Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Richard Baxter: a chronology
- Further reading
- Biographical notes
- A Holy Commonwealth
- Preface
- An Addition to the Preface
- Adam Contzen the Jesuites Directions
- 1 There is a God that is mans Creator
- 2 God is the Soveraign Ruler of Mankind
- 3 Of the Constitution of Gods Kingdome
- 4 Of the Administration of the Universal Kingdom
- 5 Of a subordinate Commonwealth in General
- 6 Of the several sorts of Commonwealths
- 7 Of the Foundation efficient and conveying causes of Power
- 8 Of the best form of Government, and Happyest Common-wealth
- 9 How a Commonwealth may be reduced to this Theocratical temper, if it have advantages, and the Rulers and People are willing
- 10 Of the Soveraigns Power over the Pastors of the Church, and of the difference of their Offices
- 11 Of the Soveraigns Prerogatives, and Power of Governing by Laws and Judgement
- 12 Of due Obedience to Rulers, and of Resistance
- 13 Of the late Warres Meditations
- Appendix: Preface to The Life of Faith (1670)
- Index
- Title in the Series
12 - Of due Obedience to Rulers, and of Resistance
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Introduction
- Richard Baxter: a chronology
- Further reading
- Biographical notes
- A Holy Commonwealth
- Preface
- An Addition to the Preface
- Adam Contzen the Jesuites Directions
- 1 There is a God that is mans Creator
- 2 God is the Soveraign Ruler of Mankind
- 3 Of the Constitution of Gods Kingdome
- 4 Of the Administration of the Universal Kingdom
- 5 Of a subordinate Commonwealth in General
- 6 Of the several sorts of Commonwealths
- 7 Of the Foundation efficient and conveying causes of Power
- 8 Of the best form of Government, and Happyest Common-wealth
- 9 How a Commonwealth may be reduced to this Theocratical temper, if it have advantages, and the Rulers and People are willing
- 10 Of the Soveraigns Power over the Pastors of the Church, and of the difference of their Offices
- 11 Of the Soveraigns Prerogatives, and Power of Governing by Laws and Judgement
- 12 Of due Obedience to Rulers, and of Resistance
- 13 Of the late Warres Meditations
- Appendix: Preface to The Life of Faith (1670)
- Index
- Title in the Series
Summary
Thes. 317. It is the Command of God the universal Soveraign, that every soul be subject to the higher Powers, and resist them not; and this not only for fear of punishment, but for conscience sake, Rom. 13.1 to 7; Tit. 3.1; 1; Pet. 2. 13,14,15.
Because the right understanding of these commands of God, is of great use for our guidance in these weighty points, I shall stay a while upon the search of that Rom. 13 which saith most; and if we understand that, it will be the easier to understand the rest.
Many occasions concurred to make this document of the Apostle necessary to the Romans. 1. There were Hereticks crept in among them that abused the doctrine of Christian Liberty, and perswaded them that subjection to the Rule of Magistrates was against their Liberty. 2. And the weaker Christians were the easier induced to entertain this doctrine in part, because they were Heathen Magistrates that they were under. And the Christians, being (justly) prohibited by the Apostles to go to Law about personal injuries, before Heathen Judges, but to agree them among themselves, they were the readyer to have low thoughts of such Judges as useless or burdensom, or not fit to be the Governors of Christians. 3. And especially because many of the Christians had been Jews, that were hardly brought to any but a forced submission unto Gentile Rulers; and were ever prone to rebell against them, thinking it an honourable vindication of their holy state and Church, which they thought no Heathen had right to Rule over.
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- Information
- Baxter: A Holy Commonwealth , pp. 178 - 210Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1994