this discouerie In the briefe touching of which points I hope to finde your patience a little more propitious than the time 6 As much as the dignity of a King transcends the Subiect is the obligation of the Subiect to his King neyther is the duety lesse we owe to the safety of our Soueraigne than the safeguard wee challenge in his protection as the center next vnder God from which we deriue our honours and to which we owe our seruices Of this duety Chushai Dauids trusty seruant was not ignorant neyther was his knowledge better tutoured than his industry The same hand of Kingly munificence which dispensed him his honours pointed him out the liâ—…es of his obliged loyaltie neither was hee more slacke to obey than Dauid to command Returne into the Citie quoth Dauid to Chushai and say vnto Absolon I will bee thy seruant O King as I haue beene thy fathers seruant so shalt thou defeate the counsell of Achitophel Almighty God who formerly heard Dauids prayer directed his aduice and Chushai's industrious loyalty In vndertaking of which designe wee shall finde Dauid blessed in so good a seruant as Chushai worthy of so good a Master whose carriage of so dangerous a businesse in so honest and discreet a fashion seemes to coppy out vnto vs all the offices of an honest politician In the first place we finde his obedience and resolution neither shrinking from the awfull lookes of danger or forfeyting his Masters trust The apprehension of an vnexpected friend or reconciled enemy might haue betrayed his errand to watchfull iealousie suspicion might haue called his very lookes to examination and guilty feare the childe of treason might haue deliuered him ouer as a spie to present execution Achitophels deep in sight in State affaires and Absolons confidence in his oraculous aduice might haue eyther sounded his disposition or dasht his counsell out of countenance and then should he find his best seruice rewarded with death or torture at least had his message met the best successe and ransomed his Master Dauid from so imminent a conspiracie yet according to the rules of worldly policy he could not yet suppose Absolons iealousie more dangerous than Dauids obligation Princes vnwillingly owe courtesies greater than themselues and commonly preferre a bank-rupt debtor before an ouer-deseruing creditor as if the very sight or remembrance of a beneficiall friend should seeme a perpetuall exprobation of ingratitude A smaller disparagement it seems among worldly Tyrants to want Iustice than Power rather to bee thought willing to offend than not to be thought able to requite These obiections vrged to Chushai's likely coniecture and politicke obseruation might easily haue checkt his forwardnesse in Dauids seruice and strangled his resolution in the very birth But he out of a cleare and couragious spirit neither feares an enemy nor suspects a friend nor seekes his dutie abroad in other mens forecasts which he might finde at home in his owne bosome In the second place we may obserue his trusty loue to his Master Dauid occasion might here seeme to smile on his aduancement and Absolons growing fortunes as the rising Sunne might haue tempted his ambition Dauid seemes ready to depart and Absolon to enter the Scene of life and soueraignty and who in policie would not rather chuse to haue his fortunes to liue in Absolon than dye in Dauid To haue betrayed the fathers trust might haue ingaged the sons affection and to raise himselfe a fortune out of his Masters ruine though the greatest breach in the lawes of loyalty had seemed one of the chiefest Maximes in the art of Policie But hee as a faithfull subiect respects not what he might but what he ought not so much what occasion might seeme to offer as what religion might be knowne to iustifie as one who would rather owe his misfortunes to his trusty seruice than his preferment to dishonest treachery Thirdly we may note his secrecie and discretion in managing so dangerous and great a proiect He inuaded not the young Princes eares with a sudden and vnexpected on-set or like an intruding Polipragmon shewed himselfe more officious than wise to out-runne the goale and let slip before occasion He expected not preuented his opportunity and suffered Absolon to aske before hee thought it conuenient to giue his counsell that Absolon might seeme more indebted to Chushai's wisedome than Chushai to Absolons approbation Neither in his aduice did Chushai shew himselfe factious or vnmannerly hee seemed onely to dislike Achitophels direction in this one designe not without a silent acknowledgement of his former wisedome The counsell saith he which Achitophel hath giuen at this time is not good The aduantage of Achitophels reputation amongst those that had tryed his policy of the peoples preiudice of such as should contradict taught Chushai's discretion to disapproue rather the counsell than the counseller and mitigate his dissent with some colour of former approbation This designe inspired by God himselfe directed by Dauid and practised by Chushai seemes to giue warrant to this obseruation That there is as well a good as an euill policie as well an honest and discreet conueyance of our actions grounded on religion as an indirect proceeding ingaged to vnwarranted and vnlawfull actions Hee that would haue vs to be innocent as Doues hath taught vs also to be wise as Serpents and he that dispenseth vs the means to atchieue our ends permits vs also the proper and best direction But how precisely to diuide betwixt an honest prouidence and vnlawfull policie neither on the one side to violate Gods precepts nor on the other to neglect our own right seems a matter as curious to determine as necessary to vnderstand To be Gods seruant and the Times at once seemes incomparable espâ—…cially in such a disorderly mixture of humane actions in which as Bodin would counsell vs it behooues a wise man to shew himselfe as various as the season We cannot command but obey occasion The meanes and opportunities whereof Statesmen take aduantage in defeating of their opposites are rather found than chosen and the manner and direction of our proiects rather prescribed vs by chance than skill as such whose causalitie depends not on our will but obseruation Neuerthelesse between the iniquitie of our times and the strictnesse of a good conscience a space is leâ—…t wide enough to giue a passage for a religious wise discretion and by how much the plots of men and changes of State seeme more dangerous to Gods children by so much is their care and prouidence in declining the snares of the wicked the better warranted For God condemnes in vs as well the neglect of our care as his prouidence as onâ—… whose wisedome workes seldome without but with and in our industrie 7 The second instrumentall cause which shewes it selfe in the priuation of Achitophels counsell was found in Absolons inclination Achitophels proiects hauing long since past the first conception are now come vnto the very birth but Absolons
between Christian and worldly policie The one counsailes vs to make vp the breach of our sinnes by a sincere repentance the other to enlarge it with greater villany Binde not two sinner together for in one thou shalt not scape vnpunished saith the wisest of Kings But these Politicians holding themselues wiser than the wisest hold repentance base and perseuerance in sinne generous Nobler they suppose it to aduenture forward with danger than retire backe with shame as though they meant to shew themselues industriously resolute to sell their part in heauen and purchase their owne damnation But these we must leaue a while to their owne resolutions perhaps we shall find them againe with Achitophel hanging on the gallowes whose second and last counsaile offers it selfe in the next place to our examination 8 Hitherto hath Achitophels care bin to strengthen the faction both to secure himselfe and vnite the hearts of Israel more firmely to Absolon their leader His second Direction concernes the speeding of the execution Let me now choose out quoth Achitophel twelue thousand men and I will arise and pursue after Dauid this night and I will come vpon him while he is wearie and weake-handed and make him affraid and all the people which are with him shall flie and I will smite the King onely and I will bring back all the people vnto thee The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned So all the people shall be in peace In which politicke aduice of Achitophels three remarkeable circumstances offer themselues to our obseruation which by reason of the scantling of time and your wronged patience I shall be constrained rather to touch than handle In the first place his desire was to haue as well as his Head in the conspiracie so his Hand in the execution perhaps because hee hated Dauid hee was ambitious to shew himselfe the executioner of his owne reuenge and Dauids ruine perhaps out of vaine-glorie that he might seeme as able to act as wise to proiect a mischiefe perhaps out of an officious flattery to engage Absolons thankfulnesse by a doâ—…ble seruice But that which seemes to mee most probable was his extreame iealousie not daring to trust so young an experience with a matter of so great moment Absolons youth seemed perchance too shallow to entertaine the depth of his directions his bloud too neare to out-face the frowns of a fathers anger or the awe of filiall duety could not be supposed a fit actor in Dauids Tragedie The hardest Iron at the first touch of the Load stone is restored to its first temper and conceiues a Magneticke inclination And why might not Dauids fiery assault or gracious countenance in his rebellious sonne Absolon enforce nature to return vnto herselfe and kindle in him the sparkes of filiall duty and obedience Here may a man reade the state and condition of wicked poâ—…icie exposed to a thousand dangers and subiect to a thousand iâ—…alousies Well may such men as Damocles at Dionysius Table feed their hopes with the choisest dainties yet Gods fearfull iudgements as a sword pendulous ouer their heads is alwaies ready to threaten a destruction 'T is not then a good but an euill conscience which makes men cowards Onely hee who wants guilt wants feare and nothing but a cleare conscience can challenge true mother-hood in a couragious resolution The second point we obserue in Achitophels counsaile was a stratagem of Diuersion His quarrell was not against the people but Dauid his purpose to preserue the Kingdome but destroy the King and therefore thought it not so meete to hew out his passage to Dauids ouerthrowe through the bloud of the subiects as by the Kings forfeit to purchase them to Absolons obedience His first care was to strike at the roote it selfe well knowing the branches would fall of their owne accord and the peoples alleageance once dead in Dauid would soone quicken againe in Absolon The strength of Israel is shut vp in the Princes palace and the same power which conquers the one is soone master of the other This counsaile seemes to partake as well of good as bad with the death of one to redeem the life of many in the rigorous lawes of hostility seemes not a duety but a great courtesie But to sell a King to buy a kingdome and stake one Prince for many subiects is lesse than courtesie and more than cruelty Neither was this course affected by Achitophel to spare the liues of innocents or auoide a greater mischiefe but that he found it an easier way to conquer Dauid and reduce the people vnder the yoake of Absolons iurisdiction The good which politicians vse to pretend commonly swels in shew but shrinkes in substance as the Ocean they would seeme to flow in their kindnesses and embrace vs with twining armes as the waues the continent but seeking to lay hold on them we find them commonly to ebbe into nothing and snatch backe their owne with some aduantage If they chance to be authors of any good it serues only to flatter opinion and deceiue simplicity not that they loue good but that they may be the better armed to worke mischiefe To commit euill for a good end seemes to beare a better pretence before men than excuse before God but to suffer or act some good for an euill end is the height of mans wickednesse and the Diuels institution The third and last circumstance in this Achitophels counsaile was by a suddaine and vnexpected assault to take the best aduantage of his owne strength and Dauids weaknesse I will saith he suddenly fall on Dauid while he is wearie and weake-handed and the people shall flie To ioyne with mens misfortunes and adde to misery serues rather basenesse of the man than confidence of the cause and to second Gods afflictions with our owne reuenge is a marke of Gods instrument but the Diuels seruant The apprehension of an apt opportunity is of it selfe I confesse a matter indifferent as well to good as wicked policie Yet hasty and vnexpected actions commonly carry with them a greater suspicion of guilt than discretion as that which seekes to preuent a tryall and feares discouery Time the father of truth would questionlesse haue betrayed Absolons cause to common examination and reduced the discontented Commons to their first temper Dauid might haue giuen satisfaction allegeance haue reuiued in his subiects hearts Necessity which perhaps begat the effects of ill gouernment might haue vrged the causes and reason which at the first seemed to fawne on their discontent might afterwards be taught to correct her errors and suppresse their insolence All this Achitophel knew right wel and therfore chose rather to take aduantage of the peoples sudden passion than their maturer iudgements as one who had good cause to shunne a legall â—…ury where he could promise himselfe no other than losse in the fatall verdict Hitherto beloued haue we traced the foote-steps of our grand traytour Achitophel through all his politicke counsailes and
as critically directed to some especiall end or other in the State But admit his sinnefull proiects had laine open to discouerie yet sauouring of a reaching wit or seasoned with discretion they might seeme rather amongst vulgar iudgments the fruits of politicke preuention than humane weaknes Our intellectuall gifts we commonly value aboue our Morall vertues and therefore hold it a smaller disparagement to be taxed of d◅shonesty than indiscretion As if wee rather coueted an inheritance here amongst the children of this world than to haue our names enrolled with the children of light Thus far Achitophel had carried his matters in such fashion as might speak his wisedome though not his honesty Had Absolon through his aduice aduanced himself to the Throne of Israel his notorious treason had passed for profound policy neither could the world euer tearme that act treason which is of a King or for a Kings promotion Had Achitophels proiect falne below expectation as he did afterward it was Absolons weaknesse to reiect aduice not Achitophels to suggest the best counsell But shift the Scene and let the selfe same Theater which euen now found him plotting Absolons aduancement contriuing the meanes and manner of his owne death and you would imagine him all this while but to haue personated a wise man and now in the end to resume his proper habit like a certain beast of Scythia recorded by Pliny in his naturall history whom he reports to be able to change himself into all variety of shapes colours yet returning to his owne forme expresses the resemblance of an Asse A good embleme of a wicked politician who sitting as it were at the sterne of state holding the helme in his hands must of necessity vary himself a thousand wayes to obey all winds second all tides But Nature which is the worst dissembler of guilty actions will one time or other betray it selfe to discouery or atleast plain-dealing Death wil strip him naked lay him open vnto shame leaue him as a fool to mens cōtempt Gods vengeance Shame reproach the most vnwelcom guests to Achitophel in his life are here inuited as friends to bear him to his sepulchre the kind maner of death most odious to God man is thought the safest and sweetest in his foolish choice Among so many waies wherby euery man may make himself a passage to death he must needs chuse the worst to dye as a dogge on a tree and make himself guilty aswel of his shamefull death as the ignominious motiue Death is the cōmon destinie of mankind to feare or wish for death is the mark of a coward shame of a man To end our course of life in a warm bed is natures tribute and the crown of siluer haires to cancell cares in the field by the hand of an enemy is the chance of war the honour of a souldier To die by the sentence of iustice stroke of the executioner is a satisfaction of the law expiation of the guilt But to die out of cowardise despair to die by the enforced violence of our own hands to die as a theefe on a tree not expiating the guilt of sin by giuing satisfaction to the law or affording nature any right in expectation which is more than all the rest to quit the vexations of this world to incurre greater in the next to treade with vnresolued feet that vnknown path of death whose cōmon entrance shuts vp in as doubtfull an end as celestiall ioyes infernall torments what settled iudgement will not brand with the odious blot of extreamest folly in sight and comparison of which the greatest vanitie in the world should lose her name seeme discretion Here may we see the weaknes of humane wisedom tutored by temptation directed by the cōmon enemy of mankind as the strength of Sampson ouer mastred by the wiles of Dalilah which cōmonly affords the owner no greater courtesie than confusion their names and memorie no other Trophee than a liuing shame or a lying sepulchre Which by occasion directs our enquiry to the third last action preordained as it seemes by himselfe in his life but executed by his friends after death his pompous buriall Hee was buried in the Sepulchre of his Fathers 9 Whether this last action of Achitophel bee rather to bee ascribed to Achitophel himselfe as prescribed by his last Will Testament or to his children as their last duty obligation to their dead Parent we will make no long dispute It seemes an act of both wherin either partie may share an interest as commanded by the one executed by the other From each obseruation may be copied out vnto vs some vseful doctrine for instruction In Achitophels prouidence in seeking to preserue his name memorie in so fleight a Trophee as a stone or statue we may reade the shallow reach of many politicians of our age ambitiously setting vp their garnished sepulchres in Churches high places as idols of admiration to bee worshipt by ignorant spectators which notwithstanding in a iudicious censure liue only for a time to vpbraid their folly and fall after a time into the dust ashes as the rotten bones they shrowd vp in obliuion Enuious time which hath eaten out the workemanship of so many famous Architects left not so much as stones or ruines for antiquitie to boast or posterity to admire by the mouth of History his best Secretary might hane discouered the weaknesse of such considence as grounds it self on such vncertainties Babel the greatest ambition of humane industry vndertaken as it were by the ioynt handicraft of mankinde neither by disparitie of religions or difference of languages as yet diuided into factions wherein as Philo Iudaeus notes and holy Scriptures not obscurely intimate the chiefest men of ranke and estimation in engrauen stones sought to preserue their memory what other legacie in her fal hath shee bequeathed to our obseruation than the want of discouery the whetstone of diligent Antiquaries tortures of the most curious inquisition How much better is the content of a quiet conscience grounded on the assurance of Gods promises for future happines than such painted sepulchers which present in a maner nothing to posterity but their own ruines and their founders weaknesse Neuerthelesse from this officious care of Achitophels children toward their deceased Father may Christians bee taught the reuerend respect they owe to the ashes of their dead ancestors The raising vp of monumentall statues to the memory of others ought we rather to interpret the duety of Posterity than the ambition of our deceased parents yet in such wise that they ought rather to humble vs with the thought of mortality than puffe vs vp with glory of our Parents Nobility Neither can such monuments besids shame infamie if erected to wicked men expresse any other than the common Epithaph of mankinde That he liued and died The greatest Tyrant in the world can command no more the poorest beggar can challenge to himselfe no lesse Hitherto Beloued hath my discourse seconded by your fauourable attention followed Achitophel through the by-paths and indirect passages of his life actions from the beginning of his conspiracy with Absolon to his shamefull death and pompous sepulchre whose story deseruing a more able discouery than my poore discription out of all these circumstances will minister this one true and vndoubted Corrolary That honesty is the best policie When worldly policy commonly hides her selfe in darknes and Proteus like transformes her selfe into a thousand shapes to auoide discouery this one only dares boldly aduenture in the light and iustifie all her actions this one couets no other likenesse than her owne as not ashamed to present her face to view and censure Finally this alone is sufficient to preserue a competent estate in this life and after death aduance vs to Christs glorious Kingdome where we shall raigne with him for euer amongst the Saints in heauen To which Kingdome c. Deo Triuni laus in aeternum FINIS Part◅ ◅ Part Part 3.
silkes and for ought I know in the chiefest place of learning and religion can shrowd her selfe in scarlet There was a false Lucifer among the Angels a wicked Saul among the Prophets a trayterous Iudas among the Apostles and an easie inquiry might heretofore haue discouered a scycophanticke Shaw among the Doctors Satis esse vidâ—…sse reuertor If adulation should bee now found to soiourne in our Cloysters I could wish by Chushai shee should be taught her best office which is the common good and the Princes preseruation so should wee neuer feare that censure which Tacitus giues of the Romane Senators liuing vnder Tyberius That they ambitiously stood vp in Senate and stroue to out-vie one the ther in seruile basenesse much lesse should we deserue to bee laught at with those Thebans who as we reade in Iustine fawning too much on Philips greatnesse bought their new protection with the losse of their ancient libertie But I haue too long intangled my selfe in this discourse of Flatterie wherein I feare I haue neither obserued the time nor flattered your patience I must now briefly descend to the instrument of the discouerie which in the next place presents it selfe to examination 8 Almighty God in bringing to passe matters of the greatest moment rather makes than findes the fittest instruments as one who would rather haue the subiect indebted to his choyce than his choyce to our estimation Hee to whom it was as easie to create as suborne a creature could as well giue as take occasion and for his sacred purpose as soone fortifie the weakest as single out the strongest Achitophels politicke aduice suggested to Absolon defeated by Chushai communicated to Zadocke and Abiathar the priests is at length by Dauids seruants discouered by a Woman a silly Maide whose vnexperienced youth vnable sexe and meaner estate could expresse no other character than weakenesse is notwithstanding design'd out by God as the choysest instrument of securing the state of Israel and a Kings deliuerie The rarest workemanship is commended as much by the worst as the best instruments and it is Gods frequent practice to speake with the Apostle to make knowne the riches of his glorie on the vessels of his mercie Our Sauiour Christ to whom all the Kings and Emperours of the earth owed obseruance whose least alliance could haue royalized the basest familie was pleased notwithhanding as an inmate to make himselfe a passage into this world through Maries neglected wombe his cradle was no better than a cribbe and his first entertainment no higher than Iosephs fortunes Neither was his birth a better argument than his life and actions He might haue breathed in the ayre of some Princes court a kingly education or committed the tuition of his youth to the institution of the learned Doctors Rome was then in her pride and set the foote of her magnificence on the necke of the proudest nations Athens the mother of the Grecian wisedome had long ere this triumphed in her fruitfull and glorious off-spring And the Scribes and Doctors at Ierusalem sitting in Moses chaire could haue challenged a right beyond the Delphicke Oracle and yet we find neither his knowledge fathered by the most famous teachers nor his manners indebted to the seuerest institution The shop of a Mechanitian seemed his first Academie the Publicans and sinners his familiar hosts and friends and the poore fishermen returning from their broken nets admitted into the number of his choice Disciples By which wee Christians may be taught not to repose so much confidence in the strength of our mighty and great confederates as to neglect the industry and good will of our weakest and meane associates Virgils silly Gnat could awaken the sluggish shepheard from his improuident slumber to decline the approching Serpent and the impotent Pismire hath bin taught to rouze vp the sleeping Lion to make an escape from the hunters snares Thus wee finde the chaine of God Almighties prouidence linkt together by so many dependant causes began in Gods counsell seconded by Dauids prayer continued in Chushai's loyaltie and Absolons weaknesse shut vp at length in the action of a silly Maide which as an introduction might leade our discourse a Scene further to the last Catastrophe and Achitophels bloudy Tragedie to which hauing so much at this time trespassed on your patience I shall God willing engage my next exercise HEe must needes runne whom desperation leades and the Deuill driues That old Serpent that first set mischiefe a worke scornes as much to retire as delights to perseuere and neither slackes or stops his pace till he finde the place of execution How far his wicked industrie hath gone hand in hand with Achitophels treacherous designes your present memory may witnesse in my former exercise and your attention The defeate of his pernicious counsell with the causes presenting themselues to the horrour of a guilty conscience seconded as well with outward disgrace as inward discontent turnes his owne weapon against himselfe and makes his policie the most exquisite instrument of his owne destruction This great Politician whom as the Oracle of God the people of Israel had neuer suspected of inconstancie or accused of indiscretion whose wise seruice had instructed Absolon in all his parts and so iudiciously as it were chalkt out vnto him the way to soueraigntie might seeme to deserue more in the eyes of Absolon than misprision What lesse reward can our best industrie expect or gratitude expresse than acknowledgement or approbation What greater euidence of present abilitie can our vnderstandings minister or our hopes promise than the stampe and seale of our former actions Had Chushai euer shewed himselfe so wise or Achitophel so weake that Chushai in the scale should ouerpoize Achitophel Shall the fancie of a shallow Courtier conquer the wit and experience of so great a States-man and the smooth tongue of flattery ouer-reach the deepe grounds of a settled iudgement What then remaines for Achitophel than by his sudden flight to expresse his noble indignation and foreshew Absolons ruine in his owne He will hang himselfe first to teach Absolon the way to the same end and to out-strip him in the last act rather politickly preuent than basely feare the shamefull stroke of execution And Achitophel saw that his counsell was not followed c. 2. The Scene whereon we now enter containes the last actions of Achitophel whose Catastrophe shuts vp all in his shamefull end and honourable buriall The actions preceding his death are expressed in these foure circumstances 1. That he sadled his asse 2. That he went home 3. That he put his house in order 4. That he hanged himselfe In the first we may obserue his Tyrannie in imposing on his silly Asse the burthen of his transgression In the second his Treacherie in leauing his Master in his greatest extremity In the third his worldly Prouidence in preferring the preseruation of his temporall estate before the preseruation of his owne soule In the fourth his desperate
nor lustice seeme to entreate any other hands than his owne in his stately execution Behold here the last resolution of this matchlesse politician proposed afterwards as it seemes as a patterne to many high spirits amongst the Heathen whose iudgements infatuated with false principles misconster the badge of cowardise for the most honourable seale of courage as if it were a point of valour to shake hands with death faintly giue themselues ouer to his mercy with whom as an enemy they ought to combate True honour neuer feares to stare death in the face but seldome courts it as a friend often as a corriuall it struggles with it for victory but neuer giues vp the hilts or cryes quarter till ouer-mastred by a greater and disproportioned strength he finds them wrested from his hands So great an impression not with standing got this wicked opinion of selfe-killing amongst the ancient Romanes that a speedy dispatch of our selues in case of extremity seemed to challenge as much honour as with a Christian it deserueth shame as we find it not recorded only but in a maner recómended by that turn-coat Lipfius out of the principles of his Stoicall Philosophy whose broken rudiments he had as it seems better conned than Christianity But how far out of our voluntary disposition we ought to entertain the stroke of death is not easie to determine without distinction A concurrence of our wils we may interpret two waies either for a Passiâ—…e obedience indebted rather to constraint than choice wherin Nature submits her selfe to Iustice or necessity or an Actiue violence deriued for the most part from fear or rashnesse wherin reason suffers her self to be led captiue by boistrous frensie arming the strength of vnwilling Nature against her own bosome life her sweet companion The former concurrence of our assent or at least submission to such extremities we find warranted not only by permission but cómand so far forth as the Iustice of the cause conspiring with a regulated conscience imports necessity Those blessed Martyrs of the Church whose glorious wounds scars shine as so many orient pearles in their white robes of sanctity haue markt seald them out to posterity as examples of the highest imitation Those valiant champions in defence of their Country Religion exposed to the merciless iaws of death or the bloudie phangs of vncertain hazzards in a Christian warfare what age so enuious which will not crown with present honour register to future admiration Yea wicked malefactors themselues in whom Iustice often preuents Nature in an vntimely execution may seem to cancell some part of their former guilt in giuing by their submissiue patience the strictnes of the Law a iust satisfaction And therfore without question the sweetnes of life ought not to share so great a moyty in our affections as to shut out our obedience when either Religion stands at stake or our Country craues our assistance or Iustice challengeth her prerogatiue The other exposure of mens liues to certain death where necessity on either hand threatens apparant ruine without repriuall I could charitably interpret as of Sampsons designe in razing the house to his own the Philistins destruction or of Lucans and Seneca's aduice in making choice of their owne death by cutting their owne veines but that Gods Almighty prouidence in our greatest designes shewes it selfe most pregnant beyond mans expectation commands rather our patience than preuention But for such vntimely and vnnaturall designes where in the hands are made instrumentall executioners to the heart as prickt on with the horrour of a guilty conscience and distrust of Gods fauours neither Christianitie gaue euer president nor Stoicall Philosophy among all her strict axiomes a warranted precept as an action odious both to God man which begins with sin ends with shame Which leads our discourse from the immediate cause of his death to wit his despaire to the maner qualitie of it his shameful end 8 Shame is the sworne seruant vnto sinne an odious but officious hagge whom life could neuer entertaine without sorrow or death easily shake off till memory forfeit her records to time and time to obliuion T is the misery of guilt with constraint to cherish in her bosome the childe she hates and bequeath such a fatall issue to posteritie whose browes shall carry the true stampe and character of her owne deformitie And how great a soueraigntie soeuer sin might seeme to challenge in the spheare of humane nature which our first Parents by their disobedience forfeited to her iurisdiction yet shall in the end finde himselfe conquered in that sinne liuing for the most part in darkenesse shuts vp all her malice with death while her vntoward babe shall suruiue to vpbraid her actions in the light and arraigne her after death at the barre of Iustice. Had Achitophel been as prouident to preuent an ill report after death as ambitions to preserue reputation during life he had measured his actions by a betterend or at least in the euent directed his worst ends to a better purpose than lose at the last cast which he was so long a winning or haue stained the fame of his former actions with so base an execution His eminent gifts of Wisedome howsoeuer sorded and wicked in themselues as directed rather to his own priuate ends than Gods glorie or the honour of the Common-wealth might not with standing out of a foreconceiued opinion of his worth haue found in the common voyce a fauourable construction Old vices commonly find welcome vnder new names and nothing so witty as Sinne to inuent new Epithets to shut out shame and entertaine plausibilitie Luxuris and leacherie the bane of nature may passe currant vnder the title of Good-fellowship Ignorant pride and supercilious contempt may call themselues retyred grauitie or stout 〈◊〉 Grâ—…ping Couetousnesse and base Vsury may finde entertainement vnder the shew of thrifty husbandry 〈◊〉 and Oppression shall be stiled seuere Iustice and strict Government At least from each of these common conniuence would make a shift to extract somewhat which might sauour of ingenuitie to couer guilt from the strict inquisition of truth and stoppe the harsh mouth of censure wherein at least it should shew it selfe no lesse ingenious than Aristotle in his Ethickes who in painting out to the life his I doll 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is obserued to haue stolne the chiefest markes of many notorious vices to character one imaginary vertue No worse but rather better fauor might Achitophels life seeme to haue deserued especially amongst the common rout of his inferiours who valuing the worth of their superiours imagine them as eminent in wisedome as they transcend in greatnesse as if they conceiued them fashioned in another mould and wrought to another nature that the least slips or scapes which in ordinarie men wee can interprete no other than the effects of infirmitie should in them bee thought to proceede from premeditated counsell and mature deliberation