CHAP. CXXVI.
An apt similitude discussed, concerning the civil magistrate.
Peace.Pass on, holy Truth, to that similitude whereby they illustrate that negative assertion: “The prince in the ship,” say they, “is governor over the bodies of all in the ship; but he hath no power to govern the ship or the mariners in the actions of it. If the pilot manifestly err in his action, the prince may reprove him,” and so, say they, may any passenger; “if he offend against the life or goods of any, the prince may in due time and place punish him, which no private person may.”
Truth.Although, dear Peace, we both agree that civil powers may not enjoin such devices, no nor enforce on any God’s institutions, since Christ Jesus’s coming: yet,for further illustration, I shall propose some queries concerning the civil magistrate’s passing in the ship of the church, wherein Christ Jesus hath appointed his ministers and officers as governors and pilots, &c.
First query: what if the prince command the master or pilot to steer such a course, which they know will never bring them to the harbour?
If in a ship at sea, wherein the governor or pilot of a ship undertakes to carry the ship to such a port, the civil magistrate (suppose a king or emperor) shall command the master such and such a course, to steer upon such or such a point, which the master knows is not their course, and which if they steer he shall never bring the ship to that port or harbour: what shall the master do? Surely all men will say, the master of the ship or pilot is to present reasons and arguments from his mariner’s art, if the prince be capable of them, or else in humble and submissive manner to persuade the prince not to interrupt them in their course and duty properly belonging to them, to wit, governing of the ship, steering of the course, &c.
2. Query, If the master of the ship command the mariners thus, and the prince command the contrary, who is to be obeyed?
If the master of the ship command the mariners thus and thus, in cunning the ship, managing the helm, trimming the sail, and the prince command the mariners a different or contrary course, who is to be obeyed?
It is confessed that the mariners may lawfully disobey the prince, and obey the governor of the ship in the actions of the ship.
3. If the prince have as much skill as the master or pilot, &c.
Thirdly, what if the prince have as much skill, which is rare, as the pilot himself? I conceive it will be answered, that the master of the ship and pilot, in what concerns the ship, are chief and above, in respect of their office, the prince himself, and their commands ought to be attended by all the mariners: unless it be in manifest error, wherein it is granted any passenger may reprove the pilot.
4. Query, Whether the meanest sailor (in respect of his skill and service) be not to be preferred before the prince himself?
Fourthly, I ask, if the prince and his attendants be unskilful in the ship’s affairs, whether every sailor and mariner, the youngest and lowest, be not, so far as concernsthe ship, to be preferred before the prince’s followers, and the prince himself? and their counsel and advice more to be attended to, and their service more to be desired and respected, and the prince to be requested to stand by and let the business alone in their hands?
5. Query.
Fifthly, in case a wilful king and his attendants, out of opinion of their skill, or wilfulness of passion, would so steer the course, trim sail, &c., as that in the judgment of the master and seamen the ship and lives shall be endangered: whether, in case humble persuasions prevail not, ought not the ship’s company to refuse to act in such a course, yea, and, in case power be in their hands, resist and suppress these dangerous practices of the prince and his followers, and so save the ship?
6. Query, Whether, if the master of the ship gratify the prince to the casting away of the ship and prince, &c., he be not guilty, and liable to answer?
Lastly, suppose the master, out of base fear and cowardice, or covetous desire of reward, shall yield to gratify the mind of the prince, contrary to the rules of art and experience, &c., and the ship come in danger, and perish, and the prince with it: if the master get to shore, whether may he not be justly questioned, yea, and suffer as guilty of the prince’s death, and those that perished with him? These cases are clear, wherein, according to this similitude, the prince ought not to govern and rule the actions of the ship, but such whose office, and charge, and skill it is.
The application in general of the ship to the church, &c.
The result of all is this: the church of Christ is the ship, wherein the prince—if a member, for otherwise the case is altered—is a passenger. In this ship the officers and governors, such as are appointed by the Lord Jesus, they are the chief, and in those respects above the prince himself, and are to be obeyed and submitted to in their works and administrations, even before the prince himself.
The meanest Christian according to his knowledge and grace to be preferred before the highest, who have received none or less grace of Christ.
In this respect every Christian in the church, man or woman, if of more knowledge and grace of Christ, ought to be of higher esteem, concerning religion and Christianity,than all the princes in the world who have either none or less grace or knowledge of Christ: although in civil things all civil reverence, honour, and obedience ought to be yielded by all men.
A true minister of Christ ought to walk by another rule than the command of civil authority in spiritual causes.
Therefore, if in matters of religion the king command what is contrary to Christ’s rule, though according to his persuasion and conscience, who sees not that, according to the similitude, he ought not to be obeyed? Yea, and (in case) boldly, with spiritual force and power, he ought to be resisted. And if any officer of the church of Christ shall out of baseness yield to the command of the prince, to the danger of the church and souls committed to his charge, the souls that perish, notwithstanding the prince’s command, shall be laid to his charge.
Former positions compared with this similitude, and found to contradict each other.
If so, then I rejoin thus: how agree these truths of this similitude with those former positions, viz., that the civil magistrate is keeper of both tables, that he is to see the church do her duty, that he ought to establish the true religion, suppress and punish the false, and so consequently must discern, judge, and determine what the true gathering and governing of the church is, what the duty of every minister of Christ is, what the true ordinances are, and what the true administrations of them; and where men fail, correct, punish, and reform by the civil sword? I desire it may be answered, in the fear and presence of Him whose eyes are as a flame of fire, if this be not—according to the similitude, though contrary to their scope in proposing of it—to be governor of the ship of the church, to see the master, pilot, and mariners do their duty, in setting the course, steering the ship, trimming the sails, keeping the watch, &c., and where they fail, to punish them; and therefore, by undeniable consequence, to judge and determine what their duties are, when they do right, and when they do wrong: and this not only to manifest error, (forthen they say every passenger may reprove) but in their ordinary course and practice.
The similitude of the magistrate prescribing to the physician in civil things, but the physician to the magistrate concerning his body.
The similitude of a physician obeying the prince in the body politic, but prescribing to the prince concerning the prince’s body, wherein the prince, unless the physician manifestly err, is to be obedient to the physician, and not to be judge of the physician in his art, but to be ruled and judged as touching the state of his body by the physician:—I say this similitude and many others suiting with the former of a ship, might be alleged to prove the distinction of the civil and spiritual estate, and that according to the rule of the Lord Jesus in the gospel, the civil magistrate is only to attend the calling of the civil magistracy concerning the bodies and goods of the subjects, and is himself, if a member of the church and within, subject to the power of the Lord Jesus therein, as any member of the church is, 1 Cor. v.