An Apology for the Nonconformists Ministry, Treatise · Part 3
III. OUr next Reason is fetcht from the very plain expressions of the Scriptures; which I shall first recite, and then shew you their strength for us, and answer the common evasions of them that would disoblige us, and gratifie our sloth.
And, 1. Take notice of those that describe the Office, and its duration, Mat. 5. 13, 14, 15, 16. Ye are the salt of the earth, &c. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine, &c. That this is spoken of Ministers, see Dr. Hammond and others commonly on the Text. And ordinary Ministers are Lights of Christs setting up, as well as extraordinary.
Therefore his Promise extendeth further than to Apostles, and therefore so doth his commission, Mat. 28. 19, 20. Go and teach all Nations, baptizing them, &c. teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always to the end of the world.
And, Eph. 4. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16. it is ordinary Pastors as well as extraordinary, that are the gift of Christ, for that work which is to be done unto the end, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the work of the Ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledg of the Son of God unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, &c.
It is true we be not called as Apostles were; but several modes of Vocation, make not several Originals of power. We are under the same Master, and have our Office from Christ, and hold it under him as well as they, and have his command as well as his gifts to exercise it to the end. Therefore if Apostles must obey him by constancy, so must we.
As Apostles are separated to the Gospel of God, so are we by our consecration, Rom. 1. 1. and therefore are commanded to give up our selves wholly to this work, and to continue in Doctrine, that we may save our selves and them that hear us, 1 Tim. 4. 15, 16.
It is not only Apostles (who yet call themselves fellow Presbyters, 1 Pet. 5. 1.) that are Stewards of the mysteries of God, and must be so accounted of, and therefore must be faithful to the trust that Christ their Master placeth in them, 1 Cor. 4. 1, 2. For ordinary Pastors are so called, Tit. 1. 7. And surely it is not only Apostles that are meant, Mat. 24. 45, 46, 48. VVho then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his houshold to give them meat in due season. Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my Lord delayeth his coming, and shall begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken, &c. Here observe, 1. That those have a Charge and Law immediately from Christs mouth, who are his Ministers or Stewards to feed his flock, and not Apostles only. 2. That they are the Rulers of his house, and Judges of the season of feeding his houshold. 3. That they must be found so doing at the coming of Christ, (who liveth till then.) 4. That this is that coming, when he will make the faithful Rulers over all his goods. 5. That smiting fellow-servants, and glutting the flesh with fulness, are the marks of wicked Ministers that Christ will damn.
2. Those Texts also must be considered, that plainly plead for the necessity of Preaching when forbidden by Magistrates, Act. 4. 19. & 5. 28. Whether it be better to obey God or men, judg ye. Ordinary as well as extraordinary Ministers are intrusted with the Word and Sacraments, and commanded by Christ himself in his Law, to constancy and faithfulness. And ordinary Ministers as well as Apostles must obey God rather than men. The Sanhedrin had not the face to deny it, as Dr. Hammond noteth, and therefore the Apostles lest it to their Consciences to judg.
1 Cor. 9. 14, 16. Necessity is laid upon me, yea wo is unto me if I preach not the Gospel. To talk now of impertinent disparities, is but the shift of those that have very gross wits to work upon, that will be abused by any thing. Paul spake this of himself; but was it of himself only as extraordinarily called? If you so put off all that is spoken to and of Apostles, you will lose your strongest argument for Episcopacy, which is fetcht from the Apostles power. And you will cast by most Texts that all Ministers and Christians are obliged by, to a great part of their duty. Is there a necessity laid on ordinary Pastors also, or not? If you say not, speak out that you may be understood. If yea, then wo be to them also if they preach not the Gospel, though Rulers be against it, as they were against the Preaching of Paul. Necessity was laid on Paul by a voice from heaven, and necessity is laid on us by the word of God in Scripture, when Ordination hath consecrated us to the office; and wo to them that feel not the obligation of Necessity.
Act. 4. 29. And now, Lord, behold their threatnings, and grant to thy servants that with all boldness they may speak thy word. Mens threatnings will not dispense with us as to the duty of Preaching boldly.
Obj. Men did not give the Apostles their power, and therefore men could not take it away.
Ans. 1. Men give not any Pastors their office or power, but only: 1. Design the person that shall receive it from Christ (as is aforesaid.) 2. And Ministerially invest them with it, as a servant delivereth possession by a Key, or twig, or turf, who yet is none of the Giver of the Right as from himself. 3. And Magistrates give Liberty of Exercise; and so they might do to the Apostles.
2. Men gave the office to other Ministers in those times in the same improper sense as they may be said to give it now. Almost all the Princes and Rulers in the world where the Gospel came, were against the Preaching of it; and many of them forbad the Preachers. And yet the universal consent of all the Churches, and chief Martyrs hath still been, that their Prohibitions would not warrant the Pastors to give over Preaching.
And hear the Holy Ghost also in this case, 2 Tim. 4. 1, 2. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judg the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom, (O dreadful charge!) preach the word; be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and doctrine. Sure the Spirit of God foresaw what would be said against Preaching in our times; was not Timothy ordained by man? Did he not preach against the Rulers will? and yet must he do it, in season and out of season, on so severe a charge! O Lord forgive all our omissions, and negligence, which hath been occasioned by the will of man, against the will and interest of Christ!
So, 1 Tim. 6. 13, 14. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things▪ and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. What Commandment? why the Laws for the Ministry before laid down. But what if the Rulers be against it? That was undoubtedly expected; and yet you see the terrible charge, till the appearing of Christ.
Therefore as one that was to be judged as an offender for his Ministry at the Bar of man, he exhorteth him, 2 Tim. 1. 8. Be not thou ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, and of me his prisoner, but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel▪ Ver. 11, 12, 13. Whereunto I am appointed a Preacher, and an Apostle, and a Teacher of the Gentiles▪ for the which cause I also suffer these things: Nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, &c. Hold fast the form of sound words which thou hast heard of me, &c. That good thing which was committed to thee, keep, &c. How keep? not secretly only as a Christian, but openly as a Preacher, though thou suffer for it as I do.
So must Titus, Chap. 2. 15. These things speak and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. And such another charge have the Elders or Bishops from the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 5. 1, 2, 3.
Qu. But is this also the case of those that succeeded them?
Ans. Yes, they ordained others into the same office, under the same Law of constancy and fidelity, 2 Tim. 2. 2. The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Though still the Rulers were against it. And 2 Tim. 2. 24, 25. The servant of the Lord must be apt to teach. And what an example of Preaching publickly and from house to house, night and day, doth Paul give to all the Ephesian Elders, Act. 20. even when Rulers were against it?
And again, I say, the practise and martyrdom of many, and the writings of others do assure us that this was the judgment of Clemens Romanus, Ignatius, Polycarp, Cyprian, Irenaeus, Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and generally of all the ancient Church, who were called as we are by men, and yet Preached to the death against the will of the Magistrate.
And as Paul himself desireth prayers for him, that utterance may be given him, that he might open his mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the Gospel, for which he was an Ambassador in bonds, that therein he might speak boldly as he ought to speak, Eph. 6. 19, 20. So he oft commendeth his fellow-labourers that accordingly served with him in the Gospel, though they were no Apostles, Phil. 2. 22. & 4. 3. Rom. 16, &c. And as he spake not as a man-pleaser, 1 Thes. 2. 4. Gal. 1. 7, 8. and as Christ would have his word preacht as on the house top, Mat. 10. 7, 8. so this is done as a duty of fidelity in Ministers as such; and therefore Christ adjoineth with this charge such words as these that shew the Rulers Prohibition, Vers. 16, 17, &c. 28. Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves: but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the Councils, and they will scourge you in their Synagogues; and ye shall be brought before Governours and Kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles, &c. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name sake, &c. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another. The disciple is not above his master, &c. Fear them not therefore, &c. Fear them not which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him, &c. These are the next words to the command, VVhat I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in the light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the housetop.
Luk. 9. 62. No man having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God. Both Christians as such, and Ministers as such, must absolutely give up themselves to Christ, and not look back for fear of man, whatever it cost them to proceed.
3. Mat. 9. 38. Luk. 10. 2. Christ commandeth, Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth labourers into his harvest; viz. because the harvest is great, and the labourers few. And this is every Christians daily prayer, when we say, Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. If it be our duty daily to pray God to proportion the number of Labourers to the greatness and necessity of the work; and that his Kingdom, and the obedience of his will, may be by his appointed means promoted on earth, then it is our duty to do as we pray, and not play the hypocrites with God, as St. James his reproved hypocrites did as to the relieving of the poor; that said, Go and be clothed and warmed, but gave them neither clothes nor food. For a called Minister to pray, Lord send out more Preachers, and such as will promote thy Kingdom, and perswade the world to do thy will; while he forbeareth to Preach himself, because that man forbiddeth him unwarrantably, this is as very a mocking of God, as it would be by the rich and covetous to pray, Lord send some to relieve the poor, when he giveth them nothing of his abundance.
4. The Reasons of all these Commands for constant Preaching, are moral and perpetual; for the work of the Ministry is to open mens eyes, and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive remission of sins, and inheritance among the sanctified, &c. Act. 26. 17, 18. But this work for these ends belongs to us to this day; and therefore these Reasons intimate that the like constancy is our duty as was theirs.
But before I proceed to our further Reasons, it will here be expected that I say somewhat more to the grand Objection, viz.
These that you talk of were Infidel or Heathen Rulers; and will you compare our with them? Or doth it follow that Christian Rulers may not silence Ministers, because they might not?
Answ. 1. No, far be it from me to compare our Governours with such: We thankfully acknowledg it to be the Glory of England, that it hath a King and Magistracy that owneth Christianity; yea more, that when the whole world hath but three Protestant Kings (that I know of) we have not only one of the three, but the chiefest; who keepeth Religion in greater purity than the rest. But that which I have all this while been proving is but this, That where and when the Gospel is necessary to be preached, true Ministers of Christ may not lawfully forbear, because the Rulers do forbid them, though they be not Apostles, but called by the way of man.
2. A Christian Magistrate doth no more Ordain and Degrade than other Rulers; but he is the Governour of the Ministers, to keep them from neglecting or abusing their Callings; and he may drive those out of his Dominions that will not otherwise be kept from subverting faith or godliness, or that are proved truly to do more hurt than good in the Land. And therefore if the King restrain or banish those that are truly the plagues and destroyers of the Land, or of Religion, or Loyalty, he shall never be blamed for it by us. Or if ever it be the question only, VVhether this man or that man be fittest to have his countenance and maintenance, and to be by him allowed to preach, when only one of the two is needful, we shall never speak against him for chusing according to his judgment, as long as meer hereticks, impious, or intollerably unable ones are not chosen. But if many hundred worthy Ministers shall be forbidden to Preach at a time and in a Land where many hundred thousand souls do wofully cry out for help, as lying in damnable ignorance and sensuality, and ungodliness, in this case we say, that no Rulers may forbid such Preaching.
3. The Objectors seem to intimate dangerous Doctrine, that if a King should not be a Christian, or of the right Religion, he lost his power over the Church, which is false, however maintained by the Papists. The Heathen and Infidel Rulers had the Government of all their Subjects, Christians and Apostles as well as others. They wanted aptitude to do it well, and therefore some of them persecuted; But they wanted not Authority; a King loseth not his Authority, when ever he loseth his aptitude to use it rightly. Christian Kings only can rule the Church well, but others also are its authorized Rulers; and there is no external coactive power at all but in the Kings or Magistrates, be they Christian or Infidel.
4. Christ himself did not set up a Kingdom of this world, or worldly, nor exempt himself from the Government of the Rulers. Nor did his Apostles exempt themselves or the Church. Paul, Rom. 13, &c. and Peter, call on all Christians to honour the King, and to be subject to the higher powers for conscience sake. Mark then in this how little our case doth differ from the Apostles, when they were forbidden to preach, not by Usurpers only, but by lawful Rulers, to whom they professed conscientious subjection; and yet must obey God rather than those very Rulers.
5. Christian Rulers are the Churches nursing Fathers; and have more obligation than others to build it up, but no more power to pull it down. They have all their power as Paul had his, For edification and not for destruction. It was never referred to them to judg (as I have before said) whether there shall be a Church, or a Christ, or a Ministry, or whether souls▪ shall be saved or damned; or the Gospel Preached where it is necessary to Salvation, or not? But only by whom, and in what order, which best furthereth mens Salvation, it shall be Preached.
If a Magistrate as a Magistrate may not forbid necessary Preaching, much less may a Christian Magistrate as Christian, who is more obliged to promote it. This therefore altereth not the case.
6. The Sanhedrin, and Herod, and other Jewish Rulers, had such real Authority as Christ did not disown; of the same nature with Jehoshaphats and Hezekiahs. If therefore these were not to be obeyed when they forbad necessary Preaching, then lawful Rulers in that case are not to be obeyed.
7. The Arrian Emperours had lawful Power of coactive Government over the Church; and yet the Orthodox Bishops never thought it their duty to cease Preaching in Conscience of obeying their commands. (Though they were forced oft to quit their present Stations.) Let not any Cainite here say that I compare our Rulers to Arrians. For I only argue, that if an Arrian Emperour had true Authority, and yet when he thus abused it, was not to be obeyed by forbearing to Preach; the same must be said of others that have authority, in case of the like Prohibitions.
8. Christ setled Pastors over his Churches 300 years before there were any Christian Princes or States. By which he shewed, that though Princes are the true Rulers of Pastors, yet Pastors are more necessary to the Being of the Church, and to Salvation of the people, than Princes are; and that Pastors hold not their office from Princes, nor at their will, (unless you think they had no true power till Constantines reign.)
9. Magistrates may not hinder a sufficient number from entering into the Ministry, (else the meaning of Christ must be, Pray the Lord of the harvest to perswade Kings and Rulers to give leave to men to become labourers.) Therefore they may not hinder a sufficient number from labouring when they are entered.
10. Magistrates cannot dispense with absolute lawful Vows to God (at least about necessary duty.) This all Protestant Divines maintain in their Writings against the Papists, who plead for the Popes power to dispense with Vows.) But our enterance into the Ministry had the nature of an absolute lawful Vow, (and was done by the Magistrates encouragement.) For in it we did solemnly devote our selves to the Sacred office and work.
11. Magistrates are Christs Officers and Servants, and have no power but from him, and for him, (as the Justice and Constable are under the King.) Therefore they have no power against him▪ Therefore they have no power to forbid the necessary Preaching of the Gospel, (and where it is not necessary, we confess their power.)
12. If the Magistrate might degrade Ministers, or absolutely forbid their work, then it would follow, that one Prince hath the Government of all other Princes Dominions, or else that all Princes on earth must agree to the degrading of a Minister. For it is fully proved by Divines of all parties, except some of the Independents, that Ministers at their Ordination are (as Christians at their Baptism) entered into a Relation to the Universal Church, and not only to one particular Church. And therefore he that is removed from one Church or Kingdom, is not removed from the Ministerial office, which continueth as towards an indefinite object. Yea, we are first in order of nature related to the unconverted world, as we have capacity: Go teach all Nations, baptizing them, will be Christs Law to the end of the world And if they cannot degrade, they cannot take away the power of exercising the office statedly; but only suspend it for a time, or limit the exercise, or regulate it by their governing power, on just occasions; and governing an office is not nullifying or destroying it.
Obj But if the Magistrate may suspend them, and deny them liberty in his dominions, then it is he, and not every Minister▪ that is to judg who deserveth such restraint.
1. If you speak of publick judgment (which is the publick decision of a controverted cause) no doubt it is only the Magistrate that is Judg, in foro civili: No Pastor may enter into the Judgment▪ seat, and judg his own cause. But if you speak of a private judgment of discerning, every mans reason is the discerner of his own duty; for he cannot do it without discerning it.
2. The Magistrate is to judg publickly, but not as he list, as left to his own will; but as an officer of Christ under the regulation of his Laws, (as our Judges are regulated by the Kings Laws.) The King may judg between an Infidel and a Christian, whether Christ be the Son of God; but not indifferently as he please; but only in the affirmative. He may judg if it become a publick Controversie, whether God shall be worshipped? whether he may be blasphemed? whether there be a life to come? whether the Scripture be Gods word? and so, whether there shall be a Ministry? whether Ministers shall preach in his Dominions? or so many as is necessary to mens Salvation? But he is bound before hand to judg only one way, and hath no power to judg on the other side at all. Else he might judg that men shall not be saved? and that Christ shall have no Ministers or Church; and consequently be no Christ.
3. Yet if Rulers do judg amiss in any such cases, they are not by force of arms to be resisted, though they are not to be obeyed.
Obj. By this pretence of a private judgment of discerning, you will set up two Soveraigns, or make every mans conscience his King; and so the King having lost his power over conscience▪ a zealous conscience will be the unruliest beast in the world.
Answ. 1. In good sadness would you have men have a judgment of private discerning, or not? If you would, all this concerneth you as well as us. If not, then no man must discern that it is his duty to obey the King rather than an Usurper, or rather than to rebel against him. Such excellent assistance would brutish principles give to Government! then men must not discern whether to preach or be silent? or what to preach on? Nor whether to be drunk or sober? chaste or unchaste? To think and speak well or ill? whether God should be honoured or blasphemed? or what Religion we should be of, Christians or Infidels? Then only the King must be a man, and his subjects bruits, that must use no reason; and so the King be made a herdsman to govern beasts instead of men. And then what Councellors, Judges and Justices shall he have? and O then what excellent Preaching shall the people hear! Absolute obedience is due only unto God.
2. And as to what you say of Conscience, to bind conscience, that is, science, is an improper expression; but as to that which is commonly meant by it, it is one thing to bind a mans soul to make conscience of his duty, and another thing to bind his soul to go against the conscience of his duty. Binding conscience is an ambiguous word. We flatly affirm as well as you, That the Kings Laws do bind the mind or soul (or Conscience if you will so call it) to a conscionable performance of all his lawful commands; for nothing but cords and irons bind the body without the soul; and he that obligeth not the soul, obligeth not the man; and he that obligeth not, ruleth not. As God bindeth by a primary obligation as God, so Kings bind the mind by a secondary obligation, by the power which they derive from God as men. I say, not only that God bindeth us in conscience to obey the King, but that the Kings derived power enableth him to oblige the soul in subordination to God; which is no more than to say that he may make Laws and rule by them. But whether this shall be called a binding of conscience, is only lis de nomine.
Conscience is sometime taken as largely as conscire; and so we are conscious of our duty to the King. But in Theology it is usually taken more strictly, for a mans judgment of himself as he stands related to the judgment of God. And so when the very definition appropriateth Conscience to our relation to God, it cannot so be subject to man.
3. Conscience is no King, no Competitor with the King, no Ruler of any man at all (in a true proper sense.) It is but only a discerner of our duty, and not a maker of it; a knower and applier of the Law, and not a Law-giver. And is it not fine reasoning to say, If a man must be the discerner of his duty to God and the King, he can be no good subject?
4. And Conscience discerning duty to God, is it that is here to be orderly distinguished from Conscience discerning duty to man? God and man are our Governours; if we are not agreed which of them is the greater, stay a while, and we shall be agreed. Conscience is but a discerner of our respective duty to each of them; (or taken strictly and Theologically, of our duty to God only) so that this is the question, Whether when a man is conscious of his duty to God, he may omit it, because that man forbiddeth it? Or when a man is conscious what God forbiddeth, he may do it if man command it? so that for man to bind Conscience (if you will speak ineptly) to duty, is one thing; and for man to bind us to go against conscience is another thing. For that's all one as to bind us to do that which, as far as we can discern, is against Gods Law; and so the issue of all is whether conscience of Gods command, or conscience of mans command, is to be preferred? And this being the plain English of the case, is it not a blessed time and land think you, when confident raw confused wits shall by such questions as, VVhether the King or Conscience be supream, deceive and mislead poor people in a maze, and confound them as to all Religion; when an ordinary wit that had been but preserved by Humility and Catholicism, (or freedom from faction) might easily have distinguished, and set them in the open light?
13. It went for current in the Catholick Church, not only for the first 300 years, but long after there were Christian Emperors, that the people were to chuse their Pastors. Cyprians Epistle that earnestly pleadeth for the peoples power and duty in this kind, and chargeth the guilt upon them if they forsake not seducing and schismatical Pastors, is well known. The common practise of the Churches also is known as well. And long after there were Christian Emperours, though some Dignitaries, as Patriarchs, and a few great Bishops, were obtruded on the people by the Emperours choice, when they could not agree among themselves, yet the people constantly kept their former custom and priviledg, and chose all the ordinary Bishops and Pastors in conjunction with the Presbyters. The Bishops sometimes chose alone who should be a Minister in general (as the Colledg of Physicians licenseth general Physicians.) But who should be their own Pastors, was always, or usually at the peoples choice (with the Ordainers), as every man chuseth his own Physician.) See Blondels copious Testimony de jure plebis in regimine Ecclesiastico, adjoined to Grotius his Excellent Treatise, de Imperio sumar, potestat, circa sacra.
Now this being so, the old Christians never believed that the Emperour could justly so frustrate their choices, as to make it unlawful by his prohibition, for their Pastors to preach to them, when their Preaching was necessary to the Churches good; nor that the Emperours were the only Judges of the necessity; and that God and nature had given no power to themselves, to know what is necessary, good and helpful, or unnecessary, bad or hurtful to themselves.
Obj. The sheep chuse not their own shepherds, nor children their own School-masters.
Ans. 1. This is, as some call it, Phrase-divinity. Similitudes prove nothing beyond the point of likeness. Sheep have not reason, and children have it not in maturity and full use. 2. Are we grown better and wiser now than the Churches all were for 600 years? or for the first 300 either? Why do men pretend so much to antiquity, and cry out against novelty, who when interest bids them do more than others, despise the judgment and example of the Primitive ancient Church, as a ragged, fordid, infant-thing? 3. Mans nature hath laid the foundation of this order. It is not possible for the people to be edified by Ministers, or worship God in their communion acceptably, against their own wills. And therefore as their consent is of absolute necessity to their benefit and salvation, so it is the more necessary to the just calling of him that must profit them. For they are the likelier to consent to his Doctrine and rule, when they have first consented to his relation; and so e contra, they are the likelier to reject the guidance of him that was forced on them against their wills.
Obj. But what divisions and heresies shall we have if all the people shall chuse their Pastors? and then they may bring in Hereticks whether the Magistrates will or not.
Ans. 1. Their choice is a matter of mutable convenience, but their consent is a matter of necessity.
2. I say not that they alone must chuse them or consent. Two or three Negative wills, sine quibus non, in a case of great concernment, is safer than one alone. Writings or treasures belonging to three parties kept in a chest, of which every party hath a lock and key, are safer than under a single lock. The Ordainers have a negative voice, and so have the people, as to the relation of the Pastors to themselves. And so hath the Magistrate (under Gods Laws), whether that man shall live or preach in his dominions.
3. And God in wisdom is pleased to lay all mens salvation or damnation more upon themselves, and their own choice, than on the Kings; because it is themselves that must have the everlasting joy or sorrow. And therefore so he hath done by all the actions and means that stand nearest to their own Salvation.
4. And when we say the Ordainers and people conjunctly should chuse their Pastors, we still say that when they are chosen, they are under the Government of the King.
5. Apply all your Objections to the case of a Physician to his Patients; it is meet that all Physicians be under the Government of the King, and that he by Laws restrain them from the abuse of their callings. And it is meet that the Colledg that can best judg, be the discerners who shall be a Licensed Physician? But when all's done, it is not meet that any one be forced on the sick without their own consent? And why? 1. Because their consent is necessary to the use of the remedies. 2. Because it is themselves that are most concerned in the event. 3. Because every man knoweth much of his own condition, which the King doth not know. Yet here you may as handsomely exclaim, What? shall every woman, every boy, every sottish rustick and tradesman, have liberty to put his life into the hands of women or foolish Empericks? what murdering of men by medicine shall we then have? and what diminution of the Kings subjects. Ans. But, 1. this is your error which confoundeth all, that you think the matters of imperfect man in an imperfect world, can be done without any imperfection or inconvenience; and then that you look only with one eye on your own side, and cannot or will not see the far greater inconveniencies on the other side; but will cure an inconvenience with a mischief, and subvert the end and substance to preserve your particular way of Order. What would follow on the other side, if all men must have Physicians forced on them? Those empty fellows that could make most friends, should be the seekers and finders of the place, (especially if Physicians were made Lords, and had the honour and maintenance that Bishops have.) And next, the people must be taught by these formalists, that it is not for them to judg themselves what is good or bad for them, nor when to take Physick, nor how much. And next they must be told, that it being an office of Government as well as of skill, they must put their lives into his hand who ever he be, that is the Physician of the place, and not go to others, as abler men. O what work would these Orderers make!
If you here except against the aptness of the similitude, I will only ask you now, 1. Whether the King is not as truly the Governour of his subjects as to their lives, as he is as to their Salvation? Do not his subjects bodies and lives belong to his care? 2. Is not every man as much concerned for his own soul, more than the King is, or any other, as he is for his health or life? Will not the Salvation or damnation be his own? 3. Is not every mans free▪will as much and more to be exercised for his salvation as for his health? You may drench him by force as a horse for his health, (and therefore there is more pretence for cogent Laws): But so you cannot for his soul. These things are plain to them that are willing to see; but not to them whose interest will not give them leave, but like the Ephesian Craftsmen, must cry up Diana, and cry down Paul, to save their Trades. And yet I still maintain that the King is to afford his Subjects all help in his power, for their souls as well as for their bodies.