1 g ObjeBiollS a11[wered. --------------------------------------------- Objctl. S· §. 77· Obj. 5· Bztt tbtir chief calumuiatienr are agai11jf Divines; Thty fay that Divinesm.R~t a trade of RcligiM, and under prttence of Diuine Laws and Confcirnce, and Ecclefiajlical di[ciplint, tbcy fitbjHgate ~e:td ~~~Ailb1th Princu and people to tluir wiU, amJ fct wp Co.-rtJ which tbty call Ecclt.fitljlicaJ, and l<!rp tbe people ;,:t~B~~ft[o<~ in drpend:mce on tbeir dillatn, and ttJchthtm to difobey upon preteuct tb.Jt God U againjl tlu matter of of cb:-i{r. f b- thtir obedience: And ~~.l[o by contending fi'r their Opi,zio;~s, or f ur {uptriority and domination over one anu– jfiiorl, Rub. tbcr, they fiD Ki1J-.!,donu with rptarrtlJ, and breaJt them. into jfl1s and fa{lions, and are tbe chief dijlurbtrJ 1~~:t lc~v~l. of the publick,. peace. ~~~;~~~ ~~:~l~~ Church- po,..er is no way i11j\1rious toRings. DeRe-gum author:t:ne, 11uod ex jure divino non fit Tortus prob~t : A!fcri enim rtrip1on;m fementd eommum: i\t nee onuuum, nee optimorum: A11dnw.s Tort. Tort, p. 384. Anfiv· Objtll· 6. Arf. We can11ot deny but that carnal, ignorant, worldly, proud)unholy Pallors have been and are the.:: great cabmi:y ot the ChUtches: But th .. t is no more difgrace to their Office or to Divinity, than it is to Philofcphy or rcafon that Philofophers have been ignorant, erroneous, divided and contenti– ous ; nor th~::n it is to Government that Kings and other Rulers have been impcrfdt, bad, con– tentious, and til\~d the Wm1d with wars and bloodtbed. Nay I rather think that this is a proof of the excdleocy of Divmity : As the rea[on of the foref1id imperfc:ct:ons and faulrindS of Fhilofophers and Rulers, is becaufe that Philofophy and Government ?.re things fo tXcellent that the corrupt imperftd nature of man will not reach fo hi~h <:.s to qualifie any man to manage them orherwi{i: than with gre:tr dc:feltivenefs : fo a\fa Divinity and the Paftoral offict are things fO excellent and Jithiime, that rhe nature of lapfed man will not reach to a c~pacity of being perfect in th~.:m. So that the faullinefs of the nature of rnafl compared with the excellency of the things to be known and praCbfed by Divines, is the caufe of all thefe faults which they complain of: And na(llres viriofify if any thing mutl: be blamed. Certainly the Paftoral office hath men as free florn ignorance, worldlincfs, pride and unquietnefs, as any Calling in the .world. To charge the faults of nature upon thar profdlion, which only difcovereth, but never caufed them, yea which would heal thun if they are to be healed on earth, judge whether this dealing be not fooli!h and injurious, and what will be the confequents if fu~h unreafonable perfons may be heard. And therefore though Leviathan and his Spawn, among all that is good, bring down DivineJ, and the zealots fo.r Demo. cracy have gloried of their new forms of Common·wcalrhs, as inconfifltnt with a Clergie, their glory is their nlJlTIC to all bur Infidels. Let them help us to take down and cure the ignorance, pride, carnality, worldlinefs, and contentioufnefs of the Clergie, and we will be thankful ro them ; but w quarrel wi1h the bdl: of men for the common pravity nf nature, and to reproach rhe mofi excellent fcience andf~rnlJion, becaufe dcpuved nature cannot attain or managt them in perfection, this is but to play the profeffed memies of mankind. ~. 78. Obj. 6. 1hcfe Atheij!J or Infidel! alfo do [pit their venome againft Chtinianity and Godlinefs it [elf, ar.d wouldm.sk,e Frincts believe that tht principles of it are contrary to1 their inttreft, a11d to Govtrn– mwt and peact: .And they fetch their c.Jvils, I· From the Scriptures contemptuous exprtf!ions of worldly wealth and greatne{s. 2· From its prohibition of revenge andm~intaining our own rigbt. 3· From the fitting it abovt aU hHmant Laws: and by its authority and obfcurity fiUinJ!. the mindJ of men withfcru– pulufity. 4 Frum tht divifiorrs which Rtligion occajionetb in the world: and 5· From the te/fimonits of' thefcveral foUs 11gainjt t~cbother. 1 tball anfwer them particularly, though b11tbriefly. Objdl. 1 • 9· 79> Obj. I· Say the lntidd Politician•; How call fobjellt have bO>tourable thOHghtt •f their fo– ) uJI fuch ac- periours, YP!Jen they believe that to be the IYurd of God, which {peak_etb fo comempwotifly of tbem l As cuf.rions as Luk. 6. 24. TYoe to you tbat art rich; f ur )'t have received your cot~folt~tion : Jam. 5· I, 2> 3· Go to Papifh bring norv ye rich mm, weep anet bowl fit your miferits that jhaU came upon you: ver. 5, 6. Ye have lived in ~~~~;~1:~:, pita{ure on eartb and been wan.ton : --- Ye ha.ve coudemmd and ~iUed ~he ju/l- Luk. I 2 • 2 1 • d:dtheHcl- Luk,J 6. 'the Parable of tbeRzchma;zandLaurus u fpok.,!nto ma~t men thml{_ oftheRichal miferath~ns bring bit damned creatures : Ezek. 2 I· 2 5• Tbou prophane wick.fd Prince of lfrael. Prov. 2 5· 5• Tak,.e away againll the the wicJ....ed from before the King---- Pwv. 29· zz, If a Ruler htark!n to lies aU hi1 fervants are ;h;~~i~~;. wick,td : 'Ihe c"ntempl of Greatmfs is made apart of tht Chrijtian Religion. !~sei~n ! dtt,:.- · At egre~ii 1lli viri & bel!ic~ri ~onfnfis. pe:turbatifi.J; rebus o.mni~us debe!lafle Dtos inmtentis. quidem, f~d ab avaririx nimme non puris mJmbus g'or1abamur, !J.~nlegm~ & 1mp1er:ms cr1men laud1 fi.b1 ~lfumeutes...l1dem poftca. m ~lcrJ l?ca lnvexerunt Monacho~, fie ditlo~, homines qu1dcm fpecJe~ fed vnam .1Urpem porco!um more ex•gentc~, qu•.m propaculo mfintta & tnfand~ fcelera committebant, quibus tamen preuris pars VHlebatur, facn loci revtrem1am proculc.:n. () paru:tluy ! An[tr, An[.r. As if there were no difference between the contempt of Riches and worldly profperity, and the contempt of Government? Ht: is blind that cannot fee that Riches and Authority are not the f•me: Yea that the over-valuing of Riches is the caufe of (editions and the diflurb•nce of Govern– ments, when the contempt of them rcmoveth the chief impediments of obedience and peace. 2. And may not Governours be fufficiently honoured unlefS rhey be exempted from the Govern– mem of God ? and unlcfs their fin mull go for virtue? and unlcfs thc:ir duty and their account and the danger of their fouls be treacheroufly concealed frorn them ? God will not flatter dufl: and alhes : Grea[ and fmodl are alike to him. He is no refpeder of ptrfons : When you can faw tht grcatefi from death and judgement, then they may be excepted from all thofc duties which are needful to their preparation. 3• And isitnot £\range that God flwuld teach men to contemn the power which he
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