Selected quad for the lemma: duty_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
duty_n	authority_n	king_n	power_n	1,558	5	4.8042	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86930	The magistrates charge, for the peoples safetie. Laid open in a sermon, preached before the right Honorable House of Peeres, in the Abbey Church at Westminster, at their late solemne monthly fast, May 26. 1647. / By William Hussey, Minister at Chesilhurst in Kent.	Hussey, William, minister of Chiselhurst.	1647 (1647)	Wing H3818; Thomason E389_7; ESTC R201521	33,273	53

Rom. 31.12 if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the deminishing of them be the riches of the Gentiles how much more shall their fulnesse But God hath given Christ all power both in Heaven and Earth already Mat. 28 18. even over all the Kingdomes of the earth even from the time of his resurrection Ephe 1. when he raised him from the dead and set him at his owne right hand in beavenly places far above all Principallity and power unto the end of 22 verse therefore doth God here command Kings to kisse the' Sun That is a note of subjectiō to the Son of God threaten them with the iron rod charge them with care not to offend his Son if Kings had nothing to doe in the Church of God they might plead against this charge wee knowe wee are thy Creatures and therefore wee are subject to thee as God and the son as the second Person in the Trinity but as thou hast set him upon the holy hill of Sion as he is the head of the Church so his iron rod is nothing else but the censure of the Church wee may give some respect to it as Christians but as Kings wee shall be bold to call them in question that use it if they be too bold with it Againe it may be wondred at why when the Kingdome of Christ was set up the Prophet did give no charge to the Bishops or Presbyters that he had not said be wise now O yee Bishops O ye Presbyters and Elders of the Church but Kings and Judges of the earth putting no difference betweene the Church and the earth certainely our Expositors did finde this want and therefore Brentius saith you see by these verses Vides autem ex hu v●rsiculu non tantum E●●scoperum sed etiam regum prin●ipum offierum offe us cogn●●e●nt ●e vera Doctrinita Ecclelia C●r●sts ●urent ut tantum privatimapp p●etatem sectentor sed etiam at populus Deumrecte colat Doway notes that it is not only the duty of Bishops but also of Kings and Princes that they know true Doctrine in the Church of Christ and have a care not only that they privately follow piety but that the people also worship God aright you see he bringeth in Bishops not by the Authority of this Text yet by the Text he is inforced to charge the care of the Doctrine of the Church upon Kings and Judges and the Doway notes on this Psalme say Christian Kings are instructed to know that it is the duty of Kings to defend the Church against Hereriques and after it is the property of Apostates to favour Heretiques to nourish dissention to overthrow the Church Note cherishing Heresie is to maintaine discention that is a plot upon the Church will overthrow the Church let the Common-wealth looke to her selfe it shall not wholly escape But I must but give you a tast of this point if I should enter into the polemicall part of it I should defraud you of the charge which is the substance of the Text I come therefore to the charge which is first to Kings be wise secondly to Juoges be learued And first of the charge to Kings is intelligite not sapite 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 now this intelligite is understand Principles that is such truthes that all men being proposed would consent to and imbrace if not by ased by lust but this may seeme too naturall and not any morall vertue nor properly the matter of an exhortation men doe not use to charge men to be tall or beautifull or yong but valiant and vertuous which have influence upon the will Butidor 〈…〉 .c 11. This the learned Moralists doe thus determine that to know and consent to such truth as men by nature can easily grant is no vertue but to know them so as to adheare to them without feare against all sophistications and temptations that can be brought to the contrary that is a vertue when by the actuall understanding of known truthes the minde of mā is caused to adhear firmly to indemonstrable principles such as no rationall man can deny in nature nor Christian in Christianity and thus much Pagnin doth affirme of the Originall word translated here intelligite firmely adheare to know Principles of justice and truth such a carriage as this in a King is enough for the duty of a King to enable him by the helpe of his Lords to redresle all former miscarriages so as the Lords be such as they should be Kings yee see are required to understand that cannot be ment of the naturall power to understand a man may know his Masters will and not doe it this maketh him the worse and his masters will never a whit the better done but it must be understood of the intellect which is a morall vertue firmely to adheare to knowne and agreed on truthes to love truth because truth and stand firme to that without respect of persons or to their owne honours thus you see the generall nature of that intellect here spoken of But as it is required of Kings and as it stands in this Argument be wise now therefore O yee Kings because that God hath set his King upon his holy Hill of Sion because he is of that power that he can dash all the Nations of the earth in peeces with a rod of iron when he is displeased with the therfore be wise which is no more but understand your owne condition in reference to Christ you must take your selves for his s●aves as bound with his cords which is the description of a slave to be whloly at the will and pleasure of another not in any such condition as if any thing of your owne will or liberty might concur in the things of God they must know that Christ is their Master and they must make it the end of all their Government to serve Christ of all their consultations to please him and doe that which may advance his Kingdome and not adde any thing of their owne to the service of Christ nor seeke their owne advancement by Religion but Christs and this doth planely appeare to be the sence of the words in this Argument For the Holy Ghost doth lay downe this in the premises that Kings and Nobles and People wereall in a rage they conceived that God and Christ did restraine them of their liberties take away the honour of the Kings power of the Nobles priviledge of the People in that they might not have the settlement of their Religion as they pleased for God and Christ but they would binde them up and restraine them from making Lawes against them here is a quarrell picked with God and Christ wherein God telleth them how they are like to speede if they looke not to it Christ is their King nay he is Gods King and their Master they are not his Subjects only but his servants Therefore seeing the power of Christ is so absolute over the Sons of

O yee Kings be learned yee that be Judges of the Earth serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce to him with reverence I Shall not trouble your Lordships with any further preamble then what wil make for the argument of the Text wherin I shall desire to sustaine the person and performe the duty of a Steward of the manifold graces of God declaring the minde of God not in the inticing words of mans wisedome but demonstration of the spirit in the word not like the Scribes but as one that hath received Authority from God whose wisdome can shine through the weakest instruments upon a beleeving heart This Psalme may be divided into 4 parts a Prophesie that Nations and Kingdomes shall set themselves against God and Christ in the three first verses 2. A consolation to the Saints against the fury of them that goe about to overthrow the Kingdome of Christ beginning at the fourth verse unto the words of my Text. 3. A charge given to the Kings and Judges of the earth how they should behave themselves in the words of my Text in the 11 verse and beginning of the 12. Lastly an Argument to perswade Kings and Judges of the earth to looke to the charge Divers Interpretersdoe uphold the literall sence of David and his Kingdome but so many great things are spoken of this Kingdome that is set upon the holy hill of Sion that they are inforced to acknowledge that the principall scope of the words are verified in the Kingdome of Christ whereof Davids Kingdome was a Type In the first part the Prophet setteth downe the enmity that Kings and Rulers beare against Christ their consultation is to shake off his Dominion Note earthly minded Rulers cannot easily beare the Dominion of Christ In the second part God will laugh them to scorne disappoint and frustrate their consultations breake them with a r●d of iron and dash them in pieces like a Petters vessell Note the vanity of their consultation and perill 〈◊〉 their persons In my Text yee have a remedy be wise now yee Kings be learned yee that be Judges of the Earth Note that wisedome of Kings and learning of Judges is the meanes to deliver a Kingdome from destruction In the last the inevitable danger that shall fall on them that use not this remedy if his wrath be kindled but a little they must needs be in a sad condition no way to escape but by trusting in him Note no power of man can withstand his displeasure The words may admit of a generall division into three parts circumstances persons charge 1. The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words that signifie with others and these are three The two first in this one word now The latter in these two words O yee The word now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth not only signifie the time but also an inference or reason Lorin nunc habe● uns illa●ro●● now is as much as to say seeing it is so as it is seeing there is such power in Christ as there is to dash you in pieces let this be a motive be wise therefore and doe not anger him this is plainely seen in that speech of God to Moses repeated by Stephen I have seene the affliction of my people Act. 7.34 and have heard their groning and am come downe to deliver them and now come and I will send thee that is therefore I will send thee at this time the Translators therefore have well translated it now therefore wherein are contained the circumstance of time and the reason The third circumstance is the exclamation O yee 2. The persons are Kings and Judges of the earth 3. The charge it selfe and that is first singly to Kings be wise 2. Singly to Judges be learned 3. Joyntly to them both serve the Lord in feare rejoyce to him with reverence I shall handle the persons and part of the charge distinctly and interweave the circumstances as they shall make for the sence of the words The persons are Kings Judges who are here charged with the reparation avoyding the danger that may fall upon them that consult against God and Christ In the beginning of the Psalme they that consult against Christ are a full Parliament exclusoclero nay many Parliaments many Nations because many Kings now no Nation can have any more then one King by the unity of whose person wiser times did provide against faction and division which I conceive to be the iron rod whereby Christ will destroy them that rise up against him they shall fall one upon another and dash themselves in peeces no peace so firme as that which commeth from the Gospel of peace The parts of a Parliament are here expresse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the People 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings but the charge of Reformation layd on Kings and Judges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Doctrine Doct. when Kings Rulers and People when Nations make Lawes against God and Christ the Reformation is layd upon Kings and Judges I shall first explane the words then prove the Doctrine and lastly make Application It may be doubtfull whether this be a figure called Hendiades where the same person or things are set downe under divers appellatives 1 Sam. 8. ●0 the same persons may be Kings and Judges the Israelits desire a K●ng to judge them and fight their battles though especially in hereditary Kingdomes Lawes have provided Judges to judge for them and in Parliaments Nobles to judge with them to provide for defects of minority and education that they may with the more honour and state enjoy the pleasure and undergoe the burthen of Government and in war they provide Generalls to eschew the hazard and danger of their persons yet the judgements of peace and leading in war doe belong to the duty of a King for the preservation of his Countrey and good of his Subjects and therefore Kings and Judges may possibly be the same persons 2. Kings and Judges may be severall persons of severall States such Judges as were before the Kings in Israel and these were all one in the office and duty of their place they were chiefe Governours both in peace and war differing from Kings in Pompe and State not in Power and Government 3. They might be severall persons of the same States for that seldome severall Kings and Nobles met together in one consultation but because many of these consultations might agree in this that they were against God and Christ Therefore it is said Kings and N●bles and People were gathered against God and Christ for if all the Nations were against Christ yet they could not be sayd to consult unlesse they met and advised one with another 2. It must be considered what kinde of Judges these were whether superiour or subordinate Judges I conceive they were superiour Judges joyned with the Kings in judicature There are divers sorts of Nobles spoken of in the Scriptures First Nobles Court Princes such

command whereby they might assist the King defend their Country and doe the people justice honour without command in war and judicature in peace is uselesse Esay 3 3.4 and a scorne whereas men whose faces are lifted up above the people are as necessary for a Commonwealth as bread and water Honorable men unto whom the people may have recourse in case of imminent danger to be a stay unto them who meeting in a publique Counsell may carry all things for the publique good yee may see what service David did to Saul against the Philistines what his Worthies did for him 〈◊〉 58.5 in his wars against the house of Saul yee may see what power the Nobles had in the dayes of Zedekiah unto whom the King did confesse the King is not ●e that can doe any thing without you To make a man great in war that is not great in peace is dangerous unlesse virtue sway he will love the greatnes of his condition too well he that is as great in peace as in war will easily change his troublesome and dangerous estate for rest and safety Vse 2 Exhortation that the King and Lords would joyne together to submit to the government of Christ● you are required in my Text to joyne with the King in this duty not to be instruments of the Kings will so you shall shew your selves servants to the King but not Judges of the earth his Majesties wisdome and your learning should joyne together to put on the yoke of Christ to save your selves and your people from breaking with the iron rod in the hand of Christ that is as I have intimated from Civill war from such destroying Civill War a● will dash you all to p●eces 〈◊〉 48.2 the Lord is the Lord of Hosts a name that 〈◊〉 hath put upon himselfe Esay 47.4 Ie●●va ex●r●iti●●●o●en ●p●s the great n●me of God Esay 4●● Esay ●●● all Hosts are his rod wicked ones holy ones just or unjust ●orra●e intestine legall or rebell●●●s they are all his he punisheth offenders by them all what power wee have that wee conceive our safety that party that conceive they have the power of the sword strength in their owne hands they thinke they may doe what they will but they are mightily deceived they that have all power to day may have none to morrow the Lord is the Lord of Hosts 〈…〉 s●pientia est sui destructiva force without wisdome will destroy it selfe Esay 3●● Therefor Rabsak●h joyneth counsell and strength together and Aristotle wisdome riches and power and descanteth that upon them men thinke they have quickly wisdome enough but power and riches never enough whereas too much either of riches or power is troublesome or at least unprofitable But a man can never have too much wisdome That power wee thinke wee have wee cannot claime as ou● owne it is Gods right strength is in the Host whereof God is the Lord P●a 4.28 In the multitude of people is the Kings honour but the want of the people is the destruction of the Prince it is the Lord that hath hearts of people in his hand he maketh them subject to their Governours and mooveth them against their Rulers he uniteth and divideth them in Court in Councell in field when he hath a purpose to dash them one against another he doth divide them Ier. 13 1●.14 I will fill all the Inhabitants of the Land the Kings that sit upon Davids Throne and the Priests and the Prophets and all the Inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkennesse And I will dash them one against another even the Fathers and the Sonnes together saith the Lord I will pity nor spare nor have mercy but destroy them He can make such divisions that no unity of interest of condition of affinity or consaguity can prevent he can divide Kings and Subjects Subjects and Subjects Kings and Lords Kings and Commons Lords and Commons Lords and Lords Commons and Commons Father and Son Brother and Brother where still note that the neerer the conjunction the more dangerous the discord That some differences should arise among the people is not wonderfull the ordinary course of justice doth heale them that some greivances should arise betweene the King and the Commons is not strange it is the businesse of a Parliament to redresse them Then my Lords had you a call from God by the duties of your places to have been the instruments of unity then should you have made use of your learning to have reconciled them then you had use for Divinity Law Pollicy Instice Power a little of all these in your hands would have set all things right if yee and the King had then beene tyed together with the bonds of Christ yee might have ruled him and contented the people But insteed of reconciling the difference betweene them yee also fell at odds among your selves Parliaments doe expect some difference the first worke the Commons use to doe is to represent their greivances unto your Lordships from whom by the very intendment of the Law they doe expect redresse You by your places as Councellors to the King and Judges of the people having power over both should have acted the parts of good reconcilers but this iron rod of Gods displeasure fel on you also the very Phisition had got the plague You likewise were divided among your selves I blame you not I rather pity you your power was broken by the iucroachment of former Princes you were defrauded of your learning here required by discontinuance of Parliaments your education honour among the people by Courtship Kings and Commons have heretofore joyned together to breake the power of Lords and now they fall out the Lords have not power to helpe them And now I take up the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of my Text as applicable to this purpose where I crave leave to speake to your Lordshippes in the language of my Text. It had beene very good that the King and your Lordships had alwaies beene wise and learned enough to have beene alwaies under the yoke of Christ Psal 72. from 1. to 15. never to have consulted any thing against God and Christ Mach. Pranespag 36. never to have departed any thing from the wayes of God and Christ the wayes of judgement and justice I meane which are his wayes That Turkish cutlandish distinction found in Machiavil of civilis soluta potentia which is power above Law and by Law had not been misconstrued and made use of upon all occasions in the Kings name at Court in former times I wish it had been the manner of our Kings alwaies to have ruled by the positive Lawes as far as the justice of them would any wayes extend and when any thing of unjustice did fall upon the letter of the positive Law that should be reformed by the Law of God and the universall Law of nature that had not been done by a cabinet Councell but a Councell of State in

not determine the practice of the times did carry all by the will of the King whereby Parliaments were rendred uselesse to the Subject and the whole Kingdome lay open to any such violence as evill counsell should at any time lead the King into The want of learning in this point was the first cause of this dissention learning could not and therefore it was put to the determination of the sword 2. When Parliaments were called what power the King had what the Lords what the people or Commons what joyntly what severally was not cleerely enough determined in the Law and therefore left to the determination of the sword learning was wanting and therefore God brought in his iron rod. In matters of justice what ought to be adjudged treason what not how those treasons mentioned in the Statute and referred to the Paliament to be determined ought to be judged and by whom the learning of the Law did not cleerely determine and therefore left to the determination of the sword The learning of the Law did never yet cleerly and publiquely determine between Plea and Plea in these objections following that none ought to be adjudged but by positive Law Secondly that all Lawes ought to have publication none ought to suffer for any attempt except against the Kings Person which objections would easily have bin answered if the study of morall Philosophy had beene well taken into the study of the common Law I shall only acquaint you with some few rules of moralls concerning these points First ignorantia juris universalis non tollit peccatum that neede no publication the boy to the ancher and crosse of the doore hath no place heere that publication doth belong only to particular Lawes not universall 2. Though subordinate Judges may not yet the supreame Judge may judge by the universall Law salus populi suprema Lex 3. Attempts against the Kings Person are only criminall by positive Law but there the fact is likewise treason but where the fact cannot be punished the attempt must by the universall Law of selfe preservation as an attempt to conquer the Kingdome change the Government in any Subject must be punished the fact cannot prosperum faelix scelus virtus vocatur when such questions as these were on foote the learning of the Law ought to have been cleere the Judges should have been learned but they were not and therefore God was angry it s now therefore high time for Judges to be wise there hath many miseries happened to us of late which are yet hard to be remooved for want of learning and therefore there is great reason all meanes should be used to get it there is great cause therefore the Holy Ghost doth cry out upon you O yee Judges be learned Children and women cry out for feare often where no dangers is but where wisdome it selfe doth cry out there the danger must needs be great But now my Lords I come to the learning that is required in your Lordships as Judges of Judges It cannot be denyed that all learning that can be desired in any would adorne and beautifie a Lord yet let not any cunning Sophister perswade the world that a Lord is not fit to be a supreame Judge unlesse he be a cunning Lawyer if any Law be hard for a Lord to understand it is too hard to be a rule for men to walke by It is sufficient for a Lord to know unjustice when it is so obvious that it is become a publique grievance to keepe the Judges from bribery and flattery of the King or oppression of the people that nothing be done by violence without judgement or in dispite of Parliaments If your Lordships could have but hindred the gathering of tunnage and poundage taxation of shipmony raising of monopolies used meanes to have Parliaments orderly called told the King his dutie punished his instruments when unjust so far as they appeared to publique view advised the King to forbeare any illegall power over his people punish such as should advise him to any unlawfull thing when prooved and plainely appearing to you and by your power suppressed all power raised against Law This had been sufficient to have preserved the Kingdome from ruine seditio non oritur levi de causa That which is principally required of your Lordships in point of knowledge is to receive instruction yee cannot want knowledge enough if yee will receive it to deliver the Kingdome from the stroke of Gods wrath the dissention of the people I cannot but confesse these times have involved your Lordships in very great difficulties but the greatest difficultie is to amend your selves if you could but give testimony to the world that you see your selves partly by the fault of your Ancestors and partly by your owne disabled from doing your Country that service which the duties of your places doe require and that you earnestly desire a reformation of your selves if you could but undertake the principall duty of your places to be reconcilers of the King and people and propose such tearmes of agreement as may be fit for Prince and people to receive God would certainely assist you All Governments are species amicitiae kinds of friendship the differences that are at this time betweene the King and his people are very great you my Lords ought to use all meanes to set them at one you are the Umpiers of the State your wisdomes ought now to appeare you ought to deale plainely with King and people where you finde the fault lay the blame presse the King to his duty and the people to theirs let your Propositions be legall reasonable and wholesome for the State God and good men will not leave such indeavours without comfort successe you ought not to joyne with the King against the Commons nor with the Commons against the King but carry the Ballance of justice so justly and friendly between them that they may joyne in friendship one with another you are trusted with the honour of the Crowne the justice of the people the setting up the honour of Christs Kingdome yee must not suffer any of these to sinke 2. Yee must amend your selves in point of unity you ought all of you to be united as one man Unity is the safety of the people in no sorts of the people so dangerous as among Lords pauci viri boni non minus conjuncti quam si essent unus homo it is that only that shall make you able to save your selves and your Countries the difference is betweene the King and the Commons if one part of you side with the King another with the Commons and looke towards the sword by it to beare downe the adverse party you make your Countrey become a prey and ruine your selves and your Posterities the end that ought to be before your eyes to bring the government subspecie amicitiae that you cannot endeavour untill you keepe and preserve unity among your selves you cannot seeke unity between the King and his people untill you seeke it first among your selves 3. Yee must looke to this charge of my Text remember what yee are in reference to Christ yee are his servants yee must take his advice call such as can shew you the minde of Christ to your assistance yee must receive instruction from him as he is pleased to give it by the Ministers of the word Luk. 10.16 He that receiveth you receiveth me he that despiseth you despiseth me yee see Christ doth owne them as his Deputies if yee receive them into your Counsells yee receive Christ if yee cast them out of your Counsells yee cast Christ out of your Counsells if any such thing have been done in hight of opposition be learned receive instruction and learne to amend Nations must hearken to the commands of Christ Parliaments that act as Nations must doe it or else they will displease Christ 2. Let nothing be carryed with a strong hand till they be peaceably descided in a friendly and Parliamentary way the prerogative of the Crowne the right of Lords the honour of the Messengers of Christ the Priviledges of the people let no parties presume by power of the sword to overbeare another 3. Yee my Lords ought to preserve the dignity of your publique places it may not be esteemed an act of humility in a Majestrate or a Minister to lose the right that belongeth to their publique places that is breach of trust and neglect of duty therefore ought Majestrates to maintaine the honour of their places and act by them for the good and peace of their Countryes and honour of Christ that so they may escape the anger of God and the stroake of Christs iron rod. FINIS