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A87872 The martyrdome of King Charles, or His conformity with Christ in his sufferings. In a sermon on I Cor. 2.8. / preached at Bredah, before his Maiesty of Great Britaine, and the Princesse of Orange. By the Bishop of Downe. June 3. 13. 1649. Leslie, Henry, 1580-1661. 1649 (1649) Wing L1164; Thomason E569_10; ESTC R22162 31,059 32

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death He was delivered to death for our offences So the sinnes of every one of us hath added force unto this great stroke and wound given unto these Kingdoms in his Majest●es death As the good King Josiah was taken away by a violent death for the sins of Iudah that God might the more freely powre out the fiercnesse of his wrath so was our Gracious Soveraigne taken away for the punishment of our sinnes that the iniquities of these sinfull nations being now finished and come to an height by an horrible rebellion and particide hee might powre out the violls of his wrath upon them there being now nothing to hinder the stroke of his vengeance when he is taken away yea made away by themselves who like Moses stood in the gap between the sinnes of his people and Gods judgements So that we may all of us take up that lamentation Lam. 5.16 which the Church made for the death of Iosiah The Crownt is fallen from our head woe unto us that we have sinned But howsoever our Saviour had many enemies yet his most violent adversaries were the Pharisees and if you will but observe how they are described unto us in the Gospell Ill all not need to make any application The Pharisees were the most strict and precise sect of the Jewes Matth. 6.16 the Puritans of that age they were men of a sad countenance and great austerity they did bow down their heads like a Bulrush when as their inward parts burnt altogether with deceipt they were outwardly though hypocritically holy Whited sepulchers beautifull without and within full of uncleanesse Great pretenders they were to religion and desired to be accounted more pure than others Matth. 23.27 the only saints upon earth and so did separate from the rest of the Church and from thence were they called Pharisees Matth. 6.5.7 Matth. 23.14.12.2 Luke 11.45.46 They pretended especially such of that sect as were Scribs great knowledge of the Scriptures and revelations of the Spirit they were much for preaching made long prayers and that openly to be seen of men used vaine repetitions Under colour of long prayers they devoured widdowes houses They were superstitiously zealous of keeping the Sabboth but great profaners of the temple they made Gods house a house of merchandise and Denne of theeves for which they were sharply reproved by our Saviour as they often quarelled him for breaking the Sabboth Whereas the fift commandement injoynes us to honour our Father not onely our naturall Father Mark 7.11 but also our civill father who is Parens Patriae they made this commandement void by their Corban that is a gift where by Gods cause or rather their own ends is advanced They did draw the people after them who were so much addicted unto them that they would not beleeve nor follow any without their allowance for that is the rule they gave to the people Ioh. 7.28 Have any of the Pharisees beleeved on him And indeed their faction was so popular that as I●●ephus testifieth they governed not onely Jerusalem but all Judea too They did bind heavy burdens upon other mens shoulders Matth. 23.4 Vers 6. Vers 23. which themselves did not bear and so they made the way to heaven straite to others and wide to themselves They were invited to feasts and loved to sit at the head of the Table They made conscience of smaller matters as of ceremonies but omitted the weightier matters of the law judgement and mercy Now would you not thinke that the soules of these Pharisees by a pythagorean transmigration were entred into our new reformers As the murtherers of our Soveraign resemble the crucifiers of our Saviour so we find them acting all the same parts And first Judas who sold his Master of all that conspired against Christ is most odious for he was his disciple a domestick servant one whom he trusted with his purse and yet he his familiar friend who did eat of his bread lift up the heele against him So our Soveraigne was sold at a greater price than our Saviour by those who had as neere a relation unto him as Iudas had unto Christ for they were his countrey men brought up with him his servants and familiar friends whom he trusted with his purse with his counsels and his person cherished in his bosome and inriched with many princely favours In many respects they were farre worse than Iudas for when Iudas sold his Master he thought he would not have suffered but have escaped by a miracle as he had sometimes done before This is the conjecture of the Fathers and may be probably gathered out of the Text for it is said Then Iudas when he saw that he was condemned Matth. 27.3 repeated himself so that before he thought it should not have come to that but that Christ would have escaped and he gone away with the money But the Judases who sold their Soveraign knew very well that he could not escape being delivered into the hands of his enemies Againe Judas saw not the horror of his sinn before hee had committed it if he had it is probable he would not have done it but these men saw and knew very well what horrible fact it was to deliver up their King as may appear by Lowdon his Speech therein he professed that it is against the law of Nations for them to deliver up a stranger who had put himselfe under their protection much more to deliver their King And yet all that was onely for forme sake that he might better beat the bargain and raise the price as did appeare by the event Besides they have acted many more parts than Judas did for they were the first that tooke armes against him ingaging all his Subjects by a solemn League and Covenant to distroy the Church and the King they devested him of all authority within that Kingdome Seazed his Castles and revenewes and by their example and Covenant incouraged their Brethren in England to doe the like and when his Majesty was like to have prevailed against his Rebels in England they notwithstanding that the King to secure them on his side had gratified them by granting them all their unreasonable and impious demands yet came in the second time with a great army to assist strangers against their naturall King And they have persecuted all the Kings party in that Kingdom imprisoning banishing forfeiting and barborously murthering even under colour of justice all that adhered unto him Alas poor Judas did none of these things but would have rescued his Master out of the councels hands if it had beene in his power and yet because he sold him for money he is odious and infamous unto all generations Oh then what shall these men be Finally Iudas repented was swallowed up of sorrow confessed his sinne made restitution for he gave back the money and made some satisfaction too for hee tooke revenge upon himselfe when he betook him to the halter But we
he was their King they put him to death And this leads me to the last consideration or the ends and causes that moved them to murder both our Saviour and our Soveraigne which were the very same The cause pretended for crucifying of our Saviour was Salus populi the safety and liberty of the people which is the common pretence of all Rebels Caiphas said John 11.50 It is expedient that one man die meaning Jesus and that the whole Nation perish not The same was pretended for the murther of our Soveraigne Crumwell said Unlesse he die the whole Nation must perish But as that which was pretended to be for the good of the people proved the bane of the people bringing a fearfull destruction upon them so also will this because they killed their King therefore shall the Nation perish Those who promised liberty unto the people and stile themselves custodes libertates Angliae have brought them under greater slavery and bondage then the Jews are at this day Now that people who stood so much with their King upon their priviledges and the property of their goods have nothing which they can call their own The true cause that moved them to crucifie Christ was envy which Pilat observed Matth. 27.18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him So the ground of all the proceedings against our Soveraign was envy and malice but if you will ask me the reason why they did so much maligne him none can be given but because he was their King for as the Jews said Whosoever maketh himselfe a King John 19.12 speaketh against Caesar So may I say whosoever is a King though made by God as he was speaketh against the Parliament for it is as inconsistant with the grounds of these mens religion to have a King as to have a Bishop that Text which they formerly mis-applied against Bishops The Kings of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them Matth. 20.25 but it shall not be so among you I say that Text now fits their turn bettter against Kings then it did against Bishops for indeed between Kings over Gentiles and Ministers of the Gospell there is no right opposition but between Kings over Gentiles and Kings over Christians there is a fit antithesis and so howsoever the Gentiles have Kings yet they being Christians will have no King over them And now tell me whether Kings will not rather desire to have their Subjects Pagans then such Christians as they are who are worse then the Rebels mentioned in the Gospell they said onely Nolumus hunc regnare but our Reformers are come to Nolumus ullum regnare super nos they will have no King at all They are the true seed of Korah for as Korah and his complices Tw● hundred and fifty Princes of the assembly all of them Parliament men gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy and the Lord is among them Numb 16.3 wherefore then lift you up your selves above the congregation of the Lord So these Rebels have risen up against the King and the Priest upon the very same grounds they are all holy and therefore need no Bishop to direct them and the Lord is among them and therefore they need no King to governe them An other reason that moved the Jews to crucifie our Saviour was a desire to retaine their places and dignities which they feared to loose if he should be acknowledged for the Messias This is expressed Joh. 11.48 If we let him alone all men will believe on him and the Romans will come and take away our place The same was the cause why they murthered our Soveraigne that they might keep those places and that power which they had got into their hands And they are farre more unrighteous then the Jews for the Jews sought onely to retain those places whereof they were lawfully possessed and which of right did belong unto them but these murderers were not content to enjoy what was their own but killed their King that they might keep those Places Revenues and power which they had sacrilegiously usurped and taken from him Like Achab they killed and took possession He first killed before he took possession 1 King 21.19 but these murderers first took possession and then to maintain their possession killed their King the right owner and barred all his heires from succeeding As the Husbandmen in the Parable said This is the heire come let in kill him Matth. 21.38 Luc. 20 14. and seaze upon his inheritance Or as St. Luke hath it that the inheritance may be ours So have they killed the true Heire and seek to destroy all his Heires that the inheritance which they seized on long before may be theirs for ever even all his Houses and rich Furniture his Parks Navy Revenues and all his Power and Authority and not only the Inheritance of the Crown but also the Patrimony of the Church Gods own Inheritance and the Inheritance also of every man else whom they at their pleasure can make a Delinquent But as is said in the Parable Vers 40 41. When the Lord of the Vineyard commeth he will miserably destroy those wicked men So we all know that he brought a fearfull destruction upon the Nation of the Jews and certainly he will bring the like upon those murderers who have followed their example and gone far beyond them in all manner of wicknesse Their damnation sleepeth not We know what hath been heretofore the end of Rebels What became of Korah Dathan and Abiram with their complices they did not die the common death of all men but the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up so that they went down quick into Hell Optatus calls unto the Donatists to remember their example saying Aspicite perditos magistros vestros And yet the Donatists never came so neer unto Korah and those Rebels as the desperate Traytors of whom I speak What became of Absolom and Achitophel Num. 17.31 32 of Shimei and Sheba of Adonijah and Joah of Zimri and Josabed of the two Eunuches who conspired against King Assuerus and of many more of whom we read both in sacred and prophane story Did they not all perish in the gainsaying of Korah So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but upon the Kings head let his Crown flourish Thus you see that as the Princes of the world crucified the Lord of glory so others worse then they have crucified our glorious Lord. I wish that my detection of that murder might finde such successe as St. Peters discovery had in the first Sermon that he preached Act. 2. When he had convinced them that Jesus whom they had crucified is Lord and Christ They were pricked in their hearts and said Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we do They repented and became very zealous to advance the Kingdom of Christ so let
is in Job 12.7 Ask the beasts and they will tell thee and the fowles of the Heaven Matth. 27.54 Thomlinson and they will instruct thee what an unnaturall murder ye are now committing When our Saviour suffered the Centurion beholding his passion was convinced that he was the Sonne of God and feared greatly so one of the Centurions who guarded our Soveraigne beholding his most Christian pious and magnanimous carriage was convinced and is to this day stricken with great fear horrour and astonishment When they had crucified our Saviour John 19.23 they parted his garments amongst them and for his coat because being without seam it could not easily be devided they did cast lots even so having crucified our Soveraigne they have parted his garments amongst them his Houses and Furniture his Parks and Revenues his three Kingdoms and for Ireland because it will not easily be gained they have cast lots who should go thither to conquer it and so take it to themselves In all these things our Soveraigne was the lively Image of our Saviour NOw if your patience will goe along with me while I consider the third circumstance in the Text the quality of the murderers their you will finde the paralell to hold also Our Saviour was crucified by his own Nation They crucified the Lord of Glory They who were his brethren and kindsmen according to the flesh John 18.35 So Pilat told him Thine own Nation have delivered thee unto me More particularly the great Councell consulted against him hyred Judas to betray him sent Souldiers to apprehend him falsly accused and injustly condemned him The great Councell was their high court of Sanhedrim which was their standing Parliament In it were many members of divers Callings and Professions some Priests and chiefe Priests some Elders and those lay-Elders for as there was a Parliament against Christ so also a Presbytery some Scribes and Lawyers who were Chair-men for they sate in Moses Chaire They drew also into this conspiracy against Christ wicked Herodians whom otherwise those precise Jewes could not endure And were they not such who murthered our Soveraigne His own Nation his great Councell the Parliament the Presbytery some Priests but they are Jeroboams Priests of the basest of the people some Scribes and Lawyers And they drew into that combination too wicked Herodians that is dissembling Courtiers and profane Ruffians and as pure as they would seem to be yet were they content to endure all their God dammees to gain their assistances for to damn and condemn their Soveraigne As Christs Enemies were of divers professions so also of divers Sects and Religions some Pharisees some Saduces and those were very opposite one against the other yet both joyned together against Christ To crucifie him even Herod and Pilat were made friends Act. 4.27 For as the Apostles say against thine holy Sonne Jesus both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together So the enemies of our Soveraigne were of divers Sects and Religions some Papists some Presbyterians some Independents And though they be at oddes enough between themselves their heads are as farre asunder as Sampsons Foxes yet being linked by the tayles they banded against the Lord and against his anoynted The Papist may seem to have little hand in that murder yet they contributed very much unto it For they raised a most horrid and bloudy Rebellion in Ireland and most falsly pretended the Kings commission for it whereby they enraged his other Subjects against him they weakned his Forces there destroying many who would have assisted their Soveraigne and keeping others so busie that they could not come to his reliefe they promised him great ayd but when he depended upon it they utterly failed him The Presbyterians are deeply imbrued with his blood for they assaulted him both in England and Scotland deprived him of all power and means declared him unworthy to raign and so weakned him that it was an easie matter for the Independants who are drunk with his bloud for to kill him The Presbyterians framed both the Major and Minor Propositions and the Independants drew out the conclusion for thus the Presbyterians both preached and published a tyrant is to be opposed and destroyed but the King is a Tyrant Then comes the Independants and draw forth the conclusion which naturally follows from the premisses Ergo let him be destroyed Or to use their own distinction which they have so much abused the Presbyterians murderd the King in his politicall capacity the Independants in his naturall capacity Thus our Soveraign as well as our Saviour was crucified between two theeves but neither of them a good theefe These two factions as his Majesty well expresses it in his Book Are the twins which lately one wombe inclosed the younger striving to prevaile against the elder what the Presbyterians have hunted after the Jndependants seeke to catch for themselves And indeed they have taken the prey out of their mouths They who at first were but journey men unto the other have now set up for themselves Albeit these be the chiefe murderers there be many others who though as himself saith Their hands are not embrued in his bloud by acting and consenting to his death yet they are sprinkled with his bloud by deserting him Even all those who had power and means and did not use them for his defence Seneca For Non caret scrupulo occultae societatis qui manifesto discrimini non occurrit By the Law of nature and Nations all subjects are bound to defend their Kings Person Crown and dignity Our Saviour said unto Pilat If my Kingdom were of this world Joh. 18.36 then would my servants fight that J should not be delivered to the Iews Where he insinuates that the servants and subjects of an earthly King are bound to fight for his defence And therefore all those who did not aide him according to their power have incurr'd the curse of Meroz Judge 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Besides these neutrals who because they were not for the King were against him there are many who fought for their soveragin who have yet by their sins fought against him their debauched carriage gave much advantage to his enemies provoked God to forsake their armies by their rapine and plunder they did alienate the hearts of the people from their Soveraigne and by their strifs and emulations they lost the Kingdom and that gracious King there was a strife amongst Christs followers which of them should be the greatest but the strife that was among the Kings followers for places and preferments was farre more hurtfull and pernicious Yea as all of us were in some sort Rom. 4.25 guilty of Christs bloud for our sinnes were the meritorious and procuring cause of his