9. All men silenced or forbidden by magistrates to preach, are not thereby obliged or warranted to forbear. For, 1. The apostles expressly determine it, Acts iv. 19, "Whether it be better to hearken to God rather than to you, judge ye." 2. Christ oft foretold his servants, that they must preach against the will of rulers, and suffer by them. 3. The apostles and ordinary ministers also for 300 years after Christ did generally preach against the magistrate's will, throughout the Roman empire and the world. 4. The orthodox bishops commonly took themselves bound to preach when Arian or other heretical emperors forbad them. 5. A moral duty of stated necessity to the church and men's salvation is not subjected to the will of men for order's sake: for order is for the thing ordered and for the end. Magistrates cannot dispense with us, for not loving our neighbours, or not showing mercy to the poor, or saving the lives of the needy in famine and distress. Else they that at last shall hear, "I was hungry and ye fed me not, I was naked and ye clothed me not, I was in prison and ye visited me not," might oft say, Our parents, masters, or magistrates forbad us. Yet a lesser moral duty may be forbidden by the magistrate for the sake of a greater, because then it is no duty indeed, and may be forborne if he forbid it not; as to save one man's life, if it would prove the death of a multitude; or to save one man's house on fire, if so doing would fire many. Therefore,
10. It is lawful and a duty to forbear some certain time or number of sermons, prayers, or sacraments, &c. when either the present use of them would apparently procure more hurt than good, or when the forbearance were like to procure more good than the doing of them; for they are all for our edification, and are made for man, and not man for them (though for God). As if forbearing this day would procure me liberty for many days' service afterward, &c.
11. It is not lawful at the command of man to forsake or forbear our calling and duty, when it is to be judged necessary to the honour of God, to the good of the church, and of men's souls; that is, when as in Daniel's case, Dan. vi. our religion itself and our owning the true God, doth seem suspended by the suspense of our duty; or when the multitude of ignorant, hardened, ungodly souls, and the want of fit men for number and quality, doth put it past controversy, that our work is greatly necessary.
12. Those that are not immediately called by Christ as were the apostles, but by men, being yet statedly obliged to the death when they are called, may truly say as Paul, "Necessity is laid upon me, and woe be to me if I preach not the gospel."[322]
13. Papists and protestants concur in this judgment. Papists will preach when the law forbids them; and the judgment of protestants is, among others, by Bishop Bilson of Subjection, and Bishop Andrews, Tortur. Tort. plainly so asserted.
14. But all that are bound to preach, are not bound to do it to the same number, nor in the same manner; as they have not the same opportunity and call. Whether it shall be, in this place or that, to more or fewer, at this hour or that, are not determined in Scripture, nor alike to all.
15. The temples, tithes, and such adjuncts of worship and ministry, are at the magistrate's disposal, and must not be invaded against his laws.
16. Where any are obliged to preach in a forbidden, discountenanced state, they must study to do it with such prudence, caution, peaceableness, and obedience in all the lawful circumstantials, as may tend to maintain peace and the honour of magistracy, and to avoid temptations to sedition, and unruly passions.
[322] Matt, xxviii. 20; Rom. x. 14; 1 Cor. ix. 16; Acts v. 42; x. 42; 2 Tim. iv. 1, 2; Acts viii. 4, 12; xv. 35.
Quest. LXXXI. _May we lawfully keep the Lord's day as a fast?_
_Answ._ Not ordinarily; because God hath made it a day of thanksgiving; and we must not pervert it from the use to which it was appointed by God. But in case of extraordinary necessity, it may be done: as, 1. In case that some great judgment call us so suddenly to humiliation and fasting, as that it cannot be deferred to the next day (as some sudden invasion, fire, sickness, &c.) 2. In case by persecution the church be denied liberty to meet on any other day, in a time when public fasting and prayer is a duty. 3. In case the people be so poor, or servants, children, and wives be so hardly restrained, that they cannot meet at any other time. It is lawful in such cases, because positives give way to moral or natural duties, _cæteris paribus_, and lesser duties unto greater: the sabbath is made for man, and not man for the sabbath.[323]
[323] Luke vi. 5; xiii. 15; Mark ii. 27.
Quest. LXXXII. _How should the Lord's day be spent in the main?_