also as to Tradition The Original Copy of the Mahometan Law is said to be kept in the Chief Mufti 's Custody It is accounted prophane so much as to touch it with common hands And Tradition is the thing rely'd upon for the delivery of it at first by God to Mahomet as is alleadged and for it's continued uncorruptedness in the precepts of it to this very day XVII In the fourth and last place So also in the Law of Christ And the Christian Religion asserted from it And that also with a special respect to an Ecclesiastical Uniformity let us come last of all to the consent of the Christian Religion to these things as was mentioned concerning Moses his Law and to the assertion of the truth of it also from them and that 1. For Prophesie viz. as attesting to it and that in a peculiar manner and in it it excell'd all other Religions and had greater evidence of Divine Testimony from it then they had The Law of Moses had chiefly Predictions or Prophesies in the Original and first delivery of them attesting to it And which Vid. Sect. 12. as such as I have mentioned were but a secondary Divine Testimony and not credible any further then as attested to by Miracles But the Christian Religion had all the Prophesies concerning the Incarnation of Christ and other * De Judaeis Christum rejicientibus vid. Mark 21.33 sit in sequent Et cap. 22. in princip Et Luk. 15.11 c. De extraneis eun Amplectentibus vid Mat. 8.2 Matth. 12.21 Matth 21 43 c. De obsidione ruina Jerusalem Templi vid. Matth. 23.38 Luc. 13.34 Et alibi sic caeteris Principal things fulfilled actually and in the event testifying to it So it excelled all the pretended Prophesies of the Heathens which were either dark and dubious and interpretable either way according as the event fell out such as their Responses of Oracles for the most part were or else they were concerning things near hand and which might be foretold either by Logical conclusions made by cunning men concerning the consequences of them or else by Prae-sentiments in Nature such as the Platonists and others who write of Prophetick Euthusiasme mention and from the influence of Natural Causes on it or else those Prophesies might be much more from the sapience and vast experience of evil Angels in humane affairs And so also it excell'd Mahomet's religion if he alleadg himself to be prophesied of either by Moses or Christ the Books neither of the Old nor New Testament that were any where extant at his appearing in the World did testifie any such thing If he say they had been corrupted neither was there any thing of it in the writings of either Jewes or Christians neither was there any fame of any such thing ever heard of amongst them Especially the Christian Religion having been of no elder date then about six hundred years before him and for the most part of that time also its professors having been under the dint of Persecution and so there being little likelihood that they either should have had opportunity of corrupting in so great a measure the Law of Christ concerning his coming in so little time or else should have been at leisure or in a disposition of mind to do it under such persecution And last of all what end can it possibly be supposed they should have had in the doing of it The like also is to be said of his own personal Prophesies of the day of Judgment and his second Coming c. after a thousand years and how much the Prophesies of the Christian Religion excelled them Mr. Herbert in his Travels into Persia pag. 159. Which Prophesies of his how well they have been fulfill'd the event shewes For lately the time being expired his second Coming was very seriously look'd for and the people seeing themselves gull'd began to stagger till the Mufti assured them that the figures were mistaken and that it was two thousand in the Original And the Grand Sophi of Persia till then kept his eldest Daughter a Virgin and a horse ready in his Stable for him which after that he dismissed So that thus have been either the pretended or real prophesies attesting to other Prescripts of Religion but not so those attesting to the Christian It hath been attested to by Prophetick Heathens as is evident from the writings of the Sybills De civitate Dei Lib. 18. c. 23. and others And as was shewed to St. Augustine by Flactianus from the writings of Sybilla Erythraea or as others Cumana in which was found that verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesus Christ the Son of God the Saviour And so it hath been attested to also by the Prophets of Israel And all their Prophesies also have been fulfilled in the person of Christ in the event and that purely providentially and by such wayes as could not be suspected of Imposture So some were fulfilled in others in relation to his person Matth. 3.3 Joh. 13.18 Matth. 26.31.56 c. Acts 2.24 25 26 27. Mark 12.36 Eph. 4.8 Matth. 2.5 6. Matth. 2.15 Matth. 21.16 Matth. 27.9 10. Joh. 19.36 as the coming of John the Baptist Judas his betraying him his Disciples forsaking him in the night of his arraignment c. So some also were fulfilled in himself which 't was impossible for any man or Angel to bring to effect as his Resurrection and Ascension So some by others before he was of any Age or capable of dissembling them as his being born at Bethlehem of Judea his coming out of Egypt c. Nay some by persons who were not capable of being suborned by any man as the little children saluting him with Hosanna Nay some by the Jewes themselves the utter enemies of his being the Messias and that at unawares as their giving thirty peeces of Silver for him their not breaking his Legs on the Cross their dividing his Garments amongst them Joh. 19.24 So that this Prophesie in the event attested eminently to the Christian Religion And the Jewes themselves also expected their Messias about this time of Christs coming into the World notwithstanding their rejecting him 2. In the like manner also did the Christian Religion excel in Miracles Moses derived his power of working them from God but Christ wrought them as God and in his own name Moses dyed the common death of all men but Christ rose again and ascended into Heaven So in the Star created on purpose sayes Tycho and others to lead to his Birth So also in his being born of a Virgin and other the like things So also he excell'd the Heathen and all their pretended Miracles and that remarkably in his silencing their Oracles the great pillars and supports of the Gentile Religion and in other things So also he exceâ—led Mahomet who did not so much as pretend the working of many Miracles Supra Sect. 16. as is said but that he
from the Poets the other from the Philosophers and the other from the Princes of Cities And all these were still sayd to be from Divine Revelation The Poets were of old looked upon as Inspired from Heaven De furore Poetico in Princip So Plato Testifies concerning those of Greece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That they uttered their excellent Poems not at all from any thing of Art but from Divine Inspiration and that they drew Wine and Milk from the fountains and hills of the Muses Vid. etiam in Phaedro circa princip Et de legib Dial. 2. Et de Repub. Dial. 10. Et de legib Dial. 3. as Bees did honey from flowers And were the Interpreters of the Gods and the like in many other places So the Latine Poets also had the same reputation in their times and Countries Est Deus in nobis agitante ealescimus illo c. That there was a God in them and that they grew warm by his motion And the like is to be said of the Philosophical and City Divinity The Philosophers and Senates just as the Sanedrim amongst the Jewes concerning Prophets did not receive any thing in either but what they judged to be from Divine Revelation Suetonius in Tiber. Tertul. Apolog. c. 3. Euseb Hist Ecclesiast lib. 2. cap. 3. The Story is known concerning Jesus Christ in Tiberius his time whom the Senate would not receive into the number of their Gods because he had been worshipped before they had approved of him And as this is said concerning the Religion of the Greeks Vid Ovid de Fast Dii quoque Tristitiam poni per sua festa jubent Et Hora Carm. lib. 1. Ode 16. Non Dyndimaene non adytis quatit Mentem Sacerdotum incola Pythius Non Liber aequè Et Vid. Hospinian de Orig. Festorum c. So the Christian Prescript was derived from the same Authority with that of Moses Matth 23. In Apologia Socratis Acts 5.29 Rev. 22.18 19. Mahomet's Prescript dated also from God and Romans and other Heathens in the general So the like also might be said concerning all the particular parts of it Their Festivals were dated from their Gods The Priests at their Oracles said to be Inspired by their Gods and the like in other things So that thus was the Heathen Religion received totally upon the account of Divine Authority and we may be sure upon none other account at all for else to what purpose was it that these Oracles and several other wayes of Divine Revelation mentioned were held in such repute amongst them for that end viz. That they might thus receive their prescripts of Religion from them VI. The Christian Religion which proceeded from God indeed may well be expected then to proceed upon these only rational grounds The commands of God and men are alwayes oppos'd as to matters of Faith in the New Testament We are bid to call no man Master upon Earth and that which Divine Plato also taught in express termes To obey God rather then men And they are cursed and devoted who adde to the Canon of the New Testament And the like things obvious to consideration might be farther said but they need not be here recited VII And lastly The like we shall find also concerning Mahumet That as we said the Heathens feigned the Divine Original of their Religion and derived many Rites of it from Moses as to the matter of them so hath he also feigned the same Original of his and derived many Rites of it both from the Heathens and Moses and Christ He feigned converses with God and his Angel Gabriel Vide passim in Alcorano and the holy Ghost in the form of a Pigeon dictating into his Ear the Law of his Alcoran He pretended the amendment and restauration of many Doctrines both of Moses and Christ which he said Vide ibid. Azoara 9. since their times had been corrupted He pitch'd upon many things as being Media Licita and indifferent in their own nature and which were controverted amongst Christians and partly practised and partly tolerated by Moses his Law and by the Greeks D. De Petitione haereditatis L. Ancillarum etiam ¶ Sed inquit Vlpianus Non in multorum honestiorum praediis Lupanaria exercentur c. Et vid. Plat. De Rep. De Legib. c. Et Alcoran ib. Azo 9. and the old Civil Law of the Romans such as Polygamy Circumcision choice of meates and other Doctrines and Sacred Rites and Ceremonies And in these he pretended his reduction to the Primitive appointment of God as if many of these things had been altered and corrupted and otherwise constituted by Moses and Christ in their times Thus then the universal consent of Nations and all Divine and Humane Lawes have established it That all Precepts and prescripts of Religion are to be expected only from God and his divine Authority But because the Divine Original of Religion in the general and under it's different Notions is not only to be asserted in relation to the treating of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and the Rights belonging to it but also that a more special respect is to be had to the true Religion both by all mixtly that they may take heed of violating the consistency of it with Government and also by the chief Magistrate in particular and eminently that he may take care for the settling of it as the National Religion in his Society And because we shall have many occasions hereafter in our following discourse of referring to the distinction of Religion into true and false Therefore we will here proceed a little farther in relation to these things and lay down the general grounds of all Religions and compare them Two only sorts of Precepts of Religion VIII There are then two only sorts of Precepts of which any Religion can consist 1. Natural 2. Positive For this is a compleat distribution of the Divine Laws into these two sorts 1. The Natural it must needs consist of because God the Author of Humane Nature is supposed to approve of the dictates of it And the Law of Nature in the General is implanted in all Creatures for their good and that they might be governed by it And so Vlpian describes it D. De Justit jure L. Hujus ¶ Jus naturale Jus Naturale est quod natura omnia animalia docuit Nam jus istud non solum humano generi proprium est sed omnium animalium quae in terra aut in Mari nascuntur That the Natural Law is that which nature hath taught all living Creatures for that Law is not only proper to mankind but is the Law of all living Creatures which are generated and bred either in the Earth or in the Sea And therefore for man not to be governed by it would be against the whole order of the Creation and it should be planted by God in him in vaine 2. The positive Divine Laws
splendors of the Civil Magistrate 147. above all orders in the Church c. according to the Canonists 38 his stiles and ambition 64 65 Pope Paul the 5th his usual saying concerning Magistrates 65 Popular state when first erected 35 Powers Those belonging to the Civil and Ecclesiastical Government distinguished 122 the persons concern'd in them assign'd Ibid. Praefectus Vigilum his Office amongst the Romans 300 301 Prayer a form of it was approved of by Christ 197 Preaching why so great a latitude of it generally is left open in national Vniformities 207 208 and the case stated concerning it Ib. the Magistrates power of laying a restraint upon it 296 Prelacy from God 38 Prescript of the Christian Religion it hath been most vexed with contests 194 whether a traditional and more Ceremonial Prescript of Religion or else a written and more doctrinal one be least subject to popular contests 203 Printing none amongst the Turks 180 the Magistrates power of laying a restraint upon it 296 and the ill consequence of licentiousness in it Ibid. Prophaneness to be expelled out of humane Societies 88 the greater and lesser degrees of it Ibid. Profession national how far forth the Magistrate may compel men to unite in it stated 228 229. External Profession the onely thing in relation to which all external Vnity as to matters of Religion is to be held amongst men 162 It is the only great stated medium for the holding a charitative communion as to those matters then Ibid. The Magistrates Right as to the injoyning an unity of it in Societies 165 166 Profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity distinguished 274 mixture of it why tollerated where otherwise of divulging of opinions are not 293 294 Prophesie one of the primary divine Testimonials to Religion 18 its pretended testimony to the Heathens Religion 20 21 and to Mahomets prescript 22 and how it testified to the truth of the Christian Religion in a more peculiar manner 23 Prophets those of the Old Testament 18 Proselites the proverbial saying concerning them in Israel 170 Protestant Churches their Liturgies 198 Publick Worship the Vnity of the use of it the great secondary medium for the holding a charitative communion amongst men as to matters of Religion 163 The Magistrates Right of injoyning an Vnity of it in Societies 165 166 Punishments their peculiar necessity to the regiment of humane Societies 261 the doctrine of them in respect to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity laid down the several sorts of them distinguished 267 Q Quintus Sectorius his trick for his encouragement of his Souldiers 115 R Rabbinical Age when it began In proleg circa med Records of humane affairs the causes of the defects of them 29 30 31 Reformed Churches their derivation of the Magistrates power from God 55 56 c. Religion its consistency with Government intended by God and Nature 2 Religion defin'd Ibid. and distinguish'd 3 4 It s divine appointment evidenc'd 9 It s Divine Original 9 10 c. And the grounds in nature and consent of Nations about it 10 11 12 c. Two only sorts of Precepts of which it can consist 16 how the true prescript of it is to be known 16 17. It s Divine Original the sense of all Nations present in the world 27 its propagation by Arms warranted by Mahomets Law 50 the distinctions of it applyed to its consistency with Government 67 such its consistency proved 68 69 c. Its healthfulness to Government and Civil Society 85 86 87 c. the damnifying it a publick crime 87 its being used as a politick instrument by the heathen Romans 88 the false application of the immortal notion of it the cause of Religious contests 89 that it is the bond of all humane Society In Proleg in princip about what matters of it is both all peace and contention 160 161 Revolting from profession in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity the mischiefs of it to Churches 275 286. Rewards the peculiar necessity of them to the regiment of humane Societies 261 the doctrine concerning them in respect to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity Ibid. the distinction of them Ibid. the original intents of them 262 and their opposites Ibid. the Rules to be held concerning the dispensing them 263 264 c. the mischiefs of the neglect of observance of them 264 265 Right that of God to his obliging man by Precepts of of religion two-fold 9 10 whose right the preservation of the welfare of religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government is 73 74 75 c. Right the publick cement of all humane affairs In Proleg in princip Rights those relating directly to an Ecclesiastical Vniformity the Tripartite division of them 99 and those Rights distinguished Ibid. the primitive Rights of the people 100 the Rights of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity dispersed up and down in the Greek and Roman writers In Proleg circa princ the Rights of Government the distinction and proper extent of them from whence they flow 123 c. the Rights of the Church Governours and Ministers in every Christian Church 132 133 Right Reason the great commendation of it as the ultimate and universal interpretor of all Laws 257 258 Rising in Armes against Princes and particularly in defence of Religion and the matters of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity not justifiable 47 48 49 50 51 its opposition to the common good of Societies 59 60 61 c. The Scotch and English Presbytery their following the principles of the Church-men of Rome in it 65 it 's not being the Right of Ecclesiasticks for the support of their Church Society 133 Romans their Orders of Ecclesiasticks 124 Roman Civil Law the body of it the largest and most compleat body of such Laws now extant In Proleg ad fin the reception of it in the dominions of Princes Ibid. Roman State its most ancient Laws fetcht from Greece In Prolegom circa princip Roman Church its Liturgies 198 Its emission of the doctrine of Rising in Armes against Princes into Christendome 64 Romulus his Law concerning the Senates taking care of Religion 141 Russians their Priests and Bishops of no learning 180 Russe Church its Liturgy 198 S Sanhedrim what things chiefly it took cognizance of in Israel 141 Scipio Africanus his custome of deceiving the multitude 115 Scripture whether it as the Original Divine Canon of Doctrines be not sufficient for the attaining the ends of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 203 Sedition the Ring-leaders of it the persons ordinarily guilty of the faults of malice against the Magistrates publick charge in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity 117 Senate of Rome their trick for their with-holding the people from Sedition 115 their refusing to enroll Christ amongst their Gods 141 Society the term explicated and applyed 5 by what several ways men came first into Societies 31 Sophi of Persia his dismissing his horse c. kept for Mahomet against his second Coming 24 Sorbon their threatning against the Pope 144 A Subject defin'd 100 Submission to the Ecclesiastical Laws
the former of these Sorts is the Christian Religion in the most of the Dominions of Europe In the large Territories of Preister John in Affrica Of the latter is the Christian and Jewish Religion in Greece and in the most of the Dominions of Asia as is affirmed by Chytraeus Johannes Boemus Aubanus Georgieviz Godignus and others And although it be true in the mean time that sometimes De facto there are diverse sorts of Professors of Religion tollerated in the same State as will be further mentioned hereafter yet none of those have the priviledges nor extent ordinarily of that which is the National nor cannot properly be called so for those Reasons and because secluded from those more eminent endowments But notwithstanding still all of them have their respects severally to the State and the Government of it In Declaratione praefix ad Acta Synodi Dordrar Quia Ecclesia quamdiu hic vivimus vix separari possit a Republica Because the Church so long as we live here can scarce be separated from the State say the States General of the Vnited Provinces VIII In the first and last The first and last distinction of Religion place a Religion secluded is yet further to be distinguished And that as it is either secluded onely being at all practised or exercised in any Society Of the latter sort was the care of the Christian Religion in the dayes of the Apostles and afterwards under the Heathen Roman Emperours and of many Sects afterwards under the Roman Christian Emperours and such as are prohibited by them in the New Civil Law and the Code and Novells of Theodosius But this case is here only pointed at by us and comes not into ordinary consideration hereafter And that because it seldome or never happens that such a Religion subsists with any duration in any Society or that de jure the continuance of it ought to be endeavour'd in respect to such or such a Society unless where there is an immediate and particular command from Heaven for it as there was to the Apostles in respect to their first preaching in Jury otherwise the Divines and Civilians do rightly prescribe to the professors of such a Religion either present Martyrdome or else flight and change of the soyle by migration unto another Country And thus much of this first general Terme IX The Terme Religion then being thus explicated the like is to be said also concerning Government Government defin'd And first for its definition Government in the general is the disposition of the Affairs of humane Societies So Plato defines it to be Cura totius In Definitionibus De Repub. lib. 1. cap. 1. The care of the whole And Bodinus sayes That a Commonweal is Familiarum rerúmque inter ipsas Communium summa potestate ac ratione moderata multitudo A multitude of families and affairs common amongst themselves governed by the Power and Reason that is supream And here presently then for the unfolding of this definition will occurre the several Societies that are amongst men to be distinguished Any conjunct plurality of men is in nature a Society because they by their plurality and conjunction partake of the general nature of such a Society So there is a Society in Families in Corporations partaking of the same Municipal Laws amongst Merchants for their Trade's sake nay even amongst Robbers and Pyrates to a bad end 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Who rove like Theeves up and down the Seas sayes the Poet Homer Odyss 3. D. De Testibus L. Vbi §. 1. D. De Verbor Sig. L. Nerntius §. 2. D. Eodem L. Familiae §. 3. to infest Strangers But the Civil Law would have no Society to consist of less then three and that three at the least did facere Collegium make up a Society for Trade or the like And use and custome hath obtained yet farther that when humane Societies are mention'd the Termes be applied only ordinarily to States and Kingdomes and the like greater sorts of lawful humane Societies And so then is the terme Society understood by us generally in this Discourse And the Notion of Government mentioned is in like manner applied to it X. The first definition concerning Government The first Definition of Government is the same that was mentioned concerning Religion It is considered either in the General or in the Special or in the Individual the Termes being applied here in the same manner as before and the different respects of them onely being preserved XI The second The Second distinction is by opposite members that it is considered either as a faculty or else in the exercise of it As a faculty and so it denotes the power of him that Governes And so the Roman Civilians call that power Florentinus D. De statu hominum L. Libertas c. which a man hath over himself which is his Liberty or over others which is Dominion by the name of a Faculty Or else in the exercise of it and so it denotes the use and actual imployment of that power of Government And in both these sences it is applied hereafter sometimes Habitually and sometimes Actually taken The third Distinction XII The next distinction of Government is by disparates that it is to be considered either as a charge committed to the Governour by God and so it respects principally his obligation to God concerning it or else as the Right of him that Governes and so it respects his claime and title that he hath to it or as it intends the wellfare of humane Society and so it respects also the means which he is to use for the compassing such the wellfare of it And under these considerations also it will occur hereafter XIII The fourth and last The fourth and last definition of it is by opposite Members and that by the farther distinguishing it according to the last notion of it mentioned And so it is considered Either as it concernes the good of particular persons Eminently and that in Priviledges 12. Quaest 96. Act. 1. 2. quaest 90. Act. 2. or else of the Community and that in its Ordinary General intent as was said Privilegia dicuntur quasi privatae leges sayes Aquinas That Priviledges are so called as it were private Laws And further sayes he Because the Law is the Rule of humane Actions the last end of which so regulated by it in a Society is the good and happiness of all the members of that Society ideo necesse est eam semper ad bonum commune ordinari That therefore it must needs follow That the Law in its ordinary general respect must intend the common good Now the Law is that by which the Governour proceeds in Government Neither is that benefit of the Law which is common to all particular persons equally and as included in the whole to be called by the name of a Priviledge XIV In the third and last place we come to
§. 85. in Octavio §. 58. to Julius Caesar Parenti Patriae To the Father of the Country And the Senate and people saluted Octavius by the Name of Pater Patriae The Father of the Country And Magistratus est Medicus Civitatis beneque praeest qui juvat Patriam aut certe laedit non volens sayes Thucydides That the Magistrate is the Physician of the City Lib. 6. and he doth well in his Praeheminence who helps his Country or at least doth not willingly hurt it Et in hoc serviunt Reges Deo sayes St. Augustine Si in Regno suo bona jubeant mala prohibent Lib. 3. super Chrysost non solum quae pertinent ad Societatem Humanam sed quae ad Divinam Religionem That in this Kings do serve God in their places if in their Kingdoms they command good things and forbid evil viz. not only those which belong to Humane Society but also to the Religion of God So then as this is thus the Charge and Right of Princes and particularly to see that Religion be preserved in its consistency with Government so also on the other hand they are obliged both in the Court of Conscience and in the Supream Court of Heaven to see that their Government be kept in Consistency with Religion The Kingly Prophet calls to the Kings and Judges of the Earth Psal 2.12 Kiss the Son least he be angry And Christ in the New Testament Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least Commandments and shall teach men so the same shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven And that this is thus on both hands the Charge and Right of the Supream Magistrate it is also further evident both from the Law of Nature and the Divine Law and that also of Nations Who by compact and general agreement in relation to these things treat only with the Supream Magistrates of Countries as the persons most properly concerned in them So in all Counsels and Synods Ecclesiastical Oecumenical and others and that even in the Papacy its self Princes are first solicited by admonition to Assent and to send their Divines And their Embassadors come to those Assemblies also for the declaring and securing of their several Masters Rights before the Assemblies themselves be opened and matters passed Authoritatively in them The conclusive explications of the positive part of the Question subjoyn'd VIII This then being the affirmative part in this matter Let us come last of all to subjoyn our further and conclusive explications of it as was mentioned And that briefly The first conclusive and explicatory proposition IX And the first of those is That this Charge then of the Supream Magistrate is Primarily and Principally to be looked after by him And that because it is his Supream Charge in respect to the dignity of the thing and more eminently committed to him by God and the greatest of any that can possibly be put into his hands in this world it containing the sum of all Divine and Humane Affairs In Principe Cap. 4. as is said Habent Principes quae eo pertinent sayes Cicero Varios Actus conciliorum temporum in summa rerum administranda haec gravem curam diligentiamque desiderat quam ipse Princeps sustinet That Princes have divers Acts both of Councels and Times which belong to their Office in the administring the sum of Affairs and this sum of all which the Prince sustains requires a great care and diligence for the management of it The second X. The second Conclusive Explication is that this great Charge of the Magistrates is perpetually and constantly to be looked after as the wakeful Dragon watch'd over the Golden Apples of the Hesperides And that both because God hath appointed Religion and Government and the Consistency of Religion with Government to be kept up and maintained perpetually in the world and so long as mankind shall endure in it and also because these things are perpetually in danger as hath been mentioned And there hath been scarce any more prevalent means then the pretence of Religion by which innovators in all States have arrived at their ends and scarce any Civil War which is the worst of all Wars but what hath either been begun or maintained by it against the Soveraign Prince All Histories are full of examples in this matter And the Soveraign Prince in any society had need beware of the like future attempts as Sea-men of the approach of a Spoute at Sea The third XI To these ends then there is a necessity of the Magistrates using the means for his accomplishing them Media ordinantur ad finem In Gods very having appointed the Magistrate to arrive at the end he hath implyed and included the appointment of his use of the means to that end And those means he is obliged to use both as these things are his charge committed to him by God and also as they are his Right and respect his own welfare particularly and also as they respect the welfare of his Subjects Supra Cap. 1. §. 12. and Cap. 3. §. 17. and the Common Good which hath been said to be the last end of all Humane Society The fourth XII The consistency of Religion in its relative consideration with Government includes the welfare both of Religion and Government simply and separately taken because by its very being rendred inconsistent with Government whether imprudently or maliciously whether being used as a means to serve mens ends or not both it is falsified and Government is at least endangered and always in some degree or other hurt and perhaps somtimes totally ruin'd And in relation to these respects of these things principally we treat of them in our following discourse XIII And lastly the means necessary to be used by the Prince The fifth and last conclusive explication for the preservation of the welfare of these things in any Society are the Laws of an Vniformity in Church matters in some kind or other in such a Society And to prove this and explicate what the Laws and Rights of such an Vniformity are The conclusion of the First Book An earnest wish that Princes may take that special care which they ought to see that their Government consist with the True Religion both generally and particularly will be the great intent of what we shall say hereafter XIV In the interim we shut up this First Book with earnest wishes and prayers That as God hath committed it to Princes to see that Religion consist with Government so he would direct and inspire them to take that special care that it behoves them to see that their Government also consist with the True Religion And that not only negatively that it do not hurt it but positively and eminently that it may eminently help it By this they will create in their Subjects minds a more sacred veneration towards them and render themselves in
vulgarly and popularly permitted they ordinarily fail not to produce those Enormities mention'd and that partly through the Infirmities and partly through the Corruptions of men Both which two Grand causes of all Mischiefs in Humane Affairs will be more particularly treated of anon Infra lib. 2. cap. 5. The Emperor Marcianus therefore gives the very Reasons mention'd of his forbidding these Contentions C. De Summa Trinitate L. nemo Clericus Nemo Clericus vel Militaris vel alterius cujuslibet conditionis De fide Christiana publice turbis Coadunatis Audientibus tractare conetur in posterum ex hoc Tumultûs persidiae occasionem requirens That none neither Clerick nor Military man nor of any other condition whatsoever should endeavour for the future to handle any matters of the Christian Faith with Companies gathered together and hearing of them and from thence seeking occasion of Tumult and Treachery And so the Emperours Leo and Athemius concerning those that were permitted to go forth of their Monasteries L. Qui in Monasteriis C. De Episcop Clericis Caveant autem hi qui ita exibunt ne de Religione vel Doctrina disputent vel conciliabulis praesint vel turba concitata simpliciorum animos seducant c. But let these beware who shall so go forth that they do not dispute concerning Religion or matter of Doctrine or that they do not head private Councels or stir up Companies Lib. 2. cap. 7. ad finem whereby to seduce the minds of the Simple c. And we shall come to describe and evidence more particularly hereafter how much such Religious contests make to the hurt both of Religion and Government and the consistency of Religion with Government IV. In the interim contentions about matters of Religion The lawfulness or unlawfulness of Religious contests stated in the general are taken either in an ill or good sence and so are accordingly either lawfull or unlawful And that either as to the matter contested as was said just now or the manner of contesting it And as to either Lawful when they make either to the confounding of Hereticks or the cleering and advancing of the Faith and Unlawful when the contrary And so the Imperial Lawes determine in this matter But then the respects which such Contentions bear to Government and Religions consistency with it as well as those which they bear to Religion simply taken are to be supposed to be understood in this determination also V. The causes of such ordinarily unlawful contentions then The ordinary causes of unlawful Religious contests assign'd as we have mention'd and which are ordinary and common amongst men and therefore proportionably to be watched over by the Governours of all Societies are these that follow VI. First of all The first ordinary cause of such unlawful popular contentions the false application of the Immortal Notion of Religion to things i. e. when they are taken and voted to be matters of Religion in a more eminent Notion then they deserve and are prosecuted with zeal and violence accordingly And that whether imprudently and out of Ignorance or maliciously and for evil ends it matters not so long as both wayes they are so prosecuted with Zeal and consequently such a cause of Contention And these Contentions about such matters of Religion and as all other are ordinarily very sharp In Confess fidei Aethiop apud Damianum à Goes So Zaga Zabo in his Confession of the Ethiopian Faith recites it concerning the Portugals their branding his Country-men with the names of Jewes and Mahometans because of some differences of theirs about Circumcision and the Sabboth And Cromerus recites the like Poloniae lib. 1. prop fin concerning the Russians hatred of the Romanists Ista ut nihil commune habere velint cum Latinis That it is such as that they will have nothing common with the Latines De omnium Gent. Morib lib. 2. De Tâ—rtaria as they call them And Johannes Boemus Aubanus Teutonicus concerning the Tartars that Papam Christianosque cunctos Canes appellent they call the Pope Annal. Turcic lib. prope fin in supplemento Annal in quarto circa med pag. 134 135 137 138. and all Christians Doggs And the like Leunclavius concerning the Turkish and Persian Mahometans that their differences about their Prophets are the ordinarily assigned causes of their mutual wars That they burn the Books of one another call one another Hereticks and that it is a Maxim pronounc'd by the Turkish Mufti and held popularly amongst the vulgar That it is more acceptable to God for a Turkish Mahometan to kill one Persian then seventy Christians And such as we have mention'd are the Contentions many times in the bowels of the same National Church and about things either indifferent or dubious or else very remote from the Fundamentals of any Religion either True or False and so accounted to be by all but those that kindle the flames about them Such were the differences betwixt the Sects amongst the Jewes some of them mentioned in the New Testament So the Pharisees used peculiar kinds of Apparel R. David Sophon 1.8 and Habits They would not eat till they had washed their hands Matth. 15.2 They washed their Cupps and Potts Brazen Vessels and Tables Mark 7.4 They wore broad Phylacteries and the like And the Sadduces and others differed from them in such things Joseph De bell jud lib. 2. cap. 12. Philo de vitâ Contemplativa Josep ibid. Philo. ibid. So the Essens wore white Garments drank Water bound themselves by an Oath to preserve the names of Angels kept seven Penticosts in the year and the like The like Contentions also have been in the Christian Church nay they have cost Christendome more bloud then the Martyrdomes have done Such were the Contentions in the Primitive times of it's prosperity under Constantine and the following Emperours and mention'd in the Catalogues of Heresies and by Eusebius and others in their Ecclesiastical Histories Such those about the time of observing Easter Euseb lib. 5. Cap. 22.23 Sozom. lib. 1. cap. 14. Euseb ibid. cap. 24. about the manner of Fasting for difference in which Victor the Roman Bishop excommunicated no less then all the Churches of Asia and the like Such are those also amongst the remoter Regions of Christians at this day viz. the Greek Church the Moscovians Russians Jacobites of Syria Palestine and other places concerning the Celebration of the Sacrament with unleavened bread concerning Carved and Massy Images the substance of Angels and the like Such also have been the late Controversies nearer home about many points in Church Government and concerning the modes of service and the like But I need not say any more for the evidencing this matter since it is sufficiently observable from the experience of all Ages concerning the Heresiarks in several Countries and Churches when they have had any Heresie to spread or any ends
hath suffered the debates concerning it to be ventilated in her Universities And as to these Doctrines and so farre forth as they are concerned here certainly that way of Tenent concerning them is to be looked upon as truth and as intended by the Scripture and accordingly to be chosen by all Churches which tends least to Division and most to the Promotion of the welfare of the Publick Charge of the Magistrate in an Ecclesiastical Uniformity X. In the mean time of all things in the world the Charge of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by these Lusts of men Of all things in the World the Charge of the magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them which have been mention'd in any Society and that because the places of Supreme Governours are alwayes accompanied in the most eminent manner with the great Adored Tria's of Riches Honours and Pleasures or at least are so commonly deemed to be and so the places of all other Governours also gradually and proportionably both in Church and State and the making use of the pretences of Religion and the rendering it inconsistent with Government is a most potent means for the wresting of a Governours Power out of his hands And the Heresiarks ordinarily in this Case as in all other are Ecclesiasticks or Churchmen for so sayes the Scripture it self as to matters concerning Religion That from the Prophets is Prophaneness gone forth into all the Land Jer. 23.15 And they are those that make all the stir in the World about these things Such Heresiarks heretofore in the primitive times of the Christian Church were Donatus Arrius Sabellius Servetus Samosatenus and the like mentioned in the Catalogues of Heresies and Ecclesiastical Histories and interdicted by the Code of Justinian Vid. C. Titulis De Hereticis manichaeis De Judaeis c. Et passim alibi and other parts of the new Civil Law The Ring-leaders of Sedition immediatly in matters Civil and whether taking occasion from these matters of Religion or other things ordinarily are Laicks and those aiming at the Supream Magistrates Throne and the things that are so Gay in their Eyes belonging to it And what is it that men will not do for a Kingdome Tullia sayes the Roman Historian Livius Decad. 1. lib. 1. stuck not to be the murtheress of her own Father and to drive her Goar-blood Chariot over his dead Body lying in the way to her Pallace that she might salute her Husband King in his stead And it is recited concerning Julius Caesar Apud Suâ—ton In Julio that he was wont alwayes to have in his mouth these two Verses of Euripides which he himself thus rendred sayes the Historian Nam si violandum est Jus regnandi causa Violandum est aliis rebus pietatem colas For if Right be to be violated for a kingdomes sakes It is to be violated in other things follow after piety Of all Persons in the World the Person of the Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by them also XI Of all Persons in the world also the Person of the supreme Magistrate is most likely to be invaded by the other sort of Corruptions conversant as was said about the Persons of men And so the Persons of all other Governours also gradually and Proportionally both in Church and State and that because Governours of all sorts and especially the supreme are the publick Persons that have to do with all sorts of men the life of the Lawes and the cause of the Execution of them the Formers of the Tempers of times and those that cross the grain of such as like not their Government And then it is no wonder if upon a thousand occasions there be the Spirits of male-contents rising up against them in all Societies The Conclusion drawn from all these things XII Last of all then All these things being so we must come to lay down but this one Conclusion from them And that is That how much reason then is there for the Supreme Magistrate in every Society to take all care possible and to use all due meanes for the securing his Charge from both these sorts of mischiefs which we have mention'd viz. Those which it is subject to both from the faults of Imprudence and faults of Malice and if he do not do it he cannot be said to discharge his Trust either towards God or towards his People either towards God in respect of his duty or towards his People in respect of their welfare and common good of his Society And this Supreme and Publick Charge of his also is the thing ultimately to be preserved by an Ecclesiastical Uniformity CHAP. VI. The more general Description of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers and which belong to the Cheif Magistrate and Ecclesiastical Ministry as their distinct Rights in an Ecclesiastical Vniformity I. THe First and Capital Distinction of the Persons concern'd in Government II. The Christian Church and Civil State are distinct Societies III. The necessity of difference of Order and Power in Governours IV. The distinction of the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers flowes from the Divine Appointment according to the different quality of the affairs about which they are Conversant V. The Question stated Whether Church-men may have to do in the Administration of Civil Affairs VI. A Caution subjoyn'd VII The necessity of difference of Orders and Degrees of Churchmen and Ecclesiastical Persons in any Church-Society VIII The several Orders and Degrees of Ecclesiastical Persons mention'd in the Christian Scriptures and the Churches Power of varying concerning them IX The Rights and Powers belonging to the Ecclesiastical Persons as such X Erastus answer'd XI The Character of the Ecclesiastical Persons Function is Indelible XII The necessity of some Supreme amongst men XIII The Supreme Person defin'd as to his Political Qualification XIV And as to his Person and that is the Civil Magistrate XV. This Supreme Power is committed to him by God as Creator and Conserver of all things And what is the extent of such Power XVI For the discharge of his Trust in the exercise of such Power there is a necessity of his having an Indirect Power in Spirituals as a branch of such supreme Power conceded to him And the extent of such Indirect Power XVII That this Indirect Power is his Right both by the Law of Nature and Nations and the Divine Law XVIII First by the Law Natural XIX Secondly by the Divine Law XX. Thirdly and lastly by the Law of Nations also XXI The Question Answered Why the Ecclesiastical persons as such should not have Supremacy over all XXII By the Magistrate's Indirect Power in Spirituals he is appointed to be a Foster-father to the Church XXIII The Supreme Magistrate may commit the exercise of this Indirect Power in Spirituals to others The first and Capital Distinction of the Persons concern'd in Government Supra lib. 1. Cap. 3. §. 5. 1. HAving already distinguish'd Government
amongst the other Lawes of Israel was never intended by Gods Prescription of it to oblige the Gentiles And the New Testament the proper Prescript of the Christian Religion revers'd it amongst the Jewes themselves also But the Chair of Rome in it's introduction of such a number of Ceremonies into Divine service pretends the imitation of Moses and that upon the same account of Divine Authority also although in another kind but intends really the Reformation of St. Paul and of the Christian Prescript of Religion which perhaps it thinks consists of too many and too expressly of Doctrinals but not enough nor enough expresly of Ceremonials The fourth and last sort of faultiness VIII The fourth and last sort of faultiness then in this Ecclesiastical Uniformity is when it takes away the means of knowledg and the means of Grace from amongst the People and such as ought ordinarily to be conceded to them and are their Natural and Divine Rights and that in relation to those several ends which have been above mentioned Supra lib. 2. cap. 3. §. 6 7 8 c. Vid. Alcoranum Azoara 13. c. De Origine Imp. Turc De Turc morib Epit. cap. De Sacerdotibus eorum De Abassinor reb lib. 1. cap. 22. Such is the practise of the Mahometan in his way of Religion prohibiting the Alcoran to be read by the Common People and suppressing Universities and the ordinary use of Books and the like Apud illos sane nullos vidi Typographos sed Chartam optime parant sayes Georgieviz That amongst them he saw no Printers but they make excellent Paper and the like Such also is the practise of divers Churches of Christians Of the Abassines Sacra omnia partim Chaldaeo partim Aethiopico continentur Idiomite sayes Godignus That all their Holy Rites are contained partly in the Chaldee partly in the Ethiopick Dialect And Praeter libros divinos easque quibus continentur Sacra alii non sunt nisi quos habent regiis opibus praefecti ut accepti expensi rationes constent Ibid. cap. 12. in fine sayes he elsewhere That besides the Books of God and those in which their Sacred Rites are contained there are none other unless it be those which the Emperours Treasurers have for the keeping of their Accounts In Literis Wenceslai Budonizii c. D. Davidi Chytraeo in princip And so of the Greek Church Omnia enim Sacra eorum lingua Antiqua neque à Sacerdotibus neque à populo intellecta peraguntur sayes Chytraeus That all their Divine Services are perform'd in the Ancient Tongue which is not understood neither by the Priests nor People And so also amongst the Russians Hist of Russia vid. cap. 21 circa med alibi Neither their Priests nor Bishops making any further use of any kind of Learning no not of the Scriptures themselves save to Read and to Sing them and their Divine Service and the like sayes Fletcher in his History And last of all such also is the Practice of Rome and of the Churches diversly in her Communion She commandeth her Liturgies to be celebrated in Latine and the like unknown tongues Etsi missa magnam contineat Populi fidelis eruditionem non tamen expedire visum est Patribus ut vulgari lingua passim celebraretur say the Tridentine Fathers Concil Triden Sessione 6. cap. 8. Although the Mass contain in it much instruction of the faithful people yet however that it did not seem to be expedient to the Fathers that it should be celebrated up and down in the Churches in the vulgar tongue And so also she not permitting the Bible to be read ordinarily by the People nor by any Laicks unless they be Licenc'd Laying hold also by the Inquisition in Spain and other places upon all Bookes in the vulgar tongue and upon open Discourses and Disputes about Religion and establishing the Doctrines of implicit Faith general devotion blind obedience and the like CHAP. XI From whence the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Vniformity are to be taken And of the more particular Rights and Liberties relating to them I. THe Rules of distributive Justice assign'd from whence the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are to be taken II. The Persons who have the right of framing it accordingly III. When they have used their best Judgement for the doing of it they have done their duties IV. Certain more particular Rights belonging to them in this matter V. In the interim obedience is due to them from private Persons VI. And last of all certain Liberties belonging to those private persons also in relation to their performance of that Obedience The Rules of Distributive Justice assign'd from whence the just measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity are to be taken I. HAving said these things then I come here last of all to assert the Just Measures of an Ecclesiastical Uniformity and from whence they are to be taken And that is from it's affording to all their Rights viz. those which have been heretofore mentioned either more generally or more particularly To God his Right in it's crossing none of his commands but assisting to the performance of them To the Supreme Magistrate his Right in it 's being proportioned to his occasions and the discharge of his Trust To the Church Governours also in their way their Rights by it's affording to them the like meanes of the discharge of their Functions in their several places and capacities To the private Christian his Right by it's preserving to him the enjoyment of his Christian Liberty and the use of his liberty of Conscience and Judgement of discerning To the Subject also his Rights by it's enjoyning nothing upon him but by lawful Legislative Authority And last of all to all these their Rights both mixtly and in their several respects by it's cutting off occasions of Contentions and of corrupt wicked mens abusing and invading these Things and Persons severally to the disorder and destruction of Humane Societies and the welfare of them And this is the Golden mean in such an Ecclesiastical Uniformity And these are the more general Rules of distributive Justice which are to be observ'd by all Princes and Governours in their due framing of it II. The Supreme Governours in any Society have the only Supreme Power and Right of the thus framing this Uniformity The Persons who have the Right of framing it accordingly and that more generally and mediately by vertue of their Supreme Power over all and in relation to their Publick Charge supremely committed to them and more particularly and immediately as it is a part of their Indirect Power in Spirituals III. And when they have used their best judgment When they have used their best Judgement for their doing of it they have done their duties and taken their best care about their thus framing of it they have done their Duties and discharged their trust in it both to God Conscience and