SUbjection to Civil Magistracie, even that, which obtained in the world at that time prest upon them of Christian profession with such co­gent Arguments; as are used by St. Paul, Rom. 13. 1, 2, &c. and by St Peter, 1. Epist. [Page 4] Cap. 2. vers. 13, 14, 15. doth perspicuously intimate that which Calvin observeth, what adoe the Apo­stles had to contain the new World of Christiani­ty within the true bounds of this duty, which he calls in my text [...], obedience to Magistracie. For

1 The aspect or influence of Civil Authority at that time, Heathenish, was very malignant to Christianity.

2 The Gospel liberty unto which the Chri­stians were called, was by many Pseudochristians stretched beyond the line, and mistaken, or mis­used unto scandal and abuse.

3 That old ferment of the Jews, being a mu­tinous and seditions temper against all Forreigne and Gentile authority, in defence of their own [...], had with either Jewish Fables, Titus 1. 14. spread into the Island, and inflamed the natu­ral humour thereof, which (as one observed) was always seditious, and whose infamous character gi­ven of them by Epimenides, one of their own, e­ven a Prophet of their own, the Apostle verifies, Titus 1. vers. 12, 13. The Cretians are alwayes lyars, evil beasts, idle bellies.

Whether some particular Reason at that time­indisposed Christians to subjection unto Magistra­cie? or whether the universal pride of man aspi­ring Adam like to a condition above himself? be the reason, that every Absalon aspires to be made Judge, and every thistle or bramble aspires to be a [Page 3] King, I shall not now enquire, but observe that not onely the Apostles do inculcate this point of sub­jection, but also in this text the Apostle charges the local Minister to put the Christians, his Audi­tors in minde to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey Magistrates, and so leaves the Do­ctrine, as by entail upon all Ministers, and the du­ty upon all Christians, in all times.

In the Anatomy of this text, there will arise four considerable parts, which I will form up into as many points of Doctrine.

1 Who the Remembrancer is, whom the Apo­stle doth charge [...], to put them in minde, and that is Titus, and all Colleagues with him in the Ministerial Office, the Apostle one of the high­est authority Ecclesiastical, provides for the main­tenance of the highest authority Political in the Common-wealth, and if the people will submit to the Minister of Doctrine, it may be presumed they will subject themselves to the Magistrate, who is the Minister of God for government, this first part I sum up into this point.

1 That the Minister of the Word ought in his place and office to endeavour that the Scepter of Majesty in the highest, the Sword of Magistrati­cal authority in the lower hand be kept in posses­sion of their rights and dues, which are subjection and obedience of the people.

2 Whose Remembrancer the Minister is, and they are Christians by their profession, who come [Page 4] to his crib to feed, Not heathens, who neither ac­knowledge any authority of God in the Minister, nor are much moved to this duty of obedience for conscience towards God, but rather for fear, whereof (I mean the punishment) the Magistrate himself, not the Minister, is the proper executioner or Minister [...], saith the text, put them in minde, and so the second point is.

No Christian who is by his Christianity mu­niceps Coeli, a freeman of Jerusalem, hath by his Christianity any priviledge that may exempt him from, or loosen the bands of that civil Authority which is over him, no, though it remain un­christian.

3 These things wherewith Christians must be charged in relation to civil authority are summ'd up under two heads, subjection, obedience, put them in minde [...]. The one of these calls for subjection to the function or office, re­member your subordination, that you are placed in a lower orbe, and therefore what the Higher pow­ers may look for of inferiour subjects, what the master though crabbed and crooked, may expect of his servants, that is, subjection, you must per­form, Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14. Titus 2. 9. 1 Pet. 2. 18, &c.

The other of these calls for obedience to their Laws and Commands, and that is [...], which though in the notion of the word it signifie to obey Magistrates or Rulers, and is so turned in our last [Page 5] English Translation in this place, yet is applyed to obedience to God, Acts 5. 29, 32. or unto our listenings to the perswasions of men, though no Magistrates, Acts 27. 21. I confess, that subjecti­on and obedience in common intention of speech do not much differ.

When the word subject is set alone without a second, it includes obedience, Rom. 13. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 13. Titus 2. verse 5. & 9 Luke 2. 51. Jam. 4. 7.

When the word obedient is set alone without a second it comprehends subjection, Acts 5. 29, &c. (I mean this of a voluntary and not enforced subje­ction, Luke 10. 17.) But when both these words are used together in the same place, as they are in this text, they may be more accurately distin­guisht.

Subjection relates to the person, that is supream in place, function office, and the contrary, or oppo­site hereunto is resistance; [...], are opposed, Rom. 13. 2. that is, subjection and re­sistance.

Obedience properly relates to the Magistrate his Edicts, Laws, lawful and honest commands.

And it hath ordinarily been pleaded by honest disobeyers of unjust commands; We refuse not to be subject, we resist not, we oppose not the autho­rity; therefore we submit our selves to the pe­nalty of the Magistrates infliction without resi­stance; but we dare not, we will not perform the command enjoyned, Dan. 3. 18. and thus its [Page 6] plain, there may be subjection to just authority (for that is good and lawful) when there is not obedi­ence unto unjust commands: the one being ordai­ned of God; when the command may be contra­ry to, and against Gods.

The third point is the sum of that debt, which the subject owes to the civil Magistrate, is to be sub­ject to him in his place or office, and to be obedi­ent to him in his commands; I might say honest o­bedience, but that I look not to be carped, no more then the Apostles did, that gave this command to servants, to obey their masters in all things, Col. 3. 22. nor yet (though I acknowledge the subject, or the servant to be (as he said) [...] a ratio­nal instrument) would I open a gap for every un­quiet & unsober dispute, that on purpose, to shift off the Magistrates or the Masters commands, may think it enough to pretend they are not honest, and so the Master shall indeed be the Master, but the servant is the Judge, the Magistrate is the Magi­strate, but the subject is the Judge, which indeed he is of his own action, by the judgement of Discre­tion, but not of the command by the judgement of Authority, for that would be an easie way to over­turn both authority and obedience, and to leave all to the best disputant.

4 Those to whom this debt is to be paid, are the principalities & powers, they are all that are in rank of Magistracy respectively, both the Highest and the Subordinate in this Scale; Principalities and Powers, saith the text, [...], principalities, that [Page 7] is [...], supereminent, or superexcel­lent powers, Rom. 13. 1. that are in highest orbe [...] powers, those that are Presidents of Pro­vinces, who though not in highest orbe of Supre­macy, are yet in a neerer orbe to you, as being in the Sphere where you live. So the Apostle Peter, 1 Pet. 2. 14. Commands subjection, whether to them he calls [...] Kings, so the Greek Authors call the Roman Emperours, meaning by Kings, such as was at that time [...] in the Soverign­ty, and by [...] Governours, the inferiour Officers and Governours under the Supream, and the Apostle Paul thus expresses the several ranks of Magistrates, 1 Tim. 2. 2. Kings, and all that are in authority.

The Point of Doctrine is,

That this debt of subjection and obedience is due to all that have share in the Civil Govern­ment respectively, whether they be in the Supre­macy or in Subordination.

The superscription that is upon a two pence, owns the same authority as that which is upon a twelve­pence, that word, Rom. 13. 4, 6, the Ruler is, [...], Gods Minister to thee for good, Gods publick officer commends all Ma­gistracy to us. If the Supreme Officer was like the Sun, which by his motion carries his light through his whole circuit, we should need no more, but himself, but he is like the Sea that ha­ving all fulness in it self, sends from it self foun­ains and rivers to water all the Continent whither [Page 8] the Sea it self cannot come; And God while he kept the chief Government over Israel (as I may say in his own hand, whereupon Josephus calls it a Theocracy) did as we know, erect under himself Judges or Dictators in their necessities who (as one Cunaeus de Repub. observes) did alwayes prosper in their atchieve­ments, being (as I may say) Gods Lievtenants. In want of which we read, that there was no King in Israel, not because the Sanhedrin did not sit at those times, but because there was no Chief or So­vereign Magistrate that might exercise coercion, and work deliverance in Gods stead. As for the di­spensation of common Justice they had the Se­venty, the Viginti Triumvirate in the greater, and a Triumvirate in the lesser Towns, and thus the publick Justice was brought home to them, till there arose some hard matter to be determined by Appeal, whose judgement was final in the case, Deut. 17. 9, 10, 11, 12.

And therefore, if there be any (as there are) that think it necessary that the Judicials of the Jewes, and that the form and mode of Government that obtain'd amongst them be re-introduced into o­ther States & Kingdoms they may please to con­sider, that even the Iewish form was variable, that the Apostle Peter commands Christian sub­jection to every humane ordinance, and that Paul saith, that the powers that be (that is in the world at that time) are ordained of God, Rom. 13. 2.

These are the four points, which being thus cut [Page 9] out shall be made up into further use in their or­der.

From the first of them, the Ministers duty to put the people in minde of their obedience to Magi­stracie you may learn.

1 This duty is charged upon the Minister as the publick remembrancer of the people to whom is committed the dispensation of sound doctrine, Titus 2. 1. serving to keep them right in the du­ties of their relations towards one another, and therefore it appears that God will honour the standing Ministery with this publick service, that the flock may not stand at any mans courtesie that will feed them (I say not poison them) but expect it from some hand of standing duty, and it ap­pears that our Antimagistratical men, do for the same reason cry down the Ministery, as Demosthe­nes observed the sheep were required to deliver up their Dogs that wakened them by their barking at the comming of Wolves or Thieves.

2 A faithful Ministery is very useful to Civil Magistracie in discharge of this office of putting the people in minde of their subjection to authori­ty, for commonly people are querulous and wasp­ishly froward against authority, and subjection to mans nature is grievous, good service doth the Minister of Gods Word do for the Magistrate, who is also called the Minister of God in bearing of his sword, and let these two Ministers like twins supporting one the other flourish and live toge­ther, [Page 10] good service doth the Minister also for the people in warning them of their duty, and of their doing it for conscience sake, for heathen King­doms and Policies that want this office of remem­brancers do usually more obey for wrath then conscience. Oh! let not the Minister of the Word who is their Remembrancer cut the girdle of this relation between Magistrate and subject by blow­ing the one up into Tyranny, or laying him low into contempt or contumely, or by pulling away the other, viz. the subject as an Ivy from the tree that supports and sustains it, for surely you ought not to turn your host out of dores, that gives the Gospel house-room and hospitality in his Terri­tories, no though he were a Heathen, vae soli, wo be to either of them that is alone, I know and am sorry that the Pulpit which is the Watch-tower whence this Remembrancer gives warning, is sometimes so partial and so passionate as rather to seem to blow Sheba his Trumpet, or to throw dirt in the face of Authority, for I believe that God hath put this office on the Gospel Minister, part­ly to sweeten and make the Gospel acceptable to States and Magistrates, which otherwise as a Bou­ [...]efeau would (to speak humanely) have been hunt­ed out of all places.

I consess, it is not our place as the Heralds to blazon titles, or pragmatically to model forms and modes of Policy, such have produced unhappy Empericks of the Body Politick, as unhappy as [Page 11] Abiathar in being factor for Adonijah, 1 Kings 2. 26. or as Phaeton undertaking the Chariot of the Sun, but our office is to put servants in mind to be subject [...]. 1 Tim 6. 1. to their own ma­sters, & wives to be subject, [...], 1 Pet. 3. 1. to their own husbands, so the people to be subject to their own Magistrates, viz. the powers that be in place and possession of Magistracy. And therefore according to their partiality and fancy do cry up a Magistrate, that is of their own party or opinion, and the same man they cry down that is otherwise minded, seem to me to miss the true grounds of subjection to him, which Sophocles hit better upon, saying, what then? Must we obey? Why not, saith he? [...], for they are Ru­lers in place of Magistracy, and the Apostle seems to hold to this rule, for he checks his own mistake of calling Ananias the High Priest, whited wall; by alledging that text of speaking evil of the Ruler of his people; and yet it is probable he knew not that he came into that place by lineal suc­cession, but irregularly and surreptitiously, as most of them had done since the time of the Macchabees, and our Saviour told the captious Jews, that they receiving Caesars Coine a signe of his Soverignty must in reason give to Caesar what was his.

3 God is the countenancer and approver of Civil Magistracy, as appears in that he will have the Minister of his Word to put the people in mind to be subject to it, for it is the ordinance of God, Rom. 13. 2. and as the Romans made the Tri­bunes [Page 12] [...], inviolable, so hath God secured Magistracie from resistance by denouncing dam­nation to resisters, God will maintain his own Mi­nisters, and such are Magistrates though Heathen, but you must distinguish between the function or office it self, which maintains peace and safety, a peaceable and quiet life in godliness and honesty, and between the unlawful commands and lusts of the Magistrate, we may not resist the office, we must not obey the unjust commands. If Jeroboam set up his Calves, or Nebuchadnezzar his Image, We will not serve thy gods, Dan. 3. 38. is the best answer, our disobedience is our best obedience, God hath countenanced and honoured disobeyers of sinful commands, as we see in the three Wor­thies, but God hath not favoured seditious per­turbers of the Magistrate, as we see in Absalom and Sheba, &c.

From the second point I shall commend to your further satisfaction two things.

1 Let no professed Christian imagine himself to be by his Christianity the more free, or exempt from the civil authority, that is over him though it be Heathenish for this you shall neither learn from the head, nor from the Doctrine of our Christian profession. Our Lord Christ for his part acknow­ledged that Pilate his power over him was given of God, & our doctrine is, that every man whereinhe is called must therein abide with God, 1 Cor. 7. 24. not forbidding a man thereby to better his cōditi­on [Page 13] (if we may) but to use it rather, v. 21. but shew­ing that his priviledges though they be great, yet are they spirituall, and that his outward conditi­on and state is not changed, or bettered by be­comming Christian, the wife is not freed from her heathen husband, the bond servant is not made free from his master, the Subject not ex­empt from his tyrant, nor the prisoner from his prison, for then the Gospel hook would catch selfe-ended persons for the bait sake, but we have a better rule religio christiana non tollit ordinatio­nes politicus the Christian religion doth not abro­gate the wholsome ordinances of the State.

2 Neither doth Christianity, prohibit a Chri­stian to be a Magistrate, nor a Christian subject to pay him subjection, It is true unto the unlawfull commands either of the heathen or Christian Ma­gistrate it may be pleaded in barre, Acts 5. 29. We ought to obey God rather then men, but it was a spice of that desperate Doctrine of those Pseudo­christians the Gnosticks to please their deluded followers and themselves by promising liberty, 2 Pet. 2. 19. An egge of the same bird was that fury (call yee it) or delusion of those Rustick Pea­sants, Libertines of Germany in our ancestors days, who arose in such swarms to take the sword out of the Magistrates hand to put it into their owne scabbard, and to level their estates, into more plainness and evenness, pretending that the sword of civil Authority becomes not a Christian hand, [Page 14] nor do we say they find it in such a hand in all the New Testament as if it might please them to have Pilate a Judge because he judged Christ; no other must fi [...] us. But shall we thinke? that John would not forbid the Publican his office as if inconsist­ent with Christianity, and Christ hath forbidden the Magistrate his; Are the Jewish Magistrates called Gods? and do the Prophets call them Shields for their protection, Corners for their sup­port, Nayles for their uniting of the people. Zac. 10. 6. Isa. 22. 23. Hos. 4. 18. Doth the New Testament call them Dignities, Principalities, Powers, yea the very heathen Magistrates, Mini­sters and Officers for God and for thy Good. Rom. 13. Doe the Heathens Plato and Homer call them [...], Saviours and Shephearas of the people, (for so they are by the intention of their office and place, thought they be Nero's for blood and lust,) and shall they that are promised to be nursing fathers, Isa 49. that are commanded to be so wise as to kisse the son, Psal 2. that are pro­phesied to tread upon the Heathen Empire, and crush the bloody Dragon, be unfit to make a nail in the Gospell Commonwealth?

What must we turne our direction crosse to the Apostle, and put Christians in mind not to be subject to Christian Magistrates, and make them incapable of Government of Christians that are most fit for it, and for whom we must pray that we may live, a peaceable life in all godlinesse and [Page 15] honesty, for this is good and acceptable in the fight of God, our Saviour, 1 Tim. 2. 13 Qui reg­na dat coelestia, non adimit terrena, Will Christ take mens kingdoms away if they turn Christi­ans? Will he that is King of Kings have under his Empire no Christian Kings? sutely the Apo­stle commands, 1 Tim. 6.2. Those servants that have believing masters, the rather to do them ser­vice, and why the subject that hath a believing Magistrate should not do so too, I know not. In fine, I might argue against this denial of Christian Magistracie by argument drawn from the scan­pall which it draws upon Religion (whereof Christ teaches every Christian to be chary, Matth. 17. 27.) but that I finde this kind of Libertines are not much moved with such arguments, nor are they much in date or in request with many that most pretend to holiness, in these times.

I have used this length upon this place of Do­ctrine, not because the sober part of men (as I hope) do much need it, but as the Apostle saith, 2 Thes. 2. 2. That you be not soon shaken in minde, as that the day of Christ is at hand, so I say to you that you be not shaken in minde, as that the Kingdom of Christ (as some say) was at the threshold, even now in 1656. For as its said, Luke 17. 20. this Kingdom comes not with observation. Its a Jew­ish fancy to look for such pomp and splendor as temporal Monarchs are furnisht with; It is within and already (saith he) amongst you, for my King­dom is not of this world. It was set up in the days [Page 16] of those Kings (as Daniel saith, Cap. 2. 44. and shall never be destroyed, but certainly that such a tem­poral Kingdom of Christ is so neer as shall put down the temporal civil Magistracy as now it ob­tains, as Tapers that are eclipsed by the Sun, or Candle-rushes put out by Torches, is more then I can affirm and hath some unpleasant reflexion up­on the Magistracy Christian.

From the third Point observe:

That this great debt of subjection and obedi­ence be duly paid without grudging, two things call for payment. 1 The command of God whose Officer the Magistrate is. 2 Your own good by whom you sleepe, you walke, you are masters of your own, you are Masters of your lives, you hold all these at this Rent-service, your subjection. There is a certain light in mans minde, that tels them they cannot live together in society without this nail, the mutinous members that rose up against the belly for eating up their la­bours were quieted by this oratory, that it did but digest the meat for them, nothing more pernicions then the inferiour his refusal of obedience to the Magistrate, especially you that are Christians have most benefit by Magistracy, for you are exposed to more envy of wicked men by your profession, and are by your principles more unarmed from private revenge.

Besides that, you hold your Religion, your greatest treasure in peaceable possession by his in­spection and protection, except the Magistrate [Page 17] shall profess himself a Gallio that cares for no such thing, or be like Esarhaddon, that sent into the Kingdom of subdued Israel, a mixture or galli­maufrey of several Religions in designe, ut in com­mune consulere non sineret religionum diversit as, that is, That diversity of Religion might hinder common counsels.

But this Province, I confess, properly belongs to the Sovereigne, though for the executive part to every Magistrate in his order & place, as the cause of the false prophet pertained to the Supream Ju­dicature, therefore our Saviour saith (as Cunaeus ob­serves) Cunaeus de Repub. that a Prophet could not perish out of Je­rusalem. Blasphemy hurts the name, Heresie the Truth, Idolatry the worship of God, of these the Magistrate is as he is called the heir of restraint, Judges 18. 17. for in this the Prince as a Prince may serve God and cannot do it as he is as a pri­vate man, I bespeak this at the Magistrates hand, I mean restraint, for that God expects it at his hand is plain by that, that Idolatry was set up in Micah his house, Judges 17.8. because at that time there was no King in Israel. Those that said, Quid Im­peratoricum Ecclesia (the Donatists) are justly up­braided by Augustine, that when the Emperour was against them, they cryed that cry, When for them they changed their note as their own partia­lity and interest led them, as all such kinde of spi­rits, will still do at this day.

The Magistrate will punish corporal adultery, [Page 18] will prohibit the sale of poysonous Drugs, and there is no great reason, but that the calamity of the Common-wealth may be prevented, which may accrue by depravation of Religion, for there­by Respublica detrimentum capit, as History and Experience may inform; as for the Ministers way, it is conviction, so Christ dealt with the Sa­ducees, and the Churches way is binding by Co­ercion; and the Magistrates way, is restraint an co­ercion in a civil way.

The Doctrine of this Church always was, that the intermedling of the Civil Magistrate in sacris, was not that of Uzzia, but of Hezekiah, Josiah, &c. not to perform them, but to see them done, as Reinolds against Hart saith. The Inferences from the fourth point are these which follow.

1 To put you in minde of the Extent of this duty of subjection and obedience, it reaches from him that is in highest, to him that is of lowest rank in Magistracy, all that have the stamp or mark of authority upon them, though the money differ in value, yet there is a superscription on the least piece, which speaks the same authority, the image of Caesar was upon a peny. The lower Of­ficers are the Supream, his eyes, eares, hands, and therefore in them Magistracy may be wounded, be subject, (saith the Apostle) to every ordinance of man, whether he be Supream, or Governours under him, 1 Pet. 2. 13. and it must be to both for the same reason, for the Lords sake, for conscience sake, Rom. 13. The honour of a childe due to his fa­ther, [Page 19] the subjection of a servant to a Master, the respect of a wife towards a Husband, and so the subjection of a subject to a Magistrate▪ are not paid according to the grandeur of the person of the Superiour, but according to the relation in which he stands, to thee and me; but yet this is not so much considered as it ought to be.

2 To encourage the Magistrate what he may justly expect from the people under him, while he acts within his sphere, and stretches not his com­mands beyond his place; so though he be in low­est orbe, yet he hath by office a share, and some pittance of authority wherein as Gods Minister for the conservation of the Peace and safety of the body he may expect protection and act (boldly, though not proudly) as not fearing the contempt of lofty spirits, but let every lower officer, carry in his eye the law of his place, for though the zeal of Phineas be highly commended by God in such a case as many men doe not understand the war­rant, which doubtlesse was unquestionable, as also that of Moses in his killing the Egyptian, yet ordinarily, the subordinate Magistrate shall do well to observe the law of his place and verge of his power, so that he himself is like the genus sub­alternum, that is, but a private man in respect of that authority which is above, and Paramount to the place that he is in, and we know that a two pence will go but for a two pence, though it have a lawful superscription as a bigger piece.

3 To enform the subject that howsoever he may be a greater man in birth, estate, riches, &c. then the Magistrate, whom he disdainfully over­looks, as the Cedar doth the shrub, yet that God doth cōmand subjection & obedience to the Ma­gistrate both supream and lower, not meerly for or according to the length of his sword, but for con­science towards God, upon whom the despising of his meanest Ministers reflects dishonour, and unto whom it is a displeasure, as the clipping but of two peces as to the Prince, whose honor is therby taken to be diminished, though they be of small value.

I shall conclude with a word to you that are the Electors of this next years Lord Major, know that your [...], or Suffrage, is a talent that is put into your hand, of which you must give ac­count, it was an ancient constitution in the Electi­on of a Bishop, Ut non ordo, sed meritum crearet Episcopum: not seniority or order of course, but merit should make a Bishop. I know not whom you have in eye, let both be, if you please, and as it was said, 1 Sam. 16. 8. Look not upon externals, the mans countenance, but look unto those seven qualifications, (as the Hebrews number them) which God requires in a Head or Judge, Exod. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 15. which are all required (as is ob­served) to be found in him that is but one of Tri­umvirate, or but a Captain of Tens, how much more in a Lord Major of London.

And you, Sir, whom the Lord will honour, [Page 21] pray that God would please to inaugurate you in­to your Government by pouring another spirit on you, and the Lord support and guide you to fol­low the pattern of their wisdom that have broke the Ice before you in this weighty service.