THE MARTYRDOME OF KING CHARLES Or his conformity with Christ in his sufferings In a Sermon on 1 Cor. 2.8 Preached at Bredah before his MAIESTY of Great Britaine and the Princesse of Orange By the Bishop of Downe June 3. 13. 1649. PSAL. 2.2 The rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his anointed JOHN 15.20 The Servant is not greater than the Lord if they have persecuted mee they will also persecute you TERTVLLIAN Christiani nunquam sunt inventi Cassiani HAGE Printed by Samuel Broun English Bookeseller Dwelling in the Achter-om at the Signe of the English Printing house Anno M.DC.XLIX 1. Corin. 2.8 Which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they knowne it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory TO cleere the passage unto my text I must first shew unto you the coherence of these words with that which goeth before and if you will be pleased to look back you will find that the Apostle in this Chapter doth highly magnifie his ministry by shewing the exellency of his doctrine both for matter and for manner First for manner for his preaching stood not in excellencie of speech ver 1. not in the entizing words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of spirit and of power ver 4. Againe the matter of his doctrine is wisedome which above all things is to be desired as may appeare by Salomon his choise and Gods approbation of it And it is not the wisedome of men but of God ver 5. not the wisdome of this world ver 6. but the wisdome that is from heaven as farre above the wisdome of men as heaven is above earth God above men This wisdome is not knowne by nature for it is a mistery ver 7. We speak the wisdome of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome It is hid from the wise and men of understanding hid from the princes of this world as he sayes ver 8. Which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory So that the text containes a charge against the Princes of this world wherein consider first the persons accused the Princes of this world then the charge that is brought against them which hath two parts 1. They are charged with ignorance of the wisdome of God Which none of the Princes of this world knew 2. They are charged with a heinous and horrible murther They crucified the Lord of Glory And which will make up our third point their ignorance of the wisdome of God led them to committing of that horrible murther For had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory But they did crucifie him and therefore they knew it not Now I must be briefe in expounding of my text because an other taske will take up my time The persons accused are called Princes and Princes of this world They are called Princes because they did excell others in power rule and dignitie as namely Pilat who condemned Christ Herod who consented to the sentence Annas and Caiphas the high Priests who did prosecute him and with them the Scribes Pharisees and Elders of the Jewes who in Scripture are often called Princes of the people Princes of the tribes Princes of the congregation Princes of Israel Princes of Judah because being chiefe heads of their families they were above others in dignity and power and it is familiar in Scripture to call them Princes who are in any great authority But they are not simply called Princes but princes of this world because they were wicked Princes they are called Princes of this world as the devill is called the God of this world 2 Cor 4.4 The God of this world hath blinded the mindes of them which believe not And he is called the Prince of this world often by our Saviour in St. Johns ghospell Ioh. 12.31.14.30.16.11 The Prince of this world is cast out the Prince of this world is Judged the Prince of this world is come And all evill spirits are called Princes of the darknesse of this world Ephes 6.12 Wicked men are called men of the world who have their portion in this life Psalm 17.14 And the children of this world in opposition to the children of God Luk. 16.8 The children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light And the friends of the world Jam. 4.4 Whosoever will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God They are friends of the world because they love the world and the things of the world where as those whom God hath chosen out of the world those whom he hath translated from the power of darkenesse unto the kingdome of his deare Sonne have their hearts weaned from this world their affections are set on things that are above They are not of the world 1 Ioh. 4.4.5 1 Ioh. 5.19 Ioh. 15.8 but of God Thus you see that the world for the most part is taken in an evill sense the world lieth in wickednesse saith St. John the world hateth mee saith our Saviour and againe Ioh. 17.9 Gal. 1.4 I pray not for the world But especially when it is called this world in opposition to that world that is to come Then are wee to understand a wicked world as the Apostle tearmes it this present evill world Now the Apostle here speaketh of the Princes of this world amongst whom we must not reckon Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea they were Princes of the people as well as the rest of the elders and they were not ignorant of the wisdome of God nor consenting to the death of Christ but they are not to be accounted Princes of this world and the Apostle here speakes onely of the Princes of this world and of them all he sayes that they were ignorant of this wisdome which none of the Princes of this world knew This is the first part of their charge they are charged with ignorance of heavenly wisdome or if you will ignorance of that glory prepared for us the relative which may be referred unto both In the verse before he saith We speak the wisdome of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory then followeth which none of the Princes of this world knew that is which wisdome of God none of the Princes of this world knew or which glory none of the Princes of this world knew And indeed they were ignorant of both as the Apostle proves in the words following and first ignorant of the glory prepared for us ver 9. Eye hath not seen nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him And as they were ignorant of that glory prepared for us the knowledge whereof is but a part of heavenly wisdome so were they altogether ignorant of that wisdome of God ver 11 12 14. For who
knoweth the things of a man save the spirit of man even so the things of God knoweth no man but the spirit of God Now we have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit that is of God that we might know the things that are given us of God But the naturall man receiveth not the things of Gods spirit they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are Spiritually discerned This wisdome is a mystery ver 7. and therefore it is not knowne by nature but by revelation from God When St. Peter had made that excellent confession of Jesus that he is Christ the Sonne of the Living God our Saviour said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Mat. 16.16.17 for flesh and bloud hath not revealed it unto thee but my Father So that all who are indued with this wisdome are Theodidactoi taught of God as our Saviour saith Joh. 6 44. No man can come unto me except the father draw him And this he proves out of the Prophets saying it is written they shall be all taught of God Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the father commeth unto me As if he had said no man can come unto me except the father teach him for all that are taught of God and onely they come unto me and therefore no man can come unto me except the father draw him that is move him effectually for indeed Gods teaching is an effectuall working he not onely opens the eyes of the understanding but also convinceth the heart of the truth of his Doctrine and inclines us to embrace this wisdome So that a man may be learned in all the wisdome of the Egyptians in all the philosophie of the Graecians he may be as wise as Achitophell whose counsell was esteemed as the oracle of God and yet be ignorant of this wisdome as our Saviour saith Math. 11.25 I thank thee O father because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes Yea a man may be well learned in the Scriptures and yet ignorant of this wisdome the Scribes and Pharisees were doctors of the law and yet even of them the Apostle sayes which none of the Princes of this world knew In the second place hee charges them with an heinous and horrible murther they crucified the Lord of Glory where every circumstance in the text doth aggravate the murther 1. The person murthered is the Lord of Glory 2. The death inflicted on him was crucifixion the most shamefull and accursed death in the World 3. The persons who did this were they his owne people who of all others should not have done it even they crucified the Lord of Glory The person murthered is the Lord of Glory our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ Hee is the Lord as we confesse in our Creede by reason of the dominion which he hath over all and particularly over his church He is the Lord by right of creation For all things were made by him and without him was not any thing made that was made Ioh. 1.3 By him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth visible and invisible c. Col. 1.16 Hee is the Lord by right of inheritance for he is the heire of all things Heb. 1.2 Hee is the Lord by the right of donation for the father is brought in saying unto him I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession Plalm 2.8 So he saith Matth. 28.18 All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth Hee is the Lord by the right of redemption for he who redeemeth a captive becomes his Lord and Christ when we were captives hath redeemed us by giving himselfe a ransome for us wee were redeemed saith St. Peter not with silver or gold or corruptible things but with the precious bloud of Jesus as of a lambe undefiled Finally he is our Lord too by the right of conquest for after that hee had redeemed us by paying a ransome unto God for us Satan the Jailor would not let us goe but kept us fast bound in the fetters of sinne and therefore hee is falne to come with a mighty hand and outstretched arme and violently take us out of his gripes Hee is the stronger man mentioned in the gospell who hath overcome the strong man taken his armour from him Col. 2.15 and divided the spoyle He hath spoiled principalities and powers triumphing over them And as he is the Lord so the Lord of Glory that is a glorious Lord by an Hebraeisme He is called the King of Glory Plal. 24.7 Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up yee everlasting doores and the King of Glory shall come in And the God of Glory by St. Steven Act. 7.2 The God of Glory appeared to our father Abraham And here as also Iam. 2.1 He is called the Lord of Glory Glory properly signifies beauty praise honour and it is ordinarily used in scripture to expresse that Majesty and perfection of blisse which God injoyes from all eternity and which in some measure he communicates unto his blessed Angells and Saints in heaven Now well may our Saviour be called the Lord of Glory because he is the brightnesse of Gods Glory and the expresse image of his person Heb. 1.3 He did injoy Glory with the Father from all eternity as he sayes Ioh. 17.5 And now O father glorifie thou mee with thine owne selfe with the glory which I had with thee before the world was And againe he prayeth for his Disciples saying ver 24. Father I will that they whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory And as he injoyed glory with the father from all eternity so after a short ecclipse of that glory here on earth and after he had overcome the sharpenesse of death he was received up into glory 1 Tim. 3.16 He is crowned with glory and honour Heb. 2.9 And he tells us that at the last day he shall come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory Mat. 24.30.25.31 Then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory Finally he is called the Lord of glory because he is the author of glory unto others for saith the Apostle when Christ who is our life shall appeare then shall ye also appeare with him in glory Coloss 3.4 He gives unto his servants eternall life which in scripture is called glory a Kingdome of glory a crowne of glory an eternall weight of glory This is the person who was murthered and therefore the murther was most hainous For if it be a greater sinne for a man to murther his father than to kill a stranger to murther the King than to kill a fellow subject to murther an innocent person then to kill a malefactor Then how heinous a murder was it to kill him who was more than all these even
our everlasting father the King of Kings and Lord of glory and withall a person so innocent that no guile was found in his mouth none could convince him of sinne Heb. 7.26 hee was holy harmelesse undefiled separate from sinners and made higher than the heavens And yet this was done they crucified the Lord of glory But here you may say unto me how could the Lord of Glory be crucified seeing he is God and God is impassible he cannot suffer For answer you shall understand that there is so straight an union and conjunction between the two natures of Christ in one person that that which is proper onely to the one nature is vouched not as some foolishly imagine of the other nature but it is vouched of the person being denominated from the other nature This kind of speech is by the fathers called koinonia idiomatôn a communication of properties And it is a plaine Synecdoche very usuall in speech whereby that which is proper onely to the part is praedicated of the whole We have divers instances of it in Scripture Acts. 3.15 Yee killed the prince of life Christ was killed onely as man and yet because the same man was also God he saies yee killed the prince of life Acts. 20.28 Feede the church of God which he hath purchased with his owne bloud Christ had bloud onely as he was man but because the same man was also God his bloud is called the bloud of God Iohn 3.13 No man hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from heaven the sonne of man which is in heaven Christ descended from heaven onely in respect of his divine nature and he was in heaven at that time when he was speaking unto Nicodemus here on the earth onely as he was God and yet because the same person was also man he saith the Sonne of man which is in heaven So here Christ was crucified onely as he was man and yet because the same man was also God the Apostle saies they crucified the Lord of glory And so I come unto the second circumstance the kind of death that he suffered it was crucifixion the most shamefull and ignominious death in the world The Apostle mentions scandolum crucis the offence of the crosse Galat. 5.11 and the shame of the crosse too Hebr. 12. ◠There is more shame in it than in any other death and therefore the Heathen tearmed the crosse arborem infoelicem and stipitem infamem a wretched infamous tree This death was so infamous that the Romans did not inflict it upon any but onely such as were esteemed base rogues and notorious malefactors And therefore we finde in the Ecclesiasticall History that albeit St. Paul suffered martyrdome at Rome as well as St. Peter yet they could not crucifie St. Paul he being a Romane had the priviledge of a gentleman and was beheaded but Peter being but a fisherman by his trade was esteemed a base fellow and so crucified as was his Master That which made this death more shamefull and ignominious was because all that were crucified were first scourged before they were crucified and that was peculiar to this death of the crosse Now for a man to be scourged is a foule disgrace a vile and servile punishment not to be offered unto any but unto bondslaves and therefore he in the comedy saies in great disdaine loris liber sum hee tooke it in great scorne the whippe should bee once named unto him who was free borne And yet our Saviour being to be crucified was first scourged And as this was a shamefull servile and ignominious death so was it a most execrable and cursed death for sayes the Apostle it is written cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree Gal. 3.13 It was not onely esteeemed so by men but it was so indeed being accursed by the mouth of God himselfe for it is said Deut. 21.23 Hee that is hanged is cursed of God And therefore Christ suffering this death the Apostle sayes that he was factus maledictum made a curse for us And as this death was an ignominious and accursed death so also a most painfull death First his flesh was torne with whippes They ploughed on his backe saith the Psalmist and made long furrowes on it Then his hands and his feet were bored with the nailes and the hands and feet of all other parts are most sensible by reason of the texture of all the sinewes there And being thus nailed unto the tree his whole body was stretched out on the crosse as on a rack till all his bones were out of joint as was foretold by the Psalmist This stretching was such that it made his very ribbes and bones breake through the flesh and the skinne which must needs be a paine out of measure painfull Therefore the heathen tearmed the crosse cruciabile lignum a tree of torture and most sharpe and bitter paines have their name from the crosse being called cruciatus Christ was no lesse than six houres in this torment even from the third houre untill the ninth and all that while in perfect sense for it is said he cryed with a loud voice and gave up the ghost He did not crie with the faint voice of a dying man but with a loud voice to shew that his 〈◊〉 strength was not one whit abated This death was devised for our Saviour not so much by Pilat and the Souldiers as by the Jewes for they cried out crucifie him crucifie him Ioh. 18.31 When Pilat said unto them take yee him and judge him according to your law they answered it is not lawfull for us to put any man to death And this came to passe saith the Evangelist that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which he spake signifying what death he should die Now what was that which he spake signifying what death he should die we find it Matth. 20.19 The sonne of man shall be betrayed unto the chiefe Priests and to the Scribes and they shall condemne him to death and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucifie him Thus they put off his triall from themselves unto the Romane Governour of purpose that he might suffer that Romane death At first they condemned him of blasphemie and then hee should have been stoned but that death seemed too mild for it would have dispatched him quickly Therefore they indite him a new of treason for speaking against Coesar that so he might suffer the death of a traitor even that ignominious accursed and painfull death of the crosse No lesse could satisfie their malice And who were they that did all this even his owne people they who were his brethren and kinsmen according to the flesh they crucified the Lard of glory they unto whom he came and for whom he came for he was sent unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel they amongst whom he had preached the word of life for it behooved the Gospell first to be
is in Job 12.7 Ask the beasts and they will tell thee and the fowles of the Heaven Matth. 27.54 Thomlinson and they will instruct thee what an unnaturall murder ye are now committing When our Saviour suffered the Centurion beholding his passion was convinced that he was the Sonne of God and feared greatly so one of the Centurions who guarded our Soveraigne beholding his most Christian pious and magnanimous carriage was convinced and is to this day stricken with great fear horrour and astonishment When they had crucified our Saviour John 19.23 they parted his garments amongst them and for his coat because being without seam it could not easily be devided they did cast lots even so having crucified our Soveraigne they have parted his garments amongst them his Houses and Furniture his Parks and Revenues his three Kingdoms and for Ireland because it will not easily be gained they have cast lots who should go thither to conquer it and so take it to themselves In all these things our Soveraigne was the lively Image of our Saviour NOw if your patience will goe along with me while I consider the third circumstance in the Text the quality of the murderers their you will finde the paralell to hold also Our Saviour was crucified by his own Nation They crucified the Lord of Glory They who were his brethren and kindsmen according to the flesh John 18.35 So Pilat told him Thine own Nation have delivered thee unto me More particularly the great Councell consulted against him hyred Judas to betray him sent Souldiers to apprehend him falsly accused and injustly condemned him The great Councell was their high court of Sanhedrim which was their standing Parliament In it were many members of divers Callings and Professions some Priests and chiefe Priests some Elders and those lay-Elders for as there was a Parliament against Christ so also a Presbytery some Scribes and Lawyers who were Chair-men for they sate in Moses Chaire They drew also into this conspiracy against Christ wicked Herodians whom otherwise those precise Jewes could not endure And were they not such who murthered our Soveraigne His own Nation his great Councell the Parliament the Presbytery some Priests but they are Jeroboams Priests of the basest of the people some Scribes and Lawyers And they drew into that combination too wicked Herodians that is dissembling Courtiers and profane Ruffians and as pure as they would seem to be yet were they content to endure all their God dammees to gain their assistances for to damn and condemn their Soveraigne As Christs Enemies were of divers professions so also of divers Sects and Religions some Pharisees some Saduces and those were very opposite one against the other yet both joyned together against Christ To crucifie him even Herod and Pilat were made friends Act. 4.27 For as the Apostles say against thine holy Sonne Jesus both Herod and Pontius Pilat with the Gentiles and people of Israel were gathered together So the enemies of our Soveraigne were of divers Sects and Religions some Papists some Presbyterians some Independents And though they be at oddes enough between themselves their heads are as farre asunder as Sampsons Foxes yet being linked by the tayles they banded against the Lord and against his anoynted The Papist may seem to have little hand in that murder yet they contributed very much unto it For they raised a most horrid and bloudy Rebellion in Ireland and most falsly pretended the Kings commission for it whereby they enraged his other Subjects against him they weakned his Forces there destroying many who would have assisted their Soveraigne and keeping others so busie that they could not come to his reliefe they promised him great ayd but when he depended upon it they utterly failed him The Presbyterians are deeply imbrued with his blood for they assaulted him both in England and Scotland deprived him of all power and means declared him unworthy to raign and so weakned him that it was an easie matter for the Independants who are drunk with his bloud for to kill him The Presbyterians framed both the Major and Minor Propositions and the Independants drew out the conclusion for thus the Presbyterians both preached and published a tyrant is to be opposed and destroyed but the King is a Tyrant Then comes the Independants and draw forth the conclusion which naturally follows from the premisses Ergo let him be destroyed Or to use their own distinction which they have so much abused the Presbyterians murderd the King in his politicall capacity the Independants in his naturall capacity Thus our Soveraign as well as our Saviour was crucified between two theeves but neither of them a good theefe These two factions as his Majesty well expresses it in his Book Are the twins which lately one wombe inclosed the younger striving to prevaile against the elder what the Presbyterians have hunted after the Jndependants seeke to catch for themselves And indeed they have taken the prey out of their mouths They who at first were but journey men unto the other have now set up for themselves Albeit these be the chiefe murderers there be many others who though as himself saith Their hands are not embrued in his bloud by acting and consenting to his death yet they are sprinkled with his bloud by deserting him Even all those who had power and means and did not use them for his defence Seneca For Non caret scrupulo occultae societatis qui manifesto discrimini non occurrit By the Law of nature and Nations all subjects are bound to defend their Kings Person Crown and dignity Our Saviour said unto Pilat If my Kingdom were of this world Joh. 18.36 then would my servants fight that J should not be delivered to the Iews Where he insinuates that the servants and subjects of an earthly King are bound to fight for his defence And therefore all those who did not aide him according to their power have incurr'd the curse of Meroz Judge 5.23 Curse ye Meroz said the Angell of the Lord curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty Besides these neutrals who because they were not for the King were against him there are many who fought for their soveragin who have yet by their sins fought against him their debauched carriage gave much advantage to his enemies provoked God to forsake their armies by their rapine and plunder they did alienate the hearts of the people from their Soveraigne and by their strifs and emulations they lost the Kingdom and that gracious King there was a strife amongst Christs followers which of them should be the greatest but the strife that was among the Kings followers for places and preferments was farre more hurtfull and pernicious Yea as all of us were in some sort Rom. 4.25 guilty of Christs bloud for our sinnes were the meritorious and procuring cause of his
death He was delivered to death for our offences So the sinnes of every one of us hath added force unto this great stroke and wound given unto these Kingdoms in his Majestâ—es death As the good King Josiah was taken away by a violent death for the sins of Iudah that God might the more freely powre out the fiercnesse of his wrath so was our Gracious Soveraigne taken away for the punishment of our sinnes that the iniquities of these sinfull nations being now finished and come to an height by an horrible rebellion and particide hee might powre out the violls of his wrath upon them there being now nothing to hinder the stroke of his vengeance when he is taken away yea made away by themselves who like Moses stood in the gap between the sinnes of his people and Gods judgements So that we may all of us take up that lamentation Lam. 5.16 which the Church made for the death of Iosiah The Crownt is fallen from our head woe unto us that we have sinned But howsoever our Saviour had many enemies yet his most violent adversaries were the Pharisees and if you will but observe how they are described unto us in the Gospell Ill all not need to make any application The Pharisees were the most strict and precise sect of the Jewes Matth. 6.16 the Puritans of that age they were men of a sad countenance and great austerity they did bow down their heads like a Bulrush when as their inward parts burnt altogether with deceipt they were outwardly though hypocritically holy Whited sepulchers beautifull without and within full of uncleanesse Great pretenders they were to religion and desired to be accounted more pure than others Matth. 23.27 the only saints upon earth and so did separate from the rest of the Church and from thence were they called Pharisees Matth. 6.5.7 Matth. 23.14.12.2 Luke 11.45.46 They pretended especially such of that sect as were Scribs great knowledge of the Scriptures and revelations of the Spirit they were much for preaching made long prayers and that openly to be seen of men used vaine repetitions Under colour of long prayers they devoured widdowes houses They were superstitiously zealous of keeping the Sabboth but great profaners of the temple they made Gods house a house of merchandise and Denne of theeves for which they were sharply reproved by our Saviour as they often quarelled him for breaking the Sabboth Whereas the fift commandement injoynes us to honour our Father not onely our naturall Father Mark 7.11 but also our civill father who is Parens Patriae they made this commandement void by their Corban that is a gift where by Gods cause or rather their own ends is advanced They did draw the people after them who were so much addicted unto them that they would not beleeve nor follow any without their allowance for that is the rule they gave to the people Ioh. 7.28 Have any of the Pharisees beleeved on him And indeed their faction was so popular that as Iâ—â—ephus testifieth they governed not onely Jerusalem but all Judea too They did bind heavy burdens upon other mens shoulders Matth. 23.4 Vers 6. Vers 23. which themselves did not bear and so they made the way to heaven straite to others and wide to themselves They were invited to feasts and loved to sit at the head of the Table They made conscience of smaller matters as of ceremonies but omitted the weightier matters of the law judgement and mercy Now would you not thinke that the soules of these Pharisees by a pythagorean transmigration were entred into our new reformers As the murtherers of our Soveraign resemble the crucifiers of our Saviour so we find them acting all the same parts And first Judas who sold his Master of all that conspired against Christ is most odious for he was his disciple a domestick servant one whom he trusted with his purse and yet he his familiar friend who did eat of his bread lift up the heele against him So our Soveraigne was sold at a greater price than our Saviour by those who had as neere a relation unto him as Iudas had unto Christ for they were his countrey men brought up with him his servants and familiar friends whom he trusted with his purse with his counsels and his person cherished in his bosome and inriched with many princely favours In many respects they were farre worse than Iudas for when Iudas sold his Master he thought he would not have suffered but have escaped by a miracle as he had sometimes done before This is the conjecture of the Fathers and may be probably gathered out of the Text for it is said Then Iudas when he saw that he was condemned Matth. 27.3 repeated himself so that before he thought it should not have come to that but that Christ would have escaped and he gone away with the money But the Judases who sold their Soveraign knew very well that he could not escape being delivered into the hands of his enemies Againe Judas saw not the horror of his sinn before hee had committed it if he had it is probable he would not have done it but these men saw and knew very well what horrible fact it was to deliver up their King as may appear by Lowdon his Speech therein he professed that it is against the law of Nations for them to deliver up a stranger who had put himselfe under their protection much more to deliver their King And yet all that was onely for forme sake that he might better beat the bargain and raise the price as did appeare by the event Besides they have acted many more parts than Judas did for they were the first that tooke armes against him ingaging all his Subjects by a solemn League and Covenant to distroy the Church and the King they devested him of all authority within that Kingdome Seazed his Castles and revenewes and by their example and Covenant incouraged their Brethren in England to doe the like and when his Majesty was like to have prevailed against his Rebels in England they notwithstanding that the King to secure them on his side had gratified them by granting them all their unreasonable and impious demands yet came in the second time with a great army to assist strangers against their naturall King And they have persecuted all the Kings party in that Kingdom imprisoning banishing forfeiting and barborously murthering even under colour of justice all that adhered unto him Alas poor Judas did none of these things but would have rescued his Master out of the councels hands if it had beene in his power and yet because he sold him for money he is odious and infamous unto all generations Oh then what shall these men be Finally Iudas repented was swallowed up of sorrow confessed his sinne made restitution for he gave back the money and made some satisfaction too for hee tooke revenge upon himselfe when he betook him to the halter But we
and death saying It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death Joh. 18.31 But that high court of justice as they term it which was erected for his Majesties triall had lesse power it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death much lesse their Soveraign for the great councell of the Jewes had some power being instituted by God himselfe it was proper for them to judge of blasphemy if they had judged aright though power of life and death was taken from them by the Roman conquerour but the court that condemned our Soveraign had no power at all neither is it any court as not being instituted by any who had authority they did honour themselves and so their honour is nothing The great councell that condemned Christ was rightly constituted of all its members and under no force so was not the councell that condemned our Soveraign for the better part of it the house of the Lords was wholly layed aside and the house of Commons often purged so that the tenth man legally elected was not present and those that were their under such a force that they must say and doe as their Caiphas would have them Ioh. 8.54 Christ was allowed to speake for himself and Pilat desired him to make answer unto those things they witnessed against him and marvelled greatly that he answered not But our Soveraign was not allowed to speak for himself he was condemned before he was heard Matth. 27.13.14 Bradshaw and Cook two foule mouthed Dogges interrupted him and told him plainly that the court would not allow him to speak nor hear his reasons for they knew well that they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spak So that their proceedings were more illegall than the proceedings of the Jewes And as their proceedings were more illegall so in many things more cruell too Ioh. 19.25 Christs followers were not barred from comming unto him for his mother stood by the crosse and other women of her kindred so did the beloved Disciple but our Soveraign was not allowed any of his servants or friends to attend him during the time of his tryall and long before he could not so much as obtain any of his Chaplains to Minister ghostly comfort unto him which as he sayed in his Book Was a greater rigour and barbarity then is ever used by Christians to the meanest Prisoners and greatest malefactors whom though the justice of the Law deprive of worldly comforts yet the mercy of religion allows them the benefit of their clergy as not aiming at once to destroy their bodies and to damne their soules These murtherers were more cruell for having deprived him of all things else they were even loth that he should save his soul and therefore as they denyed him the service of his Chaplains so the souldiers by their rude and barbarous carriage in his Chamber did as much as they could hinder his private addresses unto God A great company of people and of women Luc. 23.27 bewailed and lamented Christs death without any check or reproof but men could not expresse any sorrow for his Majesties death without the danger of their own life and when some silly women wept bitterly seeing his Majesties execution they were mocked threatned and some of them beaten The Jews did not much trouble the followers of Christ before his death Joh. 9.35.12.10 only the blind man whom he cured was excommunicated for confessing him and Lazarus was threatned but none of them suffered yea when they apprehended our Saviour they suffered his Disciples to depart as he himself desired saying If ye seeke me Ioh. 18.8 let these goe their way Yea and after Christ had suffered they would not have persecuted his followers if they could have been silent for at first the councell only admonished them Not to speak at all Act. 4.18 nor Preach in the name of Jesus But these murtherers most cruelly persecuted all his Majesties friends and followers putting many of them to death for their loyalty even in his life time which much grieved his righteous soul and they cut off others after his death for his precious bloud was not sufficient to quench their thirst as they thirsted after Royall bloud so also after Loyall bloud and herein they imitate the savage Tartars who when their great Chain dyes they cast many of his dearest friends into the grave after him When our Saviour was upon the Crosse he commended his Mother to the beloved Disciple and that was not envyed nor the disciple questioned for it but when our Soveraign on the Scaffold commended those who were neerest unto him Ioh. 19.26 and delivered such small Tokens as were left him unto one who was by to be given unto them as the pledges of his love Ioh. 19.38.39 that was envyed the party questioned and the Tokens taken from him Our Saviour was not denyed a buriall for two honorable counsellers took a care of his Funerall and the Jewes as malicious as they were did not oppose it onely they desired a watch to be set upon his Sepulcher But our Soveraign was denyed this honour though three honorable counsellers begged his body to have buryed it in the Sepulcher of his Fathers they could not obtain it but the murtherers carryed away his Corps to Windsor thinking there to hide it in a private corner where no man should know and those honorable counsellers following after with much adoe obtained to have the disposing of it in a more seemly place but without all Funerall solemnity which yet in a most sumptuous manner is bestowed upon a base rigicide Dorislaus that all the world may see they preferre a Barabas before the Lords annointed The Jewes could not indure to heare Christ magnified after they had crucified him and therefore they raged against the Gospell which containes the History of his life As much have these Jewes raged against his Majesties Book the issue of his divine soul and laboured by all meanes to suppresse it but they can no more obscure his glory that shineth in that book then they can obscure the sunne in the firmament Finally they are more malicious than the Jewes because they committed this parecide more directly against their knowledgd and conscience for the Jewes did not cleerly know that Jesus was the Christ they expecting a Messias to come with great pompe and worldly glory were offended at the basenesse of his birth and many of them seduced to beleeve that he was an impostor Therefore sayed our Saviour Luk. 23.34 Act. 3.17 Father forgive them for they know not what the do And Saint Peter Through ignorance ye did it And our Apostle If they had known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory But the murtherers of our Soveraign knew very well that he was their King their undoubted Soveraign and a most pious Prince and yet even for that cause and no other but because
he was their King they put him to death And this leads me to the last consideration or the ends and causes that moved them to murder both our Saviour and our Soveraigne which were the very same The cause pretended for crucifying of our Saviour was Salus populi the safety and liberty of the people which is the common pretence of all Rebels Caiphas said John 11.50 It is expedient that one man die meaning Jesus and that the whole Nation perish not The same was pretended for the murther of our Soveraigne Crumwell said Unlesse he die the whole Nation must perish But as that which was pretended to be for the good of the people proved the bane of the people bringing a fearfull destruction upon them so also will this because they killed their King therefore shall the Nation perish Those who promised liberty unto the people and stile themselves custodes libertates Angliae have brought them under greater slavery and bondage then the Jews are at this day Now that people who stood so much with their King upon their priviledges and the property of their goods have nothing which they can call their own The true cause that moved them to crucifie Christ was envy which Pilat observed Matth. 27.18 For he knew that for envy they had delivered him So the ground of all the proceedings against our Soveraign was envy and malice but if you will ask me the reason why they did so much maligne him none can be given but because he was their King for as the Jews said Whosoever maketh himselfe a King John 19.12 speaketh against Caesar So may I say whosoever is a King though made by God as he was speaketh against the Parliament for it is as inconsistant with the grounds of these mens religion to have a King as to have a Bishop that Text which they formerly mis-applied against Bishops The Kings of the Gentiles exercised dominion over them Matth. 20.25 but it shall not be so among you I say that Text now fits their turn bettter against Kings then it did against Bishops for indeed between Kings over Gentiles and Ministers of the Gospell there is no right opposition but between Kings over Gentiles and Kings over Christians there is a fit antithesis and so howsoever the Gentiles have Kings yet they being Christians will have no King over them And now tell me whether Kings will not rather desire to have their Subjects Pagans then such Christians as they are who are worse then the Rebels mentioned in the Gospell they said onely Nolumus hunc regnare but our Reformers are come to Nolumus ullum regnare super nos they will have no King at all They are the true seed of Korah for as Korah and his complices Twâ— hundred and fifty Princes of the assembly all of them Parliament men gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them ye take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy and the Lord is among them Numb 16.3 wherefore then lift you up your selves above the congregation of the Lord So these Rebels have risen up against the King and the Priest upon the very same grounds they are all holy and therefore need no Bishop to direct them and the Lord is among them and therefore they need no King to governe them An other reason that moved the Jews to crucifie our Saviour was a desire to retaine their places and dignities which they feared to loose if he should be acknowledged for the Messias This is expressed Joh. 11.48 If we let him alone all men will believe on him and the Romans will come and take away our place The same was the cause why they murthered our Soveraigne that they might keep those places and that power which they had got into their hands And they are farre more unrighteous then the Jews for the Jews sought onely to retain those places whereof they were lawfully possessed and which of right did belong unto them but these murderers were not content to enjoy what was their own but killed their King that they might keep those Places Revenues and power which they had sacrilegiously usurped and taken from him Like Achab they killed and took possession He first killed before he took possession 1 King 21.19 but these murderers first took possession and then to maintain their possession killed their King the right owner and barred all his heires from succeeding As the Husbandmen in the Parable said This is the heire come let in kill him Matth. 21.38 Luc. 20 14. and seaze upon his inheritance Or as St. Luke hath it that the inheritance may be ours So have they killed the true Heire and seek to destroy all his Heires that the inheritance which they seized on long before may be theirs for ever even all his Houses and rich Furniture his Parks Navy Revenues and all his Power and Authority and not only the Inheritance of the Crown but also the Patrimony of the Church Gods own Inheritance and the Inheritance also of every man else whom they at their pleasure can make a Delinquent But as is said in the Parable Vers 40 41. When the Lord of the Vineyard commeth he will miserably destroy those wicked men So we all know that he brought a fearfull destruction upon the Nation of the Jews and certainly he will bring the like upon those murderers who have followed their example and gone far beyond them in all manner of wicknesse Their damnation sleepeth not We know what hath been heretofore the end of Rebels What became of Korah Dathan and Abiram with their complices they did not die the common death of all men but the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up so that they went down quick into Hell Optatus calls unto the Donatists to remember their example saying Aspicite perditos magistros vestros And yet the Donatists never came so neer unto Korah and those Rebels as the desperate Traytors of whom I speak What became of Absolom and Achitophel Num. 17.31 32 of Shimei and Sheba of Adonijah and Joah of Zimri and Josabed of the two Eunuches who conspired against King Assuerus and of many more of whom we read both in sacred and prophane story Did they not all perish in the gainsaying of Korah So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but upon the Kings head let his Crown flourish Thus you see that as the Princes of the world crucified the Lord of glory so others worse then they have crucified our glorious Lord. I wish that my detection of that murder might finde such successe as St. Peters discovery had in the first Sermon that he preached Act. 2. When he had convinced them that Jesus whom they had crucified is Lord and Christ They were pricked in their hearts and said Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we do They repented and became very zealous to advance the Kingdom of Christ so let