Chapter I: Part IV: Christian Politics

Table of Contents

Page

To the reader. 737
I. General rules for an upright conversation. 737
II. Memorandums to civil rulers for the interest of Christ,
the church, and men's salvation. 741
III. Directions for subjects concerning their duty
to their rulers. 744
IV. Directions to lawyers about their duty to God. 769
V. The duty of physicians. 771
VI. Directions to schoolmasters about their duty
for their children's souls. 773
VII. Directions for soldiers, about their duty in point
of conscience. 774
VIII. Advice against murder. 778
IX. Directions for the forgiving of enemies, and those
that injure us; against wrath, and malice, and revenge,
and persecution. 782
X. Cases resolved about forgiving injuries and debts,
and about self-defence, and seeking right by law
or otherwise. 785
XI. Special directions to escape the guilt of persecuting.
Determining also the case about liberty in matters
of religion. 790
XII. Directions against scandal as given. 800
XIII. Directions against scandal taken, or an aptness to receive
hurt, by the words or deeds of others. 807
XIV. Directions against soul murder, and partaking of other
men's sins. 810
XV. General directions for the furthering of the salvation
of others. 813
XVI. Special directions for christian conference, exhortation,
and reproof. 814
XVII. Directions for keeping peace with all men. 819
XVIII. Directions against all theft and fraud, or injurious
getting and keeping that which is another's,
or desiring it. 823
XIX. General directions and particular cases of conscience,
about contracts in general, and about buying and selling,
borrowing and lending, usury, &c. in particular. 827
XX. Directions against oppression. 846
XXI. Cases about, and directions against, prodigality
and sinful wastefulness. 851
XXII. Cases and directions against injurious law-suits,
witnessing, and judgment. 855
XXIII. Cases of conscience, and directions against backbiting,
slandering, and evil speaking. 858
XXIV. Cases and directions against censoriousness and
unwarrantable judging. 861
XXV. Cases and directions about trusts and secrets. 866
XXVI. Directions against selfishness as it is contrary to the
love of our neighbour. 868
XXVII. Cases and directions for loving our neighbour
as ourselves. 870
XXVIII. Special cases and directions for love to godly persons
as such. 873
XXIX. Cases and directions for loving and doing good to enemies. 883
XXX. Cases and directions about works of charity. 885
XXXI. Cases and directions about confessing sins
and injuries to others. 895
XXXII. Cases and directions about satisfaction and
restitution. 896
XXXIII. Cases and directions about our obtaining pardon
from God. 899
XXXIV. Cases and directions about self-judging. 901

A moral prognostication.
To the reader. 905
Of what must be expected in the churches of christendom,
till the golden age returns, or till the time of true
reformation and unity. 906
Of the changes that will be in christendom in the golden
age, and time of true reformation and unity. 914
Consectary. 920

The reformed liturgy.
The ordinary public worship on the Lord's day. 921
The order of celebrating the sacrament of the body
and blood of Christ. 930
The celebration of the sacrament of baptism. 934
Of catechising, and the approbation of those that
are to be admitted to the Lord's supper. 936
Of the celebration of matrimony. 937
The visitation of the sick, and their communion. 938
The order of solemnizing the burial of the dead. 938
Of extraordinary days of humiliation and thanksgiving,
and anniversary festivals. 939
Of prayer and thanksgiving for particular members
of the church. 939
Of pastoral discipline, public confession, absolution,
and exclusion from the holy communion of the church. 941
Appendix: prayers to be used at discretion. 945

READER,

Think not by the title of this part, that I am doing the same work which I lately revoked in my "Political Aphorisms;" though I concluded that book to be _quasi non scriptum_, I told you I recanted not the doctrine of it, which is for the empire of God, and the interest of government, order, and honesty in the world. This is no place to give you the reasons of my revocation, besides that it offended my superiors, and exercised the tongues of some in places, where other matters would be more profitable: pass by all that concerneth our particular states and times, and you may know by that what principles of policy I judge divine. And experience teacheth me, that it is best for men of my profession, to meddle with no more, but to leave it to the Contzeu's, the Arnisæus's, and other Jesuits, to promote their cause by voluminous politics. The pope's false-named church is a kingdom, and his ministers may write of politics more congruously, and (it seems) with less offence, than we. Saith the "Geographia Nubiensis" aptly, "There is a certain king dwelling at Rome called the pope," &c. when he goeth to describe him. Nothing well suits with our function, but the pure doctrine of salvation; let statesmen and lawyers mind the rest.

Two things I must apologize for in this part. 1. That it is maimed by defect of those directions to princes, nobles, parliament men, and other magistrates, on whose duty the happiness of kingdoms, churches, and the world dependeth. To which I answer, That those must teach them whom they will hear; while my reason and experience forbid me, as an unacceptable person, to speak to them without a special invitation, I can bear the censures of strangers, who knew not them or me. I am not so proud as to expect that men so much above me, should stoop to read any directions of mine; much less to think me fit to teach them. Every one may reprove a poor servant, or a beggar (it is part of their privilege). But great men must not be so much as admonished by any but themselves, and such as they will hear. At least nothing is a duty which a man hath reason to think is like to do much more harm than good. And my own judgment is much against pragmatical, presumptuous preachers, who are over-forward to meddle with their governors, or their affairs, and think that God sendeth them to reprove persons and things that are strange to them, and above them; and vent their distastes upon uncertain reports, or without a call.

2. And I expect both to be blamed and misunderstood, for what I here say in the confutation of Master Richard Hooker's "Political Principles," and my own citation of Bishop Bilson, and such others. But they must observe, 1. That it is not all in Master Hooker's first and eighth book, which I gainsay; but the principle of the people's being the fountain of authority, or that kings receive their office itself from them, with the consequents hereof. How far the people have, in any countries, the power of electing the persons, families, or forms of government, or how far nature giveth them propriety, and the consequents of this, I meddle not with at all. 2. Nor do I choose Master Hooker out of any envy to his name and honour, but I confess I do it, to let men know truly whose principles these are. And if any (causelessly) question, whether the eighth (imperfect) book be in those passages his own, let them remember that the sum of all that I confute, is in his first book, which is old, and highly honoured, by----you know whom. And I will do him the honour, and myself the dishonour, to confess, that I think the far greater number of casuists and authors of politics, papists, and protestants, are on his side, and fewest on mine: but truth is truth.

On the subjects' duty I am larger, because, if they will not hear, at least I may boldly and freely instruct them.

If in the latter part there be any useful cases of conscience left out, it is because I could not remember them. Farewell.