A Christian Directory, Part 4: Christian PoliticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 4: Christian Politics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
For the papists I can justify
them from your accusation, so far as they are christians; but as they
are papists let him justify them that can. Indeed usurpation of
government is the very essence of popery; for which all other
christians blame them; and therefore there is small reason that
christianity should be accused for them. 4. And for the protestants,
both episcopal and disciplinarians, the sober and moderate of them
speak of one another in no such language as you pretend. For the
episcopal, I know of none but railing papists, that accuse them
universally of any doctrines of rebellion: and for the practices of
some particular men, it is not to be alleged against their doctrine.
Do you think that Queen Elizabeth, to whom Bishop Bilson's book was
dedicated, or King Charles, to whom Mr. Hooker's book was dedicated,
took either of them to be teachers of rebellion? It is not every
different opinion in politics that proveth men to be against
subjection. He that can read such a book as Bilson's for "Christian
Subjection against Antichristian Rebellion," and yet deny him to be a
teacher of subjection, hath a very hard forehead. For the
controversies, I shall say no more of them here, but what I have said
before to Mr. Hooker. And as for Calvin and the disciplinarians, or
puritans, as they are called, they subscribe all the confessions for
magistracy, and take the same oaths of allegiance and supremacy, as
others do; and they plead and write for them: so that for my part I
know not of any difference in their doctrine. Hear what Bishop Andrews
saith, (who was no rebel,) in his "Tortura Torti," p. 379, 380.
_Calvinus autem ut papam regem; ita regem papam non probavit; neque
nos quod in papa detestamur, in rege approbamus; at et ille nobiscum,
et nos cum illo sentimus, easdem esse in ecclesia christiana regis
Jacobi partes, quæ Josiæ fuerunt in Judaica; nec nos ultra quicquam
fieri ambimus_--: that is, "But Calvin neither liked a pope-king, nor
a king-pope; nor do we approve of that in the king, which we detest in
the pope. But he with us, and we with him, do judge, that King James
hath as much to do in the christian church, as Josias had in the
Jewish church; and we go not about to get any more." And after, _Sub
primatus nomine, papatum novum rex non invehit in ecclesiam; sic enim
statuit, ut non Aaroni pontifici, ita nec Jeroboamo regi, jus ullum
esse conflatum a se vitulum populo proponendi, ut adoret, (id est,)
non vel fidei novos articulos, vel cultus divini novas formulas
procudendi_: that is, "The king doth not bring into the church a new
papacy, under the name of primacy; for thus he judgeth, (or
determineth,) that neither Aaron the priest, nor Jeroboam the king,
had any right to propose the calf which they had made, to the people
to be adored; that is, neither to hammer (or make) new articles of
faith, or new forms of divine worship." And p. 379, 380. _Quos vero
puritanos appellat, si regium primatum detestantur, detestandi ipsi.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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