Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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A41764
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The Grand question resolved, viz. a king having protested to defend to the uttermost of his power, the true Protestant religion, with the rights and liberties of all his subjects but if they, fearing that he will violate this his protestation, take up arms to prevent it, what may be judged hereof?
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1681
(1681)
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Wing G1509; ESTC R7816
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9,125
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18
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Supreme Ruler and God's Vicegerent upon Earth XV. The wisest King being taught by the King of Kings teacheth thus The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon whoso provoketh him to Anger sinneth against his own Soul If any Subjects take up Arms again their King are they not hereby likely to provoke him to great anger And hereby raise up a great Fear whereby to terrifie themselves And is it no sin thus to provoke a King XVI The King of Israel spake thus to Benhadad Let not him that girdeth on his Harness boast himself as he that putteth it off When Subjects raise War against their Prince it 's probable they are confident of Victory else why should they take them up And if they be thus Confident let them Remember what Ahab said to Benhadad and so much the more let them do this because many wise and Godly Learned Men affirm that Subjects ought not to take up Arms against their Sovereign and why should the Counsel of wise Men be utterly rejected as not fit to be our Counsellors XVII When King David purposed to march forth in Battel against his Rebellious Son Absalom his Loyal and Loving Subjects spake thus to him Thou shalt not go forth and why Because say they Thou art worth Ten thousand of us Would not David's Subjects willingly permit him to go forth to Battel and will any Subjects go to Battel against their King Was David worth Ten thousand of his Subjects and durst any go forth to Battel against him who if he should be slain and it is too probable in such a Case he may shall not a King's Blood cry as loud for Vengeance as the Blood of Thousands of Subjects XVIII Those that dare adventure to wage War against their Sovereign may be too ready to censure and perhaps to condemn all those that be not so forward in this action as themselves and if they thus censure and condemn what Answer can they frame to those Questions which God proposeth Who art thou that judgest another Mans Servant which I conceive may not be unaptly interpreted the Kings Loyal Subject to his own Master he standeth or falleth Why dost thou judge thy Brother Or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ And then it will appear whether those that take up Arms against their Sovereign or those that refuse are in the right XIX Our Blessed Saviour was so desirous to shew all due respect unto Caesar that for the expressing thereof he wrought a miraculous work there being at his Command to Peter a Fish taken out of the Sea in whose mouth was found a piece of Money which he commanded to he given for Tribute And did our Saviour work so miraculously because he would not offend against Caesar and shall not all good Subjects rather chuse to suffer any indignity or loss than to omit or do any thing which damnifie their King And when Arms are taken up against him is he not damnified and dishonoured XX. There be three Commandments which God hath joined together and they are thus delivered to us My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them which are given to change And what is said in Scripture elsewhere A threefold Cord is not easily broken If then the true fear of God and of the King and therewith a settled Resolution not to meddle with them which are given to Change be all twisted together and treasured up in our hearts and if in our Lives we express a fruitful practice of them then is indeed evidenced our Sonship to God unto whom he giveth these three Commandments whereof if one be broken the other is also violated for he that feareth not God how doth he fear his King or abstain from them which are given to change He that feareth not the King how doth he fear God or take care to keep his Commandment namely to fear the King and not to meddle with them which are given to change Or he that is given to change how like is he to that God which changeth not or like to a good King which Ruleth by his Constant known Laws Therefore if Subjects rise up in Arms against their Liege Lord and King are they not likely to break one of these Commandments And if we fail in one Point of God's Commandments do we not thereby incur the guilt of breaking all XXI The Holy Ghost doth rectifie the Hearts and Practice of all Loyal Subjects towards their Kings saying Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Rom. 13.2 And who was Emperor at that time when this Direction was given Was it not Claudius that Prophane Infidel and cruel Tyrant much more then should all Christian Subjects forbear to take up Arms against a Christian King who by reason that he is a Christian King is therefore much more to be honoured and obeyed than those wicked and profligate Emperours Claudius or Nero or Julian the Apostate and yet the Christian Souldiers who were more than the Heathenish would not resist him And why may we not believe that they were so temperate and obedient because they had learned and purposed by God's grace to practice that which followeth in the fifth Verse of the same Chapter Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but for Conscience sake They would not provoke a wicked Emperour to wrath and their own Conscience being instructed by God's Word taught them thus to do XXII By me Kings Reign saith God God himself not only setteth the Good but wicked Kings upon their Thrones It was God that gave the Scepter to wicked Saul and David would by no means molest him in his Government much less undertake to War against him in hope to wrest the Scepter out of his hand Is it Christian wisdom to fight against God's Ordinance For such Warriours in effect fight against God and if we enter the lists with God are not we like to lose the Victory XXIII After that King David had committed those two gross sins of Adultery and Murther observe in what manner he maketh his Confession before God for them Against thee thee only have I sinned Against thee only saith St. Ambrose because David was a King and was bound to no Law for a King as the same Author addeth and with him many Reverend Authors concur that a King is not bound over to Punishment by any Law but is set flee from them by his Sovereign Authority Therefore Nathan the Prophet admonisheth David to expiate his Sins before God Almighty by humble Repentance and lively Faith but he denounceth not the Law against him whereby to inflict on him the Legal punishment of an Adulterer and a Murderer herein he left the whole Matter to God's own disposement Whosoever then presume to fight against their King and by this affront do attempt no small punishment both of his Mind and Body are they perhaps the more forward
Lusts that war in your Members There is a Lust or lusting after Profit Pleasure vain Glory whenas too many Men are ready to speak as Jehu did Come with me and see my Zeal for the Lord of Hosts And what is the issue and event of such eager thirsting desires Believe God in these Words of his Ye Lust and have not ye kill and desire to have and cannot obtain Ye fight and War and yet have not because ye ask not ye ask and receive not because ye ask amiss that ye may consume it upon your Lusts And whether or no Subjects taking up Arms against their King be a rectified Zeal let them consider and prove for it a Warrant from Gods Word which are so perswaded Let us but observe the Oath of Allegiance the Tenor whereof is thus for Word I. A. B. do truly and sincerely acknowledge profess testifie and and declare in my Conscience before God and the World that our Sovereign Lord King Charles the Second is Lawful and Rightful Heir of this Realm and of all other his Majesties Dominions and Countreys and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority by the Church or See of Rome or by any other mans with any other hath any power or Authority to depose the King or to dispose of any of his Majesties Kingdoms or Dominions or to Authorize any Forreign Prince to invade or annoy him or his Countreys or to discharge any of his Subjects of their Allegiance and Obedience to his Majesly or to give License or Leave to any of them to bear Arms raise Tumults or to offer any violence or hurt to his Majesties Royal Person State or Government or to any of his Majesties Subjects within his Majesties Dominions Also I do swear from my Heart that notwithstanding any Declaration or Sentence of Excommunication or Deprivation made or granted or to be made or granted by the Pope or his Successors or by any Authority derived or pretended to be derived from him or his See against the said King his Heirs or Successors or any Absolution of the said Subjects from their obedience I will bear Faith and true Allegiance to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the uttermost of my Power against all Conspiracies and attempts whatsoever which shall be made against his or their Persons their Crown and Dignity by reason or colour of any such Sentence or Declaration or otherwise and will do my best endeavour to disclose and make known to his Majesty his Heirs and Successors all Treason or Traiterous Conspiracies which I shall know or hear of to be against him or any of them And I do further swear that I do from my Heart abhor detest and abjure as impious and Heretical this Damnable Doctrine and Position that Princes which be Excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be Deposed or Murthered by their Subjects or any other whatsoever And I do believe and am in Conscience resolved that neither the Pope nor any Person whatsoever hath power to absolve me of this Oath or any part thereof which I acknowledge by good and full Authority to be lawfully administred unto me and do renounce all Pardons and Dispensations to the Contrary And all these things do plainly and sincerely acknowledge and swear according to the express words by me spoken and according to the plain and common sence and understanding of the same words without any Equivocation or mental Reservation whatsoever and I do make this Recognition and acknowledgment heartily willingly and truly upon the true Faith of a Christian so help me God Thus in conclusion may we end with this Assertion that Popery is the worst Enemy to Monarchy and amongst Protestant Subjects Papists have most certainly been the instruments of sowing the seeds of discord in an unwearied endeavour to raise in the Mind of the Prince a disaffection to his People and in the Mind of the People a prejudice against their Prince the better to accomplish their cursed By and selfish Ends. Therefore let us unanimously pray to God to instruct the Mind of every King with Wisdom not to hearken to their cursed Devices and also of all Subjects not to be deluded to the dishonour of their God hurt of their Prince and ruine of themselves to any unnatural Rebellion against their Natural Lord and King But to conclude if so be any Prince should command any thing contrary to the Divine will as revealed to us in the Scriptures Which should we obey God or Man judge ye But doubtless though Paul would refuse in that case to yield active obedience yet not passive so as not by force of Arms to resist his Prince And therefore let us have the Christian prudence viz with a rectified Conscience and unbyassed inclination duely to weigh these propounded Reasons and Quaeries and the Natural and Scriptural inferences thereupon deduced that we may become Gods true servants and the Kings truly Loyal Subjects FINIS