Exod. 22. 28. Gal. 10 20 Rom. 13. 1 2 3. 1 Pet. 2. 13. which teach me that we must hold our tongues much more our hands yea and that we must take heed to our thoughts and that they are not to be resisted because they are God's Ordinance and so a resisting of them is a resisting of God I know they are called the Ordinance of man and so they are subjectively the power being executed by man objectively being about the society of man finally because for the singular good of man and instrumentally they may be of man in places where they are elective yet is the power Gods originally they are of God who appoints that some should govern some obey and it is the Lord who maintains and upholds this Order I know that some cavilling are ready to say As some such are good so some are bad and are bad ones of God or how can bad ones be of God not considering that God gives the Kingdom of heaven only to the good but the Kingdoms of the earth to good and bad and that the power of the bad is of God and to be obeyed although the abuse of the power where it is abused is of themselves Their power therefore causally is from God his Ordinance they are Gods Ministers and resisters resist Oâ—dinances so him Also because such who resist are to receive greater loss than of goods than of life it self even damnation I have seen some answers to Dr. Fearn The reasons of some to justifie their taking up of arms I have them by me and the Anticaveliarism to that purpose being willing to see what could be said and their Arguments to justifie their doings that I might joyn if the course was warrantable But alas I found much said little proved from Scripture The peoples rescuing Jonathan is pleaded whereas it is cleer that the 1 Sam. 14. 44 45. people drew not into arms of themselves but at Sauls command and by a loving importunity they did hinder the execution of a passionate unlawful command Here nothing is to be found but loyalty Davids being against Saul is to as little purpose David never resisted he alwayes fled 1 Sam. 24. 1 Sam. 26. from place to place he was never found fighting resisting nor hurting no not when Saul was in his hands Nor doth the Prophets wishing those with him to hold the messenger prove that Kings Officers therefore themselves may be resisted 2 King 6. 32. for it is one thing to hold a messenger fast another to strike to slay The holding is a delaying of the execution the other shews contempt of the power But Elisha who knew of the messengers coming knew also that the King was sorry for that command and was coming to withstand it as the Text expresly hath it He in so doing did the Kings will as if he had said Hold him but a while until the King come who will have no such thing done Besides it might be said that all the Kings of Israel the ten Tribes were themselves but rebels against the hause of David We never read in Scripture that good people did take up arms 2 Chron. 33. 5 c. against their Kings when bad as Saul Manasses nor that the Prophets ever perswaded them against such and it shews heavy judgments against those who have rebelled against even bad Kings as Amnon and others 2. My second ground is this Resisting of Kings is against the doctrine and practise of the primitive times of the ancient Fathers Martyrs and other holy men until of late the Jesuits began to flourish who turned Religion into policy and some disorderly reformers as also certain eminent of the Presbyterians as Grotius who wrote a Book de jure belli pacis which did much hurt in these late times but it is well answered in a Treatise called Observations concerning the Original of Government so few misled have defended and weakly resistance that Dr. Owen in his Herod and Pilate could find but two English Divines leaning that way when he wrote his Book which is not long And all along the primitive times they were for obedience and against resistance even of persecutors as Justin Martyr See for the Judgment of Antiquity in this point that excellent Book of the Lord Primate of Ireland Dr. Usher entituled The power of the Prince and obedience of Subjects published with a learned Preface by Dr. Sanderson late Bishop of Lincoln to Antonius the Emperor Theophilus Bishop of Antioch Athenagoras in his Apology to Aurelius do shew Tertullian in his Apology writes to this purpose In one night with a few fire-brands we could be revenged we want not number of men nor arms your houses your Countreys are full of us and we who take Martyrdom so gladly were we fewer what were we not able to do if it was more lawful by our Religâ—on to slay than be slain yea we could leave you and so your places desolate and subject to enemies To this purpose he To this I will add There was a Legion called the Theban Legion consisting of 6666 valiant Christian Soldiers for refusing to commit idolatry every tenth man was executed One Mauritius taking the rest aside encouraged them from Scripture to suffer not to resist they were decimated and executed the second time Then Exuperius taking into his hands the Ensigns of the Legion said to these arms I provoke you not but to suffer And to the Emperor We are thy Soldiers but Gods servants we owe thee our imployment to him our innocency we have our weapons yet resist not being willing to die innocent rather than to live Traitors our weapons we cast away so they were all slain not one resisting And all our strict Divines until our sad resistance Dr. Owens two excepted as Mr. Dod on Com. 5. Dr. Tayler on Titus Mr. Byfield on Peter Mr. Parre on Romans and others were against resistance 3. My third ground I found resistance to be against the Judge Jenkins Laws of our Nation which tell us That to seize the Kings Forâ—s and Magazines is high Treason so to remove his Councellors by arms likewise to levy War to alter Religion to levy War to alter the Law to counterfeit the great Seal to adhere to any State in the Kingdom but the Kings Majesty so to imprison the King until he agree to demands to imprison the King to destroy him and to depose the King by the Law are high Treasons 4. A fourth thing which confirmed me were the Writings of some men as Dr. Fearn and Mr. Symons who suffered loss of what was dear to him rather than take up arms against the King shewing twelve reasons why he durst not joyn in that way The sum in brief take thus 1. Then he should assist in many evils 2. The way was not of God 3. It destroys the whole Law of God breaking all the ten Commandements shewing how every one particularly 4. It is inconsistent with
That killing themselves to avoid punishment for their errors is Martyrdom They said the Son was inferiour to the Father the holy Ghost to the Son and they boasted of Revelations In the fourth Century arose above twenty of which the Pelagians was one of Pelagius who taught that Adam should have died if he had not sinned That Adams sin did hurt only himself That there is no Original sin That men have free will sufficient to do well and that God gives grace to the merits of works The fifth Century had some and the sixth brought forth as some others so those grand errors of Mahumetanism and Papism Mahumetanism of Mahomet which hath overspread many Kingdoms under the Turk and other Kings They deny the being of persons in the Trinity They say God is corporeal That Christ was not God but a creature yet a great Prophet That Christ did not suffer nor was not crucified That the Devil in the end shall be saved That Eternal Life consists in bodily pleasures They observe Circumcision Washings with some other Judaical Ceremonies They swear by Creatures and War for Religion to which they say men are to be compelled They allow of many Wives and Divorce without cause They hope to be saved by works They deny pardon for ever to them who forsake their Religion They hold venial and mortal sins They pray towards the East a set number daily but not for unbelievers And they take away the Sacraments ordained by Christ Papism arose under Phocaâ— the Emperor and Boniface the third Popes of Rome Luther was born at Isleben in Saxony Sleidan Anab. 1483. He when Leo the tenth sent forth pardons 1516. opposed them Preaching in Saxony there arose Nicolas Stocks and Thomas Muncer preaching that goods should be common Upon this fourty thousand rose in Suevia and Franconia plundering and killing but the Princes arming took Frantus executed Muncer Phifer and hundreds more The City Munster having received the Gospel John Becâ—ld a Taylor came from Leyden thither where keeping Conventicles in few months he gets a great party they obtain freedom for their Religion and after grow so strong as to drive all the Protestants out This John of Leyden is made King he gave leave to have many Wâ—ves himself took fifteen Being vanquished he with Knipperdoling were tyed to a stake their flesh pul'd in pieces with hot pâ—ncers he recanted his errors Knipperdoling did not but died like a mad man These Anabaptists maintained as Mr. Paget shews us ten errors not to be tollerated in the Church Four not to be suffered in a Common-wealth and three not in a Family as community of goods putting away of Wives of a contrary Religion and that Christians may have many Wives Thousands of these perished in Germany by the sword and in Qâ—een Elizaâ—eths time some of them in England recanted and some were burnt After these arose the Brownists called Separatists because Mr. Paget they separate from all reformed Churches then one from another Robert Brown School-master in Southwark preached in a gravel-pit neer Islington Mr. Fox refused to talk with him Mr. Greenham perswaded him but could not prevail so to little purpose for he led his company beyond Sea where seeing their divisions he left them returned into England took the Parsonage of a Church in Northamptonshire and died as I have been informed since the beginning of our late troubles He and his followers left our Church as they said for our many abominations The Barrowists following yet more they compared our Church to Sodom Babylon Egypt as Barrow Brewis Bois Rutter c. The Wilkinsonians went a step higher affirming they were the Apostles and denied Communion to all who would not give them that title Mr. Paget The Lemmarists maintained a monster of Heresies Mahumetanism denying the Trinity and the eternal Godhead of Christ Judâ—ism affirming Christ to come shortly to reign on the earth Papism affirming a meer creature may be worshipped Lutheranism maintaining consubstantiation Anabaptism affirming that Christ took not flesh of the Virgin Mary Libertinism holding no visible Church on earth Brownism holding separation separating from all Churches excommunicating and cursing on another Mr. Paget also tells us that the begining of the Independents was thus Mr. Robinson leaving Norwich in discontent became a rigid Brownist but after by conference with some learned men he recanted his opinions yet derived this his way of Independency to his separate Congregation at Leyden and part of that Congregation did carry it to Plymouth in new England where the ashes of Independency did break out into a burning flame And Mr. Bâ—yly sets down the fruits of Mr. Bayly this Independency in new England in the opinions of some for I suppose he speaks not of all there being amongst them many sober Ministers and Magistrates who opposed and overthrew those opinions And they refusing to own the late powers is an Argument of their sobriety Besides there hath been great conversion of the Indians in so much that the Bible is translated and Printed in their Tongue as I am informed How it placeth many thousands of Christians in the condition of Pagans how it marr'd the conversion of Pagans to Christian Religion how it brought forth the foulest Heresies that ever yet were heard of in any Protestant Church to the number of fourscore and eleven That their piety seemed singular their malice was singular against all who opposed them especially Orthodox Ministers That their contempt of Magistrates was grievous their errors in opinion did draw on such seditious practises which did well near overturn both their Church and State That their proud obstinacy against all admonitions was marvellous that in the midst of their profession of piety the prophanity of many of them was great Of these particulars he speak largely and shews his warrant for what he saith in many particulars In Queen Elizabeths time Mr. Barrow Greenwood Percy and some others were executed Studly Billet and Bowly had judgment to be so The first Proposition is clearly evident That men yea the best of men are subject to err humanum est errare and have need to be called on not to err for they who have most light here have much darkness in them and we are more prone to follow the darkness of our spirits than the light of Gods Spirit He who thinks he cannot err reckons himself more than a man for whilst there remains corruption in the will the understanding cannot be wholly free from corruption The wills affections and understandings of Saints on earth have some corruption remaining in them as their practise so their opinions are soyld and faulty yea oftentimes good men continue long in error Jobs friends did multiply but not mend their answers for as it is hard to part Job 21. 34 with an evil practise so and much more with an ill opinion c. error in opinion because that reflects on the reputation of the best faculty the judgment And
commended by Mr. Perkins in his cases of conscience and they were constantly in the primitive times Tertullian mentions them as agreeable to the custom of the Church in which custom there is nothing evil or dishonest it proceeds from charity it makes for the edification of the Church and it tends to the profit of the child Junius and Tremelius derive it from Isa 8. 2. But what need we seek the beginning of an Ordinance so good tending to so much piety Infants are baptized into the faith and bosom of the Church which therefore requires certain persons honest and pious to undertake to see what is promised to be performed and to take care for the religious education of children which were it rightly observed how flourishing a Church should we have Obj. 1 That belongs to Parents it is their duty Answ It doth Suppose a man oweth an hundred pounds the debt is his yet the Creditor for more assurance will have other able men bound the obligation lyeth on them although the debt is his So likewise it is the Parents debt and duty to see that the child be religiously educated yet the charity of the Church is such as to require greater security Parents being too often defective The debt remains the Parents and there is a tye upon the Sureties Obj. 2 This is used but as a form or custom Answ The more is the pity if so and so is Religion with many 2 Tim. 3. 5. yet is not true Religion at all the worse Obj. 3 Tâ—ey who are God-fathers and God-mothers do no such duty Answ The charity of the Church is not to be faulted for mens failings Their negligence is to be lamented the use not to be condemned Obj. 4 They who understood themselves and are conscious will undertake no such charge impâ—ssible to be kept Answ This is a rash censure and an ignorant slander of the Church whose intention is to have none but knowing and conscientious persons who may and will perform what is promised The charge also given to them is of things necessary pious good and possible neither God nor man requiring impossibilities but pious endeavours The institution is therefore good although by some peoples carelessness it degenerates into formality the common bane of sacred things Some love to quarrel with that which others do and like nothing but their own fancies 1. I beseech you all to take heed you stand not against order Applicat and so sin in disobeying lawful authority reproaching Peter de Moulin Epist 36. quotes Beza saying many things may yea and must be born with which are not rightly enjoyned for spiritual liberty lyeth not in the outward act but in the intention and belief If a thing in it self be enjoyned to us it must neither be obeyed in the act nor assented to in the understanding and the will But if the thing be indifferent in it self and yet seem in the jâ—dgment inconvenient we may and must do it and neither wrong our liberty nor our conscience for in such cases our actions are limitted although our consciences be free and the superior power may bind us in soro exteriori and leave us free in soro interiori wherein Christian liberty lyeth and cites a place in Calvins Instit lib. 4. cap 20. Artic. 1. spiritual liberty and political bondage will stand well together And let not the consequence trouble you as long as the thing commanded is lawful in it self we are not answerable of the consequence that may follow but they who command it And we who move in the orbe of obedience must quietly follow the motions of the highâ—r sphear of authority To push against it inconsiderately under pretence of God's service is dashing the second Table against the first and breaking both and cites Beza Epist 24. saying That man abuseth Christian liberty or rather is sold under sin who will not with a free will obey in the Lord his Magistrates or Superiors and seeketh not to edifie the consciences of his Brethren the Church as if it imposed things unlawful disturbing the peace of the Church advantaging Papists our discords being their musick scandalizing the Gospel and hindring the edification of our brethren as they do who think it Religion enough to speak against lawful established order 2. My Brethren of the Clergy we preach for edification for order See we that our selves be not disorderly in our lives It was said of Origen and may of many more that his teaching and living were alike Sure it is a blessed thing when Ministers lives put not their words to the blush as when much heavenly doctrine sounds from them in peoples ears and there is little in the preachers heart when there is holiness in the Preachers Books but none in their bosoms Preachers should shew themselves patterns of the rules they prescribe it being an excellent commendation when Preachers lives are Commentaries of their doctrine when their exemplary Sermons consist of living words or words translated into works For as Jovinian the Emperor said to the Orthodox and Arrian Bishops I cannot judge of your doctrine but I can judge of your lives I can see who is most peaceable and innocent So we cannot but know that people can better judge of our doings than of our doctrine and are sooner led to evil by the one than to good by the other You know who saith What hast thou to do to take my Covenant in thy mouth and hatest to be reformed Thou who teachest another teachest thou not thy self And you know who pronounceth such to be inexcusable Psa 50. 16 Rom. 2. 21 Rom. 2. 1. Sure it will be an heavy sentence to hear Out of thine own mouth I will condemn thee we therefore who preach against sin see we draw not men to sin by our bad examples be not we negligent in reading preaching catechising administring the Sacraments c. Be not we vain and vitious in our lives but careful to walk decently and in order 3. Church-Wardens you are chosen to reform disorders to see all things to be done decently and in order and to bind you hereunto you have an oath a strong and sacred tye yea such that God will be a swift witness against will Mal. 3. 3. Zech. 5. 4. send a curse to consume the house of the false swearer Take heed what you do If you know in your Parishes such who will not come to Communions to the Prayers of the Church to nothing done there at all who will not have their children baptized nor their children and servants catechised c. and you regard not such things surely you are regardless of your oaths and of order 4. And I humbly pray you by whose authority we are here assembled to make it appear that you come hither to have all things done decently and in order Some I hope slanderously say you come hither for money but I presume and perswade my self you come seriously to reform mens