almost impossible for a number of any greatness whereupon it might upon that supposition have been set down but by many men of understanding c. But the truth is the curse and malediction is in the word many or else many understanding Princes might have been a blessing as well as one But why this one Prince is here set down on the other side as a man of understanding is because Princes that want understanding are great oppressors and so could not be counted as the preservers of Countries Whereas we shall never finde the having of one Prince as one to be otherwise given then as a blessing nor of many as many and that in supreme Authority at once to be otherwise given then as a punishment It being for the inconvenience of being governed by Democratick principles in the interim of any Monarchs insufficiency that makes the nonage and other disabilities of Princes come to be esteemed the Lands woe For if at all the equal Government of Peers or People either independently amongst themselves or as joyntly sharing therein with the King had been good or commendable then this nonage of the King which must necessarily produce it should not have been reckoned as in it self a woe But so we shall finde it undenyably to be accompted if we look into the third chapter of Isa. where God threatens the Jews to give them Children to be their Princes and Babes to rule over them And in the next verse tells the consequential punishment that should follow the Anarchical rule of others in their names and rooms viz. and the people shall be oppressed every one by another and every one by his neighbor And there being want of power in the person that should be the fountain of power and Government it shall soon follow in the inferior relations so that the childe shall behave himself proudly against the ancient and the base against the honorable But then because these mischiefs had been by them observed to rise from want of Monarchical power a man shall take hold of his Brother of the house of his Father saying Thou hast cloathing be thou our Ruler and let this ruine be under thy hand But because God had determined to punish them they shall be herein denyed also Which desolation to follow the absence or inability of the Monarch is again expressed in the twelfth verse viz. as for my people children are their oppressors and women rule ever them under which notions of women and children oppressors we are to conceive persons disabled in the execution of their Governments themselves through personal disability and want of power and judgement For since we cannot think women and children could do it most in their own persons we must thereupon conceive their punishment oppression to arise from that divided Aristocratick way of Government which the Nobility or others should act by reason of this want of superior restraint Whereupon in the following verses God in the disability or absence of his Deputy undertakes the cause of the oppressed himself The Lord standeth up to plead and standeth up to judge the people the Lord will enter into judgement with the ancient of his people and the Princes thereof for ye have eaten up the vineyard the spoile of the poor is in your houses what mean you that you beat my people to pieces and grinde the faces of the poor saith the Lord of hosts And if we look into the New-Testament and the time of our Saviour we shall finde not onely this malediction actually removed from the world by the presence of him that came not to destroy mens lives but to save them but it will also appear that this error and absurdity of Polarchy was by that time so well known that the fountain of truth makes the impossibility of its right in Government amongst men to be the medium of his Argument against admission of any equality in our subjection to
this right into the Princes hand as you may affirm such a Paction so they deny And for conquest they say it can no more take away a known right then any other force And if it be the peoples right it is their right as well against him as any other Will you suppose such a contract when they elect a King they press you to shew it and say they are to be supposed as all other rational Agents to have done it for some advantage to themselves and consequently as trusters may demand accompt from the trusted and make redresses also else they have a dry right without a remedy Therefore they appeal to these Pactions also and say That as they are tyed by Oaths of Alleagiance so is the Prince by oath tyed to observance of the Law and that if he break his Oath theirs is fallen of consequence and then the power and trust returns If it happen they onely swear and that to implicite obedience they then say it is a force and so invalid to binde any since as granted by you all power is founded on the Will So that we may plainly see the mischief of this Scholly when as to make government the more easie as in a kinde of flattery people are told that although they have originally this power yet having once devested themselves thereof what hath been their voluntary resignation they have not now power to recal at pleasure But let us a little examine these grounds and their inferences Their first is quisque nascitur liber in which they must suppose that peo-people can be like like Mushromes springing up all at once out of the earth without all relations one to another so as not onely without Princes or Magistrates but sons without fathers wives without husbands servants without masters families without heads and people without pastors If not so then is the son of every father as he expects the same protection for person and estate his father had bound to the same obedience his father was If they decline this power of government in the diffusive body of the people out of the same reason and the impossibility of its convening and thereupon say that the heads of families have onely power to elect and dispose for that it is to be supposed all in their families have already resigned to them all their power then this neither is nor can be done by the heads of all families since women Church-men infants and divers people under such and such qualifications for estates come to be left out So that when authority comes to be derived from the people it will be as heretofore noted but the contrivement of some Faction using such or such restrictive qualifications as they may not be hindred in their aims But this done they have lost their first ground of free-birth for I hope they will not leave children and slaves at choice for obedience and for that obedience that wife and servants give their Pactions express not I suppose any such resignation of will or power from themselves to the head of the family as thereby to oblige them to his Pactions in the state Yea but they say none but such persons as have some share in the kingdom as having an estate of some value shall have share of power To this it may be first answered how shall such a law or appointment be made generally binding unless we first allow of a precedent governor amongst them to establish it Who again if he were settled by former Paction how come they now to be free If not by Paction then is not government grounded on Paction But let us proceed in their way of supposition A Master of a family of a hundred servants is but equal to him that hath but three And again if the Master of a hundred servants be impoverished and not able to maintain his former rank his affection and ability to serve his country must be supposed lost and a single man with fourty shillings per ann put in before him And then again if estate enable men to be in the number of people and so fit to govern me thinks it should proportionably do it and so four hundred pound yeerly will make one man two hundred people and then it will be Regina peeunia indeed These and the like differencing rules are good to be made and observed in Monarchies where the Monarch himself to the end he may know his subjects desires and grievances doth by his writs give the people of such and such distinct places ranks and qualifications power to elect and also gives and permits the elected to have power to proceed according to former rules of his progenitors or new ones of his own but cannot at all prove derivation of power from below For if the original power be in the whole community and every one have his native and equal share how comes it to be never so used Is it due to all Masters of families then is it from God and due by Office and not by Paction from them And if we suppose power to arise from the Master as Master then will one Master as his family is greater have more power then another Estate cannot make it for the reasons before given If natural force and strength make it the stronger will have most If wisdome rule it who shall decide who are wise and in what measure it is to be stated Put it to age or what you will it will be as hard to make any certain rate thereof or to imagine how any should freely consent to be excluded by any relation as to agree those in the chosen relations by stint or size of estate yeers wisdom c. And then when the community have not the power equal the others have it by force or usurpation And therefore all power is by Office and to such Offices as are appointed of God as Fathers and Kings They have it Jure Divino and are restrainable therein only by those above not by those under them And therefore it is a most fond supposition that because those assemblies of Parliaments or the like which are made in Monarchies by such like rules of distinction and have their acts reputed as afterwards binding that therefore other inventions should do so too For in this case they are to consider first that there is a superior power constituting these differencing rules and making up as before noted the whole representation in himself And then they are to consider that the different ends of these and the other supposed conventions will make them extreamly differ in their force of binding For in the Monarchical conventions men may well be convened under the estimate of riches because being summoned to advise and determine concerning publike leavies and the Kingdoms wealth or Commonwealth they may be thought inclusive of it all whereas in the suppposed convention for disposing mens natural power and right to govern none can reasonably binde another by vote in that where all
or Covenant imported but some promises of grace or the like from the King to the people and did not imply equal stipulation we may observe that he is alwayes set down as the free author and agent hereof and that both to Abner and the people it is thrice called his League In answer to which promise of indemnity or the like we find that when the League is set down to be made from the people to David it is added to denote their promise of fealty on the other side that thou mayest raign over all that thy soul desireth Upon which ground also when Ioash is to be acknowledged King being so young that he could not promise to the people so as to be binding the Covenant goes in the peoples name as their Covenant And this covenanting with David could not truely be supposed to import any greater freedom to Israel then formerly they had under the government of Saul and his son for this had been to have given David less Soveraignity then Saul and to have made Israel more free then Iudah Which if so makes against the whole drift of the argument namely that Princes have their power by Paction from their subjects when the example proves rather he thereby loseth it and so comes at last to confess that Kings have all Civil power by God given as of right to their office and that as Gods Vicegerent he may grant by Oath and promise to his subjects such exemptions and immunities as he shall think good not derogating from his honor or disabling him in his publike trust Which promises when they come to be publikely and solemnly made as at Coronations or the like are usually taken for Pactions and the subjects thought givers even in what they are but receivers But this matter of Covenanting between King and people will be best conceived as to the intention thereof which as before noted was chiefly to acknowledge and confirme subjection and obedience to a new questionable Prince by that Covenant which Iehoida the high Priest caused to be made with young Ioash where at the time of his making it is said And all the Congregation made a Covenant with the King in the house of God and to shew what the Covenant was it follows He said unto them behold the Kings son shall raign as the Lord hath said of the sons of David Then Iehoida appoints them particular services to do for the King but for making any promise on the Kings part to the people not a word there nor no where else Again this covenanting in the house of God must imply their solemn Oaths of fealty and obedience the which are expresly set down as implicitly and unconditionately given him And the seaventh yeer Iehoida sent and fet the rulers over hundreds with the Captaines and the guards and brought them unto him into the house of the Lord and made a Covenant with them and took an Oath of them in the house of the Lord and shewed them the Kings son The people here swearing and that to a King of seven yeers old that therefore could not be supposed to capitulate with them and their doing it in the house of the Lord clearly interprets what was meant by renewing Sauls kingdom before the Lord in Gilgall and of Davids covenantings formerly mentioned namely by Oaths solemnly taken to establish obedience to a new race more strongly in the people and not to crave their authority for impowring his Office In like manner are we to understand 2 Chron. 23.16 where it is said And Iehoida made a Covenant between him and between all the people and between the King that is he promised obedience to the King both in his own and the peoples behalf that they should be the Lords people and walk as obedient children to his Minister Which last words do denote to us that it was the custome of those people at these conventions to make promise of obedience to God also the state of Theocrity still continuing whilst God had a Prophet amongst them Which will yet be more likely to be the sense thereof if we compare it with a paralel text and expression used at the making of Solomon King Where David as Gods chief Minister commands the people to make their acknowledgement to God as here the chief Priest doth in the Kings minority saying Now bless the Lord your God after which it follows And all the Congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers and bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King In which words we must not think the King is idolatrously joyned with God in matter of Divine worship but as having obedience promised to him also after they had promised it to God From which we may also infer that this covenanting was no more needful to Kingly power then it was to make gods But since upon these solemn occasions they were to be assembled to make acknowledgement of these his deputies it was fit the Author and Fountain of all should be acknowledged in the first place Nay this young Joash though as other Kings said to be made by the people yet was it not to be understood as if his right had depended on their consent For he was to raign as in right of inheritance from his father David who had also all his right and authority from God and the people had no more rightful power to reject those individual persons then they had power to refuse the keeping of Gods other commands for all power as heretofore noted must come from above that is from God to Kings and from God or Kings to people and not from inferiors to superiors For none can as from themselves alone make others more powerful then themselves more then they can make themselves other or more then themselves And when God himself is often mentioned in holy writ as covenanting with people he is never to be understood as if done for increasing his authority by this means but whether he express the return of general obedience to his laws which thereupon come to be called Covenant also or not he is in both respects so far from acknowledging any derivative power from them to accrew by their consents that on the other side what they receive is of free-grace and goodness from him For though this obedience as due for the receit of more extraordinary and remarkable favors come to claim a greater willingness as carrying a token of more high obligation through such expressions of goodness to certain people and persons yet as God he had right to the same obedience and measure of gratitude from those and all other his creatures and must be presumed as herein only applying himself to help our backwardness in this due return by this repetition of extraordinary mercies For however it be in peoples power to be more or less willing in obedience and gratitude yet the duty thereof can never cease nor the duty of willingness herein neither
thus the more vigorous and appearing party of any nation or people is to carry with it the reputation of the whole people so also is the more eminent and active person of each faction and party to carry with him the reputation thereof also as having as much more courage then the rest as they had above others of the Nation Even as when in any man there is such a prevalent compliance and association of several vertuous inclinations and affections as to make him to be deemed just honest valiant temperate or the like yet the merit and force thereof can never be equally ascribed to those several considerations and affections by which these vertuous acts or habits were performed or acquired but the same is still eminently and chiefly to be applyed to the prevalence of some one more natural inclination of that particular party as to sense of honor conscience reputation frugallity c. which in each of those acts did most from strongly operate And now comes policy to its perfection other governments without a King looking like a Pyramis without a vertical point For the people diffusedly considered and contradistinguished are of no force or availe to others or themselves but serve onely for the foundation When they associate they make some appearance above ground As the heads of factions grew fewer and fewer so the work riseth in beauty till it come to its vertical point of unity But then though government is founded on force yet it is not so often on inbred force as foraign For albeit dominions have usually natural bounds as seas rivers mountains c. or artificial as walls forts c. to keep them from mutual invasion yet since as to the generality of mankind these are but particular associations for self-ends it is also warrantable for any of these foraigners as hope of gain or fear of damage shall direct if divine law or particular contract hinder not to use such force and to take such caution of others as shall serve for their content and security And as this is most usual so more reasonable then the other For first here was no precedent common government over them both to whose decision they stood bound Then there is seldom such enmity as in homebred factions whereby the prosecution comes to be more milde from the victor and more tollerable in the vanquished both for that and also because the insolence of fellow subjects seems usually more heavy then of strangers Then again homebred factions divide unity already settled but this makes unity by joyning two dominions So then there is no remedy but that in all matters of civil subjection and interest we are to submit to that politick governor we are born under though we had no more hand in the choice of him then of our own fathers yet as to a person of more general concern by duty and interest we stand much more bound to his authority And as we have nothing but the credit of our mother to assure us our right father so nothing but the ordinary rule of providence to set up our right King therefore possession doth as strongly binde us to our reputed Prince as reputed father For as Christ was obedient to his parents in all things though he knew his father was not indeed so so like him we must be to our present Prince although a foraginer and having no right but conquest it being indeed the onely rule of providence in this kinde succession depending thereon and election having been never general and free but onely sometimes made semblance of for flattery and engagement of the people And the same we may say of their expulsion also it being usually done on a suddain and not upon deliberate and full consent but only by a prevailing party or faction And yet all Kings conquering and governing by fear must be supposed the voluntary head of his own party whereby he prevails and rules which it is probable is as great as any that elects or deposeth Kings And as general willingness is not necessary to make the entrance into government lawful so neither is continued general willingness more necessary to make the exercise lawful in general then is particular willingness to obey him in every particular for that general willingness must arise from particulars and these may vary according to occasion And if any yet think strange that force onely should have been at first the usual distinguisher of this property and right as thinking that by Gods particular Precepts peaceable division might have been made they are to consider that after the time that God was more immediately conversant amongst men in the disposal of their worldly affairs and government at which time the Lord at first divided the earth amongst the Nations he is not in his recess to be again expected as apparently and immediately intermedling in rectifying those confusions which our stubbornness and rebellions have brought And this both for the reasons heretofore mentioned for this recess from government and also because if God should have immediately appeared in sharing proprieties how should his Justice and more true knowledge of our differing deserts have been able through each ones covetousness and pride to have past to our liking Whereas now we may complain of fortune or our own weakness but not of his partiality And yet we must not imagine him as an idle spectator For though governments by the appearing uncertainty of victory and conquest seem thus cast into the lap of Fortune yet the disposition is Gods And he it is that as surely sets up Kings now as he did Nebuchadnezzar Cyrus Darius and others of old And Conquest or fear thereof the usual ways for disposing Kingdoms he by his Providence as particularly now disposes as of that lot which the Children of Israel cast at their formal election of Saul For as we formerly mentioned that the positive right of Dominion in the elder brother was at first grafted upon the natural stock of force as supposing him ordinarily most able so we are now to consider that the right of Dominion being transferred again to the elective primogeniture of kingship which is not amongst Christians openly by God determined to any line or person under the Gospel as formerly to Saul and David it must therefore fall out that it is to be determined the secret way of divine Election and Providence manifested by the common and meer natural rule of force and strength of body which must now make known and decide that personal or lyneal right unto this Office amongst men which is by divine Providence appointed And it must therewithal follow that the person so gaining possession is to have rightful claim unto all those Prerogatives which conquest can afford being not otherwise to be limited then by the Laws of God his own Conscience and sense of honor For as the decision of right and Justice between two contending subjects depends as to them on the determination of the Prince so
humility and obedience as that they should give unto their superiours endued with power over them from the just One the same indisputable respect as Children did to their own Fathers and so like obedient children trust to them for the exposition of the Law of Moses and the former statutes and judgements This pronoune their being restrictively added to Fathers in the clause for obedience whereas the pronoune the is added to Fathers in the other will again shew us how large our love should be and not at all exclusive whereas our obedience is to be to our own heads or fathers So that now by means of Christs taking on him the kingly office under the Gospel and so by his Church and deputies therein affording us both places and persons continually accessible we may say of his Kingly office in like manner as was said of his taking the Priestly office upon him namely that as we have a high Priest that may be touched with our infirmities so we have a kingship also from him the King of Kings whereby as from persons knowing and sensible of our want we may be continually supplyed after a new and living way both with ghostly and temporal directions by the grace and power of him who hath uniued thesese two offices and is after the order of Melchisedec King both of righteousness and peace Upon which ground we may find a ready reason for our Saviours speech that God had given him authority to execute judgement because he is the son of man meaning that as God had made his recess under the Law before mentioned in compassion of mans weakness so under the Gospel by Christs taking our nature upon him and so being made more sensible of our wants we have also an exceeding advantage towards the Commiseration of our frailties whether in pardoning what we do amiss or in supply of what we want Whereupon it must now follow that as a medicine doth not work by being but by being applyed and that as Gods new Covenant of inward grace is to be made effectual by our outward obedience so must now our condition of innocence and fulfilling of the law by the precepts of love be interpreted then onely subsistent when we act with or not contrary to such as are by God and Christ entrusted with the custody and direction of these precepts and have power to command us accordingly And although God himself rule not in us now by Tables of Stone so much as formerly but by the fleshly tables of our hearts yet since these are still ruling by them in his stead our obedience to them is necessary and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour that we may lead quiet and peaceble lives in all Godliness and honestly and so make good on all parts his saying that he came not to destroy the Law but to fulfill that is not to let this inward obedience to God in the precept of love prove fruitless for want of outward obedience to Superiours directing how the same shall be usefull For we are to esteem and believe them as keepers of both Tables that is as to the outward Minstration and since in this kinde we cannot hear God plainly and expresly speaking as from the mount that cannot be touched we are yet to hear them as in his stead according to that admonition obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves for they watch for your souls as they who must give accompt that they may do it with joy and not with grief for this is profitable for you Which precept of obedience twice repeated under the words obey and submit sets forth this duty to be performed in the fullest manner no equivocation or delusion to be used herein For since I may obey but in what my self likes or is for mine owne ends or I may give obedience onely for fear of wrath I am also commanded to submit my self that is to do it for conscience sake to his authority as one that is in duty subjected unto it And to cut off that usual cavil against obedience to Christian authority namely the hazard of our souls we are here told that they are the watchmen of our souls and that they must give accompt thereof And this office of watching our souls they shall then perform with joy and not with grief when we shall readily yeild them this our bounden obedience and submission and consider with our selves how profitable this subjection is unto us even for securing our souls and estating us innocent And least any shold think this admonition reach to civil duties onely and not to directions for and in matters of faith the Apostle in the same chapter did before bid them remember them that have the rule over you who have spoken unto you the word of God whose faith follow considering the end of their conversation That is since the end of their imployment and rule overus was that we might lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honestly or to be directed by them in matters pertaining to godliness as well as honesty we are therefore to follow their faith in delivery of the meaning of the Scripture as we have already followed their authority in receiving it as the word of God And again to take off the objection of personal defect and errour which might be made to defeat obedience to some men in lawful authority let our Saviour himself be heard The Scribes and Pharisees saith he sit in Moses seat all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe that observe and do Where we may find by the words all and whatsoever the generallity of our obedience to the persons in Moses seat or seat of supream and just authority Against which if any exception or suspition of errour was to have been a sufficient excuse Christ would never have so enjoyned it as supposing the Scribes and Pharisees put into that seat a people which he well knew to be in many particulars erronious But yet however whilst they sat in Moses seat that is as from and under God acknowledged and taught the fundamentals of the law so long were their disciples secured in a state of innocence by obedience no otherwise then Christians are by obedience to those that are over them in Christs seat in the Church Undeniably clear to this purpose is Saint Paul to the Philippians Do all things without murmurings and disputings that ye may be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in a crooked and perverse Nation amongst whom ye shine as lights in the world holding forth the word of life that I may rejoyce in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain nor laboured in vain In which words he shews what is to hold forth or make use of the word of life namely to do all things without murmurings and disputings For this obedience to Gods vicegerents will not onely make the persons themselves blameless
or to be the sons of God but will also redound to God and his Gospels glory when men like the Philippians amongst the rebellions Greeks shall shine by exemplary submission to authority as lights in the world or as directors to humane preservations and peace And it will cause them that have this guide over them to do it as aforesaid with joy â—nd not with grief so that both here and in the day of Christ they shall have comfort when being to give account for their souls it shall appear that they have not run in vain nor laboured in vain And if the end and occasion of this precept for implicite obedience be marked it will make it clearly maninfest that the same is this way and by no othea means to be accomplished For what way so likely to have their conversation honest amongst the Gentiles and such as becometh the Gospel of Christ even the Gospel of him who being equal with God yet to be an example of obedience took on him the form of a servant and became obedient unto death even the death of the Cross as by continuance of this their obedience unto him not in his presence onely but now much more in his absence whereby working out their Salvations with fear and trembling they might then shine as lights in the world when their obedience shall be thus known unto all men what way so likely to stand fast in one Spirit with one mind to be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind but to have nothing done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind or by putting on the form of a Servant each one to esteem other especialy his Superiors better then himself For by this renouncing our own things that is the reliance on our owne wisdomes or increase of our owne interests which might be expected by murmurings and disputings we shall unquestionably preserve and encrease the publick good or things of others even by maintenance of publick peace and agreement Whereby we may more assuredly enjoy the consolation of Christ the comfort of love the fellowship of the Spirit in this our charitable communion and also thereby fulfil the joy of such as are by Christ set over us For the only ready way to walk by the same rule to mind the same thing is to be followers together of these and to mark those that walk so as they have them for an example Whereas if men shall be left to walk otherwise as enemies to the cross of Christ and shall be left to dispute and contrive wayes of Salvation to themselves their end will be destruction and love charity and union will be quite lost through their division and disobedience whilst one shall say I am of Paul and I of Apollos and I of Cephas and I of Christ and so prove themselves not followers of the God of peace whilst not doing thes things as learned and received and heard and seen in our owne Christian Superiour In these admonitions to the Philippians where Saint Paul had entire jurisdiction as being a Gentile Church under him we may observe him directing this perfect obedience unto himself as their owne unquestionable head when he sayes that I may rejoyce that I have not c. whereas he that was the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews sets down the persons in general terms unto whom this obedience is to be given as obey them that have the rule over you c. and remember them that have the rule over you For neither was Saint Paul their head himself nor had these Jews that still remained in Judea as yet any setled single head because the most of the Apostles were there resident and still in equal authority amongst them And as for the dispersed Jewes it was to the Author of that Epistle uncertain who was their rulers as also how many they had they being not improbably at that present governed by Elders after a Synagogue fashion and not having a single supream head constantly residing amongst them And such as would go about to interpret that these words cannot be construed for estating the Prince or Civil Magistrate as they call him in the capacity of religious authority because at that time they were heathens and therefore say it must intend Apostolical or Church teachers onely they do thereupon confess the same thing to be now due to that Supream Magistrate which is a Christian and hath Church jurisdiction as well as civil For if then perfect obedience both in the one and the other sort were to be given by each member to several persons then claiming it it must follow that it must be in like manner done entirely to that one now that hath the united supream power in both CHAP. V. Of the forms of the Church Government and of the jurisdiction claimed by Church men ALthough those that would disturbe the peace of Kingdomes by setting up an Universal Monarch in Church affaires and they that would set up the whole Clergy uncontrolable to govern in each Kingdome after a democratique fashion are both of them dissalowably out of what hath been already spoken yet for mens better information we will hear speak more particularly of both The first I conceive cannot be at all both for the reasons before given in the discourse of the Church and because it is that particular prerogative which Christ hath reserved to himself of being with them as Catholick head to the end of the world And as in particular Kingdomes and parts thereof Christ presides by special deputies as King of Kings even so upon the same reason of Universal jurisction and care he is to take the immediate charge of the whole unto himself In which regard as there should be no man called Father on earth or general Monarch of the whole earth or mandkind in derogation to Gods prerogative of Vniversal Kingdome power and glory so are not the heads of any particular Church to transcend their Apostolical paâ—ity and encroach on Christs prerogative of Universal Church power because one is their Master even Christ and they are brethren In which words Father and Master in the singler number as we may note one person in supream authority to be meant so will they serve to explain unto us who is meant and entended when in so many places we are bidden to obey in all things under these notions of Father and Master namely that it is that our particular Master or Father who hath now as supream authority over us in his own territory and jurisdiction as the former Masters and Fathers had in their families who were then the onely persons that could be Vniversally obeyed in all things because they were then the onely proper denominations of such as were in supream authority as Christians Apostles Patriarchs Bishops and the like being not Officers to continue in supream authority as such nor being
weakness of the instruments and means to bring that Church to its flourishing pitch and condition the mean estate of the Churches owne officer did redound to the undeniable glory of that God who did so manifestly appear in their assistance So that Gods dealing in matters of Government between the Jewish and Christian Church seems in every respect alike save that with the Jews the Ministery of Eldership went by birth according to the course of nature but here by election of the members of the Church For they being the adopted sons of God through Christ the particular Priests and Fathers that were to govern in this Church were to be at this Churches election and choice also or rather of its representative head Christs deputy For so are we to understand Saint Pauls words to Titus For this cause left I thee Crete that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting and ordain Elders in every City as I had appointed thee And those Epistles to Timothy and Tytus men that by Saint Paul had been put into authority will plainly declare that as themselves so others had also different power one over another as in relation to the Churches government The office and power of this Elder was in it self distinct from that of the preacher as was formerly that of the Father of the Tribe from that of the Priest although for sometime added and involved under the notion of Presbyter in the same person that primarily had his authority for instruction sake even as before the priesthood was divided it was by patriarchal right executed by the same father of the family So that now these Presbyters having during the time Magistrates were not Christian power of civil judicature in what concerned men estates as well as of external duties concerning them as Christians it came to pass where they might exercise this their rightful jurisdiction Brother was not to go to law with Brother before the unbelievers And when we find those eminent persons called Apostles directing in matters of external obedience they do it as Elders or Fathers which power and office was unto them annexed as in right of their offices as heads of Churches for so saith Saint Peter he was also an Elder And again many of these Elders did labour in the word and doctrine and were therefore more especially worthy of the double honour which was due unto an Elder that ruled well But then as the Apostles had in themselves as Christs deputies this union of jurisdiction and power both for preaching and ruling although in the last sort the present power of Heathen Magistrates did almost wholly restrain them so they did also often dispence unto the same persons the same joynt jurisdiction in both sorts also and that in regard of the paucity of eminent and able persons to undertake them singly Upon which reason we come in these dayes to be so much puzled to distinguish these primitive officers by their names and titles finding them promiscuoisly in the Scripture set down as sometime making Apostle and Elder to signifie the same sometime Apostle and Deacons and sometimes again we finde the calling of the Evangelist mingled with that of the Deacon The which obscurity was also occasined in that these Apostles and higher Officers were for want of Ministers under them forced many times to act in those more subordinate imployments and sometimes also those at first put into lower stations did perform what did belong to functions above them Which being by some now adayes not well considered or being careless and ignorant of the originals of names and their true derivation they would appropriate the notion of Elder or Presbyter to the Lay ruler onely and wholly abandon the English word Priest derived as we said from Presbyter as implying sacrifice and because we have no English word derived from Sacerdos which might properly denote a sacrificer therefore this notion of Priest must be laid aside and the word Minister taken in Not duely marking how they thereby fall into that which they would avoid whilst they call those of the Gospel by the legal name For the Hebrew stiles those of the Law Cohanim originally signifiing a Minister and thence comes the Greeek words Coneo and Diaconeo being the same with Minister in Latin and Deacon in English They do also hereby abusively and absurdly put him under his owne congregation and charge as sometimes calling him their Minister no otherwise then as Josuah was called Moses Minister as if the Pastor for so they sometimes rightly enough call him could be called a servant to the sheep but they shall never finde them called Ministers or servants but in relation to God or Christ or the whole Church And they also do hereby confound those Officers they would distinguish For that inferiour Officer by them called a Deacon is by name but the same with Minister whom they would seem to place higher as if by way of tautology they should call them Minister and Minister But be they of what sort they will evident enough it is they were still at the appointment and subordinate to the Apostles or other heads in chief who now as Christs deputies were equally presiding for the guidance and rule of several Churches distinct in authority from one another The which may be concluded as we said from many passages set down in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus who being by Saint Paul put in as Bishops or Overscers over other Pastours are in and by these Epistles taught from him the chief head and for what was not in them taught they were to be guided by Apostolical tradition the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses that is my avowed life and doctrine the same commit thou unto faithful men who shall be able to teach others also Herein are all the several degrees of subordination briefly stated the people are to be Subject and to learn of their owne Pastors and Elders these to be subject to their Bishops and the Bishops to their owne head in chief And by that expression the things which thou hast heard of me among many witnesses c. we may know how to expound our Saviours restriction given concerning our obedience to them that sit in the seat of authority when he saith but do not as they do meaning that Rulers will sometimes do otherwise then they teach or will publickly avow Now as this greater number of persons in separate jurisdiction was necessitated for want of civil entire power to make any one Churches jurisdiction of large extent so it fitted best that persecuted condition of the Church that is to accommodate them in having of one guide in chief to rule each Church in all their dispersions And as the meanness of these rulers was then best agreeable to that their present condition so was it advantagious also because eminence in authority would have made them as more remarkable so more obnoxious to
one or many men had their distinct copies such a total losse could not have happened And although it may be well thought that the gift of tongues might have enabled such of the holy penmen as wanted natural learning to deliver themselves notwithstanding in Greek yet this cannot make it supposable that all of them the Epistles especially were so written originally because their address is not to the Grecians or Gentiles And that Epistle to the Hebrews and those of Saint Peter and Saint Iames c. must imply them to be written in that language which was best understood by those they were addressed unto and who were to be directed by him Else it were to suppose a miracle wrought to a wrong end even that which Saint Paul doth elswhere dislike namely the speaking in an unknown tongue by which he means no doubt a tongue unknown to the Auditors In which respect to speak or write in Greek to them that understood not the language renders the Writer a Barbarian to the Auditor as well as the Auditor one to him Upon which grounds I do believe against them that doubt that the Gospel of Saint Matthew was like the other Gospels written in Greeks and that because its general address did require it to be set forth in that language which was most generally understood but for some of the Epistles I cannot be so perswaded And if that first exercised gift of tongues be marked we shall finde those endewed therewith speaking to every Auditour in his owne language And although question be made whether those auditours of divers nations might not at the same time have been endewed with the miraculous gift of interpreting and understanding a strange tongue to avoyd a greater difficulty of supposing all of them speaking at once or any one speaking several tongues at once the which Saint Peters after-speaking alone may give countenance unto yet it will plainly appear that as that gift of tongues was then used to edification and to be understood even so afterwards no doubt the penmen of holy Scripture made use of the same upon the like useful occasions and none other And as for Authors quotation of Scripture texts in this language onely none beginning to write till these books had been by the Church all collected into one volume and so put into that one most intelligible language it proves no more their writing at first in the Greek then our Saviours and others quotations of the Greek translation of the Septuagint proves the old Testament to have been written in that language also Not that we would be understood by what hath bin spoken as forbidding the publike knowledg of the Scriptures for even the same reason that makes them chiefly to be trusted to the Church and its head namly to know the better how to govern all others under them will in that regard also make them useful to Fathers Masters and many of the Subjects themselves who by their offices and callings shall have things or persons under their power and government In both which respects if they come not occasionally to concern every one as he may have his Neighbors good or ill under his trust and power even in cases remitted by his Superiour yet will they concern every one in their general precepts to patience humility obedience c. which as the proper and necessary vertues of Subjects and which must constitute government are fit for the notice of all in general without exception of the Prince himself who as under the power of God almighty must submit in a far higher degree then his Subjects can to him The knowledge of which and other necessary duties fit to direct us in our charitable abearances whither in acting upon or suffering from one another may also afford sufficient reason why there should be many precepts of all sorts of duties and concerning all sorts of people promiscuously set down in the New Testament notwithstanding that Gods immediate rule was to be inward even for that our Saviour and his Apostles having charge and guidance of souls under them it was needful for their good deportment sake that they should leave to them and unto such as should succeed in the Christian Churches besides the fundamentals such farther precepts and directions â—s might keep them in a steady course of Charity and peace one towards another when they found their duties set forth by so good authority For want of due regard whereof and of that different respect which the Scriptures do carry in their instructions and for want of that necessary and truly Christian grace of humility instead of learning and practicing those more proper duties which concern us in our distinct callings and relations for which onely we stand accomptable before God we are through pride and partiality too often found to be studious and inquisitive after so much onely as doth concern others in theirs even such as are above us for whose faults we are not to answer that thereupon we may appear more fit to teach then be taught to govern then be governed And this is not onely practised in the more civil relation of Subjects or Servants against their Prince or Master but through this misused liberty a general usurpation is almost every where now made for interpreting Scripture against the sence and authority of the whole Church and of our more spiritual guides therein to whose charge they are most particularly entrusted from which preposterous proceeding what can be expected but what sad experience doth witness even Heresie Schisme disorder and civil broyles to the scandal of Christian religion it self But now when we finde the persons in authority to be expressed in the plural number as Those that have the guide over you those that must give an account for your souls c. or else our obedience directed to the Church in general we are to understand thereby the head of each Church to be chiefly meant In which respect as there were many distinct Churches and thereupon also many heads as before shewed so the Apostle might in his general admonitions to obedience put them in the plural number of those and them And as in this sence we are to understand that precept of tell it to the Church namely to the judiciary head thereof so also are we to interpret and apply the power of the keyes and of binding and loosing to be given to the Churches head and not the diffused body which can never in all its members meet nor can otherwise then by their head hear and determine And hereupon we shall finde this power to be expresly given to the Apostles in Saint John where Christ is saying to them As my Father sent me even so send I you thereby giving them authority over their particular Churches and trusts By which means as he had formerly answered that the Son of man had power on earth to forgive sins So these sons of men also may without Blasphemy in
especially where perfection of degrees must also arise from perfection of parts even from that more inward and lively sence of happiness and fruition which the contemplations of its own inherent worth must constantly afford For as it is unconceivable how there could be a progression in dignity without coming to an acme and perfection so also is it not imaginable that this perfection can be in any less degree therein stated then to be causally and originally so because if this happiness or the sence thereof should depend on the enjoyment of foraign objects and helps as in man then for want of an original of life and perfection all derivatives must cease also From all which as we may conclude the being of a deity from the necessary progression of life well being so also must we conclude that nothing under God Almighty can be perfectly happy For as in him alone an absolute perfection of essence can always be found so it must be to him alwayes so clearly perceptible and known as to fill himself with such full acquiescence and delight that with due regard to his omnipotency no foraigne want or fear can be supposed any wayes available to impoverish or delete that impression which the vision and contemplation of the beatifical glory of himself must from eternity make within himself When we contemplate our selves or our own happiness or perfection there being many things observable more perfect and happy then we and through diversion of other objects engaging us to farther hope or fear and through weakness of comprehension and understanding being alwayes ready to be so diverted and foyled in our contemplations it is not to be expected that this unsteady and weak consideration of an object so unworthy as our selves made within our selves should leave any such noble and firm character there as to fill and settle us with any degree of acquiescence and delight or to bring it to an existent perfection Whereas in God that could never be but perfect and also knowingly and delightedly so that resemblance of himself which must from eternity have conception being in himself must be supposed even naturally generating the like existence and continuance of such another self under the relation of a Son For all cause of extinction or abatement being taken away that which was from eternity thus naturally begotten must be to eternity thus necessary continued And easily it may be conceived that were any one stated in such an unchangeable degree of essential perfection in himself as to have all perfection there centred and confined and then to be endued with such high and steady degree of understanding and comprehension as to be hereof alwayes sensible and herewith alwayes delighted and then lastly supposing this person to be alwayes accompanied with omnipotency too then as nothing could hinder him from his continual enjoyment of himself so also cannot any cause of change be conceived whereby that which was thus lively impressed should not have like continuance and self existence also A strong confirmation and help to our conceipts in these things may be taken from our selves who constantly and naturally as shewing whence we derived it are moved in the love and delight we take to any object according to that impress or conception which is inwardly entertained of them and experience telling us that the fruition doth never answer the expectation because it comes alwaies short of the perfection of the Idea it doth prove that that degree of delight ariseth from degree of excellence of the object in it self and from degree of inward perception thereof In us as all knowledge is admitted by degrees at the dores of the sences according to iuch feeble representations as the weakness of the sences themselves and the unworthiness of created objects will afford It is no wonder if by reason of so large disparity such unsteady and unaffecting impressions do remain in comparison of what we may conceive to be where all these defects are taken off especially since by this foraign way of knowledge to wit by sence we are not able to know or apprehâ—nd truly our selves as the divine essence is by means of continual presence and intuition and so beget and be possessed with a continual self-love which is the strongest impression and delight that may be As thus to the manner so to the measure of the generation it will follow that as this infinite comprehension of God stood entirely implyed in the contemplation of that full beauty glory and perfection of his whole essence so must the person hereby generated be equally God also for where the worker and the substance wrought upon are the same what is thereby wrought must be the same too Now as it a natural and necessary property of every inteligent and voluntary agent to be to it self regardful in the first place and to other things as they stand thereto like and relating which we call love so in this case that perfect similitude and essential same-ness which must cause the Father and Son with high and continual entercourse off affection to be perpetually beholding each other must as proceeding from and bestowed upon persons of such omnipotency and dignity produce also a third like personal existence even that of the holy Ghost Because as before said where the subject wrought upon and the worker are both God that which proceedeth there from must be God also very God of very God As thus for the coequality of Son and holy Ghost so for their coeternity since that perfection of the divine essâ—nce must from the very first be and be by it self conceived and also loved it must follow that these two presons must be also as much without begining as the other For although with us that have our beings and conceptions imperfect and depending upon foraign helps and by reason that our knowledge was by degrees attained from observation of figurate and material bodies as they stand limitted in time and place of operations it is not to be imagined that any perfect conception should be made in us of a substance so spiritual and sublime much less any such rational deffinition or discourse made for the satisfaction of others of a substance transcending the similitude and comparison of any other therefore the best expressions of himself is from himself saying I am that I am yet were all these impediments taken off we may conceive being and well being to be eternally the same and that omniscience should necessarily arise from and accompany omnipresence and that again being inseparably accompanied with omnipotence it must follow that to be and to know and to will and to act are all the same in him that could never be devided into parts in himself nor circumscribed nor limitted by any other in time place or measure of energy whereby as to these personal relations he should not be from and continue to eternity the same that now he is that is not onely be really the same three but by this
proceed to Scripture proofs in these things and in farther confirmation of the precedent chapter beginning with some out of the New Testament Saint Paul having declared somewhat to the Ephesians of his knowledge in the mystery of Christ doth it that thereby all men may see what was the fellowship of the mistery that is both the fellowship of Christian precepts amongst themselves and our fellowship or communion with Christ through obedience Which mistery from the beginning of the world hath bin hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ that is heretofore hid under the legal observations but is now as the unsearchable riches of Christ preached amongst the Gentiles To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places that is unto the higher powers seated and deputed by Christ might be known by the Church that is by the vertue of illumination and authority given to them through Christs headship of the Church the manifold wisdome of God And therefore Saint Pauls prayer was that Christ might dwell in their hearts by faith so that they being rooted and grounded in love they may be able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height that is this mistery of the love of Christ which passeth all knowledge Namely that they may know how it should be effected and kept up by those that walk worthy of the vocation wherewith they are called who must do it with all lowliness and meekness with long suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace that is in obedience to our owne Christian head which is the only bond of peace For by means of the building and foundation laid by these Christian heads Apostles and Prophets as then they were called given for the perfecting of the Saints and for the work of the ministry we come to be united as Citizens of the houshold of God or Catholick Church of which Christ himself is the chief corner stone The body of Christ being in this sort to be framed and built together in this life till we come to be past fear of being tossed to and fro of every winde of doctrine even by being come to the unity of faith through the knowledge of the Son of God or to have attained that measure and stature of fulness which is to be from Christ himself expected Of which Christian submission and obedience having set downe positive precepts in the names of Husbands Parents and Masters he finally exhorts them to be still furnished with the whole armour of God that is faith love and obedience that they may be able to stand against the wils of the Devil That is these his most crafty wiles and insinuations whereby we come to be tempted by him as an Angel of light under religious pretences to acts of obedience even by the Prince of the power of the aire the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience For saith he we wrestle not against flesh and blood meaning against fleshly rules or Masters for against the works of the flesh we must wrestle but against principalities and powers agaist the rules of the darkness of the world that is against spiritual wickedness in in high or heavenly places Or against the wills of the Devil working in such as under the colour of legal or moral precepts called usually darkness by their owne high power in the Church would countenance disobedience and so overthrow the mystery of Christ by the mysterie of iniquity For these are to know as Saint Paul saith to Tymothy that the end of the commandment is Charity or peaceable submission and obedience for charity sake out of a pure heart and a good conscience and faith unfeigned From which saith he some having swearved are turned aside unto vain jangling that is unprofitable questionings of legalty desiring to be Teachers of the law when they should hearers understanding neither what they say nor whereof they affirm But we know that the law is good if a man use it lawfully that is an obeyer of legal authority whereby to retain innocence and not as judge to become guilty Knowing this that the law is not made for the rsghteous or just man that is to condemn a just or obedient man but for the lawless and disobedient for ungodly and sinners c. Where all wickedness being reckoned after as subsequent and attendant on disobedience and by opposing the disobedient and lawless against the righteous man we must understand obedience and righteousness to be contivertible For as the fruit of the Spirit is love so the fruit thereof again is joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness faith meekness temperance against such there is no law that is law of condemnation And this mistical way of accomplishing our innocence is farther repeated to the Collossians that their hearts might be comforted being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknowledgement of the mistery of God and of the father and of Christ in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge In which words we may plainly see that our greatest comfort ariseth from love in our hearts and from hence have we the full assuranc of understanding of right obedience to Gods law to the acknowledgement of the mistery of God even the mistical way of justification whereby being inwardly made ready and pliable to perform all acts of benificence we by our conformity and obedience to this one precept should contrary to the doctrine of the darkness of this world be estated truely innocent In which words the general name of God is first attributed to the holy Ghost for that he is the more proper efficient in the understanding of this mistery as also of the acknowledgement of the Father and of Christ. so that in participation of the Godhead by this mistery we are made comprehensive of all the reall treasures of wisdome and knowledge in being thereby guided through Gods light and not our own Which as the Apostle spake least any should beguile them with entising words that is Religious pretence which is most enticing of any so he joyes in beholding the fruit of this inward love their order and stedfastness of their faith in Christ that is their peace and agreement in the faith And thereupon proceeds to admonish them least any man spoil them through Philolosophy and vain deceit meaning through the Greekish popular Philosophy of their Country teaching righteousness to be attained by their many precepts of morall justice or vain legall deceit of the Iews amongst them after the Tradition of men after the Rudiments of the world or worldly wisdome and not after Christ in the simplicity of this Gospell precept of obedience For we cannot offend God whilst we are obedient to him
otherwise their transactions with their Neighbours or misgovernment at home might prove so destructively prejudicial that his own purpose might be defeated by their ruine After the time our Saviour himself appeared and had the whole Government laid on his shoulders these offices were wholly resigned up unto him and so from him who was King and Priest after the order of Melchisedec and who was the Prophet which Moses foretold of to be raised up like him and which was anointed to preach glad tidings they come to be by him conferred in chief on his adopted sons the several heads of his Church and so at last to be impropriate to the anointed Christian Monarchs vvithout such reservation as God had formerly made in the Jewish Church in reference to his Theocraty If we look for the knowledge of these things in the practice of the primitive Christian Church we shall not find any separate jurisdiction or authority claimed either in Priestly or Prophetical way but what was subordiate if not appointed by the Apostles the then Heads of the Church The which is plainly intimated by S. Paul when he tells the Corinthians who had in many things presumed against the authority of his Apostleship as their Head Though ye have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet have ye not many fathers for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me For although many of these their Preachers or Instructers had no doubt by their Doctrine won many particular souls amongst them to the faith and so might be called the spiritual Fathers to those persons yet since they generally considered as a collective Church and body of men had first been instructed by him and were also the Seal of his Apostleship in the Lord They under the notion of Sons of the Church could have but one spiritual Father no more then natural sons could Whereupon having signified to them his Power of Super-intendency under a relation that might claim sole and undeniable authority as their general Father or Head he then tells them of his practise thereupon For this cause I sent Timotheous unto you who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord who shall bring you into remembrance of my wayes which be in Christ as I teach every where in every Church That is I have sent him by my Apostolical Authority to take the charge of your instruction in my absence because he knows my manner of Doctrine and Worship which I have established in other Churches by vertue of that power which Christ gave me And so he goeth on reproving such as had demeaned themselves proudly against his Authority under colour of their office of Instruction or as Waterers to what he planted And thereupon says The Kingdom of God is not in word but in power that is he would not regard the speech of him that was puffed up but the power For although they might preach in Christs name yet if they had not power from that Supreme Deputy which Christ hath intrusted with his Churches Power their Authority was nothing as elsewhere he says How shall they preach except they be sent Indeed those Epistles to the Corinthians are very intent and copious in the defence of S. Pauls Authority and the six first Chapters are particularly bent that way and carry an especial reproof against those Schisms and Divisions which had hapned amongst them for want of this unity Whilst some would choose one Master-builder and some another and that with such vehemence of affection as Idolatrously to neglect or forget Christ himself whose Deacons they were And whilst others as Superstitiously again would balk those Ministers of Christ set over them as thinking obededience no where due but to him alone Therefore saith he I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions amongst you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement Which thing cannot be while Every one of you saith I am of Paul and I of Apollo and I of Cephas and I of Christ. After which like a faithful Minister and Steward he first vindicates the honor of his Master against such as would divide him by their Idolatrous regard to his Ministers to his stead Is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you or wâ—re you baptized in the name of Paul And so blaming himself to blame others he goes on clearing himself that that power he had exercised had ever been done by him in Christs name as acknowledging his derived Authority and Mission from him of preaching and laying this Christian foundation Which thing seemed foolishness to these Greeks for they besides their natural aversion to all kind of subjection but what themselves fancied were as it appears tainted with arrogancy towards their own ability in discerning right and wrong according to the Moral Philosophy of their own Country and so were unwilling to submit to the simplicity of the Gospel and make obedience to Christ their wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption The wisdom of God is now a Mysterie even a way to Justification which the wise men of the world knew not nor could discover in their Precepts of Moral Justice Having therefore afterwards again warned them against these carnal courses that caused these divisions as also told them that this worldly wisdom is foolishness with God he then undertakes Apostolical honor and power as being immediately intrusted under God in Christ and so he having from them received the Spirit of judgement thinks it not valuable to be judged of mans judgement For the Superior cannot be justified as elsewhere shewed from below Nay though saith he I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justified but he that judgeth me is the Lord that is the act of Justification must come from above and therefore Inferiors are not to do it but leave it to the last judgement where every man shall have praise of God In the next verse he comes home to what was the drift of all the rest These things brethren I have in a figure transferred to my self and to Apollo for your sakes that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written that no one of you be puffed up for one against another that is Forasmuch as ye know me to be your Planter and that Apollo and I are all one by subordination to God that gave us our powers therefore are ye not to regard other mens authorities above that written warrant they can bring for the same For difference in power must come from God if it come from below it will cause divisions and puffing up one against another For who maketh one man to differ from another but God and what hast thou that thou didst not receive now if
first Office by suffering here and the other not till he enter into his glory he therefore answers It is not for you to know the times and the seasons which the Father hath put into his own power but ye shall receive power after that the holy Ghost is come upon you and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Ierusalem and in all Iudea and in Samaria and unto the utmost part of the earth whereby it appears that the time appointed by God for the exercise of compleat Monarchical power in the Church was not yet come and therefore he tells them of that power that should in the mean time be exercised by them Of which Apostolical power we have spoken somewhat before and therewith shewed how their Government was Monarchical and that by reason of Unction of power from Christ they had the right to be his chief Deputies in all things in each Church where they did preside although their modesty and the Heathen Magistrates usurpation would not suffer them then to shew it And if we mark the precedent discourse Christ may be found giving them this real power of Headship proportionable to that degree of glory the Church was then in For it would have been strange for a distressed and despised Church to have had a glorious or high tituled Head So that although that sort of glorious Kingdom which they fancied could not yet be restored to the Church yet that they should in the mean time be his sole Deputies in the managery of this Kingdom appears in that he was with them forty days giving them commandment and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God and so he bids them abide at Ierusalem for the promised baptism of the Holy Ghost or to be endued with power from on high The which we may conceive to be the Unction of Church power because this promise is made a reason of this their demand about the execution thereof viz. When they therefore were come together they asked him saying Lord wilt thou c. And his answer is negative only to the glorious exercise thereof as yet but affirmative to their doing it by that power which they should receive from the Holy Ghost Whereby and by the words Witnesses to me we may well understand represent me in my power both of doing and suffering according to that Commission which he elsewhere gives them As my father sent me so send I you So that the sum of all is that as it behoved him that was the head to be made perfect by sufferings even so his Church to arise to her glory and particularly to the glory of Kingship by such degrees of sufferings as her great King should be pleased to appoint In the mean time how unlike soever the means seemed to them yet should the advancement of his Kingdom thereby be to his greater honor that could give them power by sending of the Holy Ghost to be witnesses and promoters thereof And therefore as God before in the Theocrity appeared in setting up the Church of the Jews so Christ in the beginning acts more powerfully from Heaven in his it seeming a thing unreasonable to make a recess and to give over his miraculous assistance until the work it self had attained such height and strength as to be fit to be performed by Deputies and that in a Monarchical form according to the patern of Government used in Heaven it self But it is like that the Apostles had more confidently made this Interrogation upon mistake of our Saviours speeches unto them First Of giving them the Kingdom and afterwards in bidding them now provide themselves of swords As if their former way of dependance on extraordinary providence were to be now abandoned and this Kingly way of acquisition and administration to be by them exercised And that they thought this way proper to themselves may appear by their present shewing him two swords and of S. Peters hasty using one of them afterwards But the Kingdom in the first place promised to these his little flock or flock of little ones was the Kingdom that is the Kingdom of Heaven and not any glorious Judicature here more then he their present Master had No they were first to seek the righteousness of the Kingdom of God after the same way their Master had done which as it was most proportionable during the Theocraty so should it be to them more glorious then the Royal Robes of any Solomon even then those more majestick robes which succeeding Christian Kings should wear To which purpose they might have considered his former designation of their manner of Glory and Judicature wherein he he saith that he that serveth should not expect to be greater then he that sitteth at meat And that therefore they who had continued with him as his companions should have a kingdom appointed to them as his Father had appointed one to him and not have their time of Judicature till the last judgement at which time they that had followed him in the regeneration that is had here mostly executed the Offices of Evangelists when the Son of man should sit on the throne of his glory they also should sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel In the mean time they were to resemble Christ in much patience in afflictions in stripes c. So that then their exercise of Kingship being to be like that of their Master namely by witnessing for him and his Gospel in Judea c. as he had already witnessed a good witness before Pontius Pilate and so making up what was behind of the affliâ—tion of Christ for his bodies sake the Church we are to enterpret the other part of Christs speech to them which might import their now making themselves friends of the unrighteous Mammon and of taking to themselves Purses and Scrips and especially by taking to themselves swords when he said but now He that hath a purse let him take it and likewise his scrip and he that hath no sword let him sell his garments and buy one to be made good and accomplished upon the glorious establishment of his Church under his glorious Deputies At which time his Vice-roys should be in a capacity to provide for themselves and others by these swords and were not under pain of tempting God again to grow altogether careless of supplying themselves as the former labourers were And that his meaning herein was prophetique and future they might have gathered by that which followed saying That the things written must yet or first be accomplished in me that is as he was numbred amongst the transgressors so must he himself suffer as one also Which having had an end concerning him then should the power and eminence of his Church so arise by degrees that through the glory of his succeeding deputed Christs which exercised their dominion in his name the rest of the prophesie should be made good unto him viz.
him imparted shall in them spring up like tender grass in their earthly administrations And then he foretels the state of Antichristianism to follow and that under the Jewish notion of insubjection and Rebellion viz. Sons of Belial or men without yoak but the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away because they cannot be taken with hands That is because they cannot be kept under by Laws but as Thornes have been troublesom to others and been ready to raise civil flames of dissention therefore as Thornes they shall be burnt or thrust away But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with Iron and the staffe of a spear That is as he that will meddle with cutting down of Thorns must have his person defended against their pricking as it were with Iron and also must have a staffe or fork to manage them with and not his bare hands so prudence must direct Christian Princes to have in readiness Davids Chelethites and Pelethites and the assistance of their Militia typified under Iron and a spear and then they shall be utterly burnt with fire in the same place that is these Thornes of rebellion shall be consumed That Christ and the Christian Kings were in these Promises meant appears yet more fully by that Promise which God makes of the prosperity of his people at the same time which could not have likelihood of accomplishment in the Jews Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will place them that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more neither shall the Children of wickedness afflict them any more as before time Which Promise was not made good to the Israelites whom the Assyrian and other Nations did so many times afflict and whom the Romans did utterly subdue and remove but was made good after the time of Christian Kingship in that this Christian Church was ever more glorious and strong then to be oppressed by her enemies And so David himself farther instructs us acknowledging these things spoken of his house for a great while to come In this fore-recited Prophesie and those whereto it alludes it is farther observable that as it is the first that speaks particularly and largely of the perpetuity and glory of the Church so doth it also of the kingship that should be therein coupling them so together as to make it apparent that as the glory of a Church and Nation doth arise by Gods vouchsafeing to own them and by having a place amongst them so this owning them and this place is still accompanyed with the Promise of kingship nay made subsequent thereunto For so we finde that while Moses is directing the people to go with their hard controversies or appeals from the ordinary Judges unto the Iudge that shall be in those days meaning that future Government of kings which immediately follows in the same chapter he appoints them to go up unto the place which the Lord their God should choose Shewing to us that when God would have his Church most eminent by having a chief and eminent place amongst them he will also have one most eminent Officer to be his servant in establishment thereof who may also more gloriously represent him therein All which as it appears in the examples of David and Solomon so doth the words of Solomon cleerly manifest it shewing That God chose no City out of all Israel to build an house for his name before he chose David to be over his people And therefore because the good intention of Davids heart to build Gods house could not be performed by him God promiseth to raise up to him a son that should come forth of his loyns and that he should build this house to his Name Which son of his we cannot think otherwise of then as having his kingdom purposely made glorious and established for the encrease of Gods glory by this work And therefore it was not a work which God required to be done by any of the former Iudges but the height and glory belonging to each Church and Nation is to be accomplished under the most glorious instrument And by having this future regard to things we may finde those Gospel promises of restitution or reward which could not in kinde be made good to the Primitive persecuted Church and the oppressed Christians therein to be made good to the Catholike Church and the generality of Christians under the protection of Christian Kings since Namely that in comparison of those former losses the Church hath since been rewarded both in respect of increase of possession and degree of continuance with an hundred fold now in this time of houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands c. Whereupon we may make the whole issue and interpretation of this forementioned Promise to be that Christ typified in David is represented as desirous out of his zeal to Gods house to be as active and forward as he can for advancing of Gods own glory and also for the promotion of his Churches happiness represented under the figure of the Jewish Temple But because he in regard of those Victories he was to make over sin and death was in his own person disabled to perform it even as David was for the wars which were about him on every side until the Lord had put them under the soles of his feet therefore is he by God the Father Promised in the person of David When thy days shall be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers that is when thou shalt have accomplished the days of thy flesh and by being seated at the right hand of thy Father shalt have thy foes made thy footstool then shall God make good the word he had spoken concerning him and his house to establish it for ever That is in accomplishing the glory of the Church under his adopted sons the Christian Emperors and Monarchs as the glory of the Jewish Church and Temple was setled under Solomon and not under David By which words for ever we are also to understand Christian kingship to be promised to last till the worlds end notwithstanding all opposition as we may finde them typified under Solomon the Kings son in the seventy second Psalm where the flourishing estate and increase of the Church is foretold to continue to the glory of Christs name by reason of these that held their Crowns of him His Name shall endure for ever his Name shall be continued as long as the Sun and men shall be blessed in him all Nations shall call him blessed That is each Christian Monarch from him anointed shall be as a Son to continue his Fathers Name for ever meaning so long as the Sun and Moon shall endure For if this Psalm had intended the setting forth of the continuance of Christs own Name as the second person in the Trinity and not in relation to his
Office of Christ or King to be accomplished by Christian Kingship in the submission of the Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles that shall bring him presents then this limitation of earthly time had not been so proper as now if it had not foretold of something wherein more remarkably the whole earth should be filled with his glory that is by the glorious appearance of these his Deputies who shall on their several Mountains and little hills in his stead be judging the poor of the people save the Children of the needy and break in pieces the Oppressor whereby the rod of his power out of Sion being generally manifest men shall fear him so long as the Sun and Moon endure Whereas in respect of his own personal Dominion over his holy Church it shall be truely for ever and longer then the Sun and Moon shall endure And again those acts of protection here set down are the proper Offices of Kings or Gods on earth as appears by the like duties appointed for them to do in the 82 Psalm defend the poor and fatherless do justice to the afflicted and needy deliver the poor and needy rid them out of the hand of the wicked All in effect declaring that God being unto them a spirit of judgement and putting a divine sentence in the lips of the Christian Kings as Solomon did prophesie they should now by their due and diligent execution of their Offices bring all these things to pass and so make righteousness and peace to kiss each other Wherefore now the glory and prosperity of the Church Gods house and kingdom being thus promised under the blessing of kingship we are to esteem them Antichrists or sons of Belial most especially that do oppose Kings And by those words of David the man that toucheth them must be fenced with iron and the staffe of a spear we may understand this opposition chiefly predicted to happen from within her self when the Church shall have arisen to that strength to be thus fortified That is when Christs succeeding deputies as he foretold to his Apostles should have taking to themselves both Purses and Swords and so under Kingship make use of those Swords and that Mammon at which time although forraign force should harm the Church no more yet sons of Belial should And into the onely hands of these deputies of Christ any may observe them put that shall mark this speech at both times particularly directed to his then Deputies the Apostles and shall farther observe how these things could be accomplished by those persons that were not to fight but in their prosecutions to flye from one City to anothher Who were for attaining their Kingdom that is in attaining the Kingdom of Heaven to sell what they had and give Almes and so provide Treasure in Heaven that faileth not Therefore in their case of more immediate divine protection they could not serve God and Mammon but were to take no thought for their life c. But now because we have before spoken of that prediction of the swords we shall here speak something more of the other And he said to his Desciples There was a certain rich man which had a Steward c. Which whole Parable sets plainly out unto us an alteration to happen to Gods Stewards in his houshould the Church in regard of their trust but whether that more immediate way of protection and illumination given to the first Stewards were the sooner taken from them for personal default as the Parable may seem to denot is not so much material But we may observe this alteration plainly told to come to pass and I say unto you make unto your selves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations In which words the command of making this friendship being given to them that had not been unjust Stewards and that could neither fail themselves of the continuance of Gods extraordinary trust and assistance and had again a caveat against the trust to this Mammon it must be understood as a direction and warrant what those future Heads of the Church whom they did personate were to do when these former miraculous assistances stould fail At which time for the preservation of publick Peace and Good it might be commendable and lawful for the latter more glorious deputies to support their dignities by keeping back part of those revenues which were in the hands of their subjects since the propriety of the whole was undeniably in that their great Lord and Master whose steward he was And as for the everlasting habitations it is to be meant that the Church and her future Heads should by Gods assistance relieve themselves this way unto the end of the world as in the words For ever formerly spoken of hath been noted That Parable where God suffers himself to be put under the notion of an unjust Judge will farther clear to us that the meaning was to foreshew that alteration and not the whole withdrawing of trust and protection as through abuse For there it is noted how God in his recess should seem not to hear because not so apparently and presently avenging and protecting as formerly insomuch as infidelity should generally infect the earth at Christs coming And therefore this great friend of the Church having brought her to a state of self-subsistance may be supposed to have shut to the door of miraculous assistance which was formerly granted to those his persecuted children now at rest with him and will answer many times but to importunity only And to shew that this alteration was not substraction of trust of Stewardship it is after added that the future Stewards fidelity in their trust of this Mammon shall make them as acceptable as those that were formerly trusted with goods of more Divine Nature He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also â—n much So that now the glory and protection of Christs Church being conjoyned with and made subsistent by that of its Head and the glory of protection of its Head being now to be maintained also by these helps of swords and mammon it follows that as any do go about to bereave them of these trusts by God and Christ put into their hands for the good of the Church they do also thereby rise against the Church and oppose Christ himself and so are Antichrists And if we look to experience for proof of these Prophesies there is nothing more plain then that as Christian kingship did increase in glory or number so did the Church Christs kingdom increase also and that again as those Nursiing Fathers of the Church were through the insurrections and oppositions of those many or the Antichrist eclipsed or lessened so did heresies encrease and the truth decay Our own present senses being able to witness that where this unity is lost in the person that should represent Christ in the
of greatest mischief From the food with which our bodies are nourished do we contract the most of our diseases nay from those sorts of it which are best too do we by intemperance draw on those maladies which are most desperate and deadly From that very root of Love and desire of beneficence and thirst of Honor ingraffed for mutual comfort and assistance do we daily finde contrary effects to be produced when by too strict and irregular fixation and use thereof according to the particular interest and guidance of our private appetite and discretions we are led into Faction and Civil war And so lastly from that course of prevention and restraint which by divine appointment was setled amongst us as the onely Soveraign remedy and cure of these exorbitances namely the constitution and power of Monarchical government even this doth together with the cure make us lyable and obnoxious to those fatal mischiefs of Tyranny and Oppression also Against which as we have neither reasonable or lawful remedy but that of Patience so shall we finde it a true remedy indeed and to usher us into an habitation and Kingdom where neither a natural distemper nor a civil distraction shall any more afflict us No no all cause of fear either of loss or punishment is now banished our obedience is become all love here for a full comprehension of the pleasure of our present Soveraign together with a full assurance of his continual ready acceptance as well as of our own continual ready ability of performance shall make all apprehension of power stand as it were forgotten in that of goodness And whereas we now know neither our own duties nor Gods love and acceptance but in part seeing them as through a glass darkly then shall we know him as to his Will and good pleasure even as we are known of him as to our hearty desire of serving and honoring him and this face to face We shall not longer wait on tedious Inductions and Observations for some slender and fallible comprehension of these things but at such time as Charity shall make up our Obedience our knowledge shall be inherent arising from presence and intuition There is no such opacity here as to necessitate us to rays of light to discover at most but skin-deep into the qualities of things no then the true Nature of things shall be as soon known as their names and their inward as their outward form And therefore what cause then of fear that any thing should separate us from the love of God our present Soveraign Where there shall not be so much as a false accuser left to appear in that Kingdom whereby to disturb us in our civil life more then a disease to disturb us in our natural The life and health of our then refined bodies shall no more run the hazard of either famine or surfeit by relying on such food as could not nourish us until dead nor but bring death by nourishment Our then no longer sickly nor mortal bodies shall now have their more spiritual life and perfection secured and encreased from a food far more spiritual and perfect then our selves In this true Paradise shall we finde the true tree of life it self that bread of life that once came down from Heaven cloathed with our nature that we might be made capable and Participant of his With this food shall we be always delightfully fed never full always satisfied never satiate As thus to our selves so to our present society instead of those thwartings and injuries which used to come from the hands of competitors or enemies we shall on all hands be saluted with the ready Offices of complacency and love for how can envy or malice have either Author or Object where encrease of eminence or property cannot be so much as wisht for Our enjoyments then shall not be purchased or endeared at the price of want and difficulty for fruition shall here antecede appetite even so as there shall not be so much as time or room left for a wish And whilst thou shalt be thus steadily compleat with happiness in thy self so as neither to have cause to hope more nor fear worsâ— and that through the gift and participation of divine love so shalt thou finde this love so much refined also as to be universally and reciprocally efficacious not onely to procure the possession against fear of intrusion through others wants but to encrease it through consensation of like benefit in them Each one that could not as one contain more content shall by this union contain all We shall not then know one another by our old dividing relations of consanguinity or friendship whereby petty unions were made destructive of the common and introductive of general disagreement No every one is lookt upon with the heightened affection of a brother by means of that more close tye and relation to be derived from that Our father which is in Heaven Hath any one been so heroick as but to taste what it is to be truely in love with any person here Let him then think that every one now shall be that he or that she but withour thought of a he or a she Not so hazardously now beloved as to relye on the courtesie of a Idea from the intent observation of whose perfection in our conceit the imperfections of the original might come to be clouded No as we shall no longer depend on the help of deceiveable notions nor Affections or Passions for our comprehension and understanding so shall we not be in danger to be captivated with the glance of a single sense and that from an outward perishing and deceiveable figure Our Understanding and intuistive knowledge shall now make way for our will it shall not stand to the issue of two contending passions here Where nothing is farther to be hoped for or feared all such composition must cease We shall not in this place love at the hazard of our discretions nor endanger the loss of our selves by the love of another for in this society every other shall be truely known to be an other self even so much thy self that thou shalt not be to thy self but in that self for we shall be so like and so much one another as not to know distinction or separation but what number must make Oh that happy practice of love below that prepared thee for this blessed enjoyment of love above Oh that happy performance of Obedience to thy former Fathers in the flesh although unto death that hath now redeemed thee from death and fitted thee for this subjection unto the Father of Spirits unto life Oh happy participation in a Cross that makes thee now a sharer with thy Saviour in his Crown Thy former bread of affliction and tears of sorrow shall be by thy blessed Savior here turned into wine of comfort and food of life not to be now tasted in a Sacramental sip or broken piece and then onely in a topick Communion but in this