by infusing this principle of the absolute power of Kings into their eares and the cares of the people but if the Papist sees he hath no hope to gaine the King or advantage by him then he turnes his tenets another way and sayes that for the promoting of the Catholique cause yea although Kings do governe by the Laws of their Kingdom yet because they are against the Catholique Religion Subjects may rise up against their King and kill him This doctrine of theirs we abhor wee say that if power be given to Kings by Law yea or to other Magistrates though it be against Religion we have no help but suffering or flying until we can be helped by a legall way but if when we have Laws for our Religion and liberty the King out of his own will or seduced by others shall in an illegal way seeke to deprive us of them now we may defend our selves and in this we resist not the Kingly authority but the wil of such a man And yet further if it be possible that we may give satisfaction in this thing the mistake whereof is so exceeding dangerous consider if the taking up Arms to defend Religion and liberties that we have by Law be treason or rebellion then all the reformed Churches are traytors and Rebels Have not the reformed Churches in Holland in France in Germany done this Did not Queene Elizabeth take the Holanders taking up Armes to defend their Religion and liberty against their King into her protection and assist them with money men Ammunition King James in his answer to Perron defends the Protestants in France for what they did He sayes Their civill wars was not taking up Arms against their King it was but standing upon their guard And did not our King Charles send aid to the Protestants in France defending their Religion and liberty against their King at the Isle of Ree and is not the Prince of Aurania whom we usually call the Prince of Orange the General to the Army of the States defending themselves against the K. of Spain whose Countries those once were Yea and hath not our King acknowledged our brethren the Scots his loyal Subjects and yet they did as much as we yea a great deale more they were indeed at first called Traitors and Rebels in the prayers the Prelates sent about and commanded to bee read in Churches but upon due consideration they were found and so styled loving and loyal Subjects and so in time we hope we shall But if we shall thus plead and stand for our liberties how can we expect the King should ever look upon us with any respect or confide in us wil it not set the Kings heart against us God forbid we should do any thing justly meriting the losse of His Majesties favour and his heart confiding in us The happines of a Kingdom is in Princes ruling as fathers and Subjects obeying out of love rather then meer necessity K. James so renowned for learning and deep understanding was fully of that minde that his brother the K. of France had no better Subjects in his Kingdome then the Protestants which yet stood up to defend their liberties by force of Armes His words in answer to Perron are these I dare promise to my selfe that my most honoured brother the King of France will beare in mind the great and faithfull service of those who in matter of Religion dissent from His Majesty as of the onely men that have preserved and saved the Crown for the King his Father of most glorious memory I am perswaded my brother of France will beleeve that his liege people pretended by the Lord Cardinall to be hereticks are nor half so bad as my Roman Catholike subjects who by secret practices undermine my life serve a forraigne Soveraigne are bound by the Maximes and rules published and maintained in favour of the Pope before this full and famous assembly of the Estates of Paris to hold me for no lawfull King are by his Lordship there taught and instructed that Pauls commandment concerning subjection to the higher powers adverse to their professed Religion is onely a provisionall precept framed to the times and watching for opportunity to shake off the yoke Surely then it is impossible but that His Majesties heart must needs confide in us although seeking to maintain our lawfull liberties rather then in any Papists whatsoever Yea yet further heare what K. James his thoughts were of the Protestants in France towards the latter end of his former Answer to Cardinall Perron he hath these words During the minority of K. Francis the second the Protestants of France were only a refuge succour to the Princes of bloud when they were kept from the Kings presence and by the over-powring power of their enemies were no better then plain driven and chased from the Court I meane the Grandfather of the King now raigning and the Grandfather of the Prince of Conde when they had no place of safe retreat besides in the whole Kingdome In regard of which worthy and honourable service it may seeme the French King hath reason to hold the Protestants in the princely Ark of his gracious remembrance Shall Protestants be kept in the Princely Ark of the gracious remembrance of a Popish King and shall Protestants be cast out of the heart of a Protestant King and that onely for defending their lawfull liberties in a just way God forbid Yet further heare the fidelity of Protestants to their Prince In all the heat of revolts and rebellions raised in the greatest part of the Kingdome by the Pope and the more part of the Clergie they stood to their King to beare up the Crown when tottering and ready to fall And at this day the King of France hath in pay betweene three and forescore thousand Protestant Souldiers for the defence of himselfe and his Dominions he maintains so many yeerly his chief Commanders being Protestants as confiding especially in Protestants for their fidelity and certainly so may our King doe he should finde none more faithfull to him and ready to venture their estates and lives in defence of him and his Legall power then the Parliament and those who adhere to them and this no question even those about His Majesty doe beleeve in their hearts whatsoever they say they otherwise would never venture to put His Majesty upon such wayes as might exasperate them so as they doe Was it ever knowne when Parliaments have been Papists and the Kingdome Papists that ever any dared venture to put Kings upon such things as might provoke such a Parliament and the people that then would adhere to them Certainly other manner of effects would have followed the provocation of them at such times Why was it that the Laws against Papists have been so remissely followed and not onely Law but Will against the Puritans have beene so hotly pursued but this they were afraid of papists that they would doe some mischiefe but for Puritans
is with them there Deut. 20. 4. The Lord your God is he that goeth with you to fight When God sayes I am with you you may write down what you will to make up this promise a compleat one for your safety and comfort As thus I am with you to assist you I am with you to direct you I am with you to encourage you to blesse to save you to comfort you to reward you c. I am with you saies God This is as it were a piece of a line that our faith must make up If we once have this promise got into our hearts whatsoever we want we may adde to it and then our peace and joy may be full We reade Judges 4. 8. Barak would not goe into the field except Deborah would goe with him It is ill going into the field except God goe with you but if you have this promise in your hearts you cannot but have strength in your hands Zac. 10. 5. They shall be as mighty men which tread downe their enemies as mire in the streets in the battell and they shall fight because the Lord is with them and the riders on horses shall be confounded 7. God is not onely with his people in their fight but he goes before them as their Captain to lead them That one place will suffice for all Josh 5. 13. Joshua saw a man with his sword drawn in his hand and Joshua went to him and said Art thou for us or for our adversaries And he said Nay but a Captaine of the host of the Lord am I now come It is apparent this was Christ for Joshua fell on his face and worshipped and said What saith my Lord unto his servant And the Captaine of the Lords Host said unto Joshua Loose thy shoes from off thy feet for the place where thou standest is holy 8. God condescends lower even to be the Trumpeter in the wars of his people It is accounted too mean a work for a Generall to blow the Trumpet to his Armie but this great Generall The Lord of Hosts that he might encourage his people the more in his battels he blows the Trumpet himselfe to them Zach. 9. 14. And the Lord shall blow the trumpet and shall goe with the whirle-winds of the South Why of the South Those winds are hottest and therefore swiftest If ye see the South-wind ye say it will be hot sayes Christ and so it commeth to passe Luk. 12. 54 55. If we think our General follows too slowly this great General The Lord of Hosts follows swiftly enough In the words before The arrowes of the Lord are said to goe forth like lightning Swiftnesse in an Army is of great consequence it hath been a special advantage to our adversaries We doe little except in this we equall them 9. God is the Rereward of his people in times of Battail Isa 52. 12. Ye shall not go out with haste nor by slight for the Lord will goe before you and the God of Israel will be your Rereward Not the Reward but Rereward the guard defence behind When an Army is strong in the Rereward as wel as in the Front it is safe God is both before and behind in the Armies of his people 10. Gods providence in Wars works in the continuance of them How long they shall abide in a Land and when they shall cease is wholly from the appointment of the Lord of Hosts He workes in the upholding parties bringing in supplyes breaking asunder treaties c. We are ready presently to cry out How long shall the sword devour but when God gives Commission to the sword it must stay it must goe on devouring till the Commission be out Jer. 47. 6 7. Oh thou sword of the Lord how long will it be ere thou be quiet put up thy self into the scabbard rest and be still The answer is there How can it be quiet seeing the Lord hath given it a charge against Askelon against the sea shore there hath he appointed it Hos 11. 6. The sword shall abide on his cities and consume his branches and shall devour them because of their own counsels We are troubled at the sword comming neare our Cities but how sore would the misery be if it should come into our Cities but if abide in our Cities what miserable spoile and ruine would there be If wee would be delivered from so great an evill let us take heed of our own counsels If God leaves Parliament or City to their own counsels the sword will abide amongst us longer time then we for the present imagine even until it hath devoured God usually is a long time before he draws his sword he is whetting preparing delaying it but when it is once drawn he many times will not put it up again untill it bee bathed filled fatted satiated drunke with blood All these expressions we finde in Scripture Esay 34. 5 6. My sword shall be bathed in heaven it shall come downe upon Idumea upon the people of my curse When Gods sword hath to deale with the people of his curse then it shall be bathed indeede And surely God hath a people of his curse amongst us this day who they are is easie to know You may know them to bee cursed of God by the horrid blasphemies and hideous unheard-of curses that come out of their mouthes The earth was never stained with such dreadfull execrations and blasphemies since man lived upon the face of it as now it is by these men Surely the brand of Gods curse is upon them feare them not Ver. 6. it is said The sword of the Lord is filled with blood it is made fat with fatnesse and Jer. 46. 10. The sword shall devoure it shall be satiate and drunke with their blood And when God is pleased to give the word hee makes wars to cease Psal 49. 9. He makes wars to cease unto the end of the earth he breaketh the bow and cutteth the speare in sunder he burneth the chariot in fire Of Gods worke in stilling wars we have a most admirable example 1 Kings 12. 21. we have not the like in all the Booke of God neither was there ever the like before or since in the world King Rehoboam was incensed against the ten Tribes falling off from him he was in as great a heat and rage against them as we can imagine a man could be put into This fire of his rage was blowne up to the height by those young daring Cavaliers that were about him he had got an Army together strong enough an hundred and fourescore thousand men a mighty force and it was but to bring the Kingdome to the house of David Well their power was great their rage was fierce their cause they questioned not they were going forth with a high hand with cruel and bloody intentions How was all stilled now You shall find that The word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the Prophet saying Speak to Rehoboam Thus saith the
that were few in number that went from one countrey to another them for whose sakes Kings were reproved he said that these anointed ones must not be touched though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones yet God accounts them his anointed ones and will not have them touched but if Kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt he will reprove thē for their sakes You may see how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar for their sakes Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones observe the expression This Nebuchadnezar he makes but a This of Nebuchadnezar a great King when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones and mark further how the reproofe is when their inheritance is but touched Jer. 12. 17. Thus saith the Lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land If they do but touch my peoples inheritance I will pluck them out of the Land And Isa 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment The burden shall be taken off their shoulder and the yoake from their neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing I suppose now every one that lookes into this Scripture Touch not mine anointed will see that it hath been grosly abused and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghost But for futher satisfaction consider it is not peculiar to Kings to be anointed It is true they were anointed in the time of the Law but as they were anointed so Priests were anointed Prophets were anointed yea other Magistrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones First for Priests Numb 3. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron the Priest that were anointed And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha And Zac. 4. 14. speaking of Zerubbabel and Joshua the text saies these are the anointed of the Lord now then if this meaning could be put upon the words that those which are Gods anointed must not be touched whatsoever they do then Priests and Prophets whatsoever they do must not be touched for they are as truely Gods anointed as Kings are yea Captaines and inferior Magistrates must not be touched because they are Gods anointed also The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then as David and Solomon and others were and Kings anointing now Then God chose such himselfe by revealing from Heaven that they should be Kings it was the immediate choice of God and then they were upon this submitted to by the people but now the people first agree that such a one shall be King the Kingly power shall be in such a family successively and then God establisheth this choise or agreement There is a great difference between these two First Gods chusing and then the peoples establishing and this the peoples chusing and then Gods establishing There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant but with us it was and so is with others But what if the Kingdom be got by Conquest the right come in that way Those who plead thus for Kings know not what they do in making this plea For if there were no other right neither precedent nor consequent but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus that which subjects my conscience to such a one is the submission upon some compact covenant or agreement This may be when Kings are elective but what will you say concerning Kings that are hereditary Kings that inherit inherit no more then their fathers had and their fathers no more then those before them so that you must come at length to the root to the first who had this Kingly power invested upon him and by whom was he invested with this but by the people and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family more then another man or another family but only the agreement that passed between this people and such a man or family But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture We reade that Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment because Saul was Gods Anointed The consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this That no private man in his own cause for so was David then by his own power may seize upon the person of a King in an offensive way especially such a King which had his call immediatly from heaven what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand let any shew from this place that can But is not this a Popish tenet that in case of Religion Subjects may rise up against their King Papists hold and practice against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own turns in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people yea and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the Kings that his wil is our Law that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed either by doing or suffering Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine so that to question this was dangerous enough yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings is because their being but few they hope to gain some of them at least to them and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth and upholding Popery In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome if this King may rule by his absolute power if once he be a Papist then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power it is the Prelates absolute power for if he useth it not as they please they can excommunicate him they can free their Subjects from their allegiance yea being by them excommunicated Marke what follows it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans We take them not in any wise to be man slayers who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother shall happen to kill an excommunicated person This they teach and practice if they doe not gaine them to be full Papists yet if they can by popish matches or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them or remisse in the profession of the truth they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power
they shall doe will be nothing yea they themselves wil be nothing No marvail therefore although they and the Kingdome with them stand for that But what is that It is that the defence of the King Kingdome and Parliament from the danger of the plots attempts of Papists and all Malignants may be put into the hands of those that they may confide in To what purpose are good Laws made To what purpose is a Parl fitting if Papists Prelats Popish and Prelatical men Atheists Delinquents so infinitely discontent whom we had cause enough to fear that they would endeavour to get power that they might disanul all and according to those fears wee see what is come to passe if wee may not have the Militia of the Kingdome that is the onely positive Legall way next to that we have from the Law of Nature to resist such power as would endeavour to undoe all If a man should be bound to pay me such a debt and withall to joyn with me to provide safe means of conveying both my self and money to such a place if this man at the day appointed should pay the debt duly to a farthing but when I tell him of great danger by the way many lye in wait to surprise me and my money and I require of him to joyne with me to afford me such aid as I may goe safely for go I must if he refuseth and will onely consent to such aid as I not without good grounds have cause to suspect to be as dangerous even as those that lie in wait for me yea it may be I can prove that even some principal ones of those he would have for my aid safety are confederate and of the same company with those that lye in wait for me Now I demand what advantage is it to me that the debt is paid me supposing I must go have no other way to help my self but that which he denies to me is it not all one to me as if he had refused to pay the debt Doe you think that good words would be enough to you in such a case if hee should say I le warrant you you may be safe when I know certainly these men are of the company with those who lie in wait for me I have other men by whom I know will be faithfull and can be no prejudice to the other party and I desire him that hee would suffer those to goe along with me for my safety and he refuseth it But howsoever were it not better to harken to peace if possibly there may be wayes of Accommodation Peace is indeed a most lovely and desirable thing we desire with our soules to live in peace God himselfe knows there is nothing that would be more acceptable to us then to serve God the King in waies of peace God forbid but that we should in all our waies shew our selves the children of peace We could make large orations in commendation of peace as well as others yea in the midst of all the clatterings of our Arms and sounds of war-like instruments yet peace is in our eyes and hearts As faithfull Ministers in all the terrible threats they denounce in the name of God against impenitent sinners seeke the true peace of their souls so the true souldier who is faithfull to God and his Countrey although he hath the sword in one hand and fire in the other yet it is with this Motto Sic quaerimus pacem For a full Answer to this Objection I shal first answer meerly as a Divine out of the Scripture and then we may consider what may be said in true wisdome of Politic. For the first The Scripture tels us James 3. 17. The wisdome that is from above is first pure then peaceable Such an expression did it not come from an Apostle would be scorned by many profane Atheisticall spirits amongst us yea they would accuse James himselfe if they dared for a Puritan for speaking thus The Scripture frequently joynes Peace and truth peace and holinesse peace and righteousnesse grace and peace together We must be sure so to seek peace as we must seek the God of peace the Gospel of peace That were a fearfull peace that should make war between the God of peace and us or deprive us of the Gospel of peace Let us not dis-joyn or disorder the Angels Doxologie Glory be to God on high peace on earth good will towards men So peace on earth as glory may be to God on high and the good will the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of this our God towards us Placet ista distributio sayes Bernard this distribution pleaseth me wel that God should have glory we have peace Oh that this Angelical distribution of glory peace might please us all The truth is peace is sweet and those which are thought enemies to it pray a hundred times more to the God of peace for peace then those who plead so much for it Peace is to be purchased at any rate but with the losse of Truth if this be the price of it we buy it too deare We use to say We may buy gold too deare It would be a hard bargaine if the glory of God if the liberty of his Ordinances that now we have an opportunity to enjoy if the most religious party in the Kingdome should be now sacrificed for a supposed peace which upon such terms certainly will not hold long This would make God our enemie not only because his glory truth Saints are dear unto him but because those who are most religious have stuck most to the Parliament they have ventured their estates their lives their children their servants for the safety of King Kingdome and Parl. Never was Parl. so engaged to any party in England as they are engaged to these now Therefore it were the most horrible injustice that ever was in the world if the Parl. should leave them yea sacrifice them to their adversaries only to provide for a false uncertain dishonourable peace for themselves and others It cannot be imagined that such a thought could enter into them God would never suffer such injustice as this to passe this world without the expressions of his high indignation against it And in way of true wisdome of civill polity these foure things must be considered of 1. How far treaties may be advantagious to the adversaries We read Dan. 8. 25. that through peace many should be destroyed Under the name of peace there may be fomented the most bloody cruell war that ever England hath knowne Many people when they hear of the word Peace they are so pleased that they run away with that not knowing what bloody cruel designes may lye under it and be promoted by it and they think that if some follow not the treaty presently though upon never so great disadvantage it is because they are bloody and love war whereas in truth it is that they might prevent
cruel bloodshed and the outragiousnesse of war as much as in them lies which they see in all probability may follow upon giving the aversary that advantage he desires though the standers by see not the cunning of it 2. Great care must be had in the propositions of conditions about peace We reade 1 Sam. 11. 2. when the men of Jabesh Gilead would make a covenant with Nahash he told thē that upon this condition he would make a covenant with them that he might thrust out all their right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel 3. You must be sure you make such a peace as you may confide in it so as you may not be afterwards at the mercie of your adversaries whether they will keep the conditions yea or no you must take heede of disinabling your selves to maintain what your conditions of agreement bind to especially if you have to deale with Papists whose principle is that no faith is to be kept with Heretiques and for the Catholique cause leagues may be broke if your peace hinder your strength to maintain your right what security can you have in your peace one moneth 4. As things now stand great care had neede bee taken that the hearts of people who have shewne themselves forward venturing their lives exhausting their estates may not be discouraged lest if Parliamennts ever neede the people again they never finde them appeare for them stick to them and cases may fall out that there may be neede of the peoples standing by them hereafter as well as now or else their priviledges may soone vanish and their power be over-powred and so come to nothing Wee know how soon authority is contemned where power is not joyned with authority But do not our adversaries grow stronger then we if so it is in vain for us to oppose It is impossible to conceive they should except the Kingdome be so besotted as never yet any Kingdome was upon the face of the earth For 1. How can men of understanding who have estates in the Kingdome and have posteritie to live here imagine that the Kingdome should be better governed by the King with those Cavalliers about him then by the King with his Parliament 2. If the Parliament should now be over-powred and spoiled because they have gone according to their consciences for the good of the Kingdom must not all Parliaments hereafter lye at mercie 3. If these men prevaile is there not danger lest things should be carried as they please if they get power into their hands who knows but that they wil presume to give Laws to us that things shal be done according to their minds rather then the Kings doth not the King forbid plunderings now yet do they not plunder as they please if then they get power into their hands fully what will not they do then These things being so obvious to every mans thoughts that one can hardly bee a man to understand any thing but he must needes think of those things how then is it possible that the Kingdome should not generally rise with a spirit of indignation against these men who are thus risen up to make such spoile and waste in the Kingdome Although they doe not yet stir in many places hoping there may be some help of these things some other way but if they see there be no other help it cannot be conceived but this spirit of indignation must rise through out the Kingdome men will never suffer themselves to be baffled out of their Religion their liberties their estates on this fashion They will never so unworthily desert those whom they have chosen and betrusted with their estates liberties and lives those who have been so faithfull to them spending their strength in their indefatigable labours night and day wasting their estates and hazarding their lives for them wherefore it cannot be imagined that the adversaries should ever gather more strength then we 2. Suppose they could be more in number yet considering how vile and wicked what notorious blasphemers and cursers they are they are not much to be feared Plutarch reports of one Cyneas discoursing of the opinions of the Epicurians that they thought the gods tooke no care of had no regard of mens doings and that the onely happinesse was to live in pleasure for so the gods themselves did Fabritius hearing this cryed aloud and said The gods grant that Pyrrus and the Samnites were of such opinions as long as they have wars against us Supposing that if they were thus and had such vile opinions of the gods they could never prosper to doe any great matter We dare not say thus of our adversaries God grant that they continue thus vile and blasphemous as they are No we pray if it be possible that they may see how they fight against God that their hearts may be changed but yet we are of this beliefe that Fabritius was of that whilest they are so wicked and speak so vilely of God and blaspheme his name so as they doe that they are not much to be feared they wil never be able to doe any great matters the wrath of the Almighty will pursue them 3. And lastly if they should get more in number yet if our cause be Christs which is cleare to us for our consciences tell us we desire not we endeavour not the wrong of any man living much lesse of our King we then have Christ with us And as Antigonus once said to his souldiers when they said that their enemies were more in number Why how many doe you reckon me for So I may say in this case How many doe you reckon Jesus Christ for If he be not with us let us lay down all presently Wel but we are sure for the present there is a wofull disturbance in the Kingdom and mens estates are consumed in the extreme charge of these Wars and what shall we think will become of things at last It is true when a bone is out of joynt there is much pain but if the care be not of setting it right the very setting will breed much more pain There is much disturbance but it is onely the breaking out of what hath layn in the plots and secret workings of our adversaries a long time It was once the speech of Lysonder that if the Lyons skin will not serve we must help it with the Foxes Contrary now it is with our adversaries The Foxes would not doe the deed and therefore now they put on the Lyons It is well for us that things break out when there may be help to resist our condition was as dangerous though not so troublesome before now our disturbance is but the noyse of resisting a deluge of evil that was flowing in upon us That man certainly is not a wise man that is not willing the flouds comming in upon him should not bee stopped because the stopping of them will make a noise 2. But consider
Host of heaven and yet God suffers the enemie to prevaile against that Host and is pleased to magnifie his mercy to ours to give them so great a deliverance yea so to prevaile against that as to cast down some of the Host and of the starres down to the ground and to stamp upon them He prevailes as if now he had power over the heavens to pull down the starres and to stamp upon them The more eminent any are the more is he enraged if they be starres in this heaven if he can get to them he puls them down and stamps upon them Oh the rage of our adversaries against the most eminent Ministers of our Kingdome They stamp for anger that they have them not and if they had them how would they stamp then That which one Antiochus did there many Atheists and Papists would gladly doe amongst us if they had power but this Lord of Hosts delivers us in mercie from them yea ver 11. He magnifies himselfe even to the Prince of the Host to this Lord of hosts he sets himselfe against him Oh! what rage even against God himselfe what horrid blasphemies are there against this Prince of the Host of his people but although he doth magnifie himselfe and blaspheme surely he can never prevaile against the Prince of this Host yes he is suffered for the present to take away the daily Sacrifice and to cast down the place of his Sanctuary and ver 12. An Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression and cast it down the truth to the ground and it practised and prospered upon which the people of God were exceedingly troubled ver 13. One Saint speakes to another Saint asking this question with hearts full of sorrow enough God knowes How long shall the vision be concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation to give both the Sanctuary and the Host to be troden under foote Here you see that for any to set himselfe against Gods worship is to set himselfe against God himselfe proud malicious adversaries especially aime at this and God here suffered the adversary to prevaile even against this God proceedes against his people for their transgression an Host comes upon them yea the Text sayes if we observe it that an Host was given him against the daily Sacrifice by reason of transgression Antiochus had never been able to raise such an Host had it not beene for the transgressions of Gods people yea so far was God provoked with the transgression of his people as that hee suffered this Host raised against them to cast downe the truth to the ground to practise and to prosper We have cause to lay our hands upon our hearts to acknowledge our transgressions as great as any they were charged with and yet although God hath thus far chastised us as to raise an Host against us yea such a one so many of them being Papists and such horrid blasphemers as we have cause enough to feare they would take away the daily Sacrifice and cast down so much of the Sanctuary as is built up already and even cast down the truth to the ground but oh the riches of the infinite goodnesse of our gracious God! he hath not suffered them he hath turned the rage of man to his praise hee hath wrought gloriously for us he hath delivered us out of their power although many of our brethren suffer hard things we may yet have the daily Sacrifice and the Sanctuary that is the true worship of God amongst us if we will yet the truth is preached in our Congregations it is held forth in the beauty and excellencie of it it is not cast down to the ground they indeed have practised but through Gods mercy to us they have not prospered this is of the Lord of Hosts let this glorious name of his bee magnified by us for ever Yea yet further for the setting out mercie to us that glory may be given to this Lord of Hosts Consider what the Holy Ghost sayes ver 23 24 25. of this 8. Chap. concerning Gods taking advantage against his people for their sins which hee hath not done against us as it appeares this day When the transgressors are come to the full a King of fierce countenance one of an extream bold daring spirit a Prince that will venture upon such desperate things as few Princes in the world would dare to venture upon the like if any of his Nobles or others come before him and speake any thing to him not agreeable to his designes he lookes with a fierce countenance upon them his countenance shewing the extreame fiercenesse of his spirit Hence it was that his name was changed from Epiphanes to Epimanes for his fierce cruelty but beside his fiercenesse he shall carry things subtilly too he shall be one that understands dark sentences by his wit and subtilty and by the help of those about him he shall make such expositions of darke things as a man would wonder at it no man could have thought that such things could have beene pickt out of passages as he shall pick up and by this he shall bee able to put such a colour upon the foulest things as they shall appeare very specious to many And his power likewise shall be mighty God will suffer him to grow to a great strength but not by his own power so sayes the Text although you could not see how he could raise any such power of his own yet he shall have a great power he shall have money Ammunition strength from forreigne Princes or as some would have it God himselfe shall give power to him beyond what he hath of his own Surely if the power against the Church be Gods rather then the adversaries own then the power for deliverance of the Church must be acknowledged to bee Gods rather then our own but I rather take the former sense to be the intent of the Holy Ghost in that place It follows he shall prosper and practise he shall not be alwayes consulting demurring delaying but he shall bee doing and thereby he shall prosper The word is faciet he shall doe something The prosperous successe of war depends much upon action Alexander was asked How he did so great things in so little a time He answered By neglecting no advantage I have read of Charles the sonne of Charles Duke of Anjou who was King of Sicily and Jerusalem he was called Carolus Cunctator that is Charles the Delayer but not in that sense that Fabius who was the Shield of Rome in his time he was called likewise Cunctator but that was because he used to stay till opportunity came but the other used to stay till opportunity was lost Antiochus was no such Cunctator stayer till opportunity was lost he practised and so prospered and because he prospered therefore he stil further practised But when he saw delaying and gaining time might advantage him then hee would seek to put off and spin
every soule There was then sayes he the Senate c. But what power the Senate had for the present upon agreement or how much of their power was now given up to the Emperour by agreement he shews not and if he shews not this he sayes nothing Then he tels us of the cause Christians had to resist because their Emperours were enemies to Religion and had over thrown Laws and liberties To the first we acknowledge we must not resist for Religion if the Laws of the Land be against it we must either suffer or seek to enjoy our Religion in the uttermost â—arts of the earth rather then resist For the Emperors subverting Laws and Liberties he must prove that the people â—enate had not given absolute power to them for the present for the preventing further wils they feared or else it reacheth not our case for we know our people and Senate â—ave not given any such absolute power We must not be put to prove they had for it 〈◊〉 his argument therefore if he wil make it good he must prove they had not And yet â—ppose they had not if we should gratifie the D. in that thing yet the Argument would â—e but weak for the Apostle requires them not to resist their power their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee â—oth not charge them not to resist their tyrannie Certainly they could have no power at that which was given them by some agreement if they challenged further it was no â—uthority at all such kind of tyrannie as they would assume to themselves the Apostle â—â—rbids not the resistance of in that place As for that he sayes that some affirm that prohibition was temporary let them mainâ—â—in it that affirm it I am ful of the D. mind in that this prohibition is a standing rule As for that distinction which he sayes some make that they resist not the power but â—e abuse of the power We answer it is not resisting abused power for it is resisting no power at all Abused power is the ill use of what is given to men but the ill use of what was never given to them more then to any other is abuse of their wils but not abuse of their power By Power I do not mean Strength but Authority Further he sayes These Emperours ruled absolutely therefore upon that ground men might resist if for any thing 1. Although the Emperors might use some force to bring themselves to an absolute power yet whether the people were not brought to consent to prevent farther danger that must be disproved when our case ever fals so as we shall be brought to consent to an absolute power although it be out of feare which God forbid then this argument will concerne us but not before 2. What they got and held meerly by force without any consent and agreement was no power no authority at all but might be resisted no withstanding that prohibition The last thing in that Sect. is whereas we say that our Religion is established by Law theirs was not He answers 2. things 1. Shall the prohibition be good against Christians under Emperors persecuting Religion not against Subjects enjoying their Religion If those who have power to make Laws should prove so wicked as to make wicked Laws against Religion yet I am rather bound to passive obedience in that case then if men never so good should command according to their own will and not according to Law for there is an authority in the one though abused but none at all in the other His second answer is This prohibition did not concern Christians only but all people under the Emperour As before 1. we know not but these people had given up their right 2. If they had not that prohibition doth not reach them in those things wherein they had not Thus his Scriptures are answered and I professe I have not answered from a humour of seeking to overcome in a dispute to put glosses upon the one side or to seek evasions from the strength of the other but as in the presence of God to find out truth and to satisfie Conscience that hath to doe with God in a speciall manner SECT III. THe first Sect. is spent about the original of the power of Kings He first contends that the power is from God and that he needs not contend for we grant that the power not only of Kings but of all lawfull authority is Gods Ordinance but that such and such men should have this power and how much of this power should be put upon this man and how much upon that that is from man Hence it is very observable when the Apostle speaks of the power Rom. 13. he sayes it is of God buâ— when Peter speaks of the men upon whom that power is put whether Kings or thoâ—â— sent by him he sayes that is a humnne ordinance 1 Pet. 2. 13. yea a humane creation 〈◊〉 the words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rea the D. grants this that though the power be from God yet the designing the person to bear that power yea and the qualification and lâ—mitation is from men by the Laws made with consent The supreme Magistrate is called the Minister of God Rom. 13. We acknowledg him so he is also said in the same place to minister for thy good I have said Ye are Gods This is true of inferiour Magistrates as well as superiour and yet none will say bâ— inferiors may be resisted His conclusion is in this Sect. that though the power be of God yet the person dâ—signed and the qualification of power in several forms of government limitation this is by the laws of men This is as much as we desire Many go no further then thâ— designation of the person to be from man but the D. is more fair he sayes the qualification is from man also If so mark what follows then no man can have any of this ruliâ—â— power but according as he is designed to it qualified for it limited in it by men whatsover the name be by which you call him Emperor King Prince Duke Lord c. SECT IV. THis Sect. is about the power of people to re-assume what power they have conferred upon Magistrates although Gods power yet conferred by them He argues thus If the power be Gods then people cannot re-assume If the King gives power to an inferior Magistrate the power that this Magistrate hath is likewise from God for so the Scripture sayes Rom. 13. All power is from God may not this power be re-assumed therefore Let none put this off with saying But people are not above Kings as Kings are above inferior Magistrates for that is nothing to the argument The argument that he makes is this If the power be of God it cannot be re-assumed Now the answer is That the power of inferiour Magistrates is of God and yet it may be re-assumed therefore his consequence is not good Further