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
affections actions then is it come to the height of the heâ—t of Châ—â—n the stubbornnes of Esau the peevishnes of Shemei the conspiracy of Aâ—solom the trechery of Iudas and deserves with them condigne punishment For the heart of a King is unsearcheable as the height of heaven and the depth of the earth saith Solamon it is as well presumptuous as unpossible to discover it therfore saith he again Eccles. 8. who shall say unto him what doest thou But what is words without deeds another sort then of homage iâ— is that we owe unto our Soveraigne is to honour him with our goods with our estates yea if occasion serves with our very lives The children of Belial said how shall this man save us and they despised him in their hearts and brought no gifts to him 1 Sam. 10. 27. if they were the children of Belial that brought the King no gifts then whose children are they that debarre him of that which is his owne I have read over the 5th of Iudg and have pretty well observed the severall passages therein how God hath in that renowned song of Deborah provided an honourable commemoration of them who did assist His cause First the Princes have their place The Princes of Isachar were with her vers. 15. And then the Governours the great Persons officers of State they have their place because they â—â—â—â—red themselves willingly in that service vers 9. And after them the merchants that rode upon white asses and the Iudges that sate in judgement vers 10. Yea an unlikelier sort of people then any of these even they that walked by the way in the same verse And lastly the whole body of the people they have their place in this honour because they offered themselves and what will he deny that offereth himselfe and willingly in this service This was the honourable mention that God afforded them who did assist Him but what saith he of those who for collaterall respects preuaricated or withdrew themselues from this imployment he gives them a brand that shouâ—d stick by them euer after Reubens heart was to bigge to come in The diuisions of Reuben were great thoughts of heart vers. 16. Ambition of the Hiâ—hest â—lace desire of presedency in offices of imployment greatnes of heart an unwillingnes to be under the command of any other do offentimes retardâ—â—en the cause of God so is there a reproach increpation layd upon Danâ—uer 17. why did Dan remayn in the ships for this they were condemned though the ships were their owne and upon Gilead that abode beyond Iordan Asâ—er that continue on the sea-shore when the cavse oâ— God was in hand for this was Meroz cursed yea cursed bitterly by the Angell of the Lord because they came not to the help of the Lord to the helpe of the Lord against the mighty And therefore for the incouragement of those that did assist him in any proportion though their assistance was no way competent against so potenâ— an enemy God fought himselfe to they fought from heaven the starres in their order fought against Sisera verse 20. The Starres in their order fought let no man pretend that hee fights for God when he fights out of order for God will not fight nor bee fought for disorderly The duty that every Subject oweth to his Soveraigne is submission to his high place and calling He being no other then Gods Lievtenant and Vicegerent upon the Earth And that not so long as he doth wâ—ll and no longer as some simple people imagine for what rebellion what 〈◊〉 hath ever beene made but under some of these pretences what can a Prince doe or leave undone that may not thy malicious or ignorant interpretation forfeit His Crowne No no God hath better provided for them then so They doe not hold their Crownes ad placitum populi at the peoples pleasure but it was God that set them in their Thrones and it is God onely that can remove them Leâ— them so behave themselves as they will answer it before God at the last day 〈◊〉 our parts there is no shift for us but wee must bee subject And why should wee not in this as well as in other things we can endure 〈◊〉 patience unseasonable weather unfruitfull yeeres unwholesome seasâ—â—â— and such other judgements of God because wee know they come from God for shall there be evill in a Citis and the Lord hath 〈…〉 and why should we not as well tollerate the imperfections of Princes Since they are Ministers sent from God to do his will If the Lord bee 〈◊〉 pleased with us He will set a wise King over us whom he loveth 2 〈◊〉 1. If hee bâ—e offended at us He will remove Him and set up a worse in his roome For for the finâ—es of the Land the Kings are changed Pro. 28. 2. whither they be good or bad there is Digitus Dei the finger of God in it and therefor not to be resisted nor repined at but to bee endured with patience And yet we want one duty still that we owe unto Our Soveraigne and that is Obedience to his Lawes Which though they do not binde the Conscience primario per se principally and by themselves becâ—â—â—â— he onely who can punish the Soule can bind the soule yet they doe it per concomitantiam by way of concomitancie because they depend upon the Law of God and are agreeable unto it which primario per se doth binde the Conscience It is true indeed a mans Conscience bindes him more than the commandement of the Magistrate because the Conscience hath none directly above it but God only yet herein we must distinguish by putting a diffâ—â—ence betweene those things that are indifferent in themselves and those things which are simply forbidden or commanded In things indifferent we are more bound to follow the command of the Magistrate then our owne consciences but in those things that are good and evill in themselves we are bound to follow our conscience then the command of the magistrate again ther 's a generall mistake among us whilst we do not distinguâ—sh between subjection Obedience for there may be subjection where there is no obedience the on is allwayes due though not the other or if it be it is by distinguishing between active pasâ—â—e obedience If the King commands me a thing not Lawfull I will not obey Him Faciendo by doing it but Patiendoâ— I hope I shall by submitting my self to suffer his pleasure for not doing it This was the very case of the three children Dan. 3. be it knowne vnto thee O King that we will not serue thy Gods nor worship the golden image which thou hast set vp They refused to yeeld obedience to his vnjust comands faciendo yet did they acknowledge him to be their King did willingly submit to suffer any torment that he should be pleased