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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A45461 The Scriptures plea for magistrates vvherein is shewed the unlawfulnesse of resisting the lawfull magistrate, under colour of religion. Hammond, Henry, 1605-1660. 1643 (1643) Wing H598A; ESTC R15561 38,997 35

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every man ought to have of his owne soule and consequently of the maintaining of his Religion on which to abstract from all possible disputes concerning the particular truth of it he being perhaps not acute or artist enough to uphold it against all objecters he is fully convinc't the health and salvation of that wholly depends For the maintaining of which against all the humane power in the World if he may not take up Armes or doe any thing he cannot see what can be fit for him to fight for nothing sure being more precious then that or consequently why he may not take up that opinion of the Beyond Sea-Anabaptists That it is not lawfull to fight at all which if it should be yeelded to although for the present it would produce peace yet it would be little for the advantage of Magistrates in the issue To this I shall answer by concession of these foure things 1. That Religion is to be every mans Supreame care the prime Jewell in his Cabinet 2. That it cannot at least in humane consideration be expected that any man should be lesse carefull of his false Religion if he be really perswaded of the truth of it then any other is of the true Nay 3. that if he do not use any lawfull meanes to defend that false whilst he is convinc't it is the true Religion this is a sinne of lukewarmnesse in him though indeed through prepossession not to open his eyes to greater light and revelation of the truth offered to him and perhaps thorough slugglishnesse not to seeke that light be yet a farre greater sinne in him For though no man ought to defend the contrary to what he takes to be truth yet ought he to be most ready to deposit his errour not onely when it doth but also when it may appeare to him to be so and to seeke to those helpes that may be instrumentall to that end 4. That in some cases the use of Armes is not unlawfull But then all this being thus granted and so in effect that all lawfull meanes may be used for the maintaining of Religion we must yet secondly deny the inference of the Objection upon this onely ground because though Armes may lawfully be used in some cases and Religion be maintained by all lawfull meanes yet Armes are not a lawfull meanes for this end and so may not be used in this case that is by Subjects against the lawful Magistrate in case of Religion at least when some other Religion is by Law established in that Kingdome Which assertion I shall confirme onely by foure Arguments 1. Taken from the nature of Religion 2. From examples of Christ and Christians 3. From the very making of Christianity and particularly of the Protestant doctrine 4. From the Constitution of Kingdomes which being subordinate to the other three may deserve consideration as far as it agrees with them 1. From the nature of Religion which is an act of the soule which cannot be forced or constrained by outward violence and therefore 't is apparant needs no outward defence for the maintaining of it much lesse invasion of others A man may be as truly religious under all the tyranny and slavery in the world as in the most triumphant prosperous estate They that have power to kill the body are not able to commit the least rape upon the soule they may rob me of my life they cannot of my Religion the weakest creeple in the Hospitall may defie the whole Armie of the Philistines in this matter But you will ask Is not the outward profession and publike exercise of Religion some part of it and that to be thus maintained where any attempt to hinder it To which I answer That the first of this the outward Profession can no more be hindred then the former act of the soul but rather may be most illustrious in time of depression I may confesse Christ in the den of lions in the furnace on the rack on the gridiron and when my tongue is cut out by patient constant suffering in that cause Religion is not so truly professed by endeavouring to kill others as by being killed patiently our selves rather then we will renounce it When I fight it may be malice revenge some hope of gaine or impunity at least by the present service any one of a hundred worldly interests that may help to whe● my sword for me of most cleerly a hope I may kill and not be killed and so all this while here is no act of confession of Christ in thus venturing my life although I do affirme I do this for my Religion because though I so affirme men are not bound to beleeve me there being so much oddes against me that I doe it for somewhat else But when I lay down my life patiently the sacrifice of my God resigne up all my possible worldly interests for the retaining of my one spirituall trust this is to the eye of man a profession capable of no reasonable suspicion of insincerity and indeed none so but this As for the second the publike exercise of the true Religion it were by all men heartily to be wisht that it might be enjoyed at all times for the advancing of Gods glory increase of charity conversion of others c. But if it may not be had by the use of lawfull means it will not be required of us by God without whose speciall providence it is not that he permitteth us to be forbidden that exercise till the same providence be pleased to remove such hinderance and open to us a lawfull way of obtaining it The primitive Christians secret meetings will first be imitable to us and if ●hos e be obstructed also their solitudes next and however that designe of obtaining free exercise of our Religion will never make any practice lawfull to be used in order to that that before was utterly unlawfull But are we not to take care of our children and posterity as well as of our selves If our Religion be now supprest our poor children and progenie to the end of the world may in all probability be kept in blindnesse and ignorance and so left to the place of darknesse irrecoverably This objection stands somewhat pathetically and is apt to affect our bowels more then our reason moves out compassion first and thorow those spectacles is then represented with improvement to our judgement But for answer to it though the doctrine of election of particular men as well and as absolutely to the meanes as to the end might be to him that acknowledges it a sufficient amulet against this fear and so no need of that their jealous care for their posterity any farther then it is in their power to contribute toward them which sure is no more then to doe what is lawfull for them to doe yet the answer will be more satisfactory to all that acknowledge Gods providence however opinioned concerning decrees that whosoever considers himselfe as a man much more as a father