Last Legacy in Select Admonitions and Directions, Treatise · Section 4
Mr. Baxter's Reaſons for Obedience in Lawful things, Page 483. of his Five Diſputations.
Sect. 1. Leſt Men that are apt to run from one extream into another,Defence of Principles of Love, p. 64. ſhould make an ill uſe of that which I have before written, I ſhall here annex ſome Reaſons to perſwade Men to juſt Obedience, and preſerve them from any ſinful Nonconformity to the commands of their Governours, and the evil effects that are like to follow thereupon.
§ 2. But Firſt I will lay together ſome Propoſitions for deciſion of the Controverſie; How far we are bound to obey Mens Precepts about Religion? Eſpecially in caſe we doubt of the lawfulneſs of obeying them? And ſo cannot obey them in Faith?
§ 3. Briefly: 1. We muſt obey both Magiſtrates and Paſtors in all things lawful which belong to their Offices to command. 2. It belongs not to their Office to make God a new Worſhip; But to command the Mode and Circumſtances of Worſhip belongeth to their Office: for guiding them wherein God hath given them general Rules. 3. We muſt not take the lawful Commands of our Governours to be unlawful. 4. If we do through weakneſs or perverſneſs take Lawful things to be unlawful, that will not excuſe us in our diſobedience. Our error is our Sin, and one ſin will not excuſe another Sin. Even as on the other ſide, if we judge things unlawful to be lawful, that will not excuſe us for our diſobedience to God in obeying Men. 5. As I have before ſhewed, many things that are miſcommanded, muſt be obeyed. 6. As an erroneous judgment will not excuſe us from Obedience to our Governours, ſo much leſs will a doubtfulneſs excuſe us. 7. As ſuch a doubting, erring judgment cannot obey in (plenary) Faith, ſo much leſs can he diſobey in Faith. For it is a known Command of God, that we obey them that have the Rule over us: but they have no Word of God againſt the act of Obedience now in quection. It is their own erring judgment that intangleth them in a neceſſity of ſinning (till it be changed.) 7. In doubtful Caſes, it is our duty to uſe God's means for our Information: and one means is to conſult with our Teachers, and hear their words with teachableneſs and meekneſs, 8. If upon adviſing with them we remain in doubt about the lawfulneſs of ſome Circumſtance of order, if it be ſuch as may be diſpenſed with, they ſhould diſpence with us: if it may not be diſpenſed without a greater injury to the Church or Cauſe of God, than our diſpenſation will countervail, then is it our duty to obey our Teachers, notwithſtanding ſuch doubts: For it being their Office to Teach us, it muſt be our duty to believe them with a Humane Faith, in caſes where we have no Evidences to the contrary: And the Duty of Obeying them ☞ being certain, and the ſinfulneſs of the thing commanded being uncertain and unknown, and only ſuſpected, we muſt go on the ſurer ſide. 9. Yet muſt we in great and doubtful caſes, not take up with the ſuſpected judgment of a ſingle Paſtor, but apply our ſelves to the unanimous Paſtors of other Churches. 10. Chriſtians ſhould not be over buſie in prying into the ☞ work of their Governours, nor too forward to ſuſpect their determinations: But when they know that it is their Rulers work to guide them by determining of due Circumſtances of Worſhip, they ſhould without cauſeleſs ſcruples readily obey, till they ſee juſt reaſon to ſtop them in their obedience; They muſt not go out of their own places to ſearch into the Actions of another Man's Office, to trouble themſelves without any cauſe. No reaſon can be given, why a lawful thing ſhould become unlawful? Becauſe a lawful Superior doth command it, elſe Superiors may take away all our Chriſtian Liberty, and make all things unlawful by commanding them; you would take it ill from a Child or Servant when you bid them learn a Form of Prayer or Catechiſm, if they ſhould ſay it was lawful for us till you commanded it, but becauſe you bid us it is unlawful.
§ 4. And now I intreat all humble Chriſtians readily to obey both Magiſtrates and Paſtors in all lawful things; and to conſider, to that end, of theſe Reaſons following. Reaſ. 1. If you will not obey in Lawful things, you deny Authority, or overthrow Government it ſelf, which is a great Ordinance of God, eſtabliſhed in the fifth Commandment with promiſe: And as that Commandment reſpecting Societies and common good, is greater than the following commands, as they reſpect the private good of our Neighbours, or are but particular means to that Publick good, whoſe Foundation is laid in the Fifth Commandment; ſo accordingly the ſin againſt this Fifth Commandment muſt be greater than that againſt the reſt.
§ 5. Reaſ. 2. In diſobeying the lawful commands of our Superiors, we diſobey Chriſt, who ruleth by them as his Officers. Even as the diſobeying a Juſtice of Peace or Judge is a diſobeying of the Soveraign Power; yea in ſome caſes when their Sentence is unjuſt. Some of the Ancient Doctors thought that the Fifth Commandment was the laſt of the Firſt Table of the Decalogue; and that the Honouring of Governors is part of our Honour to God, they being mentioned there as his Officers, with whom he himſelf is honoured or diſhonoured, obeyed or diſobeyed: For it is God's Authority that the Magiſtrate, Parent, and Paſtor is endued with, and empowred by to rule thoſe that are put under them.
§ 6. Reaſ. 3. What confuſion will be brought into the Church if Paſtors be not obeyed in things lawful? For inſtance: If the Paſtors appoint the Congregation to Aſſemble at one hour, and the People will ſcruple the time, and ſay, it is unlawful, and ſo will chooſe ſome of them one time, and ſome another, what diſorder will here be? and worſe, if the Paſtors appoint a Place of Worſhip, and any of the People ſcruple obeying them, and will come to another place, what confuſion will here be? People are many, and the Paſtors are few: And therefore there may be ſome Unity if the People be ruled by the Paſtors; but there can be none, if the Paſtors muſt be ruled by the People, for the People will not agree among themſelves: And therefore if we obey one part of them, we muſt diſobey and diſpleaſe the reſt. And their ignorance makes them unfit to rule.
§ 7. Reaſ. 4. Moreover, Diſobedience in matters of Circumſtance, will exclude and overthrow the Subſtance of the Worſhip it ſelf. God commandeth us to pray: If one part of the Church will not joyn with a ſtinted form of Prayer, and the other part will not joyn without it, but both Parties cannot be pleaſed, and ſo one part muſt caſt off Prayer it ſelf, or ſeparate from the reſt. God commandeth the Reading, and Preaching, and Hearing of the Scripture, and the Singing of Pſalms: But he hath left it to Man to make or chooſe the beſt Tranſlation of Scripture, or Verſion of the Pſalms. Now if the Paſtor appoint one Verſion and Tranſlation, and the Church joyn in the uſe of it, if any Members will ſcruple joyning in this Tranſlation or Verſion, they muſt needs forbear the whole duty of Hearing the Scripture, and Singing Pſalms in that Congregation. If they pretend a ſcruple againſt the appointed time or place of Worſhip, they will thereby caſt off the Worſhip it ſelf. For if they avoid our Time or Place, they cannot meet with us, nor Worſhip with us.
§ 8. Reaſ. 5. And when they are thus carried to ſeparate from the Congregation, upon ſuch grounds as theſe, they will be no where fixt, but may be ſtill ſubdividing, and ſeparating from one another, till they are reſolved into individuals, and have left no ſuch thing as a Church among them. For they can have no aſſurance or probability, that ſome of themſelves will not diſſent from the reſt in one Circumſtance or other, as they did from their Paſtors and the Church that they were of before.
§ 6. Reaſ. 9. By this means the Wicked that are Diſobedient to their Teachers, and reject the Worſhip of God it ſelf, will be hardened in their Sin, and taught by Profeſſors to defend their Ungodlineſs: For the very ſame courſe that you take will ſerve their turns. They need not deny any Duty in the Subſtance, but deny the Circumſtance, and ſo put off the Subſtance of the Duty. If a Wicked Man will not hear the Word Preached, he may ſay [I am not againſt Preaching; but I am unſatisfied of the lawfulneſs of your Time or Place, I am in judgment againſt coming to your Steeple-houſe, or againſt the Lord's Day.] And ſo he ſhall never hear, though he ſay he is for Heating. If a Wicked Man will not be perſonally inſtructed, or admoniſhed, or be accountable to the Church or Paſtors for any ſcandals of his life, nor ſubmit to any Diſcipline, he may ſay [I am for Diſcipline, I know it is my duty to be inſtructed: but I am not ſatisfied that I am bound to come to you when you ſend for me, or to appear at ſuch a place as you appoint: the Word of God nameth no time or place, and you ſhall not deprive me of my Liberty.] If a Wicked Man would not hear or read the Scripture, or ſing Pſalms, he may ſay, that he is for the Duty, but he is only againſt this and that Tranſlation and Verſion: And ſo while every Verſion is excepted againſt the Duty is as much evaded, as if it were denied it ſelf. By this device it is that the Rebellion of unruly People is defended: They run to the Circumſtances of the Duty, and ask [Where are they bound to come to a Miniſter? or to be examined by him, in order to a Baptiſm or Lord's Supper? or to ſpeak their conſent to be Church-members, or to ſubſcribe to a Profeſſion, or to read an Engliſh Bible, or to hear in a Steeple-houſe, with many ſuch like.] Thus alſo it is that they put off Family-prayer, and ask, [Where are they bound to pray in their Family Morning and Evening?] and ſo keep no conſtancy in Family-prayer at all, under pretence of denying only the Circumſtances.
§ 10. Reaſ. 7. By this Diſobedience in things lawful, the Members of the Church will be involved in contentions, and ſo ingaged in bitter Uncharitableneſs, and Cenſures, and Perſecutions, and Reproaches of one another: which ſcandalous courſes will nouriſh Vice, diſhonour God, rejoyce the Enemies, grieve the Godly that are Peaceable and Judicious, and wound the Conſciences of the contenders. We ſee the beginning of ſuch Fires are ſmall, but whither they tend, and what will be the end of them, we ſee not.
§ 11. Reaſ. 8. By theſe means alſo Magiſtrates will be provoked to take Men of tender Conſciences for factious, unruly, and unreaſonable Men, and to turn their Enemies, and uſe violence againſt them, to the great injury of the Church: when they ſee them ſo ſelf-conceited, and refuſing Obedience in lawful Circumſtances.
§ 12. Reaſ. 9. By this means alſo the Converſion and Eſtabliſhment of Souls will be much hindred, and People poſſeſſed with Prejudice againſt the Church and Ordinances, when they take us to be but humorous People, and ſee us in ſuch Contentions among our ſelves. To my knowledge, our late difference about ſome ſuch leſſer things, hath turned off, or hindered abundance of People from liking the holy Doctrine and Life which we profeſs.
§ 13. Reaſ. 10. It will ſeem to the wiſeſt, to ſavour of no ſmall meaſure of Pride, when People on the account of lawful Circumſtances, dare ſet themſelves againſt their Governours and Teachers, and quarrel with the Ordinances of God, and with the Churches: Humble Men would ſooner ſuſpect themſelves, and quarrel with their own Diſtempers, and ſubmit to thoſe that are wiſer than themſelves, and that are ſet over them for their Guidance by the Lord. There may more dangerous Pride be manifeſted in theſe matters, than in Apparel, and ſuch lower Trifles.
§ 14. Reaſ. 11. Conſider alſo what yielding in things lawful the Scripture recommendeth to us? How far yielded Paul when he Circumciſed Timothy? Acts 16. 3. And when he [took the men, and purified himſelf with them in the Temple, to ſignifie the accompliſhment of the days of Purification until that an Offering ſhould be offered for every one of them] and this for almoſt ſeven days, Acts 21. 26, 27. with the foregoing Verſes.
§ 15. So 1 Cor. 9. 19, 20. [For though I be free from all Men, yet have I made my ſelf Servant unto all, that I might gain the more: And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the Law, as under the Law, that I might gain them that are under the Law: To them that are without Law, as without Law (being not without Law to God, but under the Law to Chriſt) that I might gain them that are without Law. To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all Men, that I might, by all means ſave ſome, and this I do for the Goſpels ſake, &c.] Study this Example.
§ 16. Read alſo Rom. 14. and 15. Chapters, how much Condeſcenſion the Apoſtle requireth even among Equals, about Meats and Days. And 1 Cor. 8. 13. the Apoſtle would tye up himſelf from eating any fleſh while the World ſtandeth, rather than make a weak Brother to offend. Many other Paſſages of Scripture require a Condeſcenſion in things of this indifferent nature, and ſhew that the Kingdom of God doth not conſiſt in them.
§ 17. And Matthew 12. 1, 2, to 9. you find that Hunger juſtified the Diſciples of Chriſt for plucking and rubbing the Ears of Corn on the Sabbath days. And Hunger juſtified David, and thoſe that were with him, for entring into the Houſe of God, and eating the Shew-bread, which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for them which were with him, but only for the Prieſts: And the Prieſts in the Temple were blameleſs for prophaning the Sabbath-day.] Now if things before accidentally evil, may by this much Neceſſity become lawful and a duty, then may the Commands of Magiſtrates or Paſtors, and the Unity of the Church, and the avoiding of Contention, and Offence, and other Evils, be alſo ſufficient to warrant us in obeying, even in convenient Circumſtantials of the Worſhip of God, that otherwiſe could not be juſtified.
§ 18. Reaſ. 12. Laſtly conſider, how much God hath expreſſed himſelf in his Word to be pleaſed in the Obedience of Believers. Not only in their Obedience to Chriſt immediately, but alſo to him in his Officers, 1 Sam. 15. 22. [Behold to obey is better than Sacrifice, &c.] Col. 3. 20, 22. [Children obey your Parents in all things, (that is, all lawful things) for this is well-pleaſing to the Lord.] [Servants obey in all things your Maſters according to the fleſh, &c.] And Obedience to Paſtors is as much commanded, 1 Theſ. 5. 12, 13. [We beſeech you Brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admoniſh you, and eſteem them very highly, &c.] Heb. 13. 17. [Obey them that have the rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves, for they watch for your Souls, as they muſt give account, &c.] So Verſe 7. and 24. 1 Tim. 5. 17, &c.
§ 19. As the general Commiſſion to a Parent, or Maſter, or Magiſtrate to govern their inferiour Relations, doth authorize them to many particular Acts belonging to their Office, that were never named in their Commiſſion: ſo your general Command to obey them, obligeth you to obey them in the ſaid particulars. And ſo it is alſo betwixt the Paſtors and the Flock, in Matters belonging to the Office of a Paſtor.
§ 20. If a Child ſhall ask a Parent, [Where doth God's Word allow you to command me to learn this Catechiſm, or read this Divine's Writings, or repeat this Sermon, or write it? &c.] doth not the queſtion deſerve to be anſwered with the Rod? The general Commiſſion for Parents to govern their Children is ſufficient. So if a School-maſter command his Scholars to come to ſuch a place to School, and to take their places in ſuch an order, and to learn ſuch Books, and do ſuch Exerciſes, &c. the general Commiſſion that he hath to Teach and Govern them, will allow him to do all this. (Though it will not allow him to ſet his Scholars to any Artifice or Manual Operation alien to his Profeſſion.) So if a Miniſter determine of the variable Circumſtances of Worſhip, as what Place and People ſhall come to, and at what time, to be Catechiſed, Examined, Inſtructed, &c. what Tranſlation or Verſion of Pſalms to uſe, what Utenſils to make uſe of about God's Service, or ſuch like, he is warranted for this by his General Commiſſion. And if he miſs it in the Manner, by chooſing inconvenient Circumſtances, or by unneceſſary Determination of Points that ſhould rather be left undetermined to Liberty, thought this be his own Sin, it will not excuſe the People from Obedience; unleſs the Errour of his Directions be ſo great as would fruſtrate the Ordinance it ſelf, or do more harm than our Diſobedience would do; which in Circumſtantials is rarely found.
By long Experience I am aſſured,Preface to Chriſtian Direct. ad finem. that Practical Religion will afford both to Church, State, and Conſcience more certain, and more ſolid Peace, than contending Diſputers, with all their pretences of Orthodoxneſs, and Zeal againſt Errours for the Truth, will ever bring, or did ever attain to.
Holy Common-wealth, p. 352. God never inſtituted Churches to be kept up in Diſobedience to thoſe Chriſtian Magiſtrates which he Commands us to obey upon pain of Damnation. Diſobedience to our Rulers is in Miniſters double Treaſon and Wickedneſs.
Page 30. of the 1ſt Plea. Princes and Rulers may forbid all that preach Rebellion and Sedition, and may puniſh them if they do it: and may hinder the Incorrigible, whoſe preaching may do more hurt than good, from exerciſing their Miniſtry, or preaching within their Dominions.
Pag. 32. They ſhould ſee that their Kingdoms be well provided of Publick Preachers and Catechiſts: And may by due means compel the Ignorant to hear and learn what Chriſtianity is.
And Sect. 37. They ought to be Preſervers of Peace and Charity among Churches, and to hinder Preachers from uncharitable and unrighteous Reviling each other, and their unpeaceable Controverſies and Contentions.
Pag. 35. Sect. 40. They may make their own Officers circa Sacra, to execute their Magiſtratical Power: And if they authorize any particular Biſhops or Paſtors to exerciſe any ſuch Power as belongs to the Prince to give, not contrary to Chriſt's Laws—we judge that the Subjects ought to obey for Conſcience ſake.
Chriſtian Direct. He that is ſilenced by a juſt Power, though unjuſtly, in a Country that needeth not his preaching, muſt forbear therefore.
Let none perſwade you (i. e.) the Magiſtrates, that you are ſuch Terreſtrial Animals that have nothing to do with the Heavenly Concernment of your Subjects; Bodily things (Rewards and Puniſhments) are the Means whereby you may promote it; you are Cuſtodes utriuſque tabulae, and muſt bend the force of all your Government to the Saving of the Peoples Souls.