of Religion and the subversion of the Souls of men though there cannot be any more unreasonable yet there was never any more unhappily successfull then the creating and fomenting an Opinion in the world that Religion is an enemy to Government and the bringing Sincerity and Zeal in Religion into jealousie and disgrace with the Civil Powers It was by this Jealousie blown into the heads of the High-Priests and the Sanhedrim amongst the Iews and of Herod and Pontius Pilate that Christ himself the Captain of our Salvation the Authour and Finisher of our Faith was accused condemned and executed on a Tree By this the Apostles were haled before the Governours of Provinces forced from one City to flie unto another for this they endured bonds and imprisonment and sundry kindes of death It was through this Fancie that the Christians for three hundred years together endured the rage of Heathen Emperours being destitute afflicted and tormented Our Lord Christ was traduced as an enemy to Caesar a man refractory to the Roman Laws and a Non-conformist to the Religion and Laws of his Country The Apostles were charged as disturbers of the publick peace with turning the world upside down The Primitive Christians were accounted Enemies to the Common-wealth adverse and malevolent to the Empire and the Christian Religion it self was bruited and surmised to have something in it offensive and dangerous to the Civil Government as appears not onely by the Edicts of Heathen Emperours but also by the Apologies of Clemens Alexandrinus in his fourth Book Iustin Martyr Tertullian Athenagoras c. Neither was it thus onely of Old before the Roman Empire was become Christian but even since the time of Constantine down to our Fathers days nay to our own we shall finde the Devil still managing the same pretense carrying on the same Anti-Christian Mysterie of Iniquity which began to work in the time of our Lord Christ and his Apostles Those that profess to know the Arcanum Imperii and publickly proclaim themselves to the world to be qualified for Molders of Common-wealths and Dictatours to Princes are the Writers of Politicks Machiavel abroad and others nearer home some of these pretending Discoveries of things unknown to all our Fathers if they be strictly analysed will be found to resolve their whole Mysterie into this one pretense that Religion in the height and exaltation of it is prejudicial to Policy and that to be a thorow-paced a sincere and zealous Christian is to be dangerous to the State As the remedy for which evil they have thought fit and necessary to enervate the Principles of all Religion so far as to remove the Doctrine of Cood and Evil the Immortality of the Soul the Rewards and Punishments of the world to come that so Religion may appear wholy to derive from Policy How destructive these Doctrines are not onely to the Souls of men in reference to the world to come but to the Interests of this life the regular and secure acquisition and enjoyment whereof are entirely derived from the great and everlasting Ordinance of Government I am not now called to speak But surely it cannot be unnecessary to endeavour to state this Question to search into the grounds of this pretense to examine thorowly from whence all this clamour these fears and jealousies whence all this mighty scandal hath arisen The Gospel of our Saviour is not like the Alcoran which hates the light and abhorrs a strict examination of the Principles whereon it stands When the Iews contended with our Saviour and opposed his Doctrine he defired to bring the matter in question to a rational decision Iohn x. The Question there was Whether he were the Son of God And he propounds them this fair 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verse 37. If I do the works of my Father believe me if I do not believe me not And I verily as a Minister of Christ though the meanest of ten thousand am bold in the power and through the evidence of the Truth of the Gospel to say Let the Adversaries of Religion search and look let them employ their Wit their Industry their Logick if any thing can be found in the Principles of Christianity prejudicial to the power of just and lawfull Magistrates Nay moreover if it be possible for Men or Angels to state the rights of Civil Government upon clearer and firmer Principles to secure them by more powerfull Obligations to urge them upon men by more efficacious Motives of Rewards and Punishments then those are which the very Foundations of Christianity do expresly propound then let the Gospel and the Ministers of it endure all that contempt and obloquie which these men desire to cast upon them As for the Foundations of our Religion there are those that tell us that Christianity is founded upon Cephas which is indeed by interpretation a Stone but the Apostle tells us Eph. ii 20. that we are built upon the Foundation of the Prophets and Apostles Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner-stone wherefore by these the present Question is to be decided If any men at any time taking upon them the Sacred name of Christians have swerved from the rule of their Profession and acting contrary to the Spirit of Christ have made that Holy Name to be blasphemed it is reason that they be esteemed the utter Enemies of Christianity and that they themselves should bear their Condemnation but to charge their Exorbitancies upon that Profession which they have profaned and injured is such an injustice as cannot consist with Moral Honesty or Philosophical Ingenuity So then hìc Rhodus hìc saltus As Saint Paul 1 Cor. xv 14 17 20. concerning the Resurrection of Christ If Christ be not risen our Preaching is vain and your Faith is vain but now is Christ risen so I If within the compass of those Foundations which I have mentioned be found any colour or shadow of licence for any person whatsoever upon any pretense whatsoever to entrench upon the power of lawfull Magistrates if any Warrant at all for open Rebellion or privy Conspiracies for Murthering or deposing of Princes or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance then let Kings cease to be our nursing-Fathers and Queens to be our nursing-Mothers let David look to his own house let the light of our Eys the breath of our Nostrils the Restorer of Religion the Defender of our Faith look rather first to defend himself It will then be reasonable to expect that the Kings of the earth should stand up and the Rulers take Councel together against the Lord and against his Christ that they should break their bonds in sunder and cast their cards from them then our Preaching is vain and your Faith is vain But now indeed the Case is otherwise and that evidently What the Laws of men could never do with all their Temporal Rewards and Punishments in that they are weak that Christianity in the true Spirit of it performs to the utmost height that is
Tribe Korah an eminent man amongst the Levites was offended that the High-Priest's Office went beside him and was settled upon Aaron and his Posterity These were their secret griefs for a redress whereof they make a party in the Parliament they gain to them two hundred and fifty men famous in the Parliament men of renown and in order to their ambitious Designs they remonstrate against Moses Verse 13. and their Declaration was this Pretense which we are upon that all the Congregation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were Holy and that Moses and Aaron had lifted up themselves above them that is that their power was a contrivance of themselves not an Ordinance of God that notwithstanding what God had done to setle the Civil and Ecclesiastical power it remained still in the people or their Representatives assembled together Now the Scripture tells us that since the world began God was never more highly provoked then upon this occasion when he heard this he was wrath and greatly abhorred them he invented a new thing in the world for their sakes for the Earth opened and swallowed up Dathan and covered the Congregation of Abiram I have now done with these Pretenses and my endeavour hath been to vindicate Religion from the charges of unbelieving Politicians and indeed to shew that it is not a Spirit of carnal Compliance but the true and genuine Spirit of Christianity which runs thorough the Doctrine and Government of the Church of England After what hath been spoken I hope I may presume to say with the Apostle Do we now make void the Laws through Faith yea we establish the Laws We have seen the Christian Theory doth the Philosophical Theory provide better for the safety of Princes and the establishment of Government It tells us in effect that Might is Right that every thing is just or unjust good or evil according to the pleasure of the prevailing Force whom we are to obey till a stronger then he cometh or we be able to go thorough with resistance That in reference to this life Obedience is a matter of Wit and Prudence and after life there remain for us no Concernments How stramineous is this Theory compared with the Christian Theory which speaks in this wise Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers c That this is the genuine Christian Theory hath in some measure been demonstrated so that indeed it may be wondered from whence these Prejudices have arisen But alass that my head were Waters They have one grand Objection to which having spoken I shall conclude If this be the Doctrine of Christianity how comes it to pass that those who pretend the bighest to Religion and profess themselves the ONELY Christians the Bigot and Iesuited Romanist the frighted and transported Reformist have been authours of the most horrible Treasons and Rebellions On the one hand what mean the Catholick Leagues On the other the Solemn League and Covenant forced upon Subjects renitente Principe On one hand what means shall I say the lowing of the Oxen or rather the roaring of the Bulls the thundring of Excommunications the absolving Subjects from their Allegiance the actual Murthers of Princes the Attempts for blowing up King Lords and Commons at one clap What is the meaning of the noise of the Bels of the claps of Squibs and Fire-works which we hear On the other hand what was the meaning of that black and terrible Dispensation which will cause the ears of all Posterity to tingle It is but a little while since the anointed of the Lord the holiest the wisest the best of Kings was taken in the suares of men pretending to Reformation and sacrificed to the fury of men possessed by an evil Spirit from the Lord. He was offered as a Lamb that is dumb or rather like the Lamb of God to the rage of wilde fanatical Enthusiasts It is but a very little while since the Lamentation of Ieremy was in the mouth of all the faithfull in the Land Our King and our Princes were amongst the Gentiles provoked to serve other Gods the Law was no more the Prophets also received no vision from the Lord. And all these things were brought to pass by men pretending wonders in Religion And they would know the reason of all these Dispensations But who art thou O man who pressest into the secret of God's Pavilion How unsearchable are his Iudgments and his ways past finding out such knowledge is too wonderfull we cannot attain unto it It may be these things have been done that the Sayings of our Saviour might be fulfilled It cannot be but offences will come but we be to them by whom they come and It were better that a milstone c. It may be the Gunpowder-Treason was permitted to be designed that the disappointment might be had in everlasting remembrance and celebrated as it is this day Son of man write the name of the day even of this same day the King of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day It may be God suffered the late Rebellion to prevail that he might not leave himself without witness but shew forth his wonders in our days in the miraculous restitution of our gracious Sovereign and the Church If he had not been driven out how could he have been restored not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of our God It may be this was done that we might say no more The Lord liveth which delivered us from the Treason of pretended Catholicks but The Lord liveth which hath delivered us from the Tyranny and bloody rage of the wild Fanatical Enthusiasts Surely all these things have been permitted that the Stone which the Builders refused might be made tried and precious and that his Patience his Piety his Constancy in Religion his Christian Magnanimity being manifest to all the World by the impatient desire of all Nations he might become the head of the Corner Surely these things were suffered that the Faith and Patience and Loyalty of the Church of England might be made bright and glorious by the Flames of Persecution and that in the day when God shall have given our most Gracious Sovereign the hearts or necks of all his Enemies it may not repent him of the Kindness he hath shewn to Religion and Government in lifting out of the dust the despised Head of that onely Church for ought I know which makes Obedience without base restrictions and limitations an Article of its Religion Lastly these things it may be have been permitted that by the Triumph of this day and by the vengeance lately executed in the sight of this Sun the Atheistical world might be convinced that the Powers that be are ordained of God and that though the wicked do evil an hundred times and God prolong their days yet Vengeance is his and he will repay it and They that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation FINIS * J. G. Anti-Caval * 2 Pet. i. 12. * Psal. ii Expl Object Sol. * Heb. x. 29 Obj. Sol. * Matth. xxvi 53. * Apolog. §. 37. * Mat. xii 25. * 1 Cor. xiv 33. * Rom. i. 14. * Polit. lib. 7. cap. 8. * Ephes. ii 12. a Dâ—ut xxxiii 1. b Ioâ—h xxiv 29 c 1 Sam. xiii 14. d 2 Chron. ix 22. e 1 Kings xv 14. f 2 Chron. xvii 3. g 2 Chron. xxix 2. h 2 Chron. xxxiii 13. i 2 Chron. xxxv 26. k Deut. xxxiii 5. l Verse 1â— m Verse 13. n Verse 14. o 2 Chron. xxix 25. p 2 Chron. xxxv 15. q 2 Chron. xxix 34. r Lev. i. 6 7. s Novel Constit. 131. t Mat. xix S. u 1 Kings ii 27. x Ibid. 35. y Ioh iv 12. z Rom. xiii 1. a 2 Cor. xii 2 3. b Heb. i. 3. c Matt. xxii 21. d Matth. vii 15. e 2 Tim iii. 1. f Ibid. Verse 4. 5. g 2 Pet. ii 1. h Ibid. Verse 10. i Iude 19. k Verse 9. l Verse 11 12. c. m Verse 14. n Verse 19 o Psal. ii 10 11. p 1 Kings xxi 25. q 1 Sam. xiii 14. r Chap. xv 13. s Chap. xvi 13. t Ibid. Verse 18. u Chap. xviii 5. x 2 Sam. i 21. y Exod iv 16. z Acts vii 35. a Deut. xxxiii 4. b Num xvi c Psal. cvi 16. d Num. xvi 32. Application e Rom. iii. 31. f Lam. ii 9 g Matth. xviii 7. h Ibid. Verse 6. i Ezek. xxiv 2.
heart to be tender of the rights of the Church as of the Apple of his Ey This is a Calumny insisted on generally by almost all our Adversaries but it is too rude and gross to be spoken to in this place Rather let us see whether the Sovereigns among all people Heathen Iews Christians have not claimed and exercised power in all Causes over all Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil 1. For Causes The New Testament sometimes divides the Gentiles into Greeks and Barbarians sometimes into wise and unwise according to which division the Romanes are I suppose reckoned under the Greeks from whence they were mostly extracted and with whom they contended in Civility Briefly 1. the Greeks 2. the Romanes 3. the Barbarous Nations did alwaies exercise such a power 1. Aristotle the greatest among the Greeks tells us that the first and principal Thing in a Common-Wealth is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And accordingly if we consult the Fragments which are left us of the Laws of the most antient Grecian Common-Wealths we shall finde nothing so frequent as the Ordinances concerning their Religion 2. Amongst the Romans Cicero the wisest saith that Religion is the Foundation of Humane Society as in truth it is To say nothing of the Ordinances of Numa the Ius Pontificium c. the Titles of the Twelve Tables are many of them concerning Religion 3. As for the Barbarous Nations I shall not multiply Testimonies nor go beyond the line of Scripture In the third of Daniel we finde an Edict of the King of Babylon enjoyning all People Languages and Tongues to commit Idolatry Verse 4 5. And by and by another Edict that no man should speak amiss of the God of Shadrach Mesech and Aâ—ednego Verse 29. In the sixth we finde Darius the Persian by the advise of his Council signing a Decree against petitioning for thirty days any God besides himself Verse 9. and shortly another that all men should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel Verse 26. In the third of Ionah the King of Nineveh and his Nobles proclaim a publick Fast. In the first of Ezra Cyrus puts forth an Edict to build the Temple at Hierusalem In the fourth Artaxerxes reverseth it In the sixth Darius re-inforceth it I suppose it is now evident that Greeks and Barbarians did exercise this power To think to elevate the force of these Instances because all these were Strangers from God and aliens from the Common-Wealth of Israel is to mistake the purpose for which they are alledged However it was not thus among the Kings of the Nations only but among the holiest and wisest of the Governours and Kings of Israel and Iudaea who for abolishing false Worship and ordaining the true are often highly commended by the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures The time would fail me to speak distinctly and particularly of the Ordinances concerning Religion which were made by Moses Ioshua David Solomon Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Manasses also and Iosiah concerning whom the Scripture gives these Characters Moses was the man of God Joshua the servant of the Lord. David a man after God's own heart There was none like unto Solomon Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat Hezekiah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord. Manasseh was heard of God Josiah did that which was right and his Goodness was recorded Now the Acts of every one of these concerning the Worship of God and matters of Religion are recorded and applauded in the Scriptures For these all ordered and regulated Services and Sacraments and Covenants with God they erected Altars and Tabernacles and Temples and dedicated them to the Lord they destroyed Idolatry reformed abuses in God's Worship settled both the standing Worship of God and occasional Thanks-givings and Humiliations to omit other matters The whole Aaronical Ministery which consisted in Ceremonies and Sacrifices Typical and Carnal Ordinances was not ordered by the hand of Aaron but of Moses who was King in Iesurun The Tabernacle and Temple-service which beside the Mosaical Institutions consisted of Spiritual abiding Ordinances was instituted by David who being the sweet Singer of Israel and acquainted more then ever any man for ought appears with the ways and helps of lifting up the Heart to spiritual intercourse with God to that end appointed the use of Musick in the Church and without fear of stinting the Spirit he prescribed Set-forms of Praise and Prayers for the use of the Temple and ordered the Service for every day A Psalm consisting partly of the one hundred and fifth ninety sixth and one hundred and eighteenth he first delivered to Asaph and his Brethren at the reduction of the Ark from the house of Obed-Edom 1 Chron. xvi 7. And divers other Psalms were composed by him for the Service of the Church And what he had ordained Solomon put in practise In the fifth Chapter of the second Book of Chronicles we finde the pattern of the Service of this Time and Place the Sons of Asaph Heman and Ieduthun arrayed in white Linen with musical Instruments praising the Lord saying For he is good c. viz. reciting the one hundred and eighteenth Psalm and in token of God's acceptance a Cloud filled the house The one hundred thirty and sixth Psalm likewise was wont to be sung in Thanksgivings So we finde also Hezekiah and Iosiah praising the Lord in the words of David and Asaph Thus stood the matter under the Law the ordering of matters of Religion was not exempted from the Supreme Power Hezekiah varied from Moses his Law and was blameless Neither was it otherwise in the best and purest Times under the Gospel It had been but a slender invitation to the Emperours to become Christian if by submitting to Christianity they must lose so considerable a part of the Sovereign Power enjoyed by all their Predecessours and be thereby exposed inevitably to Seditions and Rebellions upon every Frantick eruption of religious Melancholie The Primitive Emperours understood themselves otherwise and so did the Christians under them I may not stand to recite the Annals of the Church If Constantine had not interposed for the composing of the Arrian Heresie what had become either of Government or Religion The drawing up of Canons for the regulation of Religion was by our LORD committed to the Apostles and their Successours the Bishops and other Ecclesiastical Persons but that these Canons should be enforced as Laws by temporal Penalties it was by the sanction of Civil Powers In the second Oecumenical Council the Fathers assembled at Constantinople beseech Theodosius the Elder to ratifie the Decrees of that Synod Thus we finde Iustinian establishing the Homo-Canonicon or Code of the Vniversal Church consisting of the Canons of the four first General and five antient Provincial Councils and commanding them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be kept as Laws Briefly
to determine this Question we need onely to view the Titles of the sixteenth Book of the Code of Theodosius the thirteen first Titles in the Code of Iustinian Photius's Nomo-Canon and the like The Pretense of exemption of Ecclesiastical Causes so as hath been intimated as it is inconsistent with Government so it is also with the Principles of Christianity 2. Thus much having been spoken concerning the regulation of Matters of Religion it will be needless to enlarge concerning the second Pretense of the exemption of Ecclesiastical Persons This Tenet is equally dangerous with the former and equally contrary to the Principles of Christianity It were to be wished that all men professing themselves Ministers were thorowly convinced of the Doctrine of Obedience otherwise as they grow popular they become dangerous Sacerdotum quidam eo sunt ingenio ut ni pareant territent And Saint Chrysostom commenting upon Every Soul c. saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Both the Apostle the Evangelist and the Prophet Our Saviour was both Priest and Prophet and the Apostles were Ecclesiastical persons yet did not think themselves exempted Such persons were not exempted either before or after the Times of our Saviour neither in 1. a Single or 2. Ioynt capacity From the beginning it was not so 1. As to Single persons under the Law we finde and Instance of the Exercise of the Sovereign power over an High-Priest offending in Abiathar whom Solomon thrust out and placed Zados in his room 2. As to the calling of Assemblies before the Gospel-times it did belong to the Supreme Magistrate We finde Moses not Aaron Ioshua not Eleazar David not Abiathar Solomon not Zadoc summoning the Priests and Levites to meet together And In the Primitive Times of the Christian Emperours we do not meet with Councils or Synods called by the Bishop of Rome nor with Ministers casting themselves into Classical and Synodical Meetings nor with Assemblies of Divines called against or without the Prince's consent The indiction of Times and Places the convocation of Persons the Presidency the order of Debates the dismission of the Assemblies the roboration of Canons as to making them Laws of the Empire in the General and Provincial Councils were all the work of the Supreme Magistrate And As for matters of Appeal we finde Paul appealing to Caesar Athanasius from the Synod at Tyre to Constantine to whom three Appeals were likewise made in the Cause of Caecilianus and Donatus and many more instances of this and the like nature 3. I should now dismiss this Head concerning Religion did there not remain one Pretense more and that so wilde and monstrous that it looks as if it were the last effort of the enemy of man-kinde ultimus Diaboli conatus for it strikes at the Heart both of Government and of Religion It is this that Saints and gifted Persons as they call themselves are exempt from humane Laws and in effect resolves into this that to reprobate others and assume to themselves the Title of the Godly Party to talk of Reformation and the power of Godliness of advancing the Kingdom of Iesus Christ c. is to justifie Sacrilege and Treason and horrid Rebellion and to qualify them for the Kings and Priests and Prophets of the world How far this Satanical madness hath prevailed to the confusion of all things Civil and Sacred to the scandal of Religion the planting and watering of Atheism and Infidelity I tremble to call to our remembrance If my present business were to refute the men that have given this offence how easie were it to examine their Gifts and their Saintship and how hard to finde them But as the Woman of Samaria said to our Saviour Art thou greater then our Father Jacob are they greater Saints or better gifted then Peter and Paul and the rest of the Apostles He that said Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers had been rap'd up whether in the body or out he could not tell to the third heavens hath any of them been carried higher Christ the natural Son of God the Brightness of his Glory the Express Image of his Person said Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's are they greater then Christ also But my present purpose being chiefly to remove these scandals from Religion come and let us reason together What could Christ and his Apostles have done more to prevent this scandal then they have done Their Doctrine and practise hath been already shewn and the Danger and Heinousness of the Sin of Resistance in all the kindes and degrees of it discovered neither can any thing more be imagined which might be desired to anticipate and obviate this pretense unless it be that these things should have been particularly foretold and the Persons at least their Party and Sect described that the world might be forewarned of them Will it then satisfy the enemies of our Religion concerning the Truth and Infallibility of the Scriptures and the abhorrency of the Christian Principle from this damnable Tenet if it shall briefly appear that these things have been punctually foretold by Christ and his Apostles Christ hath given warning of grievous Wolves in Sheep's cloathing More particularly Saint Paul hath told us that in the last days perilous times should come that there should be heady high-minded Traytours having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof Saint Peter that there should be false Teachers which should privily bring in damnable heresies presumptuous self-willed not afraid to speak evil of Dignities Now if all this be not sufficient Saint Iude hath taken up this Prophesie of Saint Peter and given us two clear Characters of these Persons whereby they might be known He tells us 1. That they shall be Separatists from the Church and 2. false-pretenders to the Spirit These are they which separate themselves being sensual having not the spirit I shall say no more to the Pretenses relating to that Head which concerns the matter of Religion 2 ly Neither shall I enlarge upon that other Head referring to matters Civil where I instanced in two Pretenses taken from I. Harsh Administration in the Magistrate II. Competition as to power in Subjects I. Neither the Time nor the Design which I have propounded nor indeed my Profession nor Abilities do allow me to enter into the depths of the Politicks or to discourse of the limitations of Sovereign Powers Thus much is obvious to every man That there is no Cruelty so great as laxness of Government nor any Tyrany in the World like the rage of Subjects let loose and that the little Finger of Licentiousness is harder then the Loyns of the severest Laws and strictest Government I shall briefly shew that the Scripture foreseeing the easiness by reason of the Self-love and partiality of men of this Pretense and the danger of it hath directly opposed it self against it I shall not mention particular Commands