Abrahams Faith, Part 1 · Chapter 3 · Article 14
The 14. Article of libertie in religion, whether it take away any naturall comfort or duetie among men.
14 The true and catholike religion forbiddeth no man or woman of what caling ſoeuer, to marrie, ſo it bee in the Lord: and commaundeth all ſortes of men, and that of all callings, as well eccleſiaſticall as ciuill, to be ſubiect to the ciuill magiſtrate and higher power: and to obey him in the Lord.
IN this Article are two ſpecials as mariage and the dutie to the magiſtrate: which two may be as an inſtance for all of like ſort: for in the firſt kind we vnderſtand to be meats, times, & the maner & order of many things both ciuil and ſeruing to Gods worſhip, that they are al left free, ſo that in al theſe things, God and his word hath giuen free liberty, & not inthralled his Church, but onelyonly requireth an orderly comely vſe, directed to his glorie. And in the ſecond ſort is the duetie to parents, to husbands, to wiues, to children and ſuch like that no man vnderunder the colour of religion caſt away ſuch dueties. Therefore I will onelyonly ſpeake of theſe two, which being well marked I hope the wiſe and carefull reader will ſee, what is the true duetie of religion in all. And firſt looke vponuponaGen. 12. & 15 & 20 & 21. & 25. Abraham: he was a prophet, yet had he his firſt and ſecond wife, and by vertue of Gods promiſe, when he ſaid: So ſhal thy ſeed be, he was made ſtrong, euen in his old daies to beget many children, and it was not an vncleane thing vntounto him though hee were a prophet ſo to bee maried. In Moſes and his prieſthood you ſee: that he being a prophet,b1. Cron. 23.14. begat children, and the prieſts and Leuits had their wiues. So in the prophets it is found that they were not reſtrained from this benefite, for it is expreſſed thatc1. Sam. 8.1. Ezec. 24.15.16 2. King. 4.1. Samuel and Ezechiel had wiues, and the children of the prophetes. And where Ieremie is forbidden, it is expreſſed, not to bee in regard he was a prophet; but onelyonly becauſe of thedHier. 16.2.3.5.8. troubles of his time: for which cauſe he is alſo forbidden the houſe of mourning & of feaſting: becauſe that he might teach the people by ſuch ſpeeches, as by a figure in his example, there great calamitie, which hung ouer their heades.
And in the new teſtament we know that theaMath. 8.14. Apoſtles had wiues before their calling, and it is no where expreſſed, that they were forbidden to keepe them afterwardes, but rather the contrarie, as where Paul ſaith:b1. Cor. 9.5. HaueHave we not power ta leade about a wife being a ſiſter, as well as the reſt of the Apoſtles, and as the brethren of the Lord and Caephas? As touching the miniſters of the congregations, they were ſo farre from barring them from wiues, that they doe expreſſely preſcribec1. Tim. 3. & Tit. 1.6. what they ſhould bee, and how their children ſhould bee gouerned, pronouncing the forbidding of mariage to beed1. Tim. 4.1.2 doctrine of deuils, and thateHeb. 13.4. mariage is honourable among all men. Therefore in this point is the practiſe of England ſound and catholike, and our profeſſion the ancient and vnchangeable truth. For wee ſayfArtic. 32. of the mariage of prieſtes. Apol cap. 8. diuiſ. 1.: Biſhoppes, prieſtes, and deacons, are not commaunded by Gods lawe, eyther to vow the eſtate of ſingle life, or to abſtaine from mariage: therefore it is lawfull alſo for them as for all other Chriſtian men, to marrie at their owne diſcretion, as they ſhall iudge the ſame to ſerue better to godlineſſe.
As touching the Magiſtrate, you ſee in Abraham, how hee kept onelyonly the gouernment of his owne houſe, and how lowly and humbly he caried himſelfe ingGen. 12. & 20. Egipt and Gerar, where there were kings of the countrie: And Melchiſedeck, though he were prieſt of the moſt high God, vſurped not authoritie ouer other kinges, but being a figure of Chriſt, hee bleſſed Abraham for a ſpeciall miſterie, as is expreſſed and taught in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes,hHeb. 7. ſhadowing the royall prieſthood of Chriſt aboue the prieſthood of Aaron. Therefore in this time religion abridged not any duetie, but rather fulfilled them. Moſes, when hee deſcribeth the order of a king ouer Iſrael, hee ſheweth that God would make a king ouer them. Where hee vſethiDeut. 17.14.15. theſe wordes, in the perſon of all the people: I will ſet a king ouer mee: And againe vntounto them: Thou ſhalt make him king ouer thee. There me and thee, containe all eſtates and orders eccleſiaſticall and ciuill. And ſo was Ioſhuah the firſt Captaine,kIoſhuah. 1.18 & cap. 3. the commaunder of all, neither is there any ſillable exempting any one eſtate more then other. When this came in practiſe in the time of the prophetes, were not the prieſtes and Samuel ſubiect to Saul.l1. Sam. 19. & 22. Nathan and other ſeers, vntounto Dauid, and all other prophets with the prieſtes ſubiect to Solomon, Iehoſhaphat, Ezechiah, Ioſhiah, &c. Did not they commaunde and order the building and repairing of the temple, place and diſplace high prieſtes, call the people to the pure worſhip of God, and commaund the prieſts in the holy adminiſtrations? And they themſelues were ſubiect to none,m1. Cron. 23. & 24 & 25. & 26. &c. 2 Cron. 2. & 3 & 4. &c. & 28. & 29. & 30. &c. but to Gods worde, that by his bookes and worde they ſhould bee ruled and guided, and by no man,oDeut. 17.18.19. Ioſh. 1.8. 2. Cron. 34. or mans worde or commandement whatſoeuer.
So our Sauiour Chriſt commaundeth to giuegivefMath. 22.21. Caeſar his due, and to God his due: and though hee were Lord of all, yet becauſe his kingdome was not of this world,hCap. 27. gMath. 17.25.he payed tribute, and meekely yeelded himſelfe when he was wrongfully iudged. And the ſpirit of truth which hee gaue his Apoſtles, did guide them in the ſame ſteppes that for themſelues it is not found they vſurped any ciuill authoritie by colour of religion, but commanded euerie ſouleiRom. 13.1. 1 Pet. 2.13.14. to be ſubiect to the higher power, and namely to the king as to the ſuperior and to the gouernors vnderunder him. Therefore alſo the practiſe of our Church in this behalfe, is verie godly and beſeeming the religigion of God: and that we herein profeſſe is a moſt auncient and catholike veritie. For wee ſay,kArtic. 37. The Queenes Maieſtie hath the chiefe power in this realme of England, and other her dominions, vntounto whom the chife gouernment of all eſtates of this realme, whether they bee eccleſiaſticall or not, in all cauſes doth appertaine, and is not, nor ought not to be ſubiect to any forraine iuriſdiction. So then we may boldly conclude, that as touching this holy comfort of mariage and duetie to the magiſtrate, our Church followeth the right, euerlaſting and vnchangeable truth.