A26892:8060
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Part 4 › Chapter 3: Directions for Subjects concerning their duty to their Rulers.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
No doubt but the King is the Supreme Governor over all the Schools, and Physicians, and Hospitals in the Land, that is, he is the Supreme in the Civil Coercive Government: He is Supreme Magistrate over Divines, Physicians and Schoolmasters; but not the Supreme Divine, Physician or Schoolmaster. When there is any work for the Office of the Magistrate, that is, for the sword, among any of them, it belongeth only to Him, and not at all to them: But when there is any work for the Divine, the Physician, the Schoolmaster, or if you will, for the Shoemaker, the Taylor, the Watchmaker, this belongeth not to the King to do or give particular commands for: but yet it is all to1 be done under his Government, and on special causes he may make Laws to force them all to do their several works aright, and to restrain them from abuses. As (to clear the case in hand) the King is informed that Physicians take too great Fees of their Patients; that some through ignorance, and some through covetousness give ill compounded Medicines, and pernicious Drugs: No doubt but the King, by the advice of understanding men, may forbid the use of such Drugs as are found pernicious to his Subjects, and may regulate not only the Fees, but the Compositions and Attendances of Physicians. But if he should command that a man in a Fever, or Dropsy, or Consumption, shall have no Medicine but this or that, and so oft, and in such or such a dose, and with such or such a diet, and the Physicians whom my reason bindeth me to trust (and perhaps my own experience also) do tell me that all these things are bad for me, and different tempers and accidents require different remedies, and that I am like to dye, or hazard my health, if I obey not them contrary to the Kings commands, here I should rather obey my Physicians: partly because else I should sin against God, who commandeth me the preservation of my life; and partly because this matter more belongeth to the Physician than to the Magistrate: Mr. Rich. Hooker Eccl. Polit. lib. 8. p. 223, 224. giveth you the Reason more fully.
No doubt but the King is the Supream Governour over all the Schools, and Physicions, and Hospitals in the Land, that is, he is the Supream in the Civil Coercive Government: He is Supream Magistrate over Divines, Physicions and Schoolmasters; but not the Supream Divine, Physicion or Schoolmaster. When there is any work for the Office of the Magistrate, that is, for the sword, among any of them, it belongeth only to Him, and not at all to them: But when there is any work for the Divine, the Physicion, the Schoolmaster, or if you will, for the Shoomaker, the Taylor, the Watchmaker, this belongeth not to the King to do or give particular commands for: but yet it is all to