Oath and had scorned to conform he knew he should but increase his shame and dishonour and that not only temporal but eternal too for Christ himself saith that as he that confesses him before men shall be confessed of him before his Father which is in Heaven So he that denies or is ashamed of him and of his words in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also will he be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his father with the holy Angels i Mat. 10.32 33. Mark 8.38 The True Loyalist considering this sticks to his Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy the more stedfastly and in regard thereof is the more afraid to break his Kings commandment because it is made not for man and his lusts sake but for the Lord and his sake k 2 Chron. 19.6 Therefore as Saint Peter hath exhorted him he freely submits himself to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake Whether it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well yet he willingly submits himself either actively or passively because so is the will of God that with well doing he may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men l 1 Pet. 2.13 14 15. 1. Actively by obeying his King not only in such things which are already commanded by the Lord in his word but also in all other things which are not contrary to it Let things be never so indifferent in themselves neither made simply good or bad by the command or prohibition of God but hang meerly upon the State of times and the various customs and manners of Nations yet when they are once commanded and made the Laws of the Land he pays obedience to them as to things not indifferent because otherwise his Kings Power and Prerogative would in effect be nullified contrary to the Law of God and destructive to Christian Government and Magistracy Wherefore left in the very act he should disobey not man but God himself m 1 Thes 4.8 He is necessarily subject not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake n Rom. 13 5â— And indeed those things which in themselves are indifferent must needs become good and necessary when they are once made the Laws of the Land because therein they also tend to our good and welfare both in Church and State 1. In the State if there were no Laws there would be no living the weakest then would always go to the Wall Yea men would then be like fish in the Sea the greater would evermore devour the less the strongest arm and the longest Sword would always carry it the passions of men would then set them in as great a combustion as when Phaeton rode the Sun happy therefore is that Nation that hath binding Laws in it to curb our corrupt and irregular passions but thrice happy is that Nation that hath Governours in it endued with such a spirit as makes them willing to execute those Laws for otherwise were there never so good Laws and the King or Supreme Governour should have never so great a desire to have them executed yet seeing with other eyes and handling with other hands than his own he cannot always have his will fulfilled excepting only in Supreme causes where he sits as immediate Judge himself without the concurrent help of inferiour Governours For which cause though the Israelites in the Wilderness were a more collective body than other Nations yet Jethro Moses Father-in-Law seeing how he toiled in judging them alone advised him to chuse inferiour Governours to judge the smaller matters and to bring the greater unto him and not only so but such men too as were rightly qualified for their Office able men such as fear God men of truth hating Covetousness o Exod. 18. 2. In the Church if there were no ordinances there would be no order and if no order no unity in Gods service nor stedfastness in the Faith p Col. 2.5 Yea though there must be Heresies or Sects among us as our Apostle speaks q 1 Cor. 11.19 yet if men should have no Ordinances to contain them in order but be permitted to live as they list themselves as they were when there was no King in England like as when there was no King in Israel r Jud. 17.6 There would be so many the more Divisions and Confusions in the Church whereby the more Tumults and Troubles would be raised in the State For the welfare of the State is imbarked in the welfare of the Church no Christian State can possibly be sound and well when the Chuch is sick and shattered into Schisms any more than Hippocrates's Twins can live or die asunder This hath been too evident in all ages of the Church especially in these latter times now so many false Prophets have risen among us and love which is the bond of Peace is waxen so cold that iniquity doth abound and get the upper hand Å¿ Mat. 24.12 particularly in our Independent Congregations and other Schismatical and Heretical Assemblies among us who under pretence of serving God in their private Meetings have many times and often made secret Conspiracies and Treacherous Combinations against the State that they may the better serve themselves and ruin the Church Wherefore Authority being warned by their former mischief hath since most prudently especially in times of apparent danger took order for the suppression of Conventicles and divisions in the Church that there may be no more such evil consequences in the State but that all things being rightly ordered according to Gods prescription t 1 Cor. 14. ult we may have only peace which God is the Author and approver of as in all the Churches of the Saints u ver 33. 2. Passively by suffering his Kings will to be done on him if it be unlawful and may not be done by him For the true Loyalist knows that as obedience to God must be preferred before obedience to man w Act. 4.19 so he is commanded to be subject to the higher powers x Rom. 13.1 which in such a case cannot be without suffering and therefore he is obedient not only Actively by doing his Kings Commandment when it is for the truth but also Passively by enduring it patiently when it is against the truth as is evident in the example of Shadrach Meshech and Abednego who did obey King Nebuchadezzar not only actively when he had given them Rule over the Province of Babylon but also passively without the least shew of Rebellion when he commanded them to fall down and worship the Golden Image which he had set up y Dan. 3. And indeed where did you ever read of any Godly Martyrs or Martyr that when he might not obey his King actively yet refused to submit himself to him passively I am sure the examples of the Apostles will teach you
hence are justly condemned two sorts of men amongst us 1. Those that dare presume to stile themselves the Godly Party and yet refuse all Loyalty to their Prince That pretend very much to fear the Lord and yet are not afraid to dishonour their King And who are such but only our Pharisaical Puritans and Fanaticks Time was we know when those Godly-gulls and Holy-cheats made the deluded people of this Kingdom to believe that he did fear God the most who did the least honour his King that he was the most godly who would offer the most affronts and indignities to his Prince Nothing was counted with them a greater piece of Piety than to stir up the people against their Soveraign by raising jealousies and casting abroad rude and scandalous Pamphlets almost every day to libel and disgrace him Which as that Holy Martyr King Charles 1. Himself saith in his Divine meditations * ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ that Golden Manual like sparks in great conflagrations did fly up and down to set all places on Fire Yea he was thought to be the most Religious who was the best Incendiary to set a well ordered Kingdom in a Flame Hist of Indepen Compleat Part. 1. p. 55. and could cheat the giddy multitude the most into Rebellion no Ambassador to him that was the greatest Herauld of War and like a Geneva Bull could roar out loudest from the Pulpit Up ye Fanaticks Arm Arm ye are the only Godly party who have as much right to Rob the King and his Loyal Subjects as the Israelites had to spoil the Egyptians g Exod. 3.22 all that you can find is your own But only you must not think that you like ravening Wolves can make a prey of their possessions unless you hide the designs of your pride and covetousness under Sheeps clothing h Mat. 7.15 If therefore you have any lingering mind after the wages of unrighteousness i 2 Pet. 2.15 as we know you have as any Balaams of us all then you must deal wisely k Exod. 1.10 imitate our Language and behaviour to the life know no other godliness but your espoused gain l 1 Tim. 6.5 and make Religion but a stalking Horse to Rebellion regard not the voice of Conscience lest it interrupt you but yet be sure to carry it always about you that it may be ready to further your sinister ends and proceedings with its outward shews and varnish Be ye as Hypocritical in raising a Rebellion against your King as ambitious Absalom was when he raised a conspiracy against his Father m 2 Sam. 15. though like David he be a man after Gods own heart yet pretend ye that there are some grievous abuses in Church and State which if you were made Rulers and Judges your integrity would quickly remedy that so your Godly party being strengthned by the stoln hearts of others you may accomplish your ambitious and covetous ends the more assuredly to the temporal ruin and downfal of your King and Country O! Tell this not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Askalon lest the Daughters of Philistins rejoyce lest the Daughters of the uncircumcised triumph n 2 Sam. 1.20 For time was then too when these cursed Cains and Amalekites did all of them combine together and were not afraid to stretch forth united hands to destroy the Lords anointed o ver 14. And yet forsooth they pretended that it was out of fear to God to promote his Cause and his Glory Yea they thought they did God good service to kill their King and make him a glorious Martyr for God and his Country as Christ our Prince of peace foretold his Disciples of the like that was to happen unto them to make them stable in their persecutions p John 16.1 2 For as these Rebels did this Barbarous Villainous and unparallel'd act because they had no saving knowledge of God the Father and Christ God-man the Son q ver 3. So our Martyred Soveraign like King David in all his troubles though both had their failings demonstrated himself to be a true Disciple of Christ indeed for notwithstanding all the various modes whereby these proud and impudent wretches had him in great derision yet he declined not from Gods Law r Ps 119.51 But the guilty Consciences of these Parricides the true seed of Corah and his Complices two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly all of them Parliament men of their own Election ſ Numb 16. told them that the murder of their Soveraign was not enough to keep those Places Dignities and Power which before they had usurped from him unless they barred all his Heirs from succeeding Therefore though they consisted of two juntoes and were divided into two adverse Factions the one Presbyterians who to use their own distinction murdered the King in his Political Capacity and the other Independents who murdred him in his natural Yet they most firmly agreed in making an Act * Hist Independ Compleat Part 2. p. 140. p. 241. Part 4. p. 22. for the Dethroning of his Highness James Duke of York and all the Royal Family not sparing so much as the Kingly Office it self Especially therein they united themselves together against the next Heir to the Crown our now most gracious Lord and King as unanimously and as solemnly as those two deadly Enemies Herod and Pilate were made friends against Christ t Luk. 23.12 They hunted him from place to place for his life as Saul King David like a Partridge upon the Mountains u 1 Sam. 26.20 most inhumanely saying like the Husbandmen in the Parable w Luk. 20.14 this is the Heir come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours Yet they had the impudence to pretend that all was but expedient for the good and welfare of the whole Nation the Glory of God the safety and liberty of the people Salus populi is the common pretence of all Rebels Caiaphas pretended the same for Crucifying Christ it is expedient saith he that one man die meaning Jesus and that the whole Nation perish not x John 11.50 And Cromwell too pretended the like for the murder of our Soveraign unless he die the whole nation must perish but as that which was pretended to be so much for the safety of the Jews brought a fearful destruction upon them so this which was pretended to be so much for the Glory of God and the Liberty of the People hath been seen by woeful experience for twelve years together to have been the very bane and ruin of the Nation When was there ever more slavery and bondage in the State And when more Anarchy and confusion in the Church Munster it self saw but the Prologue to our Tragedy But to maintain this their Usurpation they still persisted in their old Hypocritical zeal and re-inforced it too with such wonderful shews of godliness that if it were possible they
would have perswaded the very Elect themselves that they were really a Godly Party true fearers of God indeed y Mat. 24.24 the more they had a mind to dishonour the King the more they pretended to fear the Lord How many Pharisaical prayers and superstitious Preachings were made to devour the Possessions of all True Loyalists even to the houses of poor Widows and the Fatherless z Mat. 23.14 How many sad Countenances and Bulrush necks to trumpet out the praise of their Saintship And how many Hypocritical sighs and groans too to blow up all Royalty and Loyalty and cheat the people into Rebellion All which either more or less was evident in most but especially in Cook that Famous or rather Infamous Preacher sigher and groaner and in Cromwell too the Head of their Rebellion * Boscobel or the Compleat History of his Sacred Majesties most miraculous preservation after the Battel of Worcester 3 Sept. 1651. Part. 1. p. 18. who when at Worcester fight he had marched over Powick Bridge a considerable number of his men to fight against his King said in his Hypocritical way The Lord of Hosts be with you That so the poor ignorant and credulous Rabble who knew no other cause but their pay why they were gathered together any more than the followers of Demetrius a Acts 19.40 or those two hundred that followed Absolom out of Jerusalem in their simplicity b 2 Sam. 15.11 thinking that it was Gods cause which they were ingaged in might be the more animated in their Rebellion But it is no wonder that these Rebels and Whetstones of Rebellion should thus dishonour the King when as for all their specious pretences they were not afraid to dishonour the Lord himself not only indirectly through the sides of his Vicegerent but immediately and directly in himself for time was then also when they did most impudently prophane Gods Sanctuary the House of Prayer the place where his honour dwelleth c Ps 26.8 they set up the abomination of desolation in the Holy Place where it ought not to stand d Mat 24.15 Hist Independ Compleat Part. 1. p. 170. Sir William Brereton Colonel General for the Cheshire Forces having given him the Arch-Bishops House and Lands at Croiden with Cashobery and other Lands of the Lord Capels worth 2000 l. per an for service done and to be done against the King and Kingdom reformed the Chapel there into a Kitchin This was a goodly reformation fitting with his Stomach as well as his Religion But O. Cromwell * Hist Independ Compleat Part. 2. p. 34 35. in proportion to his sublimity therein went beyond him when he and his reformed St. Pauls from the Church of God to a Den of Thieves Stable of Horses and Brothel of Whores out of envy I suppose to the King because it was the Head and Royal Church of the Kingdom And to cover his Prophaneness he would most ridiculously say his Prayers amongst his Horses And Lambert and his crue did not come far behind him when he threatened to pluck down Churches for Edification as they actually did the Kings house at Holmby And I may add too what hereafter I shall have better occasion to speak of in their changing that they then also thought it a great piece of Reformation to dishonour God publickly not only by doing their Carnal and Worldly business in his Sanctuary but also by being most irreverently and unmannerly covered even before their betters in his Holy Ordinances And O! that I could not say that even now time is that this sin of Prophaneness is still extant in some too many amongst us which without all doubt plainly declares nothing more than that they are still infected with their old Common-Wealth principles They are apt to complain of the reliques of Popery because they want Wisdom to discern the precious from the vile e Jer. 15.19 But I wish we had not juster cause to complain of the reliques of Fanaticism there be too many dregs of it lye at the bottom of this Nation which if they should be once stirred before they be refined it is much to be feared that they would quickly discover themselves on the top We have Church Fanaticks as well as Church Papists amongst us You therefore that are infected with the gangrene of Fanaticism with the leven or doctrine of these Phanatical Scribes and Pharisees f Mat. 16.6 12. it is behoofeful that you be very careful to purge it out from your Consciences by a timely true and unfeigned repentance that you may not corrupt others with evil manners but become a new Lump your selves g 1 Cor. 5.7 to win and confirm those in the truth that want it h Luk. 22.32 As Doctor Lee Colonel Richard * Boscobel Or the Compleat Hist of his Sacred Majesties most miraculous preservation after the Battel of Worcester Part. 1. p. 16. Ingolsby who since his Conversion was created Knight of the Bath at his Majesties Coronation and other real Converts have done in the same reformation This is a thing not to be dallied with but to be seriously considered in time and the rather because evil habits are as hardly forsaken as easily taken unless you take it for a thing indifferent as some of your Predecessors have done whether you are for ever happy or miserable Luke-warm Christians partly Fanaticks and partly Loyalists and Conformists that like a trembling Needle between two Loadstones incline to both and neither are as loathsome to God as the Laodiceans i Revel 3.14 15 16. You have sometime taken an Oath to be constant to true Loyalty and Conformity and what will you not fear your Oaths k Ecclesiastes 8.2 O remember therefore from whence you are fallen repent and do the first Works that God may have nothing against you l Revel 2.4 5. You cannot complan of any want of means for your recovery and restauration You have the Scriptures where the same God that hath taught you to fear him hath also in the same breath taught you to fear and honour the King and what will you not believe him who is so much truth it self by nature that he cannot lye m Tit. 1.2 and there he hath also taught you that his worship cannot consist without honour nor the Churches of the Saints without peace and order And what should I mention what means you have also had from the examples of well ordered Churches both Clergy and Laity when as the King himself Gods Minister and Vicegerent your head and Soveraign hath not only established the same according to his Lords commandment but hath also taught you by his own pious example how to reverence Christ your Head by uncovering your heads in his Church Holy House or Sanctuary And what will ye be worse than all the World besides Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis The whole world strives who shall the most follow the example
under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved e Acts 4.12 And St. John saith He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him f John 3.36 17.3 Heb. 2.3 1 John 5.10 O therefore as you tender your everlasting Peace delay no longer to kiss the Son of God Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour g Psal 2.12 not with a Judas's kiss to betray him h Mat. 26.48 but with the mouth of Faith and obedience in token of homage i 1 Sam. 10.1 that he was Anointed to be your Lord and King by God the Father k Psa 89.27 Revel 1.5 Phil. 2.8 9. lest by your infidelity ye perish from the Way the Truth and the Life l John 14.6 And you O Christian Kings that are already established in the Faith and imbrace Christ and his Gospel the only means of your Salvation accomplish ye the end of your Ordination be ye true defenders of the Faith and Nursing Fathers to the Church that Christ may defend you from your enemies and nurse you in your Kingdoms manifest your wisdom by scattering the wicked in judgment and bringing the Wheel over the ungodly that the Lord may establish your Thrones in righteousness m Pro. 20.8 26. 25.5 Let Christ rule in your hearts by Faith n Ephes 3.17 Col. 3.15 that you may rule his people the more faithfully Pay ye True Loyalty and subjection to Christ your Lord and Master that your Subjects may the more chearfully pay you yours In a word have a care of increasing your accounts by negligence in your charge o Luk. 12.48 But crown your Sacred Office with Christian examples that at last you may exchange your corruptible Crowns for Crowns of glory But Lastly we must not forget that if a King should be wanting in his duty to fear the Lord yet our duty is nevertheless to fear the King let him be what he will that can be no excuse to us we must not forsake the Lord for his sake but still be subject unto him for the Lords sake Wickedness in a King may bring destruction upon himself but we know from what hath been said before that it can be no plea for Rebellion Yea suppose a King should be a notorious enemy not only to the Lord but to our selves too yet for all that we must not Rebel but still be subject and obedient David a man after Gods own heart when he was a Subject to King Saul that remarkable Tyrant and Rebel against God gives us in this a very fair example for when the evil spirit of King Saul rose up against him and that so violently that he sought to smite him even to the Wall with his Javelin and though afterwards he declared his malice to be as great as Davids innocency both by hunting him from place to place like a Partridge upon the Mountains and devising all the ways he could besides to take away his life p 1 Sam. 19.9 10 c. yet when he had him at his mercy even at such times when he came to attach him q 1 Sam. 24. c. 26. he would by no means Rebel lift up his hand or his heel against him no nor suffer those that were about him to do it though they much incited him thereunto alledging that the day was come in the which the Lord said he would deliver his enemy into his hand But alas they savoured not the things that be of God r Mat. 16.23 the Lord delivered him into his hand not that he should kill him but only to try his Loyalty whether he would kill him or not and so the words following interpret it that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee Å¿ 1 Sam. 24.4 5. And so accordingly he proved himself a True Loyalist indeed the more he feared the Lord the more he feared the King he cut off but the skirt of Sauls Robe and his heart smote him much less durst he kill him t Psal 4.4 Satan for all his great policy could not prevail with him to do that he said unto hismen The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord With these words David staid his servants and suffered them not to rise against Saul u 1 Sam. 24.5 6 7. And when Abishai for the same reason would have killed him in the Wilderness of Ziph David was astonished at his boldness and impudency and forbad him with great indignation saying Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless w 1 Sam. 26. But behold instead of satisfying a revengeful nature upon his enemy he so pacified his wrath by yielding that he even inforced tears from his eyes x 1 Sam. 24.16 17 c. made him promise him that he would do him no more harm yea confess his own folly and bless him y 1 Sam. 26.21 c. This is so exactly according to what his Son Solomon hath taught us Ecclesiastes 10.4 that he may seem to have borrowed his Wisdom and Counsel therein from this very story the words are these If the Spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifieth great offences If the Spirit of thy Ruler rise up against thee let it be for what cause it will yet for all that thou must not leave thy place and rebel to make him yield by constraint but keep thy order and station still z 1 Cor. 7.20 24. and endeavour to pacifie him by yielding This is the duty of us all how great then is the sin of them that leave their places and rise up against their Ruler when his spirit is calm and sedate and by their Rebellion inforce him aftewards to rise up against them and yet refuse to pacifie him by yielding though themselves have been the cause of his provocation Fanaticks themselves may be Judge but withal let them repent lest by their pride and obstinacy they also provoke Gods anger against them And in a word let us all be as careful always to discharge out duty to the Lord and the King that we may not make our selves for ever miserable by Rebellion but that as Kings on Earth dye like men so we in heaven may live like Kings a Psal 82.7 Revel 5.10 Part II. NOw Secondly that we may obtain this heavenly and Royal inheritance of the True Loyalist and avoid the everlasting perdition of Rebels Solomon also gives us a seasonable caution to meddle not with them that are given to change for by Changers here are meant Rebels such as neither fear the Lord nor the King but under an hypocritical pretence of being great Zelots in Religion pride themselves in nothing more