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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A20838 The practise of princes. Published by A. Ar Ar., A. 1630 (1630) STC 722; ESTC S100204 18,364 24

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THE PRACTISE OF PRINCES Published by A. Ar. Prov. 29.4 The King by judgment stablisheth the Land but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it Printed in the yeare 1630. WHen the Children of Israell had sinned against the Lord he delivered them over in the hands of spoylers and sould them into the hands of their enimies round about so that they could not stand before them Levit. 26. Deut. 28. Iudg. 2. Our estate is so we have transgressed his laws with an high hand and yet we have not hearts to lament it as we should nor eies to see the hand of God goe out against us in all we sett our hands unto both in peace and warre but we attribute all to secondary causes looke not to the Lord against whom we have sinned some of us can see that our best Nobility and valiantest Captains and Souldyers are cutt off by indirect means and our wealth and honour consumed to our great reproach and ignominie Yet we do not observe it as we should and what a fearfull estate our land now stands in this short treatise doth shew amongst them that beare sway or at least might be heard by the rulers All seek their own and no man that is Christs Some of them pretend to be conversant for him in superficie boni but it is indeed in alto mal● Where is there amongst us anie that will stand for the cause of Christ so that I may say there is but a step between us and death Hester will interpose hirself for her countrye and if she perish she perish the fire of Gods wrath is ready to break in upon us therefore if the fewel of sin be not taken away the wrath of Gods will never ceasse till we be all consumed What true heart will not bring help to quench this fire alas it will be vain to bring water when the house is burnt to ashes Who will not at least crye when he seeth his mother murdering I will conclude with the Apostles words Lord save us else we all perish A. Ar. The practise of Princes WISDOM in the Proverbs which all Divines acknowledge to be the Sonne of God the eternal Word by which the father made the world saith there by me Kinges raigne and Princes decree justice by me Princes rule and the nobles and all the Iudges of the earth Where though it be true that God infused into divers heathen Princes and Iudges zealous of virtue and justice some beams of this Wisdom who may therefore be saide in som sort to rule by it yet wee are not to understand that every King and Governour that ruleth iudgeth by unlawful policie or wicked counsell doth it by this Wisdom Jeroboam vainly fearing that the peoples going up to Ierusalem would make them revolt tooke counsaile for the setting up of calves in Bethel and Dan wherin he and his counsel did not rule by this Wisdom but by a divelish policie which indeede was rather folly then true Wisdom for it made God his enemie and was the sodaine overthrow of his howse as the like earthly policies were of the families of Saul Ahab Absolon Achitophel Haman and others The meaning therefore of that place is that all Kings Princes Iudges and Governours that judge and rule well and happily they judge by or according to that wisdom which is Gods word therby keeping theire people what in them is in the true worship and feare of God as did David Iehoshaphat Hezekiah and Josiah wherin they are truly Gods Vicegerents seeking his kingdom and the righteousnes thereof and whereby theire owne kingdoms are kept in peace and the neighbouring kingdoms come to feare them as they did Iehoshaphat therefore wisdō saith By me Kings raigne not by any polices or subtiltie but by me who am Gods Wisdom Which is there found most true where Princes square theire counsels by Gods word and labour that theire people may be governed in all matters of faith and salvation by his revealed will and where as they ought theire owne lawes and governement tend to the same ende for therefore the throne of a King is called the throne of the Lord and the kingdoms of this world the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ But besides those general rules in the Law and the Gospel which shew Princes what should be the end and scope of al their lawes and government and by which where kings doe so esteeme of them their people are bridled and kept in awe as by that word which stilled the raging of the sea and the madnes of the people and which is the rod of his strength this Wisdom in holy writ and especially in that booke of the Proverbs hath left unto all Princes divers speciall Rules whereby they ought to square all their actions and government which may be called The Princes principles or The practise of Princes which should be regarded as Christs charge to Christian Kings and euer observed because they are Gods immutable Wisdom which he hath left to be a sure guide to all Princes to the ende of the world and wherof in a more special manner that may seeme to be saide By me Kings raigne c. Now therefore hearken o Children unto me If al the Children of Wisdom ought so to doe Princes more especially their calling beeing of the greatest waight deeply concerning so many thousands of people and standing most in neede of that Wisdoms help which is the Sonne and the Prince of the Kings of the earth Al Princes are as much bound to observe his lawes and directions as theire meanest subiects are to regard theirs for he is the King of kings and all his Rules and directions are perpetuall lawes so immutable and irrevocable that all designes and determinations that are contrary unto them how faire a shew soever they make of wisdom and a probable good they are but meere wickednes and can not establish the Prince that puts them in practise but rather tend to his undoing for that is one infallible principle left us by Wisdom A man can not be established by wickednes and therefore the Lord saith Woe to the rebellious children that take counsell but not of me and cover with a covering but not of my spirit which walke to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and trust in the shadow of Egypt as Asa also sought a league with Syria and relyed on it and not on the Lord and was therefore punished wherefore Wisdom saith It is an abhomination to Kings to commit wickednes for the throne is established by justice by carrying themselves justly towards God and their people therefore state policies that stand not with pietie must needes overthrow it Such are all temporisings in matters of religion with Princes and people of a contrary faith and seeking or favouring middle waies of reconcilement such as halt betweene God and Baal betweene Christ Antichrist like the Arminians of our time which euer