Vindication of the Treatise of Monarchy, Title page – Table of contents
A VINDICATION OF THE Treatiſe of Monarchy, CONTAINING An Anſwer to Dr Fernes Reply; ALSO, A more full Diſcovery of Three maine Points;
1. The Ordinance of God in Supremacie.
2. The Nature and Kinds of Limitation.
3. The Cauſes and Meanes of Limitation in Governments.
Done by the Authour of the former Treatiſe.
LONDON, Printed by G. M. for Iohn Bellamy, and are to be ſould at his Shop at the Signe of the three Golden-Lyons in Cornehill neare the Royall-Exchange, M.DC.XLIV.
A VINDICATION OF THE Treatiſe of Monarchie.
The Preface.
PEruſing with a ſad heart and conſcience, deſirous of Information the Papers made publike by the Defenders of both ſides in this wofull diviſion; I found divers of them running out into irreconcileable extreames: among which this Reſolver, the Authour of the fuller Anſwer, and the Divines pleading for Defenſive Armes were the chief. In which I conceived there were paſſages contrary to all true policie, and the particular Frame of this State. Hereon a deſire of allaying mens ſpirits, and reducing them to a moderate compliance in one Truth induced me to a compoſing of that Treatiſe, In which how farre I have attained my ayme, I leave it to the world to judge.
But it fals out with me, as it did with Moſes endeavouring to ſet at one his contentious Brethren, I have hard words and cenſures laid on me for my labour. This Doctour tels me, I have ſowne ſeeds of ſedition, opened a way to Rebellion, and termes me an engaged man. But to whom I am engaged, unleſſe to Truth, I know not: Engaged indeed I am to defend the Kings Supremacie againſt one part by my Oath of Allegiance; and engaged to defend the Priviledges of Parliament, and lawfull Liberties of the Subject, againſt the other part, by my Protestation: beyond theſe I know none, and perhaps if this cenſurer knew my condition, he would acknowledge as much. No, thoſe men are rather engaged, whom, ayming at Miters and a dominion over their fellow-Presbyters, it much concernes to prove the Power of Kings unlimited, that ſo they may be able to ſatisfie their unlimited deſires, and uphold them in a boundleſse juriſdiction over the conſciences of men; but for this Doctor, I know him not, I judge him not.
Then, for Sedition and Rebellion, The ſearcher of all hearts knowes how farre they were from being the ſcope of that diſcourſe, rather it was an utmoſt aſſay of appeaſment, by ſhewing the way to a diſcreet moderation. Theſe Maſters of controverſie take a right courſe to ſubvert the Kingdom by diſputing men into a degree of Oppoſition beyond all Attonement, for as I am perſwaded the high ſpirit of Kings will rather incurre the worſt hazzard then ſubmit to ſuch termes, as to be Vniverſis minores, that is, ſubject to their Subjects, common ſervants and Officers of their Kingdomes, tyed up to an abſolute neceſſity of aſſenting to the Determinations and Votes of the States: So I am as confident, that theſe two Britiſh Nations, yea very many now being in his Majeſties Armies, will ſpend their laſt bloud rather then come downe to this Doctors termes, ſc. a meere paſſive non reſiſtence of ſubverſive inſtruments of Arbitrarie commands, a ſimple morall liberty, which the baſeſt ſlaves in the Turks gallies enjoy, becauſe it cannot be taken from them.
For my part, I doe not reckon my life and liberty worth ſo much pleading for; but the libertie of my Country is deare to me: The eſtabliſhed Government is deare to me, becauſe in it is bound up Religion, the publicke Good, yea the very Title of the King to this Crowne. Theſe I plead for againſt a man, who by his unconſcionable reſolves of Conſcience, hath done what by a pen can be done, to diſſolve them: who in three whole books hath undertaken the Patronage of Subverters of Religion, Laws and Government: and thinks it worth his pains if he can procure them an irreſiſtibilitie.
I thought I had weighed out Truth to both ſorts with ſo even a ballance in that Treatiſe, that none had any cauſe to complaine. But, I ſee, this man muſt have all goe his owne way: He hath a high deſigne, no leſſe then a full conqueſt of all States; To bind the Conſciences and hands of Nations, and deliver them up to the Executioner to inflict on them the capitall doom of ſubverſion, if at any time the ſupreme Magiſtrate pleaſe to give the word. To this purpoſe having made ſome animadverſions on ſcattered paſſages of my Book. He is pleaſed to publiſh them under the ſtile of a Reply; I may well call it a negative Reply. He denies what I have aſſerted; and layes downe his owne contradictorie Notions, and that is all; no Scripture nor Reaſon, but what is fully anſwered in my former: It is ſo hollow a diſcourſe, that an ordinary eye may ſee through it, without the light of any further Anſwer; yet becauſe he gives me occaſion of fuller illuſtration, and juſtifying my ſuppoſals; and diſcovering the vanity of his, I have made him this Return, in which I have to my knowledge, left unanſwered no paſſage of moment which concernes me, in his Reply; other parts of it have I left untouched for them to whom they belong.
And now with proſtrate humility I beſeech that ſacred Authoritie, which here againe, is made the matter of this diſpute, not to impute iniquity unto me preſuming, for Truth and Conſcience ſake, to make inquiries into it. The Sun-beames ſtrike not dead the poor Mathematician, who ſtanding on this mole-hill, aſſaies by his inſtruments to take the dimenſions of that glorious bodie. Yea the great God of Power permits men without the guilt of ſin, to ſearch into his Perfections, and to ſet, not poſitive, yet negative bounds to Omnipotence it ſelfe. Let not then his Vicegerent be incenſed to diſdain, if we ſearch into the limits of his Power. I envie not it's extent, let it be as large as Truth and Law can ſtretch it: And my dutie binds me to beleeve that he would not have it larger. Princes require a reaſonable ſubjection, and that is beſt performed where the nature and meaſure of Power is beſt knowne: which to find out is all the drift of my former and this Treatiſe, unto which now we will paſſe over.
The Contents of the ſeverall Chapters and Sections.
CHAP. I. THE Caſe miſ-propoſed by the Doctor in his Reſolution, Sect. 1. His uncharitable raſh Cenſures. His Intents in this Reply come not home to the Caſe in queſtion, Sect. 2. How far Scripture proofe is to be expected in theſe Caſes, Sect. 3.
Chap. 2. In the Queſtion of Reſiſtance the Doctors Diſtinction of Times and Perſons is vaine. How farre Reſiſtance is aſserted by me in this and the former Treatiſe.
Chap. 3. The Doctor and other of his ſort abuſe Scripture in this Queſtion, Sect. 1. Scripture warranting this reſiſtance: but having not a word againſt it. The Doctor in words profeſsing againſt Abſoluteneſſe, but indeed pleading for it, Sect. 2. Government not only from God: but ſubordinately from the people, Sect. 3. Irreſiſtibleneſſe a Conſequent of Abſoluteneſſe. Limited Monarchie is in the very Power, Sect. 4. Mixture muſt be in the very Power. The Doctors ſtrange and ſenceleſſe conceit of Mixture, Sect. 5. Conqueſt gives no morall title before conſent, Sect. 6.
Chap. 4. The Doctors vaine and falſe ſuppoſals about Gods Ordinance in Soveraignty. It doth not exclude Limitation of Power, Sect. 1. His falſe ſuppoſals about the Nature and Quality of Limitation, Sect. 2. His falſe ſuppoſals about the Cauſes and Meanes of Limitation, Sect. 3.
Chap. 5. The Soveraignty of this Kingdome Limited in the very Power, and from its firſt Originall. The vanity of the Doctors three Titles by Conquest, Sect. 1. Arguments for Limitation and Mixture vindicated, Sect. 2. Seven Queries concerning this Government; Sect. 3.
Chap. 6. The ſtating of the Question of Reſiſtance aſserted. The Appeale ad conſcientiam generis humani, in the utmoſt contention vindicated, Sect. 1. His arguments againſt Reſervation of Power of Reſiſtance, are anſwered, Sect. 2.
Chap. 7. The vanity of his conceit about jus Regis. His deceitfull citing of Calvin. The Government of the Kingdome of Iſrael proved abſolute, Sect. 1. Inſtances for Reſistance out of the Old Teſtament juſtified, Sect. 2.
Chap. 8. The Text, Rom. 13. nothing concernes this Reſiſtance. His unjuſt charging of me in this Queſtion. His ſlighting of Doctor Bilſon, and other Divines. Reſistance of exceeding Acts, no Reſistance of the Power, Sect. 1. Emperours of Rome in S. Pauls time proved abſolute, Sect. 2.
Chap. 9. His nine Reaſons againſt Reſistance anſwered, Sect. 1. The five reaſons for Reſiſtance made good, Sect. 2. The Doctor recedes from his firſt Aſſertions, And yeilds us the Queſtion. No evils follow this Reſistance; but many its deniall, Sect. 2. The Concluſion of the whole, Sect. 3.