circumspection care counsell and continuall vigilancy they are preserved in peace and prosper in plenty and whether we did not enjoy all blessings which Subjects could hope for under His Majesties reign before this Parliament set themselves to pull him downe I leave all English men that are not prepossessed with prejudice to Monarchy and partiality to a side to judge what a condition we have been since in too sad experience can testifie Oh then my deare Countrey-men let no Theudas herein deceive you or any Iudas of Galile who in the dayes of the Tribute drew away much people as a Acts 5.37 Gamaliel speaks delude you for hee perished and all that obeyed him and as our Saviour said of them so I may say of this Nation in this matter except ye repent of this sinne you shall all likewise perish b Aug. in lib. iâ— Rom proposit 7 2 Augustine saith If any one thinke Imposts Tribute and Honour ought not to bee paid to the King hee falls into a great errour c B Aretii Com. in 13 Rom. v 7. Aretius saith We owe them by right if we doe not pay them we offend against the rule of Iustice Nay to pay them is necessary for all as the same Aretius there unlesse they would be deprived of their Fortunes Wealth and Wellfare Therefore pay it truely and doe it heartily as to the Lord and not unto men not grudgingly as if compelled by necessity but cheerefully and voluntarily in humble testimony of your hearty fidelity love and loyalty But to them that challenge immunity from the performance of these publique Debts of Tributary duties to their Liege Lords and Kings I may say as Dioclesian to the Philosopher Thy Profession differs from thy Petition thy Profession teaches thee to give Caesar his due and not to robbe him of his right Bishop Latimer calls such Theeves that rob the King of his due debt Subsidies Tribute or Taxes Rather imitate that d Ambros con ra Auxâ—◠〈◊〉 quaest 1. Can si tribistum Ambrose the famous Bishop of Millan who teacheth thee a better Lesson If the Emperour demand Tribute wee doe not deny it the fields of our Church shall pay Tribute If the Emperor demand the fields hee hath power to challenge them let him take them I neither give them nor deny them in no case arguing obedience in ordinary or extraordinary exactions agreeing fully with Luther e Luth. in Matt 22.21 If thy substance body or life should be taken from thee by the Magistrate thou maist say thus I doe willingly yeeld them unto you and acknowledge you for ruler over mee I will obey you but whether you use your Power and Authoritie well or ill see you to that For Kings must one day give account of all their workes to the King of Kings and if they have abused their Power by Tyranny Cruelty or any bad Government an hard judgement f Wisd 6.5.8 shall such have that beare such Rule for then abides the sorer Triall as the Sonne of Wisedome speaks The power is from God the abuse of it from themselves and they will finde it when God and it calls them to reckon The Chain of gold is not made the worse because an Harlot weares it about her neck it is g Luth. in Mat 2â— 21 Luthers comparison in this case so still Kings must be obeyed for Conscience sake if not commanding contrarie to Gods Commandements Let us with these follow the steppes of faithfull Fabricius of whose fidelity Pyrrhus boldly speakes Difficilius Fabricius a legalitate quà m sol a suo cursu verti possit Let the Sunne first turne from her Course than we from the course of Loyall Obedience and Allegiance alwayes remembring that Christian saying of that martyr h Ignarepiâ—â—â— 2. d Magnâ—sianos a Ignatius No man ever lived unpunished which lifted up himselfe against his betters superiours his Princes disobedience brings Infamy disgrace death yea hatred after death that the sorrowfull Sonne may say of his treacherous Sire i Gen. 3â— 30 Yee have troubled me and made me stinke among the Inhabitants of the Land as Iacob said of Simeon and Levi And whether we of this Kingdome have not too just cause to say of those two Brothers in iniquity the factious Party of the Lords and Commons sitting in Parliament you have made us by your proceedings stinke in the Nostrills of all neighbour Nations and rendred us the scorne and contempt of the whole World I leave it to the experience of Travellers To conclude lâ—t us alwayes from the bottome of our hearts 1 Prayer pray so the Kings safety Corporally for his salvation Spiritually and preservation Politically Let us obey him because he is the Lords Anointed 2 Obedience appointed by God to be his Vicegerent representing the person on earth of the King of Kings in heaven 3 Honour Let us honour him not with lips only but with hearts truely because he is the Father of our Countrey the constant Defender of the Faith and so worthy of double Honour 4 Service Let us bee ready to performe at his Command our best Service being his native and naturall Subjects born and bound by Allegiance to all Christian duties of Subjection Let us be willing to pay Tribute 5 Tribute a publike Purse must helpe the publike Peace Multorum manibus grande levatur onus Yea let us pay him his duty Tribute to him for we owe him Tribute Custome to him for we owe him Custome Feare Honour Obedience Service and all other loyall services and performances of Duties belonging to good Subjects in their severall degrees and places humbly to tender them and render them unto our Gracious and high Soveraigne Lord the King whose Sword Crowne Scepter Throne and Person justly requires all these duties the Sword exacts obedience Crown commands honour Scepter service Throne tribute and Person prayer alwayes powring forth to God this Prayer and Petition God save King CHARLES Let us be in Pace Lepores but in Praelio Leones in Peace like Hares timerous to offâ—nd his Majesty in any way of disobedience but like Lions when opportunity shall be offered fight for his freedome and re-establishment in his Throne and Power against all the enemies thereof with unwearied courage undaunted magnanimity joyning with our fighting hands our fervent prayers like faithfull Israelites against all rebelling Amalekites continually let us pray with David Psalme 20.9 Domine salvum fac Regem Lord save the King send him an happy Deliverance out of all his troubles visit him with much comfort now after the time that thou hast afflicted him and the yeares wherein he hath suffered such great adversity Lord keep him as the Apple of thine owne eye and hide him under the shadow of thy wings oh turne not thy face away from thine Anointed but let him be refreshed with the joy of thy Countenance Make his dayes as the dayes of heaven before thee and grant
Question that judgement bee executed upon them and then either behead or hang them or banish them or plunder them or at least imprison them oh unparâ—lleld disputants This is most certainly true witnesse the case of Corew Lilborne Jâ—nkins Mainard yea which ought to make a deepe Impression in all good mens hearts of the Kings Majesty himselfe whom they unjustly keep a Prisoner because he will not contrary to his Conscience and Honour say as they say and enact that for Law which contrary to Law they Vote and accuse him of his Fathers Murther and other crimes of a high nature and yet not admit him to answer for himselfe or permit others to write in his Vindication So that th se things considered heare oh heavens and judge oh eartâ— have not all the people of great Britan just cause to joyne as their loyall obedience bindes them to their necessary service both in hearts and voices to Almighty God the protector of Kings to a Psal 2â— 8 9. finde out all his enemies and make them like a fiery Oven in the time of his anger to confound all their Conspiraciâ—s making them like the grasse b Psal 119.6 on the house tops which withereth before it come forth And when more seasonable than upon this day for this is the day of our King c. CHAP. III. BVt besides these Reasons I shall here produce other causes and motives to induce all good Subjects to this Christian service and loyall duty to pray continually for the preservation of the King which because many and manifold I will but touch some of them and omit the reâ—â— for we must be short â—â—â—im 2.2 The first is the Apostle Paules Precept ante omnia before al that Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giving of thanks bee made for Kings c. and renders a powerfull motive to perswade all consiâ—ting of three benefits d Pâ—sâ— in â—â—â—um arising from it 1. a quiet and peaceable life 2. in all godlinesse and honesty 3. this is good and acceptable in the sight of God The Kings preservation is our preservation his welfare is the weal of our Common-wealth Pliny saith e Plin. 2 Panâ—g ad Praâ—◠〈◊〉 A Countrey is unhappy under an unhappy King so that if people desire to live a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty let them like dutifull members pray for the prosperity of the supreame head for if he fall upon the rocks they are like to come to ruine As a Ship whose Pilot perisheth is driven upon the rocks and so is cast away even so how can the ship of State saile with a prosperous winde whose Regall Pilot suffers shipwracke Regall adversity is the Harbenger of popular calamity and a Kings imprisonment of his peoples perpetuall slavery Wherefore if Subjects desire to bee happy themselves let them continually pray for the happinesse of their Soveraign whose prosperity is the Axis or Cardo the very foundation of their temporall felicity 2 Motive is the great difficulty in the right managing of the Regall Office and therefore had need to be assisted with the frequent and fervent prayers of the people imploring divine wisedome to direct the heart of their Soveraigne for it is the Art of Arts rightly to rule and governe Common-wealths this many-headed multitude so divided in faction and action scarce two of one minde or mould Peace pleaseth Cato Warre Pompey the Souldier cryes Arma virumque Cano War war that makes us merrie the Merchant prays give peace in our time oh Lord Brutus desires a Common-wealth Caesar a Monarchy Cicero's Counsel is Let us be Time-servers but Lentulus thinks that the voice of a flatterer in the f popular sort as many heads as hearts and let every one doe what seemes good in his owne eyes wee will not have Charles King in our Israel So that to reconcile and to reclaime to unity and unanimity this Babell of men and these men of Babell it is requisite that the King be for the people to God-ward Exod. 18.19 bring their causes unto God teach them Ordinances and Lawes shew them the way wherein they must walke V. 20. and the worke that they must doe and then provide out of all the people able men V. 2â— such as feare God men of truth who may judge the people in every small matter though every great matter be brought to him V. 22. so that each starre moving in its proper Orbe about the Sun who by this influence of his power unto others is not thereby accounted falne from his Sphere himselfe no more than to be conceited to bee placed therein at first by their appointment though such preposterous opinions have beene vented of late to the distraction of this poore Kingdome and without a timely retraction will produce its utter ruine and destruction which God of his mercy prevent I say that so each one in the Kingdome acting in his owne place the Commons under the Iudges or Peeres the Peeres or Iudges under the King and the King under God alone then shall the King be able to judge and rule this people wish ease and comfortably and all this people shall also goe to their place in peace â— â—od â—8 23 Now 't is the God of Heaven onely that can qualifie Kings with wisedome and knowledge fit for an imployment of such difficulty and he alone it is that will and must appoint the person whom he will thus qualifie For the Israel of God must accept of acknowledge and obey him for their King wh m the Lord their God shall chose not then whom themselves shall elect Deut. 17 15. Vnto God then it is the duty of all good subjects to pray alwayes with all manner of prayer and Supplication in the Spirit that God would enlarge with heavenly wisedome the heart of our Soveraigne and the Kings a Prov. 21.2 heart is in the hand of the Lord and furnish him with all blessed gifts sutable to performe his Royall Task making him as wise as b 2 Chr. 1.21 Solomon as religious as c Psal 27.4 Davia as zealous as the good King d 2 Kin. 2â— 1â— Iosias and in respect of his present condition as patient as Iob defending him against all forraine Invasions delivering him from all domestick Conspiracies and giving him Liberty from his present Captivity that so being by the power of our God restored to his Throne and Dignity full of the knowledge and experience of the great goodnesse of God towards him and endued with the wisedome which is ahout the Throne of the King of Kings with an understanding heart may judge this great people and awe and order this stiffe-necked and Rebellious nation then shall all this people also go to their owne place in peace and sit under their owne Vines and Fig-trees being for the future godly and governed quietly under him saying this is the day of our King this is a day of good
tidings wee should not doe well should wee hold our peace the very stones in the streets will reprove us and the timber out of the wall upbraid our silence by their acclamations exciting our dull affections to shoute for joy and pray God save King Charles CHAP. IV. ANd truly there are five things to name no more which all good subjects owe unto their Soveraigne â—â—is Prayer 2 Obedience 3. Honour 4. Service 5. Tribute And if any Subject deny any one of these the King may take him by the throat and say a Matth. 18.28 Solve quod debes Pay that thou owest 1. First is Prayer to pray for the Kings preservation on earth and salvation in Heaven The heathen Chaldeans may learn Christians this lesson who cryed to their King b Dan. 3.9 Nebuchadrezar O King live for ever As King c 1 Kin. 8.34.36 Solomon prayed for his people so ought his people to pray for him s ying of their Lord the King as King David speakes of the Lord of Israel Blessed d Psal 106.48 be the Lord God of Jsrael for ever and ever and let all the people say Amen saying to the King as Amasa and his company said to David e 1 Chron. 12.18 Thine are we O David and with thee O son of Ishai peace peace be unto thee and peace be unto thy helpers and the Lord thy God in his good time be thy helper That tongue that will not pray for his Majesties present liberty from prison and honourable re-establishment in his lawfull Throne and Kingdome and for the future Peace Prosperity and preservation of so vertuous a Prince and their anointed Soveraigne is such a tongue as the Apostle Iames f Iam. 3.6 speakes of fire and a world of wickednesse and is set on fire of hell for saith Austin the just man never ceases to pray unlesse he cease to be just much lesse should he cease to poure forth fervent and faithfull supplications for the King that under him wee may lead a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty Such ungodly and undutifull subjects as will not unloose the strings of their tongues to pray for the safety and felicity of the King we wish that they were like the men at the river Ganges who it wee credit the report of Strabe have no tongues g Mâ—â—â—â— 2â— better is it to enter into the kingdome of Heaven losing a member then having such an ungodly member to be cast into hell fiâ—â— But herein many times the tongue is mâ—re officiâ—us then the heart with tongue they cry Hosanna h but in heart like Iewes wish crucifige with a verbâ—â— service many abound crying and â—ringing vivat Rex but withall store it hoc Parliamentum and that will never make a good prayer A King had need call to his subjects as God to his servants i 〈◊〉 2â— â—â— give me thy heart the world is full of faire tongues but false hearts none but the great searcher of the heart hath a window in the heart to see who honour with lippes and their hearts farre from him So that Kings had need examine their subjects as k 〈◊〉 2â— â—5 Christ did Peter thrice dost thou love me The world hath bred so many protestors of the Romish and so many professors of the Sectaries doctrine of devillish equivocation and Parliamentiz'd creatures profound in the art of dissâ—mulation that many men are like Godâ— in Sands in dubio pelagi terâ—â—ve doubtfull whether to belong to sea or land tempoâ—â—â—ers or neuters like the l Râ—â— 3.15 Church of Laodicea neither hot â—â—r cold either Prince or Pope Parliament or Levellers please them Monarchy Aristocracy Democracy yea Anâ—â—chy all alike to them As for Religion Protestanisme â—opâ—ry Put iâ—aâ—â—sme Anabaptisme Turkisme Heathenisme Atheisme oâ— whâ—tever the grand Councell shall countenaâ—ce is equally received by them These like the Camelâ—on assume any shape fashionable to the time to whom yet I doubt not but God will one day say Because ye are luke-warm professâ—â—s neither hot nor cold I will spue ye out of my moâ—th Rev 3.16 Such as these study Machiavell more then the Gospel m Mâ—â—◠〈…〉 c. 3. â—ashion themselves to the favourâ—ble fortune of the time and thinke themselves happy as n Maâ—◠〈…〉 he counts those Princes happy whose counsels are successively correspondent to the condition of the times The prayers of such temporizers whose tongues may flame but their hearts are as cold as a stone are abhominable in the sight of God Esto religiosu in Deum quiâ—â—ir ilâ—um Imperatoriâ—sse propitium saith Tertullian n Tâ—â—t Aâ—oc c. 34. The Lord is far off the wicked but hee neareth the prayers of the righteous saith o 〈◊〉 v. 15. â—â— Salâ—mâ—n God will not beâ—â—e the prayers of these Church-neaâ—ers yea Chuâ—â—h-haters nâ— more then the idolatrâ—â—us Iâ—wes p Ezech. 8.18 Thâ—ugh they cry in any eares with a loud voice yet will not I heare them And therefore that we may performe our first bounden duty unto the King acceptable to the King of Kings in making hearty and humble prayers for the freedome restauration protection and preservatiâ—n of his Majesty let all the people in his Realm from â—igh to low from great to small doe this comfortable and Christian service fervently feelingly and â—aithfully unto the Lord night and day crying and craving God save the King The Lord hath commanded this duty to pray not onâ—â—r good Kings but even for bad Kings When Paul gave that Apostolicall counsell 1 Timothy 2.1 2. to pray for for Kings Caligula Claudius or Nero most bloody Pagan Emperours then raigned q Baruc. 1. â—â—â— Ier. 29.7 So Abraham prayed for K. Abâ—mâ—lech Gen. 20.27 So â—â—ob Hâ—ssâ—d Kinâ— Pharoah Gen. 47.10 Pray for the life of Nebuchadnezar King of Babylon and for the life of Balthasar his sonne that their dayes might bee on earth as the dayes of heaven So the Lord commanded the Iewes to pray for the peace of the City of Babylon where Nebuchadnezar raigned If then the Lord charg and command to pray for such Governours as were Pagans Persecutors Idolaters Infidels how devoutely and deeply are all loyall subjects â—ound to pray and to praise God for the blessed government of Zealous and Christian Kings Especially how more ought we to pray for so religious and gracious a King and to beseech God with prostrate soules to visit and set him at liberty now after the time he hath afflicted him and permitted his restraint and comfort him with joy and gladnesse for the yeares wherein hee hath suffered adversity and for the future to defend him and his from all the treacherous traines and rebellious plots whether of forraine foes or home hatcht parricides whether corner creeping Iesuits of the Romish party or house-preaching Iudasses of Schismaticall faction To deliver from and strengthen him against whom let us we doe implore the hand of heaven to Sentinell ovâ—â— him
wherein his glory hath not habitation and they say we must praise a King as we honour God and herein such plenty of praise is offered that Inopem me copia fecit Xenophon might see that in our vertuous King Charles which he wished in his King Cyrus O fortunates Anglos bona si sua norint Oh happy had we been had we been but sensible of and thankfull for our happinesse and nothing can restore happinesse to us but his being restored to his former Honour and Glory that hee and his for the future may shine in their pristine lustre And lot all faithfull Subjects pray long may CHARLES the glorious Candle of this our Israel last who as upon this day was proclaimed with infinite joy received with peaceable entry enthroned with glorious investure But converted or confounded be all those his Subjects that refuse to pray for him obey him and honour him as well in deeds as words hearts as tongues saying and praying God save the King CHAP. VII THe fourth duty of Subjects to be duly rendred and tendered to their anointed Soveraignes is Loyall and faithfull service thinking themselves as Tiberius said of his people Homines ad sorvitutem nati Men borne to doe them service All true Subjects are bound by the Lawes of God and men to be faithfull servants to their Soveraignes and if they neglect or reject this duty I may say to them as a 1 Sam. 26.15 16. Daâ—id did to Abner Ye be worthy to die because ye have not kept your Master the Lords Anointed because you have not been faithfull Servants to your Anointed Soveraignes If any b Est 2.21.22 Bigchan or Teresh seek to lay hands on our gracious Sovâ—raigne with faithfull Mordecai and Ester speedily prevent it by revealing it if any King of c 2 Kin. 6.12 Aram takes counsell with his Servants against the King of Israel with faithfull Elisha reveale it to your Caesar even the words he speakes in his Privy Chamber nay not only reveale it but revenge it Jn reos Majestates publicos Hostes omnis homo miles est saith d Ter. Apo. c. 2. Tertullian against traytors and publike enemies every man is a Souldier yea in this kind and sence we may and must with e 1 Kin. 22.11 Zedekiah make hornes of iron to push these treacherous Aramites untill wee have consumed them give couragious resistance to treacherous violence untill they have received deserved doome by Iustice And for the performance of this Loyall service to their appointed Soveraignes no conditions of men under the Sun can plead immunity neither Popes Priests nor people yea a Parliament much lesse a part of a part of a Parliament cannot pretend to this Priviledge how ever that Claw-backe Sycophant the Author of the Vindicia contraâ—â—ty cannot by those his specious pretences but most false and Rebellion-countenancing principles would seem to insinuate such a priviledge their propriety like a right Machievell preparing the people by those gilded Pills to swallow those poysonous principles of treason and rebellion according to w his Masters have and if God prevent them not intend to act No no say hee and others what they will none upon what pretences soever can plead an exemption from performance of this duty Lords or Commons Popes or Cardinalls Preists or People their freedome from faithfull service to the King hath no warrant except from the Prince of the Aire to whom they may be justly said to dedicate their Scepter and service who deny their service to the King and therefore to him I leave such to receive their deserved wages But the servants of the King of Kings know they owe their service and allegiance to his Vicegerents Kings on earth and that this loyall service of the members unto the royall and Princely Head ought to be dutifull faithfull and perpetuall that is the happy service which comes from an hearty obedience for many things may seem so in apparence which are not so in essence 't is the practise and very prayers of the wicked to cry thus Hor. 1. Epist. 16. Da mihi fallere da justum sanctumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem If they seem trusty in shew though treasonable in heart they care not like bad servants not in singlenesse of heart but with service to the eye as men-pleasers obey they their regall Masters This Age is full of such treacherous hearts as deceitefull f 2 Sam. 3.27 as Ioab to Amasa who tooke him aside to speak with him peaceably and smote him under the fift rib that he dyed or like g Macchab 16. Dalilah to Sampson with faire words and weeping to betray him to the Philistines No treason but in trust The faigned voice of Fowlers catch the Partridges and Plovers The Mother of Error puts on her maske to be taken for the daughter of Time truth The Wolfe in sheeps cloathing scarce known from the sheepheards dogge h Iudges 16.18 Ptolomie the sonne of Abusus under a faire vizzard of love and kindnesse feasting Simeon and his two sonnes kills them in his banquetting house a Mâ—â— h. 2 8. Herod when he would play the Wolfe he counterfeited a a Foxe a Maâ— h. 2 8. Goe and search diligently for the Babe and when yee have found him bring mee word that I may worship him his meaning was to worry him So b Maâ— 26 4â— Iudas comes with his Ave Rabbi Haile Master betraying him with a kisse So many a perfidious Traitor will cry Ave Caesar God save the King but it is with such an affection as Autoninus Caracalla said of his brother Geta Sit divus modo non vivus Let him be a Saint or a King in heaven so he bee not a King on earth Many such Iudases and Caracallaes there are in these dayes two Houses cannot scarce containe them yet there they sit and having first put out Sampsons eyes blinded the peoples understanding with glorious termes as We your Majesties faithfull Servants and Loyall Subjects and will make you the most glorious King in Christendome make the misery of both King and people their sport and past time Hee that foure yeare agoe should have said they had intended to set forth such a Declaration as their last is had runne the hazard of a Prison if he had scap'd the Halter as a false accuser and foule abuser of the Simeon and Levi of these dayes those two holy Brethren the Loyall Lords and Commons dissembling at Westminster Doe you not remember what was urged unto his Majesty at the beginning of this Parliament as an Argument to induce him to passe the Bill against the Bishops that their sawcy as they tearm'd it inference No Bishops no King and pray most Loyall Subjects as you are what is it come to now Oh my deare Countrey-men will you still be guld by such grosse and palpable Dissemblers Parasites and Equivocaters Beware I beseech you in time of those
that particular we cannot but inferre that all that you want of evidence against him lyeth against your selves and doth convince you to have committed as high an offence against the duty of Subjects as against the candour of Christians But secondly in case it could be proved and so fully so demonstratively proved as is requisite to overcome that larg portion of Charity which is due unto a King above all other sorts of men and to him for ought wee know above all other Kings much the more for the sad condition wherein you keep him proved so clearly as to bee victorious over so many and so disswasive improbabilities that present themselves in array against it we should indeed even then admit it with great reluctancy as a truth that it might bee thought a kind of impiety to understand wee should then when we must needs looke upon it as a sad and great affliction unto our Nation and as a great cause of humiliation not of triumph or insulting unto us That God should suffer our King to fall into such a depth of impiety for the sins of the Magistrate as of the Minister are usually the iudgements of a people for their sins But yet neverthelesse we should hold it our duty even in that case to cry out with the holy Prophet Micha 7.9 We will beare the indignation of the Lord because wee ha e sinned against him c. And to set our selves to the duties of Fasting and Prayers and Fears for the lamentation and expiation of so horrid an iniquity from his Maiesty and the Kingdome But we could not be perswaded that it were a Christian course for us to make his iniquity the countenance or excuse of ours or admit it as a supersedeas or discharge of the bond of our allegeance though it should render it indeed much discomfortable unto us for as a child owes his filiall honour and obedience not to a good father but to a father be he good or bad as servants owe subjection with all feare not to a good master but to a master be he good or froward 1 Pet 2.18 if that be scriptu e with them and wives subjection nâ—t to a believing husband but to a husband he be a beleever or an unbeleever 1 Pet 3.1 compared with 1 Cor 7 13. So subjects owe their allegiance not to a good King but to a King And though wee deny not but Potentates may forfeit their Crownes by their impieties yet the holy Word of God leades us to beleeve that none is thereby enabled to take that forfeiture but God Saul forfâ—ited his Crown by his Sacrilegious intrusion into the Office and Function of the Priesthood 1 Sam. 13.8 c. and doubled that forfeiture by his disobedience unto the command of God concerning Agag and the spoyle 1 Sam. 15.9 c. And God both times proceeds to sentence against him but yet none must take the forfeiture nor put the sentence in execution till God himselfe was pleased to do it And therefore notwithstanding all that David durst not lift up his hand against him 1 Sam. 24 26. David himselfe afterwards though an holy man yet was so far left unto himselfe for a time by God that hee fell into two horrid and unworthy sinnes base in the eyes of men as well as hainous in the sight of God First committing adultery with Bathsheba at such a time when her husband whom hee so vilely wronged therein was imployed in the hazarding of his life to doe his service and then to cover that treacherously contriving and procuring his murther and yet this was no good plea to justifie Absalom or the sonne of Bichrâ— in their rebellions no nor yet Shimei in his foule-mouthed railing against him for it But all of them in their times were overtaken with their rewards and David yet ended his dayes in peace being reconciled to God by his repentance Nero was as it were a Devil incarnate so bad that his wickednesse added glory to the persecutions of those that suffered by him And Tertullian useth it as an argument to prove Christianity to be good because Nero opposed it He made it his sport to see his owne Imperiall City set on fire before his face and when he had done caused it most falsly and wickedly to be laid upon the Christians And embrued his hands in the blood of his own Mother and yet it is observed this very Nero was then Emperour and Governour of the Romanes at that very time when Saint Paul wrote unto them to be subject unto the higher powers and tels them withall that whoever resists shall receive to himselfe damnation Let not any think that in this we plead for the wickednes of Kings but for their impunity from men for the preservation of Government the good of the people Nor would we wish any to imagine that we think these patterns of wickednesse have any such paralells in his sacred Majestyes story if it may be truly set downe as some would perswade but only to shew the unforciblenesse of such kind of deductions as our dayes have produced and if it may be to prevent the like hereafter And to satisfie all men who will be satisfied that for all your conclusions that you draw so hard for that you have even broken your Geeres we are yet to seek for a sound reason why the King should be secluded from his Government or from the addresse of a Parliament unto him but only upon your bare averrements Si satis est accusasse quis tandem innocens God himselfe should not be innocnt if to be accused were to be convicted we hold it therefore most unjust and unreasonable for us to admit any of those aspersions which you have laid upon his Majesty into our beleife or to make any results at all upon them in the least degree prejudiciall to his Majesty in our opinions untill we shall see as well what his Majesty can answer as what you have objected against him for since it is a justice not to bee denied to the meanest of Subjects nay to the greatest slaves that they have liberty to speake for themselves before iudgement be given upon their accusation we must tell you that we hold it a thing against all equity and right for you to take the freedome to say what you please against his Maiesty and in the mean time to keepe him in that restraint that hee can neither know what you have objected nor hath liberty to make his answer thereunto All which and much more that might be said proves substantially that the resisting not a good King but a King be he good or bad though by the Ordinance of them who call themselves a Parliament is a resisting the Ordinance of God that the imprisoning of King under what specious pretences soever couched is unlawfull and the deposing him and disposing his kingdome without him damnable according to the law of God what they are according to the law of this land