A Christian Directory
I find in Diog. Laertius, lib. 1. (mihi) 32. that Pisistratus the Athenian Tyrant, proving to Solon (in his Epistle to him) that he had nothing against God or man to blame him for, but for taking the Crown; t • lling him, that he caused them to keep the same Laws which Solon gave them, and that better than the popular Government could have done, doth instance thus: Atheniensium singuli decimas frugum suarum separant, non in usus nostros consumendas, verum sacrificiis publicis, commodisque Communibus, & si quando bellum contra nos ingruerit, in sumpius deputandas; that is, Everyone of the Athenians do separate the Tythes of their fruits, not to be consumed to our uses, but to defray the charge in public sacrifices, and in the common profits, and if war at any time invade us. And Plautus saith, Ut decimam solveret Herculi. Indeed as among the Heathens the Tythes were conjunctly given for Religious and Civil uses, so it seems that at first the Christian Emperors settled them on the Bishops for the use of the poor, as well as for the Ministers, and Church-service, and utensils. For to all these they were to be divided, and the Bishop was as the guardian of the poor: And the glebe or farms that were given to the Church, were all employed to the same uses: And the Canons required that the Tythes should be thus disposed of by the Clergy; non tanquam propriae, sed domino oblatae: And the Emperor Justinian commanded the Bishops, ne ea quae ecclesiis relicta sunt sibi adscribant sed in necessarios Ecclesiae usus impendant; l. 43. c. de Epise. & Cler. vid. Albert. Ran • z. Metrop. l. 1. c. 2. & sax. l. 6. c. 52. And Jerome ( ad Damas. ) saith, Quoniam quicquid habent clerici pauperum est; & domus illorum omnibus debent esse communes; susceptioni peregrinorum & hospitum invigilare debent: Maxim curandum est illis, ut de decimis & oblationibus, caenobiis & Xenodochiis qualem voluerint & potuerint sustentationem impendant.
Yet then the paying of Tythes did not excuse the people from all other charity to the poor: Austin saith, Qui sibi aut premium comparat, aut peccatorum desiderat indulgentiam promereri, reddat decimam, etiam de novem partibus studeat eleemosynam dare pauperibus. And in our times there is less reason that Tythes should excuse the people from their works of charity, both because the Tythes are now more appropriate to the maintenance of the Clergy, and because (as is aforesaid) the people give them not out of their own. I confess, if we consider how Decimation was used before the Law by Abraham and Jacob, and established by the Law unto the Jews, and how commonly it was used among the Gentiles, and last of all by the Church of Christ, it will make a considerate man imagine, that as there is still a Divine Direction for one day in seven, as a necessary proportion of Time, to be ordinarily consecrated to God, besides what we can spare from our other days; so that there is something of a Divine Canon, or direction for the Tenth of our revenues or increase, to be ordinarily consecrated to God, besides what may be spared from the rest. And whether those Tythes that are none of your own▪ and cost you nothing, be now to be reckoned to • rivate men, as any of their Tenths, which they themselves should give, I leave to your considerati •• . Amongst Augustine's works, we find an opinion that the Devils were the Tenth part of the Angels, and that man is now to be the Tenth order among the Angels, the Saints filling up the place that the Devils fell from, and there being nine orders of Angels to be above us, and that in this, there is some ground of our paying Tenths; and therefore he saith, that, Haec est Domini justissima consuetudo; ut si tu illi decimam non dederis, tu ad decimam revocaberis; id est, daemonibus, qui sunt decima pars angelorum associaberis. Though I know not whence he had this opinion, it seemeth that the devoting of a tenth part ordinarily to God, is a matter that we have more than a human Direction for.
15. In times of extraordinary necessities of the Church, or State, or Poor, there must be extraordinary bounty in our Contributions; As if an enemy be ready to invade the Land, or if some extraordinary work of God (as the Conversion of some Heathen Nations) do require it, or some extraordinary persecution, and distress befall the Pastors, or in a year of famine, plague, or war, when the necessities of the poor are extraordinary: The tenths in such cases will not suffice, from those that have more to give; Therefore in such a time, the Primitive Christians sold their possessions, and laid down the price at the feet of the Apostles.
In one word, an honest charitable heart, being presupposed as the root or fountain, and prudence being the discerner of our duty, the Apostles general Rule may much satisfy a Christian for the proportion, 1 Cor. 16. 2. [ Let everyone of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him. ] And 2 Cor. 8. 12. According to that a man hath; though there be many intimations, that ordinarily a Tenth part at least is requisite.
III. Having thus resolved the question of the quota pars, or proportion to be given, I shall say a little to the question, Whether a man should give most in his life time, or at his Death?
Answ. 1. It is certain that the best work, is that which is like to do most good.
2. But to make it best to us, it is necessary that we do it with the most self-denying, holy, charitable mind.
3. That caeteris paribus, all things else being equal, the present doing of a good work, is better than to defer it.
4. That to do good only when you die, because then you can keep your wealth no longer, and because then it costeth you nothing to part with it, and because then you hope that this shall serve instead of true Repentance and Godliness; this is but to deceive yourselves, and will do nothing to save your souls, though it do never so much good to others.
5. That he that sinfully neglecteth in his life time to do good, if he do it at his death, from true repentance and Conversion, it is then accepted of God; though the sin of his delay must be lamented.
6. That he that delayeth it till Death, not out of any selfishness, backwardness, or unwillingness, but that the work may be the better, and do more good, doth better than if he hastened a lesser good. As if a man have a desire to set up a Free School for perpetuity, and the money which he hath is not sufficient; if he stay till his Death, that so the improvement of the money may increase it; and make it enough for his intended work; this is to do a greater good with greater self-denial: For
- 1. He receiveth none of the increase of the money for himself.
- 2. And he receiveth in his life time none of the praise or thanks of the work: So also, if a man that hath no Children, have so much Land only as will maintain him, and desireth to give it all to charitable uses when he dieth, this delay is not at all to be blamed, because he could not sooner give it; and if it be not in vain-glory, but in love to God and to good works that he leaveth it, it is truly acceptable at last. So that all good works that are done at death, are not therefore to be undervalued, nor are they rejected of God; but sometimes it falleth out that they are so much the greater and better works, though he that can do the same in his life time, ought to do it.
IV. But though I have spent all these words in answering these Questions, I am fully satisfied that it is very few that are kept from doing good, by any such doubt or difficulty, in the case which stalls their judgments; but by the power of sin, and want of grace, which leaveth an unwillingness, and backwardness on their hearts. Could we tell how to remove the impediments in men's wills, it would do more, than the clearest resolving all the cases of Conscience, which their judgments seem to be unsatisfied in. Ple tell you what are the impediments in your way, that are harder to be removed than all these difficulties, and yet must be overcome before you can bring men to be like true Christians, rich in good works.
1. Most men are so sensual and so selfish, that their own flesh is an insatiable gulf that devoureth all, and they have little or nothing to spare from it to good uses. It is better cheap maintaining a family of temperate, sober persons, than one fleshly person that hath a whole litter of vices and lusts to be maintained: So much a year seemeth necessary to maintain their pride, in needless curiosity and bravery, and so much a year to maintain their sensual sports and pleasures; and so much to please their throats or appetites, and to lay in provision for Fevers, and Dropsies, and Coughs, and Consumptions, and an hundred such diseases, which are the natural progeny of gluttony, drunkenness, and excess; and so much a year to maintain their Idleness; and so of many other vices. But if one of these persons have the Pride, and Idleness, and Gluttony, and Sportfulness, of Wife, and Children and Family also to maintain, as well as their own, many thousand pounds a year perhaps may be too little: Many a conquering Army hath been maintained at as cheap a rate, as such an Army of Lusts (or Garrison at least) as keep possession of some such families, when all their Luxury goeth for the honor of their family, and they glory in wearing the livery of the Devil, the World and the Flesh, (which they once renounced and pretended to Glory in nothing but the Cross of Christ); and when they take care in the education of their Children, that this entailed honor be not cut off from their Families, no wonder if God's part be little from these men, when the Flesh must have so much; and when God must stand to the courtesy of his enemies, and have but their leavings. I hope the Nobility and Gentry of England that are innocent herein, will not be offended with me if I, tell them that are guilty, that when I foresee their reckoning, I think them to be the miserablest persons upon earth, that rob God, and rob the King of that which should defray the charges of Government, and rob the Church, and rob the poor, and rob their souls of all the benefits of good works, and all to please the devouring flesh: It's a dreadful thing to foresee with what horror they will give up their accounts, when instead of so much in feeding, and clothing the poor, and promoting the Gospel, and the saving of men's souls, there will be found upon their reckoning, so much in vain curiosities and pride, and so much in costly sports and pleasures, and so much in flesh-pleasing Luxury and Excess. The trick that they have got of late, to free themselves from the fears of this account, by believing that there will be no such day, will prove a short and lamentable remedy: and when that day shall come upon them unawares, their unbelief and pleasures will die together, and deliver them up to never-dying horror and despair. I have heard it oft mentioned as the dishonor of France, that the third part of the revenues of so rich a Kingdom, should be devoted and paid to the maintaining of Superstition: But if there be not many (and most) Kingdoms in the world, where one half of their wealth is devoted to the Flesh, and so to the Devil, I should be glad to find myself herein mistaken: And judge you which is more disgraceful, to have half your estates given in sensuality to the Devil, or a third part too ignorantly devoted to God! If men laid out no more than needs upon the flesh, they might have the more for the service of God and of their souls: You cannot live under so much a year, as would maintain above twice as many frugal, temperate, industrious persons, because your flesh must needs be pleased, and you are strangers to Christian mortification and self-denial. Laertius tell us that Crates Thebanus put all his money into the Bankers or Usurers hands, with this direction, that If his sons proved Idiots it should all be paid to them, but if they proved Philosophers, it should be given to the poor: because Philosophers can live upon a little, and therefore need little. So if we could make men Mortified Christians, they would need so little for themselves, that they would have the more to give to others, and to do good with.
2. Men do not seriously believe God's promises; that he will recompense them in this life (with better things) an hundred fold, and in the world to come with life eternal! Matth. 19. 29. And that by receiving a Prophet, or righteous man, they may have a Prophets or righteous man's reward: Matth. 10. 41. And that a cup of cold water (when you have no better) given to one of Christ's little ones in the name of a Disciple, shall not be unrewarded, Matth. 10. 42. They believe not that Heaven will pay for all, and that there is a life to come in which God will see that they be no losers. They think there is nothing certain but what they have in hand, and therefore they lay up a treasure upon earth, and rather trust to their estates than God: whereas if they verily believed that there is another life, and that judgment will pass on them on the terms described, Matth. 25. they would more industriously lay up a treasure in Heaven, Matth. 6. 20. and make themselves friends of the Mammon of unrighteousness, and study how to be rich in good works, and send their wealth to Heaven before them, and lay up a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold upon eternal life: and then they would be ready to distribute, and willing to communicate, 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19. Luk. 16. 9. They would then know how much they are beholden to God, that will not only honor them to be his Stewards, but reward them for distributing his maintenance to his Children, as if they had given so much of their own: They would then see that it is they that are the receivers, and that giving is the surest way to be rich, when for transitory things (sincerely given) they may receive the Everlasting riches. Then they would see that he that saveth his Riches loseth them, and he that loseth them for Christ, doth save them, and lay them up in Heaven: and that it is more blessed to give than to receive; and that we should ourselves be laborious that we may have wherewith to support the weak, and to give unto the needy: Read Act. 20. 35. Ephes. 4. 28. Prov. 31. 20, &c. Then they would not be weary of well-doing, if they believed, that, in due season they shall reap if they faint not; but as they have opportunity, would do good to all men; but especially to them that are of the household of faith, Gal. 6. 9, 10. They would not forget to do good, and communicate, as knowing that with such sacrifice God is well-pleased, Heb. 13. 16. A true belief of the Reward, would make men strive who should do most.
3. Another great hindrance is the want of Love to God and our neighbors, to Christ and his Disciples. If men loved Christ, they would not deal so niggardly with his disciples, when he has told them that he taketh all that they do to the least of them (whom he calleth his brethren ) as done to himself, Matth. 25. & 10. 39, 40.
If men loved their neighbors as themselves, I leave you to judge in what proportion and manner they would relieve them? whether they would find money to lay out on Dice and Cards, and gluttonous feastings, on plays, and games, and pomp, and pride, while so many round about them are in pinching want.
The destruction of Charity or Christian Love, is the cause that works of Charity are destroyed. Who can look that the seed of the Serpent, that hath an enmity against the holy seed, should liberally relieve them! or that the fleshly mind which is enmity against God, should be ready to do good to the spiritual and holy servants of God? Gen. 3. 15. Rom. 8. 6, 7, 8. Or that a selfish man should much care for anybody but himself and his own? When Love is turned into the hatred of each other, upon the account of our partial interests, and opinions; and when we are like men in war, that think he is the bravest, most deserving man, that hath killed most; when men have bitter, hateful thoughts of one another, and set themselves to make each other odious, and to ruin them, that they may stand the faster, and think that destroying them is good service to God, who can look for the fruits of Love from damnable uncharitableness and hatred; or that the Devils tree should bring forth holy fruit to God?
4. And then (when Love is well-spoken of by all, even its deadly enemies) lest men should see their wickedness and misery, (and is it not admirable that they see it not?) the Devil hath taught them to play the Hypocrites, and make themselves a Religion which costs them nothing, without true Christian Love and Good works, that they may have something to quiet and cheat their consciences with. One man drops now and then an inconsiderable gift, and another oppresseth, and hateth and destroyeth (and slandereth, and censureth, that he may not be thought to hate and ruin without cause); and when they have done, they wipe their mouths with a few Hypocritical prayers or good words, and and think they are good Christians, and God will not be avenged on them: One thinks that God will save him because he is of this Church, and another because he is of another Church: One thinks to be saved because he is of this opinion and party in Religion, and another because he is of that: One thinks he is religious, because he saith his prayers this way, and another because he prayeth another way. And thus dead Hypocrites, whose hearts were never quickened with the powerful Love of God, to love his servants, their neighbors, and enemies, do persuade themselves that God will save them for mocking and flattering him with the service of their deceitful lips: while they want the Love of God, which is the root of all Good, and are possessed with the Love of money, which is the root of all evil, 1 Tim. 6. 10. and are Lovers of pleasures more than God, 2 Tim. 3. 4.
They will join themselves forwardly to the cheap and outside actions of Religion: but when they hear much less than [ One thing thou yet wantest: sell all that thou hast and distribute to the poor, and thou shalt have a treasure in Heaven:] they are very sorrowful, because they are very rich, Luk. 18. 22, 23. Such a fruitless love as they had to others, I am. 2. such a fruitless Religion they have as to themselves: For pure Religion and undefiled before God, is to visit the fatherless and widows in their adversity, and to keep yourselves unspotted from the world, James 1. 27. See 1 Joh. 2. 15. & 3. 17. Wh • s • hath this worlds goods, and seeth his brother hath need, and shutteth up his bowels of comp • ssion from him; how dwelleth the love of God in him? There are specially three Texts that describe the case of sensual uncharitable Gentlemen.
- 1. Luk. 16. A Rich man clothed in purple and silk (for so, as Dr. Hammond noteth, it should rather be translated) and fared sumptuously every day, you know the end of him.
- 2. Ezek. 16. 49. Sodom's sin was, Pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.
- 3. James 5. 1, to 7. Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for the miseries that shall come upon you—Ye have lived in pleasure on earth, and been wanton: ye have nourished your hearts, as in (or for ) the day of slaughter—Ye have condemned and killed the just, and he doth not resist you —And remember Prov. 21. 13. Whoso stoppeth his cars at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself and shall not be heard. And Jam. 2. 13. He shall have judgment without mercy that shown no mercy, and mercy rejoiceth against judgment. Yea in this life it is oft observable, Prov. 11. 24. There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth, and there is that with-holdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
Tit. 2. Directions for works of Charity.
Direct. 1. LOve God, and be renewed to his image; and then it will be natural to you to do good; and his Love will be in you a fountain of good works.
Direct. 2. Love your Neighbors, and it will be easy to you to do them all the good you can: As it is to do good to yourselves or Children or dearest friends.
Direct. 3. Learn self-denial, that selfishness may not cause you to be all for you •• lelves, and be Satan's Law of Nature in you, forbidding you to do good to others.
Direct. 4. Mortify the flesh, and the vices of sensuality: Pride and Curiosity, Gluttony and drunkenness, are insatiable gulfs, and will devour all, and leave but little for the poor: Though there be never so many poor families which want bread and clothing, the Proud person must first have the other silk Gown, or the other ornaments which may set them out with the forwardest in the mode and fashion: and this house must first be handsomelyer built, and these rooms must first be neatlier furnished; and these Children must first have finer clothes: Let Lazarus lie never so miserable at the door, the sensualist must be clothed▪ in purple and silk, and fare deliciously and sumptuously daily, Luke 16. The glutton must have th • dish and cup which pleaseth his appetite, and must keep a full Table for the entertainment of his companions that have no need. These insatiable vices are like Swine and Dogs, that devour all the Children's bread. Even vain recreations and gaming shall have more bestowed on them, than Church or poor (as to any voluntary gift.) Kill your greedy vices once, and then a little will serve your turns, and you may have wherewith to relieve the needy, and do that which will be better to you at your reckoning day.
Direct. 5. Let not selfs • ness make your Children the inordinate objects of your charity and provision, to take up that which should be otherwise employed. Carnal and worldly persons would perpetuate their vice; and when they can live no longer themselves, they seem to be half alive in their posterity, and what they can no longer keep themselves, they think is best laid up for their Children, to feed them as full, and make them as sensual and unhappy as themselves. So that just and moderate provisions will not satisfy them; but their Children's Portions must be as much as they can get, and almost all their Estates are sibi & suis, for themselves and theirs: And this pernicious vice is as destructive to good works, as almost any in the World. That God who hath said that he is worse than an Infidel who provideth not for his own Family, will judge many thousands to be worse than Christians, and than any that will be saved must be, who make their families the devourers of all which should be expended upon other works of Charity.
Direct. 6. Take it as the chiefest extrinsical part of your Religion to do good; and make it the trade or business of your lives; and not as a matter to be done on the by. Jam. 1. 27. Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. If we are created for good works, Ephes. 2. 10. and redeemed and purified to be zealous of good works, Tit. 2. 14. and must be judged according to such works, Matth. 25. then certainly it should be our chiefest daily care and diligence, to do them with all our hearts and abilities. And as we keep a daily account of our own and our servants business in our particular Callings, so should we much more of our employment of our Masters Talents in his Service: And if a Heathen Prince could say with lamentation, Alas, I have lost a day, if a day had past in which he had done no one good, how much more should a Christian, who is better instructed to know the comforts and rewards of doing good.
Direct. 7. Give not only out of your superfluities, when the flesh is glutted with as much as it desireth, but labor hard in your Callings, and be thrifty and saving from all unnecessary expenses, and deny the desires of ease and fullness and pride and curiosity, that you may have the more to do good with. Thriftiness for works of Charity is a great and necessary duty, though Covetous thriftiness for the love of riches be a great sin. He that wasteth one half his masters goods through slothfulness or excesses, and then is charitable with the other half, will make but a bad account of his Stewardship. Much more he that glutteth his own and his Families and retainers fleshly desires first, and then giveth to the poor only the leavings of luxury, and so much as their fleshly lusts can spare. It is a dearer, a laborious and a thrifty charity, that God doth expect of faithful Stewards.
Direct. 8. Delay not any good work which you have present ability and opportunity to perform. Delay signifieth unwillingness or negligence. Love and Zeal are active and expeditious. And delay doth frequently frustrate good intentions. The persons may die that you intend to do good to▪ or you may die, or your ability or opportunities may cease: That may be done today which cannot be done tomorrow. The Devil is not ignorant of your good intentions, and he will do all that possibly he can to make them of no effect: And the more time you give him, the more you enable him to hinder you. You little foresee what abundance of impediments he may cast before you: and so make that impossible which once you might have done with ease. Prov. 3. 28. Say not to thy Neighbor, Go and come again, and tomorrow I will give, when thou hast it by thee. Prov. 27. 1. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.
Direct. 9. Distrust not God's providence for thy own provision. An unbelieving man will needs be a God to himself, and trust himself only for his provisions, because indeed he cannot trust God. But you will find that your labor and care is vain, or worse than vain without God's blessing. Say not distrustfully, what shall I have myself when I am old? Though I am not persuading you to make no provision, or to give away all; yet I must tell you, that it is exceeding folly to put off any present duty, upon distrust of God, or expectation of living to be old. He that over-night said, I have enough laid up for many years, did quickly hear, Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee: and whose then shall the things be which thou hast provided? Luk. 12. 20. Rather obey that Eccl. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might: For there is no work nor device, nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest. Do you think there is not an hundred thousand whose estates are now consumed in the flames of London, who could wish that all that had been given to pious or charitable uses? Do but believe from the bottom of your hearts, that he that hath pity on the p • or, lendeth to the do • d, and that which he layeth out he will pay him again, Prov. 19. 17. And that Matth. 10. 40, 41, • 2. He that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me: He that receiveth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet, shall receive a Prophets reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward: and whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones, a cup of cold water only ( i. e. when he hath no better) in the name of a Disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward. I say, Believe this, and you will make haste to give while you may, lest your opportunity should overslip you.
Direct. 10. What you cannot do yourselves, provoke others to do who are more able: Provoke one another to love and to good works. Modesty doth not so much forbid you to beg for others as for yourselves. Some want but information to draw them to good works: And some that are unwilling, may be urged to it, to avoid the shame of uncharitableness: And though such giving do little good to themselves, it may do good to others. Thus you may have the reward when the cost is another's, as long as the Charity is yours.
Direct. 11. Hearken to no doctrine which is an enemy to Charity or good works; nor yet which teacheth you to trust in them for more than their proper part. He that ascribeth to any of his own works, that which is proper to Christ, doth turn them into heinous sin. And he that ascribeth not to them all that which Christ ascribeth to them, is a sinner also. And whatever ignorant men may prate, the time is coming, when neither Christ without our Charity, nor our Charity without Christ (but in subordination to him,) will either comfort or save our souls.
CHAP. XXXI. Cases and Directions about confessing sins and injuries to others.
Tit. 1. Cases about confessing sins and injuries to others.
Quest. 1. IN what cases is it a duty to confess wrongs to those that we have wronged?
Answ. 1. When in real injuries you are unable to make any restitution, and therefore must desire forgiveness, you cannot well do it without confession. 2. When you have wronged a man by a lie, or by false witness, or that he cannot be righted, till you confess the truth. 3. When you have wronged a man in his honor or frame, where the natural remedy is to speak the contrary, and confess the wrong. 4. When it is necessary to cure the revengeful inclination of him whom you have wronged, or to keep up his charity, and so to enable him to love you, and forgive you. 5. Therefore all known wrongs to another, must be confessed, except when impossibility, or some ill effect which is greater than the good be like to follow. Because all men are apt to abate their Love to those that injure them, and therefore all have need of this remedy. And we must do our part to be forgiven by all whom we have wronged.
Quest. 2. What causes will excuse us from confessing wrongs to others?
Answ. 1. When full recompense may be made without it, and no forgiveness of the wrong is necessary from the injured, nor any of the foresaid causes require it. 2. When the wrong is secret and not known to the injured party, and the confessing of it would but trouble his mind, and do him more harm than good. 3. When the injured party is so implacable and inhumane that he would make use of the confession to the ruin of the penitent, or to bring upon him greater penalty than he deserveth. 4. When it would injure a third person who is interested in the business, or bring them under oppression and undeserved misery. 5. When it tendeth to the dishonor of Religion, and to make it scorned because of the fault of the penitent confesser. 6. When it tendeth to set people together by the ears, and breed dissention, or otherwise injure the Common-wealth or Government. 7. In general, it is no duty to confess our sin to him that we have wronged, when, all things considered, it is like in the judgment of the truly wise, to do more hurt than good: For it is appointed as a means to good, and not to do evil.
Quest. 3. If I have had a secret thought or purpose to wrong another, am I bound to confess it, when it was never executed?
Answ. 1. You are not bound to confess it to the party whom you intended to wrong, as any act of Justice to make him reparation; nor to procure his forgiveness to yourself: Because it was no wrong to him indeed, nor do thoughts and things secret come under his judgment, and therefore need not his pardon. 2. But it is a sin against God, and to him you must confess it. 3. And by accident, finis gratia, you must confess it to men, in case it be necessary to be a warning to others, or to the increase of their hatred of sin, or their watchfulness, or to exercise your own humiliation, or prevent a relapse, or to quiet your conscience, or in a word, when it is like to do more good than hurt.
Quest. 4. To whom, and in what cases must I confess to men, my sins against God, and when not?
Answ. The cases about that confession which belongeth to Church-discipline, belongeth to the second Tome; and therefore shall here be passed by. But briefly and in general, I may answer the question thus: 1. There are conveniences and inconveniences to be compared together, and you must make your choice accordingly. The reasons which may move you to confess your sins to another are these: 1. When another hath sinned with you, or persuaded or drawn you to it, and must be brought to repentance with you. 2. When your conscience hath in vain tried all other fit means for peace or comfort, and cannot obtain it, and there is any probability of such advice from others as may procure it. 3. When you have need of advice to resolve your conscience, whether it be sin or not, or of what degree, or what you are obliged to in order to forgiveness. 4. When you have need of counsel to prevent the sin for the time to come, and mortify the habit of it.
The inconveniencies which may attend it, are such as these; 1. You are not certain of another's secrecy: His mind may change, or his understanding fail, or he may fall out with you, or some great necessi • y may befall him to drive him to open what you told him. 2. Then whether your shame or loss will not make you repent it, should be foreseen. 3. And how far others may suffer in it. 4. And how far it will reflect dishonor on Religion. All things being considered on both sides, the preponderating reasons must prevail.
Tit. 2. Directions about confessing sin to others.
Direct. 1. DO nothing which you are not willing to confess, or which may trouble you much, if your confession should be opened. Prevention is the easiest way: And foresight of the consequents should make a wise man still take heed.
Direct. 2. When you have sinned or wronged any, weigh well the consequents on both sides before you make your confession: that you may neither do that which you may wish undone again, nor causelessly refuse your duty: And that inconveniences foreseen may be the better undergone when they cannot be avoided.
Direct. 3. When a well informed conscience telleth you that confession is your duty, let not self-respects detain you from it, but do it what ever it may cost you. Be true to Conscience, and do not willfully put off your duty: To live in the neglect of a known duty, is to live in a known sin: which will give you cause to question your sincerity, and cause more terrible effects in your souls, than the inconveniences of confession could ever have been.
Direct. 4. Look to your Repentance that it be deep and absolute, and free from hypocritical exceptions and reserves. For half and hollow Repentance will not carry you through hard and costly duties: But that which is sincere, will break over all: It will make you so angry with yourselves and sins, that you will be as inclined to take shame to yourselves, in an honest revenge, as an angry man is to bring shame upon his adversary. We are seldom over-tender of a man's reputation whom we fall out with: And Repentance is a falling out with ourselves. We can bear sharp remedies, when we feel the pain, and perceive the mortal danger of the disease: And Repentance is such a perception of our pain and danger. We will not tenderly hide a mortal enemy, but bring him to the most open shame: And Repentance causeth us to hate sin as our mortal enemy. It is want of Repentance that maketh men so unwilling to make a just confession.
Direct. 5. Take heed of Pride, which maketh men so tender of their reputation, that they will venture their souls to save their honor: Men call it bashfulness, and say they cannot confess for shame. But it is Pride that maketh them so much ashamed to be known by men, to be offenders, while they less fear the eye and judgment of the Almighty. Impudency is a mark of a profligate sinner: but he that pretendeth shame against his duty, is foolishly proud; and should be more ashamed to neglect his duty, and continue impenitent in his sin. A humble person can perform a selfabasing humbling duty.
Direct. 6. Know the true Uses of Confession of sin, and use it accordingly: Do it with a hatred of sin, to express yourselves implacable enemies to it: Do it to repair the wrong which you have done to others; and the dishonor you have done to the Christian Religion, and to warn the hearers to take heed of sin and temptation by your fall: It is worth all your shame, if you save one sinner by it from his sin: Do it to lay the greater obligation upon yourselves for the future, to avoid the sin and live more carefully: For it is a double shame to sin after such humbling confessions.
CHAP. XXXII. Cases and Directions about Satisfaction and Restitution.
Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Satisfaction and Restitution.
Quest. 1. WHen is it that proper restitution must be made, and when satisfaction? and what is it?
Answ. Restitution properly is ejusdem, of the same thing, which was detained or taken away: Satisfaction is solutio aequivalentis, vel tantidem, alias indebiti; that which is for compensation or reparation of loss, damage, or injury; being something of equal value or use to the receiver. Primarily res ipsa debetur, Restitution is first due, where it is possible: but when that is unavoidably hindered or forbidden by some effectual restraint, satisfaction is due. Whilst Restitution of the same may be made, we cannot put off the Creditor or Owner with that which is equivalent without his own consent; but by his consent we may at any time. And to the Question, What is due satisfaction? I answer, that when Restitution may be made, and he that should restore, doth rather desire the owner to accept some other thing in compensation, there that proportion is due satisfaction which both parties agree upon. For if it be above the value, it was yet voluntarily given, and the payer might have chosen: And if it be under the value, it was yet voluntarily accepted, and the receiver might have chosen. But if Restitution cannot be made, or not without some greater hurt to the payer than the value of the thing, there due satisfaction is that which is of equal value and use to the receiver: And if he will not be satisfied with it, he is unjust, and it is quoad valorem rei & debitum solventis, full satisfaction, and he is not (unless by some other accident) bound to give anymore: Because it is not another's unrighteous will that he is obliged to fulfill, but a debt which is to be discharged. But here you must distinguish betwixt satisfaction in Commutative Justice, for a debt, or injury, and satisfaction in distributive Governing Justice, for a fault or crime: The measure of the former satisfaction, is so much as may compensate the owners loss; not only so much as the thing was worth to another, but what it was worth to him: But the measure of the later satisfaction is, so much as may serve the ends of Government instead of actual obedience; or so much as will suffice as to the Ends of Government, to repair the hurts which the crime hath done, or avoid what it would do.
And here you may see the answer to that Question, Why a Thief was commanded to restore fourfold, by the Law of Moses? For in that restitution there was a conjunction of both these sorts of satisfaction, both in point of Commutative and Distributive Justice: So much as repaired the owners loss was satisfaction to the owner for the injury: The rest was all satisfaction to God and the Common-wealth for the public injury that came by the crime or violation of the Law. Other answers are given by some, but this is the plain and certain truth.
Quest. 2. How far is Restitution or Satisfaction necessary?
Answ. As far as acts of obedience to God, and Justice to man are necessary; that is, 1. As a man that repenteth truly of sin against God, may be saved without external obedience, if you suppose him cut off by death immediately upon his Repenting, before he hath any opportunity to obey: So that the Animus obediendi is absolutely necessary; and the actus obediendi if there be opportunity: So is it here: The animus restituendi, or true resolution or willingness to restore is ever necessary to the sincerity of Justice and Repentance in the person, as well as necessary necessitate praecepti: And the act of restitution primarily, and of satisfaction secondarily is necessary, if there be time and power: I say necessary always as a duty, necessitate praecepti; and necessary necessitate medii, as a condition of pardon and salvation, so far as they are necessary acts of true repentance and obedience, as other duties are: that is, as a true penitent may in a temptation omit Prayer or Churchcommunion, but yet hath always such an habitual inclination to it, as will bring him to it, when he hath opportunity by deliberation to come to himself; and as in the same manner a true penitent may omit a work of charity or mercy; but not give over such works: Even so is it in this case of restitution and satisfaction.
Quest. 3. Who are they that are bound to make restitution or satisfaction?
Answ. 1. Everyone that possesseth and retaineth that which is indeed another man's, and hath acquired no just title to it himself, must make restitution. Yet so, that if he came lawfully by it (as by finding, buying or the like,) he is answerable for it only upon the terms in those Titles before expressed. But if he came unlawfully by it, he must restore it with all damages. The cases of Borrowers and finders are before resolved. He that keepeth a borrowed thing longer than his day, must return it with the damage. He that loseth a thing which he borrowed, must make satisfaction, unless in cases where the contract, or common usage, or the quality of the thing, excuseth him. 2. He that either by force, or fraud, or negligence, or any injustice doth wrong to another, is bound to make him a just compensation, according to the proportion of the guilt and the loss compared together: For neither of them is to be considered alone. If a servant neglect his Masters business, and it fall out that no loss followeth it; he is bound to confess his fault, but not to pay for a loss which might have been, but was not. And if a servant by some such small and ordinary negligence, which the best servants are guilty of, should bring an exceeding great damage upon his Master (as by dropping asleep to burn his house, or by an hours delay which seemed not very dangerous, to frustrate some great business) he is obliged to Reparation as well as to Confession; but not to make good all that is lost, but according to the proportion of his fault. But he that by oppression, or robbery taketh that which is another's, or bringeth any damage to him; or by slander, false witness, or any such unrighteous means, is bound to make a fuller satisfaction. And those that concur in the injury, being accessories, are bound to satisfy. As 1. Those that teach or command another to do it. 2. Those who send a Commission, or authorize another to do it. 3. Those who counsel, exhort or persuade another to do it. 4. Who by consenting are the causes of it. 5. Those who co-operate, and assist in the injury knowingly and voluntarily. 6. Those who hinder it not when they could and were obliged to do it. 7. Those who make the act their own, by owning it, or consenting afterward. 8. Those who will not reveal it afterwards, that the injured party may recover his own, when they are obliged to reveal it. But a secret consent which no way furthered the injury, obligeth none to restitution, but only to repentance: because it did no wrong to another, but it was a sin against God.
Quest. 4. To whom must restitution or satisfaction be made?
Answ. 1. To the true Owner, if he be living and to be found, and it can be done. 2. If that cannot be, then to his heirs, who are the possessors of that which was his. 3. If that cannot be, then to God himself; that is, to the poor, or unto pious uses: For the possessor is no true Owner of it: And therefore where no other Owner is found, he must discharge himself so of it, to the use of the highest and principal Owner, as may be most agreeable to his will and interest.
Quest. 5. What Restitution should he make who hath dishonored his Governors or Parents?
Answ. He is bound to do all that he can to repair their honor, by suitable means: and to confess his fault, and crave their pardon.
Quest. 6. How must satisfaction be made for slanders, lies and infaming of others?
Answ. By confessing the sin, and unsaying what was said, not only as openly as it was spoken; but as far as it is since carried on by others, and as far as the reparation of your neighbors good name requireth, if you are able.
Quest. 7. What reparation must they make who have tempted others to sin; and hurt their souls?
Answ. 1. They must do all that is in their power to recover them from sin, and to do good to their souls: They must go to them, and confess and lament the sin, and tell them the evil and danger of it, and incessantly strive to bring them to repentance. 2. They must make reparation to the Lord of souls, by doing all the good they can to others, that they may help more than they have hurt.
Quest. 8. What reparation can or must be made for Murder or Man-slaughter?
Answ. By Murder there is a manifold damage inferred: 1. God is deprived of the life of his servant. 2. The person is deprived of his life. 3. The King is deprived of a Subject. 4. The Common-wealth is deprived of a member. 5. The friends and kindred of the dead are deprived of a friend. 6. And perhaps also damnified in their estates. All these damages cannot be fully repaired by the offender: but all must be done that can be done. 1. Of God he can only beg pardon, upon the account of the satisfactory sacrifice of Christ; expressing true repentance as followeth. 2. To the person murdered no reparation can be made. 3. To the King and Common-wealth, he must patiently yield up his life, if they sentence him to death, and without repining, and think it not too dear to become a warning to others, that they sin not as he did. 4. To disconsolate friends no reparation can be made; but pardon must be asked. 5. The damage of heirs, kindred and creditorr, must be repaired by the offenders estate, as far as he is able.
Quest. 9. Is a Murderer bound to offer himself to death, before he is apprehended?
Answ. Yes, in some cases: As, 1. When it is necessary to save another that is falsely accused of the crime. 2. Or when the interest of the Common-wealth requireth it. But otherwise, not; Because an offender may lawfully accept of mercy, and nature teacheth him to desire his own preservation: But if the question be, When doth the interest of the Common-wealth require it? I think, much ofter than it is done: As the common-interest requireth that murderers be put to death, when apprehended: So it requireth that they may not frequently and easily be hid, or escape by secrecy or flight: For then it would embolden others to murder: whereas when few escape, it will more effectually deter men: If therefore any murderers conscience, shall constrain him in true repentance, voluntarily to come forth and confess his sin, and yield up himself to justice, and exhort others to take heed of sinning as he did, I cannot say that he did anymore than his duty in so doing: And indeed I think that it is ordinarily a duty, and that ordinarily the interest of the Common wealth requireth it; though in some cases it may be otherwise. The execution of the Laws against Murder, is so necessary to preserve men's lives, that I do not think that self-preservation alone will allow men to defeat the Common-wealth of so necessary a means of preserving the lives of many, to save the life of one, who hath no right to his own life, as having forfeited it. If to shift away other murderers from the hand of Justice be a sin, I cannot see but that it is so ordinarily, to do it for ones self: Only I think that if a true penitent person have just cause to think that he may do the Common-wealth more service by his life, than by his death, that then he may conceal his crime or fly; But otherwise not.
Quest. 10. Is a Murderer bound to do execution on himself, if the Magistrate upon his confession, do not?
Answ. No: because it is the Magistrate who is the appointed Judge of the public interest, and what is necessary to its reparation; and hath power in certain cases to pardon: And though a murderer may not ordinarily strive to defeat God's Laws, and the Commonwealth, yet he may accept of mercy when it is offered him.
Quest. 11. What satisfaction is to be made by a Fornicator or Adulterer?
Answ. Chastity cannot be restored, nor corrupted honor repaired. But, 1. If it was a sin by mutual consent, the party that you sinned with, must by all importunity be follicited to repentance; and the sin must be confessed, and pardon craved for tempting them to sin. 2. Where it can be done without a greater evil than the benefit will amount to, the Fornicators ought to join in marriage. Exod. 22. 16. 3. Where that cannot be, the man is to put the Woman into as good a case for outward livelihood, as she would have been in if she had not been corrupted by him; by allowing her a proportionable dowry; Exod. 22. 17. and the Parents injury to be recompensed, Deut. 22. 28, 29. 3. The Childs maintenance also is to be provided for, by the fornicator. That is, 1. If the man by fraud or solicitation induced the Woman to the sin, he is obliged to all as aforesaid. 2. If they sinned by mutual forwardness and consent, then they must jointly bear the burden: yet so that the Man must bear the greater part; because he is supposed to be the stronger and wiser to have resisted the temptation. 3. If the Woman importuned the man, she must bear the more; but yet he is responsible to Parents and others for their damages, and in part to the Woman herself, because he was the stronger vessel, and should have been more constant: And volenti non fit injuria, is a rule that hath some exceptions.
Quest. 12. In what case is a man excused from restitution and satisfaction?
Answ. 1. He that is utterly disabled cannot restore or satisfy. 2. He that is equally damnified by the person to whom he should restore, is excused in point of real equity and Conscience, so be it that the Reasons of external order and policy oblige him not. For though it may be his sin (of which he is to repent,) that he hath equally injured the other, yet it requireth eonfession rather than restitution or satisfaction, unless he may also expect satisfaction from the other. Therefore if you owe a man an hundred pound and he owe you as much and will not pay you, you are not bound to pay him, unless for external order sake, and the Law of the Land. 3. If the debt or injury be forgiven, the person is discharged. 4. If Nature or common-custom do warrant a man to believe that no restitution or satisfaction is expected, or that the injury is forgiven, though it be not mentioned, it will excuse him from restitution or satisfaction: As if Children or friends have taken some trifle, which they may presume the kindness of a Parent or friend will pass over, though it be not justifiable.
Quest. 13. What if the Restitution will cost the restorer far more than the thing is worth?
Answ. He is obliged to make Satisfaction, instead of Restitution?
Quest. 14. What if the confessing of the fault may enrage him that I must restore to, so that he will turn it to my infamy or ruin?
Answ. You may then conceal the person, and send him satisfaction by another hand: or you may also conceal the wrong itself, and cause satisfaction to be made him, as by gift, or other way of payment.
Tit. 2. Directions about Restitution and Satisfaction.
Direct. 1. FOresee the trouble of restitution, and prevent it: Take heed of Covetousness, which would draw you into such a snare: What a perplexed case are some men in, who have injured others so far as that all they have will scarce make them due satisfaction? Especially public oppressors who injure whole Nations, Countries or communities: and unjust Judges, who have done more wrong perhaps in one day or week than all their estates are worth: and unjust Lawyers who plead against a righteous cause: and false witnesses, who contribute to the wrong: and unjust Juries, or any such like: Also oppressing Landlords; and Soldiers that take men's goods by violence; and deceitful tradesmen, who live by injuries. In how sad a case are all these men?
Direct. 2. Do nothing which is doubtful, if you can avoid it, lest it should put you upon the trouble of restitution. As in case of any doubtful way of Usury or other gain, consider, that if it should hereafter appear to you to be unlawful, and so you be obliged to restitution (though you thought it lawful at the taking of it,) what a snare then would you be in? when all that use must be repaid? And so in other cases.
Direct. 3. When really you are bound to restitution or satisfaction, stick not at the Cost or Suffering be it never so great, but be sure to deal faithfully with God and Conscience. Else you will keep a thorn in your hearts, which will smart and f • ster till it be out: And the ease of your Consciences, will bear the charge of your costlyest restitution.
Direct. 4. If you be not able in your life time to make restitution, leave it in your will • as a debt upon your Estates; but never take it for your own.
Direct. 5. If you are otherwise unable to satisfy, offer your labor as a servant to him to whom you are indebted; if at least by your service you can make him a compensation.
Direct. 6. If you are that way unable also, beg of your friends, to help you, that Charity may enable you to pay the debt.
Direct. 7. But if you have no means at all of satisfying, confess the injury and crave forgiveness, and cast yourself on the mercy of him whom you have injured.
CHAP. XXXIII. Cases and Directions about our obtaining Pardon from God.
Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about obtaining pardon of sin from God.
Quest. 1. IS there pardon to be had for all sin without exception, or not?
Answ. 1. There is no pardon procured nor offered, for the final non-performance of the conditions of pardon; that is, for final impenitency, unbelief and ungodliness. 2. There is no pardon for any sin, without the conditions of pardon, that is, without true faith and repentance, which is our conversion from sin to God. 3. And if there be any sin which certainly excludeth true Repentance to the last, it excludeth pardon also: which is commonly taken to be the case of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost: of which I have written at large in my Treatise against Infidelity.
But 1. All sin, except the final non-performance of the conditions of pardon, is already conditionally pardoned in the Gospel; that is, If the sinner will repent and believe. No sin is excepted from pardon to penitent believers.
2. And all sin is actually pardoned to a true penitent believer.
Quest. 2. What if a man do frequently commit the same heinous sin? may he be pardoned?
Answ. Whilest he frequently committeth it, (being a mortal sin,) he doth not truly repent of it: And while he is impenitent he is unpardoned: But if he be truly penitent, his heart being habitually and actually turned from the sin, it will be forgiven him: but not till he thus forsake it.
Quest. 3. Is the day of grace and pardon ever past in this life?
Answ. The day of grace and pardon to the penitent, is never past in this life: There is no day or hour in which a true penitent person is not pardoned; or in which the impenitent is not conditionally pardoned, that is, if he will truly repent and believe in Christ: And as for the day of true penitence, it is not past to the impenitent; for it never yet came: that is, They never truly repented. But there is a time, with some provoking forsaken sinners, when God who was wont to call them to repentance by outward Preaching and inward motions, will call and move them so no more, but leave them more quietly in the blindness and hardness of their hearts.
Quest. 4. May we be certain of pardon of sin in this life?
Answ. Yes: every man that understandeth the Covenant of Grace, may be certain of pardon, so far as he is certain of the sincerity of his faith and repentance, and no further: And if a man could not be sure of that, the consolatory promises of pardon would be in a sort in vain: And we could not tell how to believe and repent, if we cannot tell when we truly do it.
Quest. 5. Can any man pardon sins against God? and how far?
Answ. Pardon is the remitting of a Punishment. So far as man is to punish sinners against God, so far they may pardon, that is, remit that punishment (Whether they do well in so doing? is another question.) Magistrates are to execute corporal penalties upon subjects for many sins against God: and they may pardon accordingly. The Pastors of the Church, who are its Guides as to public Churchcommunion, may remove offenders from the said Communion; and they may absolve them when they are penitent, and they may (rightfully or wrongfully,) remit the penalty which they may inflict. 2. The Pastors of the Church may as God's officers, declare the conditional general pardon, which is contained in the Covenant of grace; and that with particular application to the sinner, for the comforting of his mind: q. d. [Having examined your Repentance, I declare to you as the Minister of Christ, that if it be as you express it, without dissembling or mistake, your Repentance is sincere, and your sin is pardoned.] 3. On the same terms a Pastor may as the Minister or Messenger of Christ, deliver this same conditional pardon contained in the Covenant of grace, as sealed by the Sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper; which is an act of investiture: q. d. [I do as the Minister of Christ, hereby seal and deliver to you in his name, the pardon of all your sins through his blood; supposing your professed faith and repentance be sincere: otherwise it is void and of no such effect.] But this is, 1. But a conditional pardon, though with particular application. 2. And it is but a Ministerial act of Delivery or investiture, and not the act of the Donor by himself; nor the gift of the first title: so that it is no whit proper to say, that the Minister pardoneth you; but that the Minister bringeth, and delivereth you the pardon, and sealeth it in his Masters name; or that Christ doth pardon you, and send it you by his Minister. As it is utterly improper to say, that the Kings Messenger pardoneth a Traitor, because he bringeth him a pardon from the Ring. And though (if we agree of this sense) the Controversy remaining will be but de nomine, yet is it not of small moment; when abused words do tend to abuse the people's understandings; and he that saith, I forgive your sins; doth teach the people to take him for a God, whatever he meaneth in himself; and blaspheamous words will not be sufficiently excused, by saying that you have not a blaspheaming sense. So that a Pastor may 1. Declare Christ's pardon; 2. And seal and deliver it conditionally in Christ's name: But he cannot pardon the internal punishments in this life, nor the eternal punishments of the next 3. But the punishments of Excommunication he may pardon, who must execute them.
Quest. 6. Doth God forgive sin before it be committed (or justify the sinner from it?)
Answ. No: for it is a contradiction, to forgive that which is not, or to remit a penalty which is not due: But he will indeed justify the person, not by Christ's righteousness, but by his own innocence in tantum, so far as he is no sinner: He that hath not committed a sin, needeth no pardon of it, nor any righteousness but his innocence, to justify him against the false accusation of doing that which he never did. God doth prepare the sacrifice and remedy before upon the foresight of the sin: And he hath made an universal act of pardon, before hand; which shall become an actual pardon to him who penitently accepteth it: And he is purposed in himself to pardon all whom he will pardon: so that he hath the decretive nolle punire before. But none of this is proper pardon or the justification of a sinner, in the Gospel sense, as shall be further shown.
Quest. 7. Is an Elect person pardoned and justified, before faith and repentance?
Answ. (Laying aside the case of Infants, which dependeth on the faith of others) the former answer will serve for this question.
Quest. 8. Is pardon or justification perfect before death?
Answ. 1. De re: 1. The pardon which you have this year, extendeth not to the sins which you commit the next year, or hour; but there must be a renewed act of pardon for renewed sins; though not a new Gospel, or Covenant or act of Oblivion to do it: But the same Gospel-Covenant, doth morally perform a new act of pardon, according to the Redeemers mind and will. 2. The pardon which we have now, is but constitutive & in jure, and but virtual as to sentential Justification: But the sentence of the Judge is a more perfective act: or if any think that God doth now sentence us just before the Angels, in any Celestial Court, yet that at Judgment will be a more full perfective act. 3. The executive pardon which we have now, which is opposite to actual punishing, is not perfect, till the day of judgment: Because all the punishment is not removed, till the last enemy, Death, be overcome, and the body be raised from the Earth. 2. And now the Controversy de nomine, whether it be proper to call our present justification or pardon Perfect is easily decided from what is said de re.
Quest. 9. Is our pardon perfect as to all the sins that are past?
Answ. 1. As to the number of sins pardoned, it is: For all are pardoned. 2. As to the species of the act, and the plenary effect, it is not. For, 1. All the punishment is not removed: 2. The final absolving sentence is to come. 3. The pardon which we have is as to its continuance, but conditional: And the tenor of the Covenant would cease the pardon even of all sins past, if the sinners faith and repentance should cease: I speak not de eventu whether ever any do fall away, but of the tenor of the Covenant; which may prevent falling away. Now a pardon which hath much yet to be done, as the condition of its continuance, is not so perfect, as it will be when all those things are performed.
Quest. 10. May Pardon or Justification be reversed or lost?
Answ. Whether God will eventually permit his true servants, to fall so far as to be unjustified, is a Controversy which I have written of in a fitter place. 2. But quoad robur peccatoris, it is alas, too easy to fall away, and be unjustified. 3. And as to the tenor of the Covenant, it continueth the promise and threatening conditionally, and supposing the sinner defectible, doth threaten damnation to them that are now justified, if they should not persevere but apostatize, Col. 1. 33. Rom. 11. 22. John 15. 9.
Quest. 11. Is the pardon of my own sins to be believed fide divina? And is it the meaning of that Article of the Creed, I believe the pardon of my sins?
Answ. I am to believe fide divina, that Christ hath purchased, and enacted a conditional pardon, which is universal, and therefore extendeth to my sins as well as to other men's: And that he commandeth his Ministers to offer me this, and therein to offer me the actual pardon of all my sins, to be mine if I truly repent and believe: And that if I do so, my sins are actually pardoned. And I am obliged accordingly to believe in Christ, and take him for my Savior, for the pardon of my sins. But this is all the meaning of the Creed, and Scripture, and all that is of Divine belief. 2. But that I am actually pardoned, is not of Divine faith, but only on supposition that I first believe: which Scripture telleth not, whether I do or not. In strict sense I must first believe in Christ for pardon: And next in a larger sense I must believe that I am pardoned; that is, I must so conclude by an act of reason, one of the premises being de fide, and the other of internal self-knowledge.
Quest. 12. May a man trust in his own faith or repentance for his pardon and justification, in any kind?
Answ. Words must be used with respect to the understanding of the hearers: And perilous expressions must be avoided lest they deceive men. But de re, 1. You must not trust to your faith or repentance, to do that which is proper to God, or to Christ, or to the Gospel, or for any m • re than their own part, which Christ hath assigned them. 2. You must trust to your faith and repentance for that which is truly their own part. And should you not trust them at all, you must needs despair, or trust presumptuously to you know not what. For Christ will not be instead of faith or repentance to you.
Quest. 13. What are the several causes and conditions of pardon?
Answ. 1. God the Father is the principal efficient, giving us Christ, and pardon with and through him. 2 Christ's person by his Sacrifice and Merits is the Meritorious Cause. 3. The Gospel Covenant or Promise is the Instrumental Cause, or God's pardoning Act or Grant. 4. Repentance is the Condition sine qua non, necessary directly gratiâ finis, in respect to God, to whom we must turn. 5. Faith in Christ is the Condition sine qua non, directly gratiâ medii principalis, in respect to the Mediator, who is thereby received. 6. The Holy Ghost worketh us to these conditions.
Tit. 2. Directions for obtaining Pardon from God.
Direct, 1. UNderstand well the Office of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer, and what it is that he hath done for sinners, and what he undertaketh further to do. For if you know not Christ's Office and undertaking, you will either be ignorant of your true remedy, or will deceive yourselves by a presumptuous trust, that he will do that which is contrary to his Office and Will.
Direct. 2. Understand well the tenor of the Covenant of Grace; for there it is that you must know, what Christ will give, and to whom, and on what terms?
Direct. 3. Understand well the nature of true faith and repentance: or else you can neither tell how to obtain pardon, nor to judge of it.
Direct. 4. Absolutely give up yourselves to Christ, in all the Office of a Mediator, Priest, Prophet and King: And think not to be justified by one act or part of Christianity, by alone believing in Christ as a sacrifice for sin. To be a true Believer, and to be a true Christian is all one: and is the faith in Christ which is the condition of justification and salvation. Study the Baptismal Covenant; For the Believing in God the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, there meant, is the true faith, which is the condition of our pardon.
Direct. 5. Be sure that your Repentance contain in it a Desire to be perfectly holy and free from all sin, and a Resolution against all known and willful sinning, and particularly that you would not commit the same sins, if you had again the same temptations (supposing that we speak not of such infirmities as good men live in: which yet you must heartily desire to forsake).
Direct. 6. Pray earnestly and believingly for pardon through Christ: Even for the continuance of your former pardon, and for renewed pardon for renewed sins. For prayer is God's appointed means, and included in faith and repentance which are the summary conditions.
Direct. 7. Set all right between you and your neighbors; by forgiving others, and being reconciled to them, and confessing your injuries against them, and making them restitution and satisfaction: For this also is included in your repentance, and expressly made the condition of your pardon.
Direct. 8. Despise not the Sacramental delivery of pardon, by the Ministers of Christ: For this belongeth to the full investiture and possession of the benefit: Nor yet the spiritual consolation of a skillful faithful Pastor, nor public absolution upon public repentance, if you should fall under the need of such a remedy.
Direct. 9. Sin no more: I mean, Resolvedly break off all that willful sin of which you do repent: For repentings, and purposes, and promises of a new and holy life, which are ineffectual, will never prove the pardon of your sins: but show your Repentance to be deceitful.
Direct. 10. Set yourselves faithfully to the use of all those holy means, which God hath appointed for the overcoming of your sins; and to that life of Holiness, Righteousness, Love and Sobriety, which is contrary to them. Otherwise your Repentance is fraudulent and insufficient: These means and no less than all these, must be used by him, that will make sure of the pardon of his sins from God: And he that thinketh all these too much, must look for pardon some other way, than from the mercy of God, or the Grace of Christ: For God's pardon is not to be had upon any other terms, than those of God's appointment. He that will make new Conditions of his own, must pardon himself if he can on those conditions. For God will not be tied to the Laws of sinners.
CHAP. XXXIV. Cases and Directions about Self-judging.
Tit. 1. Cases of Conscience about Self-judging.
BEcause I have said so much of this subject in the third Part of my Saints Rest, and in a Treatise of Self-acquaintance, and in my Directions for Peace of Conscience, and before in this Book, I shall be here the briefer in it.
Quest. 1. What are the uses and reasons of self-judging, which should move us to it?
Answ. In the three foresaid Treatises I have opened them at large. In a word, without it, we shall be strangers to ourselves; we can have no well grounded comfort, no true repentance and humiliation, no just estimation of Christ and Grace, no just observance of the motions of God's Spirit, no true application of the Promises or Threatenings of the Scripture, yea, we shall pervert them all to our own destruction; no true understanding of the Providence of God, in prosperity or adversity; no just acquaintance with our duty: A man that knoweth not himself, can know neither God nor anything aright, nor do anything aright; he can neither live reasonably, honestly, safely nor comfortably, nor suffer or die with solid peace.
Quest. 2. What should ignorant persons do, whose natural capacity will not reach to so high a work, as to try and judge themselves in matters so sublime?
Answ. 1. There is no one who hath reason and parts sufficient to Love God, and hate sin, and live a holy life, and believe in Christ, but he hath reason and parts sufficient to know (by the use of just means) whether he do these things indeed or not. 2. He that cannot reach assurance must take up with the lower degrees of comfort, of which I shall speak in the Directions.
Quest. 3. How far may a weak Christian take the judgment of others, whether his Pastor or judicious acquaintance, about his justification and sincerity?
Answ. 1. No man's judgment must be taken as infallible about the sincerity of another; nor must it be so far rested on, as to neglect your fullest search yourself: And for the matter of fact, what you have done, or what is in you, no man can be so well acquainted with it as yourselves. 2. But in judging whether those acts of Grace which you describe, be such as God hath promised salvation to, and in directing you in yourself-judging, and in conjecturing at your sincerity by your expressions and your lives, a faithful friend or Pastor may do that, which may much support you, and relieve you against inordinate doubts and fears, and show you that your sincerity is very probable. Especially if you are assured that you tell him nothing but the truth yourselves; and if he be one that is acquainted with you and your life, and hath known you in temptations, and one that is skillful in the matters of God and conscience, and one that is truly judicious, experienced and faithful, and is not biased by interest or affection; and especially when he is not singular in his judgment, but the generality of judicious persons who know you, are of the same mind: In this case you may take much comfort in his judgment of your justification, though it cannot give you any proper certainty, nor is to be absolutely rested in.
Tit. 2. Directions for Self-judging as to our Actions.
Direct. 1. LEt watchfulness over your hearts and lives be your continual work: Never grow careless or neglective of yourselves: Keep your hearts with all diligence: As an unfaithful servant may deceive you, if you look after him but now and then; So may a deceitful heart. Let it be continually under your eye.
Object. Then I must neglect my Calling, and do nothing else.
Answ. It need not be any hindrance to you at all: As every man that followeth his Trade and labor; doth still take heed that he do all things right, and every Traveler taketh heed of falling, and he that eateth taketh heed of poisoning or choking himself, without any hindrance, but to the furtherance of that which he is about: So is it with a Christian about his heart: Vigilant heedfulness must never be laid by, what ever you are doing.
Direct. 2. Live in the light as much as is possible: I mean under a judicious faithful Pastor, and amongst understanding exemplary Christians: For they will be still acquainting you with what you should be and do; and your errors will be easily detected, and in the light you are not so like to be deceived.
Direct. 3. Discourage not those that would admonish or reprove you, nor neglect not their opinion of you: No not the railings of an enemy: For they may tell you that in anger (much more in fidelity) which it may concern you much to hear; and think of, and may give you some light in judging of yourselves.
Direct. 4. If you have so happy an opportunity, engage some faithful bosom friend to watch over you, and tell you plainly of all that they see amiss in you: But deal not so hypocritically as to do this in the general, and then be angry when he performeth his trust, and discourage him by your proud impatience.
Direct. 5. Put yourselves in another's case, and be impartial: When you cannot easily see the faults of others, inquire then whether your own be not as visible, if you were as ready to observe and aggravate them. And surely none more concern you than your own, nor should be so odious and grievous to you; nor are so, if you are truly penitent.
Direct. 6. Understand your natural temper and inclination, and suspect those sins which you are naturally most inclined to, and there keep up the strictest watch.
Direct. 7. Understand what temptations your Place, and Calling, and Relations, and Company do most subject you to: and there be most suspicious of yourselves.
Direct. 8. Mark yourselves well in the hour of temptation: For then it is that the vices will appear, which before lay covered and unknown.
Direct. 9. Suspect yourselves most heedfully of the most common and most dangerous sins: Especially Unbelief and want of Love to God, and a secret preferring of earthly hopes before the hopes of the life to come: and selfishness, and pride, and sensual pleasing of the fleshly appetite and fancy: These are the most common, radical and most mortal damning sins.
Direct. 10. Take certain times to call yourselves to a special strict account: As 1. At your preparation for the Lord's Day at the end of every Week: 2. In your preparation for the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood. 3. And before a day of Humiliation. 4. In a time of sickness or other affliction. 5. Yea, every night review the actions of the foregoing day. He that useth to call his conscience seriously to account, is likest to keep his accounts in order, and to be ready to give them up to Christ.
Direct. 11. Make not light of any sin which you discover in yourself-examination: But humble yourselves for it before the Lord, and be affected according to its importance, both in its guilt and evil signification.
Direct. 12. And let the end of all be the renewed exercise of faith and thankfulness, and resolutions for better obedience hereafter: That you may see more of the need and use of a Savior, and may thankfully magnify that Grace which doth abound where sin abounded; and may walk the more watchfully and holily for the time to come.
Tit. 3. Directions for Self-judging as to our Estates, to know whether we are in a regenerate and justified state, or not.
Direct. 1. IF you would so judge of the state of your souls, as not to be deceived, come not to the trial with an over-confident prejudice or conceit of your own condition, either as good or bad. He that is already so prepossessed as to resolve what to judge before he trieth, doth make his trial, but a means to confirm him in his conceit.
Direct. 2. Let not self-love, partiality, or pride on the one side, or fear on the other side, pervert your judgment in the trial, and hinder you from the discerning of the truth. Some men cannot see the clearest evidences of their unsanctified hearts, because self-love will give them leave to believe nothing of themselves which is bad or sad. They will believe that which is good and pleasant, be it never so evidently false. As if a Thief could be saved from the Gallows, by a strong conceit that he is a true man: or the conceit that one is learned would make him learned: Others through timerousness can believe nothing that is good or comfortable of themselves: Like a man on the top of a Steeple, who though he know that he standeth fast and safe, yet trembleth when he looketh down and can scarce believe his own understanding. Silence all the Objections of an over-timorous mind, and it will doubt and tremble still.
Direct. 3. Surprise not yourselves on the sudden and unprepared, with the question, whether you are justified or not; but set about it as the most serious business of your life. A great and difficult question must have a well studied answer, and not be answered hastily and rashly. If one should meet you in the Street, and demand some great and long account of you, you would desire him to stay, till you review your memorials, or have time to cast it up. Take some appointed time to do this, when you have no intruding thoughts to hinder you, and think not that it must be resolved easily or quickly upon the first enquiry, but by the most sober and judicious consideration, and patient attendance till it be done.
Direct. 4. Understand the tenor of the Covenant of Grace, which is the Law that you must judge of your estates by: for if you mistake that you will err in the conclusion. He is an unfit Judge, who is ignorant of the Law.
Direct. 5. Mistake not the nature of true faith in Christ. Those that think it is a believing that they are actually pardoned, and shall be saved, do some of them presume, or believe it when it is false, and some of them despair, because they cannot believe it. And those that think that faith is such a recumbency on Christ as always quieteth the mind, do think they have no faith, when they have no such quietness: And those that think it is only the resting on the blood of Christ for pardon, do take up with that which is no true faith: But he that knoweth that faith in Christ, is nothing else but Christianity, or consenting to the Christian Covenant, may know that he Consenteth, even when he findeth much timerousness and trouble, and taketh not up with a deceitful faith.
Direct. 6. Remember in yourself-judging, that the Will is the Man, and what you truly would be, that you are, in the sense of the Covenant of Grace.
Direct. 7. But remember also that your Endeavors must prove the truth of your Desires, and that idle wishes are not the denominating acts of the Will.
Direct. 8. Also your successes must be the proof of the sincerity of your Endeavors: For such striving against sin as endeth in yielding to it, and not in victory, is no proof of the uprightness of your hearts.
Direct. 9. Mark what you are in the day of trial: For at other times it is more easy to be deceived: And record what you then discover in yourself: What a man is in trial, that he is indeed.
Direct. 10. Especially try yourselves in the great point of forsaking all for Christ, and for the hopes of the fruition of God in Glory: Know once whether God or the Creature can do more with you, and whether Heaven or Earth be dearer to you, and most esteemed and practically preferred and then you may judge infallibly of your state.
Direct. 11. Remember that in melancholy and weakness of understanding, you are not fit for, the casting up of so great accounts; but must take up with the remembrance of former discoveries, and with the judgment of the judicious, and be patient till a fitter season, before you can expect, to see in yourselves the clear evidence of your state.
Direct. 12. Neither forget what former discoveries you have made, nor yet wholly rest in them, without renewing yourself-examination. They that have found their sincerity, and think that the next time they are in doubt, they should fetch no comfort from what is past, do deprive themselves of much of the means of their peace. And those that trust all to the former discoveries, of their good estate, do proceed upon unsafe and negligent principles; and will find that such slothful and venturous courses, will not serve turn.
Direct 13. Judge not of yourselves by that which is unusual and extraordinary with you, but by the tenor and drift of your hearts and lives: A bad man may seem good, in some good mood; and a good man may seem bad in some extraordinary fall: To judge of a bad man by his best hours, and of a good man by his worst, is the way to be deceived in them both.
Direct. 14. Look not unequally at the good or evil that is in you; but consider them both impartially as they are. If you observe all the good only that is in you, and overlook the bad; or search after nothing but your faults and overlook your graces; neither of these ways will bring you to true acquaintance with yourselves.
Direct. 15. Look not so much either at what you should be, or at what others are, as to forget what you are yourselves. Some look so much at the glory of that full perfection which they want, as that their present grace seemeth nothing to them; like a candle to one that hath been gazing on the Sun. And some look so much at the debauchery of the worst, that they think their lesser wickedness to be holiness.
Direct. 16. Suffer not your minds to wander in confusion, when you set yourselves to so great a work: But keep it close to the matter in hand, and drive it on till it have come to some satisfaction and conclusion.
Direct. 17. If you are not able by meditation to do it of yourselves, get the help of some able friend or Pastor; and do it in a way of conference with him: For conference will hold your own thoughts to their task; and your Pastor may guide them, and tell you in what order to proceed, and confute your mistakes, besides confirming you by his judgment of your case.
Direct. 18. If you cannot have such help at hand, write down the signs by which you judge either well or ill of yourself; and send them to some judicious Divine for his judgment and counsel thereupon.
Direct. 19. Expect not that your assurance should be perfect in this life: For till all grace be perfect, that cannot be perfect. Unjust expectations disappointed are the cause of much disquietment.
Direct. 20. Distinguish between the knowledge of your justification, and the comfort of it. Many a one may see and be convinced that he is sincere, and yet have little comfort in it, through • sad or distempered state of mind or body, and unpreparedness for joy; or through some expectations of enthusiastick comforts.
Direct. 21. Exercise grace when ever you would see it: Idle habits are not perceived. Believe and repent till you feel that you do believe and repent, and Love God till you feel that you love him.
Direct. 22. Labor to increase your grace if you would be sure of it. For a little grace is hardly perceived; when strong and great degrees do easily manifest themselves.
Direct. 23. Record what sure discoveries you have made of your estate, upon the best enquiry, that it may stand you instead at a time of further need: For though it will not warrant you to search no more, it will be very useful to you, in your after doubtings.
Direct. 24. What you cannot do at one time, follow on again and again till you have finished. A business of that consequence is not to be laid down through weariness or discouragement. Happy is he that in all his life, hath got assurance of life everlasting.
Direct. 25. Let all your discoveries lead you up to further duty: If you find any cause of doubt, let it quicken you to diligence in removing it: If you find sincerity, turn it into joyful thanks to your Regenerater: and stop not in the bare discovery of your present state, as if you had no more to do.
Direct. 26. Conclude not worse of the effects of a discovery of your bad condition, than there is cause. Remember that if you should find that you are unjustified, it followeth not that you must continue so: you search not after your disease or misery as uncurable, but as one that hath a sufficient remedy at hand, even brought to your doors, and cometh a begging for your acceptance, and is freely offered and urged on you: And therefore if you find that you are unregenerate, thank God that hath shown you your case; for if you had not seen it, you had perished in it: And presently give up yourselves to God in Jesus Christ; and then you may boldly judge better of yourselves; It is not for despair, but for recovery that you are called to try and judge. Nay if you do but find it too hard a question for you, whether you have all this while been sincere or not, turn from it, and resolvedly give up yourselves to God by Christ, and place your hopes in the life to come, and turn from this deceitful world and flesh, and then the case will be plain for the time to come: If you doubt of your former repentance, Repent now and put it out of doubt from this time forward.
Direct. 27. When you cannot at the present reach assurance, undervalue not a true probability or hope of your sincerity: And still adhere to universal grace, which is the foundation of your special grace and comfort: I mean, 1. The infinite Goodness of God, and his mercifulness to man. 2. The sufficiency of Jesus Christ our Mediator. 3. The universal gift of Pardon and Salvation, which is conditionally made to all men in the Gospel. Remember that the Gospel is glad tidings even to them that are yet unrecovered. Rejoice in this universal mercy which is offered you, and that you are not as the Devils, shut up in despair: And much more rejoice if you have any probability that you are truly penitent and justified by faith: Let this support you till you can see more.
Direct. 28. Spend much more time in doing your duty, than in trying your estate: Be not so much in asking, How shall I know that I shall be saved? as in asking What shall I do to be saved? Study the duty of this day of your visitation, and set yourselves to it with all your might; Seek first the things that are above, and mortify your fleshly lusts: Give up yourselves to a Holy Heavenly life, and do all the good that you are able in the World: Seek after God as revealed in and by our Redeemer: And in thus doing, 1. Grace will become more notable and discernible: 2. Conscience will be less accusing and condemning, and will easilier believe the reconciledness of God. 3. You may be sure that such labor shall never be lost; and in well doing you may trust your souls with God. 4. Thus those that are not able in an argumentative way to try their state to any full satisfaction, may get that comfort by feeling and experience, which others get by ratiocination: For the very exercise of Love to God and man, and of a Heavenly mind, and holy life, hath a sensible pleasure in itself, and delighteth the person who is so employed: As if a man were to take the comfort of his Learning or Wisdom, one way is by the discerning his learning and wisdom, and thence inferring his own felicity: But another way is by exercising that learning and wisdom which he hath, in reading and meditating on some excellent Books, and making discoveries of some mysterious excellencies in Arts and Sciences; which delight him more by the very acting, than a bare conclusion of his own Learning in the general, would do: What delight had the inventers of the Sea-Chart and magnetick traction, and of Printing, and of Guns, in their inventions? What pleasure had Galileus in his Telescopes in finding out the inequalities and shady parts of the Moon, the Medicean Planets, the adjuncts of Saturn, the changes of Venus, the Stars of the Via lactea, &c. Even so a serious holy person, hath more sensible pleasures in the right exercise of faith and Love and holiness, in Prayer and Meditation, and converse with God and with the Heavenly hosts, than the bare discerning of sincerity can afford. Therefore though it be a great important duty, to examine ourselves, and judge ourselves before God judge us, and keep close acquaintance with our own hearts and affairs, yet is it the addition of the daily practice of a Heavenly life, which must be our chiefest business and delight. And he that is faithful in them both, shall know by experience the excellencies of Christianity and Holiness, and in his way on Earth, have both a prospect of Heaven, and a foretaste of the Everlasting Rest and Pleasures.
A Christian Directory: Or, A SUMM of PRACTICAL DIVINITY, By Way of DIRECTION. The Fourth Part. Christian Politicks: CONTAINING All the Duties of the Six last Commandments, in our Political Relations, and towards our Neighbors: With the principal CASES of CONSCIENCE about them.
By RICHARD BAXTER.
Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Let every soul be subject to the Higher Powers—For Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil—For he is the Minister of God to thee, for good.
Matth. 17. 27.
Lest we should offend them —give unto them for me and thee.
Matth. 19. 19.
Thou shalt Love thy Neighbor as thyself.—
Matth. 7. 12.
Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: For this is the Law and the Prophets.
LONDON, Printed, by Robert White, for Nevill Simmons, at the Sign of the Princes Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1673.
READER,
T Hink not by the title of this Part, that I am doing the same work which I lately revoked in my Political Aphorisms: Though I concluded that Book to be quasi non scriptum, I told you I recanted not the Doctrine of it, which is for the Empire of God, and the Interest of Government, Order and honesty in the World: This is no place to give you the Reasons of my revocation, besides that it offended my Superiors, and exercised the tongues of some in places, where other matters would be more profitable: Pass by all that concerneth our particular State and Times, and you may know by that what principles of Policy I judge Divine. And experience teacheth me, that it is best for men of my Profession to meddle with no more; but leave it to the Contzeus, the Arnisaeus 's and other Jesuits, to promote their cause by Voluminous politics: The Popes false-named Church, is a Kingdom, and his Ministers may write of Politicks more congruously, and (it seems) with less offense than we. Saith the Geographia Nubiensis aptly [ There is a certain King dwelling at Rome called the Pope ] &c. when he goeth to describe him. Nothing well suites with our function but the pure Doctrine of Salvation. Let States-men and Lawyers mind the rest.
Two things I must apologize for in this Part: 1. That it's maimed by defect of those Directions to Princes, Nobles, Parliament-men, and other Magistrates, on whose duty the happiness of Kingdoms, Churches, and the World dependeth. To which I answer, that those must teach them whom they will hear: while my Reason and experience forbid me as an unacceptable person to speak to them without a special invitation, I can bear the Censures of Strangers who knew not them or me: I am not so proud as to expect that men so much above me should stoop to read any Directions of mine; much less to think me fit to teach them. Everyone may reprove a poor servant or a beggar: (It's part of their privilege). But Great men must not be so much as admonished, by any but themselves, and such as they will hear. At least nothing is a duty, which a man hath reason to think, is like to do much more harm than good. And my own judgment is much against pragmatical presumptuous Preachers, who are over-forward to meddle with their Governors or their affairs, and think that God sendeth them to reprove persons and things that are strange to them and above them, and vent their distastes upon uncertain reports, or without a Call.
2. And I expect to be both blamed and mis-understood, for what I hear say in the Confutation of Mr. Richard Hooker his Political Principles, and my Citation of B. Bilson and such others: But they must observe, 1. That it is not all in Mr. Hookers first and eighth Book which I gainsay; but the principle of the Peoples being the fountain of Authority, or that Kings receive their Office itself from them; with the consequents hereof. How far the people have in any Countrys the power of Electing the Persons, Families, or Forms of Government, or how far nature giveth them propriety, and the consequents of this, I meddle not with at all. 2. Nor do I choose Mr. Hooker out of any envy to his name and honor, but I confess I do it, to let men know truly whose Principles these are. And if any (causelessly) question whether the eighth (imperfect) Book be in those passages his own, let them remember that the sum of all that I confute, is in his first Book, which is old, and highly honored, by—you know whom. And I will do him the honor, and myself the dishonor to confess, that I think the far greater number of Casuists and Authors of Politicks, Papists and Protestants are on his side, and fewest on mine! But truth is truth.
On the subjects duty I am larger, because, if they will not hear, at least I may boldly and freely instruct them.
If in the later part there be any useful Cases of Conscience left out, it is because I could not remember them.
A Christian Directory. TOM. IV. Christian Politicks.
CHAP. I. General Rules for an Upright Conversation.
§. 1. S OLOMON saith, Prov. 10. 9. He that walketh uprightly walketh surely. And Perfection and Uprightness are the characters of Job, Chap. 1. 1, 8. & 2. 3. And in the Scripture to be Upright or Righteous, and to walk uprightly, and to do righteously are the titles of those that are acceptable to God. And by Uprightness is meant not only sincerity as opposed to Hypocrisy; but also Rectitude of Heart and Life, as opposed to crookedness or sin; and this as it is found in various Degrees: of which we use to call the lowest degree that is saving by the name of sincerity, and the highest by the name of Perfection.
§. 2. Concerning Uprightness of life, I shall I. Briefly tell you some of those blessings that should make us all in love with it, and II. Give you some necessary Rules of practice.
§. 3. I. Uprightness of heart and life is a certain fruit of the Spirit of Grace, and consequently a mark of our Union with Christ, and a proof of our acceptableness with God, Psal. 7. 10. My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart. Psal. 11. 7. For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and his countenance doth behold the upright. It is a title that God himself assumeth, Psal. 25. 8. Good and upright is the Lord. Psal. 92. 15. To show that the Lord is upright, He is my rock, and no unrighteousness is in him. And God-calleth himself the Maker, the Director, the Protector, and the Lover of the upright. Eccl. 7. 29. God made man upright. Psal. 1. 6. The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous. Psal. 25. 12. What man is he that feareth the Lord? him will he teach in the way that he shall choose. Prov. 2. 7. He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; he is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.
2. The Upright are the Pillars of human society, that keep up Truth and Justice in the world; without whom it would be but a company of liars, deceivers, robbers and enemies, that live in constant rapine or • ostility. There were no Trust to be put in one another, further than self-interest did oblige men: Psal. 15. 1, 2. Lord who shall abide in thy Tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart. Therefore the wicked and the enemies of Peace, and destroyers of Societies, are still described as Enemies to the upright: Psal. 11. 2, 3. For lo the wicked bend their bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart. If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Job 12. 4. The just and upright man is laughed to scorn. Psal. 37. 14. The wicked have drawn out the sword, to slay such as be of upright conversation. And indeed it is for the uprights sake that societies are preserved by God, as Sodom might have been for ten Lots. At least they are under the protection of Omnipotency themselves. Isa. 33. 15, 16. He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppression, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ear from hearing of blood, that shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure; Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the Land that is very far off: Prov. • 8. 10. The upright shall have good things in possession: Prov. 14. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.
3. Uprightness affordeth Peace of Conscience, and quietness and holy security to the soul. This was Paul's rejoicing, the testimony of his conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity he had had his conversation in the world, and not in fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. 1. 12. And this was David's comfort, 2 Sam. 22. 22, 23, 24. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God: For all his judgments were before me, and as for his Statutes I did not depart from them. I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness,—with the merciful thou wilt show thyself merciful, and with the upright thou wilt show thyself upright: Yea, peace is too little; exceeding joy is the portion, and most beseeming condition of the upright. Psal. 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice ye righteous, and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart, Psal. 33. 1. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye righteous, for praise is comely for the upright, Psal. 64. 10. The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust in him, and all the upright in heart shall glory. Psal. 97. 11. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. The Spirit that sanctifieth them, will comfort them.
4. As the Upright so their upright life and duties are specially delightful and acceptable to God. Prov. 15. 8. The prayer of the upright is his delight, Psal. 15. 2. Therefore God blesseth their duties to them, and they are comforted and strengthened by experience of success, Prov. 10. 29. The way of the Lord is strength to the upright, but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity. Mic. 2. 7. Do not my words do good to him that walketh uprightly?
5. No carnal policies, no worldly might, no help of friends, nor any other human means, doth put a man in so safe a state, as Uprightness of heart and life. To walk uprightly is to walk surely, because such walk with God, and in his way, and under his favor, and his promise: And if God be not sufficient security for us, there is none. Psal. 140. 13. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence. Prov. 11. 3, 6. The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
6. Lastly, The failings and weaknesses of the Upright are pardoned, and therefore they shall certainly be saved, Rom. 7. 24, 25. & 8. 1. The upright may say in all their weaknesses as Solomon, 1 Chron. 29. 17. I know also, my God, that thou tryest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness: As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly offered all these things. God will do good to them that are good, and to them that are upright in their hearts, Psal. 125. 4. The Upright love him, Cant. 1. 4. and are loved by him. No good thing will he withhold from them, Psal. 84. 11. The way to right comforting the mind of man, is to show to him his uprightness, Job 33. 23. And who so walketh uprightly shall be saved. Prov. 28. 18. For the high way of the upright is to depart from evil, and he that keepeth his way, preserveth his soul, Prov. 16. 17. I conclude with Psal. 37. 37. Mark the upright man, and behold the just, for the end of that man is peace.
§. 4. II. The true Rules of an Upright life are these that follow.
1. He that will walk uprightly must be absolutely devoted and subjected unto God: He must have a God, and the true God, and but one God; not notionally only, but in sincerity and reality: He must have a God whose word shall be an absolute Law to him: A God that shall command himself, his time, his estate, and all that he hath, or that he can do: A God whose will must be his will, and may do with him what he please; and who is more to him than all the world; whose Love will satisfy him as better than life, and whose approbation is his sufficient encouragement and reward.
2. His Hope must be set upon Heaven as the only felicity of his soul: He must look for his Reward and the End of all his labors and patience in another world; and not with the Hypocrite, dream of a felicity that is made up first of worldly things, and then of Heaven when he can keep the world no longer. He that cannot, that doth not in heart, quit all the world, for a heavenly treasure, and venture his all upon the Promise of better things hereafter, and forsaking all, take Christ and everlasting happiness for his portion, cannot be upright in heart or life.
3. He must have an Infallible Teacher (which is only Christ) and the encouragement of pardoning grace when he faileth, that he sink not by despair: And therefore he must live by faith on a Mediator. And he must have the fixed principle of a Nature renewed by the Spirit of Christ.
4. He that will walk uprightly, must have a certain, just, infallible Rule: and must hold to that, and try all by it: And this is only the Word of God. The teachings of Men must be valued as helps to understand this Word; and the judgments of our Teachers, and those that are wiser than ourselves, must be of great authority with us in subordination to the Scripture. But neither the Learned, nor the Godly, nor the Great, must be our Rule in co-ordination with the Word of God.
5. He that will walk uprightly, must have both a solid and a large understanding, to know things truly as they are, and to see all particulars which must be taken notice of, in all the cases which he must determine, and all the actions which his integrity is concerned in. 1. There is no walking uprightly in the dark. Zeal will cause you to go apace; but not at all to go Right, if Judgment guide it not. Erroneous zeal will make you do evil with double violence, and with blasphemous fathering your sins on God, and with impenitence and justification of your sin. This made Paul mad in persecuting the Church. Prov. 15. 21. Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom; but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. No man can do that well which he understandeth not well. Therefore you must study and take unwearied pains for knowledge: Wisdom never grew up with idleness, though the conceit of wisdom doth nowhere more prosper. This age hath told us to what desperate precipices men will be carried by ignorant zeal. 2. And the understanding must be large, or it cannot be solid: When many particulars are concerned in an action, the over-looking of someone may spoil the work. Narrow minded men are turned as the weather-cock, with the wind of the times, or of every temptation; and they seldom avoid one sin, but by falling into another. It is Prudence that must manage an upright life: And Prudence seeth all that must be seen, and putteth every circumstance into the balance: For want of which, much mischief may be done, while you seem to be doing the greatest good. The prudent man looketh well to his going, Prov. 14. 15 See therefore that ye walk circumspectly (at a hairs breadth) not as fools, but as wise.
6. But because you will object, that, alas, few even of the upright, have wits so strong as to be fit for this, I add, that he that will walk uprightly, must in the great essential parts of Religion have this foresaid knowledge of his own, and in the rest at least he must have the conduct of the wise. And therefore, 1. He must be wise in the great matters of his salvation, though he be weak in other things. 2. And he must labor to be truly acquainted, who are indeed wise men, that are meet to be his guides: And he must have recourse to such in Cases of Conscience, as a sick man to his Physician. It is a great mercy to be so far wise, as to know a wise man from a fool, and a Counselor from a deceiver.
7. He that will walk uprightly must be the master of his passions; not stupid, but calm and sober. Though some passion is needful to excite the understanding to its duty, yet that which is inordinate doth powerfully deceive the mind. Men are very apt to be confident of what they passionately apprehend. And passionate judgments are frequently mistaken, and ever to be suspected: It being exceeding difficult to entertain any passion which shall not in some measure pervert our reason: which is one great reason why the most confident are ordinarily the most erroneous and blind. Be sure therefore when ever you are injured, or passion any way engaged, to set a double guard upon your judgments.
8. He that will walk uprightly, must not only difference between simple Good and Evil, but between a greater Good and a less: For most sin in the world consisteth in preferring a Lesser Good before a Greater. He must still keep the balance in his hand, and compare good with good: Otherwise he will make himself a Religion of sin, and prefer Sacrifice before mercy; and will hinder the Gospel and men's salvation for a ceremony, and violate the bonds of love and faithfulness for every opinion which he calleth Truth: and will tythe Mint and Cumin, while he neglecteth the great things of the Law. When a lesser good is preferred before a greater, it is a sin, and the common way of sinning. It is not then a duty when it is inconsistent with a greater good.
9. He must ever have a conjunct respect to the Command and the End: The good of some actions is but little discernible anywhere, but in the Command; and others are evidently good because of the good they tend to. We must neither do evil and break a Law, that good may come by it; Nor yet pretend obedience to do mischief, as if God had made his Laws for Destruction of the Church or men's souls, and not for Edification.
10. He must keep in Union with the Universal Church, and prefer its interest before the interest of any party whatsoever, and do nothing that tendeth to its hurt.
11. He must love his neighbor as himself, and do as he would be done by, and love his enemies, and forgive wrongs: and hear their defamations as his own.
12. He must be Impartial; and not lose his Judgment and Charity in the opinion or interest of a Party or Sect: Nor think all right that is Held or Done by those that he best liketh; nor all wrong that is held or done by those that are his adversaries. But judge of the Words and Deeds of those that are against him, as if they had been said or done by those of his own side: Else he will live in sl • ndering, backbiting and gross unrighteousness.
13. He must be deliberate in judging of Things and Persons: not rash or hasty in believing reports or receiving opinions: not judging of Truths by the first appearance; but search into the naked evidence: Nor judging of persons by prejudice, fame and common talk.
14. He must be willing to receive and obey the Truth at the dearest rate; especially of laborious study, and a self-denying life: Not taking all to be Truth that costeth men dear, nor yet thinking that Truth indeed can be over-prized.
15. He must be Humble and self-suspicious, and come to Christ's School as a little child; and not have a proud over-valuing of himself and his own understanding. The proud and selfish are blind and cross, and have usually some opinions or interests of their own, that lie cross to duty, and to other men's good.
16. He must have an eye to posterity, and not only to the present time or age: and to other Nations, and not only to the Country where he liveth. Many things seem necessary for some present strait, or work, that we would do (which in the next age may be of mischievous effects:) Especially in Ecclesiastical and Political professions, Covenants and impositions, we must look further than our present needs. And many things seem necessary for a local narrow interest, which those at a distance will otherwise esteem.
17. He that will walk uprightly must be able to bear the displeasure of all the world, when the interest of truth requireth it: yea, to be rejected of learned and good men themselves; and account man's favor no better than it is: Not to despise it as it is a means to any good, but to be quite above it as to his own interest. Not that uprightness doth use to make a man despised by the upright; but that it may bring him under their censure in some particulars, which are not commonly received or understood to be of God.
18. He must make it a great part of the work of his life to kill all those carnal desires, which the sensual make it their work and felicity to please: That Appetite, sense, and lust, and self-will may not be the constant pervert • rs of his life: As a fool in a Dropsy studyeth to please his Thirst, and a wise man to cure it.
19. He must live a life of constant and skillful watchfulness; apprehending himself in continual danger; and knowing his particular Corruptions, Temptations and Remedies. He must have a tender conscience, and keep as far as possible from temptation, and take heed of unnecessary approaches or delightful thoughts of sin. O what strong Resolutions, what sound knowledge, have the near-baits of se • suality (meat, drink, lust and pleasures) overcome? Never think yourselves safe among neartemptations and opportunities of sinning.
20. Live as those that are going to the grave: Dye daily; and look on this world, as if you did look on it out of the world to which you go. Let Faith as constantly behold the world unseen, as your eye seeth this. Death and Eternity make men wise: We easily Confess and Repent of many things when we come to die, which no Counsels or Sermons could make us penitently confess before. Death will answer a thousand objections and temptations, and prove many vanities to be sin, which you thought the Preacher did not prove: Dying men are not drawn to drunkenness, filthiness, or time-wasting sports; nor flattered into folly by sensual baits: Nor do they then fear the face or threats of persecutors. As it is from another world, that we must fetch the Motives, so also the Def • nsative of an Upright life. And O happy are they that faithfully practice these Rules of Uprightness.
THough it be my judgment that much more of the Doctrine of Politicks or Civil Government belongeth to Theology, than those men understand, who make Kings and Laws to be mere human Creatures, yet to deliver my Reader from the fear lest I should meddle with matters that belong not to my Calling, and my Book from that reproach, I shall over-pass all these points, which else I should have treated of, as useful to Practice in Governing and Obeying. 1. Of Man as sociable, and of Communities and Societies, and the Reason of them, of their Original and the Obligation on the members. 2. Of a City, and of Civility. 3. Of a Republic in general: 1. Of its Institution: 2. Of its Constitution; and of its parts: 3. Of its Species: 4. Of the difference between it, 1. And a Community in general: 2. A Family, 3. A Village, 4. A City, 5. A Church, 6. An accidental Meeting. 5. Of its Administration. 6. Of the Relation between God's Government and Mans, and God's Laws and Mans; and of their difference: and between Mans Judging and God's Judging. Nay, I will not only gratify you, by passing over this and much more in the Theory, but also as to the Practical part, I shall pass over, 1. The Directions for Supreme Governors: 2. And for inferior Magistrates towards God, and their Superiors, and the people. 3. And the Determination of the Question, How far Magistrates have to do in matters of Religion? Whether they be Christian or Heathen? 4. How far they should grant or not grant Liberty of Conscience (as it is called) viz. of Judging, Professing and Practising in matters of Religion: with other such matters belonging to Government: And all the Controversies about Titles and Supremacy, Conservations, Forfeitures, Decayes, Dangers, Remedies, and Restorations, which belong either to Politicians, Lawyers or Divines: All these I pretermit, save only that I shall venture to leave a few brief Memorandums with Civil Governors (instead of Directions) for securing the Interest of Christ and the Church and men's salvation: Yet assuring the Reader that I omit none of this out of any contempt of the matter or of Magistracy, or as if I thought them not worthy of all our Prayers and Assistance, or thought their office of small concernment, to the welfare of the world and of the Church; but for those Reasons, which all may know that know me and the Government under which we live, and which I must not tell to others.
CHAP. II. Memorandum's to Civil Rulers for the interest of Christ, the Church, and men's Salvation.
§. 1. Memor. 1. REmember that your power is from God, and therefore for God, and not against God, Rom. 13. 2, 3, 4. You are his Ministers, and can have no power except it be given you from above, Joh. 19. 11. Remember therefore that as Constables are your officers and subjects, so you are the officers and subjects of God, and the Redeemer; and are infinitely more below him, than the lowest subject is below you: And that you owe him more obedience, than can be due to you: And therefore should study his Laws (in Nature and Scripture), and make them your daily meditation and delight. Josh. 1. 3, 4, 5. Psal. 1. 2, 3. Deut. 17. 18, 19, 20. And remember how strict a judgment you must undergo when you must give account of your Stewardship; and the greater have been your dignities and mercies, if they are abused by ungodliness, the greater will be your punishment, Luk. 16. 2. & 12. 48.
§. 2. Memorand. 2. Remember therefore and watch most carefully, that you never own or espouse any Interest which is adverse to the Will or Interest of Christ: and that you never fall out with his interest or his ordinances; and that no temptation ever persuade you that the Interest of Christ and the Gospel and the Church, is an enemy to you, or against your real interest: and that you keep not up suspicions against them: But see that you devote yourselves and your power wholly to his Will and Service, and make all your interest stand in a pure subservience to him, as it stands in a real dependence on him.
§. 3. Memorand. 3. Remember that under God, your End is the public good: Therefore desire nothing to yourselves, nor do nothing to others, which is really against your End.
§. 4. Memorand. 4. Remember therefore that all your Laws are to be but subservient to the Laws of God, to promote the obedience of them with your Subjects, and never to be either contrary to them, nor co-ordinate, or independent on them: But as the By Laws of Corporations are in respect to the Laws and will of the sovereign power; which have all their Life and power therefrom.
§. 5. Memorand. 5. Let none persuade you that you are such terrestrial animals that have nothing to do with the Heavenly concernments of your subjects: For if once men think that the end of your office is only the bodily prosperity of the people, and the End of the Ministry is the good of their souls, it will tempt them to prefer a Minister before you as they prefer their souls before their bodies: And they that are taught to contemn these earthly things, will be ready to think they must contemn your office; seeing no means as such can be better than the end. There is no such thing as a temporal Happiness to any people, but what tendeth to the happiness of their souls; and must be thereby measured, and thence be estimated. Though Ministers are more immediately employed about the soul, yet your office is ultimately for the happiness of souls as well as theirs; though bodily things (rewards or punishments) are the means by which you may promote it, which Ministers as such may not meddle with. Therefore you are custodes utrius{que} tabulae, and must bend the force of all your Government, to the saving of the people's souls. And as to the objection from Heathen Governors, distinguish between the Office, and an Aptitude to exercise it; The Office consisteth, 1. In an Obligation to do the duty, 2. And in Authority to do it: Both these a Heathen Ruler hath (else the omission were a duty and not a sin). But it is the Aptitude to do the duty of his place which a Heathen wanteth: and he wanteth it culpably: and therefore the omission is his sin: Even as it is the sin of an insufficient Minister that he doth not Preach; For the Question is of the like nature, and will have the like solution: Whether an ignorant Minister be bound to Preach, who is unable or Heretical? It is Aptitude that he wanteth, and neither Authority nor Obligation if he be really a Minister: But he is obliged in this Order, first to get Abilities and then to Preach: so is it in the present case.
§. 6. Memorand. 6. Encourage and strengthen a Learned, Holy, self denying, serious, laborious Ministry: as knowing that the same Lord hath commissioned them in the institution of their office, who instituted yours: and that it is such men that are suited to the work for which their office was appointed: And that souls are precious: and those that are the Guides and Physicians of souls, can never be too well furnished, nor too diligent. And the Church hath nowhere prospered on earth, but in the prosperity of the abilities, holiness and diligence of their Pastors: God hath always built by such, and the Devil hath pulled down by pulling down such.
§. 7. Memorand. 7. Remember that the people that are seriously Religious, that Love and Worship and Obey the Lord, with all their heart, are the best of your subjects, and the honor of your Dominions: see therefore that serious Godliness be everywhere encouraged, and that the profane and ignorant rabble be never encouraged in their enmity and opposition to it: And that true Fanaticism, Hypocrisy and Schism be so prudently discountenanced and suppressed, that none may have encouragement to set themselves against Godliness, under the slander or pretension of such names. If Christianity be better than Heathenism, those Christians then are they that must be countenanced, who go further in Holiness and Charity and Justice than Heathens do, rather than those that go no further (besides Opinions and Formalities ) than a Cato a Plato or Socrates have done. If all Religion were a deceit, it were fit to be banished, and Atheism professed, and men confess themselves to be but bruits: But if there be a God, there must be a Religion: And if we must be Religious, we must sure be so in seriousness, and not hypocrisy and jest. It being no such small contemptible matter, to be turned into dissembling complement.
§. 8. Memorand. 8. Endeavor the Unity and Concord of all the Churches and Christians that are under your Government, and that upon the terms which all Christ's Churches have sometime been united in: that is; In the Holy Scriptures implicitly as the General Rule: In the ancient Creeds explicitly as the sum of our Credenda; and in the Lord's Prayer as the summary of our Expetenda, and in the Decalogue as the summary of our Agenda; supposing that we live in peaceable Obedience to our Governors, whose Laws must rule us not only in things Civil, but in the Ordering of those circumstances of Worship and discipline, which God hath left to their determination.
§. 9. Memorand. 9. Let all things in God's Worship be done to Edification, decently and in Order, and the body honor God as well as the soul: But yet see that the Ornaments or garments of Religion, be never used against the substance; but that Holiness, Unity, Charity and Peace, have always the precedency.
§. 10. Memorand. 10. Let the fear of sinning against God, be cherished in all, and let there be a tenderness for such as are over scrupulous and fearful in some smaller things; and let not things be ordered so as shall most tend to the advantage of debauched Consciences, that dare say or do anything for their carnal ends. For they are truest to their Governors that are truest to their God: And when it is the wrath of God and Hell that a man is afraid of, it is pity he should be too eagerly spurred on: The unconscionable sort will be true to their Governors, no longer than it serves their interest: Therefore Conscientiousness should be encouraged.
§. 11. Memorand. 11. If the Clergy or most Religious people offend, let their punishment be such as falleth only on themselves, and reacheth not Christ, nor the Gospel, nor the Church. Punish not Christ for his servants failings, nor the Gospel for them that sin against it; nor the souls of the people for their Pastors faults: But see that the interest of Christ and men's souls be still secured.
§. 12. Memorand. 12. If the dissensions of Lawyers or States-men make factions in the Common-wealth, let not the fault be laid on Religion, though some Divines fall into either faction: When the difference is not in Divinity, but in Law Cases, blame not Religion for that which it hath no hand in: And watch against Satan, who always laboreth to make Civil factions or differences tend, to the dishonor of Religion, and the detriment of the Church and Gospel.
§. 13. Memorand. 13. Take those that are Covetous, ambitious or selfish, and seek for preferment, to be the unfittest to be consulted with in the matters of Religion, and the unfittest to be trusted with the charge of souls: And let the humble, mortified, self-denying men, be taken as fitter Pastors for the Churches.
§. 14. Memorand. 14. Side not with any faction of contentious Pastors, to the oppression of the rest, when the difference is in tolerable things: But rather drive them on to unity upon condescending and forbearing terms: For there will else be no end; but the faction which you side with, will break into more factions, and the Church will receive damage by the loss of the oppressed party; and by the Division much more. What lamentable work the contentions of the Bishops have made in the Churches in all Ages since the primitive times, all History doth too openly declare! And how much a holy prudent peaceable Magistrate can do to keep peace among them, more than will be done if their own impetuosity be left unrestrained, it is easy to observe: Especially if he keep the Sword in his own hand, and trust it not in the hands of Church-men, especially of one faction to the oppression of the rest.
§. 15. Memorand. 15. Believe not the accusations that are brought against the Faithful Ministers of Christ, till they are proved, and judge not them or any of his servants upon the reports of Adversaries, till they have spoken for themselves: For the common corruption of depraved nature doth engage all the ungodly in such an enmity against holiness, that there is little Truth or Righteousness to be expected from wicked and malicious lips, for any holy cause or person. And if such persons find but entertainment and encouragement, their malice will abound, and their calumnies will be impudent: which is the sense of, Prov. 29. 12. If a Ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked. The example of Saul and Doeg is but such, as would be ordinary, if Rulers would but hearken to such calumniators.
§. 16. Memorand. 16. When the case is doubtful about using punishments and severities against the scrupulous in the matters of Religion, remember your General Directions, and see what influence they must have into such particulars; as that the very work and end of your office is, that under your Government the people may live quietly and peaceably in all Godliness and Honesty, 1 Tim. 2. 2. and that Rulers are not a terror to good works but to evil, and for the praise of them that do good; and ministers of God to us for good; and revengers to execute wrath upon them that do evil, Rom. 13. 3, 4. and remember the danger of persecution, as described, Matth. 18. 6, 10, 14. and 1 Thes. 2. 15, 16. and 2 Chron. 36. 14, 15, 16, 17. and that he that doubteth of things indifferent is damned if he do them, because he doth them not of faith, Rom. 14. 23. And remember whom and what it is that God himself forgiveth and forbeareth: And always difference the Infirmities of serious conscionable Christians, from the wickedness of unconscionable and ungodly men. Yet not extenuating the wickedness of any, because of his hypocritical profession of Religion.
§. 17. Memorand. 17. Remember that you must be examples of Holiness to the People: and shun all those sins which you would have them shun, and be eminent in all those virtues which you would commend unto them. This is not only necessary to the happiness of those under you, but also for the saving of yourselves. As Paul saith to Timothy, Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them: for in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee, 1 Tim. 4. 16. so may I say to Rulers, Take heed to yourselves and unto Government, and continue herein; for in doing this, you will save yourselves and those you govern. They that are good are likest to do good: but the wicked will do wickedly, Dan. 12. 10.
The chief means for Rulers to become thus Holy and exemplary is, 1. To hearken to the doctrine and counsel of the Word of the Lord, and to meditate in it day and night, Josh. 1. 3, 4. Deut. 17. 18, 19, 20. And to have faithful, holy and self-denying Teachers, 2 Chron. 20. 20. 2. To beware of the company and counsels of the wicked. Prov. 25. 4, 5. Take away the wicked from before the King, and his Throne shall be established in Righteousness. 3. To watch most carefully against the special temptations of their great places, especially against sensuality and Pride, and preferring their own Honor, and Interest and Will, before the Honor and Interest and Will of Jesus Christ. Eccles. 10. 16, 17. Woe to thee O Land, when thy King is a Child, and thy Princes eat in the morning: Blessed art thou O Land, when thy King is the Son of Nobles, and thy Princes eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness. It is an abomination to Kings to commit wickedness: for the Throne is established by Righteousness, Prov. 16. 12. 4. To remember always the End of Holiness. How sure a way it is to Glory hereafter, and to leave a sweet and glorious name and memorial upon earth; when wickedness is the certain way to shame on earth, and misery forever.
§. 18. Memorand. 18. Rulers should not be contented to do good at home, and to be the Joy and blessing of their own subjects, but also set their hearts to the promoting of faith, and holiness, and Concord throughout the Churches of the World; And to improve their interests in Princes and States by amicable correspondencies and treaties to these ends; that they may be blessings to the utmost extent of their capacities. As Constantine interceded with the Persian King to forbear the persecuting of Christians in his Dominion, &c —But I shall presume to speak no farther to my Superiors: In the Golden Age these Memorandum's will be practiced.
I will only annex Erasmus his Image of a Good Prince, and of a Bad, recited by Alstedius Encyclop. l. 23. Polit. c. 3. pag. 173, 174.
The Image of a good Prince out of Erasmus. If you will draw the picture of a good Prince, delineate some Celestial wight, liker to God than to a man▪ absolute in all perfections of virtue; Given for the good of all: yea sent from Heaven for the relief of mortal men's affairs: which being ( ocula • issimum ) most discerning, looketh to all! to whom nothing is more regarded, nothing more sweet than the Common-wealth: who hath more than a fatherly affection unto all: To whom every ones life is dearer than his own: who night and day is doing and endeavoring nothing else, but that it may be very well with all: who hath Rewards in readiness for all that are good: and pardon for the bad, if so be they will betake them to a better course: That so freely desireth to deserve well of his Subjects, that if it be needful he will not stick to preserve their safety by his own peril; that taketh his Countrys Commodity to be his own gain: that always watcheth that others may sleep quietly: that leaveth himself no quiet vacancy, that his Country may live in quiet vacancy or peace: that afflicteth himself with successive cares, that his Subjects may enjoy tranquellity: To conclude, on whose Virtue it is that the Public happiness doth depend.
The Image of a bad Prince. Ibid. If you would set forth a bad Prince to the eye, you must paint some savage horrid beast, made up of such monstrosities as a Dragon, a Wolf, a Lyon, a Viper, a Bear, &c. every way armed, with six hundred eyes: every way toothed; every way terrible with hooked talons, of an insatiable paunch; fed with men's bowels; drunk with man's blood; that watcheth to prey upon the lives and fortunes of all the people: troublesome to all, but specially to the good: a fatal evil to the World; which all curse and hate who wish well to the Common-wealth: which can neither be endured because of his cruelty, nor yet taken away without the great calamity of the World, because wickedness is armed with Guards and Riches.
CHAP. III. Directions for Subjects concerning their duty to their Rulers.
BEing now to speak of the duties which I must practice, and to those of my own rank, I shall do it with some more freedom, confidence and expectation of regard and practice.
§. 1. Direct. 1. Though I shall pass by most of the theory, and especially of the controversial points in Politicks, and not presume to play the Lawyers part; yet I must advise you to understand so much, of the cause, and nature and end of Government, as is necessary to direct you in your obedience, and to preserve you from all temptations to rebellion. Especially take heed of those mistakes which confound sovereignty and subjection, and which delude▪ the people with a conceit that they are the Original of power, and may entrust it as they please; and call their Rulers to account, and take the forfeiture, and recall their trust, &c. It is not to flatter Kings, but to give God his due, that I shall caution you against these mistakes of Popularity: And first I shall briefly lay down the truth, and then answer some few of the chief objections.
§. 2. Propos. 1. That there be Government in genere, and obedience thereto, is determined even in Nature, by the God of Nature, in making man a sociable creature, and each man insufficient for himself, and in making Republics necess •••• to the welfare and safety of individuals, and Government necessary to these Republics. This therefore is not left to the people's wills. Though some odd cases may be imagined, in which some individual persons, may live out of a Common-wealth, and not b • obliged to live under Civil-Government; yet that exception doth but confirm the general Rule: Even as all men ordinarily are bound to live in Communion with some particular Church, and know their own Pastor, though yet some few may be excepted, as some Ambassadors, Travelers, Seamen, Soldiers, banished men, &c. So here, the obligation to live under Government lieth upon the generality of the World, though some few may be excepted.
§. 3. Prop. 2. Rulers therefore are God's officers, placed under him in his Kingdom, as he is the Universal absolute Sovereign of the World: And they receive their power from God, who is the only Original of Power. Not only their strength from his strength, but their Authority or Governing power, (which is Ius regendi ) from his supreme authority; as Mayors and Bailiffs in Corporations receive their power from the King: Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3. There is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
§. 4. Prop. 3. This Governing power in genere is not an empty name, but in the very institution containeth in it those things Materially which are absolutely necessary to the end of Government.
§. 5. Prop. 4. Yet God hath left that which is commonly called the specification of Government, and some lower parts of the Matter, and Manner of exercise, undetermined, as also the Individual persons or families that shall Rule. In these three therefore it is that Communities interpose. 1. Whether the sovereignty shall be in one or two or ten, or how many, and how divided for their exercise, God hath not determined. 2. Nor hath he determined of every particular, whether the Power shall extend to this or that or the other thing, or not? Nor whether it shall be exercised thus or thus, by standing Courts, or temporary Judges, &c. 3. Nor hath he named the person or family that shall rule.
§. 6. Prop. 5. Though these in the constitution are determined of by explicit or implicit contract or consent between the Ruler and the Community, yet by none of these three can the people be truly and properly said to Give the Ruler his Power of Government. Not by the first or last; for both those do but determine who shall be the Recipient of that power; whether one or more, and who individually. Not the second, for that is but a limiting or bounding or regulating the Governing power, that it be not exercised to their hurt: The bounding and regulating of their power, is not the Giving them power. The People having the strength cannot be ruled against their concordant wills: And therefore if they contract with their Governors, that they will be Ruled thus and thus or not at all, this is not to Give them power. Yet Propriety they have, and there they may be Givers. So that this Bounding or Regulating, and Choosing the form, and Persons, and giving of their propriety, is all that they have to do. And the choosing of the Family or person is not at all a Giving the Power: They are but sine quibus non to that: They do but open the door to let in the Governor: They do but name the family or man to whom God and not they shall Give the power.
As when God hath already determined what authority the Husband shall have over the Wife, the Wife by choosing him to be her Husband giveth him not his power, but only chooseth the man to whom God giveth it by his standing Law: Though about the disposing of her estate, she may limit him by pre-contracts: But if she contract against his Go • ernment, it is acontradiction and null. Nor if he abuse his power, doth it at all fall into her hands.
If the King by Charter give power to a Corporation to choose their Mayor or other Officer, they do but nominate the persons that shall receive it; but it is the Kings Charter, and not they that give him the power.
If a Soldier voluntarily list himself under the Kings General, or other Commanders; he doth but choose the man that shall command him, but it is the Kings Commission that giveth him the power to command those that voluntarily so list themselves. And if the authority be abused or forfeited, it is not into the Soldiers hands, but into the Kings.
§. 7. Prop. 6. The Constituting-Consent or Contract of Ancestors obligeth all their posterity, if they will have any of the protection or other benefit of Government, to stand to the constitution: Else Governments should be so unsettled and mutable as to be uncapable of their proper End.
§. 8. Prop. 7. God hath neither in nature or Scripture, estated this Power of Government, in whole or in part, upon the people of a mere Community, (much less on Subjects) whether Noble or Ignoble, Learned or unlearned, the part of the Community, or the whole body, Real or Representative: The people as such, have not this Power, either to Use or to Give: But the absolute Sovereign of all the world, doth communicate the Sovereign power in every Kingdom or other sort of Common-wealth from himself Immediately: I say, Immediately; not without the Mediation of an Instrument signifying his will: for the Law of Nature and Scripture are his Instrument, and the Charter of Authority: nor yet so Immediately as without any kind of medium; for the Consent and Nomination of the Community before expressed, may be Conditio sine qua non, so far as aforesaid. But it is so Immediately from God, as that there is no immediate Recipient, to receive the power first from God, and convey it to the Sovereign.
§. 9. Prop. 8. The Natural power of individual persons over themselves is tota specie different from this Political or Civil Power. And it is not the Individuals resignation of this Natural power of selfdisposal, unto one or more, which is the efficient Cause of Sovereignty or Civil Power.
§. 10. Prop. 9. If you take the word [ Law ] properly, for the expression of a Rulers Will obliging the Governed, or making their duty; and not improperly for mere Contracts between the Sovereign and the people, then it is clear in the definition itself, that neither Subjects, nor the Community as such have any Legislative power: Neither Nature nor Scripture hath given the people a Power of making Laws, either by themselves, or with the Sovereign: Either the sole power or a part of it: But the very Nature of Government requireth, that the whole Legislative power, that is, the power of making Governing Laws, belong to the summa Majestas or Sovereign alone. (Unless when the summa potestas is in many hands, you compare the partakers among themselves, and call one Party the Sovereign, as having more of the Sovereignty than the rest). For those that are no Governors at all, cannot perform the chief act of Government, which is the making of Governing-Laws: But the people are no Governors at all, either as a Community, or as Subjects: So that you may easily perceive that all the Arguments for a natural Democracy are built upon false suppositions; and where ever the People have any part in the Sovereignty; it is by the after-Constitution and not by Nature; And that Kings receive not their Power from the people's gift, (who never had it themselves to use or give), but from God alone.
§. 11. Prop. 10. Though God have not made an Universal determination for any one sort of Government, against the rest; (whether Monarchy, Aristocracy or Democracy) because that is best for one people which may be worse for others, yet ordinarily Monarchy is accounted better than Aristocracy; and Aristocracy better than Democracy: So much briefly of the Original of Power.
§. 12. Object. 1. But (saith worthy Mr. Richard Hooker) Eccl. Pol. l. 1. §. 10. p. 21. [That which we spake of the power of Government, must here be applied to the power of making Laws, whereby to govern: which power God hath over all; and by the Natural Law whereto he hath made all subject, the lawful power of making Laws to command whole politick societies of men, belongeth so properly to the same entire societies, that for any Prince or Potentate of what kind soever upon earth, to exercise the same of himself, and not either by express Commission immediately and personally received from God, or else by Authority derived at first from their Consent, upon whose persons they impose Laws, it is no better than mere Tyranny. Laws they are not therefore, which public approbation hath not made so.]
Answ. Because the Authority of this famous Divine is with his Party so great, I shall adventure to say something, lest his words do the more harm; but not by confident opposition, but humble proposal and submission of my judgment to superiors and wiser men, as being conscious of my own inferiority and infirmity: I take all this to be an assertion nowhere by him proved: (and by me elsewhere disproved fully). Laws are the Effects and signs of the Rulers Will: and instruments of Government. Legislation is the first part of Government: And if the whole Body are naturally Governors, the Pares imperans and pars subdita are confounded. If the most Absolute Monarch can make no Laws, then disobeying them were no fault. It is enough that their Power be derived from God immediately, though the persons be chosen by men. Their Authority is not derived from the people's consent, but from God, by their consent, as a bare condition sine qua non. What if a Community say all to their elected King, [ We take not ourselves to have any Governing power to give or use, but we only choose you or your family to that Office which God hath instituted, who in that Institution giveth you the power upon our choice ]: Can any man prove, that such a King hath no power, but is a Tyrant? because the people disclaim the Giving of the Power: When indeed they do their duty. Remember that in all this we speak not of the Government of this or that particular Kingdom; but of Kingdoms and other Commonwealths indefinitely.
Object. 2. But, saith he, Lib. 8. p. 192. [Unto me it seemeth almost out of doubt and controversy, that every independent multitude before any certain form of regiment established, hath under God Supreme Authority, full Dominion over itself,—]
Answ. If by Dominion were meant Propriety, every Individual hath it: But for Governing Power, it seemeth as clear to me, that your independent multitude hath no Civil Power of Government at all; but only a Power to choose them Governors: While they have no Governors, they have no Governing Power, for that maketh a Governor.
§. 14. Object. 3. Ibid. [A man who is Lord of himself, may be made another's servant, &c.]
Answ. 1. He may hire out himself to Labor for another; because he hath so far the power of himself, and his Labor is his own, which he may sell for wages: But in a family, that the Master be the Governor to see God's Laws obeyed by his servants, is of Divine appointment, and this Governing power the servant giveth not to his Master, but only maketh himself the object of it. 2. The power that nature giveth a man over himself, is tota specie distinct from Civil Government: (as Dr. Hammond hath well shown against I. G. ) An Individual person hath not that power of his own life as the King hath. He may not put himself to death, for that which the King may put him to death for. 3. If this were true, that every individual, by self-resignation might give a King his power over him; yet a posse ad esse non valet consequentia: And that it is not so is proved, in that God the Universal Sovereign hath prevented them, by determining himself, of his own Officers, and giving them their power in the same Charter by which he enableth the people to choose them. Therefore it is no better reasoning than to say, [If all the persons in London subjected themselves to the Lord Mayor, he would thereby receive his power from them,] when the King hath prevented that already, by giving him the power himself in his Charter; and leaving only the choice of the person to them; and that under the direction of the Rules which he hath given them.
§. 15. Object. 4. But, saith he, pag. 193. l. 8. [In Kingdoms of this quality, ( as this we live in ) the Highest Governor hath indeed universal dominion, but with dependency upon that whole entire body over the several parts whereof he hath dominion: so that it standeth for an axiom in this • ase, The King is major singulis, universis minor. ]
Answ. If you had included Himself, its certain that he cannot be Greater than the whole, because he cannot be greater than himself. But seeing you speak of the whole in contradistinction from him, I answer, That indeed in genere causae finalis the Sovereign is Universis Minor, that is, The whole Kingdom is naturally more worth than One, and their felicity a greater good: or else the bonum publicum, or salus populi could not be the End of Government: But this is nothing to our case: For we are speaking of Governing power as a means to this end: And so in genere causae efficientis the Sovereign (yea, and his lowest Officer) hath more Authority or Ius Regendi than all the people as such; (for they all as such have none at all): Even as the Church is of more worth than the Pastor, and yet the Pastor alone hath more Authority to administer the Sacraments and to Govern the people, than all the flock hath: For they have none either to use or give (what ever some say to the contrary,) but only choose him to whom God will give it.
§. 16. Object. 5. Saith the Reverend Author lib. 8. p. 194. [Neither can any man with reason think, but that the first institution of Kings, (a sufficient consideration wherefore their power should always depend on that from which it did always flow) by original influence of power from the Body into the King, is the cause of Kings dependency in power upon the body: By dependency we mean subordination and subjection.] ☜
Answ. 1. But it their institution in genere was of God, and that give them their power, and it never flowed from the Body at all, then all your superstructure falleth with your ground-work. 2. And here you seem plainly to confound all Kingdoms by turning the pars imperans into the pars subdita, & vice versa: If the King be subject, how are they his subjects? I will not infer what this will lead them to do, when they are taught that Kings are in subordination and subjection to them. Sad experience hath shown us what this very principle would effect.
§. 17. Object. 6. Ibid. [A manifest token of which dependency may be this; as there is no more certain argument, that Lands are held under any as Lord's, than if we see that such lands in defect of heirs fall unto them by Escheat: In like manner it doth follow rightly that seeing Dominion when there is none to inherit it, returneth unto the body, therefore they which before were inheritors of it, did hold it in dependence on the body: So that by comparing the Body with the Head as touching power, it seemeth always to reside in both: fundamentally and radically in one, in the other derivatively: in one the Habit, in the other the Act of Power.]
Answ. Power no more falleth to the multitude by Escheat, than the Power of the Pastor falls to the Church, or the Power of the Physician to the Hospital, or the Power of the Schoolmaster to the Scholars: that is, not at all: When all the Heirs are dead, they are an ungoverned Community, that have power to choose a Governor, but no Power to Govern, neither (as you distinguish it) in Habit nor in act; originally n • r derivatively. As it is with a Corporation when the Mayor is dead, the power falleth not to the people.
Therefore there is no good ground given for your following question, [ May a body politick than at all times withdraw in whole or in part the influence of dominion which passeth from it, if inconveniences do • row thereby? ] Though you answer this question soberly yourself, its easy to see how the multitude may be tempted to answer it on your grounds, especially if they think your inconvenience turn into a necessity, and what use they will make of your next words, [ It must be presumed that Supreme Governors will not in such cases oppose themselves, and be stiff in detaining that, the use whereof is with public detriment. ] A strange presumption.
§. 18. Object. 7. [The Axioms of our Regal Government are these, Lex facit Regem: The Kings grant of any favor made contrary to Law is void; Rex nihil potest nisi quod jure potest. ]
Answ. If Lex be taken improperly for the constituting contract between Prince and people, and if your facit have respect only to the species and person, and not the substance of the Power itself, then I contradict you not. But if Lex be taken properly, for Authoritativa constitutio debiti, or the signification of the Sovereigns will to oblige the Subject, then Lex non facit Regem, sed Rex Legem.
§. 19▪ Object. 8. Lib. 8. p. 210. [When all which the wisdom of all sorts can do is done for the devising of Laws in the Church, it is the general consent of all that giveth them the form and vigor of Laws: without which they could be no more to us than the Councils of Physicians to the sick: Well might they seem is wholesome admonitions and instructions, but Laws could they never be, without consent of the whole Church to be guided by them, whereunto both nature and the practice of the Church of God set down in Scripture, is found every way so fully consonant, that God himself would not impose, no not his own Laws upon his people, by the hand of Moses, without their free and open consent.] ☜
Answ. 1. Wisdom doth but prepare Laws, and Governing power enacteth them, and giveth them their form. But the whole Body hath no such Governing power, Therefore they give them not their form. 2. The people's consent to God's Laws gave them not their form or authority: This opinion I have elsewhere confuted, against a more erroneous Author. Their consent to God's Laws was required indeed, as naturally necessary to their obedience, but not as necessary to the Being or Obligation of the Law. Can you think that it had been no sin in them to have disobeyed God's Laws, unless they had first consented to them? Then all the world might escape sin and damnation by denying consent to the Laws of God. 3. This doctrine will teach men that we have no Church-Laws: For the whole Church never signified their consent. Millions of the poorer sort have no voices in choosing Parliament men or Convocations: And this will teach the minor dissenting part, to think themselves disobliged for want of consenting: and will give every dissenting part or person a Negative voice to all Church Laws. 4. A single Bishop hath a Governing power over his particular Church, and they are bound to obey him: Heb. 13. 7. 17. And if the governing power of one Pastor be not suspended for want of the consent of any or all the people, then much less, the Governing Power of King and Parliament.
§. 20. Object. 9. Lib. 8. p. 220. [It is a thing even undoubtedly natural that all free and independent societies should themselves make their own Laws; and that this power should belong to the whole, not to any certain part of a politick body—]
Answ. This is oft affirmed, but no proof at all of it: In many Nations the Representatives of the whole Body have the Legislative power, or part of it. But that is from the special constitution of that particular Common-wealth, and not from Nature, nor common to all Nations. All that naturally belongeth to the people as such, was but to choose their Law-makers, and secure their liberties, and not to make Laws themselves by themselves, or mere representers.
§. 21. Object. 10. Lib. 8. p. 221. [For of this thing no man doubteth, namely, that in all societies, Companies and Corporations, what severally each shall be bound unto, it must be with all their assents ratified: Against all equity it were that a man should suffer detriment at the hands of men for not observing that which he never did either by himself or by others, mediately or immediately agree to.—]
Answ. I am one that more than doubt of that which you say no man doubteth of. Do you not so much as except God's Laws, and all those that only do enforce them, or drive men to obey them? As men are obliged to obey God, whether they consent or not; so are they to obey the Laws of their Sovereigns, though they never consented to them, no nor to their Sovereignty, as long as they are members of that Common-wealth, to the Government whereof the Sovereign is lawfully called: Millions of dissenters may be bound to obey, till they quit the Society.
§. 22. Object. 11. Lib. 8. p. 205. [If Magistrates be Heads of the Church, they are of Necessity Christians.]
Answ. That can never be proved. A Constitutive Head indeed must be a Christian and more, even a Pastor to a particular Church, and Christ to the universal. This Headship our Kings disclaim: But a Head of the Church, that is, Over the Church, or a Coercive Governor of it, the King would be if he were no Christian. As one that is no Physician may be Head over all the Physicians in his Kingdom; or though he be no Philosopher, or Artist, he may be Head over all the Philosophers and Artists; and in all their Causes have the Supreme Coercive power; so would the King over all Protestants if he were no Protestant, and over all Christians if he were no Christian? But you think that he that is no member of the Church cannot be the Head of it: I answer, Not a Constitutive Essential Head as the Pastor is: But he may be the Head over it, and have all the coercive power over it. What if the King be not a member of many Corporations in his Kingdom? Yet as he is Head of the Kingdom, he is Head of or over them as they are parts of it.
§. 23▪ Object. 12. Lib. 8. p. 218, 223, 224. [What power the King hath, he hath it by Law: the bounds and limits of it are known; the entire community giveth order, &c. p. 223. As for them that exercise power altogether against order, although the kind of power which they have may be of God, yet is their exercise thereof against God, and therefore not of God, otherwise than by permission, as all injustice is. Pag. 224. Usurpers of Power, whereby we do not mean them that by violence have aspired unto places of highest authority, but them that use more authority than they did ever receive in form and manner before mentioned—Such Usurpers thereof as in the exercise of their power do more than they have been authorized to do, cannot in conscience bind any man to obedience.]
Answ. It is true that no man can exercise more power than he hath: The power that we speak of being 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Ius regendi, it is impossible to use more Authority than they have; though they may command beyond and without authority. And it is true, that where a man hath no authority or right to command, he cannot directly bind to obedience. But yet a Ruler may exercise more power than Man ever gave him, and oblige men to obedience thereby. God giveth them Power to Govern for his Glory, according to his Laws, and to promote Obedience to those Laws of God (in Nature and Scripture) by subordinate Laws of their own. And all this the Sovereign may do, if the people at the choice of him or his family, should only say, We take you for our Sovereign Ruler: For then he may do all that true Reason or Scripture make the work of a Sovereign Ruler; even Govern the people by all such just means, as tend to the public good and their everlasting happiness: And yet that people that should do no more but choose persons or families to Govern them, and set them no bounds, doth Give no Power to those they choose, but determine of the persons that shall have power from God. Yet it is granted you, that if the person or family chosen contract with them to Govern only with such and such limitations, they have bound themselves by their own contract; and thus both specifications of Government and Degrees of power come in by men: But always distinguish, 1. Between the people's Giving away their Propriety (in their Goods, Labors, &c. ) (which they may do) and giving Authority, or Governing power (which they have not to give.) 2. Between their Naming the persons that shall receive it from the Universal King, and Giving it themselves. 3. Between bounding and limiting Power, and Giving Power. 4. And between a Sovereigns binding himself by contract, and being bound by the Authority of others. If they be limited by contracts, which are commonly called the Constitutive or fundamental Laws, it is their own consent and contract that effectively obligeth and limiteth them; of which indeed the Peoples will may be the Occasion, when they resolve that they will be governed on no other terms: But if the contract limit them not, but they be chosen simply to be the summae Potestates, without naming any particular powers either by concession or restraint, than as to Ruling they are Absolute as to men, and limited only by God, from whose highest Power they can never be exempt, who in Nature and Scripture restraineth them from all that is impious and unjust, against his Laws and honor, or against the public happiness and safety. And here also remember, that if any shall imagine that God restraineth a Magistrate when it is not so, and that the commands of their Governors are contrary to the Word of God, when it is no such matter, their error will not justify their disobedience.
Though I have answered these Passages of this Reverend Author, it is not to draw any to undervalue his learned Writings, but to set right the Reader in the Principles of his Obedience, on which the Practice doth so much depend.
And I confess, that other Authors of Politicks, say as much as Mr. Hooker saith, both Papists and Protestants; but not all, nor I think the soundest: I will instance now in Alstedius only (an excellent person, but in this mistaken) who saith, Encyclop. l. 23. Polit. c. 3. p. 178. [ Populus Universus dignior & potior est tum magistratu tum Ephoris—Hinc recte docent Doct. Politici, populum obtinere regnum & jura Majestatis proprietate & dominio: Principem & Ephoros Usu & administratione: (whereas the people have not the Regnum vel jura Majestatis any way at all)— Si administratores efficium suum facere nolint, si impia & iniqua mandent, si contra dilectionem Dei & proximi agant, populus propriae salutis curam arripiet, imperium male utentibus abrogabit, & in locum eorum alios substituet.—Porro Ephori validiora ipso Rege imperia obtinent: Principem enim constit •• nt & deponunt: id quod amplissimum est praeeminentiae argumentum. Atque haec prerogativa mutuis pactis stabilitur.—Interin • princeps summam potestatem obtinere dicitur, quatenus Ephori administrationem imperii, & cumulum potestatis ipsi committunt. Denique optimatum universorum potestas non est infinita & absoluta, sed certis veluti rhetris & clathris definita, utpote non ad propriam libidinem, sed ad utilitatem & salutem populi alligata. Hinc illorum munia sunt Regem designare, constituere, inaugurare, constitutum consiliis & auxiliis juvare; sine consensu & approbatione Principis, quamdiu ill suum officium facit, nihil in Reipublicae negotiis suscipere: Nonn •• quam conventum inscio Principe agere, necessitate reipublicae exigente—Populum contra omnis generis turbatores & violatores defendere —] I suppose Mr. Hookers Principles, and Alstedius 's were much the same. I will not venture to recite the Conclusion cap. 12. pag. 199. R. 5. de resistendo Tyranno.
Many other Authors go the same way, and say that the people have the Majestas Realis (both Papists, and Protestants, and Heathens) But I suppose that what I have said against Hooker will serve to show the weakness of their grounds: Though it is none of my purpose to contradict either Hooker or any other, so far as they open the odiousness of the sin of Tyranny (which at this day keepeth out the Gospel from the far greatest part of the world, and is the greatest enemy to the Kingdom of Christ); nor yet as they plead for the just Liberties of the People: But I am not for their Authority.
§. 24. Direct. 2. Begin with an Absolute Universal resolved Obedience to God, your Creator and Redeemer, who is your Sovereign King, and will be your final righteous Judge. As he that is no loyal Subject to the King, can never well obey his Officers: so he that subjecteth not his soul, to the Original Power of his Creator, can never well obey the Derivative Power of earthly Governors.
Object. But, you may say, experience teacheth us, that many ungodly people are obedient to their superiors as well as others. I answer, Materially they are, but not Formally and from a right principle, and to right ends: As a Rebel against the King, may obey a Justice of Peace for his own Ends, as long as he will let him alone, or take his part. But not formally as he is the Kings Officer. So ungodly men may flatter Princes and Magistrates for their own ends, or on some low and by account, but not sincerely as the Officers of God. He is not like to be truly obedient to man, that is so foollish, dishonest and impious as to rebel against his Maker: nor to obey that authority which he first denieth, in its Original and first efficient cause. What ever Satan and his servants may say, and however some hypocrites may contradict in their practices the Religion which they profess, yet nothing is more certain, than that the most serious godly Christians, are the best subjects upon earth, As their principles themselves will easily demonstrate.
§. 25. Direct. 3. Having begun with God, obey your Governors as the Officers of God, with an obedience ultimately Divine. All things must be done in Holiness by the Holy. That is, God must be discerned, obeyed and intended in all: And therefore in Magistrates in a special manner. In two respects Magistrates are obeyed or rather flattered by the ungodly: First as they are men that are able to do them corporal good or hurt: As a Horse, or Dog, or other Bruit will follow you for his belly, and loveth to be where he fareth best: Secondly, As the Head of his Party, and encourager of him in his evil way, when he meets with Rulers that will be so bad. Wicked men Love wicked Magistrates for being the servants of Satan: But faithful men must Honor and Obey a Magistrate, as an Officer of God: Even a Magistrate as a Magistrate, and not only as Holy, is an Officer of the Lord of all. Therefore the fifth Commandment is as the hinge of the two Tables: Many of the Ancients thought that it was the last Commandment of the first Table, and the Moderns think it is the first Comandment of the last Table: For it commandeth our duty to the noblest sort of men; but not merely as men, but as the Officers of God. They debase Magistrates, that look at them merely as those that master other men, as the strongest Beast doth by the weaker; Nothing will make you sincere and constant in your honoring and obeying them, but taking them as the Officers of God, and remembering by whose commission they rule, and whose work they do: that They are Ministers of God to us for good, Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. If you do not this, 1. You wrong God, whose servants they are: For he that despiseth, despiseth not man but God. 2. You wrong the Magistrate, as much as you should do an Ambassador, if you took him to be the messenger of some Jack Straw, or some fellow that signifieth no more than his personal worth importeth. 3. And you wrong yourselves: For while you neglect the Interest and authority of God in your Rulers, you forfeit the acceptance, protection and reward of God. Subjects as well as servants must learn that great lesson; Col. 3. 23. 24, 25. And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily as to the Lord, and not unto men: knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance, for ye serve the Lord Christ: But he that doth wrong shall receive for the wrong that he hath done, and there is no respect of persons. So Eph. 6. 5, 6, 7, 8. Magistrates are as truly God's Officers as Preachers: And therefore as he that heareth Preachers heareth him, so he that obeyeth Rulers obeyeth him: The exceptions are but the like in both cases: It is not everything that we must receive from Preachers; nor every thing that we must do at the command of Rulers: But both in their proper place and work, must be regarded as the officers of God; and not as men that have no higher Authority than their own to bear them out.
§. 26. Direct. 4. Let no vices of the person cause you to forget the dignity of his office: The authority of a sinful Ruler is of God, and must accordingly be obeyed: Of this read Bishop Bilson at large in his excellent Treatise of Christian Subjection; against the Papists that excommunicate and depose Princes whom they account Heretics, or favorers of them. Those sins which will damn a man's soul and deprive him of Heaven, will not deprive him of his Kingdom, nor disoblige the subjects from their obedience. An Infidel, or an ungodly Christian (that is, an Hypocrite) is capable of being a Prince, as well as of being a Parent, Husband, Master: And the Apostle hath taught all as well as servants, their duty to such, 1 Pet. 2. 18, 19, 20, 21. Servants, be subject to your Masters with all fear: and not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward: For this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience toward God, endure grief, suffering wrongfully? For what glory is it if when you are buffeted for your faults you take it patiently? but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God: For even hereunto were ye called. Though it be a rare mercy to have Godly Rulers, and a great judgment to have ungodly ones, it is such as must be born.
§. 27. Direct. 5. Do not either divulge or aggravate the vices of your Governors to their dishonor. For their Honor is necessary to the public good. If they have not care of their own honor, yet their subjects must have a care of it. If once they be dishonored, they will the more easily be contemned, hated and disobeyed. Therefore the dishonoring of the Rulers tendeth to the dissolution of the Government, and ruin of the Common-wealth. Only in two cases did the ancient Christians aggravate the wickedness of their Governors. 1. In case they were such cruel monsters as Nero, who lived to the misery of mankind: 2. In case they were not only open enemies of the Church of Christ, but their Honor stood in competition with the Honor of Christianity, piety and honesty, as in Julian's case: I confess against Nero and Julian both living and dead (and many like them,) the tongues and pens of wise and sober persons have been very free: But the fifth Commandment is not to be forgotten, Honor thy Father and Mother. And 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God: Honor the King: Though you must not call evil good, yet you may conceal and hide evil: Cham was cursed for opening his fathers nakedness. Though you must flatter none in their fins, nor hinder their Repentance, but further it by all righteous means, yet must you speak Honourably of your Rulers, and endeavor to breed an Honorable esteem of them in the people's minds; and not as some, that think they do well if they can secretly make their Rulers seem odious, by opening and aggravating their faults.
§. 28. Direct. 6. Subdue your passions, that no injuries which you may suffer by them, may disturb your reason, and make you dishonor them by way of revenge. If you may not revenge yourselves on private men, much less on Magistrates: And the Tongue may be an unjust revenger, as well as the hand. Passion will provoke you to be telling all men, [Thus and thus I was used], and to persuade you that it is no sin to tell the truth of what you suffered: But remember that the public good and the honor of God's officers are of greater value, than the righting of a particular person that is injured. Many a discontented person hath set Kingdoms on fire, by divulging the faults of Governors for the righting of themselves.
Obj. But shall cruel and unrighteous or persecuting men do mischief and not hear of it, nor be humbled for it?
Answ. 1. Preachers of the Gospel, and others that have opportunity, may privately tell them of it, to bring them to repentance (if they will endure it,) without dishonoring them by making it public. 2. Historians will tell posterity of it, to their perpetual infamy, (if repentance and well-doing recover not their honor.) Flatterers abuse the living, but Truth will dishonor their wickedness when they are dead: For it is God's own decree, that the memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot, Prov. 10. 7. 3. And God himself will fully be avenged upon the impenitent forever, having told you that it were better for him that offendeth one of his little ones, that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the Sea. And is not all this enough, without the revenge of your passionate tongues? To speak evil of dignities, and despise dominion, and bring railing accusations, are the sins of the old licentious Heretics. Christ left us his example not to revile the meanest when we are reviled, 1 Pet. 2. 23. If you believe that God will justify the innocent, and avenge them speedily, Luk. 18. 7, 8. what need you be so forward to justify and avenge yourselves?
Obj. If God will have their names to rot, and spoken evil of when they are dead, why may I not do it while they are alive?
Answ. There is a great deal of difference between a true Historian, and a selfavenger in the reason of the thing; and in the effects: To dishonor bad Rulers while they live, doth tend to excite the people to rebellion, and to disable them to govern: But for Truth to be spoken of them when they are dead, doth only lay an odium upon the sin, and is a warning to others that they follow them not in evil: And this no wicked Prince was ever so Great and powerful as to prevent: For it is a part of God's resolved judgment. Yet must Historians so open the faults of the person, as not to bring the office into contempt, but preserve the reverence due to the authority and place of Governors.
§ 29. Direct. 7. By all means overcome a selfish mind, and get such a Holy and a public spirit, as more regardeth God's honor and the public interest than your own. It is SELFISHNESS that is the great Rebel and Enemy of God and of the King and of our Neighbor. A selfish private spirit careth not what the Common-wealth suffereth if he himself may be a gainer by it. To revenge himself, or to rise up to some higher place, or increase his riches, he will betray and ruin his King, his Country, and his nearest friends. A selfish, ambitious, covetous man, is faithful to no man, longer than he serveth his ends; nor is he any further to be trusted, than his own interest will allow. Self-denial, and a public spirit, are necessary to every faithful subject.
§. 30. Direct. 8. Wish not evil to your Governors in your secret thoughts: but if any such thought would enter into your hearts, reject it with abhorrence. Eccles. 10. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter. A feverish misguided Zeal for Religion, and a passionate discontent for personal injuries, do make many greatly guilty in this point; They would be much pleased if God would show some grievous judgment upon persecutors; and take no warning by Christ's rebukes of James and John, but secretly are wishing for fire from Heaven, not knowing what manner of spirit they are of. They cherish such thoughts as are pleasing to them, though they dare not utter them in words. And he that dare wish hurt, is in danger of being drawn by temptation to do hurt.
Obj. But may we not pray for the cutting off of persecutors? And may we not give God thanks for it if he do it himself, without any sinful means of ours?
Answ. Every Ruler that casteth down one sect or party of Christians, and setteth up another (perhaps as true to the interest of Christianity as they) is not to be prayed against and his destruction wished by the suffering party. 2. If he be a persecutor of Christianity and Piety itself, as Heathens, and Infidels are, yet if his Government do more good, than his persecution doth harm, you may not so much as wish his downfall. 3. If he were a Nero or a Julian, you must pray first for his conversion, and if that may not be, then next for his restraint, and never for his destruction but on supposition that neither of the former may be attained (which you cannot say). 4. You must pray for the deliverance of the persecuted Church, and leave the way and means to God, and not prescribe to him: Hurtful desires and prayers are seldom of God. 5. You may freelyer rejoice afterwards, than desire it before: because when a Julian is cut off, you know that God's righteous will is accomplished; when before you knew not that it was his will: Yet