towards their Kings should first desire Pilate a Judge and having obtained leave upon their desire should add to their desire endeavour and to that endeavour the act and actuall Execution to kill him it is a monstrous Murther This If it be a monstrous Murther for Servants to kill their Master If it be a monstrous Murther for Sons to kill their Father If it be a monstrous Murther for a VVife to kill her Husband why look ye here are all Subjects which are but serci Domini Regis Servants to their Lord the King Subjects which if more then Servants are but Filij Patri Patriae Sons to the Father of the Country the Kings Subjects which if more then Sons are but sponsa Marito Gentis the Spouse to the Husband of the Country the King yet these Servants these Sons this VVife desire to kill and kill their Master their Father their Husband and that which makes this monstrous Murther more then and above measure monstrous they can find no cause of death in their Master in their Father in their Husband in their King which is all In the first of these the wondea I enquire 1. VVhy there was no cause of death in him 2. If there had been cause of death in him whether they might desire to have him killed In the second The monstrous Murther I enquire 1. VVhy they desired Pilate to kill him 2. VVhat end they had in killing him I begin with the first the wonder they found no cause of death in him Pars 1. The Jews had four sorts of death in use amongst themselves 1. Lapidatio Stoning 2. Combustio Burning 3. Decollatio Beheading 4. Suffocatio Strangling Other sorts of death in number six they borrowed from other Nations 1. Crux the death on the Cross 2. Damnatio ad bestias to dye by wilde Beasts 3. Serra dissectio cutting one in sunder with the Saw These three they borrowed from the Romans 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the VVheel 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 udgelling one to death 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drowning one in the Sea They borrowed from the Greek and this they borrowed from the Greeks and Romans These severall sorts of death had their several causes of inflicting them I shall but name them 1. There were eighteen Causes for Stoning one to death 1. He that lieth with his own Mother 2. He that lieth with his Fathers VVife 3. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 4. He that lieth with a betrothed Maide 5. He that Coupleth with a Male 6. He that Coupleth with a Beast 7. The VVoman that lieth down to a Beast 8. The Blasphemer 9. He that worshippeth an Idol 10. He that offereth his Seed to Molech 11. He that hath a familiar spirit 12. The Wisord 13. The private intiser to Idolatry 14. The publique drawer to Idolatry 15. The VVitch 16. The prophaner of the Sabboth 17. He that Curseth his Father or his Mother 18. The Rebellious Son Now of none of these 18. did they accuse him but only of Prophaning the Sabbath and Blaspheming in calling himself the Son of God in neither of which they found no cause of Death in him For he disproved his profanation of the Sabbath by works of Charity and proved himself guiltless of Blaspheamy by his own constancy and by his Fathers Testimony His Father witnessed twice that he was his Son once at his Baptisme Mat. 3.15 Mat. 17.3 and againe at his Transfiguration at both which times a Voyce was heard from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son His own Constancy also quitted him since his first words and his last words when he died Luk. 23.34 Luk. 23.46 were Father forgive them and Father into thy hande I commend my Soul No cause therefore to stone him to death and as little cause could they find to burn him to death for none but 10. sorts were adjudged to burning 1. The Preists Daughter which committed Whordome 2. He that lieth with his own Daughter 3. He that lieth with his Daughters Daughter 4. He that lieth with his Sons Daughter 5. He that lieth with his Wives Daughter 6. He that lieth with his VVives Sons Daughter 7. He that lieth with his VVives Daughters Daughter 8. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 9. He that lieth with the Mother of his Mother in Law 10. He that lieth with the Mother of his Father in Law None of these ten did they accuse him of at all and less cause did they find of death in him to be burnt to death And less cause they had to behead him for they beheaded only two sorts of Malefactors 1. The Murtherer 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel But of Murther they accused him not nor indeed could they since he rather chose a Crown of Thornes then to exchange that of Gold for one of Lead whose embased Flexibleness might be forced to comply and bend to the various Ps 33.20 and oft-contrary dictates of any Factions nor did they accuse him of stealing any Soul of Israel Ps 36.10 since he complained the difference in Religion was the only thing that troubled him Neither of these two did they accuse him of and less cause of death did they find in him to be beheaded And less cause yet had they to strangle him For they strangled but six sorts of Malefactors 1. He that smote his Father or his Mother 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel 3. An Elder which contradicted the Consistory 4. A false Prophet and he that prophesied in the name of an Idoll 5. He that lay with another mans Wife 6. He that abused the Body of a Preists Daughter Now none of these six was he accused of and therefore no cause did they or could they find in him of death to be strangled to death And for the other six punishments they borrowed from other Nations the Cross 1 The Saw 2. The Beasts 3. The Wheel 4. The Sea 5. The Cudgell 6. They found as little cause of death in him And if you aske why they could find no cause of death in him my prima seconde will tell you and it tells you thus 1. Becauses the Hearts of Kings are in the Hands of God and Christ was a King yet and He was God too and so had his Heart in his own hands therefore Impeccable because God cannot sin for if he could he were not God And for the King that my discourse in this Anniversary and Text aimes at though he were not Impeccable because a Man yet such a man he was that his most malitious Enemies could find no cause of death in him and therefore framed or caused Petitions to be made in the Names of the Soldery and common-people to cry out for Justice that he might be killed though they could find no cause of death in him Christ the King in my Text was free from all cause of death for no cause of death but Originally Corruptions or
Ver. 23.24 not only in Stature but also in power and therefore the People shouted and said God save the King 3. That Contributions to maintain a War against the King are unlawful because He is to be assisted in his War and therefore they are marked cum carbone for children of Belial who brought hius no presents Certainly then they are ten times more the Children of Hell who bring presents against the King Indeed this Text within it's own Verge resolves these three Queries 1. In the Description of Rebels They are Children of Belial 2. In the Expostulation of Rebels Division How shall this man save us 3. In the Condition of Rebells the Condition Positive and the Condition Privative Positively they despise the King Privatively they bring him no presents The Result of the whole falls into these Particulars thus 1. They accounted the King as one of themselves and as one chosen by themselves and therefore they said How shall this man save us and therefore they are called the Children of Belial Had they looked a little higher and observed how God chose him out of them they would then have believed That God by him would save them because God chose him to be King over them and Protector of them 2. They looked upon themselves Aggregatim and in Conjunction and thought themselves in that Bulk and Aggregation or Collection or Representation greater then Him and therefore they despised him and therefore they are called Children of Belial Had they looked upon him as Head of that Body whereof they were Members they would have confest That neither some of the Principal Members Representatively nor all the Members Collectively had been worthy of Comparison with him and that He the King had been greater not only then any one a sunder but then altogether 3. They looked upon their Enemies how strong they were and upon themselves how numerous how copious how many how rich and therefore how well able to defend themselves and therefore brought him no presents and therefore they are called the children of Belial and therefore not only by Symbolical but also by Rational and Logical Divinity It is unlawful to contribute to a war against the King I begin with the first And the Children of Belial said How shall this man save us and of the first Question Pars. 1. resolved thereupon The King is Gods not the Peoples Creature God and not the people is the Efficient of Monarchy The Children of Belial What is meant by Belial Why as Christ tacitely tells you That there are diverse kinds of Devils when he says expresly Mat. 17.21 This kind goes not out but by Fasting and Prayer so I tell you That there are divers names of Devils or The Devil hath divers Names and this of Belial is not the best As sometimes he is called Daemon for his Knowledge sometimes Satan for his Malice sometimes Baalzebub for his Filth Belial what sometimes Diabolus either for his Defluxion and falling down from Heaven or for his Traduction and seducing of men sometimes as here Belial for his Rebellion and casting of the yoake of Obedience for contending against him as much as in him lies by whom he should and shall at last be controuled For Belial signifies Absque jugo or Absque domino a meer Masterlesse Sir Children of Belial who and how But what then Did the Devil beget these men in my Text or else how are they called the Children of Belial No the Devil cannot beget any children neither as 1. the Common Cause For so Sol et homo generant hominnem the Common Cause is the Heaven Nor 2. as the proper Cause For every thing begotten of the Proper Cause is begotten either a simili genere as the Mule that is begotten by the Horse and Asse or else a simili specie as a Child begotten by a Man but Satan is a Spirit and hath at most and best when he hath any but an assumed Body but the Child hath a Body begotten of the Father and therefore are our Fathers called Hebr. 12.9 the Fathers of our Flesh and this is proper only to a Natural Father and in this sense Satan cannot be called Father Besides every Childe so begotten is bound to honour his Father but no Creature is bound to honour the Devil Nay every Creature is bound to the contrary Nor 3. can the Devil beget Children as the Material cause For all Generation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaks the Apostle Heb. 11.11 Through faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed or as the Prophet speaks Ex commixione seminum I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of men Jer. 31.27 They are then here called the Children of Belial not by Naturall or vertuous Generation but by vitious and sinfull Immitation Joh. 8.44 As therefore Christ told the Jewes They were of their Father the Devil because they sought to kill him and be-lye him and gives this reason of it because the Devil is a murtherer from the begining and the Father of lyes so Samuel here calls these men the children of Belial i. e. of the Devil because they by his example and tentation sought to shake and cast off the yoake of obedience and therefore barely apprehended the King as a Creature of their own and chosen by themselves saying How shall this man save us and this brings me to the examination and resolution of the first Question viz. Whether God or the People be the Author and Efficient of Monarchy To this it is answered by the children of Belial 1 a. 1 ae for the People saying How shall this man This man and no more save us but by the Prophet of God it is answered for God saying See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen and now Beloved judge your selves whether it be fit to obey God or man as the Apostle speaks in another case Act. 4.19 whether it be fit to obey the children of Belial who from their Father have learnt to speak nothing but a lie or the Prophet of God who from the Holy-Ghost can speak nothing but Truth But that the falsity of this populous opinion and the verity of this Prophetical Assertion may more fully appear either to call you by Repentance to acknowledge the Truth and to do your Duty or that you may wander with more security and with less excuse to Hell I shall endeavour as much brevity and perspicuity as I can to examine this Question to the full When God first made the world He made many Angells but one man and yet God could if he had pleased as well and as easily have made and created a Company a Colony a Countrey a Kingdom a whole world of men upon Earth with his own one Faciamus Let us make as he did create so many Legions of Angels in Heaven and so might if he had pleased Gen. 1.26 have given
over them even Saul of whom Samuel here says See ye not him the King 1 Sam. 10. whom the Lord hath chosen It is still to tell us That God is the efficient of Monarchy and not the People And was it not God that afterward appointed David and after him Solomon and so of all the Kings both of the Jewes and of the Nations was God the efficient 2 Sam. 5. Prov. 8.15 if you will believe Solomons Per me for the Kings of the Jewes By me Kings Reign and Isaiahs Unctus Cyrus for the Nations Isa 43.1 where the Lord calls Cyrus his Annointed or that of Daniel for both Dan. 4 25. The most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will Mark it The Lord gives it not the people and the Lord gives it to whomsoever he will not to whomsoever the people will But soft I have here committed a great Errour and given an open way to a very fair Objection For some Monarchomachoi Objection some Anti-Royalists and Fighters against the King say People are the Author and efficient of Monarchy and they give Scripture for it 1 Reg. 12.20 The people sent and called Jeroboam unto the Congregation and they the People made him King over all Israel Yet now I think upon it again Resp this Errour of mine was not so great nor the Objection so strong but that I can fairly salve the one and easily solve the other and in Answer I confesse That the People did make Jeroboam King and that by God too But How by God and How by them Not by God Efficiente approving of it but only Permittente permitting of it and By them not Authoritate by any Authority they had acquired but Rebellione by Rebellion they had incurred Jeroboam was King indeed and indeed of the Peoples making but in Fact not in Right because not of Gods appointing further then by way of Permission God blest him not Immediatly by himself No Prophet of God annoinaed him nor was there any Ceremony used for and at his Inauguration more then a Rent Ahijah the Prophet rent a new garment in twelve pieces and bid Jeroboam take ten 1 Reg. 11.31 In all which God only punished Solomons sin but did not make Jeroboam King And what a heavy Judgment God intends that people whom he permits to chuse and make a King unto themselves the sad progresse of this Story will demonstrate and that was this in a word When they had made a King of their own why then they and their King would have a Religion of their own and to effect this They banish or silence or imprison all their old Priests and Orthodoâ—al Clergy as absolute impediments to their new intended government and by and by they take as much Anthority over God as before they took Liberty over their King and Jeroboam confesses himself to be but an Usurper though a King of the Peoples making 1 Reg. 12.27 saying This People will return unto their Lord if they do sacrifice in Jerusalem And indeed when they had made an Usurper their King their King and they made a Calfâ— their God and this sin of Idolatry stuck so close to their King and that sin of Rebellion stuck so close unto themselves that He is made an example to Sovereignty they to Subjects least if Kings do as he did and become Idolaters and worship another God or Subjects do as they did and set up another King then whom God hath placed over them the Kings become Castaways and the Subjects first Rebels and ever after Slaves You see This Objection hath done the Objector little good All that it says is God may give way to people to make an Usurper King but punishes them soundly for it and is still himself the Author of lawful Kings and the Efficient of true Monarchy And as it was in the daies of Moses so it was in the daies of Christ He would rather be without his own Right then receive it in a wrong way or from a wrong hand and therefore to let the People know That they had no power to conferr Crowns Joh. he would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would have made him King He likewise acknowledged Pilate though he were but a Deputy-King to have received his power De super from above Joh. 18. and St. Paul maintained the same Doctrine saying The Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 Not doth the Reply any way foile this truth where St. Peter saith Replic 1. Pet. 2. That that is the Ordinance of man which St. Paul calls the Ordinance of God For the same Act is often times ascribed both as well to the one as the other sometimes to the Mediate Reasons and sometimes to the Immediate Agent so it is said 1 Sam. 11.15 1 Sam. 10.1 All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King and yet in the Chapter afore it is said The Lord hath annointed thee to be Captain over his inheritance and the like is said of David They the people annointed David King over Israel and yet it is said again 2 Sam. 5.3 The Lord annointed Dauid King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 i. e. God as the Master of the Substance makes Kings and gives them their Regall power the Prophets as Masters of the Ceremonies powred on the Oyle and declared them Kings and the People as under-Officers received them into the Possession of that Right and admitted them to the Exercise of that Authority which God had given them Or you may take the Answer thus whereas St. Peter calls the Supream Power or Monarchy the Ordinance of Man there he speaks of the Final cause of Power q. d. Power the Supream power Kingship and Monarchy it self is ordained for the good peace and welfare of man not but that God is the Efficient Cause of this power as St. Paul speaks And Paraeus himself who was no great Royalist indeed no friend at all to Monarchy In Rom. 13. pag. 1327. tells us That the Authority of Kings is primarily the Ordinance of God and he answers this very Objection thus St. Peter saith he calls the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An humane Creation or Ordination not causally as if it were invented by man or brought and begotten by the Will of man or as if man were the Author of it but this he speaks 1. Subjectively because it is executed by man And 2. Objectively because it is used about the Government of humane Society And 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Finally because God ordained it for the good and help of markinde And in the close he adds The wordused by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creation ad Deum primum autorem nos rev ocat sheweth plainly That God is the first Author of it Hitherto then it