build the House of God even as themselves pleased they did not neglect that worke and fall to argue and dispute about the Kings authority or to set things in a combustion to greive the Kings spirit but they set themselves to their proper businesse and blessed God for their King Ezra 7.27 Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart to beautifie the House of the Lord which is in Hierusalem which was indeed the way to continue the Kings heart still towards them O that this wise generation were but acquainted with such piety But I returne If it be objected as 't is often in Pulpits alleadged that the people in building that Temple in Nehemiah's time Nehem. 4. did worke with their swords and speares and bowes and so did defend themselves against their enemies I answer it is true but they had the Kings leave so to doe the King was on their side Nehemiah was strengthened by the Kings speciall authority so that not they but those that opposed them were the resisters of the King 'T is worth your noting also in the sixth place how the Jewes in Mordecay's time Esther 3.10 being destined to death to please the lust of proud Haman yet because that wicked Decree was countenanced with the Kings authority his Privy Seale the Iewes durst not resist for the safeguard of their lifes and all they had they did not plead that the King was seduced by ill counsell to destroy their whole Nation as they had cause and therefore by the Law of nature they must stand upon their owne defence no the people of the Lord were not acquainted with any such devices they prayed put their trust in their God who never failed them and he brought it so to passe that against the day came Esther 8.11 they had the Kings leave and authority to draw their swords in their owne defence which else they durst never have done as is plainly evident in the story 2 Sam. 9.1 Truly Sir those phrases of Scripture When Kings goe forth to Warre and What King going forth to Warre against another King do plainly speak to my conscience Luke 14.31 that the power of wageing War either offensive or defensive is onely in and from the King who alone is inabled of God to warrant men in such a way wherein whosoever goeth without the Kings approbation is not allowed of God and if so then sure the Lord will never say Well done good and faithfull servants to them that goe in that way against the Kings command yea and against his Person But Sir I will not weary your Spirit with the quotation of too many Scriptures of this nature contradicting resistance I shall onely therefore remember you of two more and then conclude this particular also one is Act. 23. you cannot deny Act. 23.3 4. but when Ananias commanded Paul to be smitten it was a command contrary to Law for the Text doth so affirme it hee had no ground but his owne will to offer that violence and yet how doth the Apostle checke himselfe for his but ignorantly speaking an unbeseeming word against him and alleadgeth Scripture against himselfe it is written thou shalt not speake evill of the ruler of the people and if that word Ruler did comprehend Ananias I am sure it includes the King and if not an unbeseeming word to such a one then sure not a resisting action against a King which is farre more unbeseeming if you say Saint Paul was a private man but what is his example to a publicke State or Parliament I answer a publicke State consists of private men besides the Title of volunteer which they that walke in this way of resistance are called by doth speake to my apprehension that the Parliament doth not command any to run upon their owne damnation Rom. 13.2 by going this way but leaves it to every one 's owne free will and so in effect all resisters are but private men and without offence be it spoken I thinke Saint Pauls example in a matter of this nature should be more prevalent with a Christian then the very command it selfe if such a thing were of a whole Parliament Lastly let the example of our Master and Saviour Jesus Christ never be forgotten by us who when apprehended in the Garden would not suffer Peter to use his sword in defence of him against authority but told him Hee that smit with the sword against that should perish by the sword of that and yet if you well consider it I beleeve you will confesse that that authority was rather guided by Will then Law in that particular action nay and our Saviour addes too that he was strong enough to have defended himselfe had it beene lawfull for he could have had twelve Legions of Angels with a word speaking yea the whole course of the proceedings against our Saviour was illegall for what Law was there ever that an innocent person should be delivered to the will of his accusers to be crucified yet the text sayes of Pilate Joh. 19.16 that Tradidit Jesum voluntati eorum it was mouth and malice onely that prevailed yet our Saviour made no resistance it cannot be said that he was then onely as a private man for sure at that time he was of all that ever was the most publike person also if it be said but his case was particular I answer true but our Saviour did not sinne in the manageing of it as for ought I see he must have done if he had omitted any thing that had beene lawfull and necessary and such if we will beleeve it is defensive resistance against the personall and illegall commands of a Governour Besides I doe not see how Christ can be freed from the imputation of unfaithfulnesse if this doctrine of resistance be so lawfull and necessary a thing for the preservation of a Christian Church and State the matter being of such grand importance that he did not leave some expresse and plaine warrant for it No no Christ was faithfull in all things righteousnesse and peace truth and love humility and obedience met all in him let his wayes onely be acknowledged safe and good and ours confessed to be dangerous and ungodly Thus good Sir you have my Scriptures against resistance from which with many others of like nature I doe conclude That to the Prince his personall command as well as to his legall I must yeild mine active obedience if not against the revealed will of God or else submit with patience to the penalty that shall according to pleasure be inflicted or lastly I may flie for mine owne safety if I have not a sufficient measure of suffering grace And I doe conclude that by Gods Word resistance is utterly unlawfull in this case and that no man from thence can have a sufficient ground for his conscience to go in such a way And now Sir I could
fame and credit to my sufferings as well as mine owne Innocency and their malice is the more observed with wonder at their successe and favour with some Members in the House of Commons because some six weekes before they complained of me to them divers of these my persecuting neighbours whereof the debauched Drunkard was one had convented me before the Justice of peace for omitting the Crosse and Surplice urging the worthy Gentleman to his admiration to inflict the penalty of the statute upon mee for the same when as notwithstanding at that time in other places to other persons they did raile upon mee for using the Common prayer booke at all which soone after they rent in peeces And lastly another reason of this my usage hath beene alleadged by a Member of the House to be this The King saies he turnes out those Ministers that be for the Parliament and we must provide for them and how should we so do but by turning out those that be for the King but I beleeve His worship was misinformed of His Majesty for unto that day I cannot yet heare though I have inquired that the King had sequestred any living or turned any Minister out perhaps some whose Consciences accused them for preaching treason and sedition did run away when His Majesties forces approached and in pity to the peoples soules so forsaken some might be appointed by His Majesty to preach unto them But such wrongs upon such grounds unto the Kings Subjects that are peaceable and loyall will make men see and beleeve what hath beene foretold them by their Soveraigne and to further that worke had I another Living I hope I should be content to loose it And now my Christian Brethren and friends you have heard also the reasons of my trouble persecution judge in your secret thoughts betweene mee and my enemies I hope I never gave occasion of scandall to the godly wise I am ready to give an account of my whole faith I tooke occasion from a conference with Master Marshall to publish my judgement in the case for which I suffer that I might give satisfaction to you all and that you might see I have some reason for my dissent from him and some others of my brethren I dedicate it as to him in particular so to you all in generall from whose hands I begge foure things 1. That you would not thinke the worse of that High and Honourable Court of Parliament for any of my sufferings nor interpret that any word in these succeeding Sections is intended against the same I have professed before it and so I do now to you and to the world that next to Christ and the King I judge my selfe bound in duty to endeavour the honour of it I neither do nor dare in conscience attribute the wrong that hath beene done mee to the major part of that part which is now sitting onely this I say some particular members who as men being seduced by ill Counsell have beene the Instruments of my unkind neighbours thus to abuse mee whose sinne God pardon and whose hearts God in mercy turne 2. That you would beare in mind that this publication of my faith judgement in the case is the Consequent of my troubles indeed occasioned by them for I have suffered and therefore do I speake this I request to the end you might be witnesses for me if afterward out of these following lines somewhat should be picked wrested and alleaged as the cause of my sufferings for I observe that 't is the custome of these times by doing wrong to urge men to complaine and then from their expressions to get some colour for their former evill doing against them when my selfe did first appeare before the Committee my charge was onely of a Sermon preached the Lords day after I had beene voted a Delinquent 3. That you would not thinke my present flight to be a relinquishing of the cause I never balked to appear upon the least intimations untill now that power was put into the hands of my raging Enemies which for ought I know was to kill mee indeed it was threatned before as was evidenced upon oath before a Justice that I should be cut off as not being fitting to live whereupon I went to that Member who was the Cheife instrument of my trouble and desired of him that I might be brought rather to suffer for this cleare truth of God in publicke as the Martyrs in Queene Maries dayes did which I hoped God would enable me to endure that I might glorify him by my death then be murdered in private as I was threatned he indeed made a tush at mee and said there was but one man that had said it But I am by Gods grace of the same minde still when ever I may in publicke give testimony to this truth of God I will not keepe in secret 4. My Christian friends I desire of you in the last place that I may not fare the worse at your hands because I have fared so ill at the hands of others the world's custome is to judge of men according to it's owne usage of them though Christ was more afflicted then other men The Apostle tels us that to you is given not onely to beleeve but also to suffer and if God gives suffering grace he will surely send afflictions for the exercise of it indeed the times are evill but we must not say so seculo premimur gravi quo scelera regnant the world goes ill when sin reigneth but remember non est ad astra mollis è terris via through many tribulations we must go to Heaven invisa nunquam imperia retinentur diu this world will not last alwaies egrediemur tandem we shall be freed from all our sorrowes at the last the merits of Christ will make amends for all and in the meane time if the example of these my sufferings may any way be serviceable unto you my Christian friends I shall rejoice the more in them I am not mine owne I am Christs nay I am yours by Christs appointment who hath ordained his poore Minister blessed be his name not onely to preach the crosse of Christ unto you but also to carry it before you I beg all your prayers for strength from him to whom I commend all you even to our onely wise and omnipotent God who will turne all things in the end to our everlasting good to whom be praise and glory for ever Amen Your Brother and friend in Christ Jesus E. S. March 28. 1643. THE SVMME OF THE SEVERALL SECTIONS 1. THe King being the Supreme Magistrate hath immediate dependance upon God to whom onely he is accountable Pag. 2 2. The Title of the Lords Annointed is proper and peculiar to the King p. 4 3. Royall Birth is equivalent with Royall Vnction and speakes the best Title to a Kingdome p. 6 4. The Precedency and Priviledge of Monarchy p. 7 5. Authority is a sacred thing and essentiall to the
escape a curse for rather then such a sinne should goe unpunished God shall inable a bird to reveale it as that Text further teacheth 2 Sam. 6.16 We all know what a curse God laid upon Michal for despiseing the King in her heart and how they are called men of Beliall 1 Sam. 10.27 who despised Saul in their hearts when God had elected him but they whose hearts God had touched honoured him sayes that Text. Sure I beleeve that our duty is to thinke of the King whom God hath set over us 2 Sam. 14.19 2 Sam. 19.27 as of an Angell of God for excellency as Davids Subjects did of him and to endeavour too that others may have the same thoughts of him I have reasons for my faith in this particular Prov. 21.1 Prov. 16.10 1. God gives Kings speciall spirits and he undertakes in a speciall manner to guide and order the Kings heart and to direct his mouth 2. God hath honoured a King above other men and we are bound to submit our thoughts to Gods to concurre with him in exalting him most highly whom God so exalteth 3. A Prince is Pater patriae the father of the Country yea and of the Church a nursing father and children must both have themselves and indeavour to worke in each other a reverend esteeme of their common father A good Subject neither can nor will see or beleeve any thing dishonourable of his Sovereigne should he be where he might behold a nakednesse or a weaknesse he would shut his eyes and not see it so farre would he be from acting Chams part in discovering it unto others 4. A King as I conceive him is the most excellent Image of God in the world and the most glorious Christ was God Man and Mediatour in all which respects he hath his Image amongst us Every true Christian is the Image of Christ as Man every true Minister of the Gospell is the Image of Christ as Mediatour and accordingly ought to approve himselfe but a Christian King is also the Image of Christ as God and as so is to be reverenced and esteemed by us He is the Image of Christ as Judge and Governour of the world of Christ glorified whereas every other Christian is onely the Image of Christ crucified a King is also the Image of Christ as he shall come whereas we are onely Images of Christ as he did come Christ came at first in the shape of a servant was humble to all subjective to the Civill Magistrate did not resist his will though contrary to Law and like him herein I beleeve must all Christians be of what ranke soever as such under the Supreame they must be meeke and lowly patient when contemned and if providence so order that they be delivered up to the will of the people their most deadly enemies for no cause as Christ was against all Law of God or Man like him they must make no bodily resistance against Authority But when Christ shall come the second time he shall appeare after another manner viz. clothed with Majestie and Glory as a Judge and Ruler as the high and lofty one that inhabiteth Eternity nor will he yeild himselfe then to be despised and abused as he was before no more will he I beleeve long suffer those that beare his Image in that respect to be contemned in the meane while verily I doe beleeve it is the most high and transcendent boldnesse that can be imagined to abuse or slight in the least degree the Image of Christ as Judge as God Surely it is the duty of Soveraigne Kings to remember in what sense themselve are Christi imagines above other men that so their lookes may be answerable to their dignities for the chasing away evill from others and the preventing of contempt unto themselves But if a Prince shall be so gracious as to deny himselfe sometime in respect of his greatnesse and as Christ at his first comeing did lay aside his glory for a season to converse more familiarly with his people for their good shall he being most highly adorned with the sweet Spirit of the Gospell and the conditions thereof meeknesse patience mercy affability and the like rather delight to appear to his Subjects as Christ a Saviour then as Christ a Iudge as Christ hath done then as he shall do I thinke his Subjects have no reason to esteeme more meanly of him for this or to say from hence we will not have this man to reign ouer us but unlesse they be of the Pharisees stampe they will have a more high reverence and love toward him if not they deserve by him to be accounted rather Enemies than Subjects and as they in the Parable were to be handled accordingly Indeed I believe that as the best Christians so the best Kings in this world are liable to persecution both of hand and tongue in regard of that Image of God which is upon them when the insurrection of evill doers had driven David from his royall City then did Shimei's mouth also open against him to the enlargement of his sorrowes we know the Scripture tels us that the nature of the self advancing Bramble when he is gotten up is to be most spightfull against the Cedars of Libanus Iud 9.15 the most eminent in grace or place Holinesse alone cannot defend a Prince from ill usage it rathers make him obnoxious unto dangers preserve me O Lord for J am holy said that Holy King Ps 86.2 Yea as among inferiours so among the chiefe the best inclinations are most opposed the sweetest natures most abused by Satan and his Members whose main endeavours are to blunt if possible the edge of goodnesse to stop all wayes of discovering or dispensing love to prevent Subjects from their full tasting of that grace which is intended towards them by their Sovereigns Experience shewes in many places that when Enemies have slandered right intentions their labours are to force the doing of something which may put a colour of truth upon their scandals they will drive a man if they can into such streights that if God do not help from Heaven he must at length by a kind of necessity be constrained to step into that disclaimed path whereof at first they did seem to prophecie And this God permitteth sometimes for a season to be done even to Princes themselves that he thereby might have occasion more evidently to declare himselfe their saving strength in upholding and delivering them and in subduing their people under them as also that the Eminency of fortitude wisedome meeknesse and those other graces which himselfe hath planted in a King may be manifest to the encouragement of his Subjects under their particular Burdens If we look unto Iesus with the eye of faith upon our Soveraign with the eye of sense Heb. 12.2 and consider both how they have endured the contradiction of sinners we shall not be wearied or faint in our minds but shall runne with
to death they for walking in the way of resistance and I for practiceing the duty of obedience they had not rather be in my case in respect of the cause of suffering then in their owne If any of you would but in earnest aske your consciences this question I dare say it would tell you that your way were not the way of God 2. This your way destroyes the whole Law of God Destructive to the whole Law of God It becomes us who are Gods Ministers entrusted with his holy truths to be faithfull unto every one of them all Gods commands ought to be equally deare unto us when time was you were all faithfull to the fourth Commandement You did runne well who did hinder My conscience tells me that the fifth Commandement being upon the stage of persecution must be as pretious to me now as the fourth was then and if Gods will so be I must be as willing to suffer with and for that though alone as I was before in behalfe of the other with your company Nay Sir as the ruine of one Jew would not satisfie Hamans malice his aime was at the destruction of the whole Nation so 't is not the death of the fifth Commandement onely that the unruly and bloudy Genius of these times thirsts after it desires rather as may appeare the extirpation of all insomuch that if ever we had cause to cry 't is time for thee Lord to worke for thy have made void thy Law we have cause now For consider doth not the first Commandement require us to acknowledge onely one God and him alone to be omnipotent most blessed and of an unerring spirit and yet have we not many that would make a certaine peece of the Parliament Gods equall in these Attributes doe they not intitle it the most blessed infallible omnipotent and wonder-working Parliament for my part I doe as truly honour the Parliament in a compleat sence as any poore Subject in England and being rightly congregated and joyntly compacted of Head and Members I thinke it not fit for any inferiour to imagine it to erre in matters of State and yet even then it may in matters of God for there is no Scripture that I know to the contrary I love the Parliament so well that I had rather die then be one of them that provoke God to such jealousie against it as I feare they doe that call it by his names of omnipotent and unerring and most blessed I have read what God did to the Spanish Navy in 88 that had the title of Invincible and how the Pope and his Church have gone downe the winde since Infallibility hath beene affixed to his Chaire by his flatterers I have read also how the good King of Sweden did truly presage his owne death when he saw the people begin to give him more honour then was due to man Act. 12. and Scripture tells us how God smote Herod with wormes because he tooke to himselfe from the peoples hands that honour which was Gods due nor do I see how that part of the Parliament hath greatly prospered to the benefit either of Church or Common wealth since those high and divine titles by its adorers have beene given unto it I have much wondred that among the late plenty of Ordinances there hath not beene some one to inhibit people this Blasphemy and Idolatry doubtlesse it affords suspicion of little true love to the first Commandement So is not reverence in Gods House and Service with a due regard to his Ministers in the execution of their office required in the second Commandement as well as Superstition forbidden and yet we see 't is counted ranke Popery to be more reverend there then other men and want of zeale not to abuse Gods Ministers yea prophanenesse and misbehaviour in Gods worship and opposition to his servants are reckoned by some the best Characters of Religion I dare affirme it from what I have read and now see that no people in the world not they that worship the Devill himselfe are so rude and unmannerly in their actions of this nature and to the Ministers of their Religion as some of ours are at this present and yet there is no Law to punish them nay all Lawes are taken away as they say that were wont to restraine them sure if this be so 't is a making void of the second Commandement And concerning the third we have those and they in favour too that not onely thinke it lawfull for themselves to breake those oathes which they have formerly made in the presence and name of God but also having as may seeme as good a faculty as the Pope to dispense with the breach of them in others and teach and exhort others thereunto as a thing necessary so it be in ordine ad causam as the Jesuites speake to promote the good cause Surely Sir I am much deceived if this be not the highest contempt that can be offered to the third Commandement if God were in earnest when he made it hee will never hold them guiltlesse that doe such things against it And for the fourth I wonder how that of late hath lost the favour of some of them who foure or five yeares agoe were ready to venture all they had to maintaine the dignity of it did they onely endeavour to preserve it till now that it might perish with its fellowes or are all kinde of revellings or sportings no sinnes on the Lords Day because they are acted in this yeare of Jubilee these blessed dayes of liberty as they are called nay are mustering of men when there is no enemy nigh plundering of men murdering of men on the Lords Day no violations of the Day it seemes so for some of us on that day can exhort to nothing else Surely Sir from preaching for and approbation of such doings some will be ready to say that we Ministers indeavoured onely to preserve the fourth Commandement heretofore that our selves might destroy it now and our feare onely was lest any should be injurious to God beside our selves And for the fifth Commandement is there any thing required in that which this generation will acknowledge as a duty any thing forbidden therein which it will yeild to be a sinne the Author of the late exhortation to repentance published to the whole Nation doth instance in no one direct breach of the fifth Commandement to be confessed on the fast day indeed all bonds of duty and relation are preached asunder to make way for liberty the Subject may not onely resist the King saies the Weaver that is set up to preach in my Church but also kill him in some cases and so the wife may kill her husband and the childe may kill his father and Surely Sir if such preachers and Doctrines must be forced upon a Ministers people in spight of his teeth I must needs feare that treason is hatching against the fifth Commandement we must bid farewell to that very shortly And
truly He must pardon me if I endeavour to satisfy Gods expectation before his for I am more beholding to God then I am to him Last of all though I could instance in as many more particulars the endeavours of the Papists have beene chiefly to suppresse the most honest men that have beene in judgement differing from themselves to defame and abuse them that the world might thinke that they did deservedly suffer those further cruelties which they would afterward inflict upon them And is not this the practice of those that are for this new way of resistance yourselfe know's if you remember who told mee that because I was an honest man I did more hurt to the cause then an hundred knaves and therefore I was liable to suffer accordingly and so I thinke I have since that time for after my imprisonment and five more journeies upon new calls and by Pursevants unto London when it was apprehended I would not recant My living I know not wherefore was sequestred a stranger put into it my wife and children threatned to have the house beaten downe over their head unlesse they would resigne up all to the will my drunken and malicious adversaries who have power put into their hands to take mee and carry mee prisoner to Cambridge or otherwise to abuse mee as they shall please and thus the Papists did with the Martyrs of Christ nay thus Pilate dealt with Christ himselfe tradidit Jesum volvntati eorum saies the spirit he delivered Jesus to the will of those that most maliciously cried out against him and this is my comfort in mine affliction my conformity to my Master And in the point of defamation these new way men are fully as dexterous as the Papists for on the suddaine they can do that against a faithfull Minister which the devill in many yeares was not able to effect scil make him a scandalous Minister by casting iniquity upon him or by ranking him in that number whereby hee becomes farre more odious in the judgement of the vulgar then if by his owne sins and Satans temptations he had made himselfe such a one indeed and hereby is discovered the greatnesse of their power but indeed Gods omnipotency is discovered another way namely by turning evill into good and by drawing a beautifull world out of a confused Chaos 't is true I confesse they have a tricke to make evill men good too upon the suddaine for let those that were scandalous before but speake for this warre and urge people to lend money and persist in this way of resistance why on the suddaine all their former faults appeare to be but imperfections or 't is concluded for certaine of their conversion and you may see will they say how Gods blessing goes along with the Parliament there was never heard of such admirable Converts and of such floats of them in the daies of the Prelates by which kind of expressions I feare Gods name is rather blasphemed then truly honored Sir I could undertake to evidence unto you that all these and many such waies the Papists and Iesuites walke in therefore I say whoever promoteth this new way doth thereby introduce Popery and manifestly breakes his Protestation which for my part I dare not do Thus reverend Sir you have seene diverse of my reasons why I cannot go with your selfe and my brethren in this your new way I apprehend it to be against God destructive to his Law inconsistent with the Gospell contradicting the practice of Christianity opposite to the calling of our ministry contrary to common prudence to humanity to nature and to reason to our oath of Allegiance and our late Protestation so that I hope you will thinke from these grounds that my dissent from you is not because I am given up to the spirit of madnes as some conclude And now deare friend do not blame me if I wish your returne unto my selfe into that good old way wherin we formerly walked together in which onely you did Christ good service for by your stepping into this new way I can assure you that both Christ and you have lost though the cause hath gained Sir let me beg of you againe as before by my private letters I have done and even for Christ his sake that you would deny your selfe and speedily put forth your strength to prevent what in you lies the ruine of this Noble Nation that bred and fosterd you you were wont to be ready to every good worke and motion and you cannot imagine what good your returne might do I dare say it would recall many of our Brethren what if the rageing Genius of the times should imprison you and divest you of your outward subsistence as it hath done me yea what if it should shed your bloud for your revolting from it and rebuking of it it would be both Christs gaine and your glory If your Conscience tells you that you have too highly offended your King know that your Soveraigne is the Image of your Saviour in meekenesse and mercy O helpe to make up that great breach which you have unadvisedly beene a meanes to widen betweene him and his people your aime at first was as I hope Gods glory and the purging of his Church your unhappinesse was to pitch upon the wrong way wherein you have gone beyond your selfe and purpose O confesse it and come out of it and the good hand of the Lord shall againe be with you and upon you And for the Parliament sake whose reputation next to Christs glory and the Kings honour I am bound to regard I would begge one thing at your hands wherein I thinke you may do as much as any one man and that is that you would solicite the same that your Brethren of the Ministry who are in tribulation for preaching the truth of Jesus and obedience to their Soveraigne may not be dealt withall as John Hus was at the Councell of Constance of whom it was said Combustus est non confutatus Hussius burnt but not confuted so that we might not be condemned unheard and unconvinced that some particular Members who doubtlesse as men may be seduced by ill Counsell might not be suffered in the name of the whole Parliament to turne out of their Livings Gods painfull Ministers with their wives and children upon the malicious information of some beastly drunkard I am credibly informed that when my Living was sequestred and a stranger put in and my selfe forced to flie for the safety of my life and my house threatned to be beat downe upon my wife and children unlesse they with my aged parent would quietly depart they knew not whither and resigne it up unto my enemies even some of them my adverse neighbours had some regret of spirit at this great injustice and said if he meaning my selfe had offended the Parliament yet what hath the poore woman and her tender infants done Beleeve it Sir this is not for the honour of the Parliament You know how the