The Kingdom of God Among Men, Tract 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
The Prevalence of Religion or real Godliness in the Civil Government of a Nation.
IN Christian States and Kingdoms Religion being Gods interest, ought to have the preeminence in all things. And its Preeminence is no incroachment upon the Rights of the Higher Powers, but their Establishment. God alone hath an underived and unlimited Empire over Man his creature. The People are primarily Gods Subjects, and then are subject to Princes, as to his Vicegerents, and obedience to him is the grand interest both of Prince and People. None can doubt that God hath made his own Glory, and mans Salvation the supreme ends of government and subjection. And consequently, that is the best Policy which gives these ends the highest place, and makes temporal advantages and the wellfare of the outward Man subordinate thereunto. And this requires that the Constitution give the highest regards to Gods Laws, and maintain their Authority, and that the whole publick Administration tend to the promoting of Righteousness and true Holiness, and to the suppressing of all unrighteous and impious Practice.
As it is the Church's duty and honour to teach and command her Children to do whatsoever Christ hath commanded: so it is the proper work and chiefest glory of the Magistrate, who is Gods Minister to defend the Faith, and uphold the Ordinances of the Gospel, and to further the most lively and powerfull Dispensation of them, and to incourage and command obedience to the Divine Law written in Nature or Scripture. In subserviency hereunto his Power is to determine such things as are requisit in general, but in particular are left undetermined of God, and therefore called indifferent, and are to be ordered by human Prudence according to the general Rules of Gods word. And for these ends the chief Magistrate hath a Supremacy in all causes, and over all persons, Civil and Ecclesiastical. But it is no diminution of his Authority to remove from it things unnecessary, unprofitablē, and offensive in their use, and for their doubtfull nature apt to perplex the Subjects conscience.
And he is the general Bishop of his Dominions in a political sense, without any incroachment upon that Authority, wherewith Christ the King of the Church hath invested spiritual Pastors. As he is such an Officer, it is worthy of his chiefest care to provide, and send forth able and faithfull Dispensers of the Word, that may teach the People the good knowledge of God, after the example of the good King Jehoshaphat; and to see that every one, who hath the Cure of Souls, be resident with his Flock, and constantly instruct them by preaching the Word, and Catechizing them in the Principles of Religion; and not to suffer Pluralists to seise upon several Congregations as a prey, to fleece but not to feed them; to incourage laborious Ministers, that watch for the Peoples Souls, as those that must give an account; and strictly to injoyn the Sanctification of the Lords Day, which was sanctified to the publick Worship of God by the Apostles of our Lord, who were guided by an infallible Spirit in setling this, as all other Ordinances pertaining to Christs Kingdom, and was observed by the Apostolick Churches, and so hath continued in all Ages, and in all places of Christianity, and is conveyed down to us by as unquestionable Tradition as the Scripture it self.
It is not of little moment to suppress, or at least to bring into disgrace whatsoever customs serve for nought, but to feed inordinate Sensuality, and to make those that use them profane, vicious and licentious. There are frequented shews and pastimes well known, that increase unto all ungodliness, and may be called the Devils ordinances. Those that wish well to Piety have an ill part to act, when they take upon them to defend some exercises, from which an extreem abuse is inseperable, and which are made a trade of gain arising from the impurity and profaness of them, and therefore are incorrigible, and can admit no reformation.
The Piety of any Nation is not to be measured by formalities and opinions and uniformity in little things, but by substantial Devotion, by solid zeal in the weighty matters of the Law, and main concerns of Religion, by righteousness of life, by sobriety, purity, modesty, by peace and concord with mutual forbearance in those differences that should not, and need not make breaches among Brethren, by dutifulness in all relations, by industry, frugality, and by abounding Charity that is full of good Works.
Happy is that State where religious influence is predominant, where the pious and prudent bear sway, not by intrusion, but by lawfull Admission; also where it ariseth to that strength, as to carry along with it the affection and interest of a Nation, not by setting up the Faction of a few, but by making the generality, or at least the greater number of considerable men, some of them truly regenerate Christians, and the rest orderly and well affected. One would think it were out of question, that it were more desirable, that Religiousness should be in fashion, than open dissoluteness and profaness. For uncontrolled profaness will run down all Religion. But when those that reach not the Power of Godliness indeed, come so far, as to take up an outward garb thereof, it is a great external advantage to true Religion, and shews its prevalent Influence on the publick State. If any should demur upon this Assertion, by making it a question whether Phariseim or Profaness be the worser evil, let him know first, that profane and dissolute Christians are notorious Hypocrites, for professing to know God, when in works they deny him. Besides Phariseism is not simple insincerity, but a compound hypocrisie, wherein malignity and enmity against the Power of Godliness is the chief ingredient, it is a kind of strict externalness that seeks to destroy the inward life and spirit of that Religion, which it pretends to own. I have no list to say that such malignity is less mischievous than filthy lewdness or debauchery. But the garb of strict Profession here mentioned, is of another nature, and serviceable to the Churches good, though we must continually and strictly charge all Men to beware of resting in it to the ruine of their own Souls.