Selected quad for the lemma: soul_n
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A30386
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The true Christian-man's duty both to God and the King deliver'd in a sermon preached in the Temple-Church on Sunday, November VI, 1670 / by Richard Ball ...
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Ball, Richard, 1608 or 9-1684.
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1682
(1682)
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Wing B583; ESTC R15132
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10,490
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26
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THE TRUE Christian-man's Duty BOTH TO God and the King Deliver'd in a SERMON Preached in the TEMPLE-CHURCH On Sunday November VI. 1670. By RICHARD BALL D. D. Chaplain in Ordinary to His Majesty LONDON Printed by A. G. and J. P. for John Playford at his Shop near the Temple-Church 1682. TO THE TWO Honourable Societies OF THE TEMPLE HAving lately read in print these Lines A Tantivy-Preacher in the Temple upon that Text Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's said What is Caesars What things I answer Caesar shall have your Goods your Lands your Wives your Children your All all is Caesar's But some may say quoth Tantivy-Preacher fitter to preach at Tyburn than the Temple If Caesar shall have all then what shall God have I answer quoth he God shall have your Souls But as for your Bodies your Lands your Goods your Lives your Children and your Wives they are Caesar's To this strange and unexpected Charge I return these Answers That I have had the honour to preach in the Temple these 20 Years and more but never did I hear such words to be spoken there Besides it is not probable that those two honourable and learned Societies who understand and love their Proprieties so well should tamely and silently pass by such Divinity As for my own person against whom I am told several ways that this Charge was intended I did call to mind that I did once preach upon that Text Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's and upon a search I found that the Sermon was preached November 6. 1670. so long it hath slept quietly and should have slept on still had it not been thus awaken'd of which Discourse I here present you a true Copy not adding not diminishing not changing one word If any man will shew me wherein I have erred I will embrace him for a Friend not forgetting that great St. Augustine hath his Retractations God bless it to the Reader so prayeth Your real Servant Titular Master RICHARD BALL St. MATTHEW XXII 21. Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's MY Defence for the choice of this Text if you think there doth need any would be enough to tell you that it is part of the Gospel for this day upon which the ancient custom was to preach My Defence is greater while I remember that the Parliament is now sitting a time in which Caesar useth to be remembred and presented with Gifts My Defence is higher yet if you look back no farther than to yesterday the Fifth of November in which both Caesar and God were strangely forgotten I am to speak this day for Caesar I am to speak this day for the God of Caesar the King of Kings Non est tutum de regibus loqui It is not safe to speak of Kings to speak too little is called Popularity to speak too much is called Flattery To speak of God is both dangerous and difficult Periculosum est de Deo etiam vera dicere His name is ineffable Veriùs cogitatur quà m dicitur quem totum omnia nesciunt metuendo sciunt saith St. Augustine He is more truly thought than spoken of whom fully all things are ignorant of and yet by fear and trembling know him To speak both of Caesar and of God only in reference to our giving Render unto Caesar and unto God There is nothing more unpleasing to the Nature of Man than to hear of giving we are for receiving we are for taking I would to God we were not for defrauding I would we were not like the Sons of Eli with our Flesh-hook in our hand taking by force and violence You see with how many difficulties my Text encompasseth me The Text is an answer given by our Saviour to a dangerous Question propounded to him by the Disciples of the Pharisees and the Herodians the Question was this Is it lawful to give Tribute to Caesar or not About the Birth of our Saviour Augustus Caesar lays a Tax upon the whole World Luke 2. 1. which being a new Imposition prov'd a matter of Dispute and Question Judas of Galilee he was against the Tax and much people sided with him they look'd upon that opinion as the cheapest if they had been able to defend it The Jews were Abraham's Seed a free-born People never in Bondage to any Man and to maintain their Liberty they made an Insurrection But in this attempt Judas perished and the people who follow'd him were scatter'd Herod who was one of Caesar's great Creatures and Courtiers he and his Followers called Herodians were not only for the present Tax but for whatever Caesar should please to impose Divisum imperium cum Jove Caesar habet was the Herodians Song not sung only as a piece of Poetry as we commonly say Pictoribus atque Poetis Painters and Poets are bold Men and may do any thing but seriously and in earnest Petronius would have brought the Image of Caligula into the Temple and would have had not only Tribute but also Sacrifice for Caesar Thus as in Disputes it commonly fares some are for too little others for too much and the truth lies between them unseen of either This Question was brought to our Saviour to entangle him so the Text expresly tells us Matth. 22. 15. and indeed there was a double Snare in it If to please the people he appear'd an Enemy or a doubtful Friend to Caesar's Tribute he would have been look'd upon as a seditious person an Enemy to Caesar a dangerous person to be suffer'd to live If to please Caesar he declares himself for the Tax presently he incurs the Odium the hatred of the people which is as bad as half a Death He that must be their Messias must break the Roman Yoak secure their Estates deliver them from Taxes and Tributes and Impositions all new Names but all signifying the same thing Money which the Jews then and to this very day love too well and I would to God we Christians did not This double Snare our Saviour wisely breaks Shew me saith Christ the Tribute-money and they brought unto him a Peny Then saith he unto them Whose is this Image and Superscription They say unto him Caesar's Then saith he unto them Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's He would neither flatter the people by denying Caesar what was due to him nor flatter Caesar by giving him what was due to God but guides both them and us to be good Subjects and good Christians Which are the two main points in this Text. Our duty to Caesar Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's Our duty unto God And to God the things that are God's Our duty enjoin'd us unto Caesar doth clearly suppose that there must be a Caesar a King one that is Supream Whether in the
provides two Calves for them to worship as good enough for them who had no more wit the story is to be seen 1 King 12. But to speak one word more fit for your polite and gentle Ears let me put you in mind that Jesus our Lord and Saviour did not only pay the Tribute but wrought a Miracle to do it and would not use or dispute his freedom with them Mat. 17. 27. I know here two Questions may easily be ask'd Quantum Quomodo How much must we give How shall we raise it Be not afraid for me I shall leave these two Questions which are above my Sphere to the great Counsel of this Kingdom and humbly pray that God will direct them wisely and safely to determine Of our Duty to Caesar I shall say no more Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's II. Our Duty unto God that is the other branch of my Text And to God the things that are God's What is God's Right and Due that must be resolved here the Answer in general is this All that we have and are are due to God for we have all from him what have we that we have not received Eccles 1. 7. All Rivers run into the Sea unto the place from whence the Rivers come thither they return again so it should be with Man What ever we have from God it came and to him in justice and gratitude it ought to return But to descend to particulars 1. We must give to God our Soul so saith Tertullian speaking of the words of my Text Imaginem Caesaris Caesari quae in nummo est imaginem Dei Deo quae in homine est ut Caesari quidem pecuniam reddas Deo temetipsum The Image of Caesar which is in thy Money give to Caesar the Image of God which is in Man give to God give thy Money to Caesar and thy self to God Thy Soul present to God by holy Fear and Reverence by ardent Love and Affection by a just admiration of his glorious Excellencies which no Tongue can speak no Heart conceive Let thy Soul fervently ascend to God in these words of David Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in Heaven but thee and there is none on Earth that I desire in comparison of thee Thus the Soul of St. Augustine as with full-spread Wings ascends to God Quid est tota terra Quid est totum mare Quid est totum caelum Quid stellae Quid sol Omnium istorum Creatorem scio ipsum esurio ipsum sitio 2. We must give to God our Bodies Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you Brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your Bodies a living Sacrifice holy acceptable unto God Present your Bodies by an humble Adoration when you come into his Presence by kneeling before him as to a Father when you beg his Blessing Psal 84. 2. My heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God Upon which words St. Augustine moves this Question Was it not enough for him to say Cor meum exultavit in Deum vivum nisi addidisset caro mea No both are necessary The Heart rejoyceth in God by pious and heavenly Meditations Our flesh Quando pudica est quando sobria quando nullâ impuritate polluitur When it is sober and chast and pure let our Eyes be lifted up to Heaven by Devotion our Hands extended by Alms and Charity our Feet daily carry us to the House of God our Ears attentive to hear his Words our Mouth to sing his Praises This is to present our Bodies a Sacrifice unto God 3. We must give to God our Life from him we have received it Job 10. 12. Thou hast granted me Life This we must give to God by Obedience serving him in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life This Life we must give to God by a willing and chearful resignation of it when he shall call My time saith David is in thy hand He can shut or open his hand as it pleaseth him When he shuts it he doth preserve it when he opens it it flies away We must live in a readiness to say with David Psal 31. 6. Into thine hand I commit my Spirit It is a common Proverb that Money hath no where a greater value than where it is coin'd our Soul is no where more dear and precious than in Heaven before God and his holy Angels where it was created Let us chearfully resign it unto him when he shall call and this not only by a natural and quiet Death but by Martyrdom if Providence shall try us and honour us so far I count not my Life dear unto my self that I might finish my Course with joy saith St. Paul Acts 20. 24. This is no more than Jesus hath done for us Sanguinem solvit sanguinem debes ille pro te solvit tu pro te redde saith St. Ambrose Antisiodorensis observes that Christ was crucified with his Head downward his very posture speaking this Language I suffer for Sinners those who live upon the Earth But St. Peter was crucified with his Face looking up towards Heaven his posture spake this Language I suffer for that Kingdom which is above This is the voice of Justice and Equity Redde mihi vitam tuam pro quâ meam dedi 4. Lastly we must give to God some part of our Estates Prov. 3. 9. Honour the Lord with thy Substance Our Wealth and Riches are not so our own but some part belong unto God and to detain it is to rob him Mal. 3. 8. Will a man rob God One would think a Man should not do it who hath received all things from him The people there did not think it possible for a Man to do it and therefore they reply and dispute Wherein have we robbed thee The answer is there given In Tythes and Offerings This sin of Sacrilege was the sin of Adam in Paradise let no Man wonder that it sticks so close unto our Nature God reserved to himself one only Tree in Paradise and commanded Adam not to eat of it and I verily think that it was the first Fruit that Adam tasted God's reserved Apple is fairest and sweetest to our Eye and Pallate The World hath made too much a sport of this Sin Dionysius of Syracuse when he took a golden Robe from Jupiter Olympus he added this jeer to his Sacrilege That it was too heavy for Summer and too cold for Winter therefore he put upon him one of Wool which better fitted both Seasons and when he had taken away the Cups and Crowns of Gold which the Images of their Gods held forth he said He took nothing but what they offer'd him Julian when he robb'd and spoil'd the Christians made but a Jest of it saying Beati pauperes Blessed are the Poor and some do think at this day that it were fit the Clergy should be poor as Christ and his Apostles were But I wonder what those Men would do when they should hear us preach upon that Text 1 Cor. 11. 1. Be ye followers of me even as I also am of Christ surely they would suffer us to go alone in the imitation of his Poverty Let us be serious and tremble to rob God of that which is his let us set before us Acham in the time of the Old Law and Ananias and Saphira in the times of the Gospel Their Sin was Sacrilege their End was miserable Let us honour God again with our Substance by giving Alms unto the Poor by building Churches where they are wanting by repairing and beautifying them where they are decayed Thus let us give to God some part of our Estates from whose Goodness and bounty we have received all Thus have I stated the Rights both of Caesar and of God and have done with my Text the Applications shall be these 1. From the word Reddite Render I raise an use of Exhortation If it be a rendering not a giving then it is a just Debt upon us both to Caesar and to God and in all honesty we are bound to pay our Debts 2. If you will read the Text with that word Date Give as several Translations do from that I raise an use of Direction That we part with Caesar's and God's Rights willingly What is more free than Gift Hilarem datorem diligit God loveth a chearful giver That which is done otherwise it is as not done Quod voluntas non facit non fit 3. Because this act of Giving is difficult and unpleasing to our pinch'd-starv'd humours from those two words Caesar and God I raise an use of Encouragement Caesar is our King Caesar is the Lord 's Anointed Caesar is our nursing Father Caesar is the breath of our Nostrils Lam. 4. 20. Caesar is the Son of such a Caesar who was a Martyr who laid down his Life to preserve us from slavery Our Caesar hath been miraculously preserved and miraculously restored nothing can be too much nothing can be too dear for such a Caesar And as for God he hath given us our Being and hath promised to us an Eternal Being with himself in Glory To which blessed place God in his due time bring us Amen FINIS