The Worcestershire Petition for the Ministry of England, Uses
I will add these Uses, which me thinks all Godly Readers should make of this Pamphlet which I contradict, and such other too many now abroad in the Land.
1. Is it not a case to be lamented by every true Christian that in England such language as is contained in this Pamphlet, should be suffered to be spoken in the ears of the Nation by the Press? Should not those faithful Ministers that are near our Rulers, remember them of the sin and danger of this? If any of them shall hap to read these lines, I do with Reverence to them as Rulers, and with Zeal for God, who is the absolute, severe and jealous Soveraign of them and us, bespeak them in these few words: Oh ye Honorable Rulers of this Commonwealth; Do you not bear the sword as Gods Ministers to execute wrath on them that do evil? Is it no evil, that as faithful and able a Ministry, as this Land was ever blest with, shall by the Press be proclaimed to be Witches, Conjurers, Blood-Hounds, greedy Dogs, Divels, Blasphemers, with multitudes of the like Titles, because they do but receive the Maintenance allowed them by the Lawes? Doth it not concern you what language the Subjects hear or speak? Language as well as other objects doth make an Impression on the mind: Should your Subjects receive such impressions as this doth tend to? If it be tender consciences that you indulge, I beseech you consider whether these be the words of a tender conscience? and whether Powder Plotting Papists, may not on the same grounds expect Liberty? Should you permit all your Subjects to be told in print, that [It is below the Saints Priviledg to petition or make Addresses unto Counsellors of men? and to question whether those that ask counsel of men, believe that God would hear them, or know what God is?] Shall tenderness of conscience excuse men for taking down all Magistracy at once? If those must suffer death as Traytors, that conspire against the persons of the Soveraign Powers, are those to be suffered that would have the very Power it self down? See you not that while you are too silent at the vilifying of Christs Ministers, the next turn is your own? You believe him that hath said, He that despiseth you, despiseth me: Is it not then as true, He that tolerateth the despising of you, doth tolerate the despising of me? And because some about you are so little Christians as to say, that you must tolerate the wronging of Christ, because he is revealed supernaturally, and not known by Nature, as the Godhead is; I pray you remember the next words, And he that despiseth me, despiseth him that sent me. It is God-Redeemer now that is your Soveraign, even the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The permission of denying your Soveraign, is the permission of High Treason, and endeavors to dissolve your Commonwealth: Would you stand by, and let men thus revile your King and Judge? If not, how dare you permit them so openly to revile his Ambassadors? Those that prefer man before God, will tell you that you must punish only the breaches of the second Table, and not of the first. If that were so (then which there is not a greater error in Policy) is all this railing, slandering, and accusing all the Petitioners of this County of Treasonable Intentions to raise a new War; I say, is this no breach of the ninth Commandment? Is the seeking to deprive the Ministry of their lawful Maintenance, no breach of the eighth Commandment? Is the reviling of the Guides of the Church, no breach of the fifth Commandment? Do you order that silly women shall be dipt over head in a Gumble-stool for scolding, and breaking the peace of the Town? and shall men have leave to print their most impudent railings against Christs Ministers and Churches, if they will but plead conscience for it? I do not speak only of your bearing with the Writers, but that one Giles Calvert, shall be suffered for so many years to publish such a multitude of these Reproaches to the world, and openly to own it with his name subscribed! I doubt not but you believe 2 Chron. 36. 16, 17, 18. But they mocked the Messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his Prophets, untill the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, till there was no remedy: Is this a changed Law, by which God condemned the mockers of his Messengers? Do you not undeniably permit the inundation of that sin which will bring remediless Ruine on the Land, even on you and us? And then what good will it do to prepare Shipping and Armies, when God hath told you there is no remedy? You have seen that the hand of God can quickly, and with small means accomplish his will, and execute his Judgments on the Greatest that least fear it. To be fearless, through unbelief or carnal confidence, after such experiences as you have seen of the wonderful Providences and Judgments of God; would leave you as unexcusable, I think, as ever were any since Pharaohs, or at least since Jehu's daies. If any blame Ministers for their faults, let them be personally accused; and if you find them so faulty as to be unmeet for that Office, put them out: if they be so bad, why do not you put in better? Either they are the best that England will afford, or else the sin is yours, for the Power is in your hand. As for them that question your Power in matters of Religion, they thereby question your very Office and Power it self. For what is your Office and Power, but as Ministers of God to see his Lawes executed, as far as you can? and I know you doubt not but the written Lawes are his Lawes, as well as that of Nature? Your own Lawes are but the determinations of Particulars which God hath determined only in General, for the better executing of the Lawes of God; or else the meer enforcing of Gods own Lawes. To shut out God and his Honour from your Office, is a greater mistake then to shut out the securing of your own (subordinate Analogical) Soveraignty. If you should make a Law, That he should die that denies the Authority of a Justice of Peace, but he shall go unpunished that denieth the Soveraign Authority, it were not half so bad as to ordain death for the denying of your Authority, and to permit men unpunished to deny the Authority of God or the Lord Jesus, or notoriously to dishonour him. I hope you know the Alphabet of Policy, [That God is not a meer titular Soveraign; that he is the Head and Center of every true Commonwealth; that visible Soveraigns are but his Ministers or Magistrates; that all their Power is from him, and they have none but what they receive; that all Commonwealths should first publickly acknowledg his Soveraignty, and by a national Covenant take the Oath of Allegeance to him; and then only as under him acknowledg and oblige themselves to their visible Soveraigns: that none is a capable member of a true Commonwealth, that hath not first professed this Allegeance to God, and promised to be ruled by his Lawes; that this Soveraign is now God-Redeemer, and not God only as Creator; that therefore all Nations of Infidels, are but Analogically Commonwealths, being indeed Associations of Rebels; seeing the Soveraignty is essential to the Commonwealth, and Gods Soveraignty more essential then mans; seeing man hath but a derived Analogical Soveraignty, or secundum quid so called, &c. How easily do these unquestionable Principles of Policy, dispel the clouds of those Objections and Cavils, whereby some would draw you into High Treason against Christ, your absolute Soveraign, as if it were a Tolerable sin for a Subject to strike at Christ the very Head and Center of the Commonwealth! The God of Heaven that vindicated his Name and Glory by Wonders in New-England, I hope will vindicate it as wonderfully here, if we must come to the same extremity. But because God useth not Miracles, till ordinary means faile, (when there is no Christian Magistrate, the Apostle will kill Ananias and Saphira for Sacriledg and Lying, by a Miracle). O do not you that have the Sword in your hand, put the jealous God to it, to take it into his own, lest you have the first blow your selves, and you and we should perish together. I know many say, that God and his Truth have no need of your help, and that Truth is stronger then Error, and therefore all may have liberty to speak without such danger as is pretended. I will not trouble you with those many things, by which, I dare say, I am easily able to shame this Object on, and all of the like nature. Only these three things I would demand.
1 Doth not God ordinarily work by means? and therefore where he wil permit seducing means, he usually permits seducement. Was it not a Judgment on Ahab and Israel to have a lying spirit tolerated (for their sin) to deceive the false Prophets, and so the King? O let not the same Spirit loose in England, so far as lies in you to restrain him! God is sufficient to deliver the Nation from enemies without you, and needs not the help of you or your Armies: but should you therefore neglect our defence?
2. What more easie to know, then that the best cause may seem bad through a disadvantage, and that it is as easie to deceive the common people, if men have liberty, and interest, and opportunity, as can be almost imagined? Is not Error more consistent with carnal interests, and sutable to depraved nature? and Novelty pleasing to many? who knows not that men receive not things as they are, but as they seem, and that he that can make a lye seem true, may cause it to be believed? and that, Recipitur ad modum recipientis?
3. I beseech you consider impartially, whether this Argument come not from grossest ignorance, or against conscience. Do they perswade you to do by God and mens souls as you would be done by? Will you give any man that will, leave to perswade, by Press and Pulpit, your Army to Rebellion, or to cast off their Commanders, and turn to the Enemy? Will you think it a sufficient Argument for this, to say, Truth is stronger then Error; and all should be heard? Would you permit any rogues that will, to have access to your wives, and solicit them to Unchasteness, because Truth is stronger then Error? Would you let any man freely perswade your children to steal your Goods for them, or to hate their Parents, or forsake them; because Truth is stronger then error? you would say rather, [But the wits of children are not stronger then crafty Knaves] would you (I pray you lay it to heart) I say, would you, have all the Parents in England give that toleration to their Children, which you give (much less which these would have you give) to Subjects? O what a fearfull plight should we then be in? And is it not the same Commandment which prescribes the Parents duty, and the Magistrates; even both in one terme?
4. Yea, I will adde one more: Do not a multitude of such Pamphlets as this which I gain-say, shew you, what Truth it is that the world must needs hear? The Argument is, that Truth must be heard; and therefore all that seemes Truth must be heard, that it may be knowne. But are you in doubt whether these be truths which the world needs information of? Is Railing at Christs Ministers as Dogs and Devils, this necessary Truth? And for those that urge by this Argument the toleration of opposition of Jesus Christ, and Scripture, and Gospel worship, you may see what men they are: It seems they are unresolved whether these be Truth. I have long feared, that the Religion desired by some in these times, who once endeavoured the like in New-England, is nothing but Paganism, or Infidelity: I mean, that Plotinus is their Bible, and the name of Christ is used but to preserve their Reputations: or at least that they are nothing less then Christians indeed. What I have said against this liberty of the Press, I mean also against the like liberty of the Pulpit. I abhor as much as most do, too rigorous restrictions, & not bearing with each other in tolerable differences: But that a Pulpit should be Satans Oracle, or a place to make Christianity contemned, is very sad. Let all the Apothecaries in London have liberty to keep open shop: But O do not under that pretence, let a man keep an open shop of poysons, for all that will to destroy themselvs freely; as Giles Calvert doth for soul-poysons. No, nor suffer any to be an Apothecary, that knows not poyson from Physick.
2. This Use also (me-thinks) all ordinary Christians should make of such Books and examples as these. Take heed of Pride, and self-conceitednesse, and forsaking your necessary dependance on faithfull Teachers; and of thinking you know more then you doe. Doe you not see in the sad examples of this Age, whither this will bring people that seemed to fear God? As the Chickens that go too soon from the Hen, may be catcht up by the Kite; so are those people by the spirit of darknesse and delusion, that too soon are confident of their own understandings, and forsake the necessary Conduct of their Guides. O what sad work hath this made in England? And for my part, I see no hope of remedy, till Christians are better convinced of the duty of submitting to Christs Officers, and how far it extendeth. Let him that thinks he standeth, take heed lest he fall: especially if he think he can stand without the helps that God hath appointed him. God set Pastors and Teachers in his Church on purpose to prevent the instability and Apostacy of the Members, that they should not be as children, toss'd up and down, and carried to and fro with every wind of Doctrine, according to the cunning sleight and subtilty of men, whereby they lye in wait to deceive, Ephes. 4. 12, 13. 14. You see in the Pamphlet that I oppose, what notorious Malignants Professors may become. Take heed of receiving false reports of your Teachers, or entertaining Grudgings, and Quarrels, and Censures of them; lest yo… would once have pluck'd out your eyes for them, do turn their enemies, because they tell you the Truth! And lest you that now think their feet beautiful, be quickly brought to spit in their faces, and think it your duty to call them greedy Dogs, Bloud-hounds, Witches, Divels, &c. and dare subscribe your Revilings as these Railers do, Written from the Spirit of God: which me thinks a tender heart should tremble to read.
3. The Lord perswade also all Ministers of the Gospel to search their hearts and waies, and humble themselves before God for those sins that have procured all this upon us: For all our neglect of the souls of men, especially the less publick part of our work; and for our too much minding the things of this world; and our preferring our Rights before the winning of souls, and for want of Zeal for the House and Worship of God, and sitting still without a through Reformation, and leaving Dogs and Swine in the Church, and crying out on the Parliament for want of Authority, when we will not use the Authority given us by Christ. Especially, the Lord bring it close to the hearts of Dividers and Leaders of Factions, to see how they have kindled that fire of dis-esteem and reproach against each other, which burns like hel, and none can quench. And O that God would suddenly and successfully perswade them to seek to each other for Accommodation, and Reconciliation and Unity, and from Heaven to give a Blessing to such Endeavors;
Amen.
Blessed are the Peace-Makers; for they shall be called the children of God, Mat 5. 9.
March 28. 1653.
FINIS.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, The Worcestershire Petition for the Ministry of England (1653)