Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	king_n	people_n	power_n	4,914	5	5.4287	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A87515	Obedience active and passive due to the supream povver, by the word of God, reason, and the consent of divers moderne and orthodox divines; written not out of faction, but conscience, and with desire to informe the ignorant, and undeceive the seduced: by W.J. a welwiller to peace and truth.	W. J., welwiller to peace and truth.	1643 (1643)	Wing J52; Thomason E90_19; ESTC R19937	23,430	31

OBEDIENCE ACTIVE and PASSIVE DUE TO THE SVPREAM POVVER By the word of God Reason and the Consent of divers moderne and Orthodox Divines Written not out of Faction but Conscience and with desire to informe the Ignorant and undeceive the Seduced By W. J. a Welwiller to Peace and Truth TIT. 3.1 Put them in mind to bee subject to principalities and powers and that they bee obedient c. ROM 13.1 Let every Soule bee subject to the Higher powers Principi summum rerum judicium dii dederunt Subditis obsequii Gloria relicta est Tacitus lib. 6. Histor Scutum potius quàm gladium subditis in Tyrannose esse sumendum quos modestia patientia subditorum mitigat contumacia verò exasperat Titus Livius lib. 3. OXFORD Printed by Leonard Litchfeild Printer to the Vniversity Anno 1643. To the Reader IT is a time wherein many are become rather wilfully then really ignorant and more conceitedly then truly desirous of Peace with Truth to rectifie if not satisfie whom this little treatise is communicated unto publike view wherein they shall find toward accomplishing their desire Truth from Heaven tending toward peace on Earth Truth being the matter therof Peace the end whereto it conduceth And I supposed there could bee no better meane under God toward the compassing and procuring that Peace then by rightly informing each Subject of his duty from the word of God which is Truth and therefore I dare bebold to say that if the Truth herein sincerely and cleerely delivered be but lovingly embraced and henceforth constantly practised by us all wee shall prove both better servants to God our Father and more loyall subjects to the King our Soveraigne and so not onely againe acquire that great blessing of internall externall and eternall Peace to our selves with confluence of all concommitant felicity but withall suddenly procure from God and the King that happy and all desired Vnion of his most sacred Majesty with his Parliament and People whereby all our lawfull desires may bee fully effected which is the constant fervent and dayly prayer of the Authour Farewell The SVBIECTS duty to there lawfull KING Consisting in ACTIVE and PASSIVE Obedience THat the King is the Head of the people is evident by 1 Sam. 15.17 where the Prophet Samuel saith thus unto King Saul from the Lord When thou was little in thine owne sight wast thou not made the Head of the Tribes of Israel and the Lord annointed thee to be King over Israel And by the 1 Kings 14.7 where Ahijah the Prophet bids King Jeroboams wife Goe tell Ieroboam Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I exalted thee from among the people and made thee Prince over my people Israel And 1 Kings 16.2 where Jehu the Prophet saith to King Baasha from the Lord I exalted thee from the dust and made thee Prince over my people Israel Which occasioned Optatus to say Super Imperatorem non est nisi qui fecit Imperatorem from which our Law too dissents not for in the yeare booke of 1. Henr. 7.10 and Finch fol. 81. it is said That the King is the head of the Common-wealth immediate under God and therewith agreeth the more ancient Law which tels us Quod omnes sub eo ipse autem sub nullo nisi tantum sub Deo Bracton lib. 1. cap. 8. And therefore is it that S. Peter 1 Epist 2.13 Exhorts all men to submit themselves unto the King as to the Supreame who is placed in that degree of eminency over the people Not by himselfe for Kings themselves acknowledge in their styles that they are such Dei gratia and therefore may not unfitly say with the Psalmist Psal 100.3 He it is that made us and not wee our selves Neither by the people for the Iewes confesse Nehem. 9.37 That Kings are set over them by God and therefore we often read in Scripture That the King is called Gods Annoynted and the Lords Annoynted but never the people 's Annoynted And then if neither by himselfe nor by the people then surely by God alone and truly God so asserteth Prov. 8.15 They raigne not by themselves they raigne not by the people But saith he By mee Kings raigne that is by my ordination and appointment being first setled since upheld and sometimes miraculously preserved in their raignes by mee and by my will as the cause For as the Prophets Ieremiah and Daniel tell us The most high beareth rule over the Kingdomes of men and giveth them to whomsoever hee will Ier. 27.5.6 and Dan. 4.17 He having the sole property of them and therefore Daniel speaking to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.37 saith The God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdome c. And so Cyrus acknowledgeth Ezra 1.2 saying The Lord God of Heaven hath given mee all the Kingdomes of the Earth Wee read Deut. 17.14.15 That if the people would have a King like other Nations Then they should in any wise set him King over them whom the Lord their God should choose And 1 Sam. 9.17 we read that God chose Saul to raigne over his people and 1 Sam. 10.1 and 1 Sam. 15.1 The Lord sent Samuel to annoynt Saul to be King over his people Israel And in the 1 Sam. 16.1 God saith to Samuel I will send thee to Jesse the Bethleemite for I have provided mee a King among his Sonnes to wit David and at the 13. Verse Samuel annoynted him And 2 Sam. 12.7 God saith to David I annoynted thee King over Israel And David himselfe after he was King 1 Chron. 28.4 did acknowledge that hee did not set up himselfe to be King neither was chose by the people but saith hee The Lord chose mee that I should be King over Israel And hereto agreeable was the Divinity of the Primitive Church concerning Kings which had least cause to favour them in regard they were its persecuters and yet Ireneus saith of them Cujus jussu nascuntur homines ejus jussu constituuntur Principes Thus wee see that Kings are provided for the people and appointed by God annoynted by his Prophets and lastly onely approved of by the people and truly such people as are his doubtlesse will approve both his choyce and institution as wee read the Iewes did 1. Sam. 10 24. who when they saw Saul whom God had appointed chose and annoynted for their King they all showted and said God save the King Now as the institution and office so also the power of a King is derived from God for as was before said by Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar Dan. 2.37 The God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdome so likewise doth hee adde thereto power strength and glory whereby it appeareth Kings have power from God which our Saviour likewise acknowledgeth Iohn 19.11 where speaking to Pilate he saith Thou couldest have no power except it were given thee from above and therefore saith Tertullian Inde illis potestas est unde Spiritus and that wee know is from God not from the people whereby it

S. Peter when he saith 1 Epist 2.13.14 Submit your selves for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreams or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him c. wherein we see he mentious both Kings and Magistrates yet would that we should be Subject and yeeld obedience as the words insinuate one way to the King and another way to the Magistrate to the King as Supreame in all things and that without any exception save alone in such things as he Commandes contrary to Gods Will and Word but to the Magistrates as sent by him that is in respect they derive their power which they have received and possesse from the King and so represent his Person that sends them which also our Saviour intimates Iob 19.11 Where speaking to Pilate who was the Magistrate and Deputed to the Government of Iudea by Caesar he saith to him Thou couldest have no power at all against mee viz. to Iudge mee except it were given thee from above that is as from God so likewise from the power above thee to wit Caesar And therefore onely is it That by the afore cited Statute of 25. Edw. 3. ca. 2. It is declared to be High Treason to kill the Chancellor Treasurer or Justice of either Bench Iustice in Eire or of Assises who are the grand subordinate Magistrates of the Realme or any other Iustices assigned to heare and determine sitting on the Berch or place of Iudgement and doing their office Because they then represent the Kings Person Wherefore if the King be the Head of the people according to the Prophet Samuel and the Higher power according to the Apostle S. Paul and the Supreame according to the Apostle S. Peter then doubtlesse there is no power equall with his and much lesse any power above his within his Realme and Dominion and so Antiquity confessed for S. Chrisostom tells us that Rex non habet parem super terram and Bracton that Rex non habet parem in Regno suo and he addes the reason quia sic amitterat praeceptum cum par in parem non habet Imperium Which is also graunted and acknowledged by the 37. Article of the Confession of Faith made by the Church of England in these words The Kings Majesty hath the Cheife power in this Realme of England and other his Dominions unto whom the Chiefe Government of all Estates of this Realme whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Civill in all causes doth appertaine And the Oracle of the Common Law Sir Edward Cooke doth informe us according to Law li. 5. Caudryes case fo 40. b. That it appeareth aswell by the Ancient Common-lawes of this Realme by the Resolutions Judgements of the Iudges and Sages of the Lawes of England in all Succession of Ages as by authority of many acts of Parliament Ancient and of latter times That the Kingdome of England is an absolute Monarchy and that the King is the only Supreame Governour aswell over Ecclesiasticall persons and in Ecclesiasticall causes as Temporall within this Realme And truely the Oath of Supremacy which ordained by Act of Parliament And which by force of the Statute of 1. Eliz. ca. 1. Every Magistrate within this Realme of England is to take makes it also plainly appeare for hee that takes it doth declare in his Conscience That the Kings Highnesse is the onely Supreame Governour of this Realme and of all other his Highnesse Dominions and Countries as well in all Spirituall and Ecclesiasticall things or causes as Temporall And therefore surely if Magistrates acknowledge a power above themselves as they who have tooke that Oath cannot deny but they have then doubtlesse They are not to Governe him but rather to Governe for him according to that power he hath committed to them and then consequently be both bound to obey and forbid to resist that Supreame and Higher power aswell as other private Subjects be wherefore whatever hath beene said in respect of their duty doth aswell concerne Magistrates And further as there is no cleare Text that declares it lawfull to resist the Higher power in any case so neither is there any Divine and apposite example in Scripture that I could ever meete with yet no not alleadged by the adverse partie in maintanance of their opinion whereon truely to ground such an opinion and proove such a Lawfull power to oppose the Supreame and to reside in the Inferiour Magistracy or Optimacy of a Realme but on the Contrary much may be said and deduced from thence to disproove and evince that position In contradiction whereof S. Chrisostome hath afoorded us a good observation Homil. 2. in Epist 2. ad Timoth. Insurrexerunt adversus Aaron post vituli formatam effigiem Core Dathan Abiron quid ergo nonn● illi periere c. Saith hee It was after That Aaron had sinned foolishly and hainously in making the Calfe that Core Dathan and Abiron rebelled against him but what then did they not perish Yes they did and that was to shew that although the Governour might be wicked yet it was not for them who were under him to take upon them to correct him or rebell against him no though they were the Optimates and Peeres of a Realme for wee know the Two hundred and fifty Princes of Israel that joyned in the Conspiracy and Rebellion against Moses and Aaron perished aswell yea and as strangely too as Corah and his Company And besides among the Iewes where though there were so many Kings who were no lesse contemners of the Divine then of humane Lawes doe wee read that ever the Inferiour Magistrates amongst whom there were no doubt many godly and valiant men did at any time assume power to oppose their Kings but only when they received a speciall command from God who alone hath power above Kings and to correct them Nor ever read wee that the Statues and Idolls of the false Gods which were publikely set up by the Kings of Iudah and Israel were dejected or demolished but by the command of the good Kings which God gave them when they came to rule over the people And so wee see That Idolatry continued in the Kingdome of Israel and no reformation from the time of Ieroboam the Sonne of Nebat and first King of Israel who made Israel to sinne and set up the two Golden Calves and the Altar at Bethel 1 Kings 12.28.33 untill the time of good Iosiah King of Judah who demolished them as we read 2 Kings 23.15 and 2 Chron. 34.7 according to the Word of the Lord spoken by the man of God which Prophesied against the Altar at Bethel 1 King 13.2 after they had continued above the space of 300. yeares during which time doubtlesse there were many Religious men and Magistrates in Israel and yet notwithstanding we read not of any that opposed the King though an Idolater nor yet that tooke upon them to remove the Idolls from amongst them till such time it pleased God to send

of love lest he be againe endangered we should with the Men of David at the same verse say unto him Thou shalt goe no more out with us to battaile that thou quench not the light of Israel that is lest if thou perish in the battaile we loose thee who art not onely the Ioy and the glory but also the Light of Israel where by the way we may observe the great estimation a people should have of their King viz. to esteeme him as their Light and withall that when the Light of Israel is quenched that is when we loose a good King who is the Ioy and the Glory of his people we are then rightly said to be in darkenesse and so exposed to danger as wanting a Light to guide us Eleavently We must not withhold his due from him for our Saviour wills us Mat. 22.21 to Give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and S. Paul Rom. 13.7 to render to all their dues tribute to whom tribute c. Now because Kings are the Ministers of God for our good Rom. 13 ● for the good of Peace Protection Iustice Religion c. attending continually upon this very thing therefore for this cause we pay tribute Rom. 13.6 And truly in regard of their Care over us we must not dare but as our Saviour saith Reddere Caesari quae sua sunt That is because they keep our Tillage safe they must have Tribute out of our Lands and because they keep the Sea safe they must have vectigal Custume and Censum Subsidy out of our goods and therefore it is very remarkeable That our Saviour never did any Miracle about Honor or Money except that one which we read of Mat. 17.27 about giving Tribute to Caesar where although nothing was due as may appeare by the two former verses yet saith Christ to Peter Lest we should offend goe thou to the Sea and cast an hooke and take up the fish that first commeth up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt find a peece of mony that take and give unto them for thee and me Lastly We must be subject to them and obey them for as Dion Cassius hath well observed Naturâ quipe id necessarium hominibus salutare ut alij quidem imperent alij vero pareant And therefore S. Paul wills Titus Tit. 3.1 to put the people in minde that they be subject to principalities and powers and that they be obedient And againe because Christians should not suppose they were exempted from obedience to the Heathen Governors therfore the same Apostle writing to the Roman Christians who though they lived under cruell Nero that Persecutor of the Church and Infamy of his Age and under his wicked substitutes yet saith he Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and why because the powers that be are ordained of God and he that resists the power resists the ordinance of God and therefore be obedient Now our subjection and obedience to the Kings and Governours who are set over us and who are the Powers that are of God is to permit their will to be done aut a nobis aut de nobis that is either of us or on us of us when they command for Truth on us not by us when they command against the Truth to wit Gods Truth Word as we see by the axample of the Hebrew Midwives whom the King of Egypt commanded that when a Son was born to the Hebrew women they should kill him Exod. 1.16 But the Midwives feared God and did not as the King of Aegypt commanded them but saved the men children alive vers 17. for had they they had beene guilty of murder and therefore because the Midwives feared God He dealt well with them and made them houses verses 20.21 Also by the example of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego Dan. 3.18 Who would not worship the golden Jmage set up by Nebuchadnezzar yet permitted his will to be done on them by casting them into the fiery furnace verses 20.21 and therefore God preserved them so that they had no harme as we read in the same Chapter And so Daniel who though he was interdiced by King Darius Dan. 6.9 Yet ceased not to pray unto God three times a day verse 13. yet he permitted the Kings will to be done on him for he signed the decree by casting him into the Den of Lyons verse 16. So it appeareth that we must be patients or Agents Agents when he is good and godly patients when he is tyranous and wicked and then as S. Peter saith 1 Pet. 2.19 It is thankworthy if a man for Conscience towards God endure griefe suffering wrongfully and unto a patient bearing of the Crosse we know we are called for Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps as S. Peter there tells us at verse 21. Wherefore we must needs be obedient because all powers is of God because they bring with them the good of order because it is a sinne to disobey because judgement temporall and eternall accompany the sinne of Rebellion and disobedience because governement is the meane of our weale because Kings are as it were hired by tribute to serve their Servants and take care for their subjects Besides it is necessary that we should obey both ex necessitate finis pracepti for hereby we shall doe that which is acceptable to God and profitable to our selves acceptable to God enjoyning obedience profitable to our selves as thereby enjoyning the good of government That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlynes honesty as S Paul saith 1 Tim 2.2 see Doctor Boys on the Epistle for the fourth Sunday after Epiphany And thus we see That we are taught to obey Kings by the Word though they rule not alwayes by the Word but what of that As the neglect of their duty cannot excuse the neglect of ours so neither can the breach of their Oath absolve us before God from our duties of Allegeance and Obedience to them as Calvin Aretius and Marlorate informe us For we are bound to obey as the person so chiefly the power because it is of God Nor must we only preforme this duty to good Kings and Governours but as S. Peter saith to servants concerning their Masters 1 Pet. 2.18 Be subject to your Masters with all feare not only to the good and gentle but also to the froward so may we lawfully say to subjects concerning their Soveraignes Be ye subject and obedient not only to Good Kings but also to the froward and wicked as Hugo Grotius aptly applying that text So also devine Seneca though an Heathen wills us saying Aequum atque Iniquum Regis Imperium feras for we must consider acknowledge with S. Chrisostom That Reges quod sunt a Deo sunt and therefore that every King is either Gods golden Scepter and so the Mirrour of his goodnesse when we enjoy peace and plenty and prosperity

King Iosiah to doe it according as he had foretold by the Prophet but it is to be presumed that during that space every good man only looked to himselfe that he polluted not his own soule by such spirituall whoredome and withall resolved and endeavoured with Josua Iosua 24.15 That He and his houshould might serve the Lord If then Idolatry and defection from God tyranny over the people and persecution of the Saints for their profession hindred not the Spirit of God to Command the people to yeild due and hearty obedience to their cruell Kings as we have shewen before from Ieremiah and S. Paul towards Nebuchadnezar and Nero what shamelesse presumption then is it to any Christian people now adayes to claime such an unlawfull liberty and power to resist oppose or depose their lawfull Kings which God refused to grant to his own peculiar and chosen people the Iewes For in the first Booke of Samuel in the 8. Chapter where Samuel makes the discription of a King and shewes the people the manner of their King that should Raigne over them not that all things there mentioned by Samuel from the Lord were by him granted as lawful for a King to do but Samuel relates the maner therby to prepare their hearts before hand to the due obedience of that King which God was to give unto them so he there openeth to them what might be the intollerable quallities that might happen either in him or some other of their Kings through their inordinate appetites thereby preparing them to patience and not to resist Gods Ordinance if so be the licentiousnesse of their Kings will should extend so far as to do such things as hee there mentioneth as if he would have said Since God hath granted your importunate suite in giving you a King as yee have formerly committed an error in shaking of Gods yoke and over-hasty seeking of a King so now beware yee fall not into the next also in casting off rashly that yoke which God at your earnest suite hath layd upon you how hard so ever it seemes to be for as you could not have obtained a King without the permission and ordinance of God so in no wise can yee shake him off without the same warrant since hee that hath the only power to make him hath also alone the power to unmake him and therefore bee yee obedient and patiently beare with those straights that I shall fore-shew you as with the finger and hand of God which lyeth not in your power to take off For saith he verse 11. This will be the manner of your King that shall raigne over you Hee will take your sonnes appoint them for himselfe for his Charriots and to be his horsemen and some shall runne before his Charriots c. That is briefly Hee will exercise very much cruelty oppression and Tyranny over you almost beyond humane patience to endure But yet for all this although hee should doo so Yet wee doe not at all read there That the People should then disobey him neither of any liberty granted to them or power granted to the Magistrates to oppose him for so doing or to restraine his power or to redresse those evills themselves but being destitute of all humane Remedies they were onely to cry unto the Lord to remedy them as wee reade at verse the 18. For indeed there is no Lawfull way of redresse but by our addresses to God by prayer to turne his heart and to the King by petition to reforme his actions and so our owne old Law teacheth us for Bracton li 1. cap. 8. speaking of the King saith thus Si ab eo petatur locus erit Supplicationi quod factum suum corrigat emendet quod quidem si non fecerit satis sufficit ei ad poenam quod Dominum expectet ul●orem Nemo quidem de factis suis praesumat disputare multo fortius contra factum suum ire And therefore it is very remarkeable that amongst the many Prophets that God sent to reprehend the Kings of Israel and Iudah for their Idolatry Cruelty and Oppression how wicked soever the Kings were yet never any of them called upon the people or perswaded the Elders of the people to resist or oppose them but whereas it seemed good to God to punish the wicked Kings of Iudah for their great sinnes whereof some were oppression of their subjects wee read that hee did it by the Assirians by the Egyptians by the Babylonians and not by the Iewes their Subjects to teach us That hee teacheth us not Rebellion and disobedience nor is the author thereof and withall That wee should not take upon us to remedy such things but to leave that to him to whom Vengeance belongeth Psal 94.1 For Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord Deut. 32.35 and againe by S. Paul Rom. 12.19 and Heb. 10.30 And if at any time Acts of violence were committed upon the Persons of wicked Kings so that they were killed yet we doe not ever read That God approved of the murder but Contrariwise that hee punished the doers thereof nor are such passages recorded in Sacred story in approbation of the fact but onely as a Testimony of Divine providence sometimes permitting it and so wee read that the servants of King Ioash 2 Chron. 24.25 conspired against him and slew him on his bed But such examples onely shew us what was done by others not what ought to be done by us but on the contrary the Prophet Samuel by his owne example shewes what the duty of Governours and Magistrates is towards their King though a wicked Man even to honour him before the people when as 1 Sam. 15.30 The Elders and the people looking on him hee yet yeelds his wonted reverence toward King Saul though a wicked person and having also but newly transgressed Gods holy Commandes Remarkeable also is that passage recorded by all the Evangelists and which we read of Mat. 26.50 51. Marc. 14.47 Luc. 22.50.51 and Ioh. 18.10.11 where when as Simon Peter drew forth his sword and cut of Malcus his eare who was the Servant of the high Priest our Lord and Master immediatly touched his eare and healed him againe and withall rebuked Peter bidding him put up his sword Now in that he healed the High Priest servants Eare againe it was to shew us as the Power of his Divinity by the Cure so also that Peter had offended by cutting it off But in that he bidds Peter to put up his sword againe it was to teach us That if such who have the Supreame Power and Authority doe unjustly injure us wee should rather beare it with patience then resist them by violence For as Christ there saith to Peter They which take the sword viz. to resist authority as Peter did though in a good cause to defend our most innocent Saviour shall perish with the Sword and S. Paul saith Rom. 13.1 They that resist the powers shall receive to themselves Damnation