To come more particularly to the point that we may resolve Conscience anon we will see first what Saul did and by whose Instigation he did it Then who this Edomite was What Saul did is legible before written in bloudy Characters which will remaine unto the worlds end By whoâ—e instigation he did it This is as legible also By the instigation of the Divel vexing and tormenting Saul effectually working in him together with his owne spirit thereby agitated stirred-up and boyled to the heigth of extreme wrath against David and all those that wished well unto or had their hand with David This being premised I conclude first That Conscience could not hold-backe Israel from helping their Brethren in the day of distresse and treading downe for who did so oppresse Israel at this time It must be answered Saul their King for he had hands and feet and other Instruments besides to execute the wrath but all he did was by the divels motion that Evill spirit upon him which hurried him from place to place so as he did not goe but was driven and all his way long he breathed out threatnings against David By the motion of this Evill spirit and his owne which every man Saul also are bound to resist did Saul doe all this Therefore whatsoever Israel makes conscience of they cannot make conscience of resisting the divell or the private will which by the helpe of the divell has done all the violences that ever were done in the world I presume this is a cleared case therefore I leave it for if Saul acted by an Evill spirit will flye at Israels throat they can make no conscience in the world to resist him I meane the bloudy actings and notorious violences of the divell Secondly Israel must looke upon Saul now the great Fiduciary of the Kingdome betraying that trust into an Edomites hand then smiting Israels City Man and Beast there Conscience well informed now calls-in Israel to help their distressed Brethren so far as was in the power of their hands to helpe grant so much power in their hands that they could and were able to relieve their Brethren and yet would not then Conscience will be so far from pleading their excuse that it will condemne them as accessary to that murder and bloodshed Israel stands charged not to suffer bloud to be shed so farre as they can hinder the shedding of it Deut. 21.7 Our hands have not shed this bloud nor have our eyes seene it That is Conscience to quit their Eyes in this case as well as their hands had their Eyes seene innocent bloud-shedding as in this case and not come-in to rescue the Innocent they had not been innocent Conscience then did not hold Israel backe from comming-in all as one man to rescue Nob the Priests and People there now greatly distressed and to deliver David Rather Conscience rightly informed engageth Israel upon all this being in the power of their hands for it is to shew mercy to their Brethren in this time of their great distresse and treading down by the foot of pride Thirdly they had shewne mercy indeed to Saul their Master even to his soule could they have conjured that Evill spirit and overcome him solacing and delighting himselfe as his manner is in proud wrath and wherewith their Master Saul was sore vexed that like the Lunaticke man he falls oft times into the fire and oft times into the water i.e. into most imminent apparent and destructive dangers Doubtlesse it had been a point of pure love duty and conscience to have resisted him to have with-held him driving-on furiously to shed bloud Had Israel done so they had shewne themselves conscientious men who understood their duty and entirely loved their King and therefore would not suffer him to doe that which would undoe him for ever O! it had been an act of mercy and of a well instructed conscience if Israel had every man to his power as one man stept-in and withstood Saul in his bloudy way and all the true Israel in the world would have acquitted them so doing and said in meere pitty and compassion to Saul and that which should be dearest unto him have they done this with-held their Master from shedding bloud Nay Saul himselfe had he ever come to himselfe but the Evill spirit haunted him to the day of his death would have thanked Israel for so doing But here though nothing can be said for Saul in justification of what he did yet much is said against them that had any hand with David That they were Rebells and Traitors all against the King and so Saul himselfe chargeth all his servants and all the Priests too All of you have conspired against me 2 Sam. 22. Vers 8. Vers 13. and why have ye done so An heavie charge but yet no honest man made any account of it as a charge of dishonour They counted it a cheape word a great honour rather being the Cognizance of the choicest men of all Israel and they could glory in it defamed for rigâ—teousnesse sake for the very best and choicest men in those dayes were called Conspirators Rebels to their King David was called so I know not how often and the Edomite the Rightest man and best Subject yet let us heare what may be charged upon these so defamed men though nothing can be proved That Ob. had Israel rose up to defend themselves and their Brethren they had withstood their King No Ans they had stood for him and had done him an infinite service could they have delivered their King from the power of the Evill spirit and his owne Will and from the hands of the Edomite who withstood the King indeed and fought against his Crowne Peace and Dignity But if Israel Ob. standing up in their own defence had not withstood Saul yet they had resisted the ordinance of God and they must make conscience there Yes Ans great Reason they should let Israel make conscience evermore of resisting Saul their King or their Kings power for that power is the ordinance of GOD and hee that resisteth the ordinance of GOD doth resist GOD. That is true but these orders disorders rather of the evill spirit and of mans perverse will are not the ordinance of GOD Therefore to resist these is to obey GOD and to resist the divell Make conscience evermore of resisting Saul the King the power which GOD hath intrusted him with but never make conscience of resisting the evill spirit ruling and commanding in Saul the King he did nothing in prosecution of David but by suggestion from that evill spirit mighty in Saul and in other of Israels Kings and Queenes And this spirit was pro tempore Dominus fac totum therefore it could not be conscience that kept Israel quiet and still the while A sinfull and base fearfulnesse iâ— might be yet I will not be so bold as to determine that a stupidity a benummednesse a drossinesse of spirit
the Sword Strong-holds and Forts Ammunition and the like into confiding hands To this there is enough said though I had said nothing I will say but this So long as these Strong-holds and Breast-workes doe stand they will bee a memoriall of the Kings illegall and most injurious dealing with a righteous people So long as these shall be spoken of will the injustice the bloudy proceedings of the King in the hands of bloudy Counsellours be remembred also to all generations We shall tell it to our children and they to their children That the King of England would have oppressed his owne people he would have inthralled their Lawes Liberties Religion And for the maintenance of all these their lives and all that was deare unto them did his people so fortifie and Breast-worke themselves against the fury and rage of their King in the hands of bloudy persecuters The Case of Conscience now The People must not stand up for their lives and liberties Ob. against murtherers for if they stand up against them they stand up against their King We deny that and conclude the Contrary Ans That a standing up against Murtherers is a standing up for their King To deliver him out of the hands of Murtherers It has an affiance with duty a full aspect and agreement thereunto Why but if you resist these Murtherers Obj You resist the King and if you resist the King You resist the Higher power and that is the Ordinance of GOD wherto we must be subject for Conscience sake Yes but wee are cleare mistaken in point of Power Ans Therefore I will aske a question and resolve it What is this higher Power Qu. I will tell you first what it is not It is not that Power Ans which the King may have a will to give and may commit to an Edomites hand It is not a destructive power that is from the Divell whereby Saul and his Edomite were inabled to lay waste one City and made faire-offer to destroy another Not such a Power whereby the King and his wicked Councell now indeavour the same destruction to two Kingdomes It is not such a Power What Power then Qu. A Power whereunto in case the King or his Edomite wrongs me Ans though the lowest in his Kingdome yet I may appeale from him or them for Righteous Judgement And this Power is the Law and in the high Court Who can determine what Law is and doe stand bound to right mee oppressed by a Contrary Power though the meanest of many Thousands and not worhty the dust I tread upon yet This Court stands bound to right me And if so be they stand so bound to a private Person we must note this by the way how much stronger is their obligation to two or three Kingdomes To stand up for Defence of Lawfull power against this Destructive Power And now we have learn't our duty and office too we would have the Pa liament stand up for us we made choice of them for that end The greatest shame in the world If wee should not stand up for the Parliament with our Swords in our hands or with what commeth next to hand in defence of Lawfull power and all that is deare or neere unto us involved in the same What! see a King seduced by evill Counsell giving up his power I say his power not the higher power into an Edomites hand and this Edomite flourishing with his Sword and displaying his Banners in Israels Land and Israel stand still the while What a shame to all Israel But blessed be God they doe not stand still they move and they doe great things as their GOD inables them Who gives Courage Spirit and invention when and where Hee pleaseth And where the Inhabitants of the Land are not over-powered by the King and his bloody party there they doe fortify the Cities and Townes and Breast-worke themselves there And these Forts and Breastworkes are like to remaine to after Generations an Eternall dishonour to the King now in the hands of desperate and pernicious Men For when the Childe shall aske Wherefore were these Forts and Breastworkes raised The Father will Answer The King of England seduced by evill Counsell would have destroyed the Parliament of England Laws Liberties Religion Life and all Therefore did the Parliament and all good people in defence of the Parliament and themselves raise up themselves and these Forts Strong-holds and Breastworkes so wee shall declare to our Children what the King by his pernicious Counsellors has done against his good people and what the Lord has done for them shall be had in perpetuall remembrance But will not this be called a resisting of the higher power Qu. Yes by those who understand not what higher power or Law meaneth Ans or judge it to be that which ruleth in their Members Or doe understand by power The Kings private will or that Commission he can give under the Great Seale such a KEEPER it hath into the hands of Edomites Davids utter and implacable enemies now not like but of the same generation with the Edomites in ancient dayes But is it not a Resistance of the Power Quest which is indeed the Ordinance of God No Ans but a contending for that Power the setling and establishing thereof in the Land by all lawfull meanes which GOD has not onely allowed but commanded That his people may live as His people in holinesse and righteousnesse giving obedience to their Master in Heaven and in Relation to Him to that power He has set over His people on earth This is more then enough to these questions which we finde so fully and excellently cleared to every eye but theirs who will not see though we should as the Proverbe is Shew them the Sun in our hand Si solem ipsum gestemus in manibus Last 7.1 I conclude then That they and they onely shew themselves conscientious men and to understand the weight of duty who stand-up now for their Lawes and Liberties and life of their lives their Religion so to deliver a captive King a distressed Church and State now in the hands of bloudy and most pernitious Counsellours And if all the people in the Land doe not stand-up now in this breach it is not because they want will but because they want power they are over-powered The Divell is as strong now and works as mightily now so does the Edomite also the Divels right hand in our Land as they did anciently in the Kingdome of Iudab But some make scruple here and conscience too for they say They have taken an Oath to serve the King Ob. and they cannot dispence with their Oath God forbid they should Let them serve the King and serve him heartily and faithfully but then they must not serve his private Will which they see enlived made strong and mighty by an Evill spirit now ruling against the Common-wealth and publike Faith of
Land and hold their hands Can they endure to see 85. Priests slaine in one day their City smote with the edge of the Sword both Men and Women Children and Sucklings and Oxen and Asses and Sheepe with the edge of the Sword and by the command of the Evill spirit Can they endure to see all this and stand still the while seeing an Edomite not onely buffeting Israel but utterly destroying a City in Israel Conscience could not hold backe Israel that is certaine But perusing the Text I perswade my selfe thus it was The sentence was hasty from the King hee did indeed suffer Ahimelech to plead for himselfe but Saul was resolved upon the question though there was a parley or treaty betwixt them as if they would come to a good understanding and so end the matter yet Saul was resolved what to doe as some Judges have beene resolved in the Case before they came to their Court to heare the matter To take away Ahimelechs life And he was quicke in doing of it No sooner Ahimelech had given-in his Answer as good Reason and Law both as ever was given but Saul passed his sentence Thou shalt surely dye Ahimelech c. And so it was it was presently done as Saul commanded the evill spirit on him for an Edomite had the doing of it and it was done suddenly on that day he slew 85. Priests and smote their City Man and Beast there On that day A suddaine execution for the evill spirit is strong and as cunning too we are not ignorant of his devices but know not halfe the depths of Sathan he surprized the City before the inhabitants were aware much lesse could the neighbouring Israelites be provided to come-in and rescue their Brethren so suddenly surprized for the Divell watcheth whom and when hee may destroy Besides it was not an ordinary strength that could give checke to and mate That evill spirit working so effectually in Saul and the Edomite the Manager of the Divels and Sauls wrath See we now how all this relates to the present Time And if wee shall finde That the Divell has as active instruments now and Managers of his wrath against Israel as once he had Then I hope wee shall make no more scruple of Conscience to resist the Divell now than the Israelites did make then VVith Gods helpe we will examine the matter and resolve the case of Conscience at that point CHAP. 3. This persecution comes-up to our Times as bloudy now as ever any was in any time The Papists now of the same generation with the Edomites then and as bloudy now as then Our engagements to withstand them In so doing we stand for the King What should be our prayer for him and a case of Conscience touching our obedience to him resolved and the chiefe Objections touching that matter THis persecution of David mannaged by King Saul and the Edomite comes fully up to our times though in the degrees of cruelty and execution thereof it falls much short of what is done now Saul and the Edomite in those dayes destroyed a City of Priests for Davids sake and would have destroyed Keilah also The King by his wicked Counsell have the same execution more then upon designe they have executed the same wrath upon two kingdomes But two Cities then one destroyed the other in designe for destruction Two kingdomes here For Davids sake then The same Reason now because the hands of the godly are with David now I will not spend time now to prove this That the Atheists and Papists are the same in these dayes with the Edomites in Sauls dayes Their words and actions make too sufficient proofe thereof For they have done Psal 137.7 as their Fathers said before them in the day of Ierusalem RASE IT RASE IT EVEN TO THE FOVNDATION THEREOF Children of Edom sure enough So they said in ancient time so they say now So they pursued their Brother with the Sword then so they pursue him now They shewed no pitty then they shew no pitty now They did smiâ—e and burne Cities then they doe the same now Reader I could stuffe my Pages from out of the Records of time with the most horrid horrible divellish c. But I purposely forbeare for thou art satisfied touching this matter from what thou hast heard seene and felt Therefore thou wilt make no question here for Conscience sake Thou wilt resist the Edomite according to the power in thy hand for Conscience sake Conscience of thy vow in Baptisme thou hast vowed there to renounce the divell then this Edomite sure he must be renounced too he is singular but a Legion who is the great MANAGER of all the divels affaires against the â—ity of GOD all the Christian world over Who but the Edomite he does all hee transacts all all the divels affaires come through his hands whether they concerne his Warre or his Peace there is not a Pin to choose if his Peace were not the worst of the two in conscience of thy Vow in Baptisme thou must renounce the Edomite the Sonne as well as the Father the divels Right-hand the Manager of all his affaires upon earth I say it againe that it may bee remembred alwayes Secondly in Conscience to thy oath of Allegeance Thou hast taken an oath to subject thy selfe to the Power GOD has set over thee and that is a Power which cannot be perverted to base ends against GOD and the power of Godlinesse it cannot be Committed to an Edomites hand nor can he be the MANAGER thereof Wee shall heare more of this anon 3. In Conscience of thy Covenant entred-into You are not your own now you are bought with a price you are GODS a sworn Servant to Him You have sworne and will not repent to serve the Living GOD and not the Lusts of Men You have entred into Covenant by the helpe of GOD you are resolved to stand to it and then to stand-up against all those who stand up against GOD and His Truths revealed in His Word We are fully and clearly resolved at this point To stand-up for GOD against the Edomites of these times for Conscience sake nay for the Common-wealths sake as our Countrey-men stood up against the Wolves our Land would not beare them Sect. 2 chap. 6. say some nay the Land would not endure them say I for so sayes my Author too Every man stood-up with his weapon in his hand and out they thrust the Wolves they could not endure them The time will come when we shall doe so with these Edomites too else we cannot maintaine our Lawes our Liberties our Lives and which is the Life of our Lives and should be the Crown of our rejoycing The Gospel we cannot maintaine that if we doe not thrust out the Edomites for they will Thrust us from the Gospel and the Gospel from us We are resolved in this case of conscience touching the Edomite Resistance of him But here is a greater case If wee resist
the Kingdome I know this taking an Oath is much pleaded and Conscience of breaking there But let these conscientious men looke inward deale truely and turne their conscience outward that we may see it then we shall reade their mindes plainly That it is not conscience of an oath that troubles them for they cannot be bound by an Oath to serve the lusts of men But this pincheth them They are conscientious of unlawfull gaine and they will hold it fast still and their honours they will not part-with nor their reputation amongst men They will hold to the King that he may hold fast with them They will serve his lusts that he may serve theirs and this is all the conscience these men have which they have choaked as well as they can that they may the more quietly hold-fast iniquity and keepe close their unjust gaine and quite neglect their duty while they suffer the Divell to command in chiefe and the Edomite not onely to buffet but to destroy their brethren they looking upon all this the while with open face and hold their hands in their pockets or shrinke them up into their sleeves in homage to the Evill spirit and the Edomite and then plead Conscience to beare-out their basenesse of spirit when they make no conscience of unjust gaine nor of their vow in Baptisme nor their Protestation nor Covenant for there they take an Oath and draw upon them a Curse if they performe not It will not serve their turne But I forbeare We are concluded what is the Power GOD hath set over us That we must make conscience of obeying that and to resist the contrary power with all our might we must be as active that way as zealous for the truth as our enemies are against it as valiant to maintaine our Lawes and Liberties as the adversaries are to destroy all Why should it be said Infelix populus Dei non habet tantum fervorem in bono quantum mali 〈◊〉 malo Hiâ—ron O unhappy people of God! They have not so much zeale in good as the wickea have in evill not so much zeale to build-up as the wicked have to pull downe not so much zeale to advance Christ and Hâ—s Government as the wicked have to dethrone Him The People of GOD unhappy in that point have not the courage and constancy in the love of the SPIRIT that the wicked world hath in the lusts of the flesh That courage nay nothing like it Ad ertibescenâ—iam nostram dico Nâ—â—ron to our shame it must be spoken Yea but we must heare more what is spoken to take off that little courage and zeale the people of GOD shew at this time in their war against the Beast Let us heare first Master Fullers Argument I mean not his against the high Commission Oath which could never be answered till it was taken away but the Court-flatterers argument Pag. 260. Master Fullers in his Holy-Warre he sayes Subjects are Adjectives nothing in themselves bâ—â—â—ll they are in reference to their King in fâ—ll agreement with their Princes will and dependence upon him That every Reader may understand this Argument I will unfold it clearly to Master Fullers meaning in the Grammaticall construction of the same The Subjects must be Adjectives and the King the Substantive that is first If the King will number himselfe with the wicked those that will ruine themselves and their King the Subject is an Adjective he must number himselfe with those also else he makes bad construction sayes he Secondly If the King bring himselfe into a miserable Case the Subject must throw himselfe into the same câ—se too though it be upon the swords point Thirdly if the King degenerate and prove Feminine uxorious and womanish as a man may be the Subject is an Adjeâ—tive hee must degenerate too for he must be of the same gender with his Substanstive or if the King will be Neuter neither Masculine nor Feminine of neither side neither hot nor cold a midling person and he is worst of all be he what he will be the Subject is an Adjective he must be so too this is that the Grammarian calls Concord such an agreement or dependence the Subject has upon his King as the Adjective has with his Substantive with whom it must agree in Number Case and Gender All this is good Grammar but the worst Logicke that ever I read for there is no Reason in it at all No Reason at all that the Subject whom God has made a man endowed him with a reasonable Soule That this man should be Adjective wholly at the dispose and will of his Prince so dependant upon him of the same minde and judgement though the Princes minde be most contrary to the minde of Christ But it is excellent Divinite not as Master Fuller understands it but as we must understand it The Subject is adjective and GOD his King has only a Bâ—ing in Himselfe The Subject is adj ctive nothing in himselfe but all in reference to and dependance-on his GOD no being in himselfe but all in GOD he understands he wills he does he loves he hates all in reference to GODS command he is an adjective all his dependance is upon GOD his walking is before GOD his love to GOD he expends and layes-out himselfe for Him and renders all backe to Him To Whom be glory for ever and ever Amen But wee must recall what was said before A. the manner of the Persian Subjects Subjects indeed Their manner was to shrink-up their hands into their sleeves in homage to their King VVhat have we to doe with Heathenish customes B. This shrinking-up their hands into their sleeves implyed an absolute obedience which we absolutely deny But yet we will hearken to it this once and reade it againe as we finde it in Xenophon It was the manner of the Persians in presence of their King and homage to his Sacred Majesty To shrink-up their hands into their sleeves But they never did so while their King was smiting their Cities and laying waste their Townes Indeed there was never such a thing read of as now we see with our eyes A King laying waste his owne kingdome as at this day And therefore if we doe not shrink-up our hands into our sleeves we must be pardoned But consider we Beza's note upâ—n Rom. 13.5 Although the Magistrate have no pâ—wer over the Conscience yet he is the Miniâ—ter of GOD Ob. Etiamsi magist atus 05 in conscientiam jus non habet tamen qu ni De. sit Minister bona conscientia ei resisti non potest and cannot with good Conscience bee resisted His Note is somewhat fuller and more binding Act. 23. verse 5. We must heaâ—til honour Magistrates yea though they be Tyrants And it is out of all question that so they were when Saint Paul taught submission unto them whether to the supreame powers or the powers under him But it is as cleare That their obedience
consisted in suffering rather then in obeying rather in bearing from the hand what the Power inflicted Magistratibus ex animo deferendus honor etiam Tyrannis Ans then in doing what the Power commanded This is true for there is an obedience in suffering and so no resisting of the power for he that suffers from the hand of the Ruler for what his conscience will not suffer him to doe he doth not resist but obeyes the Ruler And yet we must note That there is a wide difference betwixt giving obedience to that the Heathen Emperours commanded by their Lawes and obedience to that which Kings now command against Law Christians then did take-up the burden of their Ruler with a bended knee as the Lord Verub expresseth it and as I may interpret it i. e. They made their body bow unto it not their conscience They suffered for that they could not obey as the three Worthies in Daniel who yeelded-up their bodies â—o the dispose of their King and so The LORD Whom they served kept their bodies untouched by the fire who would keepe their consciences free from polution It is otherwise with Christians now They are called to liberty To obey their King ruling by Law The â—igher Power which GOD has set over them and which the King cannot commit to an Edomites hand If he dâ—es it ought to be resisted for it is a terrour to the good not to evill workes Cleane contrary to tâ—at a Minister of GOD should be And whereas it is said We must give honour to Magistrates though Tyrants we grant as much for it hath beene and is the manner of all the children of GOD so to do David did so witnesse his words and humble deportment before Saul But David did not give his throat to Saul though Saul was King and David a private man yet he read no Law nor could see Reason for that but all Law and Reason against it There is one argument more from the example of the Jewes if not shrinking-up their hands into their sleeves after the Persian manner yet bowing their hands behinde them in homâ—ge to their Emperours person and commands Philo relates the story in his Ambassie to Cajus as followes Caligula would set-up his Image in the Temple of Jerusalem that Abomination in that Sacred Place So he would do And for that end Petronius was sent unto them to assure them That Caligula their Emperour would have it so and for that purpose an Army of foot and horse was in a readinesse to shoulder-in the Image if by faire meanes he prevailed not The Jewes with their wives and children met the Emperours Ambassadour stand before him as children before their parents with their Armes bent behinde them assuring the Ambassadour by that reverentiall posture of their bodies That as they were not so mad as to withstand their Lord so they were not so mindlesse of their duty to GOD as to suffer that abomination to be brought into their Temple unlesse over the heads of themselves their wives and children trampled upon all the way thither as the myre in the streets And so they quitted themselves say they of themselves like men in hese two great points In preserving entire the service of their GOD And the bâ—nd of allegeance to their Prince This is the very posture of good Subjects Ob. to carry their hands bent behinde them while they suffer the Rebels to ride over their heads And that is the objection from hence I confesse this Story speakes as fully to Doctor Fearnes purpose Ans as any we have read yet will it not satisfie his tender conscience nor any understanding man For he must heare Reason A wise man will not show his teeth that cannot bite his offer that way may cause all his teeth to be struck out I will shrinke my hands up into my sleeves or turne them behinde me if I am not able to use my hands Againe If the Jewes at that time would expose themselves wives and children to the lust of one domineering Lord That is no rule for Christians so to doe Nay it was no rule for the Christians after them So we will answer practice with practice For they being oppressed by the hand of an Heathen Emperour Lucinius sought helpe from a Christian Emperour who gave them aid and thereby they oppressed him that oppressed them Though yet it makes a wide difference to live under them whose will is their law and will doe what they list And under him who is under a power which must rule him and his commands Whereof bâ—fore The case is cleared without controversie the King is not the higher Power Yet before we conclude let us heare how the Heathen have resolved this matter Whose is the power The Kings Who has the power over the King The Law Then the Law is the higher power sayes Plutarch in his Moralls But me thinkes Aristotles words are yet more notable he sayes He that will have the Law to be the higher power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Polit. lib. 3. sub finem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obliquos agit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid sets GOD uppermost and the Law next to Him But he that will have man to be the higher power sayes a Beast may be it A Beast Yes so sayes Aristotle and his Reason must be this though I finde it not in the place for it is sufficient that he sayes a Beast Man may be carried by his sensuall part then he walks like a Beast and acts like a Beast his Reason and Judgment may be steeped as was said in his affections Lust may sway him Anger too and turne him from the rule of Law and Reason both yes that it may the best men living and all the while the man is so carried he acts like a Beast Therefore we must not place the higher power in him What is the higher power then The Law What is the Law It is as the minde of the Law-giver Senate or Councell should be void of all sensuall Desire and Appetite I expresse it as well as I can I would it were expressed better and better thought upon for truely it is very excellent I conclude then that is the higher power that can doe me no Wrong but all the Right that can be because it is void of all manner of Malignity from selfe seâ—fe-seeking or selfe-pleasing Then it is a Truth as cleare as the Sun-beame That the King is not the higher power he is a Man and may doe and does much wrong for there is a Malignity in man even in the best of men and will be there so long as selfe is in him I am now to make further discovery of this malignant spirit in Saul persecuting of David so we proceed in the Story where we shall read that which may be a great disheartning to Israel now while they looke downward upon number and strength of men But if they looke upward setting their faces
Truth and Davids Mercies are sure There is Davids Hold-fast He has nothing to doe 't is not his part to trouble himselfe about this What Saul is or what the Keilites are he may enquire of the LORD about it and he shall be told That Sauls intentions are bloudy and the Keili es treacherous but he must not trouble himselfe about it not about what Saul will doe or the Keilites will doe David must doe his duty that is his part to doe let God alone with Saul and his Keilites they shall doe David no hurt but good a great deale so be David does hâ—s duty We have learnt our part also and what is our duty to doe now and now we proceed David was resolved to have defended himselfe and the Keilites he would not have sâ—ffered their City to be destroyed for his sake but advising with his Oracle and understanding how the Keilites were minded he quits the place and with his men marcheth away towards the Wildernesse Here a grave Question may be asked Why does the Lord suffer David to be put to his shifts Quest why is his condition so restlesse from place to place and no certaine place before he can fixe his foot stand still and breath himselfe he must run for his life For excellent Reasons the Lord did this Ans That David might know this woâ—â—d is a Wilâ—ernesse indeed not the place of his rest and that he mig t not trust in strong-holds neither nor in men therefore was his condition so fleeting and full of changes He must be raised to a Crowne it must be from a low bottome after mens hearts towards him are â—â—lly discovered and all his strong-holds are thrown down for GOD must be exalted in that day But of this towards the conclution Isa 10.11 when we shall see GOD performing His whâ—â—â— worke and what end He makes for then we shall â—ee the LORD is very pitifull and of tender mâ—â—ey Jam. 5.11 But we must wait fâ—r this as the Husbandman â—aiteth for the precious fruit of the earth and hath long patience for it Therefore I will referre that to the last and give resolution here to another Question CHAP. II. Why did not the Neighbouring Israelites Come-in to help their Brethren and Sisters grievously oppressed by a cruell Lord and a bloudy Edomite Or why did they not relieve David now driven into the Wildernesse What Saul did and would have done is examined and who this Edomite was So it is made very cleare That Conscience could not hold-backe the neighbouring Israelites from standing-up every man in his place to defend himselfe and to withstand the notorious violences from Sauls and his Edomites hands HEre 's a strange sight Saul with his Edomites have smitten and burnt Nob a City of Priests and have destroyed Man and Beast there They make the like offer against Keilah to destroy that City for Davids sake They pursue David still with fire and sword and now they have driven him out into the wildernesse as he sayes himselfe from abtaing in the inheritance of the LORD Why does Israel suffer all this VVhy doe they not bring forth the speare to stop their Master Saul and his Edomite driving on furiously in the Path of the destroyer VVhy did not Israel withstand their Master Saul 2 Chro. 26.17 18. as AZariah with fourscore Priests more withstood VZZiah their King entring upon their office And why did they not deale with the Edomite as the Prophet caused that messenger to be dealt withall who had a Commission from King Ahab to fetch away his head 2 Kin. 6.32 VVhy did they not deale so or more roughly with the Edomite It is answered here boldly enough That Israel were a conscientious People they knew their duty they saw no VVarrant to make resistance let their King Murther Priest and People then Pillage rob and spoile them by his Servants like the high-lander theeves there meere Conscience keeps these neighbouring Israelites hands close in their Pockets the while It is their King they will not resist him meere conscience forbids them I would speake something here in the generall first Conscience is a tender thing and must be tenderly dealt with and not judged rashly But certaine it is we of the common fort have been and now are very little troubled in point of Conscience about such matters as these are we are not so conscientious of our duty as to commune with Conscience about it we minde other matters here Hab. 26. to lade our selves with thicke clay which we call private wealth neglecting the common How long It is a Prophets question and by an Interrogation he makes his Answer very strong and terrible untill they shall rise-up suddenly that shall bite thee and awake that shall vexe thee Veâ—s 7. and thou shalt be booties unto them To whom To Spoylers and Robbers That thicke clay wherein we have laboured shall be booties unto those Robbers there is the crosse indeed and if it were not for feare we would fight our selves out of slavery sure were it but to secure our private wealth but because we would rather be accounted Conscientious men then Cowards we will not hold-up our hands for feare it should be taken to be a lifting-up the hand against our King This were well now if we did make conscience in other things of Lying Swearing Blaspheming Cursing Robbing Spoiling c. and of all unjust gaine or if we did make conscience not to keep our Purses shut when the necessity of the Poore commanded us to open or if being able men and could goe a warfare at our owne proper cost we did make conscience of taking gaine of money when we stand-up for our selves our owne lives and liberties If we make conscience of these things wee might be accounted conscientious men in other matters in point of resistance for feare we make warre against the King wherein every true Israelite must make conscience or else quit that name for he is unworthy the name of Israel that does not make conscience at that sacred point To proceed a little in the generall GOD forbid that any Israelite in the world should Resist their King and make conscience so to doe Nay more for I keep to the story GOD forbid that an Israelite should have resisted Saul he is the Anointed of the LORD â—s was said the great Fiduciary of the Kingdome An Israelite will make conscience of resisting Saul I say Saul for hearken what Ahimelech sayes Be it far from me Let not the King impute any thing unto his servant nor to all the house of my Fathers 1 Sam. 22.15 What should not Saul impute unto Ahimelech That he resisted his Lord King Saul and intended ill unto him it was far from him so to doe And certainly it was and is far from all true Israelites in the world To resist Saul to oppresse him and doe him hurt The LORDS Anointed they remember that still