Selected quad for the lemma: law_n
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A33227
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Obedience to magistrates recommended in a discourse upon Titus 3:1 preached September the ninth, 1683 by J.C.
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Clapham, Jonathan.
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1683
(1683)
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Wing C4408; ESTC R29609
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14,403
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39
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according to that Prov. 17.11 An evil man seeketh Rebellion therefore a cruel Messenger shall be sent unto him But that is most terrible that the Apostle speaks Rom. 13.3 They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation not onely temporal punishment but if they repent not eternal damnation God will maintain his own Ordinance and punish the Violators of it Such do Giant-like fight against God and therefore shall meet with Destruction Thus you see what reason there is to obey and be subject to Rulers and Magistrates IV. But how and in what manner must we yield Subjection and Obedience to them I answer 1. We must give it to all in Authority good and bad as the Apostle speaks of Masters 1 Pet. 2.18 Servants must be subject not onely to the good and gentle but also to the froward so must we be subject to all in Authority that be our Lawful Rulers not Usurpers not onely to the good but to the bad It 's due to the Office primarily whoever bear it then to the Persons placed in it by God The Apostle in the Text speaks of Principalities and Powers in the abstract and when he required Subjection to the Higher Powers Rom. 13. it was at that time when Caligula Claudius or Nero reigned those Monsters of Men and cruel Persecutors yet saith he Let every soul be subject c. If God should give us the worst Magistrates we must not resist them but must reverence the Powers and be subject to them and this is thank-worthy 1 Pet. 2.16 2. Yet we must obey them onely in the Lord. As we must look on them as set in the place of God so must we obey them onely in all things agreeable to the Will of God If they command things contrary to his Will then we must rather obey God than Man as the Apostle teaches Acts 5.29 The reason of it is Because God is the Universal and Supreme Sovereign If an inferiour Officer command any thing contrary to the Will of the King and his Laws we must obey the Will of the King before his So if a King contrary to God's Will commands us any thing we are to obey him that is King of Kings In such a Case the Laws of Men are null ipso facto as St. Austin speaks There can be no Law of what is not just And Bernard What Man commands if God forbid it it is repealed by the Sovereign Lord by whom Kings reign Things materially evil cannot be justly commanded nor lawfully done 3. Not for fear of Wrath onely but for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 The fear of Man may often restrain from resisting especially the fear of God who threatens damnation but Conscience to God's Command should chiefly make us to obey Magistrates in what they command according to Law 1 Pet. 2.13 Be subject saith he to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake He hath ordained Magistracy and commanded Obedience to it 4. Willingly and heartily Eph. 6.7 With good will doing service as to the Lord not to Man Col. 3.23 Whatever you do do it heartily as to the Lord not as to Men and ye shall receive of the Lord the Reward of Inheritance for ye serve the Lord Christ The Apostle speaks of Servants doing their Duties to their Masters but it 's true also of Subjects doing their Duties to Magistrates they are to do it willingly and heartily as to the Lord. V. But why should Ministers put their People in mind to be thus subject to Magistrates and obey them Answ For these Reasons 1. Because every Duty is to be pressed by them they are to make known to them the whole Will of God even all things necessary to Salvation of which this is one principal Command a Branch of the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Political Father and Mother and this Honour cannot be shewn them without Subjection and Obedience Now tho People know this yet they have need to be put in remembrance of it as the Apostle speaks Jude 5. they need to have their pure minds stirred up by way of remembrance 2 Pet. 3.1 Known Duties must be whetted on us again and again This is one great End of the Ministry to stir up People to the Practice of such Duties as they know their Minds are forgetful their Affections dull and they are backward to the practice of many Duties and therefore have need to have them often urged It 's a foolish Cavil some have against Ministers preaching the same Duties again sometimes even the Spirit of Christ is promised by him John 14. to bring to our remembrance what himself had before spoken 2. The Holy Ghost foresaw that some Christians under pretence of Religion would cast off Subjection to those in Authority being made free by Christ they would not be Servants to Men abusing their Liberty The Scriptures foretel it would be so with some Jude 8. They despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities So 2 Pet. 2.10 Both Places speak of some that would highly pretend to Religion and yet be guilty of this Sin therefore saith he Put them in mind to be subject c. There 's a Spirit in Men ready to turn the Grace of God into wantonness under pretence of Religion to cast off Obedience to Rulers as the Anabaptists in Germany and others have done Some observe the Cretians were a very seditious People and needed this Admonition therefore the Apostle bids Put them in mind 3. Because there sometimes might be strong Temptations to this Sin as when evil Governours arise that rule with an high hand and oppress their Subjects and deal unjustly with them It 's an hard thing then to be subject to the froward and cruel as we are to the gentle and kind to own the Ordinance of God when in the hands or evil Men. This strongly tempts a People to resist as the Burdens of Rehoboam made the Ten Tribes to revolt tho they got nothing by it for we read not of one good King in that Kingdom of Israel To submit to harsh Governours and evil Rulers is against Flesh and Blood nothing but Conscience to God's Command can make us willingly submit to such a Yoke therefore put them in mind to be subject c. 4. Because of the great Scandal that would come to Religion and the Name of Christ by resisting the Powers of the World and refusing to be subject to them therefore put them in mind c. It hath been an old Cavil against Religion and Christians They are seditious rebellious and turbulent Persons Thus they have been represented in all Ages We find the Jews thus of old accused by their Enemies They would not obey the King's Laws and Jerusalem was a rebellious City and by this means the Rebuilding of the City and Temple was hindred Daniel and the Three Children suffered under this Notion St. Paul was accused as a turbulent Fellow and mover of Sedition nay Christ himself to be no Friend of Caesar tho he declared his
implies several things in it 1. An inward Reverence of Heart to them to esteem them highly because of that Authority and Honour God hath conferr'd on them as his Deputies and Vicegerents if not for their personal Worth yet for the Sovereignty God hath committed to them to give honour to whom honour is due Rom. 13. to bear an inward Reverence to them because of God's Image on them not despising or contemning them for any thing we judge amiss in them 2. Respectful Language of the Tongue toward them not speaking any reproachful Words of them tending to the prejudice of their Government but to cover their Weaknesses as Shem and Japhet did their Father's Nakedness considering what strong Temptations their high Places expose them to 3. The submitting our whole Man to the obedience of their legal Commands to serve them in Peace and War according as Duty obliges us to be ready to every good Work as the Apostle adds in the end of the Text to do all Duties the Law obliges to yea submitting our Necks to the Yoke as the Word may signifie tho it seem burdensom to us not disobeying in any lawful thing nor rising up in Rebellion against them if they should command any thing either unjust or illegal 4. And that our Estates be subject to them willingly paying Tribute and Custom according to the Laws Rom. 13.7 and as Christians paying them spiritual Tribute offering up prayers and thanksgivings to God for them 1 Tim. 2.1 Chrysostom notes this Word comprehends all Duties and Services that Subjects owe to their Rulers and Governours Thus be subject to them ready to every good work 2. The second Word the Text uses is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obey them Criticks observe it signifies a free and voluntary Obedience to them without simulation or coaction that we perform all the Duties of Subjects in a due manner not being false to them but faithful Subjects not compelled by fear and terrour but moved out of Conscience to God's Command who hath ordained Magistracy among Men because it 's his Ordinance being subject not for wrath but for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 III. Why must Subjection and Obedience be thus yielded to Rulers and Magistrates Answ For these Reasons 1. Because Magistracy is the Ordinance of God it 's of Divine Institution This Reason the Apostle uses Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject to the higher Powers because there 's no Power but of God the Powers that be are ordained of God therefore we must needs be subject for conscience sake Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice Judges and all the Rulers of the Earth c. They are God's Deputies and Vicegerents therefore the Name of Gods is given them in Scripture I said ye are Gods but ye shall die like Men saith the Psalmist God hath delegated a part of his Power to them even in the Church which is governed by God's Word and Spirit he is pleased to set Governours 1 Cor. 12.28 therefore much more in the State where there is a greater necessity of it So that we must needs be subject to them and obey them because of God's Ordinance Not to do so is to fight against God and such as resist shall bring damnation to themselves Rom. 13.2 2. They are ordained of God for the common Good of Mankind and therefore we have greatest reason to obey them Rom. 13.4 He is the Minister of God unto thee for good speaking of the Supreme Ruler or Magistrate and bidding us to obey him on this account There is a fourfold Good that we receive by Magistracy Natural Moral Civil and Spiritual 1. Natural Good Thro' Government our very Lives are preserved in safety else homo homini lupus one Man would be a Wolf and Lion to another What Violences Murders and Bloodshed would be committed amongst Men 2. Moral Good That Vice and Wickedness hath any Restraint and Vertue and Goodness any Encouragement is from Laws and Government How vile would many Men be that fear not God if no Laws of Men restrained them When there was no King in Israel every man did what was right in his own eyes and all Wickedness abounded Rom. 13.3 the Apostle saith Rulers are a terrour to evil works In the worst Government there are some Laws to restrain it therefore it 's a great Mercy to Mankind 3. Civil Good That our Possessions and Rights are preserved we owe to Government else the stronger would prey on the weaker and every place would be full of Thieves and Robbers Propriety could not be preserved 4. Spiritual Good Religion is preserved in the World hereby and the Worship of God maintained The Magistrate is Keeper of both Tables Even by the Light of Nature Aristotle taught the first Care of Kings should be about Religion It 's their Duty to maintain the True Religion and suppress Idolatry Blasphemy and Contempt of Religion These Benefits Men reap most evidently when they have good Governours then they enjoy Peace and Prosperity and Religion is in a flourishing condition And if they have bad Governours it 's God that punishes them for their Sins and makes them Scourges to Men and they should humble themselves for their Sins and turn to God and he would send them relief However bad Government is better than none Tyranny is better than Anarchy and Confusion It 's one of the saddest Curses to have no Kings nor Governours Hos 3.4 it 's prophesied of Israel in their desolate Estate they should have neither King nor Prince nor Sacrifice c. We read in the story of the Levite's Concubine what wickedness was committed in Israel when there was no King What a Den of Wild Beasts would the World be without Government None could live in peace every one would prey upon his Neighbour Nebuchadnezzar tho a Tyrannous King is set forth in Daniel as a great Tree under whose Branches the Fowls and Beasts had shelter Saul tho a bad King clothed the Daughters of Jerusalem in Scarlet Government is as necessary to Mankind saith one as the Sun Air Bread Water c. And therefore being for Common Good be subject unto them 3. From that particular Good every one will reap by subjecting himself to Government and Evil by resisting it It is to be observed That the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and thy Mother c. is called by the Apostle Eph. 6. the first Commandment with promise It hath the Promise of Length of Days and Prosperity annexed to it Now it 's to be understood of Political Parents as well as Natural and it implies also a threatning of some outward Judgment to the Violators of the Command as shortning their Days they that resist them shall not be long in the Land of the of the Living It may be observed That the most that are recorded in Scripture for resisting of Government had untimely Ends as Corah and his Company Absolom Sheba Joab Shimeah Adonijah Zimri Athaliah c.