THE

Occafional Paper.

NUMBER III.

I. Proteftant Principles concerning CIVIL GOVERNMENT.

N

EXT to the Character of a Good Chriftian, the beft and most useful a Man can have,

is that of a Good Patriot. For after the Duty he owes to God, the next is to his Country. This must be reckon'd the firft and chief Expreffion of Love to our Neighbour; fince every Man's Happinefs in this World depends fo many ways on the Peace and Profperity of the publick, and the juft and equal maintaining of the Laws and Government.

n.b.

The Proteftant Reformation, tho' principally concern'd to restore Primitive Chriftianity, and rectify the many Abufes and Corruptions which the wicked Policy of Rome had introduc'd in Religion thro' feveral Ages; yet had fome Concern alfo to reftore the ufurped Rights of Princes, and to promote the Welfare and Liberty of Mankind, by fettling the Pow er of Magiftracy on juft and true Foundations.

This was one part of the Controversy between Papifts and Proteftants from the beginning of the Reformation. And therefore we find their Principles of Civil Government inferted in their publick Confeffions; which fhew a Proteftant to be a much better Subject than a Papist, as his other Principles declare him a better Chriftian.

It may help to clear their publick Declarations on this Subject, to confider with what Views and upon what Occafions They made them.

The first Occafion They had to declare Themselves, was against the Papal Encroachments on Civil Power: They obferv'd how far the Popes had gone to draw all Power to themselves. All Spiritual Perfons must be exempted from Civil Jurifdiction in any Caufe whatfoever: This was enlarg'd so far; that Pope Paul the Third aver'd, it was the unanimous Opinion of all Doctors, that even the Concubines of Priefts belong'd to the Court Chriftian: To this Court the Popes endeavour'd to draw almoft all Caufes; either as properly Ecclefiaftical, or by vertue of those

fruitful Words, In Order to Spirituals; or by help of that general Rule, which they eftablifh'd as a Matter of Faith and of Divine Right, That the Cognizance of all Caufes devolves to the Ecclefiaftical Court, when the Civil Magiftrate either refufes to do Juftice or neglects it. At the Beginning of the Reformation, The Proteftants loudly complain'd of this oppreffive Ufurpation, and oppos'd it every where; for they faw that every step toward a Reformation was fure to be made ineffectual by the Pope's Claim of Supremacy over Spiritual Perfons and Causes, as long as he was engag'd in Intereft to oppofe it, and had Power fufficient to hinder it. They faw too, that this Claim depriv'd the Civil Magiftrate of his juft Rights, transferr'd the Alle giance of his Subjects to a Foreign Power, and expos'd all Men to infinite Vexations and Troubles. The Reformed Churches therefore unanimously agreed, That all Perfons, whether Spiritual or Temporal, and all fuch Cau-` fes as were ufually call'd Ecclefiaftical, did properly belong to the Cognizance and Jurif diction of the feveral Civil Powers.

Here in England both the Parliament and Convocation concur'd to anull the Pope's Supremacy, and affert the Jurifdiction of the Crown- over all Perfons and Causes. The Bishop of Rome and his Adherents (fays an **Act of Parliament) minding utterly as much as in them lay to abolish,obfcure and delete the Power given by God to the Princes of the

-37 Hen. 8. c. 17

n.b.

Earth,

Earth, whereby they may gather and get to themselves the Government and Rule of the World, have in their Councils and Synods Provincial made, ordained, and decreed divers Ordinances and Conftitutions, which appear to make greatly for the Ufurped • Power of the Bishop of Rome, and to be directly repugnant to Your Majefty and Prerogative Royal.'

With the fame View fays the Convocation which revis'd our Articles in Queen Elizabeth's Time, (Art 37) The Queen's Majefty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other Her Dominions; unto whom the chief Government of all the Estates of this Realm, whether they be Ecclefiaftical or Civil, doth in all Caufes appertain: And is not, nor ought to be, fubject to any Foreign Jurifdiction.

The Foreign Proteftants agreed in the fame Sentiments, and every where abolish'd this Ufurped Power, whereby (as They exprefs it) on pretence of the Power of the Keys the Pope endeavour'd to transfer the Kingdoms of the World to Himfelf; and deprive Princes of their Rights. This is the Doctrine of a Proteftant, with refpect to any Pretence or Claim of Power or Jurifdiction Independant on the Civil Magiftrate or Superior to it.

The Proteftants had very early Another Oc cafion to declare, their Judgment of the Power of the Civil Magiftrate; The wild and enthufiaftical Opinions of fome Perfons pretending Reformation. There arofe a Sect about the Year 1527, which maintain'd all Civil Authority to be unlawful, and that all Things

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fhould