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5A1NTSHIP 
 
 No ground of 
 
 SOVSXAIG^iTY: 
 
 OR A 
 
 rREATISE 
 
 Tending to prove, 
 
 That the S a i n t s 5 barely consi- 
 dered as fuch 5 ought not to 
 
 Gov E R N. 
 
 By Edw: Bagfbttw, Student of Ch: Ch: 
 
 Oxford, Printed by H: Ha/I, Printer to the 
 ^niverfny, for T. Rabinfon. 1660. 
 
To the Honorable 
 
 fOHH, < DO%ME% E% 
 
 A Member of 
 
 PARLIAMENT. 
 
 Worthy Sir, 
 ^-t^f&Boughthe manner of my Life and 
 nature of my Studies doth lead me to 
 affecJ a more then ordinary Retired- 
 nefs and Privacy, yet I neither am, 
 nor ought to be fo great a granger to thepaff'a- 
 ges of Providence amongfl us^ as not to take 
 notict what great things it hath p leafed God of 
 late to doe for this Nation 5 // not by com* 
 -pleating our hopes 5 yet at leaf} by preventing 
 our fears ^ and bringing us within fome near er 
 view of Settlement : Wlnleft others there- 
 fore are taken up with celebrating the k^Au- 
 thors? and magnifying the means of our deli- 
 verance: 1 have a little made it my bnfweffe 
 to fear ch into tin caufe of our Danger 5 which 
 
 A 2 H 
 
The Epiitle 
 
 if once rightly fated, will be a direBtonfor 
 mir pre/eat Senators, to fecure themselves a- 
 gain ft that Rock, on which the Ship of the 
 Common -we alt h hath almojl been 
 ruined. ^>dnd herein there was no need of 
 any long fiudy •, for who does not fee, that the 
 too free venting of all forts of Opinions 5 
 and that by all forts of men, how -ignorant 
 and unconcerned foever , wiH , if not re- 
 frained, for ever keep us a Divided, and 
 confequently, make us ay Unfetled People ? 
 Amongfl tbofe many Principles , which are 
 now Lt loofe upon us, {to exercife the Faith 
 And Patience of this lafl Age) there is none 
 that I knew of, which doth either more imme- 
 diately conduce to the mine of all Civil Go- 
 vernment, or had a greater influence, in the 
 pretences at leaft ,*cf the Actors, upon our 
 late unwarrantable Diflurbances , then this 
 which I have here endeavored to confute. For 
 let this once be granted, that our Saviour is a 
 'Temporal Prince, and that oneiy thefe have a 
 right to Govern who have by Faith an Inte- 
 re [I in him, prefntly a door is opened to all 
 manner of Rebellion and Treafon; nay, there 
 can be no fuch Crimes in the World, if Reli- 
 gion, 
 
indicatory.' 
 
 gton, And a defign to advance our Saviours 
 Kingdom > be once made the pretence to autho- 
 rize them. Indeed the confequent* are fo fa- 
 tall and horrid, and the remembrance of 
 Munfter Affairs {which were acted 
 by the fame fpirit) fofrcjh,andre- SIeidhb ^°* 
 cent y that it might almofk feem needle fs to en- 
 deavor an) other confutation, then a bare re* 
 lating of that Story, 
 
 But Sir, that I may take tyre that liberty ^ 
 which yon have hitherto always indulged me, 
 of f peaking my thoughts : I ntver yet looked 
 upon that way of confuting an Error, which 
 the Arminian Writers do ufually tread in, to 
 be either national or Convincing -, I mean, by 
 urging the Inconveniences and ill Confequen* 
 ces of the Doctrine we difpute againfl : For it 
 is one ^ue [lion ? What is true? and another, 
 What is convenient ? and after all thofe Tra- 
 gical Inferences, wherewith men feek to af' 
 fright unwary and unobferving Readers , yet 
 this will bean eternal Axiom? , 7 hat. truth is 
 truth, let the confluences be what they will ^ 
 and the more harfh and repugnant any Do- 
 ctrine, if plainly revealed, feems unto Natu- 
 rall Reafon? the greater is our Faith, and the. 
 A 3 more 
 
< TheEpiflle 
 
 more ftgnall our obedience, if we notwithftan* 
 ding do fubmit unto and embrace it. In fro* 
 fecution therefore of this Design (which X have 
 laid down to my [elf •> as the onely fat is factory 
 way of deciding all C ontr over fie s in Divinity} 
 J have not inquired fo much how dangerous > or 
 how deflruclive and ruinous the contrary Do* 
 Brine is, as how it is written \ and fo have 
 proceeded by direct proof, tojhcw that their Opi* 
 nion who would have Soveraignty founded upon 
 that bottom, is utterly unfcriptural \ for that it 
 isunreafonable, I think none malees-dny que* 
 ftion* And therefore I hope this Treatifemay 
 be ufeful for thoje who erre, not knowing the 
 Scriptures, and following the found of words ^ 
 have not lei fur c, nor perhaps ability, to look in* 
 to the fenfe of them. Had I consulted my own 
 credit^ I might have made this Difcourfe more 
 flauftble, by filing up my Pages with the Au- 
 thority of ancient Writers 5 but I purposely for- 
 bore , both becanfe thofe^for ivhofe fakes I main- 
 ly publtfh it, are vot acquainted with any thing 
 of Chnjthwitf) more then their Engl/fJ) Bibles 
 do inftrucJ them in $ and likewife becanfe 1 
 thought it necdlefs, having fo much of Divine 
 jiuthv it j for my Text, to croud humane Te/ti* 
 
 monies 
 
Dedicatory, 
 
 monies into the Margin $ fince fuch fixtures 
 doe ufuallj make a good Caufefufpected. 
 
 Sir, Whatever it is, I humbly prefent it to 
 you, and doubt not, how rude and inartificial 
 foeverit feems, but it will finde entertainment 
 among thofe who love feaf on able Truths, if you 
 pleafe prfi to honor it with your Acceptance : 
 Whofe Piety , Prudence , Integrity^ and Zeal 
 for jour Country s Liberty and Welfare , have as 
 much advanced you in the Ejleem and Judge- 
 ment of all fober and unprejudiced men, as your 
 many pergonal Favours in the Heart andAf* 
 feftions , of, 
 
 Worthy Sir, 
 
 Ch; Ch: Jan. 26. Your mod obliged, and 
 
 1 6 5 9. moft humbly devoted 
 
 Servant, 
 
 Edm Bagfiaw. 
 
 Saintjbip 
 
(O 
 
 mi 
 
 
 & 
 
 ai 
 
 $l 
 
 SAINTSHIP 
 
 No ground of 
 
 soVE^AiqsyjY. 
 
 N tending to prove out 
 of Scripture that the 
 Saints ought not to 
 governe the earth , in 
 that fenfe which is 
 
 now by fome contended for , I fhall 
 take for the ground of my difcourfe 
 thofe words of our Saviour to Pilate^ 
 when hefaid, My kingdom is not of^ 
 this worlds which words are very con- 
 fiderable 5 whether we regard the 
 Perfon who , the Time when , or 
 the Manner how they were fpoken. 
 B i. For 
 
i Tim. 6 
 13. 
 
 2 Saintjhip no ground 
 
 1. For the Perfon who fpoke 
 
 them, it was no leffe then our Savi- 
 our cbrifk, each of whofe ipeeches, 
 how occafiona,! foever, ought to be 
 unto us fo many Precepts and Obli- 
 gations to Duty. 
 
 2. For the Time when they 
 were fpoken 5 it was juft then when he 
 was taking his leave of Earth, that 
 he rvitnefjed before Pilate a good con- 
 fefiion, of w hich, this Aflertion is the 
 grer.teft Part: fo that it the words of 
 dying men do ufe to make rhe grea- 
 teft impreifions, then ought thefe of 
 our Saviour, even upon that account, 
 to quicken our Attention. 
 
 Laftly,for the Manner how they 
 were fpoken, it was not oniy after a 
 Refolved and feeraingly Obftinate 
 ?yiarc.i^. filence., info much as the Gcvernour 
 5- marvtiled^ but in direct Anfwer to 
 
 Ttiates Queftion, who was very de- 
 firous to know, whether our Saviour 
 was Kmg or not-,fo that our Saviour s 
 Purpofed and Pofitive difavowing 
 any Temporall or Earthly King- 
 dome, 
 
Of Soveraignty. 3 
 
 dome-, his redoubling this Affertion 
 in the following part of the verfe, 
 CMj Kingdome is not from btncc\ his 
 repeating anJ infifling upon ir againe 
 in the next verfe, as a bearing mtneff'c 
 to the Truth^ ought to convince us 
 that our Saviour was in earneff, and 
 therefore the matter is very Confi- 
 derable. 
 
 If therefore we put all this toge- 
 ther, viz. the Authority of the Per- 
 fon, the Exigence of the time, joy- 
 ned with thofe Vehement and Reite- 
 rated Circumftances , wherewith 
 thefe words are Accompanied, we 
 may from thence conclude, that they 
 containe in them a leffon, of more 
 then ordinary concernment to us. 
 
 For the more Full and cleare un- 
 derftanding of them, we muft have ^ iJf47 
 recourfe to one of the foregoing 
 Chapters, where w r e find that the 
 chief e Priefis and Pbarifees, being in- 
 formed of our Saviours Miracles, 
 and of that great Refort of Follow- 
 ers unto him, (which were enough 
 A 2 ac 
 
4 Saint jhip no ground 
 
 at any time, if micheivoufly inclined 
 toraife a Commotion in the State J 
 upon this they prefently called a 
 CouneeH,oT,accovding to the Greeks, 
 
 2tu*<Te<- a s anheJrim 7 which was the S u preme 
 and Higheft Court of Judicature a- 
 
 A ^ mongthem, and unto which, if fo- 
 
 Uh\. fephus doth rightly informe us, even 
 their Kings were Accountable. Here 
 being convened they fall to debate 
 about the belt Expedient, how to 
 cut our Saviour oft 3 for fear their to- 
 lerating one, who was Publickly voi- 
 ced for King, and fo ftiled likewife 
 
 & jollity himfelfe, (though in a far other 
 fenfe then they interpreted it) might 
 be conftrued by the Romanes (to 
 whom the ferns were at that time 
 Tributaries J as a defigne to (hake off" 
 their Yoke , and thereby provoke 
 them to an utter extirpation of ths 
 Jewiih Policy 5 which untill then, 
 noiwithfhnding their Conqueft , 
 they had in great meafure prefer ved 
 Entire. Thus therefore we find them 
 Argue, ifrve let him alone 7 all men 
 
 Kill 
 
Of Soveraignty. 5 
 
 wiS believe on him^ and the Romanes v. 48. 
 mil come r 5 and take atvaj our Place and 
 Nation. 
 
 To this Infinuation, which fee- 
 med to conclude their Necellky of 
 our Saviours Death, Caiphas addes 
 fomething, by which he endeavors 
 to prove that Unjuft Attempt to be 
 not only Neceflary, but very Plaufi- 
 ble too* and therefore he pleads Salm 
 Populi, the Publick Good is urged to v * 5 °' 
 palliate this execrable Murther: Tou^ 
 faith he, know nothing at a/l y neither 
 c on fide r that it is expedient one man 
 fbould dye for the People^ that the Na- 
 tion perifh not:- as if he had faid, 
 You are very Weake and Unskilful! 
 Politicians to boggle at fuch a Cafe 
 as this, and to debate thus long upon 
 a matter of fo eafie folution^ for 
 Right or Wrong the Puhlick Safety 
 muftbe provided for^ and it is a 
 great Folly and want of Forefight to 
 preferre one man's life, how Innocent 
 foever, before a Nations Welfare. 
 In which wicked fpeech, though Ca* 
 B 3 iphts 
 
6 SatntfJrif no ground 
 
 iphas did by God's appointment 
 Prophetically foretell that great good 
 which would redound to the World by 
 
 v * * z - our Saviour* $ Death, yet as to his 
 own Intention, he meant no more 
 then a Juftifying of that Accuried> 
 
 Rom. 3. s. and, in the Apoftie Paul's fenfe, ac- 
 counted Damnable Maxime, viz. 
 That we ma) do Evilly that Good may 
 come thereof, which Tenet, where- 
 cver it is aflented to, will be the Mo- 
 ther of thofe Miichiefs which men 
 have either Felt or Feared: Iamfure 
 it fo far prevailed with that Jun£to 
 of Senators , that the Text faith 
 From that Time they took Cotmfell, 
 v * Bj how to put him^ i. e. our Saviour, to 
 Death. 
 
 Our Saviour's Death being thus 
 agreed on by the Pharifees, and in 
 their deep Policy refolved to be Ne- 
 ceffaiy in refpeft of the Romanes, and 
 very Advantageous too in reference 
 to the $ewe:\ the Contrivers make 
 no long Delay, but what they had 
 before fo unjuftly concluded on? we 
 
 find 
 
r Of Soveraigntv $ 
 
 find them prefetuly after as cruelly 
 execute. For having by their own 
 Authority apprehended our Saviour, 
 and being it feemes debarred to judg 
 of Capitall Caufes within them- 
 f elves, (it is not) fay they to Pit at e^ v * 3 Z « 
 lawfull for us to put any CMan to 
 Deaths they hale him before Pilate 
 the Romane Praefafi, and there with 
 Loud Clamorous Outcries demand 
 Juftice againft him. But left their 
 Noife ihould not prevaile with a 
 Romane, and therein, fo far as rela- 
 ted to the fewifh Affaires, an Uncon- 
 cerned and DifpafTionate Judge , 
 with a Formall ftory in theirMouths, 
 difguifing the Malice of their Hearts, 
 they Article againft him as a Male fa- 
 clour, le. according to the Impor- **moiq<. 
 tanceofthe Greek word, a [editions 
 Per [on , a Diftnrber of the State, a 
 Subverter of Government, an Enemy 
 cfCefar 9 an Ambitious jffecJer to be 
 in Faff) as well as in Title, King of 
 the Jems*, which Falfe and fcandalous 
 Charge we have infinuated by fob*, 
 
 but 
 
$ Saint/hip no ground 
 
 ch«i; .a. but is at large exprefled by Luke, 
 we founds fay they, this fellow perver- 
 ting the Nation , and forbidding to 
 give Tribute unto Cefar, faying, that 
 he him[lfe is chri(l a King. 
 
 Pilate hearing this Accufation, 
 which, if True, ftrook fo immediate- 
 ly at Cf/i/j power-, and theGravity 
 and feeming San&ity ofour Saviours 
 Accufers, would not let him fufped 
 it to beFalfe, he therefore, waving 
 all other fuggeftions, haftily askes 
 our Saviour, whether he was King 
 v * 33- or not, Art thou-, fayes he, the King 
 of the $erves? To which Queftion 
 our Saviour returnes an Anfwer in 
 the words I have already alleaged, 
 wherein he intimates that he was in- 
 deed a King) and that he had a King- 
 dome-, but that his Kingdome was of 
 fuch a Nature, as Pilate need not be 
 Jealous of, nor apprehend any dan- 
 ger from it-, as if it were intended to 
 enterfere or Juftle with Cefar's So- 
 veraignty-, for, faith he^my Kingdome 
 is not of this Word. As if he had faid, 
 
 I 
 
of Sovereignty $ 
 
 I aoi indeed a King , and I have a 
 Kingdome^ but you need not fear any 
 Difturbance to your Secular Inte- 
 refts, by fetting up of my Kingdome 
 amongftyou, for though it be in the 
 Worlds it is not of the worlds nor hath 
 any Commerce or Society, either 
 with the Power or Policy thereof. 
 
 This being the Plaine and Direft 
 meaning of our Saviour's words, I 
 (hall briefly explaine what Kingdome 
 it is that our Saviour meanes, when 
 he faies, mj Kingdome^ &c. 
 
 [ find in Scripture that our Savi- 
 our is called a King, upon a four- fold 
 account, 
 
 i. By Power. Thus he is King 
 ofthe World, and hath a foveraign- 
 ty Paramount, being one God with ,Iy2 "* 
 the Father, and the fame Power, 
 by which he made the World,he daily 
 exerts for the continuing and prefer- 
 ving of it. 
 
 2. By Birth: thus he was King 
 of the jewes, being Heire apparent 
 to the Crown 7 and lineally defen- 
 ded 
 
JO Saintjhip no ground 
 
 ded from DW in whom the Kin- 
 
 dom was verted withapromifeof its 
 ffW H. A« '«*, according t0 
 
 Zit:f'\ Uviourca ™' ^there- 
 fore had a Star to adorn and declare 
 
 his Natmty, God herein feem!,' to 
 
 compIyvvththeOpinionsoithofe 
 who think the Heavens are „££ 
 then ordinarily concerned in the Af- 
 fairs of Princes, and therefore ftrange 
 Appearances , and unufual Comets 
 do attend both their birth and death 
 Fornotn,ngelfe 3 foroughtweknovv' 
 buttheProdigyofthatBiazingsS 
 
 Z\7\? y mo [ e fmmedia?e ¥\ 
 
 «invt; did excite the cnriofiry. of the 
 taftern uuqi, to go and fee that 
 Perfonwhofe Nativity was info 
 wonderful a manner celebrated: 
 *hm * fay they,^ that is born Km, 
 'fthefervs? for rve h*ve feen bl 
 Star in the Eaft:i. We have defcryed 
 a Star of an unufual Afped, but yet 
 fuchan one, as according to therules 
 or our Art, difcovers that a Prince is 
 born in f udea and we ^ 
 
 ytQaMyWl 
 
ofSovtrM%nl** it 
 
 WTwvmt fltV rJ, i. e. To km to him, and ^' Qr % 
 
 t . / contr Ccl l 
 
 pay him homage. a tb. i. p. 
 
 4<. Attrir 
 buteg their coining to a refponfe of the Devils, upo n their do- 
 me their Kites of Conju ation : but I conceive the opinion, I 
 inenLon, is more p-ohable. 
 
 3. Bydc/ignattonand appointment 
 of his Father : Thus oar Saviour 
 Chvift is King of all the Heathen, ac 
 cording to that Prophefie of $acob 9 
 When Shtloh comes , unto him (hall 
 nn? T the obedience or gathering of the 
 Gent'u >h.\ And many Predictions 
 there are of ;he fame importance, 
 which if they are to oe meant of eve- 
 ry Individual Heathen (and not rather 
 fignlfie that the Heathen (hall not be 
 excluded from being reckoned a- 
 mongft our Saviours fubjt&s, now in 
 times of Chriftiantty) we have no 
 ground from Scripture to expe<5t thac 
 they fliail be a<flually accomplished 
 until our Saviours fecond coming, at 
 which time the Saints fhall reign with 
 him : Which is the meaning of that 
 promife of our Saviours, He that 0- 
 vcr comes, i. all difficulties, *nd keeps 
 
 my 
 
1 i Safatjhip no ground 
 
 my words unto the end, i, perfeveres in 
 theChriftian Faith, / mil give him 
 power over the Heathen, &c. even as I 
 have received of my Father, i. Here- 
 after, he ihall reign with me, not in 
 this life, but when he hath exchanged 
 this for a better. 
 
 Laftly, By Pact or Covenant : thus 
 our S aviour is King of Believer s one- 
 ly 5 as a Prince he gives us Laws, in- 
 vites us with Rewards, deters us by 
 Puniiliments, and huh left nothing 
 unaiTayed, which may either perfwade 
 or enforce obedience; governing of 
 his People by his Word and Spirit, 
 unto a comply ance with his com- 
 mands • and this Dominion he will 
 always exercifeto the Worlds end. 
 Of which inward, invifible Kingdom 
 it is, that our Saviour is to be under- 
 ftood, when he faith, CM y kingdom is 
 vet of this world, I not a Political, vi- 
 fib!e, and earthly one. 
 
 From all that hath been faid, I infer 
 this Conclufion, Thatifchri/ls king- 
 dom be not of this world, there is none 
 
 can, 
 
Of Sever aignty. ij 
 
 can] tip on the account of their inter eft 
 in Chrtjl, plead any Right or Title unto rhc ^' 
 earthly Soveraignty: or more briefly 
 thus, That inward Saint Jhif is not a, 
 ground of outward Empire. 
 
 This colle&ion which I make is 
 very eafie and natural, for if our Sa- 
 viour did difclairr| all earthly Juris- 
 diction in himfelf,ihen fure none can, 
 upon pretence of their inxereft in him, 
 put in their Plea for it * Jf our Savi- 
 our, as he lived an humble, felf-deny- 
 ing life, fo dyed in an utter abhor- 
 rence of temporal Soveraignty •, and 
 fpent thofe few laft words he vouch- 
 fafed to utter, in a dire<5l denyal of 
 worldly greatnefs : then certainly his 
 example weighs little with us, and his 
 lateft breath was fpent in vain, if we, 
 up # on a Chriftian account, ftill affe<ft 
 Empire, or make our Religion the 
 way to outward prefeiment.lt is our 
 Saviours own reafoning,and bottom- 
 ed uppn the inalterable nature of 
 things* that the fervant is not greater 
 then his mafier : If therefore our Ma - 
 
 fter 
 
14 Sdtmjhrt nogvcund 
 
 for would not be called lord^ cer"* 
 tainly the fervams ought not to de- 
 fare it 5 if Chrift tefufed Empire, 
 With what face can Chnflians ambiti- 
 on it t or how can they call them- 
 \t\vn Saints, and yet leek to bead, 
 vanced m power above their Savi- 
 our ? 
 
 Now though the bare authority of 
 our Saviour toigfct alone ftrve to con- 
 vince cbo'ft that are Chnftinns in- 
 deed (for io far as they are fuch, they 
 are to be imitators of Chrift; yet be- 
 caufe the matter is of fo much weight, 
 and hath or late beeii too unhappily 
 difputed, I (hall therefore endeavour 
 more at large to demonftrate it, from 
 thefe two Heads of Arguments. 
 
 i. From the nature of Civil Go- 
 vernment in general. 
 
 2. From the nature of Chriftlan 
 Religion in particular. 
 
 Firft, That Saintfhip is not the 
 ground of Soveraignty, appears from 
 the nature of Civil Government in 
 general .• for this belongs to men, 
 
 not 
 
Of Soveraignfjl iy 
 
 as they are Chi iftians, but as they 
 are men 5 and is a confequent, not of 
 out fpiritual ,' but of our naturall 
 Birth. 
 
 To clear up this, I fhall not unra- 
 vel the whole My ft ery of Policy, as 
 fome too unwarily.* (if not defign- 
 edly) do, who lay down fuch Princi- 
 ples of Politicks, as give juft occasi- 
 on to make their Religion fufpe&ed: 
 I fhall therefore mfift onely upon 
 thofe Grounds which the Scripture 
 affords, oneiy thofe being fufficient 
 to convince a gainfaying, or to fatif- 
 fie a fcrupling confcience. And to 
 begin with the firft Original of man, 
 we finde, when God made man, it is 
 faid, that in the Image of God created Geiu«i8, 
 he him -, and thereupon blefled him, 
 and gave him dominion over the Crea- 
 tures . Now there is a twofold Image 
 of God, Supernatural, and Natural : 
 Supernatural, I call thofe impreflions 
 of Sanftity and Holinefs, which are 
 now loft : Natural, is that refem- 
 blance which the foul of man hath to 
 
 the 
 
1 6 Saintjhip no ground 
 the nature of God, as to its being and 
 operation : viz. As God is a Spirit 
 Immortal, Invifible, efrv fothe foul 
 of man is of a Spiritually Immor tall, 
 Invifible nature •, which image yet 
 remains entire in the worft of men : 
 Of this Image it is that God fpeaks, 
 when he forbids Murther, who fo 
 Gen. 9 <<. Jheddethmans blood, faith he, by him 
 flail mans blood be Jhed, becaufe in the 
 image of Gad created he man-, i. e. he 
 put a Spirit of life and under (landing 
 into him, the confideration of which 
 invaluable Jewel within, ought to 
 make us prefer ve the Casket without, 
 i. e. the Body, facred and inviola- 
 ble/ 
 
 Which of thefe two images it is 
 that external Dominion over the 
 Creature belongs to, is clear out of 
 the fame Chapter,where God renews 
 his grant to all the Sons of Noah: 
 v. ■: The fear of you, faith he, and the dread 
 of you , fall upon every beafl of the 
 earth, &c. into your hand, i. e. power 
 to difpofe of as youpleafe, are. they 
 
Of Sovereignty. 17 
 
 delivered: In which general grant, 
 there are none of the ions of men ex- 
 cluded, becaufe it is a Birth-frtvt- 
 ledge • and profane Cham had upon 
 that fcore as large a fhare in, and as 
 true a title to the free ufe of all out- 
 ward things, as any of his more Re- 
 ligious Brethren. 
 
 "This is that Civil Right which A* 
 braham acknowledged in the King of 
 Sodom 7 (and what kmde of abomin- 
 able finnevs the Sodomites were,I need 
 not mention) when hereiufed to be 
 enriched by him ♦, I will not, faith he, Gen.14.13 
 take any thing of thine y by which 
 word 7 hive, he owns that the King of 
 .sWojw had a True, Legal Propriety, 
 even in thofe goods, which Abraham 
 might have challenged as the Fruits 
 of his Victory : This Right after- 
 wards Abraham confeffed to be i^Getvif&j 
 Abimelech^ when he made a League 
 with him not to hurt or injure him, u 
 not to deprive him of any thing which 
 was his. But mofl of all this appears 
 in the bargain and fale which Abra« G ™*h 
 C ham 
 
1 8 Srintfhif no ground 
 
 ham made with the Sons of Heth ; 
 when Abraham, though by Gods ab- 
 folute grant, the undoubted heir of 
 all the Land of Canaan^ yet the time 
 for theaccomplifhment of thatpro- 
 mife not being yet come, he refufed 
 to receive the Cave of CMacpelah, to 
 make ufe of it for a burying pbce 3 un- 
 til he had paid a valuable confideiati- 
 on in money for it. 
 
 Obj. if any jhall here object that 
 Abraham at that time wanted power to 
 make %ood his claim , and therefore was 
 content to buy, what otherwife he might 
 have forced. 
 
 Anf. The vanity and fahhood (I 
 will adde too, the impiety) of this 
 Plea appeals from hence, in that we 
 End? David afterwards ufing the ve- 
 ry fame terms of obfervance and re- 
 fptft unto Araunah a tfebufite, one 
 neither of the dune Nation nor Reli- 
 gion with himfelf .• Which inftance 
 ierves very much to clear the queftion 
 in hand, for David was not onely a 
 Saint by priviledge (if that fignified 
 
 any 
 
of Soveralgnty. tp 
 
 any thing co give a right) but a King 
 by power, and might have forced it : 
 nay 5 he was commanded by God, to 
 make ufe of that very place to facri- 
 fice in, and therefore might have pre- 
 tended an infpiratlon to juftifie his vi- 
 olent I'eizure •, and befides, to make 
 the matter a little more fair and plau- 
 fible, he, whom David dealt with, 
 was an Heathen, and for ought we 
 know, an Idolater : Yet all thefe ad- 
 vantages did not make David fwerve 
 from the Rules of common Juftice, 
 but up he went with all his Retinue to 
 Araunah^ inaiuppliant pofture, that 
 he might buy bis tbrejhing floor : And 
 when Araunah frankly offered to give 
 it him, the Spirit of God hath recor- 
 ded it, not as an a<3 of Juftice in htm, 
 but of Royal Bounty : Araunah, as v2r ^ 
 a king, gave unto the King. 
 
 Obj. It ufeth to be urged again fi 
 this^ that the Ifraelites , which were 
 Gods People, did deftroy /^Canaanites, 
 and inherit their land, 
 
 Jnfn\ But the Anfwcr is eafie, 
 C 2 That 
 
yp Sahtfhif no ground 
 
 That as God did not choofe theiir to 
 be his people,becaufethey were more 
 holy then otheis, but meerly becaufe 
 hehadfet his heart upon them. So 
 neither did he give them the Land of 
 Canaan, upon the account of their 
 Saintflnp, but oneSy to make good 
 his promife unto Abraham, and by 
 their hands to avenge himfelf of the 
 Canaanites, who fe iniquitys were then 
 full and ripe for veng-eance. 
 
 This reafon isexprtfly given by 
 Deut. 9.5 Mojes himfelf, Not for thy righteouf- 
 nef, faith he, cr for ihcuprightnefs cf 
 thy heart, doifi thou go to fefjefs their 
 Land-, but for the wickedness of thefe 
 nations, the Lord thy God doth drive 
 them cut from before thee, and that he 
 may perform the word which the Lord 
 {ware unto thy Fathers. God indeed is 
 the grea Proprietor of ail things, but 
 yet he hath given the Earth, Without 
 ^iftindion, co all the Sons of Men; 
 onely refeiving tohimfell this Right, 
 That when they do ingratetull y abufe 
 his gift, he doth always difcofikile 
 
 them, 
 
of Sever atgnty 2 1 
 
 them, and give their inheritance unto 
 othersrbut though this be the method 
 of Gods Judgements 3 yet it doth 
 not excufe any people from 2 tran- 
 scendent Crime, who take upon them 
 to be the executor?, of Gods Decrees 
 againft the wicked, fojlmah therefore, 
 whiltfthewas in the hotteft purfuic 
 of that promifed Pofleflion , never 
 pleaded any thing to juftifiehis ag- 
 ings, but the particular command of 
 God,who bad him go and defiroy thofe 
 Nation: : this alone [made it a pious 
 War, which otherwife would have 
 been nothing elfe but a publick Rob- 
 bery : We finde alfo ? that when God, 
 as the fupream Difpofer, gave to the 
 Israelites the Land of Canaan, he, at 
 the fame time, exprefly forbids them 
 to meddle with the Land of the chil- 
 dren of K^immon^ but had relation 
 to God given them any right, that 
 Land would have equally belonged 
 to them with the other: when thou t> eutt n, 
 comefi^ faith he, nigh unto the cbil~M> 
 dren of Ammon , diftrefs them not^ 
 C 3 nor 
 
2 2 Saint flrif no ground 
 
 nor meddle with them •,' for I rviH not 
 give thee of the Land of the children 
 of Ammon any pofjefsion, hecaufe I 
 have given it unto the children of Lot 
 for a pofjefiion. Where we fee the chil- 
 dren of" Lot> though Idolatrous, yet 
 were not to be difturbed in their pof- 
 feflion, becaufe the dune God who 
 laid to the children of Jfrael^ Goe,Pof- 
 fefje Canaan, faid to the Children of 
 Lot^ Goe, Poffefs the Land of Ammon* 
 Whereby* as to their civil Claims, 
 and temporal Rights, God makes no 
 diftin&ion betwixt the one, though 
 his own peculiar, and the other, 
 though a profane and Idolatrous 
 people. 
 
 But if Heathen unregenerate men 
 have, upon the account of their be- 
 ing men, a Title to other things, then 
 certainly to Dominion much more 5 
 which ferves onely to fecure our o- 
 ther Pnviledges, and is, if rightly 
 ftated, nothing elfe but a confequent 
 of Propriety. 
 
 I fliall therefore conclude this firft 
 
 Avgu- 
 
of Soveraigntj 23 
 
 Argument,which I think abundantly 
 convincing, with that remarkable 
 Controverfie between God and the 
 Jews, concerning their obedience to 
 Nebuchadnezzar. The Jews, though 
 undoubted pofTefTors of Canaan, yet 
 after they were by Nebuchadnezzar 
 conquered , and, to preferve fome 
 little remains of Liberty and Lively - 
 hood, had taken an Oath of Fealty 
 and Allegiance to him •, we finde, up- 
 on fome reafon of State, they were 
 prefently induced to break it, and 
 God as fpeedily threatens to avenge 
 it feverely upon them. The fad con- Ezek. 17, 
 dition of that Oath, how it was a 
 Covenant only to enflave themfelves 
 and their Pofterity for ever , God 
 himfelf doth declare, thereby to pre- 
 vent their Obje&ion.* The King ofvi$.%4. 
 Babylon, faith he, hath taken of the 
 Kings feed, i. Zedekiah, and made a 
 Covenant with him, and taken an oath 
 of him^ that the Kingdom might be 
 bafe y that it might not lift it felf up 9 
 i. e. that it might for ever quit the 
 
 C 4 P re : 
 
24 * Saint jhip no ground 
 
 pretence of being a Free People^'znd 
 truckle under the Dominion of the 
 Chaldeans : This Yoke, then which 
 nothing can be more infupporcable, 
 and to which the Jews had been fo 
 long unaccuftomed, they prefently 
 (hook off-, for it follows in the next 
 Verfe, But he, i. Zedekiah, rebelled^ 
 with what fuccefs, we have too much 
 reafon in this Nation to read and 
 00 v. Ar- tremble a •• Seeing he defpijed the oath^ 
 lrues Plea, ^ breaking the Covenant, when loe^ 
 v. 1*5,19. he had given his hand (i. with hands 
 lifted up, had folemnly ratified it) he 
 full not efcape : Therefore, as I live, 
 faith the Lord^ my Covenant which he 
 hath broken , and my Oath which he 
 hath dsfftftd) will I recompenfe upon 
 his own head: From which fad place, 
 others perhaps will draw other infe- 
 rences, but I Avail colled onely thefe 
 three things. 
 
 1. That in every Oath God is a 
 Party, andwillbefure to puniih the 
 vibhter of it ^ though men may break 
 their Oathes, with as much eafe as 
 
 Samfon 
 
Of Sever aignlf. 2$ 
 
 Samfon did his With 5 , yet God will 
 be fure ro keep his,and he hath fworn 
 toPunifli. 
 
 2. When once a man hath fworne, 
 he cannot refume againe that naturaiP 
 Liberty , which he was before poflef- 
 fed of/oecaufe by his owne voluntary 
 Ad he hath dtveftedhimfelfeofit, 
 and thereby bound himfelfe over to 
 Divine vengeance , if he do not per- 
 forate the Condition of his Cove- 
 nant . 
 
 Laftly, if the Jewes , who had fo 
 much to plead for themfelves, both 
 upon a Civil and Religious Account, 
 as being not onely a Free, but like- 
 wife a Godly People,might yet paffe 
 away their whole Liberty unto an 
 Heathen Prince , and by vertue of 
 their Oath be debarred for ever from 
 forceable feeking a Re-enveftiture 3 
 but were obliged, not onely to fub- 
 mit unto him as their Conquerour, 
 but after Faith given , to obey him 
 as their Soveraigne 5 if I (ay,the Cafe 
 flood thus with chem , then certainly 
 
 no 
 
2 6 Saint Jin f no ground 
 
 no Pretence of San&itiecanabfolve 
 us now from luch Ties of Obedience, 
 in the Times of the Gofpeil -, which 
 doth as farre tranfcen J the Jewilh 
 Politie in Pea ceabl entile of Difpofi- 
 tion 3 as in Purity ot Dodtrine, theie- 
 fore, 
 At . :2m Secondly, that Saintfhipisnot the 
 ground of Sovereignty will yet far- 
 ther appeare from the Nature of 
 Chriftian Religion in particular ^whe- 
 ther we refpe<ft 3 i. Its Precepts* 
 2. Its Promifes. 3. The manner of 
 propagating it. 4. The Pra&ife 
 of theApoftles,and other ProfelTours 
 in the pureft and moft Primitive 
 Times. 
 
 Firft, This appeares from Gof- 
 peil Precepts : for there is nothing 
 more frequently or vehemently in- 
 joyned by our Saviour, then [elf 'e de- 
 ny ail. The command doth not run, 
 Mar.i£.i4 Take a Kingdome , but, Take up jour 
 Crofie and follow me. Learne of me y 
 faith our Saviour 5 he doth not adde, 
 For this is the way to Honour , for I 
 
 atk 
 
of Sever aignip 2j 
 
 can point you out a Path to Prefer- 
 ment, but Learn of me, for I <w» Mat;II M 
 meeke and Lowly. \. I have equalled^ 
 my felfeto the meaneft of the fons of 
 men,. I have not where to lay my 
 head, and am fo little defirous of 
 worldly Greatnefs, that I have vo- 
 luntarily devefted my felfeofa great- 
 er Royalty, then the world can 
 comprehend-, and all this I have done, 
 to fhow you a Patterne of Humility. 
 Therefore when the Difciple, ( who 
 before our Saviours Refurre&ion, 
 did as much miftake the meaning of 
 his Kingdome, as fome amongft us 
 now do J did contend amongft them- 
 felves who fhould be greateft , how 
 fharply doth our Saviour reprehend 
 this Ambitious ftrife ? *& $ sfyw$?f Mar.18.3. 
 if you be not turned) i. quite chang- 
 ed, as it were, .to another Nature, 
 and become as little Children^ as care- 
 lefs and fecure of greatnefs, as little 
 f welled and leavened with Ambition, 
 youfhallin no wife enter into the King- 
 dome of Heaven : whereby the King- 
 dome 
 
2 8 Saint flip no ground 
 
 dome of Heaven : whether we under- 
 ftand Grace or Glory , whether it 
 meanes Initiallor Compleat Happi- 
 neile , it \h all one to the Queftion in 
 hand 5 for it clearly proves 5 that to 
 affe<5t Temporall Greatneffe and Pro- 
 motion, is utterly inconfiftent either 
 withholinefle here,or with our hopes 
 hereafter. 1 need not multiply more 
 Texts , for the whole defigne of the 
 Gofpell is aimed at nothing elfe, but 
 tolevill, and lower our Thoughts 
 unto the fize of our Saviours meek- 
 neffe, to beat down the tumour and 
 (welling , and agitation of our Spirits 
 in reference to worldly things,to em- 
 pty and deveft ourfoules of all that 
 wind of Ambition, wherewith poore 
 miferable men, who have no better 
 Hopes, are constantly toiled and per- 
 plexed. And the r Juan for this is 
 unanfwerable,for,if, as cur Saviour 
 hath ftaced it, None can ferve God and 
 Mammon,theti none can ierve God & 
 Honour , we cannot ferve God , and 
 game « Kingdom^ much teffe are we 
 
 to 
 
of Sever aignty* 29 
 
 to make one, prepare the way for the 
 other : for this would be to invert the 
 Intent of the Gofpell y and make it a 
 fetter up or what it was principally 
 difcovered to beat dowries whereby it 
 would become nothing elfe, but a 
 Ladder for Ambition to climbe by. 
 
 Secondly , This appeares likewife 
 from GofpellPromifes ; forthefeas 
 they are conftantly annexed to the 
 Poore, the Humble, the Mortified, 
 thefelfe denying Chriftian , fo they 
 are alwayes about fuch things i as ate 
 moil remote and diftant from Tern* 
 porall Enjoyments Blefied, faith our 
 Saviour, are the poore wfpirit>h? 
 doth not adde, for theirs ihall fegMatth^- 
 the KingdonieofEarth^bur, Xktiiti 
 u the Kingdom? of Heaven* Accor- 
 ding to the Analogic of which Pro- 
 miles, muft that Tex t be underftood, 
 which while they fixe onely upon 
 the Liteiall meaning hath deluded 
 fo many, Bit {fed are the Uiteek^ for 
 they fbali Inherit the Earth. i.r>>r, 
 Mam Terram^ Thai Earth, which was 
 
 pro mi fed 
 
3 6 Saint flip no ground 
 
 promifed in a Type, and is Figiira* 
 lively Heaven, as the Author to the 
 Hebrewes hath elegantly proved. 
 
 Heb.n.13 p or t hat neither that place, nor any 
 other in the N. T. can beunderftood 
 abfclutely of any outward and Earth- 
 ly Happineffe, is cleare, becaufe all 
 that weChnftians can certainly ex- 
 ped: in this world, by virtue of a 
 
 Juh:i6.3$ Promife, isonely Afflictions. In the 
 VVorld, faith our Saviour to his Di- 
 fciples, and therein to all who will 
 be like them, jw« /7m// ha ve Tribulati- 
 on: this was the laft Legacy he left 
 
 aTim.-3.12 them, and therefore, faith he, yejhall 
 have it } reft ye as certaine of it, 
 as of your Inheritance or Patrimony. 
 And the Apoftle, who very well un- 
 derftood our Saviour's meaning, laies 
 it down as a Fundamental! in Religi- 
 on, All that will live Godly in Chrift, 
 rnufl fuffer Perfection; they muft 
 fuflfer, there is no avoiding it- For 
 this Fatall attendance of Perfecution 
 upon Piety it is, that our Saviour 
 hath provided us fo many Cordialls 
 
 and 
 
Of Sever aigntyr 31 
 
 and Comfortable Receipts in Scri- 
 pture, as when he bids us to rejoice, M . 
 and be exceeding gladt nay^w»s f*Hebli a . ' 
 skip and dance for tfoy> when fuch 
 Afflictions do moil beret us-, for they 
 are evidences of our Sonfhip, andaf- 
 fured fignes that God hath a Care of 
 us: all which Expreflions would 
 have been very vaine and uielefTe, if 
 ever Religion fliould be abufed to 
 thofe Ends , that the fuffering 
 might become the Afflicting P&rtyjjj 
 itaChriftian could not only exempt 
 ynimfelte from Injuries, but returns 
 ^them upon others, and challenge Au- 
 thority here, as a Reward of his Pie- 
 ty. For this would not only deprive 
 us of the Priviledge (fo the Apoftles 
 counted it ) ot Martyrdome , but 
 would have none fit to be Perfecuted, 
 but onely the Wicked-, and this is 
 an Honour , which I hope no true 
 Chriftian but envies them. e r^ \^i 
 tlrrs, To you, faith the Apoft!e,*> is gi- 
 ven of grace, not only to believe on^ il,t 1 
 Chrift, but liken; fe to fnffer for his 
 
 Name* 
 
i Vet, ii 
 
 3 1 Saintjhip no ground 
 
 Name. We are miftaken, whilfl: we 
 io much dread Atfli&ion: for it is not 
 a Judgment, no nor an Evill neither 
 to fuffer, but ^W, a Gift, a peculi- 
 ar Boone,a choice Indulgence of God 
 unto his Favourites. So the Apo- 
 ftle Peter bids thofe he writes to not 
 be difcouraged, or count it grange, 
 if the Fiery Try all had its effect upon 
 
 f**£WCi- tnt ' m i as we ^ as upon others-, for y 
 St. faith he, unto this were ye called: as if 
 
 he had laid, be lure you look, my 
 long for it-, for if you miiTe of this, 
 you have fome reafon to doubt the 
 Truth of your Calling. All which 
 places, with many more to the fame 
 purpofe, how any can reconcile to an 
 Afttcfting of Temporall Greatneffe, 
 let them refolve who love a Secure, 
 an Eafie, a Specious, a Profperous 
 Religion, fuch an one as Chnft 
 never came to teach, nor any of 
 his Followers died to eftablifli. 
 
 ob). It is very true, what fome, 
 with a little too much guftand relifli 
 of worldly- mindedneifs,ailedge 3 Th3ti 
 
 tvery 
 
of Soveratgniy. 3 3 
 
 every true Chriftianis heir of a King- 
 dom, and ought to live in expectation 
 of fuch Glory and Greatnefs,as what- 
 ever the world hath, can but imper- 
 fectly fhadow out ; With this pur 
 Saviour doth buoy up, and revive the 
 finking fpirits of his Difciples : £<? of . 
 good comfort, faith he, for it is your 
 Fathers good pleafure to give you a 
 Kingdom : It is this we pray for, this 
 we are to be in a readinefs for daily. 
 
 An[w. But yet it is as true too, 
 that, fo long as we live here, this is 
 a Kingdom in expectation onely^ 
 Flefhnor Blood, neither fhall nor can 
 inherit it. As we rauft firft put off 
 Mortality, before we can put on In- 
 ternal Life 3 fo we muft put off earth 
 and earthly -mindednefs,before we can 
 expeCt any (hare in that blefled Inhe- 
 ritance- 
 There are, amongft many other, 
 two very remarkable places to clear 
 this : The one is our Saviours anfwer 
 to Peter, upon his Difcourfe with the 
 young man : For our Saviour having 
 D pro- 
 
34 Saint fit p no ground 
 
 pronounced fo fevere, and yet fo per- 
 emptory a doom againft rich men, as 
 Jtoxikw. that a rich man could [carcelj be faved; 
 he repeats it again, and makes it to be 
 altogether as great a Moral Impoffi- 
 bility, for a man that is clogged with 
 Wealth, and loaded with worldly 
 Cares, to enter into the Kingdom of 
 Heaven, (that rebhtufiiwr oJ\h', the nar- 
 rowed, fretted, and flreightned way) 
 as it would be a natural impoflibility 
 for a Camel to go through the eye of a 
 needle. Upon this we finde the Di- 
 fciples were exceedingly amazed, not 
 onely as miffing of their hopes, but 
 likewife as being confcious to them- 
 felves, that though they were not , 
 yet they did all defire to be rich , 
 whereupon Peter „ in the name of the 
 reft, replies, Behold, we have left all 
 and followed thee, what ft all we have 
 therefore f As if he had faid, Shall 
 we venture to loofe all, and yet be 
 fo great lofers by the bargain, as to be 
 altogether unprovided of a recom- 
 pence ? our Saviour therefore to quit 
 
 them, 
 
Of Soveraignty. 35 
 
 them, and to take them off from fuch 
 fenfual deiires, which hefaw poflef- 
 fed them: Ferily 3 {Yithhc,ye that have 
 followed me, in the regeneration* when 
 the Son of man fits upon his Throne of 
 Glory , fhall fit upon twelve Thrones, 
 judging the twelve Tribes of Israel : 
 In which words our Saviour* doth 
 promife them a great and a glorious 
 reward, viz. to be Kings and Judges 
 •with himfelf, but yet defers the frui- 
 tion of it, until the n*hiyfata* 9 i. The 
 rejlauration of all things , when nei- 
 ther Mortality nor Mifery fliall be any 
 more, but every thing lliall be refto- 
 red unto that Primitive Integrity and 
 Luftre, wherein they were at firft cre- 
 ated. 
 
 The other place which manifefts 
 the nature of Chrifts Kingdom, &-M«fc*oj 
 that Anfwer which our Saviour re- 2 °^ 
 turned to the Mother of Zebedees 
 Children, who, it feems, miftaking 
 the true notion of it, and fixing her 
 thoughts upon an earthly Empire,pe- 
 titioned our Saviour for her two fons, 
 D 2 That 
 
3 6 Saintfhip no ground 
 
 That the one might fit at his right 
 hand y and the other at his left^ when he 
 came into his Kingdom^ i. when he had 
 taken pofleflion of the Throne, and 
 was invefted with the Realm of fa- 
 dea , (he humbly begged, that then 
 he would be pleafed to look favor- 
 ably- upon her two fens, to make 
 them the Grandees and Minions of his 
 Court 5 that they, under him, might 
 enjoy the greateft Power and Privi- 
 leges: But our Saviour , to take 
 them off from fuch haughty Aims, 
 prefently puts them in minde ofSuf. 
 ».*j. fering, as a thing much more fuited 
 to a Chriftians complexion 5 and left 
 the other Difciples fhould be infefted 
 with the fame defires, he doth for e- 
 verftrive to fupprefs them, as pacti- 
 ons much more fit for Heathen, 
 then Chriftian tempers .• Te know, 
 faith he, that the Princes of the Gen- 
 tiles do exercife dominion over them, 
 andthofe that are great, do exercife au- 
 thority upon them : But it fhall not he 
 fo amongjl you ; As if he had faid, 
 
 The 
 
Of Soveraigntyl 37 
 
 The Heathen indeed, who have no o- 
 ther hope, do place ail their Heaven 
 upon Earth 5 they make Fame their 
 Immortality, and Power their Para- 
 dife -j and therefore never reft fatif • 
 fied, until thev can exercife an abfo- 
 lute and an Arbitrary Dominion o- 
 ver their enflaved Subje&s. But you, 
 who are my Difciples, and called by 
 my Name, who have a certainty of fu- 
 ture Enjoyments,unto whom a King- 
 dom of a clean different nature is re- 
 ferved $ you ought not to be like 
 them, but rather ftri ve in humility to 
 excel! each other : Wherein our Savi- 
 our clearly intimates, that it doth fo 
 little become a Saint to rule, that he 
 is certainly not a Saint who doth am- 
 bition it : For how can he rationally 
 expe<ft a Kingdom hereafter , who 
 hath outed himfelf of his Plea, by 
 putting in for a Kingdom here? which 
 is nothing elfe, but to antedate the 
 cffeft of Gods promife-, or rather 
 with Dives >to receive our good things 
 in this life, and to take up with Tern- 
 D 3 poral 
 
3 S 5 Saint fin p no ground 
 
 poral Joys, when we fliould patient J 
 ly have waited for Eternal. 
 
 Thirdly , This appears farther,from 
 the manner how Chriftian Religion 
 was propagated in the World* which, 
 as it is a Religion that doth moft pre- 
 cifely forbid compulfion and vio- 
 lence , fo it was not planted by it. 
 Our Saviour himfelf that taught it, 
 was as a Lamb that opened not his 
 mouth, hut turned his cheek to the [mi- 
 ter^ and his back to the rod of the wic- 
 ked: The Apoftles, his followers, 
 were accounted the leum and off- 
 fcouring of the world, i. the vileft of 
 men, and thereupon were difgraced, 
 perfecuted, tormented: And all this 
 they fuffered without the return, fo 
 much as of contumelious Language $ 
 how much lefs do we finde them tel- 
 ling the world, that they ought to 
 bear Dominion over them : Yet by 
 thefe Arts alone, they did at firft 
 Preach, ;and afterwards promote the 
 Gofpel to the converfion of thou- 
 fands. And this, by the way, with- 
 out 
 
Of Sovereignty 39 
 
 out any further Argument, will ferve 
 to evidence the Divine Original of 
 Chriflianity, in that notwithstanding 
 all thefe difadvantages, the leaft of 
 which, in all humane probality, was 
 enough to have ftifled and fuppreffed 
 it in tht Womb $ yet, in fpite of all, 
 it took root and profpered-, which 
 could not poffibly have come to pafs, 
 without the conduft and afliitanceof 
 an Almighty Power. 
 
 But had our Saviour fent a Religi- 
 on into the World 3 which would have 
 excited mens ambition, and fired our 
 Zeal to the ruins and extirpation of 
 it's Oppofers : Quid hoc cximum t 
 What excellence fhould there have 
 been in Chriftian Religion,more then 
 in other Religions > for do not even 
 the Publicans the fame? Is not this 
 the common method of all Political 
 Combinations , rather then Religi- 
 ons in the World, to rife bvthe ru- 
 ine of fuch asoppofethem ? But our 
 Saviour took not this courfe : ^,faith Iohn l8 
 he, my kingdom were of this world^ i 7 . 
 D 4 then 
 
40 Saintjhip no ground 
 
 then would myfervants fight ? intima- 
 ting, that, to make way for Religion 
 by force, to lay down a Principle, 
 which muft needs imbroil the World 
 in Blood and Confufion, is not Reli- 
 gion, but Rapine \ a Sacrilegious de- 
 iign 3 tomakeChriftianity,& the ftricfc 
 ProfefTbrs of it, odious : For who 
 will not fufpe<ft the truth of that Re- 
 ligion, which defpairing of its own 
 Excellence, and hopeleis of a better 
 reward, eggs on its followers to take 
 up with Worldly Honor ? and under 
 the notion of Sanfttty, leaves the 
 Throne expofed to the Invafion of 
 every Hypocritical Pretender : \^4t 
 in initio non fait (ic I Our Saviour 
 taught usnoiuch Do&rine, nor did 
 his Apoftles leave us fuch a pattern. 
 Therefore, 
 
 Laftly, That Saintfhip gives no 
 right to Civil Empires appears from 
 the praftice of the Apoftles,and other 
 Profeflbrsof Chriftianity in the Pu^ 
 reft and mod Primitive Times. Pre- 
 fently after our Saviours Afcenfion, 
 
 when 
 
ofSoveraignlf. 41 
 
 when by Peters Miniftry fo many 
 thoufands were converted 5 we doe 
 noc finde him Preaching them into 
 a Tumult, or railing a Party a- 
 mong the People, upon the fcore of 
 our Saviours being a Temporall 
 Prince, to whom all men were to 
 pay their Civill Allegeance, but he 
 onely bids them, Repent and be con- Aa . llu 
 verted) that their fins might be blot- z 9 . 
 ted out: And fuch Do&rine as this 
 might be Preached, without any im- 
 peachment to Cdfars Power. 
 
 Again, when the chief Priefls and 
 Rulers did forbid the Apoftles to 
 Preach in the Name of Chrift 5 as 
 being madded with envy, that one 
 whom they had lately fo ignomini- 
 oufly Crucified , fhould yet finde fo 
 much reputation among his Follow- 
 ers.* The Apoftles, upon this, doe 
 not combine to ftrengthen them- 
 felves, and, under pretence of fet- 
 ting up Chrifts Kingdom , make a 
 commotion in the State, but they 
 
 pre- 
 
4 * S dint flip no ground 
 
 Aa<II 2P prcfently fell to their Prayers, Now 
 yt Lord) fay they, behold their threat- 
 nings^ and grant unto thy fervants^ 
 that with all boldnefi they may [peak 
 thy Word, They onely beg cou- 
 rage to fpeak, and patience to fuffer, 
 and as for promoting Chrifts Throne 
 in any other fenfe, they feem altoge- 
 ther fecure andcarelefs. 
 
 AstheApoftles, fo did their Pro - 
 felytes behave themfelves, fo farre 
 ■ from aiming at greatntife, or from 
 feeking to improve their Conver- 
 sion to the oppreflion of others-, 
 fo farre from depriving others of 
 their Poilellions^ becaufe they were 
 ungodly, that they fold their own, 
 and therein literally fulfilled that 
 command of our Saviour , of Sell 
 all and fsllow me •, which the Pro- 
 ftflbrs of cur Times , are fo farre 
 from pracfllfing, that they are rather 
 apt to do the clean contrary. 
 
 We reade indeed, that when the 
 Christians increafed, there was an 
 
 Accu- 
 
of Sever aignly] 45 
 
 Accufation forged againft them, as 
 if they were Men > who turned the^ l7%6 * 
 World up fide down, who del ed con- 
 trary to. the Decrees of Ctffar, fay* 
 ing, There is another King, one ^pe- 
 [us. And Paul is by Tcrtullus ex- 
 prefly called ao/^9-, a very Pe(l, i. Aa.24. 
 a Turbulent, Unquiet Spirited man, 
 and a Raifer of Sedition $ which Ca- 
 lumny, howfalfe and ungrounded it 
 was , Paul ihews at large in his A- 
 pology, by averring to their faces, 
 that they could not prove the thing* verii*, 
 which they had alleaged againjl him. 
 And afterwards, he is fully acquit- 
 ted by Fcfttts the Roman Deputy : 
 They, fayes he to Agrippa, brought 
 again (I him no Accufation of fuch ^&> a&8. 
 things as I fuppofed, i. of Treafon, 
 of Sedition or Rebellion, of Preach- 
 ing Difobedience, or non-payment 
 of Tribute to O far • for fuch crimes 
 as thefe, were properly under the 
 Governors Cognizance * and none 
 of thefe, it feems , were fo much 
 
 as 
 
44 Saintjhip no ground 
 as imputed unto Paul: whereas had 
 he fo Preached up Chrift, as to af- 
 firm that Jems was not onely a King, 
 but that whoever did not fubmit to 
 him , ought immediately to be 
 put out ot Office-, whereby there 
 would never be fuch a Crime as 
 Treafon, if Religion were once 
 made the pretence to juftifie it . Had 
 this, I fay, been Paul's Docftrine, I 
 fuppofe Je(ius neither would, nor 
 durft have been fo favorable in his 
 Cenfure. 
 
 And to put the matter out of 
 queftion on that Apoftles part, 
 though none was more zealous then 
 he, for the advancing of Chrifte 
 Kingdom in the right fenfe-, yet 
 none was more ftri<5i and fevere in 
 the enjoyning of Obedience unto all 
 Powers over us, of what Religion 
 foever-, unleffe we think men can 
 be worfe then Nero and Caligula 
 were, who Raigned about his time. 
 And the Apoftle gives a reafonfor 
 
Of Soveraigntyi 4.5 
 
 it, which will hold true in all Ages, 
 hiz» becaufe. Authority is from God. Rom,I 3 
 Power , by what Arts foever it is 
 gained , and by what perfons foe- 
 ver it is exercifed , yet when it is 
 once acknowledged 2nd fworn too , 
 itis to be looked upon by us, as no- 
 thing elfe but a Ray of Gods So. 
 veraignty, and therefore to be ac- 
 counted Sacred. Nor can any pre- 
 tence of zeal, or mask of Religion, 
 juftifie Rebellion more now then 
 heretofore : but the more piety ap- 
 pears to difguife it, the more mon- 
 ftrous it is.* Since in effedtit onely 
 fets up Chrift againft himfelf , and 
 makes his Kingdom what he would 
 not have it to be, akingdomeof this 
 World. 
 
 The very fame command, and to 
 the fame purpofe is enforced by 
 Peter, That they might by their obe- 
 bedience and meek neffe, put to filence Ia /" 
 the ignorance of foolifh men, who 
 cenfured them as evil doers: The 
 Word in the Original is K*x»m*<> the 
 
 very 
 
4# Saintfiip no ground 
 
 very fame which was charged upon 
 our Saviour, and it fignifies in the 
 Hellenifiical Phrafe , State- Incendi- 
 aries > Incompatible with Civill Go- 
 vernment^nd the like •> which would 
 have proved a very true and up- 
 right cenfure, in Cdk theChriftians 
 ot thofe Times, had fo owned Cbrijl 
 for thiir King^ as 5 upon his account, 
 . to withdraw their obedience from 
 their Civil Soveraigns. The more 
 apt therefore profane men were to 
 mil- interpret the Kingdom of Chrift, 
 the more caret ull that Apoftle would 
 have ProfeiTors to be 5 not to give any 
 fuch occafion of offence. 
 
 Suitable to the Do&rine of thefe 
 
 two great Apoftles , was the pra- 
 
 dice of the Primitive Chriftians , 
 
 down from our Saviours , till long 
 
 after C&nfiantines time, as I could 
 
 eafily prove out of the moft An- 
 
 (a) renal. c j e nt Records, a but that we live in 
 
 n5ffiS> an Ase, when fuch kinde of Learn- 
 
 triccif. ing is, by thofe who leaft under- 
 
 &*• ' ftand 
 
of Sovereignty, 47 
 
 {land it, accounted little lefle then 
 madneiTe $ and that we may know 
 which way the World is going, Ig- 
 norance begins once more to be the 
 Mother of Devotion. 
 
 I Anil therefore draw to a clofe, for 
 fuch as Scripture will not iatisfie, V 
 do not intend to confute by humane 
 Testimony, which isnotonely falii- 
 ble, but for the mod part falfe : And 
 I wilh all that are at leafure to perufe 
 this fhort Treatife, would make this 
 ufeof it, as to look after the Spirit, 
 rather then the Splendor of Chrifti- 
 anity : For it is evident to all, that 
 know any thing of Church Story, 
 that fo much as our Pveligion hath got 
 in Pomp, it always loft in Purity. 
 
 Thcfe who are ftill doting upon 
 Chrifts temporal Reign, in which 
 they hope to have their (hare 3 me- 
 thinks the very ambition of fuch de- 
 fines, fhould convince them that they 
 are not Chriftian ; but if they are 
 fo far gone in their Error, as to think 
 nothing unlawful,ib they mrf in their 
 
 lenfe 
 
4? Sawtfiip no ground 
 
 fenfe fet up Chrift^ I heartily wifh 
 them to confider, whileft they go a- 
 bout fuch enterprises, i . Whofe bu* 
 finefs they do not. 2. Whofe bufi- 
 nefs they doe. 
 
 1. Firft, Let them confider whofe 
 bufinefie they doe not 5 for, let them 
 pretend what they wil], they doe not 
 the bufineffe of C htift^ ftnce he Hath 
 abfolutely forbid it * and he will not 
 thank us for exalting his Honor the 
 wrong way : <$uis requifivit. bdc ? 
 was Gods expoftulauon with the 
 Jews, when they brought him Sacri- 
 fices, which he himfelf had comman- 
 ded, becaufe they offered them not in 
 a right manner. How much more 
 will our Saviour by thefe words, re- 
 prove all thofe, who for his fake, ven- 
 ture upon a&ions which he at his 
 death difclaimed? The queftion at the 
 laft day will not be, how many wic- 
 ked we have killed , but how many 
 we have converted? Not, how many 
 w r e have deftroyed for their unbelief, 
 but how many we have turned from 
 
 it? 
 
Satntjhip no ground 49 
 
 it: Wefliall not be asked, whstHo- 
 nors and Preferments we have got by 
 the Gofpel, but what we have left to 
 follow it : And don't let any think,as 
 feme argue, that God hath allowed a 
 difpenfation for thefe laft times $ for 
 times, and men, may alter,but the na- 
 ture of things can never alter: Since 
 the world is as int icing, and the Do- 
 ftrine of the Gofpel as fevere as felf- 
 denying 5 now as ever:fo that to recon- 
 cile thefe two together /viz. the pride 
 of Life, with the Purity of Faith, I 
 think no man can, I am fure no Chri- 
 ftian ought to doe. 
 Secondly, As they who are otherwife 
 minded,donot the bufinefs of Chrift, 
 folet themconfider whofe bufineffe 
 they do. To under ftand which, we 
 muft take notice there are in Scripture 
 recorded, two great Pretenders unto 
 temporal Soveraignty, Satan and An - 
 ttcbrift. 
 
 Firft, Satan: we flnde him dire&iy 
 
 claiming the glory of the world as his 
 
 own : Behold, faith he to our Saviour, 
 
 E Ml 
 
50 Saint fh/p no ground 
 
 Luke 4 .*. all this power will I give thee, and the 
 glory of them -if or that is delivered un- 
 to me, and to whomsoever I will, I give 
 it : Which confident fpeech of his,as 
 our Saviour doth not confute, fo, by 
 John 16 ca ^^ n § him after ,t he God and Prince of 
 this world, he feems to own it for a 
 truth. And indeed, ifweconfiderthe 
 manner, how •, the Arts,by which the 
 Kingdoms of the world are got and 
 governed , we fliall not much doubt 
 ot Satans veracity : Since Fraud and 
 force, arethofetwo Pillars, upon w ch 
 almoft all Empire is founded ; and the 
 great Maximein State Policy, is that 
 thing which God moft abhors, viz. 
 Hypocrifie and DiflimulationSo that 
 we need not much queftion 5 but as the 
 Jz:ii.t?. wifdom or policy^Cohktmk the power 
 of the world, is not onely earthly and 
 fetf[ual,b\ii likewife ^^cvi^r^joevil- 
 ?fi\at\d fo much the more Deviliih,the 
 more Religion is preceded to procure 
 it 5 for Satan never more a&s his part, 
 then whe he becoms an angel of light* 
 Secondly , Another pretence to 
 
 worldly 
 
of Soveraignty] y i 
 
 worldly power difcovered unto us in 
 Scripture, is Lsfntichrifl*, of whom 
 there are fo many Marks and Chara- 
 <5ters given us,that it is no hard matter 
 to know where his fpirit works: Of 
 him the Apoftle J>ohn fpeaks, when 
 having difcourfed, that whatever is in 
 the world, whether the luft of the flijh, 1 J o!m 
 i.Pleafure-, or the lufi oftheeyes y i.Pro. 2,l6# 
 fit •, or the pride of life, i. Honors was 
 not of the Father^ but of the world s he 
 prefently tells them that Antichrift 
 was then beginning, intimating, that 
 when ever he came to appear more 
 manifestly, he would be very no- 
 torious and remarkable for the fetting 
 up thofe three, which are t as one calls 
 them,7fe worlds Trinity : And this he 
 would do, not in fo open and bare- 
 faced a manner as Satan before him, 
 but under the difguife and mask of Pi- 
 ety 5 for thus it is faid in the defcri- 
 ption of him, which all fides agree to 
 be meant of Antichrifl, that he hadKw.i$.r 
 horns like a Umbjbuthe [pake as a dra~ 
 gonj.he pretended meekaefs,but pra- 
 E 2 (ftifed 
 
52 Sahtfhip no ground 
 
 dtifed cruelty • as appears afterwards, 
 in that he is faid to force his Religion 
 upon others., and to make all men re- 
 vcr.1^17. ceive his mark, or quit their means of 
 living. And there are two Notes of 
 Anticbrifl, which will never fail, viz. 
 Pride inhimfelf, and Perfecution in 
 reference to others. 
 Another defcription we have of him, 
 in that ftile he afliimes to himfelf 5 i//£, 
 That he exalt eth bimfelf above all that 
 is called Gcd,or tvorJhippediThe mean- 
 ing is, that he challenges authority and 
 pre-eminence above all Kings and 
 Emperors : For Kings, in Scripture, 
 are called Gods-, and s*3*^(which we 
 render, that is wor [hipped) is that name 
 in Greek, which iignifies Majeflj in 
 Englifh,andis the title by which they 
 did exprefs the Grandeur of the Ro- 
 man Emperors, whom they called Au- 
 gu(li,md the Greeks -ziQ&soi. According 
 to this afpiring difpofition and nature 
 in him, fo hath he his name of Anti- 
 Chrift given him $ forA^x?*^" may 
 either be rendred to* pro ? ox vice Chri- 
 
Of Soveraignty. jj 
 
 fiiy that is, one who places himfelf in 
 Chrifts ftead, and behaves himfelf as 
 his Vicar and Deputy : Or elfe W may 
 fignifie contra chfiftum, one that op- 
 pofes and fees himfelf againft Chrift, 
 i. not againft his Perfon (for that he 
 would get nothing by) but agahift the 
 principal parts of Chrifts Do&rine 
 and Worfhip •, one that puts Chriftia- 
 nity upon a new bottom, that inverts 
 the defign of it, and makes it, inftead 
 of being ^(elf-denying^ the mo ft felf- 
 feeking Religion in the World. 
 
 How near this Dodrine of making 
 Chrifts Kingdom an Earthly Monar- 
 chy, comes to the nature of Anti- 
 Chrift -, nay,is indeed that very ladder 
 by which that man of fm either alrea- 
 dy hath, or hereafter will afcend the 
 Throne^is too apparent : For if Anti- 
 Chrift be come , ss who can now 
 doubt of it ? (fince the Apoftie Pad 
 tells us, that in the latter time he needs 
 mufi come •, and the Apoftle John in- 
 forms us, that the latter time began in 
 his age)thm we have no Character left 
 E 3 to 
 
5 4 Sawtfhip no ground 
 to defcry him by, if this be not \t,viz> 
 his mixing the Chriftian with the fe- 
 cular Intereft i his mak ; ng Piety a 
 Pandar to Policy-, his advancing 
 Chiift in (hew, that thereby indeed he 
 may advance himfelf^his centring god- 
 linefs and greatnefs in the fame Per- 
 fons», and ruling over the world as the 
 Deputy of Chrift : Which kindeof 
 Do&rine whoever attempts to vent, 
 let his zeal be never fo fierce, and his 
 pretences never fo pious, he doth no- 
 thing but prepare the way for Anti- 
 chrift, whofe coming will not be like 
 our Saviomsjoivlj and meek Jout with 
 pomp and triumph . He doth not le- 
 vel the ways 3n J fupprefs ambition, 
 but fwell it higher , until he finks 
 down Religion under the weight of 
 worldly Honor. 
 Before therefere I doe conclude this 
 Difcourfe, I Shall take leave, 
 
 i . To bewail many of my deluded 
 Brethren, who have a zeal, but fo lit- 
 tle,according to knowledge, that^ even 
 then when they moft fiercely oppofe 
 
 Anti- 
 
of Soveraignty, 55 
 
 Antichrift $ they onely do his work •, and 
 while they proceed upon falfe Principles, juft 
 draw a Circle, in which, the more they hbor 
 to go from the point they fixed on at firft 5 the 
 nearer they draw unto it. 
 
 2. 1 rauft lament the great flupor and in- 
 fenfibility of the Preache< s of the Gofpel in 
 our days, who can be fo carelefs in times of fo 
 eminent danger: And though others may per- 
 haps plead fomething in their own excufe,yet 
 how can they anfwer it, who fcrupled at Ce- 
 remonies (which were declared,and every one 
 knows to be, in their own nature, indifferent) 
 and yet are filent under a Principle which will 
 certainly bring them back, in a far other man- 
 ner then they were at firft impofed ? flial thole 
 who were affrighted at thefhadow of a Lyon, 
 not tremble to hear him roaring ? what folly 
 is it to flee from the tail of the Dragon, and 
 yet not be afraid when we perceive his fting ? 
 Let us not be mifhken, it is not the garb or 
 drefs of Ceremonies, it is not this or that 
 form of Worfliip, which prefently makes it 
 Antichrifti3n,but it is the challenging a pow- 
 er to impofe them upon others. So that 
 without fixing the n-nmeof An?nhri[l upon 
 
 any 
 
5 6 Of Soveraigntj \ 
 
 any party of men, which makes the "Contra* 
 verfie conje&ural onely,and mofl commonly 
 uncharitable ? this I (ball be bold to affirm, 
 that to impofe by force any form of Wor- 
 Ihip, and thereby deny others that liberty of 
 choice, which,whilft we impofe,we affume to 
 our felves : To determine the indifferency of 
 things, and, in reference to Religious ends,to 
 make that necetfary, which by nature was made,and 
 God hath left free : And above all-* to make Chrift 
 a temporal prince, and under the notion of advan- 
 cmghifrbto exalt our felves,andLord it over others; 
 this is nothing elfe but the {pint ot Antichrift, fince 
 fuch Doctrine as this, is no way contained in our Sa 
 viours Gofpel. 
 
 1 {hall {peak out and end % I earneftly pray, that 
 that excellent Principle,! mean,Zi£mj ofconfcunce.. 
 which firft led us out of Popery, doe not by our 
 too wanton abuie of it, lead us back again into it 
 This I am fure of, that for men firft to call them- 
 felves, The Godly, (a ftile which ?mh after all hi- 
 Revelations, did not fo boldly af fume) and then:Up 
 on that fcore, to make themfelves our Governors 
 is without aay ftreining the road thither •, for w 
 know who ic is, that by fuch Arts,hath got no fma: 
 Dominion in the world .-and where ever fuch Tenet 
 prevail, they are. onely fore-runners of Antichrifl 
 Temporal regin? and fo far as he can fupprefs it, ' 
 Chriftianitiesruine. 
 
 F I N I Si 
 
1