OBLIGED, till we receive clearer light and information, TO TAKE THAT PART OF THE DOUBT, WHICH THE MAGISTRATE COMMANDS US, AS BEING THE SAFEST AND MOST SATISFACTORY TO CONSCIENCE.

And my reason is this: because the obligation, which lies upon us to obey the magistrate's commands, is certain; but the unlawfulness of what thou doubtest is not so: and therefore his authority ought to preponderate with us; and make that our undoubted duty, which was before but a doubted and suspected sin. Indeed, the Apostle tells us, Rom. xiv. 23. that whatsoever is not of faith, i. e. whatsoever is not done or forborne with a rational persuasion of the lawfulness of doing or forbearing it, is sin; and that whosoever doubteth, is damned if he eat: but, in this case, the magistrate's commands do not engage thee to do any thing doubting, but rather will solve thy doubts, and disentangle thee from the snare in which thy conscience was held. For though the nature of the thing be not at all changed by his commands, yet thy doubtful mind may be well settled: for, upon his command, thou hast reason to think that thy duty, which before his command thou couldst not absolutely conclude to be a sin..

That is a Fifth Position.

vi. IF THE THING ENJOINED BE IN ITSELF SINFUL AND UNLAWFUL, OR AT LEAST APPEAR SO UNTO US, THEN TAKE THESE TWO FOLLOWING RULES.

1. We ought not, upon any pretences or inducements whatsoever, to yield Active Obedience to such a command.

In this case, that plea of the Apostle's holds good, and will do so for ever, Acts v. 29. We ought to obey God rather than men: and, Acts iv. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. And, in this case, it was not rude nor uncivil, but a noble and truly heroic answer, which the Three Worthies gave unto Nebuchadnezzar, Dan. iii. 18. Be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. For, when princes' commands contradict the commands of God, they carry no authority in them to enforce our active obedience; no more than the commands of an inferior magistrate do, when they contradict the laws of the supreme. Yea, we are not to yield active obedience, not only when their commands are expressly against the commands of God; but when we are verily in our own consciences so persuaded: for con

science rules us in God's name, and whatsoever it dictates it believes to be the very will and mind of God; and, therefore, to slight the voice of conscience, is interpretatively to slight the voice of God; and those, who will not follow the voice of conscience when they believe its dictates to be the will of God, would not follow them though indeed they were so. But, then, we must be sure that we have express word and warrant from God; and not take up with doubtful and obscure texts, and more doubtful and remote consequences, to dispense with us from that obedience, which is evidently and frequently required.

But,

2. Though we may not yield active obedience to the unlawful commands of our superiors, yet we are bound to yield Passive Obedience to them.

For all human laws consist of a precept and a penalty. Where the precept may not be obeyed, yet the penalty must be submitted to, with all patience and quietness, though it reach to the loss of our estates, or of our liberty, yea, the dearest of all our possessions, life itself; unless we can prudently withdraw ourselves, and avoid their rage by flight.

vii. WE OUGHT, IN NO CASE WHATSOEVER, TO RESIST AND REBEL AGAINST THE LAWFUL POWERS, WHICH GOD HATH SET OVER US; yea, though they should use their power unlawfully : for whosoever resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they, that resist, shall receive to themselves damnation.

As it is in the government of a state or nation, if any inferior magistrate abuse his power over thee, thou art not presently to oppose him by any violent or illegal proceedings; nor to make any insurrection against him, and pull him off his tribunal, or divest him of his authority; but to appeal to the prince and supreme magistrate, for redress of those wrongs: so likewise here, if the supreme magistrate should abuse his sovereign power, and command thee to do what God, his superior, hath commanded thee not to do, and shall punish thee for not obeying him and offending God; thou art not to resist, nor make conspiracies against him, nor to raise tumults and seditions to depose him from his authority; but only quietly and meekly to appeal unto God, who alone is his judge and ruler, and to beg

him to take thy cause into his cognizance, and redress thy wrongs and injuries.

1

Yea, put the case as high as we can: suppose that Christian subjects should live under the dominion of a prince, who, as he is a God in respect of power, so he is a Devil in respect of cruelty and mischief: suppose the two worst cases that can befal them :

That he should enjoin them superstition and idolatry.

That he should oppress them by persecution and tyranny.. If ever there were a specious pretence for subjects to say, Shall I smite him, shall I smite him? it is in this supposition. Here seems the best cause, and the highest equity in the world, to deliver the world from a monster, and the Church from a devil. Yet, I say, neither of these can justify rebellion against him, or revenge upon him. Was there ever a more accomplished and consummate wretch than Nero? a man, who made the martyrdom of Christians his pastime; and burnt them in the streets of Rome to light him from the stews *. And yet St. Paul commands the Roman Christians to submit to him for conscience-sake, and threatens them with damnation if they resist. No, we ought in this case (though it be far from the fiery spirit of our times) to receive blows, but not to strike again; and rather to endure the greatest of cruelties, than lift up our hands to revenge them.

And, indeed, there is a great deal of reason for it.

For,

1. Punishment is an act of vengeance.

Now revenge is such a wild untamed thing, that God hath not trusted it in any private hands; but reserved it to himself, who can best dispense and govern it: vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay it: Rom. xii. 19. So that none ought to intermeddle with this part of justice, but those, whom God hath impowered thereunto, and made his substitute officers and ministers to dispense it; and that is only the magistrate: Rom. xiii. 4. He is the minister of God....a revenger, to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil. None are to be revengers, but God and magistrates: magistrates, upon evil men; and God, upon

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* Pereuntibus (Christianis) ludibria addita, ut ferarum tergis contecti, laniatu canum interirent, aut crucibus affixi aut flammandi; atque ubi defecisset dies, in usum nocturni luminis uterentur. Tacit. Annal. I. xv.

evil magistrates. Private Christians have nothing to do with revenge, or punishment: no, not to inflict it one upon another; much less upon their rulers: and, if they do, as they rebel against men, so they usurp upon God, and put themselves in his stead.

2. Princes are supreme to all but God; and therefore accountable to none beside him.

All human power is subordinate to theirs, and derived from it: for from the chief, do other magistrates receive their authority and commission; and therefore cannot any human power punish those, on whose authority they depend.

3. What a wide gap for all manner of confusion and disorder, would this open to the world!

Who, that fancies himself aggrieved and wronged, would not presently make a party, and sound the trumpet, and proclaim that he had equity and justice on his side, and so hurl all into tumults and wild confusion? But, though thou mayest have suffered real injustice; yet thou oughtest not to rebel. The Wise Man hath long since condemned the striking of princes for equity: Prov. xvii. 26. whether for their equity's sake, or thine. And the Apostle reckons it the glory of a Christian, and an acceptable service to God, patiently to endure when we suffer evil for doing well: 1 Pet. ii. 20, 21. What glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps.

Yea, even religion, the best and most precious of all our enjoyments, is too weak a cause to justify rebellion and insurrections. To think, that, upon the account of religion, or any form or mode either of worship or discipline for which men are zealous, they may lawfully oppose, yea and depose the authority that God hath set over them, is a tenet utterly irreligious. And, truly, religion can never so much suffer by the fiercest persecution, as by such wild and rebellious principles. It is a doctrine quite contrary to the true genius and constitution of Christianity. In the primitive times, for the long space of three hundred years, till at length the Roman emperors gave up their names to Christ, those, who commanded the whole world, set all their wit and force to crush this growing doctrine, but were still dis

appointed in this attempt. Whence this defeat? was it because they were overborne by the too powerful resistance, which the Christians made against them? nothing less: for though almost every city, every village, every family, yea their camps and armies abounded with Christians, as Tertullian witnesseth in his Apologetick" yet, under all those savage and barbarous persecutions, which butchered them up like sheep appointed to the slaughter, we never read of any insurrection against the lawful magistrate.

Nay, the Fathers boast and glory of this conquering patience of the Christians; and challenge the Heathen to produce any one instance of a mutiny or sedition, wherein a Christian was engaged t. Notwithstanding their vast numbers, which might make them potent; notwithstanding they were all devoted to ruin and destruction, which might make them desperate ; and despair added to power makes it invincible: yet we read of no tumults, no uproars, no wars raised by them in the state; for the peace and prosperity of which they prayed dying; and took the sword rather into their throats than into their hands: nor was it their method to propagate Christianity and true religion, by any other blood but their own.

This was the way, by which the Primitive Church thrived: which sent more Christians to heaven, and gained more to be Christians on earth, than ever the pomp and splendour of it hath done since.

* Si enim hostes apertos, non tantùm vindices occultos agere vellemus, deesset `nobis vis numerorum et copiarum? Plures nimirum, Mauri et Marcomani, ipsíque Parthi, vel quantæcunque unius tamen loci, et suorum finium gentes, quam totius orbis? Externi sumus, et vestra omnia implevimus, urbes, insulas, castella, municipia, conciliabula, castra ipsa, tribus, decurias, palatium, senatum, forum: sola vobis relinquimus templa. Cui bello non idonei, non prompti fuissemus, etiam copiis impares, qui tam libenter trucidamur, si non upud istam disciplinam, magis occidi liceret quàm occidere? Tertul. Apol.

+ Circa Majestatem Imperatoris infamamur; tumen nunquam Albiniani, vel Nigriani, vel Cassiani, inveniri potuerunt Christiani. Tertul. ad Scapulam. Unde Cassii, et Nigri, et Albini? unde qui inter duas lauros obsident Cæsarem? Unde qui faucibus ejus exprimendis palæstricam exercent ?-De Romanis, ni fallor, id est, de non Christianis. Tert. Apol. vid. Aug. de Civ. Dei. 1. xxii.

c. 6.

Non nos adversum te, Imperator, armavit ipsa, quæ fortissima est in periculis, desperatio. Tenemus ecce arma, et non resistimus; quia mori magis quàm vincere volumus, et innocentes interire, quàm noxii vivere præoptamus. Exuperius, Legionis Thebææ signifer, ad Maximinian.