whither to go on all occasions whether for the asserting of their Rights or reparation of Injuries Their proper recourse is to the KING as Supreme or to those that are Commissioned by him and these are to judge their Cause according to the LAW of the Land which is the common Standard of Justice among private Men. It has been the manner indeed and perhaps is so still in some Nations that where Princes find a Cause too hard for them to decide they give the Parties leave to end it in a Duel between themselves But this being an Appeal to God is most strictly forbidden to Subjects in all well-order'd Kingdoms And this very Usage shews that they have no Right to it otherwise but only by their Princes permission For Sovereign Princes their Rights and their Injuries are inseparably join'd with those of their Kingdoms and Nations And therefore they cannot pass by Injuries as private Men may for Peace sake they must insist on those Rights with which God has entrusted them for others more than themselves it is not only their Interest but their Duty so to do But all Princes being equally concern'd in this matter what if a Question should arise between any two of them or what if one should invade the unquestionable Rights of the other There is no ending the difference between them in the way of private Men for they have no earthly Superior to flie to they have nothing to do with one another's Laws there is no adjusting of their Damages and Costs Private Justice hath Scales to weigh out these things but publick Justice has none Therefore Princes must have some other way to come by their Rights or else they are in much worse Case than private Men. But what Way should that be by which Princes can be oblig'd against their Wills to do Right to one another It must be by such a LAW as they all agree to and by such a JUDGE as is their common Superior Such a Law is that which we call the Law of Nations being made up of such Customs as are observ'd among Princes as our Common Law is made up of those that are observ'd in this Kingdom And for that common Superior it is God alone who styles himself the King of Kings and Lord of Lords But as by the Law of Nations the Way that Princes have for the ending of those differences among themselves which cannot be ended otherwise is by War So this as hath been already shewn is an Appeal to God it is the Way that Princes have to sue one another in his Court. And he has therefore given them the Power of the Sword that they may use it not only in Judging their own People but in going to Law with other Princes This confirms that which has been said already that Subjects have no Right to make War without the leave of their Princes For as God has given Princes the Power of the Sword so he forbids it to Subjects under a great Penalty They that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword And if he has not admitted them to be Parties in his Court then it is certain that they cannot sue there or if they do they can acquire no Right by it There is an Original Nullity in all their Proceedings As none have right of making War but they that are in Sovereign Power so neither is it given to them that they may make what use of it they please Particularly they must not make War for the satisfying of their Lusts Ambition Covetousness Vain-glory or the like He that troubles an earthly Court of Justice upon any litigious or trifling Account ought to be condemned in good Costs But if it appear he comes thither to defraud or to oppress and that with a Colour of Justice he must look for greater Severity How much more ought Princes to dread the just Judgment of God if they presume to Appeal to him for no Cause or for such as he hates and abhors Nay the righteous God will not hold him guiltless that hath Justice in his Cause and yet in his Heart hath no such thing Lawful things must be done lawfully This Princes must look to as they will answer it to God 35. But as far as Man can judge it is a Lawful War that is made for a just and sufficient Cause which is the third Thing we are to consider To make a Cause just in strictness of Law a very small matter may suffice For no Man hath right to do another the smallest Injury any more than he hath to do him the greatest And Princes have no other way than by War to right themselves for the least Injury But if they are so tame to pass by the smallest Injuries it will tempt ill-minded Men to go on and to do greater These and many other things may be said to make it seem reasonable that Princes should insist upon the rigor of Justice But after all this we must remember we are Christians and Christ hath given us other measures of Justice according to which even Princes ought to govern themselves He hath taught us to soften the rigor of Justice with a Temperament of Goodness and Equity And therefore not to run to Extremes for the righting of any small any tolerable Injury § 36. Especially War that is such an Extreme as a wise and good Prince would not run into if he could with a good Conscience live out of it But that he cannot do without the leave of other Princes that do not consider it with so great an Aversation They may make it Necessary for him to defend his just Rights which he cannot forego without wronging his Conscience They may force him to it if they will with insupportable Injuries They may bring things to that pass that the dangers of Peace may be worse than the mischiefs of War are like to be If it once come to that that there is more danger in sitting still than there is like to be in the hazards of War then it is time for them to draw the Sword to whom it is given And to do it first if they can to prevent the danger of doing it too late afterwards They may do it Se defendendo as well against great and imminent danger as against open actual Invasion They may do it in defence of another King's Subjects if they see themselves in extreme danger of suffering an intolerable Injury by his Oppression of his own People And in these Cases if one Lawfully may then it is certain he ought to do it There needs no Scripture for this it is the plain natural Law of Self-preservation They are so much the more oblig'd to this when it is evident that the threatning mischief is like to fall upon others as well as themselves and them such as they are bound in Honour and Conscience to protect and support When by sitting still they should certainly
A DISCOURSE of God's ways of DISPOSING OF KINGDOMS By the Bishop of S. ASAPH Lord Almoner to THEIR MAJESTIES A DISCOURSE of God's ways of DISPOSING OF KINGDOMS PART I. By the Bishop of S. ASAPH Lord Almoner to THEIR MAJESTIES King Charles I. Works p. 711. in his Letter to his Son With God I would have you begin and end who is King of Kings the Soverain disposer of the Kingdoms of the World who putteth down one and setteth up another Publish'd by Authority LONDON Printed by H. Hills for Thomas Jones at the White-Horse without Temple-Bar 1691. TO THE READER HAVING had the honor to preach before their Majesties on the fift day of November last and afterward to be commanded by Them to print my Sermon which contain'd many things concerning the late Revolution I humbly crav'd leave to put my thoughts into another form wherein I might not only say those things more at large but also prove what I had said in that Sermon knowing I could do it by such Authorities as would be sufficient to clear me from that charge of Singularity or Novelty which hath been too liberally thrown upon others that have preach'd or written on that subject I know I am not better then my Brethren that have been thus us'd and therefore I expect to be treated no better then they have been But I think I have taken a Course to prevent the bringing of any charge against me on that head It will appear that I have deliver'd no other Doctrin then that which has been receiv'd and past for current in the Church of England ever since the Reformation And I hope it will be some service to that excellent Church to shew that what some have reported of her Doctrins hath had no other ground but the mistakes of some of her Sons who tho excellent men and such as our Church may justly glory of upon other accounts yet I must needs say have judg'd too hastily of this matter and seem to be too jealous of themselves for fear some wordly consideration should strike in with those second thoughts that would make them judge otherwise We are not to answer for the private Opinions of all that are or have been of our Communion But God be prais'd we may safely stand by the Doctrins of our Church and the most approv'd Writers thereof They are those that I have endeavour'd to set forth in this following Discourse While we adhere to them it will be for the honor of our Church that as it hath been always accounted the Bulwark of the Protestant Religion and prov'd it self to be so most eminently in the last Reign so it will appear to be the only unshaken strength of this Monarchy especially by the encouragment it hath now under their Majesties Government which I beseech God long to continue to his Glory and the peace and prosperity of these Kingdoms THE CONTENTS OF CHAPTER I. 1. THE Occasion of Psalm LXXV pag. 1. 2. The Scope of the Words vers 6 7. 1. 3. I. That Power is from God 2. 4. II. That he gives it Judicially 3. 5. The Heads of the following Discourse 4. 6. Of the Institution of Government 5. 7. Of the several sorts of it 6. I. Of God's Conferring it on Persons 1st Immediately 8. I. In the Patriarchical times 7. 9. 2. In the Jewish Theocracy 9. 10. 3. In their hereditary Kingdom 9. 11. 2dly Mediately by the Peoples consent 10. 12. 1st On Account of Merit 11. Thus especially on Founders of Nations 11. 13. On first Planters 12. 14. On Restorers and Deliverers 12. 15. 2dly On Account of Favour 14. 16. In the first Elections of Kings pag. 14. 21. In the hereditary Successions from them 15. 22. In Elective Kingdoms 16. 23. In Free States 16. 24. II. Of God's Transferring it from one to another 17. 25. That this is the Act of God 18. 26. By giving one a Conquest over the other 19. 27. That God doth this Judicially 21. 28. I. By way of Judgment on King or People 21. 29. Particularly on Kings 23. 29. For neglect of Government 23. 30. For Oppressing their People 24. 31. This is Just and necessary 25. 32. II. By way of Justice for 27. 33. 1. War is an Appeal to God 28. 34. 2. It is proper to Kings 29. 35. 3. 'T is lawful when they have Just Cause 33. 36. Great danger makes it Necessary 34. 37. Especially when also Religion is concern'd 37. 38. When Religion is opprest in another Kingdom 39. 39. Example of this in Queen Elizabeth's time 42. 40. Especially where it is settl'd by Law 45. 41. 4. Such a Cause makes a Just Conquest 49. 42. And that Conquest gives Right 50. 43. Doubted when the Cause is certainly unjust 55. 44. No doubt when the Cause is certainly Just. 58. 45. A doubtful Cause is enough for the Prince in Possession 59. 46. The People◠ought to be satisfi'd with this 61. 47. But much more when they see a certain Just Cause 33. 48. When the Cause is for their sake it is to them not a Conquest but a Deliverance 66. A DISCOURSE of God's ways of DISPOSING OF KINGDOMS Psalm LXXV verses 6 7. For Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge He putteth down one and setteth up another § 1. THIS Psalm was compos'd by David as I take it considering the State of Affairs that was immediatly after Saul's death When as it is here ver 3. the Land and the Inhabiters thereof were dissolv'd and even ready to fall but that David bore up the Pillars of it § 2. Then being in the nearest prospect of the Kingdom he called to remembrance what he had formerly said what warnings he had given to those Fools and wicked men that laid about them in Saul's time as if there would be no end of it I said to the fools deal not so foolishly and to the wicked lift not up your horn Do not bear your selves so high as it seems they did on that unhappy King's Favor Do not boast your selves of the power you have to do mischief That 's the common use of Power when it comes in the hands of Fools and wicked men § 3. To teach them better David shews whence it is that Power comes into Mens hands and upon what terms they are to hold it These two things the Psalmist shews in the words of this Text. First for the true Original of Power This in David's time all men took to be from Heaven but from whom there many knew not The Eastern Nations who were generally given to Astrology took it to come from their Stars and especially from the Sun which was the chief Object of their Worship The Psalmist tells them No. Promotion cometh not that way Neither from the Planet's rising nor setting nor from its exaltation in mid-Heaven That 's the meaning of the words from the East nor from the West
expose not only themselves to be ruin'd but also their Friends and Allies to perish with them in that Case Saevitia est voluisse mori it is a sort of bloody Peaceableness it is cruelty to Mankind to go to that degree of suffering Injuries § 37. But especially when the Cause of God is concern'd to whom we owe all things and ought to venture all for his sake Surely 't is his Cause when it touches Religion which is all that is dear to him in this World And tho' Religion it Self teaches us if it be possible as much as in us lyes to live peaceably with all Men yet as 't is there suppos'd there may be Cause to break the Peace so it adds infinitely to that Cause when it comes to concern our Religion I do not say that Religion is to be propagated with the Sword No nor that Princes may force it on their own Subjects much less upon other Princes or their Kingdoms These are things we justly abhor among those inhumane Doctrins and Practices by which Popery has distinguisht it Self from all other Religions We have the more Cause to abhor it for the sake of a Prince that is the very Scandal of Popery that hath not only exceeded all Heathen Cruelty in the persecuting of his own Protestant Subjects but even forc'd a neighbour Prince to give him Game in his Dominions His butchering the poor Vaudois was barbarity beyond all Example We have reason to believe he would have hunted here next His Dogs had been upon us ' ere this time if God had not wonderfully preserved us God preserve us still from Kings that have that way of propagating Religion § 38. Yet it may be a Question whether such Tyrannies being used on the account of Religion give a just Cause of War to other Princes of the same Religion I speak now of Persecution in such Countries where their Religion is not established by Law It is certainly true which the Apostle says We are all Members of one and the same Body and it is the duty of Members to have the same Care of one another and whether one Member suffer all the Members suffer with it or one Member be honoured all the Members rejoyce with it It is true that Christian Princes especially as they have the charge of that part of Christ's Body that is in their own Dominions so they ought to extend their Care and Compassion to their Fellow-Members elsewhere But whether they ought to concern themselves for them so far as to make War on their account against their Kings by whom they are persecuted nay whether they may lawfully do this is a doubt that may deserve some farther Consideration The Christian Emperors seem to have made no doubt of this For they made War sometimes for no other Cause but that of Religion against such Kings as persecuted the Christians in Their own Dominions Sometimes when they had other Causes of War they preferr'd this before all the rest which certainly they would not have done if it had not weighed much in their Opinion Of them of the Roman Communion there hath been enough already said to shew their Opinion of this Cause They that are for propagating Religion by the Sword cannot but think it a just Cause of War against any Prince that he persecutes those of their Religion We have a notable Instance of this in Cardinal Pool who was one of the moderatest Papists of his age and yet writ a Book wherein he prest it most earnestly upon the Emperor Charles V. as his Duty to give over his War with the Turk and to turn his Arms against King Henry VIII for oppressing the Catholicks in his Dominions Pope Pius V. whom they have lately made a Saint was as earnest with the Emperor Maximilian and with the Kings of Spain France and Portugal He would have them all make War against Queen Elizabeth for persecuting his Catholicks though she never touch'd one of them till that Pope had forc'd her to it by stirring them up to Rebellion against her with his famous Bull of Deprivation § 39. For the Opinion of Protestants in this matter we have it sufficiently declared in the Reign of that excellent Queen who made War first or last against all the Popish Princes in her neighborhood for persecuting the Protestants in their Kingdoms And herein she was not only justified by the Pens of our greatest Lawyers and Divines but she had also the approbation and assistance of our Parliaments and Convocations It appears she was the rather inclin'd to do this by a Jealousy of State for which there was an evident Cause in those Popish Doctrins before-mentioned For she knew that those Kings accounted her and her People to be Hereticks as well as they did their own Subjects whom they used so very ill for no other Cause but because they were of her Religion And therefore she had Reason to fear that when they had done their Work in the destroying of that Religion at home in their own Kingdoms the same blind Zeal acted by the same Principles would bring them hither at last for the finishing of their Work or as some have worded it since for the rooting out of the Northern Heresie This was such a danger that if she had suffer'd it to grow upon her it had been a betraying of her Trust which she could not have answer'd to God And yet there being no way to prevent it but by making War upon them in their own Kingdoms this ought to be accounted a Defensive War and that made upon very just Cause as hath been already shewn We have Reason to hope that all Popish Princes are not under the Power of those Principles But yet when any of them persecutes his Subjects that are of another Religion beyond the standing Laws of his Kingdom they cannot expect that other Princes which are of that Suffering Religion can be so confident of this as to stand idle and look on and not rather when they see the danger comes towards them to defend themselves from it if they can by beginning a War in that Prince's Dominions § 40. There is yet a greater Cause for this when the Suffering Religion is that which is establisht by the Laws of that Kingdom and yet the King that is sworn to those Laws and therefore bound to support that Religion is manifestly practising against it and endeavours to supplant and oppress and extinguish it What should other Princes or States that profess the same Religion do in this Case They see that such a King is set upon the destroying of their Religion He hath declar'd a hostile mind towards the Professors of it in judging them not capable of enjoying their Temporal Rights If he deals thus with his own People what are Forreigners to expect at his hands Can they think themselves secure because they are at Peace with