Of What Is Necessary for a Man’s Reception Into the Kingdom of Heaven
The most frequent pretext of sedition, and civil war, in Christian commonwealths, hath a long time proceeded from a difficulty, not yet sufficiently resolved, of obeying at once both God and man, then when their commandments are one contrary to the other. It is manifest enough, that when a man receiveth two contrary commands, and knows that one of them is God’s, he ought to obey that, and not the other, though it be the command even of his lawful sovereign (whether a monarch, or a sovereign assembly), or the command of his father. The difficulty therefore consisteth in this, that men, when they are commanded in the name of God, know not in divers cases, whether the command be from God, or whether he that commandeth do but abuse God’s name for some private ends of his own. For as there were in the Church of the Jews, many false prophets, that sought reputation with the people, by feigned dreams and visions; so there have been in all times in the Church of Christ, false teachers, that seek reputation with the people, by fantastical and false doctrines; and by such reputation (as is the nature of ambition), to govern them for their private benefit.
But this difficulty of obeying both God and the civil sovereign on earth, to those that can distinguish between what is “necessary,” and what is not “necessary for their reception into the kingdom of God,” is of no moment. For if the command of the civil sovereign be such, as that it may be obeyed without the forfeiture of life eternal; not to obey it is unjust; and the precept of the apostle takes place: “Servants obey your masters in all things”; and “Children obey your parents in all things”; and the precept of our Saviour, “The Scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses’ chair; all therefore they shall say, that observe and do.” But if the