two sorts of Bibles in their Synagogues and accordingly did they deliver both sorts down to the Christian Church the one in Hebrew the other in Greek but though they delivered down a double text of Scripture yet they delivered not down a double Canon of Scripture as Iosephus himself doth testifie lib. 1. contra Appionem quoted by Eusebius Eccl. Hist. lib. 3. cap. 10. who affirmeth That the Church of the Jews had but twenty two books for the ground of their faith the Masorites say twenty four books counting Ruth apart from Iudges and the Lamentations apart from Ieremy and those that accounted Samuel Kings and Chronicles each two books made the number of the Canonical books of the Old Testament full out twenty seven and these books saith he were all written before the time of Artaxerxes and as for those which were written after that time as all that we call Apocrypha he tells us they had not the same authority with the others because when they were written there was not so undoubted a succession of the prophets as had been ever before 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So that though those other books came down in the Greek Bibles if at least they were in them at that time which is very questionable yet they came not down as a part of the Canon for that was the peculiar priviledge of those books alone which had been written in Hebrew or Chaldee and deposited in the ark by the prophets And indeed we do not read that the Jews would hazard their lives for any one book of all the Apocrypha but towards the Canon they were so zealously affected that as they embraced it for the Book of God so they would not be divorced from it by any terrours of man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euseb. l. 3. c. 10. It is inbred in all the Jews from their very nativitie to account their Testament the word of God to stick close to it and if need require willingly to dye for it To this Canon of Scripture it is that St. Paul here appeals calling it the Law and the Prophets for so Christ himself had called it before Saint Mat. 11. 13. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until Iohn and again S. Luke 16. 16. The Law and the Prophets were until Iohn that is they were the Canon of the Scripture until John but after that time there was to be another accession to the Canon it is clear that neither under the Law nor under the Prophets did our blessed Saviour comprize any of the Apocryphal books because none of them is quoted in all the New Testament as prophesying of Christ a truth not denied by those who stand most upon the credit of the Apocrypha for even in the Greek Bibles printed at Paris by the authority of Pope Sixtus Quintus at the end of the second volume there is an Index of all the testimonies alledged in the New out of the Old Testament and not one of them is taken out of any part of the Apocrypha But you will say if this division be good of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets what is become of the books of the Kings Chronicles Iob the Psalms and all Solomons works even of that whole third part of the Canon called by the Masorites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for in Gen. 16. 5. The Masor a divides the whole Testament into three parts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Law the Prophets and the holy writings I answer They are included in these for it is not imaginable that Saint Paul left them out of his Bible although here he doth not expresly name them and indeed the whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely sometimes the Prophets onely sometimes both together the Law and the Prophets 1. The Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Law onely as Neh. 8. 8. so they read in the book in the law of God distinctly where by the Law must be meant the whole Testament unless we will say that the Jews in their captivity had contracted the heresie of the Samaritans whom they so much hated to admit onely of the five books of Moses for their Bible 2. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called the Prophets onely as 2 Chron. 20. 20. Believe in the Lord your God so shall ye be established believe his Prophets so shall ye prosper his Prophets that is his word as it is recorded in his Book 3. The whole Canon of the Old Testament is sometimes called both together the Law and the Prophets as Saint Luke 16. 29. They have Moses the pen-man of the Law and the Prophets that is they have the written word of God or Canon of the Text. And those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those other books of the Bible are no less comprised in these two by Saint Paul then they had been by our Saviour Christ before him for indeed this was the most usual way of citing the Old Testament to call it the Law and the Prophets and there is but one place in the New Testament that seems to confirm the Masorites division of the Old Testament into the Law and the Prophets and holy writings and that we finde Saint Luke 24. 44. where our Blessed Saviour saith That all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning him where the Psalms are put for the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whereof they were but one though a principal part The sum of all is this there is a difference betwixt the substance and the exercise of Religion that they may be separated in themselves but the difference is not so great that they may prudently and justly be separated by us either in our profession or in our practise for we see plainly that St. Pauls profession and practise contain in them the very substance of Religion so that it is impossible for any man that disesteems the exercise of Religion to have any high regard or esteem of the substance of it and it is observable in the first table of the Decalogue which wholly concerns our duty towards God that as the three first Commandments concern the substance of Religion so the fourth concerns the exercise of it The substance of Religion is nothing else but the knowledge and worship of God for Abraham being strong in faith gave glory to God Rom. 4. 29. whereby we may see and must confess that faith and consequently hope and charity do glorifie God as well as worship though perchance not so publickly yet sure as cordially for they glorifie God in the inner as worship and thanksgiving do glorifie him in the outer man wherefore in these consists the substance of Religion whose work it is to glorifie God either inwardly which is commanded in the first or outwardly which is commanded in the second and third commandments I say that as the three first commandments
questioned as a faithfull keeper of the Text which she must be if the Text hath not been faithfully kept no sober man will question her as a faithfull interpreter thereof and so the Church will have authority sufficient to confute all Heresies and to compose all schisms but to deny the Text to have been preserved inviolable and incorrupt especially in the sense and Doctrine if not in the very words and titles of it is to deny the Churches faithfulness in preserving it and the Churches veracity in deriving it and consequently to deny the Churches authority in expounding it for if she hath given us a false Text how can we think she will give us a true gloss wherefore we must abhor this tenent not onely because it fills the mouth with blasphemies but also because it fills the heart with uncertainties a thing as dreadfull in Religion as detestable in common sense for every true Christian is bound to beleeve an absolute certainty of the Christian Religion and consequently that neither the authority of the Scripture may be doubted which hath given the rule of Religion nor the authority of the Catholick Church which hath derived that rule to us and is intrusted by our blessed Saviour to continue and derive the same rule to all mankinde to the worlds end Saint Luke justifies both in the preface to his Gospel where he professeth that he therefore put the Gospel in writing that Theophilus might know the certainly of those things wherein he had been instructed S. Luke 1. 4. Whence naturally follow these two inferences First that writing is a more sure way of instruction then preaching there is the authority of the Scripture Secondly That the word being written is supposed to be preserved as it was written unless we will say that Saint Luke writ his Gospel onely to instruct Theophilus but not Christians of after ages there is the authority of the Church Saint Luke makes the Gospel thus written and thus preserved the rule of certainty and how shall our ungodly or uncharitable scruples make it the rule of uncertainty CHAP. IV. That though the substance and exercise of Religion be different in themselves yet they ought not to be accounted so now in our profession and much less made so in our practice for that whosoever is not sure of the exercise of his Religion will not much regard the certainty that is in the substance of it IT is not enough for a man to set his heart to seek the Lord that he may confirm himself in the true Religion but he must also set his face to seek the Lord that others may be confirmed by him tu conversus confirma fratres it concerns not onely every true minister but also every true member of Christ and thou being converted strengthen thy brethren S. Luke 22. 32. And how could he strengthen them but by having a profession agreeable to his faith and a practise agreeable to his profession for they could not b◠strengthened by Saint Peters faith as it was internally in his heart but as it was externally in his communication and in his conversation and indeed this was the ready way for Saint Peter and is for every Christian not onely to strengthen his brethren but also to strengthen himself For though the substance of Religion is written in Gods book yet is it not written in that mans heart who hath not a tongue to profess it and a hand to practise it wherefore it nearly concerns every good Christian to be ready to say with Saint Paul be his accusers never so importunate and his judges never so unjust Acts 24. 14. But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresie so worship I the God of my fathers beleeving all things which are written in the law in the prophets A Text that joyns the substance and the exercise of Religion both together and consequently must teach us so to joyn them for as we cannot have better words for our profession so we cannot have a better example for our practise I will therefore accordingly enlarge my self upon them that our Religion may be the same with Saint Pauls not onely in substance but also in profession and in practise And I hope the Divinity will not be the worse because it is like to be propounded by way of Sermon upon a Text for ministers may now adays speak Gods truth more plainly in the apostles names then in their own and this is a truth that would be plainly spoken because it so nearly concerns the glory of Christ and the salvation of Christian souls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Saint Cyril ep ad Celestinum papam in actis concilii Ephes. pars prima If Christ be evil spoken of how shall we that are his ministers hold our peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and if we hold our peace now what shall we be able to say in the day of Judgment and clearly our Saviour Christ is now evil spoken of not onely in the holy circumstances of Religion as times places and persons consecrated to his name but also in the very substance of it in his holy word and Sacraments nay in his own most holy prayer by some men that would be thought to promote Religion in its substance whiles they discountenance and baffle it in its exercise that is to say both in its profession and in its practise both in the profession of the apostolical Christian faith and in the practise of the immediate worship of Christ. Wherefore let us consider what Saint Paul if he were present would say to these men for I will say no more then his words do warrant me and by consequent shall under my unpolished writing but onely produce his sayings as that prophet did to Iehoram king of Judah who gave him a letter from Eliah after he was assumed into heaven for Eliah was taken up into heaven in the time of Iehoshaphat as appears 2 Kin. 2. 11. and Elisha had in that kings reign succeeded Eliah as appears 2 Kin. 3. 14. where for Iehoshaphats sake Elisha regardeth the request of the king of Israel to procure water for his perishing army but this writing came from Eliah to Iehoram the son of Iehoshaphat reigning in his fathers stead after he had committed that horrid massacre upon his brethren 2 Chr. 21. 4 12. and Iunius in his notes gives this reason for it sic oportuit impium regem ab absentibus reprehendi qui praesentes non fuisset passurus Thus was it fit that the wicked king should be reproved by one that was absent who would not endure the reproofs of those that were present And R. David is of the same opinion as indeed Iunius in his Notes doth frequently borrow many expositions from the Jewish D◠not the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the allegorical but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the literal interpreters whereof Kimchi is judged the very best he gives us this gloss this writing from
Ipse omnibus major est dum solo Deo minor est 1 Sam. 26. 6. Fear God and Honour the King CAMBRIDGE Printed by John Field Printer to the University MDCLXII TO THE READER Whether Christian Un-Christian or Anti-Christian ALlegiance and Conscience are both joyned together in the Title of this Book because they are both joyned together in the true Christians heart nor is that man able to lay fast hold on conscience who is ready to shake hands with his allegiance whether he be a Jesuited Papist or a Jesuited Protestant it matters not if he hath bid farewell to his Allegiance he cannot keep company with his Conscience tell me not of your Communion with me against Anti-Christ if you will not keep my communion with Christ I desire not to be your fellow-Protestant in those things wherein I cannot be your Fellow-Christian If Rebellion be in your Reformation though it be never so pure in other things yet it still needs to be reformed in this that Rebellion is in it as therefore you say in that your Reformation hath Reformed Religion to the Creed you have a pure faith so I say must Religion reform your Reformation to the Commandments that you may have an unspotted life and give me leave to tell you that though in pretence you may be a brother of the second perhaps in time of the third or fourth Reformation yet in purity you come far short of the first as much as a Rebel comes short of a good Christian your Reformation hath thrown you out of your Religion you do not embrace the Gospel unless it be such a Gospel as the Cainites heretofore embraced 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Epiphan haer 18. such a Gospel as was taught by Judas that betrayed his master that Christian Religion which was taught by all the rest of Christs Apostles teacheth Allegiance unto Kings Christ in his own example practised it and by paying tribute would rather part with his own right then seem to oppose or question theirs 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith S. Athanasius de Incarn Christi most divinely how can you then look to be thought or called good Christians if you neither regard the word of Christ for your instruction nor the works of Christ for your imitation and the same Father in his Epistle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tels us what manner of Church-men they are which run this way saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are Spies to look into other mens livings and patrimonies and beleeve it many of them amongst us have in this kind used most exact prospectives not Bishops to look over their life and doctrine for they cared not saith he in their Ordinations to hear S. Pauls words to Timothy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Bishop must be blameless which words the Church still retaineth in ordination of Ministers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 onely think and speak high against Christ and no matter then for thy Christianity I know he speaks the words of Christ our Saviour and against the Arrians yet since the Lords anointed is rendred by the 70 Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Christ and that Translation is justified by the Apostles Act. 4. 26. 't is manifest that one who truly loves Christ cannot hate the Lords Anointed whether written in Text or in short-hand whether ruling in his Son or in his servant whether he be Christ in heaven or Christ on earth and therefore I may well take Athanasius his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Lords anointed on earth and say they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which poison mens souls with such venemous tenents against Kings they cannot be of the true Church whilest they belch out such impure blasphemies despising dominion and Speaking evil of dignities offering that defiance to their King which S. Michael would not offer to the devil and bringing railing accusations in stead of Arguments and yet S. Michael had not onely a fitter object but also a better ground for railing because his dispute was with the devil and it was about real Idolatry which he would have caused the people to commit in worshipping the body of Moses theirs with their King and Church onely about imaginary Idolatry which was and is not to be found but in their own fears and jealousies it stands not with a true Church no more then it stood with S. Paul since every true Church is but one grand Apostle or Doctor of the Gentiles of that Nation where it is to appeal to the people that 's a way to introduce though not a many-headed yet a many-hearted Religion not a many-headed Religion but rather a no-headed for such as would have no Bishops were anciently called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men without heads Niceph. l. 18. c. 45. and the Council of Ments c. 22. gives them monstrous heads if any at all saying they are Hippocentauris similes nec equi nec homines they have too much of the mans understanding to be horses and they have too much of the horses kicking and wincing to be men but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are either such as have no head or as bad as though they had none but surely 't is the way to introduce a many-hearted Religion witness our own late divisions which have produced as many Religions as men our Christian unity and verity being both banished together this is the excellent Divinity you have of late read to your disciples which is able to dash the very venome of Popery out of countenance and throw it in your own faces this is the new way you have taught the people to Truth and Peace by which they shall be sure never to come to either for if they may innovate in Forms of Religion without their King why not in forms of Law If they may change Law without him why not against him if against him why not against his life and consequently why not murther him with the sword of pretended Iustice whom God commands to honour See the High Court of Justice erected in your assembly this is your new way to truth and if the people may deal thus with their King where he is supreme why not with all other supremes whatsoever and consequently by succession and with success for ought we know why not rise against their Magistrates till the last Resurrection and put them to death till death it self shall be swallowed up But I return this placing dominion in the people for appealing to them is no less teacheth them to think they need not Christ in his Kings to rule and govern them they can govern themselves they need him not in his Priests to intercede for them they can pray for themselves they need him not in his Prophets to instruct them they can preach to themselves Was ever Christ so reviled and so opposed in all his three Offices together before Is not this fully to act Anti-Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Thes. 2. 4. to sit
nothing but what no body else can see your own holiness Come and see a Dead King ruling in his true Subjects souls whom whilest he was living you would not suffer to rule over your bodies but now he is dead you must and God grant onely you may I say you must expiate his death either with your eyes or with your hearts wash away the guilt of it either with your tears or with your bloud beleeve it all annals and among the rest some Dypticks or Church-Calenders will speak of him as a most glorious Saint but I will not tell how they will speak of you and now if you can come and call this doctrine Court-flattery which was preached not when the King was on his Throne but when he was going to the Bar and published now he is in his Grave then perchance it might have been thought Flattery when there was a Scepter to adorn it and a Sword to defend it but now that 't is so generally decried so publickly discountenanced so resolvedly detested and opposed it can be thought no other then a most divine soul-saving truth which forceth consciencious Ministers to hazard their temporal safety by proclaiming it because they see you hazard your eternal salvation by resisting it and yet to speak but the plain truth it is flattery at no time to say of Kings Ye are Gods for the Text avows it But 't is most desperate flattery at any time to say of Subjects Ye are Kings for the Text denies it and 't is not to be doubted but those men who have already flattered Subjects into Kings to make us slaves will as easily flatter those their Kings into Tyrants to perpetuate our slavery For my part this I will say boldly in regard of my calling as a Minister of the Church of England not in regard of my person who am the unworthiest of all the Ministry and I am not afraid of saying it before men because I am not afraid of saying it before God If I am deceived in this Doctrine of Allegiance and Supremacy 't is my Church hath deceived me and I humbly conceive the Church will yet further say for her self If I am deceived God hath deceived me Domine si decipimur a te decepti sumus Lord if I the now distressed Church of England or the poor Ministers who are truly of my Communion be deceived in the points of Allegiance and Supremacy 't is thou hast deceived us for we are deceived by thy holy Word and now let 's hear that Word speak for it self Eccles. 8. 2 3 4. ECCLES 8. 2 3 4. I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth what soever pleaseth him Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what doest thou ALlegiance and Supremacy do belong to Kings by the appointment and from the authority of the King of Kings 't is from him they have the right to govern 't is from him they have the inseparable Rights of Government to be above and over all which we call Supremacy to be truly and faithfully loved served honoured and obeyed of all which we call Allegiance two doctrines upon which Christians did heretofore more severely insist then other men and the Reformed Churches have hitherto more insisted then other Christians So that we cannot fall from them but we must fall both from the glory of the true Christian Religion and from the present most glorious part of that the Reformation we must turn Papists nay the worst of Papists Jesuited Papists and renounce our Reformation Doctrines both of a heavenly descent for had they risen out of the earth they would have been more agreeable with the tempers of men who had their original from thence and still have their affections there but now they are so opposite so repugnant to flesh and bloud corrupt flesh and bloud which is too proud and rebellious to endure a Supremacy over-awing it too unfaithfull and licentious to endure an Allegiance bounding and confining it that the most powerfull Doctour of the Gentiles writing of this Argument is observed to labour exceedingly for variety of expression as if his adversaries who before calumniated the weakness of his presence would now also in this calumniate the want of Power in his writings and not so much as say his Letters are weighty and powerfull though his bodily presence is weak and his speech contemptible 2 Cor. 10. 10. for though that blessed Apostle write very fully and expresly of all points of Divinity yet doth he seek out for demonstrations chiefly in these three Justification by Faith in Christ Resurrection from the dead and Obedience to the Civil Magistrate and he is particularly urgent and pressing in this latter to shew us that we ought most carefully to lay it up in our Consciences and most conscionably to practise it in our lives and conversations preparing and fore-arming the Church of Christ against those wolves in sheeps clothing those Godly seditious men which should arise after his departing and speak perverse things to draw away disciples after them Act. 20. 30. the like method did God himself observe in the Old Testament and I hope that we Protestants who take the Word of God onely for the Rule of our Faith will not at one time reject both the New and the Old Testament for least men should at any time among the Jews as stiff-necked a people as our selves either for Apostasie refuse or for hypocrisie dissemble or for timorousness conceal this heavenly doctrine which is so necessary for the salvation of souls he which before with Abraham did provide himself a sacrifice doth here with his posterity provide himself a Priest sends such a Preacher as can neither be seduced with Apostasie nor corrupted with flattery nor silenced with fear even his own holy Spirit to preach it in these words I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment c. Which words are not a Text but a Sermon concerning Allegiance and Supremacy due to Kings wherein you have these three parts First The Preacher 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I. Secondly The manner of his Preaching I Counsell I counsel thee Thirdly The Doctrines of his Sermon and they are two 1. That of Allegiance to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight v 2 3. 2. That of Supremacy where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what doest thou v. 4. I will handle these in their order and First of the Preacher in this particle I and who this I is we may learn from the first words of the Book The words of the Preacher the Son of David King in Jerusalem that is the words of Solomon without question for no other Son of David was King in Jerusalem but
mouth and honoureth me with their lips calling for a Reformation but their heart is far from me for 't is full of rebellion O my blessed Saviour do thou first preach that to mine which thou wouldest have me preach to anothers soul lest I so preach as not to convert others or so convert others as to condemn my self 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Preaching soul I counsel thee I warn thee as a Preaching sinner I counsel thee as a preaching soul I warn thee as a preaching sinner who by wofull experience know the shaking palsies and convulsion fits that proceed from sin I counsel thee as a Preaching soul speaking that from mine own heart which I would have enter into thine yet this is not all I command thee as a Preaching Wisedom uttering no other then the truths of God must also come in concerning this doctrine of Allegiance to Kings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that 's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in its other sense I command thee as a Preaching Wisedom It is said of our Saviour Christ S. Mat. 7. 29. he taught them as one having authority and not as the Scribes and the reason of his so teaching is intimated in that question of those who themselves could not teach so in that question of the Scribes S. Mat. 13. 54 whence hath this man this wisedom for Christ was indeed the the wisedom of God and this was the reason he taught in the Power and authority of God so is it with them that preach Christ whether it be as a Saviour or as a Law-giver for they who preach him but one of those two preach but half Christ the more of Gods Wisedom the more of Gods Power is in their Preaching as much as they have of the wisedom of this world whether it be in fancy or faction so much they have of weakness and impotency as much as they have of the wisedom from above so much they have of power and Authority and indeed this is the main thing pointed at in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a preaching wisedom to shew it was not Solomons but Gods Word and not so much Gods Word as Gods Wisedom and therefore not to be read or heard as the word of man but as the Word of God If we look upon this Sermon in the Text or any of the rest in the whole Book as the word of man though as the wisest of men for so was King Solomon we shall finde work for our wits to censure it if not for our wilfulness to contradict it for no one book in all the Bible hath been more upon the rack more stretched upon the tenter-hooks by all sorts of men then this but if we look upon it as the Word of God which is our duty not onely for this Sermon of Allegiance but also for all the rest contained in the Book we shall finde matter for our consciences diligently to observe and for our conversatious dutifully to practise and as concerning this particular Sermon of Allegiance and Supremacy here in these verses of my Text it hath a peculiar preeminence of perspicuity above any other in the whole Treatise so that he that runs may reade and he that reades must understand and he that understands cannot gainsay it whereas in many other doctrines of this Book there is something which through errour may be mistaken but more which through contumacy may be contradicted Insomuch as Aben-czra tells us that the wise men of the Hebrews had once a consultation of concealing this Book from their children because many things in it seemed to incline to a side or party and that an heretical party 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he instanceth in that place of cap. 11. v. 9. which though it carry much horrour in the conclusion Know that for all these things God will bring thee to judgement yet it seems to open a gap to all manner of Licentiousness in the precedent concession Rejoyce O young man in thy youth and walk in the wayes of thy heart and in the sight of thine eyes but here our preaching wisedom is so very plain that there is not so much as a seeming concession though that be indeed the strongest prohibition for the least disloyalty against Kings either in thought word or deed all three are captivated under an absolute necessity of being true and faithfull The thought v. 2 because of the Oath of God for he knows the heart the word v. 4. who may say unto him what dost thou the deed v. 3. Be not hasty c. all which must needs recommend this doctrine to our great attention for the observation but much more to our good affection for the practise of it for we cannot but take notice that this Book which was penned of purpose to shew the vanities of all things in the world hath been abused by all sorts of men to the patronage of their several vanities onely the disloyal subject never yet brought a proof from hence for his disloyalty the whole book is nothing else but Speculum vanitatis a Looking-glass for men to see therein their vanities not onely the vanities of their possessions riches and honours but also of their actions and affections and administrations and the best of those too their actions and affections in the study of wisedom c. 1 v. 12. and performance of divine service c. 5. v. 1. and their administrations even whilest they administer justice saith Tremellius upon my Text Civilis administrationis vanitatem ostendit ex abusu Tyrannico administrantium he shews here the vanities of civil Government and Administration of Justice because of the Tyranny and Oppression of those that administer it But though we can willingly grant the discovery of Vanities in the administration of Government yet we cannot finde the least pretence for resistance against that administration no more then we can for defiance of wisedom and publick devotion because of our mixing vanities with both this very book that was made to shew men the vanities of their best actions hath in many others been alledged to maintain the vanities of their worst the solitary Monk from this omnia vanitas hath erected his exemption from common Offices of humanity under pretence of meditating onely on Divinity the inquisitive Schoolman hath from hence raised his doctrine of perpetual doubting from cap. 9. v. 1. to the great discomfort and greater destruction of souls the profane Libertine hath from cap. 3. v. 19. learned to scoff at the thought of the resurrection or eternal life and the stupid worldling from cap. 2. v. 14 15. hath learned to slight the thought of death and so we might instance in many more particulars Onely the sin of undutifulness and unfaithfulness to Kings never yet from any part of this Book hath obtained so much as a seeming defence which shews that our Preacher in this matter laboured to be a Preaching Wisedom not onely to the wise and learned