ASermonPre!zch'd]an. 31· 1669. 4i -----------------~~--~~----- the :'\bgifrrnte's Commands, is ccrtain; but the unlawfulnefs o~ what thou doubtejl- is 110r fo: and therefore his Authority ought to preponderate With'~"> and make that our uwkubted Duty, which w~s before but a doubted a1td fufjctfcd ~m- , Indeed, the Apoftle tells us, Rot,n·. 14. 23 .. 1h.1t whatjoever t.r not of }1.,-irh, ;. e, ·whatfoevcr is not d0nc or forborn wtth a rat10nal perfi1afiou of the Jawfulncfs of do. ing or forbcat·ing i~, ~fin; and that whofocvcr _doubttrh, is damr. .Jd if he r.._ar. Bnt in ti1is Cafe, the Magill:rate's Commands~o not mgagc thee to do any t!ung ~oubtitt~, hnt rather will folve thy Doubts, and dtfintangle thee fr~m the Snare m wh1ch thy Confdencc was held. For thoue;h the nature of the thu1~ be not at all ch_,-myed by his Commands, yet thy doubtful Mind may be well fet!ed: For 11ponhi.rC.mm.1nd, t hou haft re1fon to think thJt thy Duty, which before ~i.r OJmmmid thou conldft not abfolutcly conclude to be a Sin. That's a fifth Poflt1on. &.'xtbly; If the thing injoyncd, be in it felf finful and unlawful, or at lea!l: appear fo unto us, then take thefc two following Rules . Eirft; We ought not, upon any Pretenc~s or lllduccments wharf"!r••~.:r to _yield .AEfi't:~ Obedience to 1i1ch J Command. In th~s Cafe, that Plea of the 1\ pJP.!c h'Jlds go:"Jd, and will do fo ever, A[fs. 5· 29. We ought to Qbq God rat~rr thtt 'T Mm. And, .Ac1s 4 · t 9· Whether it be Y~!fht in the fight of God to hear~r'! unto you n:~r~ than 1mto God, judge yr. And in this Cafe, it was no.rude nor unctvJI, but a noble a!ld truly Hcroick Anf"Ner, which the Three Worthtes gave untO Mbt,ch,tdnt"'-t.:t". D1n. 3· 18. lJe it kmwnunto thee, 0 Kin{T, that we will 1tot (er·ve thy Gods, nor wor{ln"p t!u Golden Image 711!,1'ch thou haft for up. For"'when Princes Commands contradir1: the Comrrnnds of God , they c:trry no Authority in them to inforce our A[fi'tJe ObeditYJce; no more than the Commands ofan h1ftriour JJ-fagiftrate do, when they contradid the Laws af the Suprcmn. Yea, we arc not to yield Aa-i·ve Obedience, not only when their Cdinmands a•'e eYprcfiy ag:tinft the Commands ofGod; but when we arc verily in Otlr ow:1 Confcienccs fo perfi1:1ded. For Confc ience ru~es us in God's Name, and wh1tfocver it diC.btes, it believes to be the very W ill and Mind ofGod. Anrl. therefore to flight the Voice of Confcicnce, is interpretatively to flight the V0icc of GJd. And thofe who wi!I not follo,.v the Voice of Confcicnce, when they believe its Dictates to be the Wi!l of God, would not follow them though indeed they were fo. But then we muft be fit re that we have cxprcfs \Vord and W1rrant from God · and not t1ke up with doubtfnl and obfcnrc Texts, and more doubtful and rcrriot~ Confcqucnccs, to difpcnfe with us from that Obedience~ which is evidently and frequently required. But, Secondly; Though we may not yield .Aai'tJe Obedience to the unlawful Commands of our Stipcriours, yet \VC arc hound to yield Pa{ji'tJe Obedience to them. For all hum,! ne L1ws conflftof a Precept and a Penalry;whei-e the Prucpt m:ty not be obeyed, yet the Penalty muft be fi,bmirtrd to, with all Patience and Q!1ietnefs, though it reach to the Iofs of our Eftatcs, or of our Liberty, yea, the dearefl: of all our PofiCffions~ Life it fclf; unlefs we can prudently withdraw our fel ves, and avoid their Rage bv flight. That's the !ixth Pofltion. · · Srventh(y,and laftly; We ought in nocafewhatfoever to refill, and rebel againft the la\Vful Powers th'lt God hath fet over us; yea, though they fhou1d ufc their Power unlawfully. For whofoever refifteth the Power, re(ifteth the Ordinance of Gad. A nd they t hat r-tjiJf,Jiutltrecei'tJc to them{elves Damnation. As it is in the Government of a State or Nation, if any infcriour Magiftratc "Jbufe his Power over thee, thou art not prefently to oppofc him by any violent or illegal Proceedin g~; nor to m::tkc any Tnfin·- rcction againfr him, and pull him off his Tribunal, or diveft him of his Authority· but appeal to the Prince and Supream Magi!l:rate, for redrcfs of thnfc Wrongs. S; likewife here, if the Supream Magifi:rate fhould abnfe his Savereign Power and command thee to do what God, his Superiour, hath commanded thee not to dd and fhall punifu thee for not obeying him, and offending God; thotl :trt not to ;efi!l: nor make Confpiracies againft him, nor to raifc Tumults and $editions to depofe hi~ frof!l his Authority; but only quietly and meekly to appeal unto G'1d, who alone IS hts 'judge and Ruler, an~ t? beg him to take thy Caufe into his cognizance, and re.. drefs thy Wrongs and In JUncs. VI. ,, vn,
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