ObjeElions anfwered. he himfelf ordaineth ? and which is his own? Hath he fer offiocrs over us, for the work of Go 4 vemmenr, and doth he teach us to dcfpife them? There is no Chew of any fuch thing in Scripture : There are no principles in the world, that highlyer advi1nce and honom MJgiOracy, thm the Chri· fiian principles, unlefs you will make Gods of them, as the Roman Senate djd of the Amoniner and other Empcrours. · . §. So. Qbj. z, H1w can there be any Government, when men muft believe that thty mujl not refifl evil, ObjtO. !• but t,ive place to r:frath, andtHrn the other cheek to him th.zt fmiteth them, andgi1•e their Coat ta him that Rorr.. u. t7, takctl' away their Clokg, and lend, ask.J.ngfor nothinj{ again l Is not thM t~ let thi•vcs and violent rapaci- L k 6 1 9 8 20 ' ouJ men rule all, and have their wiU, and go unpunijhed? lYhtn ufe is there then for Courtr or Judges l u· ~;, 3o. ;tnd when Chriji commandeth his difciples, thal thuugh the Kings of the N.;tions YHlt over them, and extrcife Matth. S· 39, atul 1 ority and &re called Benefal1ours,yet with 1hem it jhaUnot be fo. 4°• "" 1 ' An[w.' Tht:fe were the old ~avilsof CelfiM, Porphyry and Ju!i.m .: but very impudent~ ~s though 111~·~:l.h~6· Love and p.Jtiwcc were ag:~.1af\ p.::ace and Government. Chr1fi commandeth nothmg tn all thde A ifi words but that we love our neighbour as our felves, and love his foul above our wcahh, and thlt we do as ~·c would be done by, -.nd ufe not private revenge. and take not up the M1gifirates work: And is this doCbinc againfi Government .> lt is not Magijtratts but Mi1tijler1 and private Chrifitans, whom hccommandeth not torefifi evil, and not toexercife Lordjhip as the Civil Rulers do ! When it will do more hurt to the foul of another, than the benefit amounteth, we mull not feek our own right, by Law nor mutl private men revenge thcmfelves. All Law-fuits and contentions and hurtingof othexs, which are inconfi£\ent with loving them as our felves, arc forbidden in the GoJpd. And when was Government ever diflurbed by fuch principles and practices as thefe? Nay, when was it dillurbed but for wmt of thefe ? when was there any fcdition, rebellion or unlawful wars, but through (elf-love, and Love of earthly things, afld want of Love to one another? How eafily might Princes rule men thH arc thus rt~led by Love and patience? §· g 1 , Obj. 3• ChrijlianitY, trachetb men to obey t~e S~riptures before their Governours, altd to cbey no Ohjrfl. 3· Law that i1 contrary to the Bzble: And whw the B1ble u fo large, and b.Jth [o many paJJagcs IJ:Jrd t.t he ttnderftood, and e.Jjily pervertul,[ome of tf>t[e will fle alwayes ir:terprcud againjt the LawJ of men : And then thl') are taught to fenr 110 man againjt God, a~td to endure any pains or death, and to be u 1 tmovtd by 0 11 tbe penaltier which jhould e~force obedimce : and to rej11yce in thi; aJ l blrffd m~rtyrdum, L.e ~lan~ ~n f (j the face of King;, and th {e tbat punijh them are reproached as per[ecmors, and thrcatned wuh dam- ht! ~;va,l.r, nation, and made the vilrJl mtn on e.tnb, a1tdreprtfented od;oUI to aU. ~:~h of fome H~~rlten Irres, They are all jea~ous ef our Religion, holding ~batthe Oui{lians adore one God, gtc1t :tbove ~he re~, that will .not fufler any other~, and that he iersa gre2ter ~a~~m and valu,e ~pon mnoccnt poor :m.dfim~~e peopk, than up~n th ttch, K.ngs, and Pnnccs, and that Prince~ h2d need to preferve to tb.cmfdves, the afteC'hons and ettecm of thetr fubJctls, to re1gn wnb greater caf:. An[w. The fum of all this ObjeCtion is, that That there is a Gud. For if that be not denyed, no An["'• m•n can deny that he is theVniverfol Govmtgur·of the world ; and tha( he hJth hts proper Laws and judgement, and reward; and punijhmenti, or that Magillrates are his Minifiers, and h.tve no power So~· Bi(0 1of but fwm him: and confcquently that the commands and rhreats and promi[es of God, are a thot!- tb~tfl. p.bL 4J· fand fold more to be regarded, than thofe of men ! He is a ~eafi and. not a man that ftare.th not f~~~~::n ;enot God more than man, and that feareth not Hdl more than bod1ly fuffermgs: And for the Scnptures, inref;:efrthlc 1 , Arc they any harder to be under!\ood than the Law of nature it fc:lt? Surely the CharaCTers of the all.tbmgs be will of God in natur!i rerum arc much more obfcure than in the Scri~rurcs. Hath God fem fo grtit fJb1'~ ~~ a Meffcnger from Heavcft, to open to mankind the myO:eries of hisKwgdom, and reil them what is ~.,1ei~h~;e:~ in the other wor1d, and bring life and immortality to light, and ytt fhJll his revelation be accu[ed plain Tyran- · as more obfcure than nature it felf is? If an A~el had been fent from He•vc:n to any of thefc In~ ny) notChri-: fidels by name, to tell them but the f-.me that Scripture telleth us, furc they would not have re- n.tan:tfitho-h proached his melfag~, with fuch. ~ccufations. 2. And are not the Laws of the Land about £maller :J?p:~rf;~t lt matters more volurnmous aad d1fficult ? And !hall that be made a reproach to Government ? And for within their mifinterpretation it 'is the fault ot humane nature, that is ignorant and r.{h and not of the Scriptures. Rc:a.lms are ~Vill you tdl God that you will not obey him unlds he will make .his Laws fo ai no man can mif- ~J'~~~~:~:~r 1nterpret them? when or where were there ever fuch laws~ God Will be God and rhc Judge of the er abtde their world whether you will or not: And he will not be an underling to men, nor fet their Laws above paim.Sop.::.41. his own, to avoid your accufations. If there be another Life of joy or mift:ry 1 it is necdfuy that there be Laws accO'Iding to which thofe rewards and punifhments arc to be adjudged. And if Rulers oppofe thefe who arc appointed to prolnote obedience to them they muit do it at their perils ; For Gnd will render to an ac~&ording to their works. §. 82. Obj. 4· Doth not experience tdl the world, that ChriJHanity I very whtrc caufoth divijioHJ? and Ohjil1. 4• [tts the world together by tbe ears? lYhat a multitude of filii are there among m at thir Jay? And evtry The di!fe~ ont thiilk,ttb that biJ folvation Jyeth upo11 his opinion l A,td how can Print:es govern mm of[o contrary rences are . . : , ofc a!nong the l:l.wyrrs wht~h fn the Commo.n:wealch on fire, and rhm .they are charged on:qtvmcs, e.g~ G;otNs de Imp!r.p. 5J· Si arma ill eos rr~e,[umpufimttn(}Uos rotumpopuh JUS tr:m!htum er1r, ac gut pr~nde non pre.c~r1o fed \1ropno JUre.impcraOanr) l:tudart f.a\va pi~.. t.ltc nvn P?(f~nt, qu~ncunq; undtm yr.-cte~tum aut e~emum habueunt. Stp ah~uor Reges ~ales fuzre C)l\1 paCbs, five !Nfirivis tegibus,. & s~ra•us a\tCUJUS :l~[ ';Jrdwwn Cccrens an.rmgerc:mur, 1.11 has Ut fun~mum .rmpenU~l :'On obttnCnt. liT>lll f'X opttmJIUnl tanquafU fupeno– ru~ femcmi:t, fumt 1 )U.fil\ de eaulispo~ueml'. lv~ulu entmRege~J c:,"~m '}ut fan.guinls JUre fucced:mt, Reges f~nt nomine mag·s .qulm Trd– peno-- Sed faH1c tmpen~os quod tllam (luottd101nam & m:~Jume m oculo' m currentem rcru•1 adnunt.!hano'lCm, qux f::tpe 10 opllm:t– tum fiat~ penes unum eO:, ab tr.te1iorc R(1publk:e conftimtione non f1ds difceruunr. Q!!odEle Rtgtbus dixi, tdem multO uu"is de ii1 acceptuflt \olo, qut & re & nomine rroo Rrges fed Prill,Qp:s fuere; h. t. non fununi, fed Primi, p. 5<i• t> Ec:cceec · mind1,
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