The Excellency of Holy Courage in Evil Times, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Handling the ſecond Doctrine; which is,
Doct. 2. That Faith helps againſt the immoderate fear of men of Authority, of any Creature.
FIrſt: Thoſe that are Godly ought to have, and have due & reverend reſpect unto all thoſe that are in Authority: though they be not afraid of the diſpleaſure of the King, or of any in Authority, in the Cauſe of God, yet thoſe that are truly gracious and Godly, do give due reverence to them, in their perſons and in their Authority and power. Though they are not ſo baſely afraid as others are, to yeild to any thing againſt God, or Conſcience, yet ſo far as they may, no people in the world give that reverent reſpect unto Authority, as Gods people do.
Secondly: None do it up on ſuch good grounds: becauſe they do it for Conſcience ſake, and ſubmit to authority, further than others do: they dare not in their ſecret thoughts have any ill mind againſt authority: and they do it, becauſe they ſee the image of God upon them, not to ſave themſelves.
3. And Thirdly. None do feare authority in ſo good a manner; they do it willingly and cheerefully, not by force, but as being the will of God they ſhould do it; it is agreeable to the diſpoſition of their ſouls for to do it. Naturally, no man would be under another, but it is agreeable to grace to be ſo, and therefore no ſuch ſubjects, as thoſe that are Godly, if it be rightly conſidered.
It hath been a ſcandal caſt upon Religion in all ages that they did contemne authority, and did not give that feare that was due to authority. As Pharoah ſaid, they would rebell againſt him; and ſo they ſaid in Nehemiahs time Juſt in Martyr and Tertullian, were fain to make apologies for the Chriſtians in this particular, to convince them, that none were more obedient to authority then they.
Tertullian hath a notable expreſſion in his apology. What is the reaſon you do not count us obedient to authority? becauſe we will not worſhip Idolls, and pray to the Idols for your Governors? yet we pray to the True God for your Governors. Like men in theſe days, becauſe they wil not yeild their Conſciences proſtrate to authority, and ſeek the honor of it in an unlawful way, therefore they are not ſubject to them, when as, none are ſo truly ſubject unto men, as thoſe that are obedient unto God.
And therefore we read of Conſtantius he took this courſe to know his true ſubjects: he proclaimed, that whoſoever would not worſhip Idols muſt be baniſhed the Court, and thoſe that would, ſhould ſtay: now ſome rather than they would leave the Court, and be baniſhed, they would ſacrifice to Idols: others left the Court: upon this he choſe thoſe that left the Court, and baniſhed the others: ſayes he If you be not faithful to God, you wil not be faithful to me.
Can any man ſubmit truly upon right grounds to a Juſtice of Peace, that wil not yeild to the King? if he ſubmit to the inferior, he wil ſubmit to the ſuperior. And ſo thoſe that upon right grounds wil ſubmit to authority, it is upon this ground, becauſe they are ſubject to the authority of God: and indeed there can be no truſt to any to be faithful to authority, but thoſe that are Godly. As that notable example of Homizda, that was a great man in the King of Perſi's court, and the King would fain have perſwaded him from Chriſtian Religion, by all the flattering arguments he could, and to get him to ſacrifice to Idols: ſayth he O King be not ſo eloquent to thy deſtruction: who ſhal think him to be faithful to man, that is not faithufl unto God? if ſo be we do not obey the authority of God, how can we be obedient unto you. And therefore thoſe that are Godly do give a due, and reverent reſpect unto authority though they do not fear any authority in the cauſe of God, yet ſo far as God requires, their hearts do fear, and they do reverence them.
Before I come to the point, to ſhew how faith doth help againſt the feare of men, I will give ſome helps for the ordering your ſelves in the right feare of the authority of men; though we muſt not feare it in any way againſt God, yet we muſt feare it: Faith wil teach us not to feare it one way, and yet it wil teach us to fear it another way. As the Apoſtle ſaith in Rom. 13.7. Give feare to whom fear belongs. It is a Chriſtians duty to give feare to whom feare is due. Luther ſpeaking of obedience to authority. Saith he; I had rather obey than work miracles. And that is a very obſervable place we have in the Epiſtle of Peter; where the Apoſtle ſpeaking of thoſe that God wil come in judgment againſt, amongſt the reſt he reckons thoſe that deſpiſe government: ſo that we ſee God would not have us to deſpiſe and contemne Government.