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A07822 Salomon or A treatise declaring the state of the kingdome of Israel, as it was in the daies of Salomon Whereunto is annexed another treatise, of the Church: or more particularly, of the right constitution of a Church. Morton, Thomas, of Berwick. 1596 (1596) STC 18197.7; ESTC S112936 159,289 238

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from the safety of the people of states and commonwealthes the ground square and end of all good pollicie carieth with it such a faire shew of equitie and necessitie that like vnto a violent streame it hath caried many headlong in heate to condemne and reiect vtterly these absolute Monarchies as tyrannicall and barbarous kindes of gouernment pernitious to men yea altogether vnlawful and vnmeete for the Church of God But we ought not to suffer our selues to be deceiued by any appearance or pretence whatsoeuer or in respect of any inconueniences although neuer so great to iudge that to be vnlawfull and prophane which God by establishing it in his Church hath shewed to be holy and lawfull But for the further resoluing of this question it is requisite that we againe put you in minde that we doe not heere speake eyther what ought to be the state of al kingdomes in this behalfe or that this is the best kinde of gouernment but only doe shew what was the state of this kingdome of Israell In the which it seemeth that the whole power of ruling the lande was giuen by God and by the people into the handes of the king without any exception whatsoeuer insomuch that the people did not reserue to themselues any power whereby they might lawfully resist his authoritie or oppose themselues to his proceedings although vnlawfull and vniust much lesse take from him the kingdome or to offer any manner of violence vnto his person For the authoritie of this king ouer his people was no lesse then is the authoritie of a father in his familie in respect of his children who if he doe iniuriously intreat any of them or not carefully keep his own goods or liue any way disorderly it is the duety of his children if not with silence to suffer it yet with great modesty to admonish him of it But if they should ioyne themselues together and offer any violence vnto him especially if they should throw him out of his house all men woulde count them rebellious and vngratious children But if they shoulde take his life from him they were to be esteemed notoriously wicked ye rather as monsters worthy to be abhorred of all men So it seemeth that the state of this kingdome was such as that no subiect of what place soeuer no not the whol people iointly could lawfully vse any violence against the kings person or proceedinges and that the king might although not lawfully in respect of the lawe of God of men or of nature yet safely and freely in respect of his subiectes doe whatsoeuer pleased him according as Iacob foretelleth Gen. 49.9 that Iuda the king of his brethren should be as the great Lion who when he laieth himselfe downe who shall raise him vppe or disquiet him The trueth heereof appeareth in the whole course of the story of the kings who praesuming vpon this whole and vndeuided authority did neuer feare or doubt to doe whatsoeuer they listed without asking leaue eyther at nobles elders or people Hence came that foolish and tyrannicall answer which Rehoboā made to the people threatning them 1. King 12.12 in this manner My least part shal be heauier then my fathers loynes whereby he meant that he would encrease those heauie burdens of tributes which his father had laide vpon them For but that he knewe verie well the state of his kingdome to be such as that he might both say and doe what he listed without controlement he had beene more then mad to make such an answere And hence it came that the idolatrous kinges did neuer sticke by their sole authoritie to set vp open idolatrie not once minding who would be offended therewith and likewise the continuall practise of the people doth declare that they did not violētly oppose thēselues to the doings eyther of the good or of the wicked kinges but suffered religion to stand and fall according to their pleasure Yea the dealing of God himselfe doth prooue the same who when he purposed to preserue Dauid against the fury of Saule would neuer suffer him to oppose Ceila or any other of Saules cit●es against him but made him fly first into the mountains and deserts and afterwardes out of the land to the Philistines Yea Dauid although he were appointed by the expresse worde of God to s●cceede Saule in the kingdome yet he was so farre from laying violent handes vpon him that as we reade 1. Sam. 24.6 his heart smote him that is his conscience did accuse him that he had behaued himselfe disloyally against the king in that he had offered violence to the kings garment because that was as a threatning of death vnto him and a greate disgrace Yea further we doe not reade that God did euer by any of his prophets stirre vp the people to maintaine his true wo●shippe by violence against the kinges or euer reproue them because they had suffered them to set vppe idolatrie which is an euident proofe of this point For if it had beene lawfull to resist in any case then surely in the maintenance of the true worshippe of God and of his glorie But heereof there is a great question made for although this king had power in ciuill matters to doe not onely right iustice without the helpe of any other power but also wrong without resistance shall we therefore giue vnto him this power in the cause of religion that he may deface the worshippe of God at his pleasure It may seeme much better that not onely kings should be throwen downe from their thrones but also that heauen and earth shoulde goe togither then that God should be dishonoured and detestable idolatrie erected We confesse that it is a most fearefull thing that the king of Israell who hath his authority from God should vse the same to dishonor God and thrust not only men out of their houses landes but also the great God of heauen earth out of his tēple and Church yea in trueth in some sort out of the world for God had tyed his visible Church to this land And therefore we answere that as it is vsually saide Si ius violandum regni causâ violandum so Si ius regni sit violandum religionis causa est violandum that if it be lawfull for the people of Israell for any cause to resist their lawfull king it is lawfull in the defence of the true religion and Gods glory But as hath beene said it seemeth that the state of this kingdome would not beare any resistance no not in this case much lesse in any other No man yea no company of men could for any offence committed by the king eyther against God or man the first or second table call him to account summon him to appeare in iudgement or vse any manner of violence eyther in word or deede against him Now we are to answere those thinges which may be obiected against this assertion Sect. VI. FIrst it may seeme agreeable to reason that