Lifes Preservative Against Self-Killing, Tract · Chapter 2 · Section 29 – Section 31
§. 29. Touching not omiſsion of neceſſary duties commanded of God in any perill of life for the ſame.
The third member is about omiſſion of duty.The third member of the eaſe, wherein a man ought to expoſe his life to death in cauſe of religion, is, when he is charged and bidden by any humane command, or authority, upon threatning paine of death, to forbeare doing of that which God commands him to doe; whether the ſame be perſonall duties of generall obedience to Gods lawes, that are proper to all men; or officiall, reſpecting ſome conditions of men in their ſpeciall places and relations; as officers and the like, if they have the ſame in charge immediately from God, without diſpenſation;1. Perſonall. then, a man is not upon any humane prohibition to omit doing of ſuch duties; which he is bound by immediate authority from God to performe;aDan. 6.10. as honouring of our parents, and all the other affirmatives of Gods morall Commandements; which no man can releaſe or diſpenſe withall, to diſcharge a man before God, for his omiſſion of them.
2. Officiall.Alſo, for officiall duties, which are ſo proper to mens particular places and relations wherein they are; that without performance of thoſe duties, theſe relations and places would be marred; a man is not to omit them upon any threatning and danger, ſo long as he ſtands in ſuch relation, or place;1. Of divine inſtitution. becauſe, both the places and duties belonging to them, are of divine, and not humane ordination and dependance; as the places and duties of parents, children, husbands, wives, maſters, ſervants, magiſtrates, ſubjects, &c. who are not upon any humane command, or danger, to omit their duties to thoſe, to whom they owe them upon divine bond; which is ſo plaine, that it is profeſſed of the Pope, that he cannot, nor will not abſolve ſubjects from their allegiance, and obedience due to their Princes; bBellar. in dialogiſmo adverſus Borclaium, c. 31.but only from obedience to ſuch as by hereſie, contumacy, or the like, are fallen from their places of Kingly authority which they had; being unworthy of it, and of the duties and reſpects due to the ſame.
2. Of humane inſtitution.But it is to be obſerved, that for thoſe places and their duties, which are wholly of humane ordination; as offices of State or Common-wealth, they are to bee executed or ſuſpended by the ſuperiour authority; although our endeavours are not to concurre in it, mainly and clearely to croſſe the morall rules of equity and religion.
Alſo, for callings that are fundamentally of divine ordination; the manner of execution whereof depends upon the rules of Gods direction in his Word: as is the Miniſtry of the Goſpell; ſo long as the perſons that exerciſe that function, have their calling thereunto by men who are the Church of God; by the ſame power they may be diſcharged and put out of place; or, while they are in it, be ſuſpended from liberty of exerciſing their publike office and miniſtry: for the ſame power that makes, may unmake; and the affirmative Commandements of God doe not binde ad ſemper, to the doing of them alwayes;Of obedience to ſuſpenſion, and deprivation. ſpecially when the intermiſſion only, or reſtraint of exerciſe of thoſe duties is intended by the deprivers, or ſuſpenders; ſo long as there is ſufficient proviſion by others to perform the ſame without ſo great dānge to the Church, as might ariſe to the ſame, by the Miniſters doing of the duties of his calling, contrary to the ſaid authority: then ſuch a deprivation, or ſuſpenſion, Exception againſt ſuſpenſion and deprivation of miniſters by the Church of Rome.(although it were unjuſt) is to be obeyed; and for a man in that caſe, to ſuffer for his diſobedience to the ſame, he can have no comfort nor juſt incouragement; except ſuch reſtraint were ſo generall, that there were not men enough in places to diſcharge the duties of that function; without which a true Church cannot ſubſiſt; ſo as therein, and by the doctrine thereof, men may be ſaved: then, in that caſe of extreame neceſſity, ſuch a deprived or ſuſpended Miniſter, by the rule of charity, which warrants lay-men to help to uphold the truth and Church, is bound to doe the duties of his calling, notwithſtanding any ſuch former reſtraint, or danger of diſobedience to it: becauſe, the power of the Church is but miniſteriall; under, and according to God; rather declarative, than Soveraigne; therefore, what ſhe doth, tyes not men here on earth to obey it, to the deſtruction, but to the edification of the Church, or at leaſt to prevent a greater miſchiefe; And alſo, becauſe the true Church may doe no ſuch acts of deprivation, or ſuſpenſion, whereby to intend or effect the deſtruction of the Church; and therefore (in that caſe) tranſgreſſing of ſuch reſtraints is no diſobedience to the Church, but rather an obeying the intent of the ſame; as in times of perſecution we have plentifull examples, ſpecially of the Church of the Iewes againſt the Chriſtians.
A Caveat.Yet, herein is to be obſerved, that ſuch performance of duties in that caſe, after reſtraint, bee done in mecke patient manner, without tumults or forcible oppoſition of authority; ſubmitting with paſſive obedience, where they cannot lawfully performe active.
This extends not to warrant any ſchiſme, or hereſie, that eſteem themſelves only to be the true Church; as did the Donatiſts and others; to oppoſe (out of feare of their owne ruine) the proceedings and reſtraints of the more Orthodoxe, and generall body of a ſound Church, (whoſe authority doth preponderate and overſway her apoſtating members) ſo long as by the doctrine publikely taught in her, men may be ſaved, and built up.
§. 30. Againſt commiſsion of evill upon any humane command, or threats.
Fourth member about commiſſion of evill upon humane command.The fourth member of the caſe, wherein a man ought to expoſe his life to death, in cauſes concerning religion; is, when a man is deſired, commanded, or threatned to doe any ſinne forbidden by Gods word; that then hee doe it not, although he therefore doe die; as Ioſephs practiſe manifeſts in reſiſting his whoriſh miſtris, aGen. 39.12.and the three children, that would not upon the Kings command worſhip the golden Image to ſave their lives, Daniel 3.18. Becauſe it is better for us to die, than deliberately and wilfully to ſinne againſt God: as the woman with her ſeaven ſonnes did chooſe, 2 Mach. 7. according to S. Auguſtines judgement, who ſayes, that if it be propounded to a man, Vt aut mali aliquid faciat, aut mali aliquid patiatur, eligat non facere mala, quam non pati mala, bEpiſt. 204.that either he ſhould doe ſome evill, or ſuffer ſome calamity; then let him chooſe rather not to doe evill, than not to ſuffer evill.
Obſerve. How we are to abhorre ſin.For, we are ever to doe that which may moſt neerely unite us to God our chiefe good; and to ſhunne what may divide us from him; which nothing can doe but our ſinnes; ſpecially thoſe that conſiſt in the tranſgreſſion of the negative Commandements, and are moſt oppoſite to God, and incompatible with him; and therefore thoſe lawes doe binde ad ſemper, to the alwayes obſerving of them; and cannot be diſpenſed withall, ſeeing God is unchangeable. The evill of ſinne ſhould be more terrible to us than death it ſelfe; not onelyonly for that it is the cauſe of death, and imbitters it; but alſo becauſe it deprives us of a greater good, of our ſpirituall life, that farre exceeds the naturall. The beatificall object that ſinne deprives us of, is the infinite bleſſed God, from whom to be ſeparated is worſe than death it ſelf; and in that reſpect, rather than we ſhould ſinne, we ſhould chooſe to ſuffer death, which is a glorious kinde of Martyrdome, and a meanes of advancement to happineſſe, for the power and practiſe of the truth laying downe our lives; which is a more undoubted ſigne of grace and ſalvation, than is the ſuffering of many, for holding the truth in opinion and profeſſion. Wee ſhould chooſe rather not to bee, than not to bee happy; for, the originall, and end of our being is better than our being it ſelfe; in regard that our happineſſe is not of, and in our ſelves; but in and from another, who is both our beginning and end.
§. 31. Of the kindes of ſinnes of commiſsion to be avoyded.
Evils of ſin to be avoided.Theſe ſinfull evills, that wee ought thus carefully to avoid and forbeare to death, are of two ſorts.
1. Againſt the law of nature.Firſt, thoſe that be directly and abſolutely forbidden by the Law of nature, as fundamentally unlawfull, at all times, and in all caſes, for the contrariety that they have againſt the nature of God, and againſt the inbred principles of reaſon and conſcience: of which no queſtion can be made, but that wee are alwaies utterly to ſhun them, notwithſtanding any humane command, or inforcement that may be to the contrary: becauſe, no human power can diſſolve the obligation of thoſe ingrafted Commandements of God, and nature, Innata Lex. Rom. 2.15.that we may be diſcharged in conſcience from keeping of them, which would overthrow both divinity and humanity: neither can any free us from the puniſhment of the tranſgreſſion of them; both becauſe, equity and Law requires that, the ſoule that ſins, ſhall die; and, alſo for that, there is no power matchable with Gods, and natures, to protect, or free us, by force from their vengeance.
2. Againſt the poſitive Law of God.Secondly, the ſins that wee are to ſhun, and not wittingly and willingly to do, upon any threats, or worldly danger, or for any profit, are thoſe that are forbidden by the poſitive Law and revealed will of God; the violating whereof doth wrong the ſoveraignty and honor of God; who is the abſolute and onelyonly independant King of all the world; and his will the ſupreame unerring rule of our obedience throughout our lives; our tranſgreſſion whereof is a breach of that loyalty, and due ſubjection, which wee owe to that our higheſt Lord. To wheſe poſitive Law conformity is more properly obedience to God, than conformity to the Law of nature is, by it ſelfe conſidered. Becauſe, the ground of our conformity to the Law of nature, is naturall inclination and Reaſon, equally binding Heathens aſwell as Chriſtians. But, the ground of our conformity to the poſitive Law of God, is principally the ſoveraigne Authority and Will of God himſelfe; which kinde of obedience is that which is properly of the Church and her members to God; and proceeds from faith, love, feare, &c. Evangelicall, or Thelogicall graces.
From which obedience to God no wight can abſolve, or excuſe us, that we may lawfully and ſafely ſubject our ſelves to feare, to pleaſe, or to obey any other, in oppoſition, or contraty to him and his will.
Reaſons. 1.Becauſe, there is none above God, whoſe will may be preferred, or equalled to his, to whom all is ſubordinate, in nature, ſtate and imployment.
2.Neither is any man Lord over the Conſcience, either to bind, or diſcharge it, contrary to the Law, or will of God, that we ſhould dare, upon any motive of humane will profit, or penalty, wilfully to tranſgreſſe the ſame.
3.God is our ultimate, or laſt end, that we are to aime at; that we may both enjoy, and pleaſe him, in whom conſiſts our happineſſe.
4.All promiſes of bleſſings are made to the doers of Gods will; and all threatnings of judgements to the tranſgreſſors of the ſameaRom. 2. v. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.: which reward no humane power can hinder, or fruſtate. And therefore, wee cannot diſpenſe with our ſelves, upon any humane pretence or motive, to do any thing contrary to Gods word and poſitive Law; although for not tranſgreſſing the ſame we ſhould incurre death.