The Whole Body of Religion, Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Having ſpoken of the firſt ſort of men, whoſe Miniſtry God uſeth in the government of the Church, namely, of Eccleſiaſtical Miniſters, their functions, and other matters appendant there unto; it remaineth that we deliver in brief, what our belief is concerning the other, viz, the civil Magiſtrate. For the Lord is wont to make uſe of his Miniſtry alſo, eſpecially if he be a Chriſtian, for the protection and preſervation of his Church.
DOCTRINE I. That every Magiſtrate, whither godly or wicked, is from God; and that therefore no Magiſtrate is (ſimply) to be reſiſted.
WE believe that every Magiſtrate as well wicked as godly, is from the Lord God, and that he is the Miniſter of Goda1 Pet. 2.14. ſent for the puniſhment of evil doers and the praiſe of them that doe well; and that in that reſpect he is to bebRom. 13.….5, 7. feared and honoured, and obedience given to his commands as farre as may be with a good conſcience, and without tranſgreſſing the divine law; and that not onelyonly out of fear, but alſo for conſcience ſake, becauſe God commands it; ſo that as he is the Miniſter of God, he is not to be reſiſted, becauſecRom. 13.2, 5. Whoſoever reſisteth the power, reſiſteth the Ordinance of God, and God himſelf.
DOCT. II. That the Magiſtrate is not to be obeyed when he commands any thing contrary to the will of God.
NEvertheleſſe if the Magiſtrate injoyns us any thing contrary to his will by whom he is ſent, and whoſe Miniſter he profeſſeth himſelf to be, we do not doubt (with the Apoſtles) but that we ought to deny obedience unto him, and ſay,dActs. 5.29. We ought to obey God rather then men; ſince ſuch a Magiſtrate is not the Miniſter of God in that particular. Wherefore,aRom. 13.5. if it behooveth us to be ſubject to & obey the Magiſtrate for conſcience ſake and not onelyonly out of fear, then we conclude that in whole we cannot obey for conſcience ſake, therein we ought not to obey for fear. In other matters, we know thatbRom. 13.2. he that reſiſteth the power, reſiſteth God, and receiveth damnation to himſelf.
DOCT. III. That we ought to pray for all Magiſtrates that they may faithfully diſcharge their duties: and what the duty of every Magiſtrate is.
MOreover, becauſe it is the duty of every free Magiſtrate both in making of laws, pronouncing of judgements and likewiſe in puniſhing offences, to uſe all care and diligence that their ſubjects live according to virtue and nature, and the laws of God, (the ſumme whereof is, thatcTit. 2.12. we live ſoberly, and ſo chaſtly and decently, righteous, and ſo quietly with our neighbour, and godly in this preſent world;) and that they cannot perform this duty of themſelves, unleſſe they be indued by God with the knowledge thereof, andaPhil. 2.13. ſtirred up both to will and to doe: therefore what we our ſelves do by the precept of the Apoſtle, the ſame we teach others to do alſo; namely, that they pray for the Magiſtrates, whatever they be, that they may become both willing and able to acquit themſelves of their charge, that thereby wee may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all honeſty and godlineſse, that is, that we may live commodiouſly and in peace together, that the honour of the publick be regarded, and true piety and religion maintained and promoted.
DOCT. IV. That it is the chief duty of a Chriſtian Prince to undertake the care of Chriſtian Religion.
BUt if the Magiſtrate be a Chriſtian and godly perſon, we believe that it does eſpecially belong to him to take a peculiar care of the Chriſtian Religion, beſides their indeavours for the publick and civil benefit and maintaining the peace & honour of the ſociety over which he is placed; ſeeing the Lord hath made him keeper of both Tables, and commandeth him, that as a Prince,aIoſ. 18. he alwaies have the Law in his hands, that he may as wellbDeut. 13.5. puniſh idolaters, blaſphemers, falſe prophets & ſeducers, &c. As murderers and adulterers: and this according to the examples of the godly Kings in Iſrael, and the Chriſtian Princes, Conſtantine, Valentinian, Theodoſius, Iuſtinian, and others, abundantly confirming the ſame; who according to the command of God, did ſerve the Lord not only as private perſons, but as Kings; as St. Auſtin hath moſt prudently obſerved concerning their duty out of the ſecond Pſalm, and expounded the fame. Epiſt. 50. Ad Bonifacium Comi…em, Tom. 2.
DOCT. V. That the duty of a godly Prince is twofold; and wherein the firſt part thereof conſiſts.
MOreover, ſeeing the duty of a pious Prince, (that is, of ſuch a Magiſtrate as hath a free power over any people, and authority to inſtitute or reform religion in his juriſdiction) which he owes to Chriſt and the Church is twofold; whereof one conſiſts in things pertaining to religion, and the other ha's regard to to the perſons under his juriſdiction and ſubject unto him. We believe as to the firſt, that it is his duty in the firſt place to take diligent care that religion be eſtabliſhed, or being eſtabliſhed be preſerved pure, in his principalities or kingdome; or if corrupted that it be reſtored and reformed, and this according to the pure Word of God expounded by the Word of God it ſelfe, and underſtood agreeably to the firſt principles of faith, (or as they ſay, according to the analogy of faith) to the glory of God, and ſalvation of his people. For ſo we find it commanded by God and Moſes, and to have been obſerved by all godly Princes.
DOCT. VI. The explication of this opinion in particulars.
FIrſt, therefore we believe it the duty of a godly Magiſtrate to know out of the Word of God in general and the ſumme of the principles of faith, what the true and Chriſtian religion is, and what the Apoſtolical doctrine whereunto the Churches are to be reformed; to the end he do not any thing or preſume to do any thing by the judgement of others onelyonly, but of his own certain knowledge in a matter of ſo great importance. Secondly, when this is known to take care that Miniſters fit for that office be choſen, called and ordained, not guided therein by his own fancy and pleaſure but by the rule of God's Word and examples Apoſtolical. Thirdly, to cauſe that by them the doctrine of Salvation deliver'd in holy writ be preached expounded and inculcated, that the Sacraments be adminiſtred according to Chriſts inſtitution, and alſo that the diſcipline ordained by Chriſt be exerciſed. Fourthly, to ſee that ſchooles be erected, in which laudable arts & languages may be diligently taught, and the ſtudents inſtructed in the ſumme of Chriſtianity. Fifthly, to the end that Miniſters and teachers may perform their charges, and ſo true religion be preſerved by them in the Church, to take order, that beſides ordinary and private conventions, there may be provincial Synods aſſembled at leaſt twice a yeare. Sixthly, to have carefull overſight of the goods of the Church, that they be layd out faithfully to their proper, that is, to truly pious uſes? and that all things neceſſary be ſupplyed to the Church and the Miniſters of the ſame.
DOCT. VII. That a pious Prince ought not to uſe all ſorts of men of a different religion after the ſame manner.
TO proceed to the remaining duty of a pious Prince; ſince there are divers ſorts of men which a Prince may have under his dominion, namely either abſolutely unbelievers, or ſuch as do indeed profeſſe the faith of Chriſt, but are nevertheleſſe manifeſt Idolaters and apoſtates in many things from the Apoſtolical Church, or obſtinate Hereticks in ſome article of faith, or only ſeduced into errour, or laſtly of ſound opinions throughout,; We conceive a Prince ought not to proceed in the ſame manner towards all theſe diſtinct orders of men: for ſome are to be accounted deare, cheriſhed and honoured, ſome tolerated, others not; and ſome alſo even to be puniſhed with death; but none are to be ſuffered to blaſpheme Chriſt, or worſhip Idols and retaine impious ceremonies.
DOCT. VIII. That all men ought to be ſubject to the higher powers; and all powers, even the higheſt, to Chriſt and his word.
LAſtly we believe thataRom. 13.1. every ſoul, that is, every man, none excepted, and ſo every inferiour power ought to be ſubject to the ſuperiour, and higher; but that the higher power, no leſſe then the inferiour, and all other men, to Chriſt thebApoc. 17 14. 1 Tim. 6.15. King of Kings and Lord of all Lords. For if it is the will of God that all ſhouldcPſal. 2.12. kiſs the Son, and ſubmit their neck themſelves to his yoke & diſcipline. Wherefore we believe that it belongs to the true government and edification of the Church, that Princes render themſelves eſpecially to be inſtructed, admoniſhed and corrected by the Word of God; by which others may be incouraged to do the ſame; and in caſe they refuſe, the Prince may with more freedome puniſh them, and retain all in their duties.
DOCT. IX. Errours.
1 WE therefore condemn all deſpiſers of Magiſtrates, rebells, ſeditious, and enemies to the State they live in, and whoſoever either openly refuſe or craftily detract to perform all duties they owe unto the Magiſtrate. 2. Particularly we condemn the errour of the Anabaptiſts, who affirm it unlawfull for a Chriſtian man to be a Magiſtrate, much leſſe to uſe his authority over his Subjects in point of religion; and that it is free for every one to follow what religion hee pleaſes, and conſequently that no man is to be compelled to the faith. 3. We diſapprove their judgement who attribute only the ſhadow of authority in religion to Magiſtrates, and deny them the power to convocate Synods, to deliberate touching religion, to reform Churches, and to ordaine according to the word of God ſuch things as belong to the welfare of the people; making them only impoured to execute the decres and determinations of the Biſhops. 4 But neither do we approve of ſuch magiſtrates, who, without ſufficient underſtanding of matter, change religion at their pleaſure, condemning, ſpoyling and preſcribing the diſſenters though unheard, and who introduce Canons concerning religion, not out of the Word of God, but rather againſt it, duplicate page duplicate page behaving themſelves in the Church of Chriſt as Lords of the Churches, not as the ſervants of God, and refuſing to ſubmit their necks, to the yoke of the Son of God; whom we beſeech God the Father & the Lord Jeſus Chriſt to indue with more knowledge of God and a better rectified underſtanding.