The Reasons of the Christian Religion Part 1, Part 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. II. Of Man's Subjection to God, or Relation to him as our Governour.
§. 1. MAn being made thus a Rational free Agent, Seneca Epiſt. ad Luc. 83. p. (mihi) 711. ſaith, Sic certe vivendum eſt, tanquam in conſpectu vivamus. Sic cogitandum, tanquam aliquis in pectus inſpicere poſſet & poteſt: Quid enim prodeſt ab homine aliquid eſſe ſecretum. Nihil Deo clauſum intereſt animis noſtris, & cogitationibus mediis intervenit. Diogenes (in Laert.) ſaid to an immodeſt woman, Non vereris mulier, ne forte ſtante poſt tergum Deo (cuncta enim plena ipſo ſunt) inhoneſte te habeas? Primus eſt Deorum cultus, Deos credere; deinde reddere illis Majeſtatem ſuam: reddere Bonitatem ſine qua nulla Majeſtas eſt: ſcire illo eſſe qui praeſider Mundo, qui univerſe ut ſua, temperanin qui humani genet. tutelam gerunt. Idem. epiſt. 92.and ſociable to be governed, and God being his Rightful Governour, is immediately related to God as his Subject, as to Right and Obligation.
There is no Soveraign without a Subject: Subjection is our Relation to our Governour, or elſe our conſent to that Relation. In the former ſenſe we take it here. A Subject is one that is bound to obey another as his Ruler. He that is a Subject by Right and Obligation, and yet doth not conſent and actually ſubject himſelf to his rightful Governour, is a Rebel. There cannot be greater obligations to ſubjection imagined by a created underſtanding, than the Rational Creature hath to God.
§. 2. All men are obliged to conſent to this ſubjection, and to give up themſelves abſolutely to the government of God.
God's abſolute propriety in us as his creatures, giveth him ſo full a Title to govern us, that our conſent is not at all neceſſary to our obligation and ſubjection-relative; but only to our actual obedience, which cannot be performed by one that conſenteth not. Therefore God's right and our natural condition are the foundation of our ſubjection to him, as to Obligation and Duty; and he that conſenteth not, ſinneth by high Treaſon againſt his Soveraign. As God did not ask our conſent whether he ſhould make us men, ſo neither whether he ſhould be our Governour and we his Subjects as to obligation: nor yet whether he ſhall puniſh the rebellious and diſobedient. But he asketh our conſent to obey him, and to be rewarded by him: for we ſhall neither be holy nor happy but by our own conſent. Thoſe therefore (whom I have confuted in my Treatiſe of Policy) who ſay, God is not our King till we make him King, nor his Laws obligatory to us till we conſent to them, ſpeaking de Debito, do not reaſon but rave, and are unworthy of a confutation.
§. 3. All men therefore are obliged to ſubject their Underſtandings to the revealed Wiſdom of God, and their Wills to his revealed Will; and to employ all the powers of Soul and Body, and all their poſſeſſions, in his moſt exact obedience.
Subjection is an obligation to obedience. Where the Authority and Subjection are abſolute and unlimited, there the obedience muſt be abſolute and moſt exact. The underſtanding of our abſolute Ruler is the abſolute rule of our underſtandings. No man muſt ſet up his conceits againſt him, nor quarrel with his Government or Laws. If any thing of His revelation or preſcription ſeem queſtionable, unjuſt or unneceſſary to us, it is through our want of due ſubjection, through the arrogancy and enmity of our carnal minds. His Will, de Debito, Nihil mihi videtur frigidius, nihil ineptius, quàm Lex cum prolegomeno: Dic quid me velis feciſſe; non diſco, ſed pareo. Senec. ep. 95. If Mens Laws muſt have ſo great authority, much more Gods. Ex quo intelliges par eſt, eos qui pernicioſa & injuſta populis juſſa deſcripferint, cum contra fecerint quod polliciti profeſſique ſint, quidvis potius tuliſſe quàm leges. Cic. de leg. l. 2. p. 235. Multa pernicioſa, multa peſtifica ſciſcuntur in populis, quae non magis Legis …omen attingunt, quam fi latrones, &c. id. ibid.muſt be the abſolute Rule of all our Wills: ſo much ſecret exceptions and reſerves as we have in our reſignation and ſubjection, ſo much hypocriſie and ſecret rebellion we have. Our ſubjective obligation is ſo full and abſolute, and our Ruler ſo infallible, juſt and perfect, that it is not poſſible for any mans obedience to God to be too abſolute, exact or full. Nothing can be more certain than that a Creature, ſubject to the government of his Creator, of infinite Power, Wiſdom and Goodneſs, doth owe him the moſt perfect and exact obedience, according to the utmoſt of his Powers, without any diſſent, exception, reſiſtance, unwillingneſs or neglect.
§. 4. All obedience which Rulers require of their Subjects, or Subjects give to any Governours, muſt be in full ſubordination to the government and will of God.
For all Powers under the abſolute Sovereign of the world, are derivative and dependent, and are no more than he hath given: they are from him, under him, and for him; and can no more have any authority againſt him, than a Worm againſt a King, or than they could have Being and Authority without him. He that contradicteth this Propoſition, muſt take down God, and Deifie Man, and ſo defie and conquer Heaven, or elſe he will never make it good.Plutarch de Tranquil. Anim. ſaith, that it is one of Ariſtotle's ſayings, That he that believed as he ought of the gods, ſhould think as well of himſelf as Alexander, who commanded ſo many m. n. p. 155. As for the difficulties that ſeem to riſe by allowing Subjects to prefer God's Authority before their Parents or Princes; it belongeth no more to the clearing of the preſent ſubject that I reſolve them, than that I reſolve ſuch as ariſe from our allowing Subjects to diſobey a Juſtice or Conſtable when he is againſt the King.
§. 5. They that are obliged to ſuch abſolute and exact obedience, are obliged to uſe their utmoſt diligence to underſtand God's Laws, which they muſt obey.
For no man can obey a Law which he doth not know of, and underſtand. Subjection includeth an obligation to ſtudy our Maker's Laws, ſo far as we muſt do them: Indeed thoſe that concern others, we are not ſo much bound to know (as a Subject to know God's Laws for Kings and Paſtors of the Church); but for our own duty we cannot do it before we know it. Thoſe that are ignorant of their Maker's Will through unwillingneſs, contempt or negligence, are ſo far diſobedient to his Government.
§. 6.Dicebat Thales, Homines exiſtimare oportere Deos omnia cernere, deorumque omnia eſſe plena, & tunc fore omnes Caſtiores. Cic. 2. de Leg. Anthenodorus dicere prudenter ſolebat, ita cum hominibus homines vivere debere, acſi Deus Retributor bonorum malorumque ultor, omni loco ac tempore actiones noſtras intueretur conſpicereturque humanis noſtris oculis. Fulgoſ. l. 7. c. 2. Sic vive cum hominibus tanquam Deus videat: Sic loquere cum Deo tanquam homines audiant Sen. ep 10. There are many and great temptations to draw us to diſobey our Maker, which every one is bound with greateſt vigilancy and conſtancy to reſiſt.
He that is bound to obey, is certainly bound to reſiſt all temptations to diſobedience. For that is far from abſolute or true obedience which will fail, if a man be but tempted to diſobey. Kings and Parents will not accept of ſuch obedience as this; they will not ſay, [Be true to me, and honour me, and obey me, till you are tempted to betray me, and to reproach me, and rebel.] He that will be falſe to God when he is tempted to it, was never true to him. No temptation can bring ſo much for ſin, as God giveth us againſt it, nor can offer us ſo much gain, or honour, or pleaſure by it, as he offereth us on condition we obey him. And that the world is full of ſuch temptations, experience putteth paſt diſpute, (of which, more anon.)
§. 7. No price can be offered by any Creature, which to a Subject of God ſhould ſeem ſufficient to hire him to the ſmalleſt ſin.
Sin hath ſuch aggravations (which ſhall be opened anon) that no gain or pleaſure that cometh by it can counter-ballance. There being no proportion between the Creature and the Infinite Creator,Chilon (in Laert. p. 43) inquit, Damnum potius quàm turpe lucrum eligendum, nam id ſemel tantum dolori eſſe: hoc ſemper. there can nothing by, or of the Creature be proportionable, or conſiderable to be put into the ballance againſt the Creator's Authority and Will. The command of Kings, the winning of Kingdoms, the pleaſure of the fleſh, the applauſe of all the world, if they are offered as a price or bait to hire or tempt a man to ſin, ſhould weigh no more againſt the command of God, than a feather in the ballance againſt a Mountain. All this common reaſon will atteſt, however ſenſe and appetite reclaim.
Plus apud bonos pietatis jura quàm omnes opes valent. Juſtin. Hiſt. l. 3. Becauſe God hath penalties to promote obedience, all Religion is called, The fear of God. Laertius ſaith of Cleanthes, Cum aliquando probro illi daretur, quod eſſet timidus: At ideo, inquit, parum pecco. Fear is a preſerving cautelous paſſion, though it make not a good man of it ſelf, but as joyned with Love.§. 8. No man can reaſonably fear leſt his true obedience to ſuch a Governour ſhould prove his final detriment or hurt: but if it did, it were nevertheleſs our duty to obey.
1. No man can reaſonably think, that God is leſs able to reward, protect and encourage his ſubjects in their duty, than any Tempter whatſoever in their diſobedience. And no man can think that he is leſs wiſe to know how to perform it: nor can any think that Infinite Goodneſs is leſs diſpoſed to do good to the good, than any Tempter whoſoever can be to do good to the evil. Theſe things being all as clear as light it ſelf to the conſiderate, it muſt needs follow, that no reaſon can allow a man to hope to be finally a gainer or ſaver by his diſobedience to his Maker, or to fear to be a loſer by him.
2. But if it were ſo, obedience would be our duty ſtill: for the authority of God, as his propriety, is abſolute; and he that giveth us power to require the analogical obedience of our Horſe or Ox, though it be to our benefit only, and his hurt, yea though it be in going to the ſlaughter, if he did ſo by us could do us no wrong, nor give us any juſt excuſe for our diſobedience. For as ſweet as life is to us, it is not ſo much Ours in right as His, and therefore ſhould be at his diſpoſal.
§. 9. The breaking of Gods Laws muſt needs deſerve a greater penalty, than the breaking of any Man's Laws, as ſuch.
The difference of the Rulers and their Authority puts this paſt all controverſie; of which yet I ſhall ſay more anon.
§. 10. What is ſaid of the ſubjection of Individuals to God, is true of all juſt Societies as ſuch; the Kingdoms of the world being all under God the univerſal King, as ſmall parcels of his Kingdom, as particular Corporations are under a humane King.
Therefore Kings and Kingdoms owe their abſolute obedience to God, and may not intend any ultimate end, but the pleaſing of their univerſal Soveraign; nor ſet up any intereſt againſt him, or above him, or in coordination with him; nor manage any way of Government, but in dependance on him, as the Principle and the End of it; nor make any Laws, but ſuch as ſtand in due ſubordination to his Laws; nor command any duty but what hath in its order, a true ſubſerviency and conducibility to his pleaſure.