David for the King of Sion there to lay his head upon the block there to wear a Crowne of Thornes and there judicially to be put to death where he and he only should have sate upon the Throne Indeed it was not done before his Palace it was not done before his own doors but it was done in Occidentali parte it was done in the West part of the City it was there done where it might bring most disgust and distaste upon him Mans Calvariae id est decollatorum Mount Calvary that is according to Jerome the place of common Execution the place where Malefactors were beheaded now there where that same day a couple of theeves were to be put to death there and in the midst of them as if he had been like to one of them as a Tyrant a Traytor a Murtherer and a publick enemy they Crucifyed their King and they put to death even the Lord of glory So that indeed not only the place but the very instrument of his death that he should be nayled to the Crosse be numbred among transgressors and dye a Malefactor this is to a King to a righteous innocent King a thing bitterer then death Secondly And in a word then to conclude this point when the Jews were so Rebellious as to conspire and attempt the Killing of their King they added this wickednesse above all they killed him after the most ignominious way after the most irksome and tedious invention that those times had They were not so mercifull as to lay an Axe unto his throat or a Sword unto his Heart but in the places most remote in the Hands and Feet where they might multiply anguish and not hasten death where they might wound but not kill where they might afflict but not dispatch there they tormented there they tortured there they studyed to grieve and vex his righteous Soul So that of all the sad spectacles under Heaven of all the cruelties that ever the Beasts of the people presented to the world there is none like to oppressed Majesty never is Ambition Envy Malice or what brutish affection soever so predominant never is Rage and Fury so highly and so full fed as when it drinks the bloud Royall So that the saddest object that was ever yet recorded it was this in my Text the Betraying the Buying the Arraigning the Deriding and the Crucifying of their King Pilate abhorred and yet gave way unto it the Jews denied and abjuâ—â—d it yet did it they were ashamed to own yet not affraid to act the villany Shall I Crucifie your King saith Pilate and do you think we would say the Jews We have no King but Caesar A plain evidence that it was Fear Passion Envy which against all Conscience Law Right or Reason thus barberously used a King So that all now remaining is to see what use we should make of it and that I shall dispatch under these three heads 1. It should teach us to be patient 2. It should teach us to be charitable 3. It should teach us to be penitent First it should teach us to be patient looking in all our crosses and troubles on a Crucified King Well known is that Motto Bona agere mala pati Regium est To do good and suffer evill it is a Royall and Kingly part and indeed never did any King so act this part as the King in my Text for if we look upon his concessions and acts of grace we shall find that they were beyond all that were ever granted And on the otherside if we look upon the injuries and indignities he suffered if we look upon the provocations and vexations the Insolence and Malice Jealousies and Feares did heap upon him we shall finde him a Patient beyond President so that indeed it is hard to say whether this King did more good or suffered more evill for us such good he did that except the integrety of his soul he Sacrificed all the rest Such evill he endured he lost but all which man could deprive him of such good he did that preserving what might make him a Saviour he gave up even all as he was a Soveraign such evill he indured that those very wretches for whom he suffered triumphed in his miseries and though his Subjects gloried to insult upon him So that indeed there cannot be an exacter piece of patience then this harrowed and Crucified King 1 Pet. 2.2 Christ suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps Our King not only suffered for satisfaction but also for imitation so that indeed we are not only to look upon him as a Saviour but also as a sufferer not only who suffered for us but also as one who made himselfe an example to teach us to suffer and indeed in what can we suffer in which we have not him for an example Honour Freedome Estate Friends Life these are the darlings that we dote upon and in which of these can we so deeply suffer in as our King did In Honour we cannot for his is the Throne and ours but the Footstoole he the Fountaine and we but the wast of his fulnesse And yet in point of Honour never was such a sufferer as he was and indeed they could never have made him such a sufferer had they not first wounded and devested him of his Honour we shall see in Num. 16. that grand and first conspiracy of Corah Dathan and Abiram it began with aspersions and calumniating authority vers. 3. Ye take too much upon you they endevoured to make Moses and Aaron appeare Tyrants and usurpers upon the people even so when the Jews had a designe and a desire to Crucifie their King the first thing they endevour is to make him odious and to lay they care not how false so prevalent Treasons misdemeanours or any things hatefull to his charge John 2.17 of whom it is there written The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up even him they accuse and traduce unto the people as one who would destroy the Temple He of whom it was written By me Kings Reign he who gave it in expresse charge Matth. 22.21 To give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars yet even he Luke 22.2 stands there indicted for forbidding tribute to be paid to Caesar and for being no friend to Caesar He who indeed was ipsa veritas Truth it self him they charge as an Impostor or a Deceiver He in whose mouth there was found no guile he who was as a Lamb with out spot even him as a Malefactor and a Villain they deliver up He who was the only one to save him they traduce and charge for the perverter of the people Now I beseech you which of us should not with alâ— patience heare and bear the calumny of the people which of us shoulâ— no arme against accusations slanders and evill Tongues when you see the King of Glory the King of Righteousnesse the King of Peace he had his honour laid in the dust
Jerusalem to you my death is the â—arbinger of many deaths For in the 29. vers. Behold the days are coming in the which barrennesse shall be held a blessing in which you will hold it easier to lie under the weightiest mountaine then under the burthen of my bloud You will rue the time that ever you Crucified your King And therefore Weep not for me but for your selves And indeed good Kings are sure Survivors must feel their losse good Kings are sure they passe to peace but seldome or never leave peace behind them And therefore the taking away of a King a good King cals for penitence and especially the taking away of this King In the fourth verse of our present Chapter Behold saith Pilate I bring him forth unto you that you may know I finde no fault in him a faultlesse King cannot be put to death without a fault would you know then whose fault it was It was Pilates fault it was the Jews fault it was the Gentiles fault yea which is more it was thy fault and my fault it was the fault even of us who live at this day our sins as well as his Subjects voted him to death It was our Pride that brought him into derision our Covetousnesse made him poor our Pomp that stripped him our Wrath that wounded him It was our Drunkennesse that made him thirst our Lust that procured his thornes our Riot that drew his bloud so that indeed it concerns not only the Jews but even us also to be penitent it concernes not only his immediate persecutors but even us also to be humbled and be cast downe for the death of our King for not his Enormous crimes but the Rebellion of his Subjects brought him to his end Act. 3.19 when Saint Peter had laid before the Jewes the murther of their King he exhorteth them in these words Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out no way to be delivered from the bloud of their King but by penitence they must repent that ever they voted repent that ever they apprehended repent that ever they Arraign'd Condemn'd and Crucified their King Pilate in all emâ—nent languages proclaimed their guilt Hebrew Greek and Latine spoke their shame but not a Declaration in all the languages under heaven not all the oratory in the world no not any thing in the world but what St. Peter specifieth nothing but acknowledgement nothing but repentance can purge this guilt Repent therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out The way to change our guilt into an Interest the way to avoid the curse and procure the blessing of this bloud it is to be truly penitent to be heartily sorrowfull to be grieved and pricked at the very heart that we have done that for the which Royall and Divine Majesty did so deeply suffer Nor only must we repent saith St. Peter but convert also that is we must set the King upon his throne we must as Saint Paul renders it 2 Cor. 10.4 Pull down all strong holds cast down every imagination and bring every thought to the obedience of our King For he who was despised rejected of men even he was the beloved the Anointed of the Lord he who was insolently triumphed over and trampled upon by his Subjects yet even he was more then Conquerour yea he who was cut off from the Land of the living even he yet liveth and liveth the King of glory So that indeed unlesse we be converted unlesse we suffer him to raign over us unlesse we kisse reverence and obey the Son we perish from the right way we cannot avoid the guilt of his bloud In a word to conclude all with that in Rom. 8.17 If so be that we suffer with him we shaâ—l also be glorifyed with him if the King could not but by sufferings enter into his glory why should we dream or reckon upon a smoother way If he through Thorns and shame through anguish sorrow and shamefull death if he through bloud even his own bloud was forced to march unto his throne how can we hope to sit on thrones unless we will trample on thornes No Crosse no Crown It is enough for the Servant to be as his Lord enough for Christians since their King before was not even after death to be glorious And indeed did we as he so look upon the joy that is set before us as to spurne at the splendid vanities of this World had we an Eye piercing into the Heavens we would then as did he indure the Crosse and despise the shame we would not then to go to God much fear or care what man can do unto us Let us then in all our sorrowes all our sufferings in all the changes and chances of these sad Times remember we are the professed Servants of a Crucified King of a King who as to the immaturity injustice shame scorn and cruelty of his death suffered more then we can fear and all this to take away the sting of our sufferings to teach us looking upon him not to fear to suffer to teach us that his sufferings are the sanctification of ours to teach us not to value our bloud in his cause who was pleased to shed his upon the Crosse for us To that King then who bore our shame let us asscribe al honour to that King that bare our sorrowes let us give all praise to that King who gave his life for us let us give up our lives so shall we who believe him Crucified behold him glorified and out of his fulnesse receive such a glory as shall never be taken from us Which he vouchsafe who was Crucifyed for us Jesus Christ the righteous To whom be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen THE GRAND CONSPIRACY OF Jews against their King A Demonstration of the highest insolencies proceed from men of the lowest and most base Extractions THE Husbandmen Kill the Sonne Vine-dressers Kill the Heire Peasants Kill the Lords Anointed Virg. Aen. 12. v. 236. Nos patria amissa Dominis parere superbis Cogimur Herc. oet. ad fin Act. 2. O quod superbae non habent unquam Domus Fidele semper Regibus nomen LONDON Printed by E. C. for R. ROYSTON at the Angel in Ivie-lane 1654. Herc. oet. ad fin Act. 2. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Homer Iliad 7. de foeminis Capt. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I. SIns of Ignorance sins of Knowledge some wittingly and some unwillingly put the Heir to death II. Persons eminent either for Honour or Holinesse they are the most liable to Envy Spleen Hate and Malice The Heir in whom Honour and Holinesse met in a most eminent degree him above all others did the Husbandmen put to the most Ignominie and most affliction Lam. 1.12 III. Since Covetous and Ambitious persons fear no difficulties the Conscientious and Religious should much lesse do it IV. All Conditions are comprehended under Coloni to teach that all
are now become primi occupantis catch that catch may The ready way to provoke God if not already so far incens'd to give such over even to a reprobate mind that is to follow the Law of the Members which undoubtedly will at length bring even to the gates of death Eccles. 18.30 31. Go not after thy lusts but refrain thy self from thine Appetites for if thou givest thy Soul the desires that please her she will make thee a laughing stock to thine enemies that maligne thee The ready way to captivate the Mind and to bring its Soveraignty under the power of Malignant Enemies is to give way to thy Lusts and to let the Members prescribe a Law unto thee let them but have their desires and thou shalt soon be made a laughing-stock to thy Enemies round about thee It is very likely as the Devill to our Saviour thy Members may promise thee a condition most glorious All the Kingdomes of the World and the glory of them will I give thee That is all possible content and Honour But if thou once fall down and worship if thou wilt suffer thy Mind to prostitute and yeild up it self unto the Members they will soon instead of a glorious state bring thee to an ungracious servitude They will not allow thy Mind a Negative in any thing for the ambition of sin is to reigne in our mortall Bodies What then must the Mind do without doubt Warre it must for as therefore the Inferiour may not War because it hath a Superiour to appeal unto even so on the contrary for as much as the Mind is the Supreme War she may yea War she must against the Members for she for them not they for her must be accountable to God Ever since the days of Job it hath passed for a rule The life of Man is a warfare and ever since the Prophet Micah's time it hath been delivered as a Caveat A mans enemies are those of his own house Now the Generalissimo or chief Commander in this War it hath ever been the regenerate Mind The Mind of man even in all ages hath been entrusted yea commanded to this War commanded to charge upon to subdue and reduce the Members The weapons of our Warfare saith St. Paul are not Carnall but mighty through God Aske you what to do It straight followeth To the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ A larger Commission was never granted then the Regenerate minde hath For should the Members Garison themselves as they too oft do within the strong works of Ambition Pleasure Profit she is even by him that is able promised relief enough even to the pulling down of those strong holds nay she may not leave so much as an imagination nay not any thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God Yea what power can be desired in a Commission which she hath not To lead Captivity Captive power she hath for to the obedience of Christ she is bound to bring into Captivity even every thought Power over life and limb she hath for saith our Saviour If thy right hand offend thee â—ut it off if thy right eye offend thee pluck it out Power she hath to afflict to kill yea to put her enemies and Rebels to the most not only painfull but most shamefull death Mortifie your Members which are upon Earth yea not only so but our Flesh Affections Lusts they must be Crucifyed They must because they have been Traytors and Rebellious be put not only to death but to a shamefull death not only must we mortifie but crucifie the Members And indeed till the Mind shall thus do we can neither look for peace nor truth Affectus corrumpunt Intellectum As Bribes blind the wise even so the Affections and Members they corrupt and pervert Judgement As Justin Martyr of old Scimus quosdam ad iracundiam suam evangelium pertrahentes observed that some made the Gospell to be suitable to their fury even so nothing must be truth nothing must passe for good or godly nothing must men make conscience of where the Members Lusts and Passions are predominant nothing may such a Mind passe either for Law or truth but only what liketh and pleaseth them And as no Truth even so no Peace where there are ruling Members ruling Members being ever as Turbulent to the Mind as ruling Elders will prove unto the Church And therefore if whilest yet we may see we will what belongs to our Peace resolve we must to submit to the Ordinance of God to bring every thing under that Obedience which he hath made the supreme that is the Subjects to their King and the Members to the Mind So shall we enjoy unity of Spirit in the bond of peace so shall we indeed be as St. Peter speaks A chosen Generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar People Perchance some may dream unlesse the Members may have power to curbe the Mind the Mind as supreme may with all impunity oppress and destroy the Members whereas indeed so fearfull vengeance as for the supreme Offender there is none treasured up For as those blessings which are the immediate issues of Gods own hands are far more excellent then those which by ordinary means are conveyed to us even so those wretches those miscreants which God hath reserved to his own immediate punishing those of all Creatures are most miserable Tophet was ordained of old Yea for the King it was prepared The King who because Supreme can in this life have no Avenger for him witnesse Gods Truth though his Subjects use no other then right Christian Weapons Prayers and Tears there is torture enough prepared And indeed look but into our own breasts we may find conjecture enough of this severity for whoever as the Apostle speaketh is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} self-convicted whosoever is as the Poet renders it surdo verbere caesus lasht with the sting of an invisible whip whosoever is as Jeremy told Pashur he should be Magormissabib a terror to himself This bosome-vengeance this secret and private Executioner as it is upon the Supremest power so is it the severest torture And therefore it highly concerns the Mind to preserve it self and to order according to Gods Law the motion of every Member For the power of Law and War it is in the Supreme and that is the Mind and therefore her Members must have no other but the Law she from God and they from her must take their Government So shall men be able to give God the glory and to suppresse that unnaturall War which sin fomenteth in the Members Rom. 6.12 Let not sinne reigne in your mortall bodies Whosoever gives Law unto us it is he that reigns over us unto what member or lust soever we yeild to obey that
hands make light worke but if we would piercingly and exactly look upon this Passion upon this murthering of a King we shall finde many hands indeed but for work the heaviest that ever was read of and how could it well be other when the miseries of this poor King was to satisfie the malice of two parties Mat. 27.1 When the morning was come all the chief Priests and as the Greek hath it the lay-Presbyters or the Elders of the people took counsell against Jesus to put him to death they who prepared plotted and purposed their Kings destruction they who raised an Army and sent Swords and staves to apprehend him these were you see an Assembly of Priests and Elders yet these were not they that did the deed these were not the Executioners these Voted but these did not Crucifie Now in verse 27. of the same Chapter you shall find the Souldiers of the Governours took Jesus into the common Hall and gathered unto him the whole band of Souldiers and they stripped him they fooled him verse 28. they crowned they mockt him they spit upon him verse 29. and when they had sported enough at his sorrowes then in the 35. verse of the Chapter They Crucified him they not the Presbyters or Elders but the Souldiers brought him to the block they Crucified him Not barely and simply put him to death but they put him ad mortem erucis to the death of the Crosse and indeed this had not been Envies Master-piece had it not been so had they not cloathed him with shame as well as macerated him with pain had they not put him as well to an ignominious as an irksome death Envy would have seemed too dull and too cool a persecutor And therefore to expresse the zeal and activity of their cruelty it is not said here they slew but they Crucified him that is they inflicted on him the extremity of shame sorrow death To a person of Honour and especially to the fountain of Honour to a King shame and dishonour it is bitterer then death so that indeed it is hard to say whether the disposition to and manner of his death was not more affliction to the King then death it self for if we look upon these three particulars though we must passe over a thousand bitternesses 1. What was done before they brought him to the Court of Justice 2. What was done there 3. What after Sentence we shall finde there was nothing done but what speaks Tyranny and Malice For first to take off the appearance of their Envy and to make Malice seem zeal unto the publick behold the King must be brought as a Prisoner to the Barre and as a Malefactor before the Court of Justice but if we observe the Tryall we shall finde nothing but envy and Malice in it For in a place I now cited Mat. 27.7 I shewed unto you how the Priests and Elders took counsell against Jesus to put him to death before ever they brought him to the Court of Justice before ever any Processe drawn or witnesses found out the Priests and Elders had resolved upon the question they sate in Councell and had agreed the King must die the President must and should give the Sentence of death upon him So that indeed the bringing him before a Judge the bringing the King before Annas Caiaphas Herod and Pilate this his appearance at four severall Courts it was only to put a faire Face upon an ugly Sentence it only was by the mockery of justice to cloak the cruelty of malice for before ever he came thither the Councell had determined Jesus their King must die Secondly see the carriage of the businesse when it came there and we shall finde that he was not tryed by any course of Law or by any legall principles for if we look upon him as before Caiaphas before the chief Priests and the Elders Mat. 26.59 we shall find that all his Judges were parties for the Scripture expresly saith the chief Priests and Elders and all the Councell sought false witnesse against Jesus all the Councell all that sate his Judges or that did rise up in Judgment against him they conspired and plotted how to put their King to death or look we upon him as he stood before Pilate before the President and we shall finde it was the Multitude it was the Tumult it was Voices not Law that carryed the cause against him When Pilate saw that he could not prevail any thing but that rather a Tumult was made Mat. 27.24 then he released Barabbas and delivered Jesus to be Crucified Tumult and Votes not Law or Justice brought the King unto his Crosse Indeed in the 25. ver. of the said 27. Chapter of St. Matthew it is written Then answered all the people his bloud be on us and our children the chiefe Priests and Elders the prime and close managers of this designe they interest and intitle the people to it as if this had been an Act of the whole people as if it had been the peoples desire to have their King cut off all the people said his bloud be upon us and upon our Children Whereas indeed if we look close into the story we shall find that had the people been let alone they would have been as they were some five dayes before all for the King they would have prosecuted their former engagement and have brought their King to his City with safety and honour they were more inclinable as it is in Mat. 21. to cry Hosanna then Crucifie and had rather have strowed their garments in his way then have imbrewed his in bloud Mat. 27.20 The chiefe Priests and Elders perswaded the multitude the Leaders and Commanders they over-ruled the people yea if it were as hard to get into Pilates as it was into Caiaphaâ— Court there might then be more or at least but few present at his tryall but such who were the Creatures and followers of the chief Priests and Elders for you shall finde in the 18. of Saint John and the 17. verse That the doore was shut and Sainâ— Peter got not in but upon the interest of St. John and no wonder if they spake as they were taught Crucifie him Crucifie him yea St. Peter in Acts 3.17 imputes it to the ignorance of the people which Pilate flatly layes to the fury of Rulers and indeed no People nor Rulers but were extreamly ignorant of what they did when they did this the foulest of attempts Crucifie their King Thirdly as you have seen what they did before they came unto the Court and how things were carryed there even so if we look upon what was done after Sentence we shall finde nothing but Cruelty nothing but a studiyd mixture of Infamy and Sorrowes And this wil appear from these two things 1. The place 2. The Instrument of his death First the place Jerusalem the Royall City the City of David and must it not needs be an aggravation of shame and sorrow for the Sonne of
it is astonished at his understanding and Answers Such an Heire could not be robbed of his Birth-right nor deprived of his Inheritance but it must be done with violence and that violence could never had hands enough without an Association Point 5 The point then for our Instruction is to behold the strength of Combined wickednesse How an united Malice produceth strange Villanies Of the Devill himself it is observable though he be the Prince of Darknesse and hath in himselfe a very powerfull Malice yet even he unlesse united cannot doe nigh so much mischief as in Conjunction And therefore when he hath any notable Villany to bring about when he would effect and do such a Master-piece as this in my Text to disinherit an Heire Royall or subvert Kingdomes he then doth just as the Husbandmen in my Text did He associates He saith to the discontented and disaffected Sons of Men Venite come Come and joyne but your Hands to my Head and we will have our wills such and such shall not raigne over us And indeed to such an Associate and combined Malice where the Devill is the Counsellor and Man the Actor God permits a great deale more mischiefe to be done than he will to a single Malice Yea without peradventure to an Association of Villanies though all men God permits much more than he will to any single Tyrant Act. 4.25 The Apostles speaking of the very Association in my Text speaking of the people saith The people imagine vaine things But when there was to the people an Association of great ones when as it followeth The Kings of the Earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ Then as followeth in my Text the Father gave such way unto this Malice that they took yea they killed the Heir The use we are to make of this point is to take heed that we do not engage and associate with the Devil that we do not strengthen his malice for he was not more busie to bring the Heire to his death then he is at this hour to suppresse his Kingdome he would not by any meanes that Christ should rule or live within us and yet sure we are if we associate not the Gates of Hell cannot prevaile Again Is it so that an Association and a Combination in wickednesse strengthens the hands and impowereth malice what then would an Association in godlinesse and good things doe Indeed Religion it self if we attend the Word it is only an Holy Combination a Religation or Obligation to the things of God Should we then but change that wicked Venite in my Text to that holy Venite of the Church Did we but so come and so worship and so fall down before the Lord our Maker as it behoveth penitents and a chastised people such an Association it would move even God himself to be our Helper such an Association it would preserve every man in his Vineyard and restore the right Heire unto his own And so we shall passe from the Summons to the Meeting from the Association to the Consultation They reasoned among themselves saying This is the Heire Come They reasoned among themselves Their first meeting it is as the French Parlar to parle to consult to lay the businesse And indeed as there were many Hands to do it so there was a need of many heads to plot it And yet if you observe it they were selected Heads {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They reasoned not before others of another judgement or before such as were true of heart but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They reasoned among themselves when there was none with them but such as themselves when they were as in a close Committee then they reasoned upon this matter then they took it into debate what should be done with the Heire The point then put to the question and that which they were to reason of we may finde by the connexion of the precedent to this present verse for saith the Father there I will send my beloved Sonne and then followeth to what end and that is to see whether they will reverence him or no Now upon this they meet upon this they consult and in the negative they conclude and vote they will not reverence So that their debate and reasonings was probably upon these two heads 1. Upon what they had done 2. Upon what they were resolv'd to doe And both these we have within the confines of our parable First an Epitome of what they had done we have in the 10.11 and 12. verses and that briefly is A contempt of their Lord in the abuse of his Messengers And indeed the first step to pull down the Master it is to trample upon the Minister They beat they put to shame yea they put to Death such as were sent unto them Not onely did they deny their Duties to pay their Tribute and to send fruit but as if those whom the Father sent had been so many Evill Counsellors they take and hang them up as Male-factors Yea and that they then doe when indeed all their messages were messages of peace Now having been not only rebellious in denying their Obedience but also ungratefull even unto bloud in the slaughter of the Prophets The Husbandmen might very well fall a Reasoning what was now to be done whether Reverence or Resistance whether a Submission to the Heire with an Act of pardon and Oblivion Or a proceeding to higher mischieves which was to Revile Rebell and to cut off even the Heire himself It is Resolv'd upon the question they will owne no guilt They will confesâ— no fault what they have done whether in Vsurping the Vineyard Denying their Dues or Butchering the Messengers they will acknowledge nothing Yea as if the Heire had necessitated and put them upon all these villanies they Resolve further they will be Avenged upon the Heire and that is the second point they Reason and consult about They Reasoned among themselves saying this is the Heire come let us take some order with him let us so deale with him that the Inheritance may be ours so deale with him that he may be countable to us not we to him In a word they Reasoned saying This is the Heire come let us kill him So that the second and maine part of their Reasoning was how to dispose and order what was requisite to this end And indeed this required a great deale of Reasoning too For if we looke but upon vers. 5 6. of this Chapter we shall find they stood in such Awe of the people that they durst not passe a rash judgement no not upon the Baptisme of John much lesse upon the Heire in the Text And therefore they first reason among themselves how to take off the people and how to make him despicable in their esteeme And indeed to summe up that long work in a word this they did by taking his Revenew and