SERM. in the land; propter hoc we owe to Caesar the fees due to his VI. 2 Chron. 2 Kings 15. 25. 6. 19, 20. Heb. 7. 9, 10. courts of justice. These are quæ Cæsaris; and not one of these but hath his ground in the word of God. The custom, Luke 3. 13; the tax, 1 Sam. 17. 25; the fines, Ezra 7. 26; the confiscation, Ezra 10. 8. These then are quæ Cæsaris. But these are current and ordinary; but extraordinary occasions cannot be answered with ordinary charges. Though in peace the set maintenance of garrisons which is certain (the ordinance of Josaphat) is enough; yet when war cometh, πόλεμος οὐ τεταγμένα ζητεί, war admits no stint, but as occasions call for it supply must be ready. There is no safety or assurance of quietness except the enemy fear. There is no fear without power, except we be able to hold our own, maugre the malice and force of the enemies. There is no power but by preparation of soldiers and furniture for war. Nor that without pay, the sinews of all affairs; nor pay without contribution. And propter hoc, Sià TOUTO, besides those other ordinary, the indictions for war, which we call subsidies, are part of quæ Cæsaris too. And warranted by the Scripture; Amaziah levying a hundred talents at one time against Edom, Menahem levying a thousand talents at another against Assur, a great contribution of fifty shekels a man. Indeed so it was, but such were the occasions; and the occasions being such, done, and done lawfully. Then as generally we are bound to render all quæ Cæsaris, so in particular by this text and at this instant this quæ, when the times make it requisite, and it is orderly required. Christ That willeth us to render it, rendered it Himself, Lu. 2. 5. and very timely He did it. For He went "to be taxed," being yet in His mother's womb, as Levi is said to "pay tithe in his father's loins." And He was born under the obedience of paying this duty. This may haply be said not to be His own act: therefore after at full years, then also, though He might have pleaded exemption as He telleth Mat. 17.27. Peter, yet paid He His stater; though not due, yet to avoid the offence of refusing to pay to Cæsar, Conditor Cæsaris censum solvit Cæsar. Seeing then Caesar's Creator paid Caesar his due, will any deny to do it? Especially seeing IIe paid Cæsar his due, yea even then when Cæsar did not render to God His due, but to idols; and what colour then can any have to deny it? So have we His example, whereof we have here His precept; doing that before us which He willeth us to do after Him, and calling to us for no more than He did Himself. And ensuing His steps, His Apostle presseth the same point, telling us custom and tribute are opeλai, "debts;" shewing us why Rom. 13. 7. they be debts, du TOUTо, for the good we receive; and willing us therefore to depart with them, even propter conscientiam, [Rom. 13. "for very conscience sake." Let me add but this one. The forefathers of these here that move this doubt, they forsook David's house only because they thought much of paying the tax which Solomon had set, and they revolted to Jeroboam: what got they by it? By denying quæ Cæsaris they lost quæ Dei, the true religion, and besides enthralled themselves to far greater exactions, which the erecting of a new estate must needs require. Even these not obeying this advice, this Reddite of our Saviour's, but mutinying for the Roman tribute after, under Florus and Albinus, deputies for Cæsar; besides that they lost their temple, sacrifice, and service, their quæ Dei; upon this very point overthrew their estate clean, which to this day they never recovered. Therefore Reddite quæ Cæsaris is good counsel, lest quæ Dei and all go after it. To conclude then, 1. Cæsar and God will stand together; yea Tiberius Cæsar and God. 2. To these, so standing, there are certain things due of duty belonging. 3. These things so due are to be rendered; not given as gratuities, but rendered as debts. And again, with good-will to be rendered, not delivered by force; and as willingly so wisely, Cæsar to have his, God His; in distinction, not confusion, but each his own. 4. Cæsar such duties, all such duties as pertain to him at large; but, as this text occasioneth, the duty of tribute and subsidy. This is the sum. 5.] And if Tiberius Cæsar, much more that Prince' that every ['Queen way Christ Himself would recommend before Tiberius, whom Elizabeth.] it were an injury once to compare with Tiberius, above any Cæsar of them all; who hath exalted Him Whom Tiberius SERM. crucified, and professed Him with hazard of her estate and VI. life, Whom they persecuted in all bloody manner. Who hath preserved us in the profession of His holy Name and truth many years, quietly without fear and peaceably without interruption; and so may still, many and many times many years more. To this, to such a one, by special due, Reddite more, and more willingly, and more bounteously, than to them. The conclusion is good, the consequent much more forcible. This for quæ Cæsaris now. For quæ Dei at some other time, when like text shall offer like occasion. A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KING'S MAJESTY AT HAMPTON COURT, ON SUNDAY THE TWENTY-EIGHTH OF SEPTEMBER, A.D. MDCVI. NUMBERS X. 1, 2. Then God spake to Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver, of one whole piece shalt thou make them. And thou shalt have them (or they shall be for 171 thee) to assemble (or call together) the congregation, and to remove the camp. [Locutusque est Dominus ad Moysen, dicens, Fac tibi duas tubas argenteas ductiles, quibus convocare possis multi- [And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Make thee two trumpets of silver, of a whole piece shalt thou make them; that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly, and for the journeying of the camps. Eng. Trans.] למקרא הערה AMONG divers and sundry commissions granted in the Law A Grant. for the benefit and better order of God's people, this which I power of have read is one; given, as we see, per Ipsum Deum, 'by God From God. Himself,' and that viva vocis oraculo, by express warrant from His own mouth: "Then God spake to Moses, saying." And it is a grant of the right and power of the trumpets, Of the and with them of assembling the people of God. A right calling asand power not to be lightly accounted of, or to be heard of semblies. with slight attention; it is a matter of great weight and of this consequence, the calling of assemblies. There is yearly a matter of solemn feast holden in memory of it, and that by God's own ance. appointment, no less than of the Passover or of the Law itself, Nu. 29. 1. The grant power, a import SERM. even the "feast of the trumpets," much about this time of the VII. year, the latter equinoctial. And God appointeth no feast but in remembrance of some special benefit. It is therefore one of His special benefits and high favours vouchsafed them, and to be regarded accordingly. In whose hands this before. Nu. 9. 18, 20, 23. This power hitherto, ever since they came out of Egypt power was and that God adopted them for His people, unto this very day and place had God kept in His own hands, as to Him alone of right properly belonging. For unto this very day and place the people of God, as they had assembled many times and oft, so it was ever-they be the very last words of the last chapter, which serve for an introduction to these of oursever all their meetings and removings were by immediate warrant from God Himself. But here now God no longer intending thus to warn them still by special direction from His own self, but to set over this power once for all, here He Exod. 19. doth it. This is the primary passing it from God and deriving it to Moses, who was the first that ever held it by force of the Law written. For to this place they came by the sound of God's, and from this place they dislodged by the sound of Moses' trumpet. 13. The time and place of the granting. And it is a point very considerable what day and place this was; for it appeareth they were yet at Sinai, by the twelfth verse, yet at the very mount of God by the thirty-third verse of this chapter, even then when this commission came forth; so that this power is as ancient as the Law. At no other place nor no other time delivered than even the Law itself; when the two tables were given, the two trumpets were given; and Moses that was made keeper of both the tables, made likewise keeper of both the trumpets; both at Sinai, both at one time, as if there were some near alliance between the Law and assemblies. And so there is, assemblies being ever a special means to revive the Law, as occasions serve, and to keep it in life. As if the Law itself therefore lacked yet something, and were not perfect and full without them; so till this grant was passed, they stayed still at Sinai, and so soon as ever this was passed, they presently removed. To entreat then of this power. The story of the Bible would serve our turn to shew us who have had the exercise of it in their hands from time to time, if that were enough. |