lawful And some usurpers have been brought to condign punishment therefore the same course is to be taken with lawful and legitimate Kings because Lybnah is said to have revolted frm the King of Judah because he had forsaken the Lord therefore if Kings fall off from God 2 Chron. â—1 20 their Subjects may fall off from them Although the genuine sense is this God punish'd the King of Judah with the revolt of his people yet that revolt in the people was a sin Whether the Prince be good or bad it matters not as to our duty of obedience 'T is true when Kings are good our obedience is the more cheerful and willing Eccles 10.17 Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenness Yet where Princes are oppressors and ungodly our obedience may be the more heavy and clogg'd with discouragements but such obedience in things lawful is the more acceptable to God As the subjection of servants even to froward Masters commends them more than though they were good and gentle Pet. 2.18 Many of the first Emperours were Heathens and after they were converted to Christianity they were Arrian Hereticks yet they were faithfully obey'd by Orthodox Christians Had God set no better guard about Kings than to have lest them to the censures and judgment of the people whether they ought to be obey'd or not who would not rather spurn than court a Crown well might the Vine and Figtree in Jothams parable refuse that office They would be but ridiculous Gods who are at the mercy of their votaries God never put the Image of his own power upon them to be raz'd out at the pleasure of the people Therefore 't is observed that God hath signally plagued those wrongs which have been done to his vicegerents Funestus fuit ille Armus that was an unlucky time accompanied with a deluge of miseries when the power of Kings was taken away in Rome and Consuls set up And in our own Annals we read that after R. 2. Austin do Civit. dei l. 3. c. 16. was depos'd their followed a War wherein an hundred thousand English Men were slain Such progedies portend black and cloudy events Certe violata potestas Invenit ista does numerous sacrifices must fall to expiate the blood of one King who being alive was worth ten thousand of us We must pray for Kings that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives Our happiness is wrapt up in theirs A King is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very foundation of the people carrying all his Subjects upon his back The Persians after the death of their Prince forbare some few dayes to enthrone another that the confusion and anarchy which was too evident in that interval might make them love their King the better all his reign We have no cause to disquiet Kings by envying their Grandure especially if we consider their great care and sleepless nights for our good Cyrus thought the life of an Herdsman better than of a King and that it was easier to govern brute-Beasts than men And Tiberius in Sueton told his friends they little knew Quanta bellua esset imperium what a terrible Behemoth an Empire was Aeneae fidus Achates Achates â—â—om 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 grief let 's not requite our King who was a King of as many joys as he was of prayers and sorrows with such unkindness as not to renounce the lawfulness of taking up Arms against him and altering the Government of Church and State establish'd by and under him So we shall but renew his former labours and rub upon that wound which was so lately healed Lib. 10. Pâ— 16. This is to turn our Hosanna's into Crucifiges For my part what Lactantius said of Constantine the same shall I say of our Soveraigns restauration Ille dies felicissimus or bi illuxit quo illum Deus summus ad beati imperij culmen evexit That was the happiest day which ever shone upon our Olbion Salva Roma Salva patrio Sal vus est Germanicus when this Sun brake forth out of those Clouds wherein it was mantled I pray my Brethren beare a part with me in this following Author Salva Anglia salva patria Salvus est Carolus I cannot chuse but recount with sadness of of heart the subjects of some conferences I have had with persons of no ordinary quality who were engaged in the late War When I told them I have no other Divinity warranted from Scripture but prayers and tears And that Whatever the King commands me which is not contrary to the great Charter of the Word of God I am bound in Conscience to obey If be command any thing repugnant to Gods revealed will I must obey him still though not actively in doing what he commands yet passively in submitting to those penalties which he shall inflict upon me they told me they had been acquainted with other doctrine And who were the preachers you may easily guess I do even tremble to consider that any should profane the pulpit poyson the air or which is worse the hearts of men with such seditious and devilish doctrine Such Sermons go down smoothly This is to swim with the tide of mens corrupted hearts 't is no wonder that Watt Tylar and Jack Straw gathered together such an incredible rout against R. 2. since they had John Ball an excommunicate Priest to be their Chaplain who threw the fiâ—â—rands of rebellion amongst the people who are prepared like tinder or Gunpowder to catch at such wild-fire Just so those two Doctors Sha and Pincher quickly rais'd and excited R. 3. against H. 5. Mens ears are too open to receive any Tragical complaints concerning their Governours Sheba's Trumpet is pleasant musick to that great beast the common people They hearken with both ears to detractions and calumnies against their Governours That they are tyrannical Bishops are Antichristian Popery is comming on apace The Gospel is adulterated Justice is obstructed Profaneness is countenane'd What Hurricanes will these beasts raise men are sick of things present and long for change there fore they have a forward saith and affection 〈◊〉 what conduces unto variety It is easter to 〈◊〉 turn and destroy more in a day than can be built in an age Such tares are so connatural to the ordinary soyle that they will start up in a moment therefore upon this account Mahumetanism and Popery grew so fast because they were commensurate to mens carnal hearts 't is grace alone which must check and choke these luxuriant weeds and season men with better principles For as natural men are prone to approve of Plato's Common-Wealth or the doctrine of the Nicolaitans which God hates in suffering their lusts to run riot in a promiscuous and exorbitant manner without any inclosure or distinction of persons So such as are sensual who never had the wind of Gods spirit winnowing them
before he stood in competition with Matthias and a good Casuist gives the reason Ordination is an external Rite Baldwin P. 1040. and no Sacrament therefore it may be itarated or repeated Were not many in these late times married by a Minister and afterwards by a Justice of peace Yet what a dust and a bustle do you make You pretend that you are willing to exercise the office of your mnistiry yet you are so stiff that you will not come in to have your patents sealed What though many of you scarce ever dipt your feet in fonte Caballino I mean were never graduated in the University by way of preparation to receive Orders in the Church yet I am assur'd ye would have found the Fathers of the Church so indulgent to you that notwithstanding this defect they would have flown upon your necks and rejoyc'd over you as their fellow-labourers in the Lords vineyard The door is not yet shut Why do you stand deliberating and demurring whether you should perform your duty by entring in Though 't is the eleventh hour of the day yet you may earn your penny if you will lay your shoulders to the work and with sincere and double diligence redeem the time you have lost But if you still resolve to go on whispering in the dark and to continue in your claudestine vaults do not study what answer you may give unto me but what return you will make to your master and mine at the great day of accounts how you will evade that woe which Saint Paul pronounced against himself had he not preached the Gospel which very words did so far prevail with an eminent person of your perswasion that as Saint Austin was converted from libertism by those words not in chambering and wantonness c. So was he reclaim'd from Non-conformity by Wo is me if I preach not the Gospel Mr Sprint Go ye and do likewise lay the same Text close to your hearts not as a charm but a cataplasma and if there be any life left it will setch you again if this phisick will not work upon your Tempers what think you of this expedient Were Saint Austin Saint Ambrose Calvin Perkins Nay were Christ and his Twelve Apostles here upon the Earth and met together in our English World would they think ye lurk in holes and seal up their mouths I dare say they would rather break forth into exultation and wonder saying How beautiful are thy Tents and thy Gates O England CHAP. VII A Transition or Introduction to the main Reasons which are pretended to obstruct Conformity VVE have hitherto been but in the Suburbs and grappled onely with your out-works The main Forts and Cittadels in which you incamp your selves against our batteries are yet untouc'd and unshaken All that hath been yet said is but pickeering some velitations with your forlorn hope like the Turkish Asapi which were to abate their enemies first furious onset and blunt their Swords to make way for the Janizaries The main battel is yet behind Just as Sophisters make a flourish with some inconsiderable and prelusory Sillogism before they pinch and wound with their keener Arguments Methinks I see your very Triarij divided into three Battalia's marching up yonder Hill like Hannibals Troops climing up the Alp's and in a Gigantick rage defying all the hosts of little David that shall stand in your way and oppose your thundering Legions Confident of victory and prodigal of death Your defensive Armour is not like that Ephes 6.14 15 16. But 't is the Covenant upon your breasts whilst you are clad with this you think your selves invulnerable and charm'd into a profound security Who can pierce this Coat of Male Your offensive Weapons are Swords and Javlings furbush'd with Lawfulness of War against the King and overturning the Government of the Church and State In the Rear are Volleys of Canonshot against the Book of Common Prayer This must be dragg'd along like a Royal Captive to adorn your Chariots and set off your Trophies These are your Cerberus-Heads these are your frightful Mormo's in these threefold cords twisted together lies your strength as Sampsons did in his hair What We give our Assent and Consent to the Common Prayer diselaim all War against the King Renounce the Covenant wee 'l never do it And indeed I tremble at this part of my perswasive since I am come to uncase the head and must be tampering with your right eyes lest both my Rhetorick and my skill should be defective in accomplishing my peaceable design and crowning my desires after unanimity Methinks I am essaying to carry a vast Mountain upon my back and to reconcile antipathies For though I had Logick enough to deal with your understandings and Engines to batter or undermine this Capitol yet you have so many reserves in those secret Corners and Caverns of your wills that I much doubt the force of my Oratory to inchant you out of them Yet as I have run with your footmen so I shall now endeavour to keep what pace I can with your Horsemen and like Horatius I will fiest separate these Ter gemini and then Auspice Christâ— plead with them apart CHAP. VIII Assent and Consent not unlawful to be given to the Common-Prayers and Rites of the Church of England I Have never been more transported with wondoer than when some of your classis those none of the lowest have maintained most dogmatically in conference with my self That neither the Greek nor Latin Churches had any forms of Prayer This made me almost to turn a Sceptical Academick and to doubt of all things of which I took my felf to have some knowledge I was even tempted to dis-beleive my own senses as if all things were but spectra phantasmes and empty apparitions which I beheld As if Geographers and Travelours had impos'd upon me when they told me of such a place as Constantinople For I thought I had as good evidâ—ne for these forms of Prayer which my eyes have looked upon and have been handed down to our age by the uncontroleable Tradition and unanimous consent of former generations as I could have of any objective verity below divine Revelations That cause must needs stand upon a tottering Basis that is usher'd in with so strange an Hypothesis Mat. 26.44 which amounts to no less than an incredible Paradxe As for the lawfulness of a form it is an indisputable indisputable warrant unto me that we have not only our Saviours practise who went the third time and prayed the same words but his command too When ye pray say And if you will have measure pressed down see the practise of Hezekiah who after he had compos'd an Ode of thansgiving for his recovery from sickness 〈◊〉 Iia 30. and thanksgiving you know is a part of prayer he vow'd to sing the same to the tuned instrument all the dayes of his life And the very same song which Moses began Exod. 15.1 Miriam repeated
she lost her life Therefore Jephtas vow is understood by Vatablus and Drusius to be conditional that is if that which first met him out of the dore of his house were fit to be sacrificed For had a dog met him it was not to be sacrificed according to the Law They read the words also disjunctively whatsoever cometh out of the doors of my house shall either be consecrated to the Lord or else it shall be sacrificed to him Si molari possit if it be capable of falling a sacrifice unto the Lord. What is this now to the Scottish League and Covenant either as to the entering into it at first or being obliged by it and this will better appear by the illegality of it which is the Minor prop. But the Solemn League the Scottish-English-Covenant was and is an unlawful Oath I am loth to call it the National Covenant I hope that is but an abusive speech which reflects too much disgrace upon the whole Nation Omnes omnitan Charitantes pâ—ta Comâ—â—ur 〈◊〉 for suppose this denomination be taken from the greater I am well assur'd it is not from the better part of the Nation pudet baec approbria and as it was not Catholick in respect of persons so much less in the contents of it There have been so many invincible reasons given against this Covenant by my dear Mother the Vniversity of Oxon and also by many of my Fathers and Brethren that I am almost rapt up into an extasie of wonder that any should appear in such a profligated and baffled cause unless they had dexterity enough to ward off those blows which will inevitably fall upon them He that goes about to dispute against this Covenant hath so many advantages at hand that he may be puzled ex copia what to say first but cannot be destitute of arguments to plead against it 'T is not my business to play the disputant but to beseech you to climb over this Rock into the Pulpit Yet that I may prevail the better with your wils I shall spend a word or two upon your understandings by shewing the unlawfulness of this Covenant in matter and form in respect of the efficient and final cause Though there 's no need of all these terms for if the matter be not justifiable neither can the end We must not do evil that good may come on 't And if the efficient cause be not right and legitimate in a promissory oath it is defective in that which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very formality of such oath which is the Authority imposing it Now that this was the case of the Covenant he that runs may read it if he can but read the capital letters of the Kings Proclamation prohibiting all his subjects to enter into such a combination If those that took it were Subjects to our Prince as was acknowledged in the preface to the Covenant it self yet how they did discharge that relation or how they did shew their subjection in this particular it is as casie to determine as I am loth to express Here is too large a field to expátiate mâ—â—t would argue too much resemblance to that poor insect the impotent and angry flye to insist long on this gauled place I wish my Brethren were as much ashamed of their own precipitancy herein as I am to urge them with it and to charge upon them those consequences which might follow naturally upon the commission of such a miscarriage sure then they would be perswaded to cast forth this Hagar and dis-inherit this Ishmael I pray read over the thirtieth Chapter of Numbers and you may find that persons who are not sui juris as Wives and Children who were under the power of Hus bands and Fathers and why not subjects who are under the power of Princes might not make vowes and Covenants unless they were ritified by their Superiours How can Subjects plâ—ad an exemption from this Law We read of putting down idolatrous Priests destroying the Groves Nigh places Altars the brazen Serpent yet these things were done by the Kings command never as I remember in a way of contradiction 2. Kings 23.5 or defiance to their Authority as appears in the reigns of Josiah and Hezekiah When any thing was amiss in the Church in the primitive times 2 Chron 30. the Christians petitioned the Emperours to reform it they did not invitis regibus attempt that work therefore the Kings in Scripture are every where blamed and not the people in that the High places were not taken away The forwardness of the people herein is but an unwarrantable and preposterous zeal Though the thing it self be good that is to reform abuses in the Church as it is good in it self to offer sacrifice yet not in people that are under subjection as it was not in Soul to offer Sacrifice without a calling Sam 3 1â— It is the Kings peculiar office to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Aristostle the cheif disposer in matters of Religion He is the Common Bishop of the Church as Constantine is stiled by Eusebius Private persons must defend religion Non occidendo Lactan Institu 5. 〈◊〉 c. 20. sed Moriendo not by killing others but dying themselves It is altogether unlawful sayes Bishop Davenant for the people Renuente Magistratu Ecclesiae Reformationem Moliâ—i Determ 12. to go about to reform the Church without the consent of the supreme Magistrate This is a right so properly belonging to the King that Darius Cyâ—us the King of Nineve were invested with it Jure gentium though they were Heathen Princes Dr Ward p. 105. 〈◊〉 sayes another professor of divinity out of the same chair I read indeed that the people entred into Covenant Ezra 10.3 but it was to put away their strange wives which was according to Law in the same verse What is this to our pupose except you could produce unquestionable evidence of Scripture proof That the Government of the Church by Bishops which you have Covenanted against is as unlawful as the having of strange wives A little reading in Casuists and Schoolmen will easily confirm this truth that such oathes and Covenants which are made against the consent of our Superiours are not obligatory Si Res jurata sit illicita superiore vetante obligatio tollitur Irritationem quoque Lessius de Justitia Jure 429.430.431.551 tollitur quando materia juramenti promissorij subest alterius potestati Haec igitur conditio ex natura rei vel juris dispositione includitur promissioni vel juramento promissioni opposito nisi superior cui materia subest contradicat Quicquid in nostra potestate non sit Ibid. p. 542 sub votum non cadit nec quod malum est Nemo potest se firmiter obligare per promissionem ad id quod est in potestate alterius Aquinas 22. Q. 88. Art 80. sed solum ad id quod est omnino in sua potestate