A Scripture Catechism, Chapter 26
CHAP. 26. Of Civil Magiſtrates, and the Commonwealth.
Q. IS the title of King lawfull for a ſupreame Magiſtrate, or Governour?
A. Deut. 33.5. And he was King in Jeſurun, when the heads of the people, and the Tribes of Iſrael were gathered together. Math. 1.6. and Jeſſe begat David the King, and David the King begat Solomon. 1 Pet. 2.13. Submit your ſelves to every ordinance of man, for the Lords ſake, whether it be to the King as ſupreme.
Q. May a lawfull Soveraigne call the land over which he is head and governour his land?
A. Judg. 11.12. And Jephthah ſent meſſengers unto the King of the children of Ammon, ſaying, what haſt thou to do with me, that thou art come againſt me to fight in my land?
Q. Have Subjects a property in their lands and goods?
A. 1 King. 21.1, 2. Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the Palace of Ahab King of Samaria: And Ahab ſpake unto Naboth ſaying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, becauſe it is near unto my houſe, and I will give thee a better vineyard for it than it, or if it ſeem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. Mat. 22.21. Render therefore unto Caeſar the things which are Caeſars, and unto God the things which are Gods.
Q. May the King take away the ſubjects lands, to beſtow them on his owne children?
A. Ezek. 46.18. Moreover the Prince ſhall not take of the peoples inheritance by oppreſſion, to thruſt them out of their poſſeſſion, but he ſhall give his ſons inheritance out of his own poſſeſſion, that my people be not ſcattered every man from his poſſeſſion.
Q. Ought Kings or other ſupreme magiſtrates to ſet bounds to their deſires of greatneſſe, ſtate, and riches?
A. Deut. 17.17. Neither ſhall he multiply wives to himſelfe, that his heart turne not away; neither ſhall he greatly multiply to himſelfe ſilver and gold.
Q. Are Kings and ſupream Governours ſo high, that Miniſters may not reprove them?
A. 2 Chr. 25.16. And it came to paſſe as he talked with him, that the King ſaid unto him, Art thou made of the King's counſel, forbeare; why ſhouldeſt thou be ſmitten? then the Prophet forbare, and ſaid, I know that God hath determined to deſtroy thee, becauſe thou haſt done this, and haſt not hearkened unto my counſell.
Q. May Miniſters admoniſh or reprove Kings by letters or writings?
A. 2 Chr. 21.12. And there came a writing to him from Elijah the Prophet ſaying, Thus ſaith the Lord God of David thy Father, Becauſe thou haſt not walked in the wayes of Jehoſhaphat thy Father &c. verſ. 14. Behold with a great plague will the Lord ſmite thy people, and thy children, and thy wives, and all thy goods.
Q. Are Miniſters more than others exempted from ſubjection to civill Governours?
A. Rom. 13.1. Let every ſoule be ſubject to the higher powers; For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
Q. Ought all, without exception, to obey and ſubmit themſelves to be guided by Miniſters in the things of God, according to the word of the Lord?
A. Heb. 13.17. Obey them that have the rule over you, and ſubmit your ſelves, for they watch for your ſoules, as they that muſt give account, that they may doe it with joy, and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you.
Q. To whom did Chriſt promiſe power to forgive ſins, to his Apoſtles, or civill Rulers?
A. Joh. 20.22, 23. He breathed on them, and ſayth unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghoſt, whoſeſoever ſins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whoſeſoever ſins ye retain, they are retained.
Q Hath Chriſt promiſed his more eſpeciall preſence with the Commonwealth to the end of the world, or with the Church?
A. Mat. 28.19, 20. Goe ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, & of the Son, & of the Holy Ghoſt, Teaching them to obſerve all things whatſoever I have commanded you, and lo I am with you even unto the end of the world.
Q. May the ſupream Magiſtrate taxe the people at his pleaſure?
A. Neh. 5.15. But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beſide forty ſhekels of ſilver, yea even their ſervants bare rule over the people, but ſo did not I, becauſe of the feare of God.
Q. Is it poſsible for a wiſe Prince to overſhoot himſelfe in oppreſſing the people?
A. 2 Chr. 10.4. Thy Father made our yoke grievous, now therefore eaſe thou ſomewhat the grievous ſervitude of thy Father, and his heavy yoke, that he put upon us, and we will ſerve thee.
Q. May good Governours ſuffer their ſervants, officers, or courtiers, how great friends or favourites ſoever, to Lord it over the people?
A. Neh. 5.15.—Even their ſervants bare rule over the people: but ſo did not I, becauſe of the feare of God.
Q. May not a good and wiſe King have ſome one of his ſervants or principall officers, who may be eſteemed his eſpeciall friend?
A. 2 Sam. 15.37. So Huſhai David's friend came into the city, and Abſalom came into Jeruſalem. 1 King. 4.5. And Zabud the ſonne of Nathan was principall officer, and the King's friend.
Q. Ought not godly magiſtrates to take care that their ſervants, and great and rich men, doe not oppreſſe or devoure the poor, and men of lower ranke?
A. Neh. 5.2, 4, 7, 11. For there were that ſaid, we, our ſonnes, and our daughters are many: therefore we take up corne for them, that we may eate and live. There were alſo that ſaid, we have borrowed money for the Kings tribute, and that upon our Lands, and vineyards. Then I conſulted with my ſelfe, and I rebuked the Nobles and the Rulers, and ſaid unto them, you exact uſury every one of his brother. Reſtore I pray you to them, even this day, their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houſes, &c.
Q. May the civill Magiſtrate puniſh evill doers, or evil workers without exception?
A. Ro. 13.34. For Rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evill: wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? doe that which is good, and thou ſhalt have praiſe of the ſame. For he is the miniſter of God to thee for good. But if thou doe that which is evill, be afraid, for he beareth not the ſword in vaine: for he is the miniſter of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill.
Q. Are heretiques, or ſeducers to error evill workers?
A. Philip. 3.2. Beware of dogs, beware of evill workers, beware of the conciſion.
Q. Is hereſie reckoned amongſt the workes of the fleſh?
A. Galath. 5.19. — 20. Now the works of the fleſh are manifeſt, which are theſe, Adultery — Seditions, hereſies.
Q. What was God's law by Moſes concerning Seducers to Idolatry, and concerning Blaſphemers?
A. Deut. 13.1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9. If there ariſe among you a Prophet, or a dreamer of dreames, and giveth thee a ſigne or a wonder: And the ſigne or the wonder come to paſſe, whereof he ſpake unto thee, ſaying, Let us goe after other God's (which thou haſt not known) and let us ſerve them. And the Prophet or dreamer of dreames ſhall be put to death: ſo ſhalt thou put the evill away from the midſt of thee. If thy brother, the Son of thy mother, or thy Son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy boſome, or thy friend, which is as thy own ſoul, entice thee ſecretly, ſaying, Let us goe and ſerve other Gods: Thou ſhalt not conſent unto him nor hearken unto him: neither ſhall thine eye pitty him, neither ſhalt thou ſpare, neither ſhalt thou conceale him. But thou ſhalt ſurely kill him, thine hand ſhall be firſt upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the People.
Q. Had the Jewes after the Captivity Urim and Thummim, whereby to enquire of the Lord in all difficult matters, and to have infallible reſolution? had they any other conſtant ordinary meanes to know and Judg of what was blaſphemy, then we have in theſe dayes, namely, the holy Seriptures? had they Urim and Thummim to inquire by concerning blaſphemy as perhaps at firſt they had, Levit. 24.12, 13. &c.
A. Ezrah. 2.63. And the Tirſhatha ſaid unto them, that they ſhould not eate of the moſt holy things, till there ſtood up a Prieſt with Urim and with Thummim.
Q. If it be once ill with the Church, will it be alway or likely long well with the Common-wealth?
A. 2 Chron. 15.3, 4, 5. Now for a long ſeaſon Iſrael hath been without the true God, and without a teaching Prieſt, and without Law: But when they in their trouble did turne unto the Lord God of Iſrael, and ſought him, he was found of them. And in thoſe times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countryes.
Q. Doe people ſay well, that it was never well ſince there was ſo much preaching? or that the olden time, as they ſpeak, was better than theſe times?
A. Eccleſ. 7.10. Say not thou, what is the cauſe that the former dayes were better than theſe? for thou doeſt not enquire wiſely concerning this.
Q. If it ſhould be granted that there was more peace and plenty in times of Popery than ſince the Reformation, doth it therefore neceſſarily follow, that God was pleaſed with that Religion, or that that was the true way of worſhip?
A. Jer. 44.17, 18, 20, 21. But we will certainly doe whatſoever thing goeth forth out of our mouth, to burne incenſe unto the Queen of heaven, and to poure out drink-offerings unto her, as we have done.—For then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and ſaw no evill. But ſince we left off to burne incenſe to the Queen of heaven, and to poure out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been conſumed by the ſword, and by the famine. The incenſe that ye burnt in the cities of Judah—did not the Lord remember them, and came it not into his mind? ſo that the Lord could noe longer beare, becauſe of the evill of your doings, and becauſe of the abominations which ye have committed: therefore is your land a deſolation, and an aſtoniſhment, and a curſe, without an inhabitant, as at this day.