HAd that foul Calum­ny and Aspersion wherewith the Ene­mies of the Christian Insti­tution at first branded and [Page 2] traduc'd both It, Luke xxlii.2. Acts xvii.7. and its Professors, viz. That it con­triv'd and abetted Faction and Sedition, Mutiny and Rebellion, against the Su­preme Power and Govern­ment of every Polity and Kingdom, been as true and real, as 'twas indeed false and malicious, Princes and Rulers would have had an abundant reason and cause of jealousie and watchful­ness against a thing so per­nicious and baneful to So­ciety and Mankind; and the following Persecutions have been as just and reaso­sonable, as fit and neces­sary. Nay, such a Practice [Page 3] would have been an irre­fragable Confutation of all that Sanctity and Innocen­cy they so much cry'd up, and pretended to, and have justly made the Propaga­tors of so wild and extra­vagant a Doctrine, a Spe­ctacle of Contempt and Scorn, of Villany and In­justice to the World, to An­gels, and to Men. But as Christianity, the Religion of the Holy Jesus did ne­ver allow or countenance any thing of this kind, much less authorize the Subverting of Govern­ments, the pulling down of Empires, or the destru­ction [Page 4] of that Order and Subordination God had pla­ced in the World; but, of the other side, with the strongest Sanctions, and most powerful Arguments persuaded to the contrary; so never did any true and sincerely honest Christians exert and avow such wick­ed and damnable Exploits, or by a Covenanting Dis­pensation presume to make so large Entrenchments up­on the Law of Nature and of Grace. That there have been Treasons and Rebelli­ons acted in a Kingdom, and amongst a People pro­fessing Christianity, if we [Page 5] look no farther than our selves, we have an unde­niable Testimony and Evi­dence; but then certainly this was not done by us as we were Christians, or by the Authority of our Re­ligion, but as we were sen­sual, carnal, and devilish; acted by a spirit of Pride and Ambition, of Hypocri­sie and Dissimulation, of Malice and Revenge, of Self-interest and Covetous­ness. For the wisdom that is from above is first pure, Jam. iii.17. then peaceable, gentle and easie to be intreated, full of mer­cy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocri­sie. [Page 6] The Christian Institu­tion, like its Author, is of all things the most innocent and harmless, the most meek and humble, the most self-denying and con­descending. Its design and business is to inflame us with the love of God, and of our Neighbour; to pro­mote and establish Peace within, and Peace without; and to make our Conversa­tion and way of living here on Earth, in some degree and measure a resemblance and expression of that more perfect Concord and Uni­ty, Love and Amicable­ness we shall fully possess [Page 7] hereafter in Heaven. And therefore as it equally de­tests and forbids whatso­ever may hinder or lessen the increase and growth of these excellent fruits of the Holy Spirit in us through the whole course of our Lives, so in order hereun­to doth it strictly enjoin and command us to ren­der to all their dues. Rom. xiii.7, 8. To owe no man any thing, but to love one another. Rom. xii.16. To be of the same mind one towards an­other. 14. To bless them which persecute us; to bless and curse not. 17. To recompence to man evil for evil; to provide things honest in the [...] [Page 6] [...] [Page 7] [Page 8] sight of all men. And, if it be possible, 18. as much as lieth in us, to live peaceably with all men. Not to avenge our selves, 19. but to give place unto wrath. 20. And therefore if our enemy hunger, to feed him: if he thirst, to give him drink. Finally, Not to be overcome of evil, Ult. but to overcome evil with good. And agreeable to this is what St. Peter in other terms expresly com­mands, That we should ho­nour all men. Love the Bro­therhood. 1 Pet. ii.17. Fear God. Honour the King. Indeed so full and copious is the Gospel in asserting this Truth, that as one may run and read [Page 9] it; so there needs no abu­sing of Scripture by strain­ing it (as hath been ma­liciously and untruly sug­gested) to evince and prove it: For what can be more plain and full, if we'll believe either the Text or Context, than what our Saviour enjoins and pre­scribes? Render unto Cesar the things which are Cesars.Mat. xxii.21. And what they are, St. Paul acquaints you, viz. first in general, Subjection; then in particular, Tribute, Custom, Fear, Honour and Love: Rom. xiii.5, 7, 8, 10. For love worketh no ill to his neighbour. And as express and clear is what [Page 10] he infers in ver. 5. Where­fore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.

Religion then, you see, utterly disclaims and dis­owns all Invasions and U­surpations of PRINCES Thrones and Dominions, of their Persons and Af­fairs. It hath secured and bounded their Rights and Properties, by an unaltera­ble and not to be violated Fence and Law; and sepa­rated and lifted them up a­bove all others, by a spe­cial mark of Sacredness and Majesty: For I have said ye are Gods. Psalm lxxxii.6. From whence [Page 11] then come Wars and Fight­ings among us? All those horrid and hellish Rebelli­ons, Conspiracies and Trea­sons; all those injurious and scurrilous Speeches, and foul Language; all that unjust and unnatural Resist­ing and Gainsaying; and all that unworthy and disho­nourable Usage and Treat­ing of our Superiours and Governours, by subtle and slie, false and malicious In­sinuations, Suggestions, Back-bitings, Whisperings, and Slanderings: Come they not hence, Jam. iv.1, 2. saith the Apostle, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and [Page 12] have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, and yet ye have not.

Come they not from our Ambition and Haughtiness, that will not suffer us to sit still, and acquiesce in that state and condition of life Providence had placed us in, but to be more Ho­nourable and Great, Emi­nent and Powerful?

Come they not from our Avarice and Greediness, which will not be satisfied with the Christian allow­ance of Food and Raiment, but like the Horseleech, cries, Give, Give; Et per [Page 13] fas nefasque: And by right or wrong, Oppression and Injustice makes way to greater Riches, and more plentiful Treasures?

Or come they not from our Self-love, which, whilst it exceedingly magnifies our own merits, will as much decry and depress those of others? And then, are we so fit for and wor­thy of Honourable Em­ploys, to be thus slighted and contemn'd, will be the next Suggestion, and the next to that, a desire to re­venge and right our selves, join'd with an implacable hatred against those that [Page 14] stand in our way, and op­pose us.

These, and the rest of this accursed Litter, are, no doubt, the true Foun­tains and Springs of our evil Thoughts, bad Words, and worser Actions, against our Governors: of our de­spising Dominions, speaking evil of Dignities, and stretching forth the Hand against the Lord's Anointed.

These are the great Bou­tefeu's and Incendiaries in Church and State; they who excite and teach us first to murmur and com­plain, then form Parties, and enter into Associations, [Page 15] and, in fine, openly to Re­sist and Rebel. And would we be but so Christian and prudent, as once to make the Experiment, i. e. ex­tirpate and banish them all out of our hearts and lives; lay by all our Prejudices and Passions, our Sins and Follies, we should upon a review of our former pra­ctice, easily and quickly find, and as readily con­fess, that our Complaints and Murmurings were un­just, or at least impertinent; our bandying together in Parties unnecessary and dangerous, and our open resistance wicked and abo­minable. [Page 16] And as it would extort this just Confession and great Truth from us, so would it make us better natur'd, and better man­ner'd; more civil, kind, re­specful, and obedient to the Higher Powers. For now having none of these unruly and boisterous Pas­sions and Lusts to support and cherish, to maintain and defend, we should be fitly prepar'd and dispos'd to embrace and receive the Truth in the love of it, and so be able to understand and see the necessity and convenience, in respect at least of our present wel­fare, [Page 17] of a dutiful subjecti­on to our Superiors.

And though this very Consideration that thereby we shall become good Subjects, and so quietly and peaceably enjoy the bene­fit and happiness of the Government we live un­der, may be thought a suf­ficient Argument and Mo­tive to every reasonable Man to deposite and aban­don his unreasonable Lusts and Desires, yet there is an­other of far greater mo­ment and importance, which, if he hath any seri­ous Regard or Concern how he shall live for ever, [Page 18] will certainly be so preva­lent as to effect it; and that is, that without the doing hereof, He can never be a good, an upright, and sincere Christian. For it cannot be rationally supposed, that God can be lov'd, honour'd or obey'd, by our Lusts and Vices; and if he cannot, then 'tis as necessary that we should hate and reject them in respect of God, as of his Vicegerents. And if we do it upon this account, we shall also do it upon that, because what makes us good Christians, will al­so make us good Subjects: For no Man ever yet truly [Page 19] lov'd, fear'd, and honour'd God, that did not as truly love, fear, and honour his King; in that our keeping of God's Commandments being the best and truest expression of our love to him, and our obedience and subjection to his De­puties, those whom he hath set over us; one prime in­stance of our Duty, if we love God more than in word and in tongue, we will make it our especial care, that we serve and obey them in deed and in truth.

And this, as it is every Man's Concern, in as much [Page 20] as every Member of the Community hath a com­mon interest and benefit in the Government; so is it every mans indispensible Duty, in that all are equal­ly tied and oblig'd hereunto by God. And so is it ex­press'd by our Apostle, in the words I have read unto you, Let every Soul be sub­ject unto the Higher Powers, &c.

This is that St. Paul, with a great deal of Reason and Cause, confronts to our se­ditious Mutinings, and saucy Gain-sayings; to our Re­belling against, and Diso­beying [Page 21] the Gods of the Earth. This is that excel­lent Remedy and Cathar­thick he prescribes, to ex­pel and purge out the noxi­ous humours and qualities of the Body Politick of a­ny Kingdom and People. And would we but be so just to God, our Governors, and our selves, as to attend unto, and follow the In­structions and Command, or seriously and in earnest to address to, and hasten its Application, we should find it the best and most sui­table Advice and Counsel for our condition, as sove­reign and effectual, as 'tis [Page 22] indeed necessary: Nay, we should have Reason to hope, even in this Age of Undutifulness and Disobe­dience, that Kings and Ru­lers would once more, upon the account of Conscience and Religion, be lov'd and rever'd, honour'd and o­bey'd. But when we play at fast and loose with the Precept (as God knows we do with too many o­thers) and use it, as some do their outward Dress and Attire, only for Pomp and Gaiety, to serve the present Scene of Affairs, or in that 'tis modish and fashiona­ble, and with the same levi­ty [Page 23] and inconstancy reject & throw it off, when the times, our Interests and Humours are serv'd, no wonder that it hath so little prevalency and force, that the Evil grows and spreads, that we publickly and openly rebel, and as publickly and openly own and avow it. We must first cordially and sincerely love, fear, honour and obey God, the great Universal Governor of all things, before we can as truly and in obedience to his Command and Will, pay Subjection and Reve­rence to those whom he hath set up, his Substitutes [Page 24] and Delegates; otherwise they, as well as their Ma­ster and Lord, must expect to meet with Indignities and Affronts, to be disre­spected and disobey'd. For as Religion is the best secu­rity, and strongest support to Princes Thrones and Scepters, as it is the most uncontrolable tye and ob­ligation to a dutiful Obedi­ence to be rendred unto Cae­sar; so when this through the Debauches and Pro­phaneness, the Hypocrisie and general Impiety of a Nation shall decay, and as to its energy and power be­come utterly evacuated, [Page 25] what can be the effect and consequent hereof, but that the Superstructure and Buil­ding should fall and p [...]h with the Foundation, and the Dues and Rights of Go­vernment be buried in the ruines of Piety?

And would we but throughly and impartially search to the bottom, we should trace and manifestly perceive all along the spirit of Irreligion and Atheisti­calness, to be (as I have already hinted) the Origi­nal and Spring of all that Rebellion and Disobedi­ence, Sedition and Faction that hath so frequently and [Page 26] boldly appear'd, and been acted amongst us. And the truth is, had we been as good and honest Christians as we profess and pretend to be, so sincerely devout, pious and holy, as the Laws and Conditions of our Re­ligion enjoin us, we could never have been such bad Subjects, such very Devils and Satans, Calumniators and Revilers of, and Adver­saries and Enemies unto the very Name and Being of Monarchy and King.

'Tis not, I hope, a Que­stion now, Whether Subjecti­on and Obedience to our Gover­nours be an Injunction and [Page 27] Precept of Christianity? If it is, their own Eyes may soon satisfie and give them a re­solution of the Case; but if it is not, as it cannot well be, except we are wilfully stupid, and obsti­nately ignorant, how se­vere a Reckoning must some, too many of us ex­pect, without a real and speedy Repentance, Refor­mation and Amendment for sinning against so much light and knowledge: And therefore to such as I cannot offer a greater, so not a more seasonable piece of Charity, than to re-mind them of their Duty, and ad­dress [Page 28] my self to them in the words of our Apostle, Let every Soul, &c.

The Design then and Scope of my Text, is at once to enjoin and per­suade us to yield, and pay a dutiful Subjection and O­bedience to the Supreme Magistrate or Governour, let him be of what Religi­on or Sect, Denomination or Party soever; let him be good or gentle, se­vere or froward: He cannot well be worse than a Nero, under whom the Christian Romans liv'd, who was both Infidel and Tyrant, yet [Page 29] St. Paul strictly commands them to be subject; Let every Soul be subject.

And as this is the best, so is it all, the whole of State-Policy that any Christian Member or private person of any Community or King­dom is left or empowred by Christ and his Apostles, to busie and employ him­self withall: Not saucily to intermeddle with Pub­lick Affairs of State, not im­pudently to suggest what is fittest or most convenient to be done; but modestly to think his Governours wi­ser and better able to judge of State-conveniencies than [Page 30] himself, justly to leave the management of the Pub­lick to their discretion, and humbly and peaceably to acquiesce in and submit to what they shall impose and ordain. What undeniably concerns us, is, to study to be quiet, and to do our own business; to take care that we worthily and Christian­ly behave and order our selves in that calling or condition of life God hath placed us in; and that we fail not in the just perform­ance of what properly be­longs unto us, and is the matter of our Employ and Duty. And therefore should [Page 31] there happen any miscarri­age or indiscretion in the Publick Transactions of the State, (as what is free from them, and so prudent to foresee and provide against all Contingencies and E­vents?) certainly it is not for us, no part of our Bu­siness and Duty by Mur­murs and Whispers to re­veal and find fault with, by unjust Slanders and Misre­presentations to belie and libel, and by undutiful Pe­titions and Remonstrances openly to revile and accuse the Government. I say it is no part of our Business, be­cause (as he in the Historian [Page 32] well observes) Tibi (Prin­cipi) summum rerum judicium Dii dederunt, Tacitus, Annal. lib. 6. nobis (subditis) obsequii gloria relicta est. The Governour hath the chief Sway and Rule of all things given him by the Gods, the Glory of Subjects is to obey. Much less is it any part of our Duty, in that it is diametrically con­trariant to what the Apo­stle enjoins, as I now come to evince and shew. Let every Soul, &c.

My Text needs neither Commentary nor Para­phrase, except that of our Life and Practice; for it is [Page 33] as soon understood, as read or heard, and obvious to the very meanest Capacity. And as little necessity is there that we should be over-nice and curious in straining for a Division, when the words naturally resolve themselves into these two things.

• First, A Precept or In­junction, Let every Soul be subject, &c.
• Secondly, The Reason or Enforcement thereof, For there is no Power but of God.

I begin with the Precept: [Page 34] In the discussion or hand­ling whereof, for your greater Edification and In­struction, I shall make use of this method:

• First, Consider who are to be obey'd, viz. The Higher Powers.
• Secondly, The Duty re­quir'd, Subjection to them.
• Thirdly, Them who are to perform this, Every Soul, i. e. by a Hebraism, Every Man.

First, In the first place then the Apostle tells us, That we are to be subject to the Higher Powers, the Ru­lers [Page 35] and Governours of the Earth; Those whom God, by conferring on them a special Sacredness of Emi­nency and Dignity, and a warrantable and lawful Authority and Power, hath substituted and in his place appointed to supervise and inspect, direct and order the Transactions and Af­fairs of this lower World; Those whom he hath cal­led hereunto, though not immediately, and after an extraordinary manner, as Moses, David, and others, yet in a way prescrib'd and allow'd of by the Divine Wisdom and Providence, [Page 36] now become the only usual and ordinary one, and which the long usage and custom of so many Ages hath (by its own force and power) authoriz'd and con­firm'd, rendred lawful and regular. These then whom God hath thus appointed and call'd, whether by an Hereditary or Elective Right [...]. Aris. Pol. lib. 3, 10. (according to the several Constitutions of Kingdoms or People.) These, I say, are our Gover­nors, and whom we are to obey.

And this I the rather mention, that we may not run into those dangerous [Page 37] Extremes that Popery and Fanaticism, in opposition as well to Truth, as the Rights and Regalities of Princes have suggested. The one, that all Dominion is found­ed in Grace; and that there­fore be a Crown never so much a Prince's due, except he be one of God's Saints, that is, I suppose, one of their Brotherhood, (for, in their judgment, they alone are the Elect, the Precious and Holy Ones of the Earth) he doth to all intents and purposes lose and forfeit all; and in consequence hereof, that a Gifted Bro­ther, such as Iohn of Ley­den [Page 38] See his Character and Acti­ons de­scribed by Alex. Ross, in his View of Religi­ons. Part II. p. 12. &c. at Munster, hath more Right to the Throne and Scepter.

This then is one of the Heads of the Fanatick Hy­dra, that the most impudent, unjust and seditious Varlet, so that he hath but Cunning and Craft enough to whine zealously, pretend spiritually, and look demurely, shall be preferr'd his Sovereign, esteem'd and judg'd the better man, and if it is pos­sible for Treachery and Mur­ther to effect it, actually seated in his place.

The other, that of Po­pery, very near akin to the former, and as injurious [Page 39] to the Right of the Higher Powers, viz. That the Pope hath power given unto him by Christ, and as Vice-God here upon earth, to dispossess and depose any Emperour or King, Governour or Ruler whomso­ever in case of Heresie; (that is, if he doth not think and act as he doth; for he that can make new Articles of Faith, can make any thing Heresie:) and as to throw down and disposses, so to lift up and collate it on whom he will. We see then (to note this by the way) that the Conclave and Consistory, Pope and Fanatick, like He­rod and Pontius Pilate, can [Page 40] agree, if it be to crucifie Christ, destroy the Lord's A­nointed.

But is not this strange and odd Doctrine, very wicked and diabolical, that smells rank of Lucifer and his Ac­complices, for a Christian Bi­shop, a Successor of St. Pe­ters; and a company of Saints of the newest and best Mint, of the most Reform­ed Reformation, (if you'll believe them) to disgorge and broach, abett and practise in the World? Of this we may certainly and truly say, That from the Beginning it was not so; that neither Christ, nor his Apostles, ever [Page 41] preach'd or acted such Divi­nity? No, Caesar was to have his due of Honour, of Tribute, of Submission for the Lord's sake; and of Re­verence, Fear and Subjection, because he was of God, set up and appointed by Him. This is the language of the Spirit, and the fruits of it, Love, Ioy, Peace, Long-suf­fering, Gentleness, Gal. v.22, 23. Goodness, Faith, (Fidelity) Meekness, Temperance. Nay, our Sa­viour hath expresly told us, That his Kingdom is not of this world, John xviii.36. and therefore he would not be a Iudge and a Divider here. Man, who made me a Iudge, and a Di­vider [Page 42] over you? Luk. 12.14. From whence then is it, That his Holiness of Rome, and our Saints of the Refor­mation do act thus unholily, by judging and dividing, by giving away and disposing of what doth not at all apper­tain unto them, and where­unto they cannot by any Di­vine Warrant or Law pretend and claim the least Right? Is it not from him, who said to Christ, All this power will I give thee, Luke iv.6. and the glory of them; for that is delivered un­to me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it? And do they not imitate the Tempter, as well in the Falshood, as Pride [Page 43] of it? For when or where did God ever give such a Paramount Power or Authori­ty to the Father of Lyes, or these his lying Children? I am sure the primitive true Saints were never possest of it, what ever our modern false Ones may challenge as their due: nor St. Peter himself, what ever his Suc­cessor may pretend unto. All the power that was gi­ven unto them, was for E­dification, not Destruction; and this too, not in Tempo­rals, but Spirituals: To build us up in a most holy Faith, and sincere Love; to make us humble and patient, [Page 44] self-denying and obedient; and to render us throughly conformable to the Institution and Gospel of the Holy Ie­sus. This was all the pur­ple and tissue, all the En­signs of Royalty they endea­vour'd or desir'd to clad and adorn their Followers with­all: Nor did they covet and ambition any other Scep­ter than that of Righteous­ness, or any other Crown than that of Martyrdom. Let then both Consistory and Conclave peremptorily define and determine what they please against the Higher Powers, to advance their own secular Pomp and [Page 45] Grandeur, Interest and Autho­rity, we are not to attend unto and obey it. Let him be the greatest of men, so that he be but less than God; let him be the holiest of Saints, so that he be but less than Christ; let him be an Apostle, nay, let him be an Angel from Heaven, if he brings this Message, this Do­ctrine, so repugnant and con­trary to that of God and his Christ, to that of Truth and the Gospel, we are to reject it.

And therefore should another Pope Pius with his Cardinals from Rome, or an­other [Page 46] Pope Knox See Mr. Willocks and Mr. Knox's Opinion concerning the depo­sing of Princes, in Arch­bishop Spots­wood's History of Scotland, with the just Cen­sure of the Histo­rian. Fol. 136, 137 Edit. Lond. 1677. 1 Kings xix.11, 12, 13. with his Fellow-Presbyters from Scotland; these by a Bull, the other by a Remonstrance, endeavour to dissolve and break the Sacred Bond and Tye of your Duty and Alle­giance to your Natural Liege Lord and Sovereign; you are to look upon these big words only, as Bruta Ful­mina, empty Cracks, and the Breathings of the Spirit of Antichrist; you are to assure your selves, that the Lord was not, nor ever will be in this whirlwind, earth­quake and fire; but in the still, small voice, that of Love and Peace, that of Hu­mility [Page 47] and Obedience; and to remind your selves of that Doctrine and Lesson, St. Paul, the more infallible Doctor hath taught you, and accordingly to direct and order your Lives and Manners.

Add to this, That none can dispense with God's Laws but God himself; nor any cancel that Bond where­with we are justly oblig'd and ty'd to pay Subjection and Obedience to the Su­preme Magistrate, but He who at first ratifi'd and con­firm'd it, the Great Almighty Law-giver: so that 'tis as absurd as wicked, at once [Page 48] both vain, irrational, and ir­religious, to attempt and en­deavour to alter, disannul or make void that, which in the nature of the thing is to us impossible. And there­fore the Bishop of Rome, (the Great Ring-leader of the Antimonarchical Faction) and the Chiefs of his Bigot­ted Party here, should, ere they went about and pro­ceeded to exert that transcen­dency of Power, as to alter and change the tenure of Crowns and Kingdoms, un­deniably evince and prove by as good Records and Evi­dence, as that of the Word of God, (which in this case is [Page 49] impossible) that they are lawfully empowred hereun­to; otherwise they do but obtrude for Doctrines, the Commandments of Men, even their own, and mock and fool themselves into destru­ction.

And 'twill be the same repeated Impudence, Folly and Madness in us, if we obey the meer Ipse Dixit saying of the Bishop of Rome, though a Pope; or zealous Assertion of a Covenanting Minister, though a Presbyter, before the Voice of God cer­tainly and undoubtedly re­veal'd and manifested unto us in the Holy Scriptures.

[Page 50]You see then, that 'tis to the Higher Powers we are to pay Subjection and Obedi­ence. Come I now in the second place, to shew unto you what that Subjection and Obedience is.

To be subject, or Subje­ction, in the general Notation and Use of the word, sig­nifies Subordination and In­feriority: And so is well de­fin'd by the Reverend and Learned Bishop Davenant In An­notat. in cap. iii. ver. 18. Ep. ad Coloss., to be Nihil aliud quàm divi­na dispositio quâ imperfectiora perfectioribus subordinata sunt, ut per hanc subjectionem illa ab his perficiantur, regantur & conserventur. Which Mr. [Page 51] Daille Daillaeus in locum. according to his Translator, hath thus para­phras'd, viz. To be an Order that God hath generally estab­lished in all things which con­stitute any kind of Body, whether it be in Nature, or in Angelical and Humane So­ciety, that some should depend on others: That is, that as God hath made some things more, some less excellent; so some should be above, some beneath; some higher, some lower; and so the feeble and imperfect find their perfection in the con­duct of such as are more per­fect.

Now though this is very true, consider'd in the gene­ral, [Page 52] & ex parte Dei subji­cientis; and in respect of God subjecting, that is, con­stituting such an Order, (as the Bishop well distin­guishes) yet ex parte Crea­turae subjectae, if we consider it in respect of the Creature subjected hereunto, it far­ther denotes a ready inclinati­on and willingness to obey this Divine Disposition or Ordination of God's: And this is the virtue of Subje­ction, that properly of my Text whereunto the Apostle hath oblig'd and enjoin'd us, viz. when being sensible of that Inferiority and Subordi­nation, Lower Rank, State, [Page 53] Quality, Condition or Order God hath plac'd us in this World, we heartily submit thereunto, and sincerely en­deavour to perform and pay all that appertains un­to, and are the Requisites and Appendages of that state and condition; and, so be­ing by rank and place but Subjects, to give that Obedi­ence and Dutifulness to our Governours, which by the Divine Dispensation and Will is become their Due and Right.

Now that we may the more fully and distinctly understand and know what the Particulars of this Sub­jection [Page 54] are, or wherein it consists; 'twill be fit and necessary for us to take a survey and prospect of those several excellencies God hath impress'd upon the Higher Powers exclusively to all others; in that these, as well as the Positive Divine Will, are a reason and cause of our Obedience, and from which, as from several Springs and Fountains, flow and derive the Severals of our Subjection.

The Excellencies then to be consider'd in the Higher Powers, are:

• First, Their Eminency and Dignity.
• [Page 55] Secondly, Their Authority and Power: And,
• Thirdly, Their Necessity and Usefulness to Mankind.

First, If we consider the Dignity of the Higher Powers, we shall find it to be very great and excellent, in that God hath plac'd them above all others, and made their Persons sacred, by a peculiar Unction and Conse­cration: For designing them by their Place and Office more immediately and speci­ally to represent his Majesty and Image, he prescrib'd the Solemnity of their Inau­guration, 1 Sam. ix, [...] x, [...] by the effusion of [Page 56] oyl or anointing. A Ceremo­ny as of his own institution and appointment, so always made use of by him, to sig­nifie and denote a more pecu­liar Eminency, Sacredness and Dignity; Separation and Hal­lowing, Nearness and Relati­on to himself. Hence is it that we find them in Scri­pture call'd, The Lord's A­nointed: So David concern­ing Saul, The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, to stretch forth my hand against him, see­ing he is the Anointed of the Lord. 1 Sam. xxiv.6. And accordingly we find him speaking to the A­malekite, that brought him [Page 57] tydings of the death of Saul, How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to de­stroy the LORDS anointed? 2 Sam. i.14. xxiii.1. So David himself is called the anointed of God. The Ensigns of their Royalty are God's indeed, derived only and especially from him, who hath said,Psal. lxxxii.6. I have said, Ye are Gods. And by his saying so, hath given and conferred upon them not only in sha­dow and title, but reality and substance, that extraordina­ry honour and dignity of be­ing as he is, superior unto, and above all the rest of mankind. And in this sense is it, that St. Paul calls [Page 58] them Principalities;Titus iii.1. in my Text, Powers: And, Ver. 3. Rulers; i. e. the Chieftains, or Chiefs, and so [...], uncontroulable, above being ask'd or question'd for what they do:Dio Pru­sae. [...] (as the Historian speaks) above giving a reason for what he commands. They are the Captains, Numb. xiv.4. Judges xi.8. Micah vi.1, 2. the Heads of the Body Politick. The Mountains which stand aloft, and overlook the Earth. The truth is, so great and excellent is their Eminency, that Earth cannot afford us a Parallel, or fit Representa­tion of it; If we would find out one, we must ascend in­to [Page 59] Heaven, and there behold it in God the grand Arche­type, in whom alone 'tis in­finitely seated and plac'd: For what he is in Heaven, they are on Earth, Supreme and Superlative to all o­thers.

Now from this [...], excellency of Dignity, Expositi­on of the Com­mand­ments. Fol. 326. doth derive and flow (as the learned Bishop Andrews ob­serves) one part of our Subjection or Duty to our Governours, viz. Honour: And this both inward and outward.

First, Inward Honour; which is, when we have a worthy esteem, an honourable [Page 60] and good Opinion of their Persons and Places: when considering that eminency and height God hath placed them in, we no longer look upon them as common per­sons, as men of our rank and quality, but as those that are very much above us, as exalted to a Throne of Ma­jesty, and made to partake of a Respect and Esteem, though less in degree, yet the same in kind with that we are to pay to God him­self. I do not mean a Reli­gious Esteem or Respect, such as is to be paid to God as he is God, viz. a thinking him to be infinitely great and ho­nourable, [Page 61] as in his Essence and Nature, so in his Properties and Attributes: But such as is to be paid to him, as he is the great, universal Gover­nor, viz. a believing him to be Chief of the Community of those he rules and governs: And of this sort his Vicege­rents and Deputies, as they bear and express his Chara­cter and Excellency, are to have their share and part, as you may see, Rom. 13.7. 1 Pet. 2.17. 'Tis that we call a Civil Respect, and in­deed is so: When the Mem­bers depending upon the Head, as in a Body Natural for life and energie, motion [Page 62] and spirits, so in a Body Po­litick for Union, Preservation and Strength, do judge and believe it (the Head) to be the principal, the best, and most precious part of the whole. Honourable then and worthy thoughts are we to entertain of our Governors, such as become their Quali­ty and Place.

But as this their Excellen­cy claims an inward, so se­condly, an outward Honour and Respect. And this con­sists in a decent and worthy Demeanour and Behaviour of our selves towards Them, when we pay unto Them all those marks and expressions [Page 63] of Respect and Honour the Customs of the Country where we live, and Prescriptions of the Divine Writ oblige us to: 'Tis generally call'd good manners, and is neither a speaking nor acting either in their presence or absence, any thing that is contumeli­ous and dishonourable, unwor­thy of and derogating from their place and dignity.

And now, would we but impartially reflect and consi­der, what could we appre­hend or judge more just and fit, than thus to dignifie and honour those whom God hath so greatly honour'd and dignifi'd? 'Tis a justice that [Page 64] he may very rightly and truly challenge from us, to give his wisdom the preference and precedence to ours; to acknowledge and confess that he better under­stands and knows who is worthiest and fittest to be pre­ferr'd and exalted than we do: And 'tis as just that we should take our measures from him, be directed and guided by that rule and way he hath prescrib'd and set down for us to walk in, espe­cially here, where his very Example is implicitely a Command, and our following it the safest and wisest course we can pitch upon or pro­pose [Page 65] to our selves. Indeed were he as Man, of a finite, terminated understanding, ea­sie to be deceiv'd and impos'd upon, there would be some reason of suspecting his wis­dom and prudence, and the reasonableness of his prescri­ptions, and of withdrawing, or at least with-holding our assent: But when he is infi­nitely wise, as well as infi­nitely great, ordering all things after an admirable and excellent manner, and chu­sing the best and most sui­table means for the Ends designed and intended by him, 'twould be the height of folly and madness, as well as [Page 66] of temerity and presumption in us, not readily to comply with, and obey the Dictates and Commands of so wise and infallible an Instructor and Guide.

And as it is just, so is it fit and decent for us thus to act. For what can better become us, than to honour those who best merit and deserve it; and are the fit­test and most proper Objects of our respects and service? Others may be above us, but none in that degree as our Governors. Others may call for our Esteem and Ho­nour to be paid to them, but none can lay claim to [Page 67] so much as the Supreme Ma­gistrate: He is eminently above all, and therefore to be honour'd by us before all.

Besides the Thrones they sit upon, the Dignity they possess, is God's; his in the Origination and Spring; his too, when deriv'd and com­municated to them: So that to honour them, is in the consequence and result of it to honour him, to perform that obedience and dutifulness he exacts and requires of us, when it is not only an imply'd and interpretative, but an explicit and express Command of his, That we [Page 68] should honour the King, and render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars.

To all which we may add, That though Honour is one of the easiest and cheapest Oblations we can of­fer unto them; yet it is the most valuable and precious Iewel of the Crown, and best Supporter of the Throne; in that without this, the one will quickly lose its majesty and lustre, the other fall and tumble down; and the sub­stracting or taking of it away, is like the Prisons of Prin­ces, always ominous and fa­tal, and the next step to ru­ine and desolation. A King [Page 69] without Honour, is only one in imagination, a meer titular precarious thing. And therefore as Princes and Ru­lers have a great deal of rea­son and cause of jealousie and care that they part not with the least moiety of it, or suffer it to be abus'd, trampled upon, and laid in common, and outrag'd by noise and tumult; so should it be our especial study, dili­gence and endeavour, as we ever hope to approve our selves unto God, that neither by vile and traducing speeches, nor unjust and injurious acti­ons, we in the least contribute hereunto.

[Page 70]Away then with all re­viling Rabshakehs, and cur­sing Shimei's; with all Co­rahs, and SONS of FA­CTION and SEDITION, out of our Israel: O my soul come not thou into their secret, (nor enter into their habitations) unto their as­sembly, mine honour, Gen. xlix.6, 7. be not thou united: Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel. So let all thine (and thine Anointed's) enemies perish, O Lord; but let them that love (thee and) him, be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might, Judges v. ult.

[Page 71]But, Secondly, Another Excellency to be consider'd in the Higher Powers, is their Authority and Power. And this consists,

First, Either in prescri­bing, ordering and command­ing what they would have done by the Subject, and so comprises and includes all that right of making, consti­tuting and publishing such Acts, Laws, Statutes and Ordinances as they in their judgment shall suppose and apprehend convenient and con­ducive to the Ends of Go­vernments, viz. the Honour of God, and their own and their Peoples welfare and good.

[Page 72]Or, Secondly, in re­straining and punishing all Disobedience, and so implies, that they are not to bear the Sword in vain, but to be re­vengers of God, to execute wrath upon them that do evil.

Or, Thirdly, in honouring and rewarding the good and virtuous, the dutiful and obedient, a being a praise to those that do well.

Now that all this must necessarily be suppos'd to be the inherent and unalienable Right of the Supreme Gover­nour, will be very evident, if we consider and reflect that without this, he would [Page 73] differ nothing from a private man, nor be in the least able to provide for his own, or his peoples safety and happi­ness. For the Nature of Government, and so conse­quently the Business of Go­vernors, is to make and ordain Laws, to see these Laws ex­ecuted and obey'd, to encou­rage to the performance here­of, by the marks of their love and favour, and to de­terr and dissuade from the contrary hereunto, by as suitable mulcts and penal­ties.

And if they cannot do this, what is their Authority and Power, but a meer name [Page 74] and shadow? For do they govern, who cannot com­mand? Or can they com­mand, who cannot enact and ratifie Laws, and publick E­dicts▪ Or can they enact Statutes and Decrees, who cannot force their Executi­on? Or can they enforce their Execution, who can­not reward and punish?

And if they cannot do ought of this, neither com­mand, nor enact, nor exe­cute; what advantage or be­nefit can accrue to any Na­tion or Kingdom, from such a Mock-government, or Go­vernor? 'Tis then both vain and absurd, to suppose ei­ther [Page 75] the one or the other without this Power. If then the Nature and End of Go­vernment do require this Au­thority in the Supreme Magi­strate, as certainly they do, we have from the various consideration hereof, some more of the severals of our Subjection arising and flow­ing. As,

• 1. From their Authority and Power to constitute and ordain Laws, springs our Obedience; for it is that we may obey them, that they either make, ratifie, or pro­mulge them.
• 2. From their power of punishing, derives our [Page 76] fear or reverence of them. And,
• 3. From their power of conferring and bestowing the Badges and Ensigns of Ho­nour springs Benevolence or Good-will towards them.

As to the first of these, our Obedience (another part of our Subjection to the Higher Powers) we may consider it in an active and a passive sence.

1. In an Active, and so it denotes not only a readiness and willingness, a prepared­ness and fit disposition of mind to obey and perform what they require and com­mand, but also the actual ex­ecution [Page 77] and just performance of it: And this too in all things, as St. Paul speaks, Col. 3.22. Nimirum in qui­bus Dominus carnis, Domino Spiritus contraria non imperat, viz. in those which are not con­trary to God, his Will reveal'd and declar'd unto us in his Word, St. Hie­rome. as the Father rightly states and limits it; that is, in all things lawful and honest; and all are such, that are not di­rectly and by immediate con­sequence forbidden in the Sacred Writ. For that being the great Rule of Good and Evil, the Pandect of the Law of Nature, and of the Law of Grace, and the whole [Page 78] of whatever relates unto, and concerns our Duty and Piety towards God, being ful­ly contain'd therein, what­soever doth not oppose, con­tradict and thwart ought of this either in the general or particular, in whole or in part, may lawfully and warrantably be the matter of our practice and obedience, and ought so to be, when enjoin'd and commanded by the Higher Powers.

And this I the rather note unto you, because there is a sort of men amongst us, who, when their Governors call for and require their Obedience and Subjection to [Page 79] their just Injunctions, (as be­ing not against any thing that God hath commanded or prohibited) with an unrea­sonable and impudent impor­tunity, demand Texts of Scripture for the Particulars of the Magistrates Commands; as if God had written Bodies of Statutes, of Political and Municipal Laws for every Kingdom and State in the whole World; and except he had done so, it is utterly im­possible for any Governour ever to satisfie and answer the unjust Pretences of these men in their own humor and way. But when God hath describ'd only the general [Page 80] lines of the power of Ru­lers, and of the duty of Sub­jects, it must necessarily be suppos'd and concluded by every reasonable man, that he hath left the particulars of it to be determin'd and laid out by them; or else farewell all Government, and we must unavoidably lapse in­to the Malmsbury Philoso­pher's state of Nature. And if then Anarchy and Confu­sion is far worse than Tyran­ny, one of the greatest Cur­ses and Evils (as certainly it is) that can befall a Peo­ple consider'd in their Politi­cal Capacity; and God and Nature hath made us soci­able [Page 81] Creatures [...]. Aris. Pol. lib. i. cap. 2., and there is no Member of the Community, but receives some benefit from it; how very bad must that opinion and project be, notwithstanding all its plausibleness, that thus immediately and in its own nature tends to defeat us of the fulfilling our natural ap­petites and desires as men Homi­nem Ho­mini na­tura con­ciliat. Sen. Ep. ix., to rob us of all the outward comforts of this life Nul­lius Boni sine socio jucund a possessio est. Ep, vi., and brings in nought but deso­lation and ruine upon the whole.

A great reverence and af­fectionate zeal for God and his Word is pretended, but lay aside the Vizor, and you [Page 82] will easily perceive that Faction and Rebellion, Sedi­tion and Anarchy lie at the bottom. These men would make Iesus their Political, as well as Spiritual King, only that they may the more tri­umphantly tread upon the Necks of Kings and Princes, and with greater contempt and scorn resist and disobey them. But he hath avow­edly disclaim'd and rejected all things of this kind (as hath been shew'd above) nor is his Gospel a Royal Charter or Code of Imperial Edicts, Immunities and Pri­viledges, but of Divine and Eternal Truths, Laws and [Page 83] Rewards supernatural and celestial, to fit and prepare, refine and purifie us for the glory and bliss of his King­dom in Heaven. And there­fore as to what concerns us as Members of a Nation or Body Politick, he remits us to the Constitutions and Laws of that Kingdom whereof we are a part; to be regu­lated and order'd according to the will of those he hath set over us, and to demean and behave our selves sui­tably to that station, rank and quality he as Universal Governour hath plac'd us in. And as to this, he hath suf­ficiently suppli'd us with [Page 84] Texts of Scripture, so plain and evident, that we may at once run and read them. So, Deut. 17.10, 11. And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place (which the Lord shall choose) shall shew thee, and thou shalt observe to do ac­cording to all that they shall inform thee, according to the sentence of the Law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand nor to the left. So, Eccles. 8.2. I counsel thee to keep the King's [Page 85] Commandment, and that in re­gard of the Oath of God. So Mat. 22.21. Titus 3.1. So 1 Peter 2.13, 14, 15. Submit your selves to every or­dinance of man for the Lord's sake; whether it be unto the King as supreme, or unto Go­vernors, as unto them that are sent by Him for the punishment of Evil-doers, and for the praise of them that do well; for so is the Will of God. Now as in all these we are strictly enjoyn'd and commanded to obey the higher Powers, and the matter of our Obe­dience as to its various In­stances, being not at all set down and determin'd in [Page 86] the holy Writ, the Rule we are to walk and guide our selves by here, is this, viz. To obey and be sub­ject to our Governours in all things that are not mo­rally and intrinsecally Evil, that is, in their own nature and of themselves; or made so by a positive Com­mand of Gods, disallowing and forbidding it (as hath been already suggested.) And this is the resolution of the best Casuists and Di­vines I ever met with:Expositi­on of the Com­mand­ments, fol. 339, 340. They tell us, and in particular our Learned Andrews, that Subjects are not to busie themselves about the things [Page 87] commanded, to know par­ticular Reasons for the Lawfulness; but if after moral Diligence fit to be used in all Actions of Weight, it appears not un­lawful and forbidden by God, they are to obey: And the Reason is evident; be­cause the Superiour hath his Commission from God, and so his Commands are to be looked upon as proceeding from God whose Deputy he is, and therefore they are sufficient Ground and War­rant for our Obedience, (God having commanded us so frequently in Scripture to obey our King) unless it [Page 88] appears clearly that He ex­ceeds his Commission, and that his Commands are cross to the immediate Com­mands of God. I say clear­ly and evidently, because in things doubtful we ought to obey, (the Command of a Superiour being a deter­mining of the Doubt.) For though 'tis true, that no man ought to do any thing with a doubting Consci­ence, for whatsoever is not of Faith, is sin, Rom. 14. ult. yet the Command of a Su­periour is sufficient Cause to remove the Doubt, He being God's Deputy to re­solve us in (such) doubt­ful [Page 89] Cases, so that his Com­mand is a resolving of the Doubt, after which we ought no longer to doubt. For as St. Bernard saith, Ip­sum quem pro Deo habemus, in omnibus quae non sunt apertè contra Deum, tanquam Deum audire debemus. Him who is in God's stead to us, we ought in all things which are not plainly against God, to obey as God himself. So the Learned Bishop excel­lently and rightly. And somewhat after tells us; That though Conscience is im­mediately a Iudge under God, yet as the School-man Alex. of Ales observes, it is only in [Page 90] such things as are immediately commanded or forbidden by God; but in other things which he hath left to Authority, it must be guided and regulated by Autho­rity: And that this Doctrine is so necessary in Praxi, as Suarez well notes, for the preserving of Government, and preventing of Sedition, that publick peace cannot otherwise be maintain'd. So far He, with more to the same pur­pose, concluding the whole with this, viz. That the Ex­cellency of Obedience is to look at God's Will represented to us in his Substitutes, which may make the same Act, which it may be was sinful in Him that [Page 91] commands, (I suppose He means as to its Circumstan­ces) become an Act acceptable, and rewarded by God in Him that obeys.

In a word, If we would be throughly active in our Obedience to our Gover­nours, the Temper and Practice of the Children of Israel in the days of Ioshua would well become us, and be a fit and worthy Exam­ple for us to transcribe and imitate. And they answered Ioshua, saying, All that thou commandest us, we will do; and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go; according as we hearkned unto Moses in all [Page 92] things, so will we hearken un­to thee; only the Lord thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses; whosoever He be that doth rebel against thy Command­ment, and will not hearken un­to thy words in all that thou com­mandest Him, He shall be put to death, Josh. 1.16, 17, 18.

But then, of the other side, if it evidently and plainly appears, that what our Superiour commands, is directly and immediate­ly contrary to the Word of God, we are not any long­er to yield an active, but 2ly. Passive Obedience to Him; i. e. we are not to do [Page 93] and perform it, but patient­ly to suffer what He is pleas'd to inflict for our re­fusal.

1. We are not to do it, in that God hath antece­dently oblig'd us hereunto, by commanding the con­trary; and we are to obey God before man, as being the supreme Lord and Ru­ler of all things; and there­fore where our obedience to man is an instance of our disobedience to God, there we must disobey man, at least not yield him Active obedience, that we may actively obey God.

2. But as we are not in [Page 94] this Case to obey, so nei­ther are we to withstand, gainsay and impugn, but humbly and quietly to sub­mit to the punishment they shall impose upon us for our not obeying; because all the Weapons Christ hath put into the hands of his Followers and Disciples, wherewith to defend and revenge themselves, (in re­spect of the Magistrate es­pecially) are only Prayers and Tears. And therefore all Conspiracies, Treasons and Rebellions, all sediti­ous Pamphlets, factious Meetings, and disobedient Resistings, are not to be [Page 95] nam'd amongst us with li­king and Approbation, as becometh Saints. For (if we'll believe St. Peter) this is thank-worthy,1 Ep. ii.xix, xx.if a man for Conscience towards God endure grief, suffering wrongfully; and if when ye do well and suf­fer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God, for even hereunto were ye called. And herein we may rejoyce, 1 Ep. iv.xiii. in as much as we are partakers of Christ's sufferings, that when his Glory shall be reveal'd, we may be glad with exceeding Ioy.

But let us take care that none of us suffer as a Murther­er, Ib. Ver. xv. or as a Thief, or as an [Page 96] Evil-doer, or as a busie-body in other mens matters; that is, That none of us by our Fol­ly and Obstinacy, our Ir­religion and Wickedness, our disobeying and resist­ing Those whom God hath set over us, and a scanda­lous pretence of Piety and Conscience, (when they are no way interessed in our Cause) draw and force the publick Rods and Ax upon our Backs, for a just punish­ment and revenge of our Unrighteousness and Sin: And then think we suffer upon the account of Faith and a good Conscience, when indeed it is because [Page 97] we have made shipwrack of both. It is one thing to suffer, for so every Male­factor doth; and another thing to suffer for Righte­ousness: It is the Cause, not the Punishment, that makes the Martyr; and Re­ligion and Holiness, not the Gibbet and Stake, that can entitle unto, or secure us of, the incomprehensible Weight of Glory. Very careful therefore must we be, ere we reject and disa­vow the Commands of our Governours, so as not actu­ally to obey and perform them, that we are upon God's side, do it out of [Page 98] Love and Obedience unto, and Fear of Him, other­wise they that resist, Rom. xiii.ii. shall re­ceive to themselves damnation. The Rule here is,1 Ep. Pet. iv. ult. That they that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their souls to him in well-doing, as unto a faithful Creator: i. e. That they have respect un­to all his Commandments, that they endeavour all they can to perform and keep them, and to have a Conscience void of offence both towards God and to­wards man: And if we act thus, as we shall be sure never to rebel, so too our non-Obedience to man, will [Page 99] be an Obedience to God, a grateful and delightful Sacrifice to him. He will accept and own our Persons and Cause, assist and help us in it, and crown and re­ward us for it.

In fine, Humility and Patience, Self-denial and Meekness, Submission and Resignation to the divine Will, are the true Christian's Robe and Attire, the just Ingredients of his Obedi­ence. Let his Prince then be a Nero, let him be a Di­ocletian, if he cannot law­fully do and obey, he will patiently suffer and die: With the three Children in [Page 100] the fiery Furnace, with Daniel in the Lions Den, with his Saviour on the Cross, with St. Stephen a­midst a shower of Stones, he will pray for, and bless his Enemies; not curse and confound them, not raise Mutinies and Seditions in the State, not enter into Parties, and make solemn Leagues and Covenants to pull off the Crown, sub­vert the Throne, and break in pieces the Scepter of his lawful King and Governor. No, he hath not thus learn­ed Christ, he gave him no such Lesson nor Example: When he was revil'd, he revil'd [Page 101] not again, when he suffered, he threatned not, 1 Pet. 2.23. This was his Practice; and can he do better or more worthily, than to imitate and copy out so great, so excellent, so good a Pat­tern? And as it was the Practice of his Saviour, so of his Apostles, so of all primitive Christians, of the best and purest Ages of Chri­stianity. H. Grotius, l. 1. c. 4. §. 4, 5. de Iure Belli & Pacis. D. Cave's Primi­tive Christia­nity, part 3. ch. 4. And if we are sincere and truely Chri­stian, it will be ours too; if we can obey, we will, if not, we will submit to their Sentence, and suffer what they inflict; but we will prefer and choose a [Page 102] Dungeon and a Rack be­fore Sedition and Mutiny­ing, a Gibbet before Asso­ciations against our Gover­nour, and Death it self be­fore Rebellion.

2. But 2dly, Another Particular of our Subjecti­on, deriving from their Authority, is, a Fear and Reverence of them. And that is, when considering and acknowledging the Majesty and Power inhe­rent and residing in them, as God's Representatives, Vice-gerents and Deputies, we have such an awful, just and due regard to their Persons and Laws, their [Page 103] Acts and Ordinances, (those Limits and Bounds they have set us, that Rule and way of ordering our selves as Members of a Body Po­litick they have prescrib'd us) as that we use our ut­most Care and Endeavours not to transgress and vio­late them, and so not to provoke the higher Powers to punish and execute God's Wrath upon us for our evil Deeds. 'Tis a dread of the consequence of our Dis­obedience and their Power; of what they are authoriz'd and empowred to inflict upon, and chastize us with, according to our Demerits. [Page 104] A Fear of displeasing and offending them by any un­just and unlawful Action, in that by their Place and Of­fice they are to be the A­vengers of all such,Rom. xiii.4. and appointed by God so to be, that we may hear and fear, Deut. xvii.13. and do no more so presumptu­ously.

Now that this is a part of our Duty will be very evi­dent, if we will but con­sult what the Holy Spirit hath deliver'd and reveal'd unto us. 'Tis Solomon's Charge,Prov. xxiv.21. My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King. And a greater's than Solomon, Ye shall fear every man his Mother [Page 105] and his Father, Lev. 19.3. Haec sententia haud du­bie ad quinti praecepti explicati­onem spe­ctat. Cal­vin in lo­cum. And so St. Paul, Ren­der to all their dues, fear to whom fear, Rom. 13.7. The same is enjoyn'd to Masters in general, Eph. 6.5. Servants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling. Ser­vants be subject to your Masters with all fear, 1 Pet. 2.18. To stand in awe then of Masters, whether private ones, as those of Families, or publick, as those of King­doms and Nations, our Go­vernours and Rulers, is cer­tainly no Popish nor Po­pishly-affected Doctrine, (in the worse sence of the [Page 106] Phrase) that is, 'tis nothing related or akin to Idolatry and Superstition, but pure­ly deriv'd from God and his Word. It is not to make our King an Idol, (as some ignorantly prate) for wherein do we by this give Him divine Worship? And as little of Superstition is there in it, for that is an un­reasonable and groundless Fear, but that we pay to Him is very reasonable, in that without this He would soon become vile and cheap in our Eyes: And as good ground is there for it, when it is to obey God, who po­sitively and expresly com­mands [Page 107] and requires us, to give this kind of Subjection to Him. The truth is, both upon the account of Wrath and for Conscience-sake, are we oblig'd to fear the higher Powers: Upon the account of Wrath, because the wrath of a King is as the messengers of death; Prov. xvi.14. and where the word of a King is, Eccl. viii.4. there is Power, and who may say unto him, what dost thou? So that if we have any Love and Kindness for our selves, we will endeavour to be so prudent, as not to incur their Displeasure, who can so severly animadvert up­on, and punish us for our [Page 108] Folly and Disobedience. And if we have any true Fear of God before our Eyes, ought of that Uni­versality and Sincerity of Obedience we pretend un­to, we will be no less care­ful and concern'd even for Conscience-sake, to exert the same Wisdom and Pru­dence, when God hath made it a standing and in­dispensable Law for us thus to act. I know 'tis obje­cted by some, (that are, I fear, more scrupulous then wise, more peevish then religious) that we ought to fear God before Man. I say so too, nor is there the [Page 109] least shadow of Reason to assert the contrary; but this is a mistaking, or rather a perverting of the Questi­on. For that is not whe­ther we are to fear God be­fore Man? (none I suppose that had any sence of Reli­gion, ever doubted of that) but the Question is, whe­ther we may not fear God and Man at the same time? or whether our fearing of Man may not be an instance of our fearing of God? If it may be (as certainly it is in all things that are not contrary unto and against God, especially when he commands it, and we plead [Page 110] no farther for it then that Command extends) then as we may lawfully and safely do it, so are we bound and ty'd to the just perfor­mance of it, as ever we ex­pect and hope to come to the Seat of his blessed and truly holy ones. For Ho­liness being the way to Happiness, and no Ho­liness attainable without fearing of God, and no Fear of God without keep­ing his Commandments, and no keeping his Com­mandments without doing his Will, and no doing his Will without fearing the King; if we ever design to [Page 111] do God's Will and keep his Commandments, truly to fear him, and be holy here, or happy hereafter, we must resolve to fear our King, in that there is no Holiness on Earth, no Happiness in Hea­ven without it.

3. But 3dly, Another Several of the Duty we owe unto the supream Gover­nour, is, Benevolence. By this I understand, a sincere and hearty desire of serving him, and procuring his Good in all things that re­late and appertain unto him in his Soul and Body; in his Spirituals and Tem­porals; in his State, consi­der'd [Page 112] as a King, or as a Christian; that his Reign may be long and prospe­rous, and his days many; that his Enemies may be cloath'd with shame and confusion, and upon him­self his Crown flourish; that he may truly fear God, study and obey his Laws, make them his Guide and his Counsellor, his Rule and way of living and act­ing; that he may be ano­ther Solomon for his Prospe­rity and Wisdom, and ano­ther David for his Piety and Goodness; and so Felicity be his Portion now and ever, on Earth and in Hea­ven.

[Page 113]Now as this is a piece of Charity we owe unto the whole World, and what we are oblig'd unto by the Laws of our Religion: for we are to do good unto all men, Gal. 6.10. yet as the Apo­stle there adds, more especi­ally unto them who are of the houshold of faith; so amongst them more especially to the Pater Patriae, the publick Parent or Father of the Countrey or Kingdom, in that the Good of the whole Community or Body is in­volv'd in his, and his Hap­piness and Welfare doth de­rive and extend unto all. So that if we would have the [Page 114] Effects of our Charity be­come more large and diffu­sive, if we would do good to a whole Nation and Peo­ple, there is no better way of effecting it, then by con­tributing all we can to the Security and Strength of the Royal Throne, the Dig­nity and Honour of the Crown, and the Peace and Safety of the Prince, the Head and Life of the Body. This as it is to love and wish well not only in word and in tongue, but in deed and in truth, so is it far more generous and Christi­an, not so much to regard the benefiting and doing [Page 115] good to a few, as to whole Nations and Kingdoms to­gether. We may indeed provide for the Good and Happiness of those that are more nearly related to us, but certainly the greater and more communicative our Charity is, the better is it, the more noble and praise-worthy. But besides that it is a part of Christia­nity, and thus excellent so to act, (not to mention the blessing and happiness of a good Conscience, the De­licacies and Sweets result­ing from a sence of having done our Duty) the pro­spect and foresight of meer [Page 116] temporal Goods conse­quent hereunto, may vigo­rously and effectually ex­cite us to a prosecution hereof. For if we do in the least believe or think, that the righteous and ver­tuous person hath any right to the Promises of this Life, or that Godliness is not quite excluded the Blessings of Earth, (as St. Paul asserts it is not, 1 Tim. 4.8.) but that Providence doth even here dispence a bountiful Portion to the holy Man, we may well conclude and reasonably collect, that as he hath more right to them (from the divine Promise) [Page 117] so more reason to expect them, as the present Re­ward of his Vertue and Ho­nesty, then others of wick­ed and ungodly Lives, from their unjust and dishonest Practices. For he hath God's Veracity and Justice to assure and encourage him, and then, as Balaam told Balak, Numb. 23.19. Hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? The other hath nought but the Wretchedness of Falshood and Wickedness to support and assist him. God is this man's Friend, hath him un­der his more special Prote­ction, [Page 118] Favour and Care, and therefore he needs not doubt or despond, but that he will one time or other acknowledge and make good his word to him. He is that man's Enemy, hath rejected and banished him his Love and Favour, and therefore tho' he may have suffer'd him, like wicked Haman, to be exalted to high Place, yet it is, ut lap­su graviori ruat, that his Fall may be the greater, the more exemplary and noto­rious. 'Tis as the Psalmist speaketh;Psal. lxxiii.18, 19. Thou settest them in slippery places, thou castest them down and destroyest them; [Page 119] O how suddenly do they consume, perish, and come to a fearful end! Most certain is it (what the Prophet tells us) that promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West, Psal. lxxv.6, 7. nor yet from the South; but God is the Iudge, he putteth down one and setteth up another: And if he is this, or doth that, in how fair a way of Prefer­ment are they, who by Up­rightness and Integrity, Sin­cerity, Obedience and Ho­liness, endeavour to ap­prove themselves to God and his Vice-gerent? The Heavens and Earth may fail, but God and his Word cannot;1 Sam. xv.29. He is not as man that [Page 120] he should lie, or as the son of man that he should repent; Those that honour him, ii.30. he will honour. This then may far­ther encourage us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars; to pay unto him that Fealty and Allegiance, that Duty and Subjection we owe him as the Lord's Anointed. The Advance­ment of Ioseph in the House of Pharaoh, and of Mordecai in the Court of Artaxerxes, are memorable Instances of God's Providence, in re­warding Fidelity and Obe­dience to Princes. Nay, all Histories both ancient and modern, sacred and [Page 121] profane, do abound with Examples of this kind. And were we but so wise as to reflect and look back, we should find, as from the constant Experience of all Ages, so from the nature of the thing it self, that there is no Aphorism of State-po­licy more true then this, viz. that Loyalty and Fide­lity is the best and readiest way to Honour and Prefer­ment. For God having given the power of advan­cing and rewarding, into the hands of Princes, on whom can they be suppos'd to be more inclin'd and wil­ling, to confer the Badges [Page 122] of Honour and Marks of their Favour, then on those who by a long Series of e­minent and faithful Servi­ces, have approv'd them­selves to be true Liege-men to their Crown and Digni­ty, their Persons and Go­vernment? A common Gra­titude will acknowledge and reward a good Turn, much more that of a King, who is as an Angel of God, to discern betwixt Good and Evil, Just and Unjust, Ho­nourable and Base. If then Princes both can and will reward Loyalty and Honesty,Prov. xvi.15. and if in the light of the King's countenance there [Page 123] is life, and his favour is as a cloud of the latter rain, it will be our Wisdom and Under­standing, at all times, and in all places, to abet and adhere unto the Royal Cause, and by all the good Offices and Actions we can, declare and evince our Al­legiance and Dutifulness to our King and Sovereign. By this it is very possible, and probable too, that we may with good and loyal Barzillai, 2 Sam. ch. xvii. go down to our Graves full of Days and full of Honour: but if with Dathan and Abiram we con­spire against our Moses;ch. xix. if with Achitophel we consult [Page 124] and plot his Ruine; with Shimei curse the Lord's A­nointed; and with Absalom actually rebel against him, as we cannot upon any good and warrantable Grounds, promise to our selves a happy Issue and E­vent of these our wicked and unjust Actings, so ge­nerally the Consequent and Success of such a blacked Villany and Impiety is, that with them they perish in their Gainsaying, fall into the same Pit of Destruction, purchase a Curse and Con­fusion to themselves, and an indelible Blot of Infamy and Reproach upon their [Page 125] Name and Memory now and for ever.

We have now beheld two of the Excellencies of the Higher Powers (their Dignity and Authority) and the Severals of our Duty arising and resulting from them; proceed we now to the Consideration of the third and last, and that is, Their Necessity and Use­fulness to Mankind.

3. That Government and Governours are a Bles­sing and Happiness to any Nation and People, Com­munity or Kingdom, will be very evident and appa­rent to any, that shall but [Page 126] reflect and consider of the Calamities and Evils, the Misery and Ruine that must unavoidably attend and fol­low a State of Anarchy and Confusion. 'Tis the Re­mark of the holy Pen-man, Iudg. 17.6. That when there was no King in Israel, every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And most cer­tain is it, that when there is none to restrain, controul and punish the Impetuosity and Rage of mens Lusts and Vices; In pejora datur sua­det (que) licentia luxum; things will quickly grow worse; and this Licentiousness and Impunity of Acting soon [Page 127] perswade to Luxury and Excess, and these to Inju­stice, and that to Rapine, Murther, Profaneness, Irre­ligion, and all manner of Evil. And then as 'tis in vain to look for any prote­ction from the Laws in a lawless Estate, or to expect the Rights of Liberty and Property to be kept invio­lable, when there is no di­stinction of Meum & Tuum, Mine and Thine, so is it as absurd to imagine, that any Persons or Things can be exempted or freed from this publick Distress, when both they and theirs lye o­pen and ready to be seiz'd [Page 128] and prey'd upon, by every one that hath more Cou­rage and Strength then themselves. Of this kind and sort was that state of Nature (if ever there was any such) Mr. Hobbs speaks of. Though 'tis very hard to think, that God would so very meanly provide for the Welfare and Safety of the noblest part of his Creation on this side the Stars, and expose them, like Beasts of Prey, to be devoured one by another; or that his infinite and un­bounded Goodness would have suffer'd him to have sent Man into the World, [Page 129] attended with such a Curse and Plague: a Curse that would have better an­swer'd and more fitly suited the Effects of his avenging Justice upon succeeding A­ges, for their Iniquity and Sin; and a Plague that un­doubtedly was never de­sign'd by him to be the Por­tion of the best and most in­nocent part of Mankind, but of those, (if of any) who have so learn'd and practis'd to despise Domi­nions, and speak evil of Dignities, as rather to choose not to have, than to honour and obey a pub­lick Parent, a lawful King [Page 130] and Governour; tho' cer­tainly of a contrary Judg­ment and Opinion to that wise and worthy States­man and Historian Tacitus, who hath left us this great and excellent Truth upon record, that Praestat sub ma­lo Principe esse quàm sub nullo; It is better to live under a bad Prince then under none. For notwithstanding that great and many Mischiefs and Evils may redound to the Subject from the Reign of a bad Governour, Et vi­tia erunt donec homines, and there will be Lusts and Vi­ces to be serv'd as long as there are Men, Sed neque [Page 131] haec continua (& meliorum interventu pensantur) yet these are neither so great, nor so many, nor so lasting, (and which are sufficiently repair'd and made amends for, by the greater and more considerable Benefits and Goods we reap and en­joy under their Govern­ment) as those which that state of Confusion and Dis­order must of necessity bring with it: wherein not Law and Justice, but Pow­er and Force, are to be the Bounds and Rule of Right and Wrong; wherein we have not the least assurance and security of enjoying [Page 132] and possessing any thing that is desir'd and esteem'd of by us, and wherein our Lives and Liberties, as well as Properties and Goods, are equally at the disposal of the strongest Invader and Aggressor. [...], as the Philosopher speaks,Pol. lib. 3 cap. ult. 'Tis therefore necessa­ry that there should be Govern­ments and Governours. And then if as the Government is lawful and well establish­ed, so the Governour be good and gentle, one fear­ing God and hating Cove­tousness, a true nursing Fa­ther to his People and King­doms, a Moses or a Ioshua, [Page 133] a David or a Solomon, (as blessed be God that we have is) how great, how many Blessings will derive to the Subject from such an excel­lent Prince's Reign? How very useful and serviceable must such a One be to his Peoples Welfare and Good? and how exceedingly hap­py must a People be that are in such a case? Is it a Happiness and Blessing to have and enjoy the free ex­ercise and use of the best Religion in the World, in the best and most decent manner; to worship God in spirit and in truth accor­ding to his Will and Word▪ [Page 134] Is it a Blessing to have Judg­ment run down our Streets like an overflowing Stream, and Righteousness like a mighty River? Is it a Good to live in Peace and Quiet, Security and Safety; for every one of us to sit under his own Vine, and eat the Fruit of his own Vineyard; to be out of the reach of e­very devouring Harpie, and fearless of any griping Op­pressor? Is it a felicity, is it a comfort and satisfaction to us, to have the unre­strain'd use and enjoyment of all that is near and dear to us; to live under the protection of good and [Page 135] wholsom Laws, and the good Government of a mer­ciful and tender Father and Prince? If ought then and All of this is a Blessing, a Good and Happiness to any People it is, it must be so to us, who in a large and plentiful manner do possess and partake of all and eve­ry part of it; and is to be in the merciful designation and appointment of the di­vine Providence, the Por­tion and Felicity of every well-govern'd People and Nation under Heaven; all Government being at first constituted and intended by God, to be as instrumental [Page 136] to his Glory, so to the ge­neral Good and Benefit of Mankind. And that it is so, a Heathen could tell us; [...], For doing Good, Kings were first made. Arist. Pol. lib. 3. cap. 11.

Now from the Conside­ration of this their necessity and usefulness to Mankind, do spring and flow some more of the Particulars of our Duty and Subjection to Them.

First, A sincere and affe­ctionate Love for their Per­sons and Government. Se­condly, A Gratitude or Thankfulness for the Bene­fits [Page 137] fits we receive under it and them. Thirdly, A pay­ing them Tribute. And fourthly and lastly, A praying for them.

1. As to the first of these, A sincere and affectionate Love for them; It denotes our having a tender Regard for all that relates and ap­pertains unto them; a ma­king their Case, their Inte­rests and Concerns, their Losses and Crosses ours: so that be they healthy and vi­gorous in their Bodies, hap­py and prosperous in their Estates, we exult and re­joyce for it;Prov. iii.8. 'tis as health to our navel, and as marrow to [Page 138] our bones. Be they diseased and afflicted, be they inju­red and oppressed, we too suffer under the Calamity, our Souls are full of Anguish and Bitterness, of Grief and Trouble, and we go heavily, as one that mourneth for his Mo­ther. Psal. xxxv.14. And this is no more then what the Rule of Chri­stian Charity suggests and enjoyns, to be practis'd to­wards all men in general. Rejoyce with them that do re­joyce, Rom. xii.15. and weep with them that weep. And may with great­er Reason and upon better Grounds be suppos'd to be press'd upon and com­manded us, as it respects [Page 139] Governours in particular; in that as they are more nearly related to us, as the publick Parents of their Countreys, so the Good and Evil, the Prosperity and Calamity that betides them, must be of a far greater and more considera­ble account and conse­quence, then that of any private man can be. And then if we are oblig'd to congratulate and condole in respect of a lesser Felicity and Misery, we must cer­tainly much more do this upon the score of a greater. If my private Neighbours Happiness (which general­ly [Page 140] extends no farther then his Family) can fill me with Transports and Excla­mations of Joy, why should not I be as much, nay more affected, for that of my Prince and Sovereign, which by being His be­comes publick, a Benefit to the whole Nation and Kingdom? And so of the other side, if I can readily communicate with his Af­flictions, and suffer with him by a Christian Compas­sion, why should not I be as much dejected, and as Christianly sympathize for the Miseries and Infelicities that attend the Royal [Page 141] Throne? The truth is, did not Prejudice and Passion, Sin and Folly, stand in the way, and obstruct and hin­der this excellent Property and Fruit of a Christian Love, we should do so; but when from groundless Conjectures and Surmises, scandalous Reports and li­bellous Defamations, un­reasonably foster'd and che­rish'd, abetted and vouch'd by us, we begin to suspect our Governour to be our Enemy, and think that he hath a Design upon us for our Ruine, (because for­sooth he will not hearken to all our unjust Offers, and [Page 142] answer all our unreasona­ble Demands) and so in that he will not love us, we will not love him, no won­der that such an Unchristian Christianity and Temper will sooner provoke and stir us up to rejoyce at, then bewail his Losses, and to bewail and grieve at, then exult and be glad at his Pro­sperity. But is this the way ever to discharge or pay that Debt we owe to the whole World, and so to our King, of owing no man any thing, but to love one ano­ther? Rom. 13.8. It is look'd upon by our Saviour comparatively, as a mean [Page 143] expression of our Love, to love those that love us; do not Publicanes (the worst of Sinners) the same? Mat. 5.46. But to love our enemies, to do good to them that hate, to bless them that curse us, (ver. 44, 45.) this is Christianity indeed; a quality altoge­ther divine, a just imitation and resemblance of his illi­mited Goodness, who ma­keth his Sun to shine, and his Rain to rain upon the just and unjust, and a true and infallible Mark of a sin­cerely true Disciple and Follower of Christs: What Publicans and Sinners never do, nor Infidels and Hea­thens [Page 144] practise and delight in, but a Sacrifice that God is well pleas'd with, and which he will one day o­penly reward, and make full Retribution to in Hea­ven. And therefore were our Governour really our Enemy, did he actually de­sign and endeavour our De­struction, yet we ought to love him, and to express it, by having the same Desires, the same Hopes and Fears, the same Joys and Sorrows, the same Concernment eve­ry way for him as for our selves, and if possible, greater. Let him be super­latively bad, that cannot [Page 145] dis-engage and free us from the Duty of Love we owe him; for 'tis not his Good­ness and Gentleness, but God's Command, that is the Ground and Reason of the Obligation. Let his own personal Faults and Vices be never so great, as long as he bears the Image of God in him as a Man, and represents his Character as a King and Governour, we are to love and affect him. But if he is very good, if we derive and reap from his Reign, all that Felicity we can expect from a happy Government and gracious Governour, then as there [Page 146] will be no Ground for our Fears and Jealousies, for our Murmurs and Com­plaints, then as we have no Reason to think him our Enemy, so then surely we will love him, if for no o­ther Cause, yet because he loves us, and act as chari­tably, at least as Publicans and Heathens do. But whe­ther we have proceeded thus far, as to equal a Pub­lican's Charity, let the ma­ny Pasquils and Lampoons, the repeated Buffoonry and Scurrility, the frequent vi­lifying and deriding our Superiors, be a publick and self-evidencing Testimony: [Page 147] nay, let Conscience be but throughly examin'd and sifted, and the Jade once forc'd to speak truth for the Government, and there will need no other Witness to give in Evidence, nor Judge to determine the Case. I know not what Notions some men may have of Christian Charity, but if it is such, to rake in­to the Sink of mens Faults and Vices, and then in a fulsom, rude way, (not to say Unchristian) to expose them to the publick View, may this their Charity be, if they desire it, a Mark of their Holiness, but other­wise [Page 148] deservedly anathema­tiz'd by all sincerely good and sober Christians. St. Paul hath given us another account of Charity, viz. That it suffers long and is kind; that it doth not behave it self unseemly; is not easily provo­ked; rejoyceth not in iniquity, but rejoyceth in the truth; bear­eth all things; believeth all things; hopeth all things; en­dureth all things, 1 Cor. 13.4, 5, 6, 7. And were ours but such, so truly and alto­gether Christian, we could not so easily and quickly take up with, and entertain every Story and backbiting Report against the Govern­ment; [Page 149] improve it by misrepresentation into the grossest Falshood, and by repetition into Slander and Defamation. There will be somewhat to find fault with, and complain of, as long as there are men; the best have their Failings, and no man can say, I am Pure, I am Clean. It would therefore better be­come us as Christians and Men, with good Constantine, to throw our Cloak over all things of this kind, to co­ver and conceal them, then with cursed Cham to reveal and disclose the Nakedness of our Father. It would [Page 150] better become us as Christi­ans, in that Christ hath made it a Law of our Reli­gion. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, Joh. 13.34. And as men, in as much as he that standeth may fall; and it may come to our turn to need mens Charity and Mer­cy, to pass by and hide our Aberrancies and Transgres­sions. The loss of ones good Name or Reputation, by what means soever ef­fected, right or wrong, de­servedly or undeservedly, is a great Detriment and Damage to any man, but almost an irreparable one, [Page 151] and infinitely greater to a King or Ruler, in that hereby he is made low and mean, as in the eyes and presence, so in the hearts and affections of his People. And then as it cannot be the effect of Charity to injure and wrong any one, but to do good and tender their welfare, so if ours is truly Christian, we will banish and expel all unjust and un­righteous Practices out of our Lives and Conversati­ons; and instead of back­biting, defaming, and speaking ill of, we will, as much as in us lies, and is con­sistent with Truth, vindi­cate, [Page 152] justifie and speak well of; however fairly and candidly represent and in­terpret their Actions, and instead of aggravating and aggrandizing, extenuate and lessen their Miscarriages and Mistakes. This as it is to love all men, so our Governours, and this that Duty we owe them.

2. But then 2dly, Ano­ther part of our Duty, con­sequent to the Benefits we receive from their Reign and Government, is Grati­tude or Thankfulness. That is, A grateful sence, an humble and hearty recog­nition and acknowledg­ment [Page 153] of all the Felicities and Blessings we derive from, and enjoy under them. A thing so very a­greeable to our Make and Constitution as Men, to our Nature as reasonable Creatures, that common Humanity hath always sug­gested and enjoyn'd it, be­ing that wherein (as Seneca observes) Discors turba con­sentit, Those who disagree for the most part in every thing else, do yet agree: And as the generosity of our Nature doth prompt, in­cline and oblige us to a per­formance of this so excel­lent a Vertue, (being in [Page 154] Cicero's Judgment, Non so­lum maxima, sed Mater omni­um Virtutum reliquarum, Not only the greatest, but the Mother of all other Ver­tues) so certainly Religion doth not disannul or break the Bond, or dissolve and take off that Equity and Ju­stice the God of Nature and of Truth had implanted in us. No; it rather tyes it faster, adding new Rea­sons and Motives to the former. St. Paul enjoyns and exhorts to Thankful­ness;Col. iii.15. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. And [Page 155] accordingly reckons Ingra­titude or Unthankfulness a­mongst the great and per­nicious Sins and Vices of the last Times. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, 2 Tim. iii.2. covetous, boasters, proud, blas­phemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful. The truth is, as Ingratitude hath by the best men of all Ages and Religions, been with a just Horror and Indignation re­gretted and censur'd as a vile and abominable thing, and ungrateful men, as the monstrous and preternatu­ral Births of Mankind, (for, Si ingratum dixeris, omnia dix­eris, Speak a man ungrate­ful, [Page 156] and speak him any thing) so Gratitude, the humble and acknowledg­ing Temper and Dispositi­on, hath been always de­servedly commended and applauded, and the grate­ful person esteem'd the most worthy and the most wise; the Heathen and Christian still agreeing in the same Estimate and Judgement as to this. Nor are we of such debauch'd Understandings, whatsoever our Practice is, as not readily to confess the truth hereof. We are right as to the Theory and Assent to the Premisses, but we make wrong Applications [Page 157] and false Conclusions. We acknowledg that we ought to make Returns one way or other for Kindness and good Deeds done us, but then we will not believe them to be such, except they come from men of our own Sect and Party, of our own Humour and Opinion; and therefore let a Benefit be never so particular in its Designation and Use, never so purposely intended for us, if it doth not bring a Shibboleth along with it, 'tis a great odds if it meets with either Thanks or Acknow­ledgments, at least such as it merits and deserves. This [Page 158] no doubt is one Reason why so many great good Turns have fallen to the ground, been so little esteem'd and consider'd of; and why too many of us prove such a morose, unthankful and froward Generation, to the great publick Benefactor of his Countrey, our King and Sovereign. We scan his Actions by our perverse Judgements, and measure his Beneficence by our false Rules and indirect Lines; and then if this doth not comport and agree with that, and a false Glass de­ceives us, let Peace and Plenty, Prosperity and Hap­piness, [Page 159] be never so much our Portion, any thing shall have the Thanks of it from some men before he shall; and notwithstanding what the Apostle hath said, He shall not be a minister of God to us for good, Rom. 13.4.

But is this such fair Deal­ing and Christian Justice, as may be expected from men of such high Pretences to Purity and Holiness? For by whom, if not by the Go­vernour, can I be secur'd of my Life, my Liberty and Property? Is it not his Office and Business to de­fend and protect me in all this; and as me, so all that [Page 160] are under his Charge and Care, his Kingdoms and People? For as for Laws and inferiour Helps of Go­vernment, all that they can contribute hereunto is deri­vative from him: of which he is principally the Mouth, the Interpreter and the Judge, and the suspension and execution whereof is his peculiar Prerogative and Priviledge. If then my Good and Happiness, and that of the Nation, is an Effect of his Vigilance and Care, of his Clemency and Gentleness, and of his Wis­dom and Discretion in ma­naging and conducting the [Page 161] publick Affairs and Intrigues of State, as most certain it is, and nothing can with any truth of Reason stand in competition with him for it, how very contrary as to Equity and Justice, so to the Sence of all wise and sober men, and the truth of Christianity, must my Act­ings be, if I do not with the Orator gratefully re­sent it,Acts xxiv.3. and accept it at all times and in all places with all thankfulness? If I do not with Heart, and Tongue and Hand, and all the ways I can, endeavour to make some proportionable Re­turns for so many and so ex­cellent [Page 162] Favours and Bles­sings? If we will not then reject and deny the Dictates and Injunctions of Nature and Grace, if we will not run counter to the Practice of the best, the wisest and most civiliz'd of all Ages, we will take care to express our Gratitude, as to all that have oblig'd and done us good, so more especially to him, who in this respect hath far exceeded all, and in this particular also ren­der unto Caesar his due.

3. But that our Thanks may not appear to be meer­ly Verbal, we are thirdly to pay him Tribute.

[Page 163]And this is to give him such liberal supplies out of our Fortunes and Estates, when they shall be requi­red of us, as may fully an­swer the necessities and con­veniences of Government; as may enable and capaci­tate Him to Live in that State and Grandeur, which becomes His Quality and Place, and in that Autho­rity and Power, both at home and abroad, as may render Him justly formida­ble to all domestick and fo­reign Enemies, and qualifie Him to be a fit and effectu­al Protector and Preserver, as of His own Rights and [Page 164] Priviledges, so of those of His People and Subjects. And to this Scripture and Reason do joyntly oblige, and with a great deal of e­quity and justice contend for: 'Tis positively enjoyn'd and commanded, Rom. 13.7. Render therefore to all their dues; Tribute to whom Tribute is due, Custom to whom Custom. Nor is it but equi­table, just, and reasonable, that we should do this, when from Them it is, that we live a quiet and peace­able Life in all Godliness and Honesty; and from the cares and troubles they un­dergo for us, enjoy a safety [Page 165] and happiness that none but They can procure and en­rich us with.

'Tis equitable, if they spend and are spent for us, if their Treasures and Rich­es are exhausted for the publick good, that they should by us be re-imburs'd refunded and fill'd, and we in some sort spend and be spent for them. And 'tis reasonable, in that other­wise they cannot be such instruments of security, peace and happiness, such Ministers of Good to us, as they would be: For if they are cut short by our avarice or malice, of what is to de­fray [Page 166] the publick expences, and by that the safety of the Nation is provided for, how can this be done and per­form'd by them, when they are not able, and they can­not be able without a pro­portionable Allowance?

And as it is equitable and reasonable, so is it just; for they, by their Office, being to attend continually upon this very thing, that is, to benefit and do good unto their people; and we for this very cause, paying them tribute, as the Apo­stle speaks,Ib. ver. 6. 'tis in us but a discharging that debt we owe them, established by [Page 167] Laws Divine and Humane, when we supply their Ne­cessities, and fill their Ex­chequers. And then if these, and Equity, Reason and Justice, are matters of Con­science and Religion, and sufficient of themselves to counter-ballance and con­troll the niceties of some mens scruples and doubts, and as Christians we are ob­liged to perform what is just and upright, we can­not, without an open re­nouncing and disavowing of all this, debar the Su­preme Governour as of a Right in, so of a part of our Possessions, when His, [Page 168] and His Kingdoms welfare and good, call for and re­quire it of us. Prejudice and Passion, and pretended secrets of State, are not to be heeded in a stated and ruled case; which is, that if we do know, or are but probably perswaded, or have been inform'd by the publick Governour, or his Ministers (who may be rea­sonably presum'd to under­stand State-necessities bet­ter than we do) that there is a necessity, and a publick supply would be a publick benefit, we are to direct our practice by this: Be­cause the time when, and [Page 169] the quantity how much we are to give, being not de­fin'd by any standing Law, they must be supposed to be left to be determined by the Needs of the Publick, or (which is the same here) the Will, Commands and Prescriptions of our Supe­riors, the Judges thereof, and not by the other, which can never be a firm founda­tion for a truly tender Con­science to build upon, or a safe Rule to walk by. And supposing that I am mista­ken, and that others have falsified and imposed upon me, all that I can suffer by it is this: That for the pre­sent [Page 170] I have lessened my E­state, but I have this ad­vantage, I have thereby secur'd my Conscience and Obedience: whereas, if what they told and suggested to me is true, the mischiefs consequent to my not act­ing as I should, will be much greater, even a be­traying, as much as in me lies, the welfare and happi­ness, the strength and se­curity of King and King­dom, and a manifest vio­lation and breach of that Duty and Obedience I owe to God and his Vicegerent.

'Tis a State-Aphorism very frequent in some mens [Page 171] mouths (you may know the Trees by their Fruits) that the Head is not to be too big for the Body; their meaning is, that 'tis the best policy to keep the Gover­nour necessitous, lest other­wise He should too much insult and trample upon the Subject. An Opinion and Practice at once Unreason­able and Unchristian.

1. Unreasonable; in that it throws the State into a real and present danger, to avoid a future and dreaded one; such as may be more reasonably supposed not to happen, than the contrary. For when the Governour [Page 172] experimentally finds, that He hath the Hearts and the Purses of His People; as He cannot well require a­ny more, so in all proba­bility this will rather pro­voke and stir him up to se­cure a lasting happiness un­to them, and to mind their good when it is so compli­cated with his own, than to endeavour their ruin, or think of flaying them, when He hath so liberally the Fleece. This may with more reason and truth be expected from a necessitous Prince, who, to supply His wants, is forced to use Arts and Stratagems to squeeze [Page 173] some full Spunges, that He may not be quite drain'd and dried Himself; and to extort that by Power, and in an Arbitrary manner, which Disloyalty and Un­dutifulness do rob and de­prive Him of. A strong and healthy Head, in the political sence of it, is al­ways a sure indication and sign of a strong and healthy Body, in that there is an immediate dependance and communication between the one and the other: And when 'tis otherwise in the natural and proper mean­ing of it, 'tis generally an undoubted symptom that [Page 174] both are disaffected, the Body as well as the Head. So that these men are as much out in their Physicks, as Politicks.

2. And as it is Unreaso­nable, so is it Unchristian. 'Tis a Law of our Religion, that we should pay unto Caesar his due of Tribute; and less than what is suffi­cient to maintain His Crown and Dignity, can­not be supposed to be His due: And then if we do not give Him that, but de­fault from, and pinch Him of it, we act contrary to our Religion and Christia­nity. We are to do our [Page 175] duty, and leave the issue and event of things to God: Let Him be never so bad, Preces & Lachrymae, Prayers and Tears are all that we are to oppose against Him (as I above inform'd you) and most certain is it, that Non sunt facienda mala, ut e­veniant bona, We are not to do any unjust and evil thing, in behalf of an un­deniable and real good; but when that we propose to our selves here, is very uncertain, and yet the sin and iniquity of our actings certain: 'Tis madness, 'tis presumption, 'tis the height of Impiety to abett and a­vow [Page 176] such wicked and irre­ligious courses and ways.

Add to this, that we have had the woful experience, how bad a sign of health a little Head is to the Body Politick or State; how ill it secures the welfare and good of a Kingdom or Peo­ple? For when the Royal Martyr had, with too great Condescentions, too much lessened Himself, did not some of the inferiour Mem­bers presently shoot up to a preternatural growth and bigness, and as quickly draw away that juice and nourishment, by which He should have been sustain'd? [Page 177] Was not the Nation soon divided, and in a tottering falling condition? Were not Liberty and Property lost, and the felicities of Peace exchang'd into a bloody War? This was all the healthiness these Mens Po­licy procured us then: I hope the Burn'd Child will dread the Fire.

Say then, Supposing with them that Ship-money had been a publick Nusance and illegal, had it not been better to have endur'd and undergone that, than so ma­ny miseries and calamities that came rowling in upon us like a mighty torrent? [Page 178] However, it was not as il­legal and unjustifiable, as the Vote of Non-Addresses, as making Laws and Ordi­nances without a King, as erecting a High-Commissi­on Court, and Arraigning their Sovereign, as cutting off His Head, and plunder­ing and sequestring whom they would, without any truth of Law and Justice. But it is always lawful, 'tis still just and Christian, 'tis still our duty, to help and relieve the necessities and distresses of our lawful King and Governor, even with­out forms of Law, but ne­ver so, to let both King [Page 179] and Kingdom fall and pe­rish through our fears and jealousies, our covetous­ness, our pride and ambiti­on. This then is another duty we owe and are to pay unto them.

4. The Fourth and last is, our Prayers for Them: And whether we consider Them in Their more pri­vate capacity, as Men and Christians, or in their more publick as Governors; the reasonableness and necessi­ty of this part of our duty, will be very manifest and evident. If as Men and Christians, they generally, and for the most part, lye [Page 180] more open and exposed to the calamities and miseries incident to mankind, to the assaults and batteries of the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, than others whose greater privacy is a rampart and security against a great many temptations and dan­gers, their more publick state and condition of Life renders them subject and obnoxious to. They like the tall Cedars and high Turrets, are sure to meet with every impetuous shock and blast of wind and foul weather, when others, as lower Trees and Structures, by their being so, escape [Page 181] their force and severity: So that in this respect, as They want greater strength and larger supplies of Grace to support and keep Them from falling, so more pray­ers than their own, and of these a greater proportion and measure, answerable to their greater needs, that by a kind of holy violence we may open the flood­gates of Heaven, and de­rive the Divine Assistance, Protection and Blessing up­on Their Heads and Hearts, Their Lives and Actions. And this is no more than what our common Christi­anity suggests, and a piece [Page 182] of Charity we owe unto the whole Race of Man­kind. Let him be Iew, In­fidel, or Turk, we are to pray for him. It is that our Saviour enjoyns us as to our Enemies; Pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, Mat. 5.44. And 'tis St. Paul's Doctrine, I exhort therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, inter­cessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for Kings, and all that are in authority; for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savi­our, who will have all men to be sav'd, and to come to the knowledge of the truth, 1 Tim. [Page 183] 2.1, 2, 3, 4. But if he be a Christian King, one who hath submitted his Scepter to that of Christ, and is partaker of the same Faith and Hope of Salvation; then as we have new Rea­sons added to the former, in as much as we are Mem­bers of the same mystical Body, and so to be com­passionate, tender, con­cern'd and careful for one anothers Good, which is to be express'd as in other things, so in an entercourse of Prayer one for another; and the Apostle hath made it a necessary part of the Christian Armour; Praying [Page 184] always with all prayer and sup­plication in the spirit, Eph. vi.18. and watching thereunto with all per­severance and supplication for all Saints; so is the Obliga­tion enhans'd, and the Du­ty the more indispensable. And this will yet farther ap­pear to be the more so, if we consider them as actual­ly governing, as those who have so great a People com­mitted to their Charge; and so wanting a greater and more excellent Spirit and Wisdom, Judgement and Discretion, Foresight and Prudence, to assist, di­rect and help them in all the great Affairs and Tran­sactions [Page 185] of the Publick. Now every good and every perfect gift being from above, Eph. i.17 and co­ming down from the Father of Lights, as St. Iames tells us; and we are to ask, ver. 5. to beg this wisdom and gift of God before we can have it; Ch. v.16 and the effectu­al fervent prayers of a righteous man availing much, how ve­ry necessary will our Pray­ers be, that God would give them such a portion of Wisdom and Understand­ing, that they may be as Instruments of his Glory, so true nursing Fathers to his Church and People? In praying for them, we pray for our selves; the Good [Page 186] and Happiness is ours in the result and consequence. When we pray for Wisdom and Understanding for our Governours, (as Solomon did for himself) we in effect pray, that God would be pleas'd to grant us to lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty. When we beg the Prosperi­ty and Happiness of their Thrones, we petition for our own Welfare: When we desire him, that they may be men fearing him and hating Covetousness, we at the same time be­seech him, that he will make them a Wall and But­tress, [Page 187] a Refuge and Strength unto us his People. Be­cause if they are truly wise, happy and religious, these and many more Blessings will devolve upon us, and be the Felicity and Good of such a People and Nati­on. For Wisdom in a Prince will make him have a tender Regard and Care for the Subject, in that his Welfare depends on, and is twisted with theirs. His Prosperity and Happiness will make him liberal and free, and ready to help and assist them; and his Pie­ty effectually incline and move him to banish all [Page 188] Wickedness, Injustice and Oppression. And if he doth thus act, and this is his Pra­ctice and Business, will not his Prosperity, his Happi­ness and Good be ours, and so we abundantly recom­penc'd and rewarded, for our Supplications and Re­quests to the Father of Lights on his behalf? But were there no such Good redounding to us, to be expected and hoped for from our thus acting, yet are we to do and perform it, otherwise Sin and Iniquity will lye at our Door. We are not boldly to question with God concerning the [Page 189] Justice, the Wisdom and Equity of the Command, that is no part of our Pro­vince; what concerns us is Obedience, and with that we are to busie and employ our selves. Suppose then our Governour is as cruel and as wicked a Tyrant as Maximian was, who cut to pieces the Thaebean Legion, must not we therefore pray for him? 'Tis in some mens Divinity and Religion de­nied, we must not; and the Reason they give, is, because we are not to pray for one, that we certainly know will oppress God's Church and People. But [Page 190] the Answer to this, is, Whe­ther the Word of God doth enjoyn and command this? If it doth not, (as it cannot well be suppos'd to com­mand and forbid the same thing) then their Resolu­tion being without Ground and Warrant, nay contrary to the Word, is unholy and unchristian, and so not to be followed. That it hath no Ground in Scripture, will appear from its Con­trariety thereunto; and that it is contrary thereunto, will be no less evident, if we consider; that without any Limitation or Restri­ction, we are positively [Page 191] commanded to pray for our Enemies, and to love them, (as I have above shew'd.) Now if God hath com­manded us to pray for them, we cannot be sup­pos'd to offend him in do­ing our Duty; nor can we be thought to pray against the Church of God, any more then God himself can be said to be for them and against it, when he permits and suffers them miserably to tear and distress it: for his permission is no Argu­ment of his approving or liking what they do, for then he must approve of every Sin, because he per­mits [Page 192] it, (which is Blasphe­my to assert) no more are our Prayers for them, a praying for their Sin, i. e. for its Success and Effect, which yet must be suppos'd, or else we cannot be said to pray against the Church. Nor is their making Havock of God's Church, the ne­cessary Effect and Conse­quent of his Permission, in that then his permitting it must be the necessary Cause thereof; and so consequent­ly not they but he, the Au­thor of it, and of all the Evil and Injustice attending it. No more are our Pray­ers the necessary Cause of [Page 193] their acting thus wickedly, or that the necessary effect of Them; because if they were, they would always produce the same effect, whether we prayed for Them, our selves, or o­thers, which is false and contradicted by Experi­ence. That They then are cruel Oppressors of Gods People, is not from Gods permission or our prayers, for to both the one and the other, this is extrinsecal and accidental; Neither is their Dignity, Authority, Rich­es, Prosperity, or any tem­poral Good They enjoy, that may be looked upon [Page 194] as the success of our pray­ers, the necessary cause here­of, but Their wicked and evil Hearts. These may indeed be incentives and motives hereunto, and so may the best things that are, be perverted and abused to evil; but then this is not the fault of the things but of the men, and so is it here. Our prayers then being not just­ly chargeable with this E­vil, certainly nothing of lesser moment (as our pre­judice and passion) ought to prevail so far upon us, as to make us omit so ne­cessary a practice and duty. But whether this, or some­what [Page 195] worse, hath not had too great a share in the Ob­jection, I shall leave to these mens Consciences to judge and determine: Only I desire them, they would be pleased so far to give me leave, as to acquaint and inform them of this farther additional truth, viz. That the outward calamities and pressures of the Church be­ing only Temporal Evils, not Moral and Internal ones, and permitted by God to wise and holy purposes, should our prayers for wicked Governours so far contribute hereunto, as to enable them to afflict and [Page 196] grieve the Christian Church as the Roman Caesars did of old, and the whole of the Objection was true, as 'tis indeed false; yet neverthe­less, we ought to prefer and chuse the doing of Christs Commands, before the en­joyment of the greatest Temporal Emolument and Good, or avoiding the greatest Temporal Cala­mity and Evil. And that therefore were our Gover­nour and King the greatest Persecutor and Tyrant ima­ginable, we are to pray for Him; did He afflict and vex the Church of Christ never so much, we are to [Page 197] offer up our Petitions to God for His Welfare and Good. The Reason is, be­cause whosoever shall break one of these least Commandments, and shall teachmen so, shall be cal­led the least in the King­dom of Heaven; but who­soever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the King­dom of Heaven, Matth. 5.19.

I have now, according to my proposed method, consider'd and dispatch'd the several particulars of that Subjection and Duty we owe to the Higher [Page 198] Powers, and so have abun­dantly shewed you what that Subjection and Duty is, and wherein it doth consist. I now come in the third place to consider, who are the Persons to pay this Sub­jection; and they are, ac­cording to the Apostle, [...], Every Soul, that is, Every Man, all indiscrimi­nately.

And though this may be sufficiently understood and collected from what I have above discours'd, yet that I may not be wanting to so good a cause, and in that 'tis a Truth so much im­pugn'd and contradicted by [Page 199] some Mens Doctrines and Practices, I shall the rather insist upon it, and be the more particular in the dis­cussion of it. That none then of what Degree, State, Quality, Condition or Cal­ling soever, can with any Truth and Justice exempt and priviledge themselves from paying this Subjecti­on to the Higher Powers, will be very evident and apparent to any that shall consider, that it is not in any mans power to alter or change, abrogate or disa­nul that Order of Superiori­ty and Inferiority of Go­vernors and Governed, God [Page 200] hath fixed and established in the World. And if it is undeniably true that it is not, and yet all that are being Parts or Members of some Society or other, and all Societies consisting of Rulers and Ruled, and so the whole World, as to its outward Polity, being fit­ly distributed and distin­guished into these two Ranks or Classes of above and beneath, King and Sub­ject; it will as certainly follow, that whosoever are not of the first of these, must be of the second; whoso­ever are not of the number of those that Rule, must be [Page 201] of theirs that are Ruled; and if so, then by their place and station they are to be subject, and to obey, because God hath so consti­tuted and appointed it; making it the Subjects busi­ness to be Obedient; the Governours to Command and Prescribe. And that they are to Obey and to be dutiful, will yet farther ap­pear, if we consider that none but the Supreme in every Kingdom or Nation can possess, or be vested with that Eminency and Dignity, that Authority and Power, that Necessity and Usefulness to the Pub­lick, [Page 202] which are the incom­municable properties of e­very Governour and Go­vernment; and then if They are not thus eminent, powerful and useful, 'tis a contradiction to say, They are Governors, when They want the very Essence and Being of such; and if they are not Governours, they must be Subjects, and if Subjects, then to perform the Commands and Injun­ctions of their Superiors: So that the whole of the de­bate between us and the Adversaries, to this Truth, the Pope of Rome and His Clergy of the one hand, [Page 203] and the Reformed Jesuit or Kirk-Reformer of the o­ther, will be fitly resolved into this Quaere, Whether they are Governours or Subjects?

If Governours, and Su­preme, we allow and ac­knowledge the right of Their claim and exempti­on; they are indeed not to be subject, but to Rule. But how do they prove this? Or what convincing and irrefragable Argument can they give us, that God hath said to them, They are Gods, and put the Sword of the Civil Power into Their Hands? If They on­ly [Page 204] say it, we can as easily and with as good reason unsay and deny it. As to the Pope, 'tis confessed He makes great brags of a Pa­ramount Superiority; that He is Vicar of Christ, and Vice-God, and so hath two Swords committed to Him,Boniface. the Temporal and the Spi­ritual. These are His pre­tensions and boasts, but how true and how well-grounded, we will consider and examine.

First then, That the Pope is not Vicar of Christ, nor Vice-God, as to the right of the Temporal Sword (and whether He is so as to [Page 205] the other part of His claim belongs to another disqui­sition) will be very mani­fest and evident, if we con­sider that our blessed Lord (Whose Person he pretends to represent, and Whose Place to supply upon earth) never exercised, or laid claim to any such Power as a Man, or as Mediator between God and Man: For as 'twas no part of His Office and Business, so was He more just than to en­trench upon and usurp the Rights of others; and there­foretold the Roman Gover­nour, that (though He were a King, yet) His Kingdom [Page 206] was not of this world. And accordingly we all along see Him acting as a Subject: At His Birth, in submitting to Augustus's Decree, for He could have prevented it if He would; in the progress of His Life, by paying Tri­bute unto Caesar; and at His Death, in suffering the Sen­tence of Pilate to be Execu­ted upon Him, acknow­ledging likewise the law­fulness of the Government, when He told the President, that He could have no power against Him, had it not been given him from a­bove.John xix.11. Now for the Pope to pretend to supply the [Page 207] place of Christ, to be His Vicar in that which He ne­ver exercised, but always disclaimed and rejected, is very absurd and irrational, as well as bold and presum­ptuous: And therefore sup­posing Him to be the Vicar of Christ in other things (which yet is false, and on­ly a precarious Title at best) yet in this particular, He cannot act, or be in His stead, because He never act­ed or was so Himself, that is, a Civil Governour: So that if he will make good his claim hereunto, he must derive it from somewhat else than his Vicarship, or [Page 208] else all His power and mightiness will quickly fall to the ground, and he must, though unwillingly, part with one of his Swords, whatever becomes of the other.

But as his Vicarship will do him no good, so neither will that whereon he grounds this claim, his be­ing Successor to St. Peter: For most certain is it, that he neither, as an Apostle, nor as Bishop of Rome, was ever Master or Possessor of the Temporal Sword. Nor do we read that He ever desir'd it, except it was in that bickering and dispute [Page 209] the Apostles had one with another, which of them should be the greatest: But they were rebuk'd by their Lord and Master, who told them, that the Kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them, and they that exercise Authority upon them, are called Benefact­ors, but ye shall not be so: But he that is greatest among you, Luke xxii. ver [...] 24, 25, 26. let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. But this was whilst that gross conceit was so rife among the Jews, that their Messiah was to be a great Temporal Prince, and before they were fully [Page 210] instructed to the Kingdom of Heaven. After the de­scent of the Holy Ghost, and their being led into all truth, we find nothing tend­ing or looking this way; then no strifes or disputes a­bout greatness, but the ne­cessary and truly Christian Doctrines of Patience, Hu­mility, Self-denial, Resig­nation, Submission and O­bedience to God and Man, taught and practised by them. St. Peter, then when his Commission was most full and Authentick, and he was endued with power from on high, not claiming any Earthly Dominion or [Page 211] Lordship, but of the other side, with his Saviour, reserv­ing unto Caesar his Rights, and Preaching and pressing Submission unto every Ordi­nance of man for the Lords sake, 1 Pet. ii.13. whether unto the King as Supreme, or unto those that are sent by Him: I say, He acting thus, then how comes it to pass that his Successor (who hath no more plenitude and authen­tickness of Commission than he had) doth act so contrary and repugnant to the doctrine and practice of Christ, and this his truly worthy Predecessor? What! Are the Truths and Graces [Page 212] of those times grown obso­lete and out of use? And the Faith once delivered to the Saints, antiquated and out-dated at Rome? Hath the Pride and Ambition, the Avarice and Iniquity of the Man, justled out the Hu­mility and Modesty, the Self-denial and Holiness of the Bishop? Or, to say truth, are not the Times and the Bishops chang'd? Do they not differ as much as white and black, and are they not as opposite as East and West? Yes certainly they are, for then and a great while after they were truly pious and devout Christians, [Page 213] good and Loyal Subjects; they Preach'd and Taught the Gospel of Christ truly and sincerely; they lived and acted honestly and con­scionably; they Honour'd all Men;1 Pet. ii.17. they Lov'd the Bro­ther-hood; they Fear'd God; they Honour'd their King. But now, instead of Honour and Love, Reproach and Hatred is the Lot and Por­tion of their fellow-Christi­ans and Brethren; instead of fearing God, they tram­ple under foot, and vilifie his Words and Truths; and instead of honouring and obeying, they despise, re­ject, disobey and scorn their [Page 214] rightful Lord and Sove­reign. In a word, for a modest Clergy-man and Bishop, we have a proud temporal Prince and Lord; for a true and sincere Disci­ple of Christs, one who by Injustice and Oppression, Usurpations and Encroach­ments, hath chang'd the Episcopal Chair into a Re­gal Throne; the Pastoral Staff, into a Powerful Scep­ter; and the Mitre, into a Crown. 'Tis true, he sits in the House of God no longer as Bishop and Sub­ject, but as God, as an Im­perial Monarch: But the Question is not, What he [Page 215] is, but what he should be; whether Christ or St. Peter ever gave him such Autho­rity and Pre-eminence, ever taught and acted so? If they did not, as hath been evinc'd and shew'd, his Pretences and Plea as to it, must be for ever null'd and evacua­ted: And therefore if he will not do as as he should, if he will not obey and be subject, but proceed to do­mineer and usurp, this doth not prejudge the Truth, this doth not falsifie the A­postle's Assertion, and 'twill be always wicked, unjust and unchristian in him so to act. And if it is so in him, [Page 216] it cannot be otherwise in his Clergy, who have as little Scripture and Reason to plead in their behalf as he hath. For if they are to be exempted from Subjection, as spiritual Persons, they are no more spiritual than Christ and his Apostles, and the Bishops and Ministers of the first 600 years, who yet in all that time never made use of, or pretended to such a Claim or Right. That Christ and his Apostles did not, is very manifest; and that their Successors, the Bishops, with the rest of the inferiour Clergy of those Ages, did not, is not [Page 217] less apparent to any that shall consult the Annals and Records of those Times. They all as acknowledg'd and confess'd, so paid and perform'd the Duty of Sub­jection and Obedience to the supream Magistrate and Governour See the Lear­ned Gro­tius, and Dr. Cave, in the Books and Pla­ces above cited.. They look'd upon and consider'd themselves as Members of the Commonwealth and Kingdom where they liv'd, and so believed and thought it but just and reasonable, that they should be subject to the Laws of the Govern­ment that protected them in their Rights and Liber­ties. Nay, they were per­swaded [Page 218] of the necessity of the Obligation and Duty upon a much higher ac­count; that God had bound it upon their Consciences by a standing, irreversible Law: And so St. Chrysostom expounds the [...], every Soul, in my Text, i. e. if thou be an Apostle, an E­vangelist, a Prophet, or whatsoever thou art, thou must be subject; and these things are commanded to all, both Priests and Monks, and not only to Seculars and Lay-men. Wide­sis Pare­um in Respons. ad Dubi­um pri­mum in cap. deci­mum ter­tium ad Roma­nos. And to this agrees that large ac­count we meet with of the Judgement, Piety, and Pra­ctice [Page 219] of the primitive Chri­stians, Clergy and Laity, as to this particular, in the ancient Apologists and Writers of those best and purest Ages of the Church. The truth is, a long pros­perity and ease from Perse­cution, had not so much abus'd their Understand­ings, and perverted their Wills, as to have instill'd this Doctrine into their Heads, and made it the practice of their Lives. They liv'd too near the Fountain of Christianity in its purity and unmixedness, to be yet so earth'd and mudded, as against Law [Page 220] and Gospel, to set up for a secular Pomp and Great­ness, Domineering and Grandeur of their own. This was to be the work and ini­quity of worser Men and worser Times; one of the Devil's Master-pieces in the Ages of Antichrist and the Beast; and how very suc­cessful it hath been to up­hold and support his weak­ned Power in the Christian World, the horrid Opini­ons, Doctrines and Practi­ces of that See and Church, is but too undeniable aproof and demonstration. And whether this immoderate Love and Affectation of [Page 221] Worldly Glory and Great­ness, and consequent here­unto, the despising of Do­minions, and speaking evil of Dignities, their refusing and denying to be subject to the Higher Powers, did not prepare the way for that Judgment mentioned by the Apostle, 2 Thess. 2.11. That God should send them strong delusion to believe a Lye, I shall leave to others peremptorily to define and determine. However, this we may affirm, that till they did believe this Lye, that the Pope was above Kings and Emperors, and so they not to obey Them but him, [Page 222] there was not the tenth part of those abominable Here­sies and Doctrines that have been since, to the disho­nour of Christ and Christia­nity, and the disturbance and disquiet of the Christi­an World. But whatever was the cause either of this or that, most certain is it, that neither the one nor the other is true Catholick Christian Doctrine, or true Catholick Christian Pra­ctise: Not Christian Do­ctrine, because we are to put them (i. e. every Soul) in mind to be subject to Principalities and Powers, and to obey Magistrates, [Page 223] Titus 3.1. Not Christian Practise, because that is to be subject to the Higher Powers, and that Clergy-men are to be so, is by the Apostles performing and acting it, rendred undenia­bly true; especially when it had been laid down in Thesi for a Christian Do­ctrine before: And so S. Bernard, though he lived in corrupt times understood it. For writing to a Cler­gy-man, a Bishop, He thus speaks; Si omnis & vestra: Quis vos excipit ab Universita­te? Si quis tentat excipere, co­natur decipere. If every Soul is to be subject, then you are: [Page 224] Who hath excepted you from this number? He that endea­vours to except you, endea­vours to deceive you. Absurd then and wicked is it, to pretend and plead for ex­emption as Ministers, when the Apostles of Christ in their Lives and Doctrines, taught and exemplified the contrary.

And what hath been said here in defence of the truth against the Pope and his Clergy See Dr. Field Of the Church, in His Fifth Book, Chap. 44 doth as much impugn all others (what­ever they call themselves) that have drank of the Ro­man Cisterns, and mudded waters of Tyber. A Popish [Page 225] Priest profess'd, and a Po­pish Minister in Masque­rade, are alike pernicious and hurtful to the Rights of Princes. The one is for doing all without the Go­vernour, the other for not obeying, and both for not being subject. And if we'l believe the account a wor­thy Historian Arch-Bishop Spots­wood His Hi­story of Scotland, Book 6. gives us, of the actings of the Kirk-Reformers, we shall have a great deal of reason to believe and confess, that had the Pope been in Scot­land in those days, he could not well have given the Government greater trou­bles and disquiets, and more [Page 226] unjustly entrenched upon its Prerogative, than a com­pany of pert, pragmatical Synod-men did. What they did to Mary Queen of Scots, but especially to her Son King Iames (that Wise and Excellent Prince) the Hi­storian fully informs the Reader. Indeed their act­ings made such an impressi­on upon Him, that (as one observes) they made way, and gave occasion for that His new Aphorism of State, No Bishop, No King. He meaning thereby, I suppose this; that if any Governor should admit the Discipli­narian way to be practis'd [Page 227] in His Dominions, it laying claim to such a paramount power in Church-Govern­ment, See Arch-Bishop Bramhals fair war­ning of Scotch Disci­pline. as to suffer no e­qual and co-ordinate sepa­rate Authority, much less any to be Supreme, would so justle, confront and with­stand Him in the Exercise and Use of His Prerogative, so intrench upon his Rights and Priviledges, and by its subtleties, pretences and in­sinuations so screw and turn Him, as e're long to justle screw and turn Him out of His Authority and Power, as a King.

But of the other side, to have the way of Church-Government [Page 228] by Bishops, as Reformed in the Church of England, Established and Set up, would be a ready and effectual way to secure the Throne, to enjoy the Royal Prerogatives, and to maintain and defend the Honour and Authority of the King and Government; because the Church of Eng­land being Reform'd ac­cording to the Primitive Patterns, hath a true filial Respect, Tenderness, Love and Dutifulness for Her Nursing Father, will do Him all the good Turns She can, but no bad ones; believes it Her duty to be [Page 229] subject and obedient, and to render, as, unto God, so, unto Caesar, His due. And for this She is a worthy Ex­ample to the Christian World, being never known to prevaricate, or be de­fective in this part of Her Christianity; or to violate and throw down those Bounds and Fences God and Truth had placed about the Person of Her Governor. And may this be Her Re­nown and Honour, Her Piety and Religion, as long as the Sun and Moon en­dure: May She always pre­serve Her Innocency and Loyalty; may She never [Page 230] drink of the dreggy defile­ments of the Whore of Ba­bylon, and of the filth of Her spawn; may She continue still to be, as She is, an im­pregnable bulwark to Mo­narchy, and may there still be the shoot of a King with­in Her.

We have now beheld all and every part of the Com­mand or Injunction, and so have gone through and perform'd the first and greatest part of our Task: What remains farther to be considered is, Secondly, the Reason and Enforce­ment of all this, Why eve­ry Soul is to be subject; and [Page 231] that is, because there is no power but of God.

But before I come to shew unto you the force and consequence of the A­postles Argument and Rea­son, it will be necessary to evince and demonstrate the truth of his assertion, viz. That there is no power but of God, i. e. that God is the Author and Instituter of all Power and Government, because it is a thing im­pugn'd and contradicted by a great many (who pretend a great Reverence for the holy Scriptures, and yet will not believe them when it is against their Interest) [Page 232] and for that I may more fully conclude against all Sons of Corah, all seditious, mutinying and rebellious Dathans and Abirams.

As to the truth then of the Position, that there is no power but of God, or, that the Powers that be, are ordained of God; 'twill be very plain and apparent, if we consider, that God ha­ving made Men by nature sociable Creatures [...]. Ar. Pol. l. 1. c. 2. that is, by their make and con­stitution, fitted them to converse with, and do good one to another, by im­planting in them a sence of just and unjust, of good and [Page 233] evil, [...]. ibid. [...]; and it is a com­munication of these, that constitutes a greater or les­ser Society, a House, a City, or Kingdom, and yet no Society, whether great or small, being able to subsist without Government, 'tis but reasonable to suppose, that God giving unto man naturally, all the prepara­tives and materials for So­ciety, did not withhold from him the cement and life of the whole, Govern­ment. Nay, 'tis absurd, to imagine God to be the Author of mans sociable­ness, or of his entring into [Page 234] Society, and yet not to be the Author of Government; when Government is of the nature of Society, and 'tis impossible to conceive the one without the other: You may call them a Flock, or an Herd, of Men, but not a Society without Govern­ment; for that consists (as the Philosopher observes) in a communication and in­terchange of good and evil, of just and unjust, that is, it is the principal business and end of a Society, to de­termine and judge of the effects and consequents of these, which 'tis a contra­diction to say it can do, [Page 235] without Governing; because Governing and Judging are here reciprocal terms, sig­nifying one and the same thing: So that either Go­vernment must essentially belong unto Society, or else it must cease to be such, in that without this, good and evil, just and unjust, will be words and no more, as to any real effects they can produce or have in the Community as such. And then, if Government is of the essence and nature of Society, it must undeniably follow, that whosoever constituted and appointed the one, must also consti­tute [Page 236] and appoint the other; and that therefore, if God is the Author of Society, He must be likewise the Author of Government.

2. And that He is so, will be farther evident, if we secondly consider, that He is the Great Universal Go­vernor of all things; that with an excellent Know­ledge, Care and Inspection, He manages and conducts the whole Created Nature of Beings, and exerts as much of goodness and mer­cy in disposing and order­ing all things for the best, as He did at first of Power, in giving them a Being. [Page 237] And if his good Providence doth thus extend it self to the vilest Insects and creep­ing things, as to place them in such a condition of Life, as is most suitable and a­greeable to their Nature and Kind; if the lowest and meanest part of the Creati­on, doth so largely partake of the divine Beneficence and Goodness, can we with any Reason perswade our selves, that Man whom he hath created after his own Image, the best and chief­est of the visible World, can be less the Object of his Bounty and Care? Doth God take care for Oxen, 1 Cor. ix 9. for [Page 238] their well and happy Be­ing, as the Apostle urges in another Case? And doth he not for Us, that we may be so too? And then if he doth for us, it must certain­ly be in a way that may at once secure our Life and Welfare; it must be so as that we may enjoy our Li­berty and Property, and the Goods and Benefits of our present state and con­dition. But how could he have done this, but by in­stituting and appointing Go­vernment; by delegating and setting up some Per­sons, with a competent Authority and Power to re­press [Page 239] and curb all Outrage and Violence, Injustice and Oppression, and to defend and protect the Weak and Impotent? For Wicked­ness and Injustice were very early in the World, and no doubt there would have been more Cains, had not God interpos'd, and by somewhat of this kind re­trench'd and controll'd the Exorbitancies and Irregula­rities of mens Passions and Actings. That he did it by a positive Command, presently after the Flood, is very evident from Gen. 9.6. Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be [Page 240] shed. Which is not impro­bably understood by Pareus In re­spons. ad tertiam Classem Dubio­rum in cap. 13. ad Rom. pag. 1054 to be the Institution of Magistracy; and the Rea­son he gives for it is very considerable, for that it be­ing a sin in any private man to kill another, and yet the Man-slayer's blood is to be shed, either it must be shed by the Hand of the Magi­strate, or by none else, ex­cept God would take the Executioner's part upon him, which we do not read he did. However we have this to plead farther in de­fence of the probability of the Opinion, that it was authoriz'd by the same Spi­rit [Page 241] of God in the after-Ages of the World, and that the Magistrate alone was with full and evident Commissi­on appointed to be God's Avenger and Minister, to execute wrath upon them that do Evil. And if it hath been so since with di­vine Allowance and Esta­blishment, why might it not have been so then? es­pecially considering that they were men of like Pas­sions with us, of the same corrupted Nature and Prin­ciples, and wanted Boun­daries and Fences to keep them from transgressing as well as we. And then if [Page 242] God so early instituted Ma­gistracy, it must be long before the Graecian or Ro­man Records had a Name or Being in the World; and that therefore the Account they give us of the Original of Government, may be very rationally suppos'd to be very imperfect and defective in comparison of this, and ought to be so esteem'd by all wise and considerate men; when the highest of their Antiqui­ty is but of late date to the Pentateuch, or five Books of Moses.

3. But supposing this Text doth not directly con­clude [Page 243] for the so early Insti­tution of publick Magistra­cy, yet that there was such a thing even then in the World, will be confess'd and acknowledg'd by all that shall farther, thirdly, consider with me, that God had by Nature constituted the Father, the Governour and Overseer of his Off­spring and Issue. [...]. Arist. Pol. lib. 1. cap. 1. And then as 'tis rational to sup­pose, that there needed no other Governour but the Head of the Family to su­pervise and inspect, the number of People being then but few, and the Pa­triarchs of those first Cen­turies [Page 244] living to a very great Age; as Adam (the origi­nal Stock of Mankind) nine hundred years and upwards, till after the Birth of La­mech, the Father of Noah; and he having a just Right of Jurisdiction and Govern­ment over all that descend­ed from him, so may it be as reasonably concluded that he did actually govern them to his Death, being the Imperial Lord over the whole World. However 'tis very absurd and unrea­sonable to conclude the Negative or contrary from the holy Scripture's silence herein, when we may as [Page 245] well conclude that Eve ne­ver died, because it is not recorded there. 'Tis suffi­cient ground for the truth of our Assertion, that it is consonant and agreeable to that Order of Superiority and Inferiority God had by Nature plac'd and fix'd in the World between Parent and Child, and that Right he had given as such, and is acknowledg'd by all: For if there hath been this natural Superiority and In­feriority from the begin­ning, then some by Nature were to rule and govern, and others by Nature to be subject and obey, or to be [Page 246] governed; and if so, then 'tis as certain, that if God established the one, he must the other, because Superi­ority here denotes Govern­ment, and Inferiority a be­ing govern'd. And so a­greeable hereunto, Aristo­tle, as great a Master of Reason as any of our mo­dern pretenders, deduces the Original of Govern­ment from a House or Fa­mily to a Village, [...]. from a Village to a City, [...]. and from a City to a Nation or Kingdom: [...]. Ar. Pol. lib. 1. cap. 1, 2. And so Ci­ties were first govern'd, and afterwards Nations, as He speaks.

[Page 247]And whether this be not a better and truer account of the State of Nature, than that Mr. Hobbs hath obtru­ded upon the world Le­viathan, cap. 13. I leave to all men to judge, that have but so much rea­son, as to consider how they were born, or mankind pro­pagated to the present ge­neration. For if it was by the way of Father and Son, then there could not be that natural equality, so as to found and establish a right contrary and inopposition to that of the Parent (which He pleads for, and makes one part of the foundation of his opinion) for notwith­standing [Page 248] that the Son hath as reasonable a Nature as the Father, yet that cannot be supposed to be given him in prejudice of Him from whom he derived it; sup­posing that our being reasonable Creatures, did give us a right to the things of the earth: For Self-pre­servation is a Law of Na­ture as well to the Father as Child; and then the Fa­ther having so much the odds of the Son in his mino­rity, would, no doubt, have quickly freed himself from the danger of such a Competitor, and so man­kind, long e're this, have [Page 249] ceased, had this been the State of Nature.

But I deny that, as Men, or reasonable Creatures, we have a right to all things, because The earth is the Lords, 1 Cor. 10.26. Luke 10.21. and the fulness thereof; and 'Tis God that is the Lord of Heaven and Earth: So that if we have a right to any thing, the justness of our claim must be founded up­on Gods gift and donation, and not upon our being all equally men or endued with Reason, for that, as to this, is only a prepara­tive the better to fit and dis­pose us to enjoy and under­stand at once, the bounty [Page 250] and wisdom of our Maker and Lord; and that there­fore though we have all an equality of Nature, yet we have not all an equality of Right, that being variously dispensed and distributed according to the good plea­sure of the Divine Provi­dence. And then as to all other things, 'tis certain that Superiority and Inferiority destroys Equality; and that the Parent is superior to the Child, is more than evi­dent.

And as little of solidity and firmness is there in that other part of what He lays to found his opinion on, that [Page 251] there was no coercive Pow­er, for if there is Natural Superiority, there must na­turally be Government, and if Government, then coer­cive Power. What He adds of the Nature of Mens Pas­sions and Experience, ar­gues at most only thus much, that Men will be still inclin'd to wickedness and injustice, and that therefore there will be still a necessity of Government and Laws to keep them within bounds. The foundation then of this fair Building, thus perishing and coming to nought, the Superstru­cture it self must needs fall: [Page 252] For if there was always a just and sufficient power to impede and obstruct the ill effects of Mens Lusts and Passions, and no Man but the Protoplast ever having Ius in omnia, a Right to all things, and this too by gift, as may be seen, Gen. 1.28, 29, 30. afterwards the di­stinctions or differences of Meum & Tuum, Mine and Thine, increasing and mul­tiplying according as God did severally dispense and dispose to several men; as there could be no reason and cause for this, not na­tural, but unnatural state of mutual war and violence [Page 253] (for so it is that the Son should kill the Father, and the Parent the Child) so is it morally impossible that ever there could be such a state, and morally uncer­tain that ever there was, ex­cept in this Philosophers brains. And then if there never was such a State, there must be always Govern­ment; because otherwise such a State would necessa­rily follow and ensue, as I have already evinc'd and shew'd.

4. And if there was always Government, then fourthly, it must be instituted and or­dained of God, and not of [Page 254] the People (as some object) because He alone hath the power of Life and Death; and therefore He only and none else can impart and communicate such a power unto man. Now that ca­pital punishment, or pu­nishment by death, is in many cases very requisite and necessary in all Govern­ments, will be confess'd by all that understand any thing: If then the publick Governor is not deputed and authorized hereunto by God, but by the Commu­nity; he will be only a pub­lick murderer, notwith­standing the consent and al­lowance [Page 255] of the People, in that no man hath power of his own life, much less of that of another, and there­fore cannot give that he ne­ver had, and yet all Go­vernments and Governors exercise and use this power. To say they do it by virtue of their publick Ministry, is to say nothing to the pur­pose, except they have this from God as the Author and Appointer of it; otherwise they will be as obnoxious to the vengeance of Divine Justice, as the meanest Sub­ject or most private Person, because what God hath made a standing Law to all, [Page 256] is irreversibly so, but where He hath made the exempti­on: Now if Magistracy or Government is of the Peo­ple, it is certain the pub­lick Magistrate hath not been exempted by God; and if not, then what He hath said to, and command­ed all, equally concerns them: And therefore, Sure­ly your Blood of your Lives will I require: at the hand of every Beast will I require it, and at the hand of Man; at the hand of every Mans Brother, will I require the Life of Man, Gen. 9.5. They may indeed kill a man with greater solem­nity, as by forms of Law [Page 257] and Political Justice, but nought but Gods Authoriz­ing and Empowering them hereunto, can acquit them before the Great Tribunal of Heaven: For the Life of Man is so sacred and excel­lent a thing, as being the Image of God, that nothing can be a sufficient reason and cause for its destruction except the Divine Authori­ty interposes, and there is a Divine Institution annext to warrant and justifie the pro­ceedings. And this we must suppose and acknowledge, or else all Governments are Tyrannical, unjust and con­trary to the Law of Nature, [Page 258] and all Governors, wicked Transgressors and Violators of it; God may dispense with his own Laws, but 'tis presumption in man to at­tempt it, a folly and a sin. If then the Exercise of Ma­gistracy, or at least of this part of the Office, is with­out a Divine warrant, sin­ful; either we must lay Sin at the Magistrates door, or confess the Truth of the A­postles Assertion, that There is no Power but of God.

To all which, we may add what I have above No­ted,Psal. lxxxii.6 John x.30. that it is God who hath said to Governors, I have said that ye are Gods, and [Page 259] by His saying hath made them so. That St. Paul po­sitively says,Rom. xiii.4. They are Gods Ministers, and His Revengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil: To which agrees what we read Prov. 8.15. By me Kings Reign, and Prin­ces Decree Iustice. And so Da­niel told Nebuchadnezzar, The Most High Ruleth in the King­dom of men, Dan. iv.32. and giveth it to whomsoever He will. 'Tis true, St. Peter 1 Ep. 2.13. calls Government the Ordi­nance of man; but this doth no way prejudice our cause, for so it may be, and yet of Divine Institution and Right; and is with a great [Page 260] deal of Reason so interpre­ted by some, who tell us, that it may be a Humane Ordinance, either Subje­ctive, in respect of the Sub­ject, because the Office is ex­ecuted by Man; or Objectivè, in respect of the Object a­bout which it is conversant, and that is Humane Society; or lastly, [...] in respect of the end, in that it is for the good and benefit of men. Now it may be Hu­mane, or of Men, in all these sences, and yet be or­dain'd of God, or of Di­vine Original; and so we are to understand it, or o­therwise we shall make the [Page 261] Apostles plainly contradi­cting one the other, which no sincere Christian will willingly admit or hear of.

I must confess that the learned Grotius Lib. 1. cap. 4. §. 7. num. 3. de Iure Belli & Pacis. inter­prets it according to the Letter, telling us, that it was an experience or sence of Infirmity and Weakness to withstand others,Notan­dum est primo ho­mines non Dei prae­cepto sed sponte ad­ductos ex­perimento infirmitatis, familiarum segregum adversus violenti­am in Societatem Civilem coiisse, unde ortum habet Potestas Civilis, quam ideo humanam Ordinationem Petrus vocat. or de­fend themselves, that first joyn'd men in Civil Socie­ty, and that Civil Power had hence its Original and Beginning, and that upon [Page 262] this account St. Peter calls it an humane Ordinance. But he only says it, and no more, and therefore all that I shall return, is, that he seems to me to unsay it in the Chapter immediate­ly preceding this, where he tells us, Reji­cienda est eorum o­pinio, qui ubi (que) & sine excep­tione sum­mam po­testatem esse volunt populi. Cap. 3. §. 8. num. 1. That their Opinion is to be rejected, who every where and with­out exception would have the supreme Power to be in the People: which he must understand of the O­riginal of Power, or else he needed not to have made the Remark, for who is ignorant of it, or so bold and impudent as to af­firm [Page 263] it in the other sence? And so in the same Section again tell us, Num. 13. Sed nec verum est quod assumitur omnes Reges à Populo constitui. That it is not true that all Kings (or Governours) are con­stituted by the People. And this too must be under­stood of the Original of Government, or else his Instance of such a powerful Paterfamilias, Patriarch, or Father of a Family, is in vain; for there could never be such a one, (granting his Supposition) but in the first Ages of the World, be­fore its Policy and Govern­ment was setled: since, as every one is born under a Government, so thereby [Page 264] secured of his Life and Li­berty, and so needs not subject and yield himself a Vassal for Protection and Defence to any potent Neighbour. Here then he tells us, That Governours are not of the People, nor constituted by them, which yet they must be originally, if Government is a humane Ordinance in that sence he hath explain'd it; for if it is (hominum salubre Institu­tum, & humana Lex) a hu­mane Institution, Law, or Ordinance, then it is not divine, and if not divine, then all Governments and Governours do owe and are [Page 265] indebted for their Instituti­on and Original to Men or the People. But that they are not, this worthy Au­thor hath affirm'd and en­deavour'd to prove; and therefore tho' he seems to be, yet he is not a real Ad­versary to the present Truth. Indeed he was a Dutch-man, bred up in the Democratical or Popular way, and then 'tis possible that Prejudice and Educati­on may sometimes blind the Eyes of a very wise man.

I have now too given you an Account of the di­vine Right of Government, [Page 266] and have endeavour'd to answer what hath been most materially, and with greatest shew of Reason objected; I now proceed to the 2d. and last thing, and that is, to shew unto you the force and conse­quence of the Apostle's Ar­gument and Reason.

2. That a great Defe­rence and Respect, Sub­mission and Obedience, is to be given and paid to every thing of divine Institution, is unanimously acknow­ledg'd by all that assent to the Being of a God, and the Truth of the holy Scrip­tures. And indeed very [Page 267] fit and reasonable is it, very just and necessary, that we should glorifie and serve our great Creator and Lord, in all things that re­late and appertain unto him; for he being infinite­ly superiour unto, and more excellent in Majesty and Power, in Wisdom and Knowledge, in Justice and Truth, in Mercy and Good­ness, then all things be­sides, as nothing can with an equality of Right lay claim unto, and exact so sincere and hearty, so en­tire and impartial an Obe­dience to what is prescrib'd, commanded and appointed [Page 268] as he can, so nought can be more our Wisdom and Un­derstanding, our Felicity and Good, then to direct and order our selves accor­ding to his Will and Plea­sure; then to perform and be subject to what he hath instituted and ordain'd. Go­vernment then being of him, as to its Original and Institution, (there being no Power but of God, as St. Paul asserts, and I have prov'd) doth upon his ac­count challenge and re­quire, enjoyn and com­mand our dutiful Subjecti­on and Submission to it. It is for his Sake and by his [Page 269] Authority that we are to pay all that Honour, Obe­dience, Fear, Benevolence, Love, Gratitude, Tribute and Prayer, I have so large­ly discours'd of; and ex­cept we will wickedly re­ject God to be our Lord, openly defie his Majesty and Power, impudently op­pose his Justice and Truth, and ungratefully return all the blessed Effects of his Mercy and Goodness; nay, except we will utterly a­bandon all Considerations of Good and Evil, of Hea­ven and Hell, and what is to betide and happen unto us in the final Issue and Re­sult [Page 270] of things, this will be the Practice and Business of our Lives, and by it shall we endeavour to perfect Holiness in the sight of God. Besides, from whence is it that they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation, Rom. xiii.2. but because Disobedience and Rebellion against a lawful Governour, is Diso­bedience and Rebellion against God? He esteeming the Sin and Evil acted against his Deputy and Vice­gerent, as acted against himself. And what God told Samuel, 1 Sam. viii.7. upon the Israe­lites Defection or falling off from him; They have not re­jected [Page 271] thee but me, is still the divine Language in such a Case, in behalf of every Prince and Ruler. Religion doth at once found and pre­serve the Rights of Gover­nours; renders their Per­sons sacred and inviolable, and their Office Majestick and God-like; their Emi­nency and Dignity, their Authority and Power being from God; and therefore to rise up against them, to vilifie and abuse their Dig­nity, to despise and con­temn their Authority, is to vilifie and despise him, who hath put such Treasure in earthen Vessels, and given [Page 272] such Power and Excellency unto men. It cannot then be Piety and Religion, but the Extream of Impudency and Wickedness, and a great prophanation and vi­olation of the Sacredness of divine Truths, to say and act as some men have taught and practis'd, That Subjects may lawfully bind Kings in Chains, and such Nobles with links of Iron. They may with as much truth say, They can religi­ously lay violent Hands up­on God himself, and bring him to condign punish­ment, (were it possible) as affirm, they can do this by [Page 273] any Divine Warrant and Law to the Person of their Governor and King, who immediately Represents the Image and Character, and Executes the Place and Office of the Great Univer­sal Governor, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. For if His Person and Pre­sence is to be fear'd and dreaded, to be Honour'd and Rever'd, and His Laws and Commands to be per­form'd and obey'd; so are Theirs in all things wherein They Command for God, wherein They are Gods, and in Gods stead to us: The subjection we pay unto our [Page 274] Governors, is a subjection that is Gods, and for God; in obeying Them we obey Him, whose principally and originally the Authori­ty is. Add to this, that it is one part of our worship­ing and serving Him in Spi­rit and in Truth, because one part of His Will and Word: So that for Men to pretend Religion, Holiness and Conscience in all their ways, and yet not perform this so necessary and indis­pensible a part of their Christianity, is to be holy only in imagination and o­pinion, and is the Piety of those Dreamers that defile [Page 275] the Flesh, Jude ver. 8. despise Dominions, and speak evil of Dignities. For if God is the Lord, and so His Authority is to be re­verenc'd, and His Will o­bey'd, and the reverencing His Authority and obeying His Will is Religion; how can they be truly Religious, that perform neither the one nor the other? That they do not Reverence His Authority is manifest, in that they do not obey His Will; and that they do not obey His Will, is not less evident, because they are not subject to the Higher Powers; and then if not subject to Them, not sub­ject [Page 276] to God; and if not sub­ject to Him, then certainly not Holy, not Religious, not Conscientious, except in pretence and shew. Either then we must make Obe­dience to Governors, a ne­cessary ingredient of our Christianity, or else evacu­ate and null Gods Authori­ty as to us, reject and dis­own His Commands, and renounce and deny the truth of our Religion. And this is that the Apostle intends by the reason and enforce­ment in my Text, when He tells us, that There is no Power but of God. Let every Soul be subject unto the High­er Powers, &c.

[Page 277]I have now by the Di­vine Assistance gone thro' the whole of my designed method, and have conside­red whatsoever the Text suggested as necessary and useful to be treated of, lay­ing down such Rules as will be, I hope, serviceable to all that are not over-scru­pulously nice, and of too tender a Conscience.

What then now remains is, to Exhort and Beseech all in the Bowels of Jesus Christ, and as they tender the Glory and Honour of God and Religion, the Safe­ty and Welfare of the King­doms [Page 278] wherein they live, and their own Eternal Good, Happiness and Peace here­after, that they no longer propagate and cherish, en­courage and maintain heats and animosities amongst themselves, Faction and Se­dition against the State, and Mutinying and Rebelling against the Person and Au­thority of their Lawful King and Governor, but Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars, and be sub­ject unto the Higher Powers. It is a duty as much Christi­an as any, because Com­manded by Christ himself; and therefore with as just a [Page 279] right merits and calls for our care and concernment, our dutiful performance and practice, as any other what­soever. We may indeed pay a partial and peace­meal Obedience to God without it, but except in this too we exercise our selves, endeavouring to keep a good Conscience, as we can never be entirely Holy, so not such faithful Stewards and diligent Ser­vants, as shall be able to render their Accounts with joy, and whom the Lord shall bless at his coming: For if God will accept no Obedience but what is uni­form, [Page 280] sincere and entire, and ours not being such, in that we have omitted this weighty thing of the Law, this great Commandment; what can we upon good and warrantable grounds expect, but that in the day of Inquisition and Judg­ment, the Mene Tekel will be pronounced against us; and that how exact and cir­cumspect soever we have been in other things, how very just and righteous, yet that all that Righteousness shall not be remembred, but in the wilful presum­ptuous sin that we have sin­ned, in the known and a­vowed [Page 281] trespass that we have trespassed, in that shall we die? And then could Re­bellion and Disobedience confer upon, and Crown us with as great and flourishing Empires and Kingdoms as the Devil vainly made an offer of to Christ, even those of the whole World; could we thereby be as Great, as Honourable, and as Happy as our Hearts could wish; yet how mean, how sad an Exchange must this prove for the irreparable loss and ruin of Soul and Body in Hell? What can compen­sate that unspeakable, and never enough to be lament­ed, [Page 282] calamity and misery? May then the just conside­ration hereof, through Gods Omnipotent working Grace be so powerfully effectual, to rouze and stir us up, as to make us consider and see now in this our day, what those things are that belong unto, and make for our Peace; and so far prevail upon us, as that all Rebel­lion and Disobedience may be as great Strangers to our Lives and Practices, as they are contrary to that pure and undefiled Religion we Profess: That being a Peo­ple truly zealous of Good Works, in all things wil­ling [Page 283] and desirous to Live Honestly and Uprightly, and as becometh the Gospel of Christ, and diligent and careful in the Great Work of our High and Heavenly Calling; we may so entire­ly and sincerely Serve and Obey God, as that at the end of our Race we may re­ceive the end of our Hopes, the Eternal Salvation and Blessedness of every one of our Souls. I shall Close all with that of the Apostle, I speak as to Wise Men, 1 Cor. x.15. Iudge Ye what I say.