brothers righteousnesse free him from subjection but Abâ—ls desire must be subject unto Cain as the Elder and Cain by Authority rule over Abel as the younger So that here two things are delivered One That the First-borne hath the condicion of a superior The other That the younger hath the state of an Inferiour and both must keepe their owne Concerning the first Primo geniture even by the Law of Nature and by the Law of God hath a twofold priviledge Regni Sacerdotij of outward rule and command as a King of inward direction and guidance as a Priest Thus Iacob intimates in Reuben Gen. 49. Reuben my first borne c. Thou hadst the excellencie of Dignitie and the excellency of Power The excellency of Dignity that is the order of Priest-hood in the Church The excellency of Power that is the state of Soveraignty in the Common-wealth Now because every house is a little Citie as every Citie is a great house therefore the first borne was a petty King over his brethren and as a Bishop or Priest to the whole family And for this cause God appointed the first-borne Duplicem haereditatem a double portion of inheritance answerable as it were to his double dignity and preferment Cain then being Elder then Abel was his Superiour by birth and in this superiority was promised to continue albeit by sin he might seeme to have lost it From this point much might bee observed and I could bee large in it but I neither desire to offend you nor doe I delight to wearie my selfe May it please you briefly to observe with mee these three points First that Superioritie of on man over another is the very ordinance and appointment of Almightie God so that by him the greatest is set to rule the lesser appointed to obey even by him I say that made them both for as neither the soule alone nor bodie alone can make a man so neither the Soveraigne alone nor the subiects alone can make a Common-wealth whereall will rule there is no rule and where none doth rule there is all misrule Therfore hath God ordained an order and chiefly in all things The blessed Angels know their thrones and the Saints their seats The Heavens have their Orbes and on stâ—r differeth from another star in glorie The Planets have their placâ—s and the Elements theirs look among the creaturs and you shall finde the Lion to have the preeminence among the beasts the Eagle among the Fowles the Whale among the Fishes among the Serpents the Basyliske Ther 's a Bell-weather in the flocke ther 's a Captaine among the Cranes a Governour among the Pismires a master Bee in the Hive and the Grasse-hoppers goe out in bands and shall we admit of no Order among reasonable men Cujus jussu â—â—mines nascuntur hujus jussu Reges constituuntur It was Divinity in Irenaeus his time He that made men made Kings and to them he gave a superiotity over oâ— her men The powers that are saith Saint Paul are ordain'd of God Again observe from hence that sometimes a wicked man is appointed to rule and a good man sit under to obey here in Cain the King is wicked in Abel the Subject good So it was in the Primitive Church the Christians were good subjects but Nero Domiâ—ian Juliaâ— bad Princes But observe in the third place that it is not the wickednesse of the Prince that can deprive him of his temporall jurisdiction nor the goodnesse of the subject that can exempt him from his allegiance Both are cleare in Cain and Abel to whom is promised continuance of their states each his owne place after most unlike merits and deserts This David knew of Saul a bloudy Buâ—cherly barbarous Prince that so eagerly hunted after his life to take it yet he not a private man but one appointed and annointed by God to raigne in his stead was so farre from hurting him when God had delivered him into his hands in the Cave that his heart smote him when hee had but cut off the skirt of his garment and the reason he gives for it is because hee was the Lords Annointed What should I speake of Nebucâ— aduezzar King of Assyria who wasted all Palestina plundered Jerusalem put out the eyes of the King slew his Sons burnt the Temple tooke away the holy vessels and defiled all places with rape â—uine and bloud and yet for all this his unmatched cruelty and impietie the Prophets Ieremy and 〈◊〉 wrote to those Captive Jewes whom he after his glut of butchery had led into Chaldâ—a to pray for the prosperity life of him and his sonne Belstaâ—r that their dayes might bee upon the Earth as the dayes of Heaven and the Prophet 〈◊〉 doth both blame and threaten Zedeâ—iah for his disloyalty in revolting from him though a heathenish tyrant whose homager and tributary he was What of Saint Paul and Saint Pâ—â—er who lived wrote their Epistles and died Martyrs under the Raigne of bloudy Heathenish and Athiesticall persecutors Yet saith one of them Let every soule bee subject to the Higher pâ—â—ers not every body but every Soule our subjection must not be forced but be free and voluntary comming from the soule And the other Submity 〈◊〉 selvâ—s to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sâ—ke to the King as supreame I could abound both with examples and testimonies taken out of the Word of God if those holy writings were of any credit in these â—â—yes I am sure the Christians in the Primitive Church learned from them that the Tyraâ—â—ie Atheism and prophannesse of their Princes was not a sufficient cause for them to thrust them out of their Empire yea remembring Saint Pauls precept even to resist being offended and therfore they spent their time according to Tertullian in praying for them that God would give them Imperium 〈…〉 prolixam donium securam exercitus fortes A safe Empire a long life a quiet house a valiant army and this they did not out of feâ—re because they wanted strength away with that devillish glosse but meerely out of Conscience because they knew their subjection to be Gods Ordinance For the government is not mans but Gods it is not Earthly but Heavenly and Kings are in a manner deified while they are upon the earth and that by Gods owne Vote too Dixi Diiestis I have said yee are God saith he and aâ— of you are children of the mâ—st High Gods in â—itle though not equall in power God hath given them His Name though not His Nature and upon the Earth they serve in Gods stead as may appeare by that of the Queene of Sheba to King Salomon Blessed be the Lâ—rd thy God which delighted in ther to set thee upon His Throne that thou mayest be King for the Lord thy God Their kingdomes are given them by God the most High ruleth in the
kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Dan. 4. Their Thrones are appointed them by God Reges coâ—â—ocat in soliâ— hee placeth Kings upon the Throne he doth establish them for ever and they are exalted Iob 36. By God they sway their 〈◊〉 and doe instice by me Kings raigne and Princes decree iustice Pro. 8. Their crownes are set upon their heads by God Thou settest a growne of pure Gold upon his head Psal. 21. They are annointed by God I annointed thee King over Israel 2. Sam. 12. Their Kingdome is Gods their throne is Gods their scepter is Gods their crowne is Gods their annointing Gods and their royall persons adorned with all these are so divine and sacred that they themselves are the angels of God and 〈◊〉 of the most high And therefore hath God given a speciall charge concerning them Nolite tangere Christos meos touch not mine annointed It is not ne tangite but nolite tangere wee must be so farre from doing it that we must not have so much as the least will or inclination to go about it Nâ—lite taâ—gere Yea say he bee a tyrant for manners and a heathen for religion all is one hee is Christus domini the Lords Christ then whom none is greater then Christus dominus the Lord Christ himselfe he must not be touched And as from God he receives his power so for the good or bad administration thereof he is to be accoâ—â—table onely unto God and not unto any mortall creature And for this cause were Kings annointed with oyle to signifie their supremacy for the oyle will still be uppermost and for this end it may be God would have the first king hee set over Israell to be higher by the head and shoulders then all the people for the head being the place of policy the shoulders of strength and power doe shew that no policy nor power should be above him He may justly claime the commendation of Iohn Baptist for surely among them that are borne of women there hath not risen a greater And therefore Kings are called higher powers the Heads of the tribes the children of the most high a Deo priâ—â—us post Deum secundus reckon not God and the King is the first but count God and Hee is the second Nothing in all created nature is more great more excellent not the high-priest for he is his servant as Abimelech confessed unto Saul 1. Sam. 22. not Saint Paul that great and glorious Doctor of the Gentiles forstanding at Caesars judgment-seat he confessed that there he ought to be judged and to submit himselfe to his censure Act. 25 Nay not Christ himselfe as he was man for he gave tribute unto Caesar and denyed not but that the power of Pilate was given him from above In a word who knowes not that this is one of his royall titles supreame judge over all persons and in all causes over all persons be they who they will be be they who they can be who may say unto him what doest thou Ecclesiastes 8. 4 who of the Priests who of the Peerees who of the People who but He that put him in authority Almighty God And as he is supreame Iudge over all persons so in all causes whatsoever defend the preservation of your liberties of your estates of your lives nay of religion it selfe He is supreame in all causes the cause cannot be so just as to deprive him of his supreame power I could multiply proofs out of Scripture to confirme this truth take one for al wch may stand as one in a third place of Arithmatick for a 100 they are the words of our Saviour Christ Mat. 26. when he was betrayed into the hands of the Iews behold one of theÌ„ that were with Iesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and strook a servant of the high-priest and smote off his eare what cause could bee more just then to defend the person of our most blessed Saviour yet see how hee was rebuked for his pains Then said Iesus unto him put up again thy sword into it's place for all thâ—y that take the sword shall perish with the sword how so why because it was drawne without the consent of the Magistrate to whom Christ himselfe did acknowledge subjection so then this was the doctrine of the Prophets of the Apostles of the Primitive Christians yea of Christ himselfe therefore for my owne part till there bee a new bible made or all these places raced out of the old one I am resolved by the help of God to live and dye in this opinion But what say the Iesuites to all this their divinity is that it is not lawfull for Christians Tolerare Regem infidelem aut haereticum to suffer a King that is an infidell or heretick to live but to take him away with all speed and heresie we all doe know hath a large extent with them if he doe but crosse the Pope any thing will serve to make him an hereticke and then he must downe And if you tell them of Saint Paul and Saint Peter that these were of another minde Salmeran very mannerly tells you againe Blanditur Paulús imperatoribus sicâ—t Petrus in priore suâ epistolà and Peter and Paul be both a couple of claw-backs they do nothing else in those their sayings then flatter and cogge with the Emperours that then raigned but St. Peter nor St. Paul need not care what such men say it is well known their tongue is no slander for they would be as ready to say as much of Christ himselfe if he stand in their way And would you thinke it There are such another sect in the world who though they look divers wayes yet like Sampsons foxes they hold together by the tayle and carry fire betwixt them to burne up Church and State Read but over the prophane writings of Knox and Bucanan and you shall finde how mightily the devill hath prevailed in the hearts of them who would have bin accounted great professours of religion theâ—r language is such as wouâ—d â—care a very atheist and 〈◊〉 him sweare to abandon all religion namely that minister may excommunicate Princes and they being by excommunication cast into Hell are not worthy to enjoy life upon the earth That if Princes 〈◊〉 against God his truth their subjects are free from their oath of allegeance that God hath appointed the nobility to bridle the inordinate appetite of Princes and in so doing they cannot be accounted as â—esisters of authority That it is the duty of the nobility to suppresse the rage and insolency of Princes and that the people have power to bestow or take away the crowne at their pleasure having no respect to birth-right to succession to propinquity of blood at all You fire-brands of strife you trumpets of sedition you red horses whose
to inflict vpon them This was that which God by the mouth of Samuel told the Israelites before hand 1. Sam. 8 After he had admonished them what heauy what open injustice they should endure vnder some of their kings he concludeth yee shal cry out in that day because of your King the Lord will not hear you as if he had saâ—d ye shall grâ—â—an vnder your burden but you shall haue no power either to shrink from it or shake it off I but the people of England are not like the children of Israâ—l they for their disobedience were made slaues unto their Gouernours but we are a free nation I have Lawes to be ruled by let the King say what he will God be thanked that we can tell now what is lawfull and what not It was not so from the beginning for in the first Heroicall ages it is evident the people were not governed by any positive Law but their Kings did both judge and command by their word by their will by their absolute power without either restraint or direction but only of the law of nature but because it grew both trublesome and tedious for all the people to receave their right from one man as Iethro advised Moses therfore were laws invented and officers appointed to execute the same under the supreame Magistrate I but our Kings are bound to observe the Lawes as well as we They take an Oath at their Coronation to do nothing thereunto repugnant if they doe They shall finde that there is law for Them as well as for others which is as if in direct terms they should say thus much Sir Kings whilest our heads were under your girdles we were content to be obedient to your commands because we had no way to helpe it but now we have gotten the winde of you and made you sweare that you will not transgresse the lawes established we tell you plainly the case is altered you hold your crownes meerely at our courtesie and are indeed no other then Lievtenants Generall we have the power upon your mâ—sdemeanour to keepe you up or to put you downe Prophane men Is Christian Religion become a meere polecy doth the word of God change and vary with the times are Gods ordinances alterable according to the wilfulnesse of the Giddy multitude was it death in former times to disobey the ruler of the people and may he now with Acteon be chased nay worried by his owne hounds May the Lords Lievtenant the Lords Annoynted be kept in or easte out of state at the pleasure of his subjects Is he become of worse condition then the Lord of a Mannour then a parish Priest then a poore School-master who cannot be thrust out by any under their charge O my soule come not thou into such secrets But what if the king do at his coronation take an oath that he will be are himselfe regardfull of the accomplishment of the lawes established doth he in so doing conditâ—â—â— restraine himselfe or his authority should he not be King if he did not take that oath Surely yes onely it is his gracious pleasure to make an honourable promise that he wiâ—l endeavour to discharge his duty which promise he it bound to performe by the lawes of conscience and state yet if hee doe not his person onely is hereby affected not his authority the one is tyed and bound in honour the other is in force though performances faile The promise of the Prince is free and voluntary hee need not have made it except he had would yet being made his duty in performing it is necessary duty I call it onely in respect of God before whom he sware but to us it was a princely exceâ—â—ency and an act of grace But is not the King then subject to the law as well as others â—rifler to the directive part of the law he is but not to the coactive part of it as thou wouldst have it as the law is the rule of justice and the line by which both Prince and people must be guided so is the Prince subject thereunto but as it is an instrument which the Prince useth in ruling of the people so is the King free and not subject to it I come now to unburden your overwearied patience with a briefe conclusion by way of application to these present times If a bad Prince must be honoured submitted to and obeyed out of conscience then how much note a good one with all readines If it be wicked and bloody tyrants due how much more is it required from all men to godly and pious Princes under whose peaceable and religious Governement the gospell of Christ is cherished learning advanced factious spirits supprested wholesome lawes enacted the bond of unity maintained and our very goods and lives preserved It was a passionate and pathetical speech that Saint Ambrose hâ—d uâ—on the death of Gratian and Valâ—â—tinâ—an two famous Emperours Percussa eras ô ecclesia in uná maxiâ—â—â—um amitteres Gratianum pâ—aebuisti alteram maxillam cum Vaâ—entiniâ—â—â— creptus est 〈◊〉 â—taque non in unâ sed in utrâque maxiâ—â—â— lacrimae tibi sunt Thou wert smitten ô poore Church on the one cheeke when thou lostest Gratian thou turnedst the other cheeke when Valentiniâ—â— died justly therefore hast thou teares not on one but on both thy cheeks I may say â—t truely of this Chuâ—ch of England she had a blow on the one cheek when famous Elizabeth died the suffered on the other checke when good king James was taken from us and just cause had we to have wept with both eyes had not these wounds bin healed by the comming of our most gracious Soveraigne King Charles for whom let us give God thankes and think our selves as happy in him as any nation in the world is in their Prince indeed hee is set as a sparkling gemme in the ring of this round world not to be paraleld by any or all the princes of the earth for his piety and uprightnesse towards God for his temperance and sobriety in himselfe for his mercy and clemency to his people Prolong ô God the Kings life and his years as many generations give him ô Lord the desire of his heart and deny him not the requests of his lips prevent him with the blessings of goodnesse and set a crown of pure gold upon his head â—ebuke the company of speare-men the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the People till every one Submit himself with PIECES of SILVER Scatter thou the people that delight in warre But let the soule of our Lord be bound up in the bundle of life let his glory be great in thy salvation honour and majesty do 〈◊〉 lay upon him give him everlasting felicity and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance as for his enemiâ—â— cloath them with shame but upon himselfe let his crowne flourish