A26924:10
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
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.
IT is agreed on by all real Christians, that Man being made an Intelligent Free Agent, not under brutish necessitating Determination by Objects, is governed by God by the Moral way of Law; that is by the Signification of his Ruler's Will, making his Duty, and not by mere natural or forcible Motion: And it is agreed that GOD himself is his only absolute Universal Ruler, and his Laws given in Nature and by Revelation are the only Universal Laws, which no Humane Power can abrogate or dispense with: And that Kings and Magistrates are his Ministers for Mens good, and have no Power but from him, and none against him or his Laws; and that it is not Man but God, by whom we must all be judged to everlasting Reward or Punishment: And therefore that all men must obey God before Men, and must not fear them that can but kill the Body, but him who is able to cast both Soul and Body into Hell.
IT is agreed on by all real Christians, that Man being made an Intelligent Free Agent, not under bruitish necessitating Determination by Objects, is governed by God by the Moral way of Law; that is by the Signification of his Ruler's Will, making his Duty, and not by meer natural or forcible Motion: And it is agreed that GOD himself is his only absolute Universal Ruler, and his Laws given in Nature and by Revelation are the only Universal Laws, which no Humane Power can abrogate or dispense with: And that Kings and Magistrates are his Ministers for Mens good, and have no Power but from him, and none against him or his Laws; and that it is not Man but God, by whom we must all be judged to everlasting Reward or Punishment: And therefore that all men must obey God before Men, and must not fear them that can but kill the Body, but him who is able to cast both Soul and Body into Hell.
And it is agreed on by all Sober Christians, that therefore as Subjects must use their own Reason as discerning Self-Governors, to Judge who is their King, and who is a Usurper, and what Actions are commanded or forbidden by Man's Laws; so must they first and chiefly use their own reason, to judge discerningly what Actions are commanded or forbidden by God, and must do accordingly whoever is against it. This Judgment is commonly called Conscience; which if it err not must be followed, but if it err, it must be rectified: for then it is not God indeed that is obeyed: for God's Law changeth not as Conscience doth: yet to go against such a Conscience is Sin, because it i interpretatively to go against God, while the Man thought this had been God's Will.