A Vindication of the Sincerity of the Protestant Religion, Chapter 3
CHAP. III The Doctrine of the Proteſtant Churches about the Obedience of Subjects to the Higher Powers, as it is ſet down in the Publick Confeſſions of the ſeveral National Churches.
TO eaſe the ſearch of thoſe that would know what the Proteſtant Churches hold in the point of obedience to the Magiſtrate: And that ſome pickt periods out of private Authors unfaithfully alledged by their Adverſaries be not taken for the Doctrine of their party, I have ſet down here their publick Confeſſions in that point. For whether ſome of thoſe allegations be true or falſe, their word muſt not be taken for the opinion of their Church, before that of the General Confeſſion.
The Auguſtan Confeſſion.
Article XVI. ſub finem. CHriſtiani neceſſario debent obedire praeſentibus Magistratibus ac legibus, niſi quum jubent peccare. Tunc enim wagis debent obedire Deo quam hominibus. Act. 4.
Article XVI. ſub finem. CHriſtians muſt neceſſarily obey the preſent Magiſtrates and Laws, but when they command to ſinne. For then they muſt obey God rather then men. Act. 4.
The French Confeſſion.
Article XXXIX DEus gladium in Magiſtratuum manus tradidit reprimendis ni mirum delictis, non modo contra ſecundam Tabulam ſed etiam contra primam commiſſis. Oportet igitur propter illum hujus ordinis authorem non tantum pati ut ii dominentur, quos ille nobis praefecit, ſed etiam omni honore & reverentia eos proſequi, tanquam ejus Legatos & Miniſtros ad legitimum & ſanctum munus obeundum ab ipſo deſigna…os.
Article XXXIX GOd hath put the ſword in the Magiſtrates hands to repreſſe offences, not onelyonly againſt the Second Table, but alſo againſt the Firſt. We ought therefore for his ſake, who is the Author of this order, not onelyonly to ſuffer thoſe to governe whom God hath ſet over us, but alſo yield to them honour and all reſpect, as to his Lieutenants and Miniſters, appointed by him to bear a lawful and holy Office.
Article XL. Affirmamus ergo parendum eſſe legibus & ſtatutis, ſolvenda tributa & reliqua onera perferenda; ſubjectionis deniqne jugum voluntarie tolerandum, etiamſi infidelis fuerint Magistratus, dummodo Dei ſummum imperium integrum & illibatum maneat.
Article XL. WEe maintain then that we ought to obey lawes and ſtatutes, pay tributes, and bear other burdens of ſubjection, and undergo the yoke with a good will, although the Magiſtrates ſhould be Infidels, ſo that Gods Sovereigne Authority remain entire and inviolate.
The Belgick Confeſſion.
CƲncti homines cujuſcumque ſint vel dignitatis, vel conditionis, vel status, legitimis Magiſtratibus ſubjiei debent, illiſque vectigalia ac pendere, & eis in omnibus obſequi ac obedire quae verbo Dei non repugnant: preces etiam pro eis fundere ut eos Deus in omnibus ipſorum actionibus dirigere dignetur, nos vero vitam tranquillam & quietam ſub ipſis cum omni pietate & honeſtate ducere poſſimus.
ALl men of what dignity quality or ſtate ſoever they be, muſt ſubject themſelves unto the lawful Magiſtrates, pay unto them impoſts and tributes, and pleaſe and obey them in all things that are not repugnant unto the Word of God: Alſo pray for them, that God be pleaſed to direct them in all their actions, and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life under them, in all piety and honeſty.
The Helvetick Confeſſions.
SIcut Deus ſalutem populi ſui operari vult per Magistratum quem mundo veluti patrem dedit, ita ſubditi omnes hoc Dei beneficium in Magiſtratu agnoſcere jubentur. Honorent ergo & revereantur Magistratum tanquam Dei Ministrum. Ament eum, faveant ei, & orent pro illo tanquam pro patre. Obediant item omnibus ejus juſtis & aequis mandatis. Denique pendant vectigalia atque tributa, & quae alia hujus generis debita ſunt, fideliter atque libenter. Et fi ſalus publica patriae & juſtitia requirat, & Magistratus ex neceſſitate bellum ſuſcipiat, deponant etiam vitam & fundant ſanguinem pro ſalute publicâ Magiſtratuſque, & quidem in Dei nomine, libenter, fortiter & alacriter. Qui enim Magiſtratui ſe opponit iram gravem Dei in ſe provocat.
AS God will work the ſafety of his people by the Magiſtrate, whom he hath given to the World as a Father, ſo all ſubjects are commanded to acknowledge that benefit in the Magiſtrate. Let them honour and reverence the Magiſtrate as the Miniſter of God. Let them love and aſſiſt him, and pray for him as their Father. Let them obey him in all his juſt and equitable commands. And let them pay all impoſts and tributes, and all other dues of that kind, faithfully and willingly. And if the publick ſafety of the Countrey and Juſtice require it, and that the Magiſtrate undertake a Warre by neceſſity; let them alſo lay down their lives, and ſpill their blood for the good of the publick and of the Magiſtrate, and that in the Name of God; willingly, valiantly, and cheerfully. For he that oppoſeth himſelf to the Magiſtrate, provoketh the heavy wrath of God upon himſelf.
The Bohemian Confeſſion.
UNiverſi & ſinguli in omnibus quae Deo tantum non ſunt contraria eminenti poteſtati ſubjectionem praeſtent; primum Regiae Majeſtati, poſtea omnibus Magiſtratibus & qui cum poteſtate ſunt, in quibuſcunque muneribus ſint collocati, ſive ipſi per ſe boni viri ſint ſive mali; itemque omnibus Administris & Legatis horum, & ut eos revereantur, colant, & quaecunque eis jure debentur ea omnia ut praestent, etiam honorem eis tributum, vectigal, ſimilia alia ad quae pendenda obligantur ut praeſtent & pendant.
LEt all every one yield ſubjection in all things that are no wayes contrary to God, unto the higher power; firſt to the Kings Majeſtie, and next to all Magiſtrates, and thoſe that are in Authority, in what Offices ſoever they be placed, whether the men be good or bad; as alſo to all their Officers and Deputies. And let them deferre unto them all honour, and performe all things which are due unto them by right; let them pay unto them alſo the homage, impoſts, tribute, and the like, which they are obliged to pay and performe.
The Saxonick Confeſſion.
MAgiſtratui Politico ſubditi debent obedientiam ſicut Paulus (docet) Rom. 13. Non ſolum propter iram id est metu poenae corporalis, qua afficiuntur contumaces ab ipſis Magiſtratibus ſed etiam propter conſcientiam, id eſt contumacia est peccatum offendens Deum & avellens conſcientiam a Deo.
SUbjects owe obedience to the Politick Magiſtrate, as St. Paul teacheth Rom. 13 not onelyonly for wrath, that is for fear of the corporal puniſhment which the Magiſtrates inflict upon the diſobedient, but alſo for conſcience ſake; that is, diſobedience is a ſinne offending God, and ſeparating the conſcience from God.
The Suevick Confeſſion.
NOstri Eccleſiaſtae obedientiae quae exhibetur Magiſtratibus inter primi ordinis bona opera locum dederunt, docentes hoc unumquemque studioſius ſeſe accommodare publicis legibus quo ſincerior fuerit Chriſtianus, fideque ditior. Juxta docent fungi Magiſtratu munus eſſe ſacratiſſimum quod quidem homini contingere poſſit. Ʋnde & factum ſit quod qui gerunt publicam poteſtatem Dii in Scripturis vocentur.
OUr Divines have placed the obedience which is done to the Magiſtrates, among the good works of the firſt rank, teaching that the more a Chriſtian is ſincere and rich in faith, the more careful ought he to be to ſubject himſelf unto the publick Laws. They likewiſe teach that to be a Magiſtrate, is the moſt Sacred Office that a man may have. Whence alſo it cometh, that they that bear a publick Authoriry, are called Gods in the Scriptures.
After all theſe, the Engliſh Confeſſion ſhall ſpeak laſt, to give the Sentence; as the Apoſtle St. James ſpake the laſt in the Synod of the Apoſtles at Ieruſalem, becauſe he was the Biſhop.
Article XXXVII. Of the Civil Magiſtrate.
THe Kings Majeſty hath the chief power in this Realme of England, and other his Dominions, unto whom the chief Government of all Eſtates of this Realme, whether they be Eccleſiaſtical or Civil, in all Cauſes, doth appertain: And it is not, nor ought to be ſubject to any forreigne Juriſdiction.
Where we attribute to the Kings Majeſty the chief Government, by which Titles we understand the minds of ſome ſlanderous perſons are offended, we give not to our Princes the Miniſtring either of Gods Word, or of the Sacraments, the which thing the Injunctions alſo ſet forth by Elizabeth Our Queen, do most plainly teſtifie; but that onelyonly Prerogative which we ſee to have been given alwayes to all Godly Princes in Holy Scripture, by God himſelf, that is, that they ſhould rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their Charge by God, whether they be Eccleſiaſtical or Temporal, and reſtraiz with the Civil Sword the ſtubborn and evil doers.
The Biſhop of Rome hath no Juriſdiction in this Realm of England.
The Lawes of the Realm may puniſh Chriſtian men with death, for heinous and grievous crimes.
It is lawful for Chriſtian men, at the Commandment of the Magiſtrate, to wear weapons, and ſerve in the Wars.
The XXXV. Article appoints Homilies againſt Rebellion to be read in Churches. The ſummary of theſe Homilies, and the whole drift of them, is containedFirſt part page 2. of the firſt Homily againſt wilful diſobedience and rebellion. in theſe words, In reading of the holy Scriptures we ſhall finde in very many and almost infinite places, as well of the Old Teſtament as of the New; That Kings and Princes, as well the evil as the good, do reigne by Gods Ordinance, and that ſubjects are bound to obey them. And that Doctrine of the Church of England, which is that of the Word of God, is fully demonſtrated in theſe godly Homilies, publiſhed and enjoyned to be read in Churches by Royal Authority.