Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
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A13000
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Two sermons of direction for iudges and magistrates. By Mathew Stoneham, minister and preacher in the citie of Norwich
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Stoneham, Mathew.
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1608
(1608)
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STC 23290; ESTC S103465
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30,644
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96
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worthie saying of a learned Historian who witnesseth French hist in Henr. 3. that as in the person of a man the life consisteth in the vnion of the bodie and the soule so in a kingdome state or common-weale the life thereof standeth in the coherence and coniunction of commaunds which be as the soule and of obedience which is as the bodie thereof If either then saith he the soule of commands shal tyrannize ouer the body of obedieÌce by vniust lawes or the bodie of obedience will not receiue the law of the soule in iust ordinances there insueth a death to that kingdome state or common-weale Though sic volo sic iubeo so I will so I commaund be the voice of tyrants yet for a man to adde his volo to Gods iubeo his will to Gods command is the harmonie of obedience The second thing I do consider in the maner of this intent is their wilfulnesse in that they will not do the law of God and the kings law Their vndutifulnesse forespoken of may be likened to the rolling of the stone to the doore of the sepulcher Math. 27. Mat. 27. 60 60. Their wilfulnesse in that they will not do it is like the sealing of that stone so rolled to make all sure Math. 27. 66. The one is non obedire the other Mat. 27. 66 a nolle obedire The one putteth too the doore against the law of God and the king the other barres bolts it The one is like the sinne of Dauid who did not obey the voice of the Lord in marrying two sinnes together to make a bloudie diuorce betwixt a maried couple I meane Bathshebah and Vriah by committing of adulterie with the one and murther against the other 2. Sam. 11. for which 2. Sam. 11. Dauid afterward was so penitent as he brake forth into this contrite coÌfession admonished by Nathan I haue sinned against the Lord. 2. Sa. 12. 13. falling 2. Sam. 12. 13. as sometimes the Poets feigned the giaÌt Anthaeus to fall who by euery fall in his wrastle with Hercules gained a mans strength so Dauid after his fal rose againe neuer in like maner to fal The other nolle obedire to nil to obey is like the sinne of Pharaoh the reprobate in his detaining the Lords people Exod. 5. 2. Who in the swelling of Exod. 5. 2. his heart vttered these words of blasphemie Who is the Lord that I should obey his voice I know not the Lord neither wil I let Israel go Neither wil I c. He is not only vndutifully but wilfully disobedient therefore was his fall as the fall of an Elephant of whom it is anciently written that being down he is not able to rise againe In theÌ that are onely vndutifull haply one sinne vpon better aduisement may preuent another but in them which are wilfull and therefore hardened like vnto iron as it is said Prou. 27. 17. that iron Pro. 27. 17. sharpneth iron so one iron linke in this iron chaine of sinne tolleth haleth on another till posse non peccare becometh non posse non peccare that is to be able not to sinne cometh to not to be able but to sinne As the voice of tyrants standeth for a law so the will of traitors standeth against the law They will not do the law of God and the kings law The second thing to be assumed to our handling in the intent is the order of it In that it is not first said the law of the king and then Gods law but in that it is said first the law of God and then the kings law Most necessarie it is that the law of God should be set in order before the kings law First because God is greater then the king This may appeare not onely in that Dauid himselfe being a king calleth God his king My king and my God Psal 5. 2. Psal 5. 2. In that also he bindeth kings in chaines and nobles in linkes of iron Psal 149. 8. Psal 149. 8. In that a token of homage kings bring presents and gifts vnto him and those not only of the Iles but of Tarshish which is Cilicia and of Shebah and Saba which is the rich Arabia Psal 72. 10. and therfore all kings shall Psal 72. 10. Psal 72. 11. worship him Psal 72. 11. because wheÌ the whole earth consisteth of Iles and coÌtinent or firme land the kings both of the Iles and also of Cilicia and Arabia which be firme land shall and do acknowledge subiection vnto him in that when it pleaseth him to put on his glorious apparell euen in the skirts of that glorious garment his name is written A king of kings and Lord of Lords Apo. 19. 16. But also the greatnesse Apoc. 19. 16 of God aboue the king may appeare in that the great Monarkes of the earth when they by the wings of their ambition haue bene so borne aloft that of Kings they haue become Monarks yet being Monarks the leueÌ of the same ambition hath so swolne them in them as of Monarkes still aspiring to the higher they would be Gods as may appeare by Alexander Quint. Cur. Pedio Mex in Calig Domitian the great amoÌg the Macedons by Caligula Domitian amoÌg the Romans and amoÌg the Persians by that proud Monarke who caused an artificiall globe of glasse to be made with a semblance of the Sunne and Moone Du Bart. in 6. day the 1. weeke and Starres in it which went from East to West according to the circular motion of it was wheeled and caried about againe and placed his throne in the top of it where himself sitting in maiestie would seeme a God and no man But be it that these in the great thoughts of their hearts would be taken for Gods then the which they cannot climbe higher yet God to defie them who would thus deifie themselues is said to be a great king aboue all Gods Psal 95. 3. and Psal 95. 3. by consequeÌce of such Gods as these would be The office of Dictator among the Romanes was aboue the place of a king forasmuch as when many kings and kingdomes were subiect to that State the State it self during the time of his authoritie was subiect to the Dictator Of this Dictator Plutarch writeth in the life of Fabius that wheÌ Plutar. in Fab. it was lawfull for him almost to do anie thing yet was it not lawfull for him to ride vpon a horse By how much God is greater then kings as he is greater then these Dictators who were commanders of kings in that he rideth vpon the heauens as vpon an horse yea in that the holy Cherub becometh as his horse Psal 18. 16. and Psal 18. 16. the clouds are his chariot the wings of the winde his gallerie whereon he walketh Psal 104. 3. And therefore Psal 104. 3. because God is greater then the king Gods law in order is to be placed