of the Kingdom and first here I shall examine what is meant by these words They despised him The meaning of this consists in three branches and they are these 1. They did Male-cogitare think evil of him in their hearts and so came within the compasse of Solomons prohibition Curse not the King in thy thought Eccle. 10.20 A thought of despising the King is Treason as well as a Word and a Word as well as an Action so says the Scripture of the Intention of Bigthan and Teresh Traytors they were and yet they never came to an Insurrexerunt or any Act of Treason Ester 2.21.23 but only to a Voluerunt an Intention they sought or they thought to lay hands upon King Ahasuerus and for this very thought of Treason they were hang'd And as the Law of God so the Law of this Kingdom doth construe a bare purpose against the King a despising thought of the King to be Treason and makes it deadly My prayer therefore is Convert them O God if they will not be Converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as have evil will against the King and do Male-cogitare despise him in their thoughts 2. They did Male-dicere despise the King with their tongues and speak evil of him saying How shall this man save us and this is the second Branch whereby the meaning of this word is explained They despised him i.e. they speak evil of the King and so came within the compasse of Moses's prohibition Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people Deut. 27.16 A Word against the King is Treason as well as a thought or Action Greater Treason then a thought and lesser Treason then an Action And they that Word it against the King if they be of the Clergy they are of Balaams Ordination Numb 23. because they Curse whom God hath blessed and he was killed with the Sword If they be of the Layety they are of Shimei's condition 2 Sam. 16.5 because they revile whom God hath annointed and he was put to death And of late by the Law of this Nation there stood one Pym condemned for saying He would if he could embrue his hands in the blood of King Charles the first and many more in good time may be condemned and executed for saying They will if they can embrue their hands in the blood of King Charles the Second My Prayer again therefore is Convert them O Lord if they will not be converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as speak evill of my Lord the King and do Male-dicere Despise Him with their Tongues 3 They did Male facere Despise the King with their Hands for they brought him no presents and so came within the compasse of King Davids prohibition 1 Sam. 26.9 Thou shalt not stretch forth thy hand against the Lords annointed I know King David there speaks by way of Interrogation Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse but I know withal that Interrogative Quis Who can is a most triumphant Negative and says Nullus No man can and be guiltlesse or No man ought unless he will bring Guilt upon his own Soul Absolon did was hang'd 2 Sam. 10.9 Robert late Earl of Essex did against Elizabeth our late Queen of England and was beheaded and how many that were in the same Conspiracy were hang'd you may read in that Chronicle My prayer therefore is gain Convert them O Lord Convert them and return them to their Duty of Loyalty to thine Annointed If they will not be converted confound them O Lord confound them and as many as lift up their hands against or withdraw their hands from my Lord the King Amen You see what is meant by these words 1 a. 2 a. They despised him will you now see Why they despised him why it was Because they lookt upon him as a single man How shall this man save us Happily they thought him greater then any of themselves in particular but they thought themselves in a collective or Representative Body greater then him the King and this brings me to the unfolding of the second Question which is Whether the King be singulis major Question 2 greater then single persons but Universis minor lesse then collected Persons or the Body Representative I shall not need to speak of the first Branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Singulis major Greater then any single Person For it is not denied by any or if by any yet only by such who are more Beasts then Men and live more by Sense then by Reason or Religion or rather have lost both their Sense their Reason and their Religion The enquiry therefore here must be upon the other branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Universis minor lesse then the Body Representative For this was the thing in agitation in this late wicked Age and affirmed by these wicked men the Children of Belial who did de facto murther King Charles I. of blessed memory and would have done as much upon King Charles II. if they could have fastened upon him at Worcester but God I trust hath preserved him for better times I must at first take leave to tell them That the Ground on which they build is false and meer Sophistry That the assumption and Inference which they build is weak and meer Fallacy For thus they argue The Fountain or Cause of a King is greater then the King but the People Representative is the Fountain and Casue of the King Therefore the People Representative is greater then the King And here I say The Ground is false the Assumption is untrue and the Inference therefore is so too 1. The Ground is taken from an old Axiome Quickquid efficit tale est ma gis tale whatsoever effects a thing is greater then the thing effected This though true Ante effectum productum before the effect produced yet it is often false Post effectus productionem after the production of the effect v. g. The Fountain was once bigger then the River but now the River is bigger then the Fountain A spark of fire was once more Fire then all the Wood in the Chimney but when the Wood becomes one Flame the Wood is more Fire then the Sparke You see the Ground is not ever true and sure I am the Assumption laid upon this Ground-work is never true viz. The People is the Fountain or Cause Efficient of the King For God as I have shewed you before and whether I referr you is the only Efficient of Monarchy Only I add thus much Were it so that the People did make the King yet it would not follow That therefore the People is greater then the King For this Axiome is true only in those Agents in whom the Quality by which they work is Inherent and from whom it cannot be separated But the People if they had Power to make the
In Corah the first in Absolon a second in Sheba a third in Bigthan a fourth Rebellious person It is much feared they all went from the sweet of Sin to the smart of Pain from the Darkness of Sin to the Darknesse of Hell I speak of Principals 2 Sam. not of Accessaries many of them go in the simplicity of their Hearts and for them I pray with my Saviour Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 but for the rest They that commit these sins wittingly wilfully malitiously to them I sear belongs the Epilogue of Rebells Damnation because their Prologue was Resisting the higher powers which is a wilfull Perjury in the breach of their Allegiance if St Paul speak Scripture when he said Rom. 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that resist the higger powers shall receive to themselves damnation They may fear it and let them pray Acts 8.22 whom it concerns and Repent if perhaps God may forgive them And for our selves though we are not maliciously concerned in this sin yet because we are cowardly concerned in this sin I pray God Almighty deliver us from the punishment of it Pestilence Famine and Sword in this world and from damnation in the world to come and assure us thereof by an holy conformity of our lives to his Law all our dayes and by an holy perseverance in our obedience to himself and to his Annointed King Charles the Second whom God restore unto and establish in his Fathers Throne brough Jesus Christ Amen Amen Amen January 30. 1649. ACTS 3.15 The Prince of Life whom ye killed BUt that I know and am sensible of the occasion I would read the following words whom God raised from the dead and then I should tell you This Text were Janus like and looks two wayes Uisione reflexâ backwards upon Good-Fryday last Visione rectâ forwards upon Easter-day next As it looks backward it speaks nothing but Passion Ye have killed the Prince of Life and makes the Sermon Funeral As it looks forward it speaks nothing but Resurrection Whom God hath raised from the dead and makes the Sermon Nuptial But alass I am only for the Passive part of this verse and look upon these words positively and personally as they intend April 4. 1649 years since and Jesus Christ the Prince of Life whom ye then killed and I look upon these words again Relatively and yet personally again as they relate to January 30. 1648 and King Charles a Prince of life whom ye killed Well Look upon the words either waies either Litterally and possitively or Relatively and personally They will require Tears Tears being commonly the Followers if not the Friends of Funeralls and whatsoever the Followers do the Friends will weep And indeed whether to speak or weep my time out upon this Text I could willingly question since we in it commemorate the Exequie◠both of Jesus Christ and one very like him as ye heard the last year King Charles of Great Brittain and Ireland the first And can we follow these to the Grave without a Tear It was done upon Good-Fryday personally on Christ 1649. years since the first Good-Fryday that ever was and that day the streets below were hung with Blacks and the Heavens above with blackness For no Sun was seen in Jury for three hours but only the Sun of Righteousness whom the Darkness comprehended not That day both the Heaven above and the Earth beneath were astonished if not ashamed at the Apprehension condemnation and execution of Jesus Christ And shall not we follow the Son of Man Nay the Son of God to the grave with a Tear The Poet pointed out the Spectacle of sorrow when he said Hinc ille Lachrymae and wept when it may be he aimed at the Tombe certainly at the Tormentor But now that Spectacle of sorrow may question Undè haec lachrymarum indigentia whence proceeds this want of Sorrow whence this Drynesse Is it from Obedience to that command Weep not for me but then why do we not weep for our selves Is it not rather from the hardness of our hearts which dams up the moisture of our eys Can you see a King killed and not Weep Why behold Princeps trucidatus The King is killed Can you see a Good King killed and not weep Why behold Princeps vitae trucidatus The Prince the King of life is killed That King that Prince of life of whom we said Under his shade we should live in peace he is killed Can you see that Good King that Prince of Life whom your selves have killed and not weep Why behold Interemistis trucidastis vos Ye have killed the Prince of Life And upon these three parts I shall spin my Discourse Division 1. Quid What was done Killing 2. Quis Who was Killed Princeps vitae the Prince of life 3. Qui Who killed him Vos ye you and myself I begin with the first Quid What was done upon April 4. Good Fryday An. primo salutis nostrae In the first year of our redemption Killing upon Jan. 30. Anno 1648. salutis nostrae In the thousand six hundred forty eight year of our Redemption Killing 1. Had it been only Passus est He suffered It had been an hard word For it is an hard thing to suffer especially for great Persons such as Christ was and all Kings are If great Persons do great things it is no wonder Their very Genius does naturally incline them to it But to suffer yes any small thing for them is more then to do many great things Doing is good if it be well doing but suffering is hard though we suffer well for well doing yea though doing be sometimes hard labour yet suffering is harder of the twain yet Christ suffered so in the Creed he suffered under Pontius Pilate So in St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for us 2. Had it been Mortuus est He Died It had been harder Add shame to Death and then it is harder yet For as I take it shame and Death are the hardest things that can be suffered nothing so precious to us as our Life unlesse it be our Reputation and nothing therefore so hard to suffer as the losse of both these Life and Reputation But Christ suffered both Death and shame both The Crosse cost him his Life and the shame of the Crosse bereft him of his Honour viz. with the Jewes He put his Shoulders to the Cross and endured it to the losse of his life Hebr. 12.2 He set his Feet upon the shame and despised it to the losse of his Honour Of the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five terribles Death is the most terrible and what Christian be he as strong as a man or weak as a women what will not He or she suffer in Physick or Chirurgery in Purging Vomiting Cutting or Cauterizing so that they may not suffer Death But Death many a man may suffer and desire it too Simeon did Luk. 2.29 Domine nunc
KING CHARLES HIS FUNERAL Who was Beheaded by Base and Barbarous hands January 30 1648. AND Interred at WINDSOR February 9 1648. WITH His ANNIVERSARIES Continued untill 1659. By THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Qui orat exorat Vivat veniat Vincat Carolus Secundus Et sit Carolo Magno Major Amen LONDON Printed by John Clowes for the Author 16â—â— TO THE KINGS Most Exceent MAJESTIE CHARLES II. GREAT SIR THat Your Majestie may vouchsafe to give these Anniversaries a gracious Reception is the Petition to That Your Majestie may be Blest with a Long Life with a quiet Reign with a Faithfull Councel with a Pious Clergie with a Valiant Souldiery with a Loyal People and be preserved from a new Rivalry of Presbytery and Independency is the Petition for Your Majesty By Your Majesties Loyall Subject THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Anno Dom. 1648. 2 SAM 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to put forth thine hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord IN qualia tempora reservasti nos Domine O Lord God In what sad times do we live Times wherein sins of the highest size are comitted Sacriledge and Rebellion and not controuled Nay They are countenanced and not checkt Yea to check them and controule them is accounted a greater sin and can expect no greater Reward then an heavy punishment So sad are the Times we live in Sacriledge and Rebellion committed countenanced commanded To discountenance them to discommand them to rebuke them is accounted a greater sin and must expect as great if not a greater punishment But what then Shall we dry our Eys and not weep for them Shall we harden our Hearts and not sigh for them Shall we muzzle our Mouths and not declaime against them This indeed would involve us in the Guilt and â—â—y us liable to a greater punishment Not only to an Hatchet to an Halter to a Rack to a shame to a Torment here but to Fire and Brimstone to stormes and Tempests to Tortures and Devils hereafter A hard choice I confesse But for all that They that have more care of their Bodies then of their Souls They that have more respect to their Posterity then to their Eternity may consent by silence For my part Liberabo animam meam whatsoever becomes of my Body of my Wife of my Children I will if possibly I can deliver mine own Soul not only by not consenting to but also by dissenting from and increpating of those Royal Blood-suckers those Sons of Belial those Regicides and King-Killers not only in the Distillation of mine Eyes to bedew a Royall Coffin not only in the Compunction of my Soul to bewaile the losse of a Royal Person but also in the Objurgation of my Tongue by chiding those who were so Disloyal as not to be afraid to put forth their hands to destroy the Annointed of the Lord. And that you may deliver your Souls too I beseech you Joyn your Tears with mine Joyn your Prayers with mine Joyn your Sorrows with mine until God shall be pleased to establish King Davids seed in King David's Throne to increpate those bloudy Actors in this Expostulation and Disquisition of so bloody an Act How wast thou not afraid c. These words at first view seem to be nothing but an Interogation the asking of a Question and no more But upon a second and better Inspection they will appear an heavy Indignation and resolve themselves into this strong Negative No man may None but a fearlesse i. e. a gracelesse man dare put forth his hand against much lesse destroy the Lords Annointed and offer to our consideration these particulars Division 1. Whether all Kings bad and all be the Lords annointed I resolve it Yes They are 2. Whether such a Person though had may be resisted deposed or murthered I resolve it No He may not 3. How fearful a sin is it to do such an Act Besides what I shall resolve upon this anon I must add Time will discover I begin with the first Whether all Kings bad and all Par. 〈◊〉 be the Lords Annointed Yes I say They are For it was in a Phrensy mood when Ajax took Kings for Upstarts rising and standing of themselves Cowards get victory by God saith he but I will win whether God will or no. And it was in as desperate a sit when Antiochus said The Persons of Kings are of Force or Fortune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him take the Kingdom to whom Fortune or the sword shall give it And a foolish Dream of wise Homer it was when he said That Kings are the spawn of Jupiter nursed and fostered by Jupiter And tâ—eir Speech is as full of Folly and Madness whether Papist or Puritan or him that hath out-stripped them both the Independent who say That the King is the Peoples Creature The People the Kings Creatour The King whosoever he be quâ King is King but Precario by the Peoples Courtesy And those Texts they alleadge for the proof of their Opinions are foolishly if not foully mistaken by them viz. All the People went up to Gilgal and made Saul King there and therefore the King is the Peoples Creature so again 1 Sam. 11.15 2 Reg. 14.21 All the People of Judah took Azariah and made him King for his Father Amaziah and therefore the People are the Kings Creator For in Propriety of Speech The People did then and do now only declare him to be King who was so appointed by God and therefore the Context runs thus Samuel said to the people Come let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingâ—om there i e. Let us acknowledge and make known him to be King 1 Sam. 11.14 whom the Lord hath chosen as it is in the 24 verse of that chapter Outward Solemnity and Coronation the King hath from the People but Power Right and Authority he hath from God from God immediatly and Dependent upon God only and Independent from the People whether Diffusive or Collective whether Representative or Essenciall Look ye else upon the first Rulers Gods first Church had the Church of the Jewes Who made Moses to be Ruler over Israel God Act. 7.35 Num. 27.16 Judg. 2.16 The People had no hand in it who appointed Joshua over the Congregation of Israel who but God Who raised up the Judges who but the Lord Who appointed yes to come to the word of my Text who annointed Saul to be Captain over Israel who but the Lord 1 Sam. 10.1 Samuel poured on the Oyl but God annointed him That for the first King of Israel SAUL He was appointed to be King and annointed by God And so again for the second King of Israel DAVID Who found him and who annointed him Not the People I assure you not the better sort of them The Elders of the City Bethleem 1 Sam. 16.4 They were astonished when Samuel went upon that errand from God Nor the best sort of the People neither Not the Saints They dream't of no such matter until God
â—eÌ„ non digné operis ex eâ substractâ Gratiâ magis time quia te reliquit custodia tua si redirit gratia multò amplius time ne forté contingat pacis excidium If Grace be present Fear lest thou answer not the expectation of that Grace If Grace be absent Fear more because thou art left unto thy self If Grace return again Fear much more least thy Security ruine thy Peace And if Fear be so necessary a Vertue by the Verdict of so many Fathers and grave Authors what means King David here to give the blessed man this Character He feareth not Do but you distinguish of the Subject Fear and look upon the Object what the blessed man fears and you will presently confesse There is neither Adaxie nor Paradox neither Absurdity nor Ambiguity in this Character He feareth not Some have made six sorts of Fear 1. Natural which respects Beeing and this is in all Living creatures 2. Humane which respects Life and this is in all men 3. Mundane which respects Riches Liberty Beauty Honour and the like and this is in all covetous and cowardly wretches 4. Servile which respects pain and punishment and this is in Slaves Reprobates Rebels and Devils 5. Initiall which respects sin and this is in all good Christians and Loyal Subjects who chuse rather to suffer in Gods cause then to participate with the sins of a more successfull party 6. Filiall which respects God and this is in all Noble Martyrs and Glorious Saints who therefore fear to sin because they will not offend God You may contract these six into these two Filial Servile because under Servile may be comprised Humane and Worldly and under Filial Initial and Natural fear Filial fear looks upon God as a Father and honours him and is resolved to honour him though there were neither Heaven to reward him nor Hell to torment him Servile fear looks upon God as a Judge and shuns him and if now and then in a Fit he yields God any obedience it is Formidine paenae onely for fear of punishment Filial fear is an Ornament and Vertue of the Soul Servile fear is a Passion and Distresse of the Soul Filial fear is in the Regenerate both in the Church Militant and Triumphant but in several considerations Here by two Actions Evitando malum et faciendo bonum by eschewing evil and doing good There only by doing good Perficitur in Patriâ non abolebitur reverentia Timoris says St. Augustine Reverential fear shall not be diminished in Heaven but encreased It shall not be abolished but perfected Servile fear is not in them not in them at all so far as they are Regenerated As men they may fear their Lifes as covetous they may fear their Estates as Carnal they may fear their Liberties But he that fears either or the losse of either Liberty Estate or Life can never be good Souldier or Loyal Subject can never be good Christian or Gods servant He may fear God as God is just and so Fear is a Passion Distress of the Soule He doth not fear God as God is good for so Fear is a Grace and Ornament of the Soul As Fear is a Passion of the Soul you may understand that speech of St. John Many of the Rulers believed in Christ but for fear of the Jewes they did not confesse him least they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God I may add They feared the Injustice and punishment of men more then the Justice and Judgment of God and therefore says Christ Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell Mat. 10.28 The words in the Original are worth the marking Fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that kill the Body it is not them that can kill the body they do it by a permissive power They cannot do it by any Inherent power of their own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Soul they neither may nor can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather fear him who hath power to destroy Soul and Body in Hell I wish the late Renegado's had seriously considered these Texts Those men I mean who served the late King and tarried with him so long as the Sun shined and the weather was calm but so soon as ever the Rain began to fall and the Winds to blow they presently ran away to compound and save something a little wealth and some few dayes but they did forget that God could Luke 12. and it may be will cast both Soul and body into Hell And then as Christ says Fools whose shall these things your Riches and your Daies be Yes He both can will without a great deal of Repentance For their Sin was far more desperate then the first Rebells They ran into the Sin out of Rashnesse and Inconsiderately But these men put God into one Scale and the World into another and therefore to them especially belongs that fearfull doom The fearful shall be cast out Apoc. 21. i. e. Such men as fear the losse of their Estates more then the losse of Gods favour and the losse of their momentary Lifes more then the losse of their Eternal Lifes They forsook their King and God will forsake them And God have mercy upon us all and forgive us our following the Apostles in their worst Act and forsaking our Soveraign upon the Scaffold as they did their Saviour upon the Crosse and give us grace to redeem that fault by living for the time to come Loyal Christians and dying stout Romans to continue obedientially and not fear man who can kill but our Bodies and dye couragiously in the fear of God that we may not fear any evill tydings It is my second consideration Pars. 2. Quid non timet timens Dominum what he fears not that fears God Ab auditione malà non timet Ab auditu malo non timebit He is not afraid He shall not be afraid of any evil tydings At first sight again this Object encreaseth my wonder Fear not any evill tydings Why the Kings wrath is evil tydings for it is the messenger of death And shall I not fear him Solomon says Fear God and the King St. Peter it at the same Prov. 1 Pet. 2. Fear God and Honour the King St. Paul is at it for conscience sake Be subject to the higher powers not only for wrath but for conscience Rom. 13.5 And is the Son of David against either Fear not them that kill the Body Or is the Father of Christ against either Fear not any evil tydings not the wrath of Kings No at no hand This is no Absolute no General Prohibition but only a Relative and Comparative God is to be feared and the King is to be feared where their commands are not in opposition Fear belongs to them
yet this is so far from being an Argument to justisie Rebellion or taking up Arms against the King as that it doth altogether condemn it For notwithstanding so great strength yet David never pursued Saul never sought after Saul never discharged one Canon one Murtherer one Gun against Saul but still fled from him and to put him out of all such Fears jealousies got himself and his Forces out of Sauls Kingdom and begged a place for his habitation of Achish the King of Gath. Let all Rebells follow David in the whole Example and we shall both allow this Quotation and also commend their Imitation yes and pray they may have so many Followers that there may be no Rebel left to lift up an hand against the Lords Annointed The second Objection I meet with of any colourable strength Object 2 For I shall passe all those frivilous ones 1. Of the Peoples rescuing Jonathan from Saul Their whole Act. being nothing but a mediation in the behalf of Jonathan and nothing lesse then a Rebellion against Saul as any man may evidently percieve if he reads the whole Story and so Junius Borrhaus Osiander and Willet himself say and determine of it and Peter Martyr adds That if the People did more then pray if they pressed violently upon Saul in making a mutiny they sinned Liberaverunt says St. Jerome Redimerunt says Tremelius In Reg. c. 14 and so says Gregory Magnus i. e. They delivered they redeemed they freed Jonathan that he dyed not And how did they this Certainly not Fustibus but precibus by Prayers not by Pole-axes For if the did more then pray says Peter Martyr they sinned I forbear likewise 2. The Example of Elisha's shutting the door 2 Reg. 6.32 and holding fast the Messenger that came from King Joram to take away his Head For Elisha had Revelation from God as well of Jorams repentance as of his former and furious Message And 3. Of Jehu who killed this King Joram For this was by special and particular command from God 2 Reg. 9.14.24 and not by any Law of God or Man and extraordinary Oracles may not be our Examples And 4. Of Ahikam For he defended not the Prophet from the Tyranny of King Jehojakim but from the fury of the people Jer. 26.4 Had he had any hand in that tumultuous insurrection with the People he had been a Rebel like the People but being he did what he did by that credit and authority which he had with and under the King he shewed himself both a faithful Magistrate and a Loyal Subject And 5. the withstanding of Uzziah the King by Azariah the Priest For this was by words 2 Chron. 26.17 not by Swords and besides God struck him with Leprosy and so by the Law he was to be removed from the concourse of the people for fear of of Infection And 6. That of Deposing Athelia For She was but an Usurper of the Crown The second Objection I say of any seeming validity is that of Jeroboam 1 Reg. 12. from whence it is argued thus Rehoboam the Son of Solomon refused to ease the People of their burthens and therefore they rebelled against him and set up Jeroboam to be a King over them and this was so far says the Objector from being a sin that the Text says It was from the Lord and Therefore Subjects may in some cases bear Arms lawfully against the King and without sin And this Objection I answer thus The Scripture here sets down Rei gestae veritatem Answ 2 non Facti aequitatem the Truth of a thing done not the Right of a Thing to be done Quia factum legimus non ideó faoi â—ndum credimus says St. Austin sectando enim exemplum violemus praeceptum If we follow the Example of men we may break the Commandement of God Nor can we any more be free from the breach of the 5. Commandement and Disobedience if we rebell against our King upon this Example then we can from the breach of the 8. Commandement Theft if we plunder and rob our Neighbours upon Example of the Israelites spoyling the Egyptians In a word God made Jeroboam King and in that Act punished Solomons Idolatry and Rehoboams folly but notwithstanding This Act of the People in revolting from Rehoboam was Rebellion and so called by God himself in two several places 1 Reg. 12.19 2 Chron. 10.19 And Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day And Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day And God punished this Rebellion of theirs so fearfully that he first gave them up to Idolatry and afterwards drave them out into Captivity And I do assure you That there are ten Examples for one to shew Rebels have been first Idolaters and so hated by God and afterwards Slaves and so hated by Man That we may never fall into the one or the other either Idolatry or Captivity Almighty God keep us from Rebellion And whatsoever some People say and make shew of I will make it good That there is not one more Example in Scripture of any colour or worth a straw to dispute much lesse to justifie the taking up of Arms against the King There is one Objection made from the example of our own Object 3 Progenitors Richard the Second was deposed and deposed by Parliament and therefore says the Objector A King of England may be resisted With shame and sorrow I canfess the Factum but without blushing and in truth Answer I deny the Iusâ—um The honest Bishop of Carlile opposed it and howsoever the Rebells of those daies ended that good mans daies in prison for his honesty yet by this very Act of deposing King Richard they brought such miseries and mischiefs such Battails Bloudsheds such Rapines aâ—d Murthers upon this Kingdom that until two Kings viz. One Prince ten Dukes two Marquesses one and twenty Earls seaven and twenty Lords two Viscounts one Lord Prior One Judge one hundred thirty and nine Knights four hundred one twenty Esquires Gentlemen of a vast number and Common Souldiers to the number of an hundred thousand were slain in Civil Wars England never saw happy daies And setting Kings and Princes aside I believe there hath been more lost in a latter Rebellion against King Charles I. That we may yet see and enjoy Peace and Happinesse in our daies God keep us all from bearing Arms against King Charles II. when he shall be enabled by Gods raysing him Friends abroad and converting or consternating the Hearts of His Enemies at home to require his own Amen For it is altogether unlawful as appears Secondly by Scripture 2. Scripture and the first Scripture I offer to your Consideration is that of Moses Exod. 22.28 Speak not evil of the Ruler of thy people And this very place touched St. Paul so far that it brought him to a Peccavi when he had suffered his Tongue to run a little over and be
be accursed and saies Origen propter hoc Ecclesia ab Apostolis Traditionem accepit etiam parvulis dare Baptissimum Rom. 6. Because we are all conceiv'd and born in sin the Church hath received a Tradtion from the Apostles to Baptise Children and saies St. Austin Consuetudo matris Ecclesia c. The Custome of our Mother the Chu ch in Baptizing Infants is not to be slighted because it is an Apostolicall Tradition De Gen. ad li. c. 23. That 's a ninth Invention 10. If we believe and have Faith It is no matter for good VVorks or how we live a meer Invention this For saies St. James faith without work is dead and saies St. Paul Jac. 2. neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by Love That 's a tenth Invention He is gone to Hell For he dyed of the Plague A meer Intention This For many of Gods dear Servants do dye of the Plague 2 Sam. 24. David was desirous to dye of it when he prayed Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and my Fathers house but sure he would not have been so desirous to dy of the Plague if he must have gone to Hell for it That is a 11th Invention Subjects may take up Arms against their King For the King is Universis minor though he â—e singulis major Lesse then the Collective Body though greater then any particular Person If he be a Tyrant If he be Sacrilegious If he be an Idolater He may be Resisted He may be Deposed A meer Invention's this For Saul was greater then all the People because he was their King and Saul was a Tyrant a sacrilegious person an Idolatar a Consulter with Witches and yet David durst not resist him durst not depose him and only for this cause Because he was the Lords Annointed and therefore the Lords Annointed because the King And this hath been the Judgement of all Divines until of late and therefore This is another twelfth Invention Bishops and Presbyters are of equal Authority They are all one For Bishops are called Presbyters in the word of God A meer Invention This and a false Conclusion For Presbyters are never called Bishops either in the Book of God or in any other book unlesse in the Books of Hereticks or Schismaticks And that is a Thirteenth Invention A King may be Deposed by an High Court of Justice and unjustly sentenced to death as a Tyrant Traytor and Murtherer and Publick enemy by severing his Head from his Body A meer Invention This though pronounced by John Bradshaw Lord President so called Oliver Crumwel L. General Henry Ireton Commis General Col. Hardresse Waller Col. Harrison Col. Whaley Col. Pride Col. Ewer Lord Gray of Grooby Sir John D'Anvers with many more who are not worth the remembring unlesse Dr. Dorislaus and Justice Aske Councellours for the Common-wealth Cook Sollicitor General Broughton and Phelps Clarks to the Court Danby Mace-Bearer Humphrey Sword-Bearer and King Cryer And this was an Invention beyond all the Jewes Inventions And a great many more Inventions yet have we found out but I have tyred you and my self already with these and by these though there were no more I am sure we have provoked God to wrath for the Plague is broken in upon us It is my fourth and last consideration in resolving that Question What is the fruit and effect of these Inventions Pars. 4. of these Provocations The Plague brake in upon them Irruit It brake in Magno impetu invasit It came with a mighty violence and could not be resisted Tanquam aqua exundas like a suddain Flood of water Maltiplicata est in eis ruina A multiplyed destruction came upon them Factis est in eis gravis ultio God took an heavy and grievious revenge upon them twenty four thousand of the common people and Princes were slain and this tells you what Plague it was is here meant It was not the Plague of Pustules or the Plague of the Pestilence or as the common people call it the Plague of Gods Tokens or as we of late have had the Plague of the Guts which was never heard of in any Kings Reign but only in the first Reign of a President and in the second Reign of a Protector but it was the Plague of a Civil commotion raised by the Madness of the people for a former madness of their provocation and the small number of the slain then but 24000 shews and proves their provocations to be lesse then ours because the Plague of an Uncivil civil war amongst us hath slain many score of Thousands some Hundreds of thousands and proves our provocations to be greater then theirs However I wish not the rest of the Rebels may either Hoyle or Phane themselves I wish them not confusion here or Damnation hereafter The worse that I wish is That God would be pleased to take them as the Rods of his Justice into the Hands of Mercy and bring in King Charles II. with power to recover his own Dominions and to sit upon the Throne of his Father King Charles Is the Royal Martyr of blessed memory who upon this day January 30. Anno Dom. 1648 was murthered by barbarous hands for seeking to preserve the Churches Rights and the Peoples Liberties and Reign over us and our childrens children in peace and prosperity thorough Jesus Christ Amen GOD Save King CHARLES II. Anno Dom. 1658. ACTS 13.28 And though they found no cause of death in him yet desired Pilate to kill him THere are not many steps betwixt Princes Prisons Graves Mat. 2. Christ was the King of the Jews so confest by the Magi and the People would have proclaimed him so But Pilate the Lord President and Cajaphas the High Preist having Him delivered into their hands by the Treason of Judas for a far less price then 200000 l. even 30. pieces of Silver and though they found no cause of death in him unless it were Negatively because he had not Ahab-like took away Naboths Vineyard or plundered any of his Subjects Illegally nor Jesabel-like took away Naboths life or put to death any of his Subjects Extrajudicially or Affirmatively had healed their sick cured their lame and their blind ear'd their deaf raised their dead delivered them all from the Kings Evil and made them happy to their Enemies Envy and their Friends Admiration yet they desired Pilate to kill him That 's my Text and in it I observe two parts and they are these 1. A VVonder they found no cause of death in him for a VVonder it is that a King who hath so many Prerogatives and Advantages to Blaspheme to Rob to Rabe to Murther to Idolatry and more causes I find not to kill any man should have no cause of death found in him 2. A Murther and a monstrous Murther Yet they desired Pilate to kill him for a monstrous Murther it is that Subjects who have so many tyes of Obedience upon them
towards their Kings should first desire Pilate a Judge and having obtained leave upon their desire should add to their desire endeavour and to that endeavour the act and actuall Execution to kill him it is a monstrous Murther This If it be a monstrous Murther for Servants to kill their Master If it be a monstrous Murther for Sons to kill their Father If it be a monstrous Murther for a VVife to kill her Husband why look ye here are all Subjects which are but serci Domini Regis Servants to their Lord the King Subjects which if more then Servants are but Filij Patri Patriae Sons to the Father of the Country the Kings Subjects which if more then Sons are but sponsa Marito Gentis the Spouse to the Husband of the Country the King yet these Servants these Sons this VVife desire to kill and kill their Master their Father their Husband and that which makes this monstrous Murther more then and above measure monstrous they can find no cause of death in their Master in their Father in their Husband in their King which is all In the first of these the wondea I enquire 1. VVhy there was no cause of death in him 2. If there had been cause of death in him whether they might desire to have him killed In the second The monstrous Murther I enquire 1. VVhy they desired Pilate to kill him 2. VVhat end they had in killing him I begin with the first the wonder they found no cause of death in him Pars 1. The Jews had four sorts of death in use amongst themselves 1. Lapidatio Stoning 2. Combustio Burning 3. Decollatio Beheading 4. Suffocatio Strangling Other sorts of death in number six they borrowed from other Nations 1. Crux the death on the Cross 2. Damnatio ad bestias to dye by wilde Beasts 3. Serra dissectio cutting one in sunder with the Saw These three they borrowed from the Romans 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the VVheel 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 udgelling one to death 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drowning one in the Sea They borrowed from the Greek and this they borrowed from the Greeks and Romans These severall sorts of death had their several causes of inflicting them I shall but name them 1. There were eighteen Causes for Stoning one to death 1. He that lieth with his own Mother 2. He that lieth with his Fathers VVife 3. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 4. He that lieth with a betrothed Maide 5. He that Coupleth with a Male 6. He that Coupleth with a Beast 7. The VVoman that lieth down to a Beast 8. The Blasphemer 9. He that worshippeth an Idol 10. He that offereth his Seed to Molech 11. He that hath a familiar spirit 12. The Wisord 13. The private intiser to Idolatry 14. The publique drawer to Idolatry 15. The VVitch 16. The prophaner of the Sabboth 17. He that Curseth his Father or his Mother 18. The Rebellious Son Now of none of these 18. did they accuse him but only of Prophaning the Sabbath and Blaspheming in calling himself the Son of God in neither of which they found no cause of Death in him For he disproved his profanation of the Sabbath by works of Charity and proved himself guiltless of Blaspheamy by his own constancy and by his Fathers Testimony His Father witnessed twice that he was his Son once at his Baptisme Mat. 3.15 Mat. 17.3 and againe at his Transfiguration at both which times a Voyce was heard from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son His own Constancy also quitted him since his first words and his last words when he died Luk. 23.34 Luk. 23.46 were Father forgive them and Father into thy hande I commend my Soul No cause therefore to stone him to death and as little cause could they find to burn him to death for none but 10. sorts were adjudged to burning 1. The Preists Daughter which committed Whordome 2. He that lieth with his own Daughter 3. He that lieth with his Daughters Daughter 4. He that lieth with his Sons Daughter 5. He that lieth with his Wives Daughter 6. He that lieth with his VVives Sons Daughter 7. He that lieth with his VVives Daughters Daughter 8. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 9. He that lieth with the Mother of his Mother in Law 10. He that lieth with the Mother of his Father in Law None of these ten did they accuse him of at all and less cause did they find of death in him to be burnt to death And less cause they had to behead him for they beheaded only two sorts of Malefactors 1. The Murtherer 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel But of Murther they accused him not nor indeed could they since he rather chose a Crown of Thornes then to exchange that of Gold for one of Lead whose embased Flexibleness might be forced to comply and bend to the various Ps 33.20 and oft-contrary dictates of any Factions nor did they accuse him of stealing any Soul of Israel Ps 36.10 since he complained the difference in Religion was the only thing that troubled him Neither of these two did they accuse him of and less cause of death did they find in him to be beheaded And less cause yet had they to strangle him For they strangled but six sorts of Malefactors 1. He that smote his Father or his Mother 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel 3. An Elder which contradicted the Consistory 4. A false Prophet and he that prophesied in the name of an Idoll 5. He that lay with another mans Wife 6. He that abused the Body of a Preists Daughter Now none of these six was he accused of and therefore no cause did they or could they find in him of death to be strangled to death And for the other six punishments they borrowed from other Nations the Cross 1 The Saw 2. The Beasts 3. The Wheel 4. The Sea 5. The Cudgell 6. They found as little cause of death in him And if you aske why they could find no cause of death in him my prima seconde will tell you and it tells you thus 1. Becauses the Hearts of Kings are in the Hands of God and Christ was a King yet and He was God too and so had his Heart in his own hands therefore Impeccable because God cannot sin for if he could he were not God And for the King that my discourse in this Anniversary and Text aimes at though he were not Impeccable because a Man yet such a man he was that his most malitious Enemies could find no cause of death in him and therefore framed or caused Petitions to be made in the Names of the Soldery and common-people to cry out for Justice that he might be killed though they could find no cause of death in him Christ the King in my Text was free from all cause of death for no cause of death but Originally Corruptions or