The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Of Submission to things imposed by lawfull Authority.
WHosoever duly prizeth the publick peace of his own liberty for publick service, will consider the utmost lawfull boundary of Submission to things imposed by lawfull Authority, that nothing possible to be done, be left undone. But what is sinfull, …s in a moral sense impossible. We may not …ie for God. Nothing erroneous may be asser…ed, nothing simply evil may be admitted in our own practice. But in an established Church not infected with Heresie or Idolatry, nor defective in any vital part of Religion, it is duty to bear with much, that we conceive to be amiss in others practice, to which we make not our selves accessary by neglecting any means of redress within our Power and Calling. Yea, being constrained by others rigor we may stoop to the use of some things, which profit little, if they be not simply evil, nor by an evil consequent destructive to the main Service, to which they are superadded. The yoke of such subjection may cause grief of heart, but doth not wound the conscience.
Indifferent things are not made unlawfull meerly by being injoyned; and it is necessary that some things indifferent in specie should be determined for orders sake. But forasmuch as things not in themselves unlawfull, may some times be so pernicious in their consequents, a… by a vehement appearance of evil to draw others into sin, and by a strong tendency to evil, to lead and settle them in a way that is not good, I dare not say that the latitude of conformity to things in their own nature indifferent, is unlimited. Rulers have received their power of Injoyning, and subjects their liberty of conforming for edification and not for destruction.
In a case of this nature we are led on to consider, whether the scandal of compliance with things indifferent in themselves but of harmfull consequence, be not of lesser moment than the scandal and misery that may follow upon non-compliance. Though of things simply evil neither may be chosen: yet of things evil only in their consequents, either the one or the other inevitably coming upon us, that must be chosen, upon which the lesser evil follows. Peradventure the scandal of Submission may be overballanced by the apparent consequence of a more important good, by which also it may in time be quite removed. The wisdom of the Prudent must herein direct their way. Though the Ruler be judge of what rules he is to prescribe; yet the conscience of every Subject is to judge with a judgment of discretion, whether those rules be agreeable to the Word of God or not, and so whether his Conformity thereto be lawfull or unlawfull. Otherwise he must act upon blind obedience, and might be excused in doing things either simply evil, or pernicious in their consequents.
A general certainty, that Rulers must be obeyed in lawfull things, is no security to the conscience for Obedience to this or that Injunction, when we doubt of the Lawfulness of the thing injoyned. For we cannot be sure that obedience in this case is a duty and not a sin, because we are sure it is a sin to obey in things unlawfull, and such the thing now in question is or may be, for ought that we discern, and our ignorance cannot change Gods Law. Therefore the doubtfulness of the thing it self, makes the obligation to Obedience likewise doubtfull. And perhaps the danger may be greater on the part of obeying than refusing. For possibly, the injunction of an heinous sin may be the matter of the uncertainty; and in this strait we apprehend it more unsafe and less excusable to choose the greater before the lesser sin, on which side soever it be, though indeed it be lawfull to choose neither.
Indeed it is much easier for Rulers to relax the strictness of many injunctions about matters of supposed convenience, than for Subjects to be inlarged from the strictness of their judgment. And blessed are they that consider Conscience, and load it not with needless burdens, but seek to relieve it i… its distresses.
And as this forbearance and tenderness i… Superiors is the praise of their Government, and advanceth peace and concord; so doth moderation and a submissive disposition commend Inferiors, and much advantage their godly zeal. For it stops the mouths of clamourous Men, it obviates the ensnaring designs of adversaries, and it gives greater boldness in contending for weightier matters.
Howbeit sometimes that submission, which all circumstances considered, both Prudenc… and upright Conscience declareth necessary, may be liable to a reproach as a matter of temporizing. The truth is, a Ministers reputation is of great moment to the ends of his Ministery; and he is not to be blamed, that is loth it should suffer shipwrack; and an appearance or suspition of time-serving doth greatly indanger it. If a man should forbear some compliances, which he clearly foresees will bring him into a vehement suspition thereof, in Charity it should be taken not for an undue valuation of his own credit, but for a tender regard to the honor of the Gospel. When an exalted Party shall set themselves to profligate the credit of those that are brought under, by constraining them to such Compliances, they have more regard to their own particular triumph than to the honor of the common Faith, and all true Religion, which is by this means exposed to the contempt of the irriligious, as if it were meer hypocrisie and matter of interest on all sides. As for Inferiors, in this case they are in a strait between …wo, and which way can they turn themselves …o avoid-all inconveniences. For the same …ersons that reproach them as temporizing, would in case of non-submission clamour against them as humorous and factious. Herein I shall offer the aptest remedy I know, …amely, neither in word nor deed to abandon or disown the Truth, and in these burdensom yet not unlawfull compliances not to run with the foremost, but to proceed in such manner and so far, as the standing in necessary libertie… may require, and as the more considerate pa… of men will justifie to be discreet and honest, but above all to indeavour by a godly and blameless life to make it manifest, that Conscience hath been duly satisfied and not trifle… with.
In doubtfull matters and difficult times, th… all good men should keep the same latitud… of judgment and practice in all wisdom, for th… true interest of Religion, may be wished b… not expected. For some will be more, other less inlarged by the diversity of their apprehensions. Also some by their natural dispositio… are more timerous or more complying: other again are more hardy and less flexible, or mor… reserved and resolute in their opinions. Many are injudicious, and the best have their passion… and some lie under disadvantages that may Biass the judgment this or that way, where th… matter is somewhat disputable: others ma… have weightier reasons, either for assent or di… sent though not obvious, and perhaps not … expedient to be declared. Mens cases bein… so exceeding various, they must needs vary… practice. Some inconvenience, but no d… structive mischief will follow this diversity, it do not (as one would think it should not disunite affections. For then these several Pa… ties, or persuasions rather, are one in their main cause, and may with one Spirit, though walking in several Paths, carry on the great concernments of it. If Religion were but the bond of a Faction, or the strength of a worldly interest, the asserters thereof might lose or lessen it by taking such several ways; But it depends not upon parties, and their designs, nor is obnoxious to such ingagements, but in it self perfectly free from them. Therefore it is advanced in any way that gives it liberty and opportunity, to display it self to the world in the evidence of its own truth and goodness.