in doing the evill they Command so nor may we rise up against them when they Command that which is evill And this is the Summe of Gods Truth and the Saints Practise in this case of Subjection to wicked Kings This to remove Prejudice and Misunderstanding now ad Rem 1. No Cause can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their King 1. No cause can justifie arms against the King We must know Satan deceives not more than when an Angell of Light and Rebellion prevailes not more than when it's pretence is Religion and Justice See that one Example of Absolon 2 Sam. 15. He steales away the Hearts of the People and how that Vers 6. First he possesseth them with an evill opinion of the King Vers 3. that he neglects the execution of Justice and then insinuates into them Vers 4. That if he were made Judge in the Land not yet seeming to ayme at the Crown he onely desires to be made a Judge in the Land them the times should be better If any Man had any suite or cause if he came unto him he would doe him Justice Vers 5. c. And then condescended to a winning Affability with the People he raiseth a most unnaturall Rebellion which he colours over not onely with the faire Pretence of executing Justice but also of preserving Religion and therefore he offers Sacrifice before the People And the better to countenance his Rebellion he makes use of Achitophell the great Councellor and others of the Nobles of Israel And if we look upon King David he good Man is put to as great straits as King Charles He is driven from the great City Jerusalem he is forc't to fly a farre off and glad that he can be furnisht with provision at Mahanaim at the bounty of his better Subjects And being at this distance he Assembles what Forces he can rayse and sends them out to suppresse the Rebellion of Absolon who as he brought upon the Kingdome the misery of a Civill War so upon himselfe the confusion of an unnaturall Sonne and a Rebellious Subject Here let me say to King Charles what Cushi said to King David since their case is not much unlike when he brought the News of the Victory 2 Sam. 18.32 Let the Enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up to doe thee hurt be as that young Man is But that a pretended Cause how specious soever should justifie Arms against the King no Man will beleive Therefore I must goe a great way farther and draw the Cord much longer and make it appeare that no Cause how just soever truely and indeed can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their Soveraigne What cause more Religious than that of Religion What cause more Just than that of Justice it selfe Yet neither for the Profession of Religion nor for the execution of Justice may Subjects take up Arms against their King This is evident Ashur is the Rod of Gods anger yet must Israel be subject Nebuchadnezzar his scourge yet must Judah submit and be so farre from raising Arms against him that they must pray for his Peace Jer. 29.7 In that 1 Tim. 2.1 Prayers are commanded to be made for Governours who were they not Christians but Heathens In that 1 Pet. 2.13 Honour the King Who was that Constantine the good No but Nero the Cruell And sure where God Commands Prayers to be made for Kings Horour and Obedience to be given to Kings he takes away taking up Arms against Kings though such as Nebuchadnezzar such as Nero Idolatrous and Cruell Blessed are they saith our Saviour who suffer persecution for Righteousnesse sake for their's is the Kingdome of Heaven Math. 5.10 not Blessed are they who rayse Rebellion for Righteousnesse sake that theirs may be the Kingdomes of the Earth And againe Vers 44. Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you and the reason is ut Filii sitis That ye may be the Children the Children of whom Filii hujus seculi Children of this World no Flesh and Blood cannot endure this they are for another Way a Way of Opposition a Way of Rebellion but Filii Patris vestri qui est in Caelis the Children of your Father which is in Heaven If then to love our Enemies to Blesse them that Curse us to doe good to them that here us and to Pray for them who despightfully use us and persecute us be Godly Spirituall and Heavenly then to have bitter Envyings and Strifes in the Heart to rayse Civill Dissention and Division in the State is Earthly Sensuall and Divellish as S. James speaks ch 3. v. 15. S. Peter in 1 Ep. c. 2. v. 18. He admonisheth Servants to be subject to their Masters with all Feare not only to the Good and Gentle Alla kai tois skoliois but also to the Froward so our English pravis the wicked so Beza duris hard or cruell so Tremelius And if Servants must obey wicked and cruell Masters then must Subjects obey Wicked and Cruell Kings for the same relation that the Servant hath to his Master the same hath the Subject to his King And Beza's note here concerning the Servant may not unfitly be applyed to the Subject That though his condition seem in this case very grievous yet his subjection shall be so much the more accoptable to God si voluntas ipsius plus valeat quam Dominorum injuriae If the good pleasure of his will more prevaile with them than the injury's of their Lords Again in Rom. 12.19 Dearely beloved saith Saint Paul avenge not your selves If we may not avenge our selves upon our Equalls much lesse upon our Superiours and least of all that is not at all on him who is Supreame Comment in locum Ergo affligemur inulti shall we then be tyrannized over without Revenge Musculus makes the Objection and gives the answer adjecta est saith he hujus gratia assertio illa ego rependam For this cause is that Assertion added I will repay saith the Lord and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10 11. and ideo horribilius Regibus therefore the more fearefull for Kings because they have him alone to be their Judge and quid credimus judicem illum si non ultorem as Tertullian speaks Wherefore doe we beleive him a Judge if not a Revenger As for Kings then God will punish them Autocheir with his own hand which David knew well when he answered Abishai moving yea inciting him to slay Saul or suffer Saul to be slaine with a Deus percusserit God shall smite him but as for himselfe he would not stretch out his hand against him 1 Sam. 2.6.10.11 I could heape up Texts of Scripture to confirme this Truth but this one sentence of my Text may suffice where we have it propriis terminis a thing now a dayes so
THE KING ON HIS THRONE OR A Discourse maintaining the Dignity of a KING the Duty of a Subject and the unlawfulnesse of Rebellion Delivered in two Sermons Preached in the Cathedrall Church in York By R. M. Master in Arts Coll. S. Fet. Cant. Printed at York by Stephen Bulkley 1642. By speciall Command To the Right Honourable HENRY Earle of Cumberland Lieutenant Generall c To the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Glemham Sarjeant Major Generall my much honour'd Collonel and to the rest of the Lords Knights and Gentlemen attending His Majesties Service in the City of Yorke Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull LOyalty as it is the Kings Joy the Kingdomes Happinesse So the Subjects Glory So long then as your Hearts continue Loyall your Names shall continue Glorious being hereby a meanes to restore Joy to your King and recover Happinesse to the Kingdome To you I Dedicate my Labours That as they afford a Lesson So you a Patterne both of Loyalty whereby men may be the better moved either to yeeld the one their Practise or the other their Imitation Besides Right Honourable and Right Worshipfull They who take up Armes against the King will not faile to take vp Armes against the Author and Arguments too against his Worke. Your Patronage therefore must be my Refuge and whilst you are pleased to Protect my person I feare not by Gods Assistance to maintaine the Truth Not in confidence of mine owne Ability's for they are too weake but because as Their Acclamation before Darius Magna est Veritas Praevalecit Great is Truth and it will Prevaile You have Uouchsafed these Sermons your Approbation in the Pulpit you have honoured them with your Command to the Presse and now my request is that you will be Pleased to Countenance them with your Patronage to the Publique Veiw In which I am confident nothing is delivered but what may beseeme either the Tongue or the Pen of a good Christian of a Loyall Subject And of Your most humble Servant R. MOSSOM York Novemb. 20. 1642. To the READER BEfore thou dost peruse the ensuing Discourse let me entreate thee to lay aside all Prejudice and with as much Sincerity to Reade as the Author writ and that is so is to enforme thy Judgement not to please thy Fancy to satisfie thy Cons ience not to strengthen a Faction making no better use of these Sermons then Nero did of Seneca's Instructions ad armandam malitiam by perverting the Truth to Arme thy Disloyalty Thou shalt finde here That endeavouring in some measure to doe well I have followed the best and kept my selfe to the Holy Scriptures Ancient Fathers and Orthodox Divines who I am sure would teach me true Divinity with which the Library in York so usefull and necessary did very well furnish me If then Courteous Reader thou finde here the choisest Flowers gathered out of the spacious Fields of larger Volumes bound up into a fragrant Posie of a short Discourse Kisse the Hand that presents them in courteous Acceptance defile it not with the Spittle of black-mouth'd Censure If thou finde not things handled so fully as thou desirest consider the short limits of an Houres Discourse if not so Learnedly as they might be accept them as they are and finde not fault till thou canst do better and then I shall be glad to be thy Reader let me suffer rather than Gods Truth and in that my Soveraognes Cause There are some who quarrell at the Text and will â—â—ve the Touchstone naught rather than acknowledge their 〈◊〉 Counterfeit but what is it thinkst thou Reader 〈◊〉 Object why Solomon was a King and spake in 〈◊〉 himselfe Odi profanum vulgus the Objection will tell thee who are the Objectors such as will blaspheme rather than be convinc't But what more Why there is no rising up against the King as there is no rising up against a Lyon propter terrorem least he fall upon us and rent us in pieces But what Is this the going well Is this the comelinesse in going the Wiseman speaks of vers 29 no sure The best if not all Expositors Interpret this in bonam partem and if Reader thou dost consult the Commentators and especially Salazars Exposition upon Solomons Proverbs thou shalt be fully satisfyed I will not contest about the Words of my Text I can easily chuse another if so be they will subscribe to the Truth in my Sermons with which they who have not been convinc't sure I am they have been silenc't If in perusing thou turne Criticke who like the Philomele is Vox praeterea nihil consider that these Sermons having had the Countenance of so great Nobles so worthy Knights and able Gentlemen having had the Approbation of so learned Bishops so Reverend Doctors and other Divines Quis tu Who art thou that I should feare thy supercilious look or malicious censure I shall be glad if any Man more Able will undertake the handling this Subject more fully What I have done if it may availe any thing as something I know it hath and hope will more to Gods Glory in the Advancement of my Soveraigns Cause I have my desire Farewell Thine whilst thou art thy King's R. M. A Sermon Preached in the Cathedrall Church in York on the sixth Day of November 1642. Prov. 30.31 And a King against whom there is no rising up Let the Words of my mouth and the Meditations of my Heart be now and ever acceptable in thy sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer TO frame a Discourse concerning the Supremacy of Kings the Allegiance of Subjects and the unlawfulnesse of Rebellion after so many Learned Tongues and Judidicious Pens is to make Iliads after Homer to doe that which hath been already so well done that it cannot be done better But fit it is the Preachers Trumpet should sound so long as the Rebels Drum doth beate fit it is to presse Loyalty to the People when the People are so much prest to Disloyalty Who that they may know they are not more willing and able to defend the King and His cause by force of Armes than the Scholler is by force of Arguments I have made choice of this Text a fit Doctrine for these Times And a King against whom there is no rising up The dependance of the Words In the handling of which Words I will first speak of their Dependance upon the former implyed in the conjunction And And a King c. to understand this aright we must look back to the 29. verse and so downewards There be three things which goe well yea foure which are comely in going A Lyon which is strongest amongst beasts and turneth not away for any a Grey-hound or rather as the Margent to which accords Junius accinctus Lumbis Equus an Horse girt in the Loynes Equus edoctus militiam an Horse trayned up for War An He-Goate also and a King against whom c. By the by Observe That the Scriptures are a rich
electum a Populo chosen by the People qui exaltavit etiam elegit by him he was chosen by whom he was exalted by him he was chosen out of the People by whom he was exalted above the People And as for King David so for all the Kings of his Race God hath a per me for them all and as for them so for all Kings else by lawfull Succession that is certum determinatum As for unlawfull Usurpation I leave that sub Judice as needing no Sentence at the present If then the King receives not his Power from the Common-wealth then cannot the Commonwealth either take away the Power from the King or exercise a Power and Command against the King Thus then if no Cause no Authority can justifie armes against the King whatsoever Cause Men pretend whatsoever Authority they produce Solomon stands up still for the King with his non est qui resistat ei there is not any that may resist him But here I must not passe neither without a stand The severall places of Scripture which yeeld either Precept or Example of Obedience to Kings though wicked there are those who evade the Force of them by applying them to private or Particular Men and so runnes indeed the whole Current of Antimonarchians And therefore say they the Magistrates under the King though singuli separatim each one severall be his inferiour yet Vniversi conjunctim all conjoyn'd are his Superiour By the way observe ut dicta factis deficientibus erubescant as Tertullian de Patientia speakes That their Writings may shame their Actions Their owne Tenet is That if the Magistrates be above the King they must be universi conjunctim all conjoyn'd not divided and so Note as that the lesse part prevaile over the greater Which perchance may be true as concerning a Duke of Venice as you have formerly had the Example or a Prince of Orange but most certainly not as concerning a King of England Therefore Beloved beware of those kind of Statesmen who following their Masters would first bring us to a low King and after that I feare a Low-Country too Buchanan a great Patron of this Faction tells us quasi ex Tripode with as much confidence as if it were an Oracle in Dialog de jure Reg. jus idem habere in Reges multitudinem quod illi in singulos e multitudine habent It is too poysonous to be Englished Thus sometimes the States sometimes the Multitude in these Mens opinions must supereminere be Supreame and not the King in Saint Peters But what shall we beleive Buchanan and the Presbytery or Saint Peter and others of the Apostles cui potius siguram vocis suae declarasset quam cui figuram gloriae suae revelavit saith Tertullian to whom should Christ have reveal'd his will rather than to whom he reveal'd his Glory namely Saint Peter and the rest I will not abuse your patience nor misusemy paines to enlarge a Confutation vel recitasse est confutasse to have recited them is to have confuted them Onely observe that the Practises of those in our times who oppose the King are falne besides the Foundation layd them by their Masters for if they look their Lesson over again they shall find that not a part or parcell of the Magistrates but universi conjunctim all conjoyn'd not aliqui e multitudine Note sed multitudinem not some Companies of the Multitude but the whole Multitude not unus aut alter de judicibus aut Principibus Regni one or two that is some few of the Judges or Nobles of the Kingdom but they are universi Regni ordines the whole States of the Kingdome who may either moderari coercere or punire Principem Thus as Job speaks c. 5. v. 13. God taketh the Wise ' En panourgia ' autwn saith the Septuagint in their subtle wilinesse and the councell of the froward is carryed headlong consilium reluctantium so Junius the councell of the Rebellious not devised with more folly than prosecuted with fury to their own destruction I will conclude this point then with that place in the Church Homilyes so full against wilfull Rebellion That certainly Satan intending to raise Rebellion in the People first thought it necessary to suppresse the Homilies from the People The Words are these Turne over and reade the Histories of all Nations look over the Cronicles of our own Country call to memory so many Rebellions of old time and some yet fresh in Memory and we shall finde That were the Multitudes of the Rebells never so huge and great the Captains never so Noble Politicke and Witty the pretences feigned never so good and holy yet the speedy overthrow of all Rebells of what Number State or Condition soever they were or what colour or cause soever they pretended is and ever hath been such that God thereby doth shew that he alloweth neither the dignity of any Person nor the Multitude of any People nor the weight of any cause as sufficient for the which the Subjects may move Rebellion against their Princes Thus far the Homily's of the Church And if thus no Cause no Authority against a wicked King Note much lesse can any Cause any Authority justifie Arms against a gracious King If Jeremy will have Subjection to Idolâ—trous Nebuchadnezzar if Christ to Heathen Caesar if Saint Paul to Persecuting Nero who shall deny it to pious King Charles If for any King then sure for our King Solomon's non est qui resistat ei stands good There is not any that may resist him Thus of the Words as denying rem factam the thing done and jus facti the lawfulnesse of doing the thing I will briefely runne over the rest 1. Quomodo the Manner how there is no rising up 1. Quomodo the manner how there is no rising up 1. Non Corde not in the Heart and first non corde no rising up in the Heart malum cogitando in thinking evill Rebellion is the rankest poyson the least drop whereof is deadly not onely the large quantum but the least Scruple is forbidden Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King in thy thought the very hatching of a Cockatribe Egge is poyson as well as the Viper the Intention of Treason is a Sinne of an high nature as well as the Action and if proved shall be equally punished Esth 2.22 it is said of Bigthan and Teresh that voluerunt insurgere not that they did rise up but that they would have risen up against Ahasuerus though but a voluerunt an intention onely without action yet treason for which they are adjudged to death Touch not mine Anoynted saith the Lord Ps 105.15 Noljte tangere not the hand onely to act but the Heart also to will is forbidden Not unfitly then for this Cause though for others too more fitly Kings are called Gods because of the divine Priviledge communicated to them from God that as against God so against the King sufficit cor the Heart is enough
of the Church to this purpose as the Kings of the Jews had a Copy of the Law so now our Kings the Book of holy Scriptures committed to them at their Inauguration That as the King of the Jews was Custos utriusque Tabulae the keeper of both the Tables so ours also Custos utriusque Testamenti the keeper of both the Testaments Secondly the Preserver of our Peace 2. The Preserver of our peace preventing by his Wisdome or suppressing by his Power all Insurrections at home and withstanding and repulsing all Invasions from abroad Ver. 23. Hence it is that in the 34 of Ezech. the King is called the Shepheard of his people the Shepheard as pascere to Feed them regere to Guide them so tueri too to defend them to defend one from the other and all from the Wolfe Ver. 20. one from another the Leane from the Fat the poore from his Oppressor and all from the Wolfe the Wolfe the Enemy without the Fold the Enemy without the Kingdome In that 1 Tim. 2.2 we are commanded to pray for Kings Why that we may live Heremon kai ' Esuchion Bion a peaceable and quiet Life Heremon Bion a peaceable Life free from Civill Dissentions and ' Esuchion too a quiet Life safe from Forraigne Invasions This then is the King also ad nos to us the preserver of our peace 3. The Protector of our Laws as the Sunne is the Fountaine of Light The protector of our Laws so the King the Fountaine of Justice the Magistrates in the State like the Starres in the Heavens the Starres borrow their lustre of Light from the Sunne and the Magistrates their power of Justice from the King the Rule of which Justice are the Laws So that if any Magistrates shall violate the Laws they eclipse the Kings Justice and cast dishonour upon his Throne Which Indignity to revenge he hath the Sword committed to him by God and is appointed Vindex malorum Rom. 13.4 to take vengeance on them that do evill and this protection of our Laws is the preservation of our peace and defence of Religion the glory of both This then is the King ad nos to us the Defendor of the Faith and to that end especially he hath Huperochen his Excellency the preserver of our peace and to that end especially he hath ' Exousian Power the Protector of our Laws and to that end especially he hath ' Archen Principality or Governement or put them altogether as in good Kings they are ne're asunder he hath Excellency Power Principality for the Defence of the Faith the preservation of the Peace and the protection of the Laws of his Kingdom That the King is in se in himselfe this he is ad nos to us Now on our part is due to the King a full maintenance of his Royall Estate a full Maintenance is due non donum sed debitum not a Gift but a Debt For this cause pay you Tribute also so Saint Paul Rom. 13.6 from which Tribute Aquinas Comment in Rom. 13. though Aquinas will have the Clergy exempted ex privilegio Principum by the priviledge granted them from Princes for indeed no Man can remit a Debt but he to whom the debt is owing yet he confesseth it hath equitatem quidem Naturalem truely a Naturall Equity for it is Equity indeed if we will have our Faith defended our Peace preserved and our Laws protected that then the Excellency Power and Principality of the King should be maintained To see a Man stand bare headed we account an ordinary and usuall Signe of Subjection and what is it think we then to see a State bare headed the Prince who is the head kept bare not onely denuded of his power and Aurhority but also of his meanes and maintenance But what is the Subject excluded may not he stand up in the defence of the Faith the preservation of the peace and the protection of the Laws Yes rise up he may but with his King not against him for against him there is no rising up But what if the King neglects nay seduced by his evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion may not the Subject then stand upon Religions guard and Defend the Faith even against the King himselfe Judg. 6. v. 31. Here I might answer as Joash did Let Baal pleade for himselfe let wicked Kings Patronize their owne Cause Thanks be to God we have no cause to complaine of our Kings wickednesse but of our own and so need not I pleade for evill Kings since God hath given us so good and gracious a King But because this is that which many pretend to countenance their unlawfull Armes I Answer That in case a King neglects nay seduced by evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion the Subjects may not rise up against the King Vi Armis with Force and Arms but Precibus Lachrymis with Prayers and Teares the Weapons with which the ancient Christians overcame the cruelty of their Persecutors according to that of Saint Bernard Bernard Epist 221. Stabimas pugnahimus usque ad mortem si ita oportuerit We will stand to it and fight even unto Death if need be But how why heare the Father non scutis Gladiis not with Shields and Swords sed precibus fletibus ad Deum with Prayers and Teares unto God The Subject then may defend by Petition to the King and Prayers for the King By Petition I say to the King yet not as Caesars Captaine Petitioned the Roman Senate as Plutarch Relates it with his Hand upon the Pummell of his Sword that if they would not grant it that should give it And in case the King will not Grant not Reade not Receive a Petition then Vince serendo ouercome by suffering And if it be the Truth of the Gospell a Man stands for so that the goodnesse of the Cause will beare him out he must not refuse to undergoe goe Death it selfe and so obtaine a Crowne of Martyrdome to be a Martyr himselfe by Christian Patience not Martyr the State by Civill dissentions King Solomon was chosen by God to build the Temple because he was a King of Peace 1 Cron. 2. Sure then Beloved whatsoever Men may pretend God hath not chosen them to reforme the Church who are Men of War yea War against their King against a Solomon too War against a King of Peace To raise a Civill War is certainely to exalt Satans Kingdome and not Gods or the King every where as too sad experience tells us to settle vile Profanation no where to settle true Religion And if Petitions to the King will not prevaile we must use Prayers to God for Solomon tells us The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord not in the power of the People and he turneth it whethersoever he will He can move evill Princes to good in mercy to his People as he did Belshazzar and Darius as
well as suffer good Princes to be moved to evill in judgement to his People as he did David and Hezekiah yea as he can move evill Princes so remove them at his pleasure as he did Saul and Ahab But the full clearing of this belongs to the last part of the Text. Onely this by the way Since there are Men who are now up in Arms against their gracious Soveraigne least any should be led away with their faire pretences we must know That no Man ought to take up Armes but in the Defence of a just cause Note and in Obedience to a lawfull Command For as a Man must have a good Cause to justifie his Arms so a lawfull Authority to justifie his Cause which who so wants is not onely a Rebell but a Murderer as Bernard to the Templars Serm. 1. Concerning unlawfull Duels so may I say of him who takes up unlawfull Arms if he dyes Moritur homicida he dyes a Murderer if he lives Vivit homicida he lives a Murderer yea whether he lives or dyes Est homicida he is a Murderer Occ sor lethaliter peccat occisus aeternaliter perit if he lives he is spiritually dead in that he slew and if he dyes he is eternally dead in that he is slaine slaine without Repentance here then enter a serious Deliberation and no sudden Resolution Were the Cause as Just as is pretended though no Man will think to pillage Houses the way to reforme the State to deface Churches the way to confirme Religion formerly towling a Bell on the Lords Day hath been accounted a great breach of the Sabbath now sounding of Trumpets beating of Drums taking of Castles plundering of Houses on the Lords Day an acceptable and commendable Service Will any Man think this the way of Reformation no sure unlesse this Reformation must be another Creation and so require another Chaos of Confusion But suppose we yet the Cause as good I say as is pretended yet where is the lawfull Command of Authority As for Excellency Power and Principallity which must constitute this Authority The Scriptures allowes them to Kings denyes them to Subjects though Magistrates yea the highest Magistrates denyes them I say joyntly and together as in Kings For the Magistrate though ne're so high 1 Epist 2.14 he is the Kings Creature So Saint Peter and so his Power and Governement a Derivative The Subject may have an Huperochen an Excellency of Gifts yea Megisten Huperochen the greatest Excellency which makes him capable of being Councellor to the King but not a King But his ' Exousia and ' Arche his Power and Governement being only Delegate and Derived from the King it is not Consonant to Reason that they should afford a lawfull Command against the King For the King being the Fountaine from whence the Magistrates Power doth Streame how against Nature is it for the Streame to run backwards into the Fountain for the Power derived from the King to be exercised against the King So that whil'st Men take up Armes and prosecute a Civill War against the King in stead of Defending we see they destroy Religion in stead of Preserving they disturbe the Peace in stead of Protecting they violate the Laws and that in an high Measure and an hainous Nature Indeed if we aske whether there be any Cause that can justifie Armes against the King and any Authority that can justifie the Cause The Scriptures as shall afterwards appeare will say no the Fathers say no the best of Moderne Divines say no. What shall we say then or rather what shall we doe then Why Defend our Kings Person and he will Defend our Religion Preserve His Honour and he will preserve our Peace maintaine His Royalty and He will protect our Lawes Strigellus tells us That Alphonsus King of Naples his Embleme was A Pelican feeding her young with her own Blood with this Motto better applyed then of late Pro Rege pro Grege What was that Kings may be most truely Ours who Pelican like is now ready to spend His owne Blood for the redeeming His owne Honour and His Peoples safety and if ye now tread in His steps follow His Example in being ready to sacrifice your own Lives for the Honour of your King and the Peace of your Country if ye dye in the enterprise your Deathes shall not be Mortes but Immortalitates having made your peace with God an Eternall Reward shall attend your Temporall Deaths And here I passe from Quid What the King is to the per Quem by whom he is King 2. Perquem by whom he King 2. Per Quem by whom If we come to Solomons Proverbs we shall finde this per quem answered with a per Me Prov. 8.15 per Me Reges Regnant by me Kings Reigne by Me King of Kings and Lord of Lords where the per is not a meere Permission but a full Commission it is not that they Reigne by my Sufferance but by mine Ordinance for if we bring our per quem to St. Paul he will answer us with an Ordinatae sunt a Deo Rom. 13.1 The Powers which are are ordained of God Bring this per quem to the Ancient Fathers Lib. 5. c. 24. and Irenaeus will tell us That Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu Reges constituuntur By whose Command Men are Created by his Command are Kings Ordained Tertullian in Apologet. tells us Inde est Imperator unde homo antiquam Imperator By him is the Emperour by whom he is Man before he be Emperour Inde potestas illi unde Spiritus from him he hath his Power from whom he hath his Spirit Hence it is that in 1 Cron. c. 29. v. 23. it is said Solomon sate on the Throne of the Lord in solium Domini not in solium Populi on the Throne of the Lord not on the Throne of the People Yea bring this per quem to the Heathen and such is the dictate of Nature that he will answer it with a per Jovem And it were more than a Miracle that among the Heathen as one hath well observ'd so many Princes should submit themselves to one and that one peradventure a Woman peradventure a Childe were it not that they did acknowledge a Divine Power which St. Paul more Divine-like calls Gods Ordinance which begat a Reverence in their hearts Hence it is that we owe Honour and Subjection unto Kings though wicked even because of Gods Ordinance for as the unfaithfulnesse of a Man cannot frustrate Gods promise as appears Rom. 9. so nor can the Wickednesse of the Person make void Gods Ordinance So that a King is nor a King because he is a good King nor leaves being a King when he leaves being good We give Honour saith Bishop Andrews well not proswpw but proswpwpoiw not to Man but to God in Man So that as contempt of the Magistrate the Kings Vicegerent is contempt of the King who ordained the Magistrate
instructs Obedience and Subjection What then is it because rising up in Rebellion against the King is a Sin so horrible and the Miseries which attend this Sin so insupportable that Negare maluit quam prohibere he rather chose to deny than to forbid it That as St. Paul Ephes 5.3 would not have covetousnesse so much as once named amongst the Saints so nor Solomon here Rebellion amongst Subjects This doubtlesse is not far from the Wise-Mans intent But the truth is non tam negat quam negando fortius prohibet he doth not so absolutely deny as by denying the more strongly forbid For we may observe that in the Language of the Scriptures as the strongest Negation is by an Interrogative so the strongest prohibition is by a Negative as here Rex in quem nemo insurgit A King against whom there is no rising up 2. Denying jus facti the lawfulnesse of doing the thing Thus as denying rem factam the thing done 2. As denying jus facti the lawfulnesse of doing the thing And here I must lanch out into the deep and not fearing what Stormes may follow steare forwards guiding my Course by the Compasse of Gods Word Non est qui resistat ei so Clarius the Scholiast and others Neither is there any that may resist him Not any whether of the Clergy or Laity whether Private Persons or Publique whether Lords or Commons Solomon hath a Non est qui resistat ei for them all Let every Soule be subject to the higher Powers so Saint Paul Rom. 13.1 pasa psuche every Soule si quis tentat excipere conatur decipere is the known Language of S. Bernard he that attempts to except endeavours to deceive Though a Prophet then an Apostle or Evangelist though a Man of an Extraordinary Calling yet subject to the Ordinary Jurisdiction no Cloyster or Church no Profession Employment or Dignity is a Sanctuary a Priviledg'd Place from the Tribute of Obedience due to Caesar To apprehend the strict tye in which the Subject is bound to His Soveraigne we must know that Kings are the Successors of the Patriarches both in the right of their Fatherhood as Fathers of the Country and in the rule of their Government as Governours of the Commonwealth The difference seems to be only this that the Patriarchs were Kings of their Families and Kings are the Fathers of their Countries B. Andrews So that jus Regium commeth out of jus Patrium the Kings right from the Fathers and both hold by one Commandement morall and one Bond naturall so that as the Sonne by the same Command of God is bound to obey his Father that the Subject is to obey His King So by the same Bond of Nature the Subject is to obey his King that the Sonne is to obey his Father What the relation of a Subject to his King Yea in the Relation of a Subject to His King is contain'd not onely the Relation of a Sonne to his Father but also of a Wife to her Husband of a Servant to his Master And what Father will admit it lawfull for his Sonne violently to resist him What Husband for his Wife forcibly to oppose him What Master for his Servant to rise up against him And shall we admit it lawfull then for the Subject violently to resist forceably to oppose and with Arms to rise up against the King who is Pater Patriae the Father of the Country Maritus Reipublicae the Husband of the Commonwealth and Subditorum Dominus the Lord of all His Subjects True may some say it is impious indeed to resist a King that is pious but a King by impiety doth degenerare in Tyrannum degenerate and become a Tyrant and when the King deserts his Duty no marvaile if the Subjects forsake their Loyalty As if Kings received their Crowns as some high Officers their Commissions with a dum bene se gesserint I told you before and now tell you againe I might here answer as Joash did Judg. 6. Let Baal pleade for himselfe let wicked Kings Patronize their own cause thanks be to God we have no cause to complaine of our Kings wickednesse but of our own and so need not I pleade for evill Kings since God hath bestowed upon us so good and gracious a King had we but thankfull Hearts to acknowledge his Goodnesse Yet because the Presse and the Pulpit have abounded with false aspersions cast upon the Royall Majesty and prepossest the People with vile Opinions and wicked conceits of His Sacred Person and Dignity I will suppose those Men who maintaine the People in their disloyalty not to be what indeed they are fallaciae Magistri as Tertullian calls some in his time Masters of Falshood and to be what indeed they are not Magistri Veritatis Masters of Truth and so all their false reports true relations And notwithstanding this supposition I shall make good Solomons non est qui resistat ei make it evident unto you That it is not lawfull for the Subject to rise up in Arms against him You may remember I toucht upon this point formerly I shall now I hope to your better satisfaction more fully handle what I then but lightly toucht Our Ground-work must be this infallible Axiome That It is not lawfull to take up Arms but in the defence of a just Cause and in Obedience to a Lawfull Command 1. Then I will make it apparant that there is no Cause 2. That there is no Authority that can justifie a Subject taking up Arms against the King But before I proceed give me leave to premise somewhat for the preventing prejudice and misunderstanding a thing too too incident in the cause of Kings When God and the King stand in Subordination Note there Deo Hominibus we must obey God and Man But where they stand in Opposition there the Apostles Maxime is good Deo potius quam Hominibus Acts 4.19 we must obey God rather than Man When then I tell you you must obey wicked Kings thinke not that I would have you obey Kings in their wickednesse No. I know there is a quae Caesaris and a quae Dei so that our Oath of Allegiance to the King must be no breach of our Oath in Bâ—ptisme to God As Kings Reigne per Deum by God so must we obey them propter Deum for God not contra Deum against God Not because Kings are Kings therefore quod libet licet their Will must be a Law What were this but to Deifie Kings and in stead of Gods by Analogy to make them Gods indeed instead of Dii dicti Dii facti and so wipe the first Commandement out of the Decalogye We must know then we are to learne a Lesson of Obedience even when we disobey Obedience to the punishment inflicted when we disobey the Command enjoyn'd yeelding though not Active Obedience to do yet Passive to suffer what the evill Prince lay's upon us so that as we may not obey Princes