much stood upon A King against whom there is no rising up If we desire Examples for further confirmation let us retire backe to former Ages and we are presently as Saint Paul speaks upon another occasion encompassed about with a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12.1 Nephos martyrwn a cloud of Martyrs sealing and maintaining Gods Truth with their owne Blood not with the Blood of others Was not Saul a bloody Persecutor slaying Abimelech with fourscore and foure Priests in one Day upon the false accusation of Doeg was he not a Demoniacke possessed with an evill Spirit a cruell Tyrant seeking not onely the death of David but also of Jonathan his owne Sonne Yet when God had delivered him into Davids hands and Abishai looking upon him onely with a Souldiers Eye as his Enemy had been earnest to kill him yet saith David destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anoynted and be guiltlesse 1 Sam. 26.9 The Lords Anoynted What Saul a Persecutor a Doemoniacke a Tyrant and yet Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted Note Here beloved let me give you a remarkeable Observation This Anoynting here doth not betoken any Spirituall Grace as elsewhere it doth in severall places of the Scriptures a mistake let me tell you which hath begotten many irreverent opinions concerning Kings Royall Unction gives a Just Title to the Crowne not divine Grace to sway the Scepter it gives Right to rule not to Rule rightly Though true it is it were much to be wish't that Grace in their Hearts were as fragrant as the oyle upon their Heads and that as they excell in Glory and Dignity so in Godlinesse and vertue But we see wicked Saul then as well as holy David is Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted he had as all wicked Kings have sanctitatem Vnctionis though not sanctitatem vitae an holy Calling though not an holy Life Yea the Lord ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will so the Prophet Daniel c. 4. v. 32. so that he may be Christus who is not Christianus as was Darius the Heathen Is 45.1 If then Kings are made Christi Domini the Lords Anoynted neither for Religion nor Vertue then certainly they may not be unmade for either Heresie or Vice according to that Divinity axiome dominium temporale non fundatur in gratia Salis determinat Comment in locum temporall Dominion or power of Rule is not founded upon Grace To all this accords that of Junius and Tremelius Vncto Jehovae say they the Anoynted of the Lord that is a Deo ad Regnum assumpto admitted by God to the Kingdome and what to have his Crown presently cast down to the ground and himselfe upon misdemeanour deposed from his Throne by the States by the multitude by the Collective body of the Kingdom as some would have it no a Deo ad Regnum assumpto ac proinde sancto munito ab omni injuria admitted by God to the Kingdom and therefore sacred and fortified from all Injury Note In that great defection under Jeroboam did there not live many holy Prophets in that hot Persecution under Nero did there not live many holy Apostles under that grand Apostacy of Julian did there not live many holy Fathers yet I will speak it ex animo let it appear that there was ever any one Prophet any one Apostle any one Father that stirred up sedition or moved the People to take up Arm 's though in their defence against their Soveraign and I will submit to their Censure who now oppose their King I think I could not expect more severe Iudges Run over the Acts of the Apostles and you shall find them in the Prison not in the Campe drawne before Magistrates not drawing Magistrates before them stoned but not stoning struck with the Sword but not striking with the Sword And in 2 Thes 1.4 We glory in you saith the Apostle in the churches of God for what for their Valour and Courage in defending the Gospell by force of Arms no but for their Patience and Faith in all their Persecutions and Tribulations for the Gospell Epist 42. Aske Saint Augustine that holy and Learned Father how Paganisme and Heresie was vanquisht and how the Truth of the Gospell was maintained and he will tell you non a repugnantibus sed a morientibus Christianis nor by Christians resisting but by Christians dying What thinke you now who are the best Christians they who take up the Crosse and follow Christ or they who take up Arms and resist their Soveraigne But some may say The former Christians did not take up Arms and a good reason why they had no Arms to take up or if they had they were so far Inferiour in number and Power that they durst not take them up But what think you of that which Tertullian tells us of in his Greek Fragments That when Plinius Secundus observed the numerous Company of Christians which suffered Martyrdome for the Faith of Christ tarachtheis tw plethei multitudine interremptorum permotus as Ruffinus Translates it Paraphrasticws astonished at the Multitude of them that were slaine he related to the Emperour quod innumera hominum millia quotidie obtruncarentur that innumerable thousands of Men were slaine dayly as the same Ruffinus tells us what so many thousands slaine quotidie too slaine every day how easie had it been having the Lord of Hosts on their side to have gathered themselves together in every Province and to have stood not onely for the Truth but also for their Lives and to have destroyed to have slaine and to have caused to perish all the Power of the People and of the Provinces that should have assaulted them as did the Jews yet not without Commission from Ahasuerus Esth 8.11 But we see the contrary affirm'd to their Faces with a Challenge in Nazianzens Oration 2. contra Julian In quos vestrum saith he populum exaestuantem contra vos infurgere solicitavimw quibus vitae periculum attulimus Against whom of you have we moved the Tumultuous People to rise up Which of you have we put in danger of his Life They had not so learned Christ They knew well The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force but what Violence of opposing no but of suffering What Force of arm 's no but of a godly life They knew well if God had intended the founding his Church the propagating his Truth by an Arme of Flesh by the Power of the Temporall Sword he who is kardiognwstes the searcher of the Heart is also kardiotreptes the mover of the Heart and so would have moved the Hearts of Kings rather then the hearts of the People he would have called the Wise the Mighty and the Noble rather than the foolish the base and the despised But that no flesh should glory in his presence and that Gods Strength might appeare in Mans Weakenesse he
so contempt of the King Gods Vicegerent is contempt of God who ordained the King For in the chain of order one linke still depends upon the other Saint Basils advice then is good That we give Honour Tois men calois hws tw thew tois de cacois dia ton theon to godly Kings as to God to wicked Kings for God Though Kings themselves then be evill yet must we reverence Gods Ordinance and not resist but suffer their Commands to be fulfilled either a nobis or de nobis a nobis in Active obedience if lawfull de nobis in Passive if unlawfull we must take up not a Sword of resistance but a Buckler of patience and if occasion be we must maintaine Truth and Justice morte rather than marte by suffering rather than by resisting For qui insurgit in Christum Domini insurgit in Dominum Christi He that riseth up against the Anoynted of the Lord riseth up against the Lord of the Anoynted Monarchomachoi are theomachoi fighters against the Kings are fighters against God Therefore howsoever we respect the Royall Person as Man we must Honour Feare and Obey him as King For therefore are Kings called Gods as Brentius well upon Joh. 10. non quod natura sint Dii sed quod officium eorum ordinatio sit divina Not because they are Gods by Nature but because their Kingly Office is Gods Divine Ordinance Since the King then is per Deum by God we must Honour Feare and Obey him propter Deum for God which is the Charecter of a good Christian as well as a good Subject who doth arcessere rivum fidelitatis a fonte pietatis draw the streame of Loyalty from the Fountaine of Piety and where Loyalty is the Daughter of Religion like Naomi and Ruth they are inseparable When Saul was made King though the Sonnes of Belial did despise him yet they whose hearts God had touched say the Scriptures 1 Sam. 10.26 they followed after him They did not then look upon him as the Son of Kish but as the King of Israel as after David looked upon him not as his Persecutor but as his Soveraigne and therefore though cruell and impious yet did he Honour him propter Deum as the Lords Anoynted And thus have I done with the first word Rex a King having shown you 1 Quid what a King is 2. Per quem by whom he is King Quid in se what a King is in himselfe Huperoche ' Exousia ' Arche Excellency Power and Principality which require of us Honour Feare and Obedience Quid ad nos what he is to us the defender of our Faith the preserver of our Peace and the protector of our Laws which require of us a full maintenance of his Royall Estate This for the quid 2. The per quem answered with a per me where non vox hominum sonat it is not the voyce of Man but of God by him Kings Reigne who looseth the bond of Kings and guirdeth their loynes with a girdle Job 12.18 This the Summe of what hath been delivered I should now speak of that which followes against whom there is no rising up But of these Words when opportunity shall be offered Give me leave to adde a word or two which shall neither be propter nor ultra tempus beside or beyond the Time Beloved Elijahs small Cloud hath now overspread the whole face of the Heavens with a Storme The not long since Tumults have overspread the whole Kingdom with a Civill War and we must now know Stormes come not but by Vapors so that if the Storme of Gods Judgements fall down upon us the Vapours of our filthy Sinnes have first ascended take away the Vapors the Storme will cease take away our Sinnes Gods Judgements will be removed We attribute the continuance and encrease of our miseries to the raging malice of the Adversary who like Jehu drives furiou ly and what conditions of peace are offered yea what Articles concluded he casts them behinde his back But indeed we ought to look within our selves and if we desire peace with Men we must first make our peace with God and having made our peace with him we need not feare the Enmity of Man God shall be to us what he was to David Ps 62. our Rocke and our Salvation our Defence our Refuge and our Glory And if he be our Rock what Storme shall shake us if our Salvation what trouble shall deject us if our Defence what Weapon shal Wound us if our Refuge what Enemy shall pursue us if our Glory what Tongue shall disgrace us Feare we not then the power or violence of the Adversary feare we not his great strength It is a remarkeable passage which History relates concerning Phocas who when he had slaine his Master the Emperour Mauritius he strengthened himselfe with strong forces fortified himself about with strong Walls and when he thought himselfe secure from the Enemy without he heard a voyce in the Night saying to him The Enemy that is within that shall destroy thee meaning his rebellious sin the Application is easie We may blessed be God say with holy David Ps 21.2 In virtute tua Domine The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy Salvation The King shall rejoyce in thy Strength not in the strength and number of his people not in the valour and prowesse of his Captains but Virtute tua Domine in the might of the Almighty for that is Virtus ad Salutem that Strength brings Salvation in which Salvation great shall be our Kings Joy great shall be his Glory and his Honours v. 5. Now Regis ad exemplum let not us place our Strength in an Arme of Flesh which like Jeroboams hand shall suddenly wither and bring inevitable ruine upon us but let us rely upon the Arms of the Almighty which are Everlasting Deut. 33.27 strecht out to all Eternity as for the Defence of his Anoynted so for the Safety of all those who repose their whole trust and Confidence in him Let others thinke Force of Arms whereby they offend God no lesse than their King the way to reforme and repaire all my advice to you is that if you desire the Times should mend you would first mend your selves and to that end in unfaigned humiliation betake your selves to God with Prayers and Tears least your Darkenesse be without Light your Judgement without any Beams of Mercy Sue to God for a Treaty of Peace for your Soules first and then for the Kingdom sending forth Legationem Lachrymarum as Gregory calls the weeping of a Penitent an Embassage of Teares to which God will assuredly give a gracious audience Now that our State like Noahs Ark is tossed upon the waters of Civil Dissentions send out the Dove of humble Prayer and though it return into your bosomes as the Dove into the Ark empty yet send it out again and at length it wil bring in the Olive Branch
in doing the evill they Command so nor may we rise up against them when they Command that which is evill And this is the Summe of Gods Truth and the Saints Practise in this case of Subjection to wicked Kings This to remove Prejudice and Misunderstanding now ad Rem 1. No Cause can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their King 1. No cause can justifie arms against the King We must know Satan deceives not more than when an Angell of Light and Rebellion prevailes not more than when it's pretence is Religion and Justice See that one Example of Absolon 2 Sam. 15. He steales away the Hearts of the People and how that Vers 6. First he possesseth them with an evill opinion of the King Vers 3. that he neglects the execution of Justice and then insinuates into them Vers 4. That if he were made Judge in the Land not yet seeming to ayme at the Crown he onely desires to be made a Judge in the Land them the times should be better If any Man had any suite or cause if he came unto him he would doe him Justice Vers 5. c. And then condescended to a winning Affability with the People he raiseth a most unnaturall Rebellion which he colours over not onely with the faire Pretence of executing Justice but also of preserving Religion and therefore he offers Sacrifice before the People And the better to countenance his Rebellion he makes use of Achitophell the great Councellor and others of the Nobles of Israel And if we look upon King David he good Man is put to as great straits as King Charles He is driven from the great City Jerusalem he is forc't to fly a farre off and glad that he can be furnisht with provision at Mahanaim at the bounty of his better Subjects And being at this distance he Assembles what Forces he can rayse and sends them out to suppresse the Rebellion of Absolon who as he brought upon the Kingdome the misery of a Civill War so upon himselfe the confusion of an unnaturall Sonne and a Rebellious Subject Here let me say to King Charles what Cushi said to King David since their case is not much unlike when he brought the News of the Victory 2 Sam. 18.32 Let the Enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up to doe thee hurt be as that young Man is But that a pretended Cause how specious soever should justifie Arms against the King no Man will beleive Therefore I must goe a great way farther and draw the Cord much longer and make it appeare that no Cause how just soever truely and indeed can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their Soveraigne What cause more Religious than that of Religion What cause more Just than that of Justice it selfe Yet neither for the Profession of Religion nor for the execution of Justice may Subjects take up Arms against their King This is evident Ashur is the Rod of Gods anger yet must Israel be subject Nebuchadnezzar his scourge yet must Judah submit and be so farre from raising Arms against him that they must pray for his Peace Jer. 29.7 In that 1 Tim. 2.1 Prayers are commanded to be made for Governours who were they not Christians but Heathens In that 1 Pet. 2.13 Honour the King Who was that Constantine the good No but Nero the Cruell And sure where God Commands Prayers to be made for Kings Horour and Obedience to be given to Kings he takes away taking up Arms against Kings though such as Nebuchadnezzar such as Nero Idolatrous and Cruell Blessed are they saith our Saviour who suffer persecution for Righteousnesse sake for their's is the Kingdome of Heaven Math. 5.10 not Blessed are they who rayse Rebellion for Righteousnesse sake that theirs may be the Kingdomes of the Earth And againe Vers 44. Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you and the reason is ut Filii sitis That ye may be the Children the Children of whom Filii hujus seculi Children of this World no Flesh and Blood cannot endure this they are for another Way a Way of Opposition a Way of Rebellion but Filii Patris vestri qui est in Caelis the Children of your Father which is in Heaven If then to love our Enemies to Blesse them that Curse us to doe good to them that here us and to Pray for them who despightfully use us and persecute us be Godly Spirituall and Heavenly then to have bitter Envyings and Strifes in the Heart to rayse Civill Dissention and Division in the State is Earthly Sensuall and Divellish as S. James speaks ch 3. v. 15. S. Peter in 1 Ep. c. 2. v. 18. He admonisheth Servants to be subject to their Masters with all Feare not only to the Good and Gentle Alla kai tois skoliois but also to the Froward so our English pravis the wicked so Beza duris hard or cruell so Tremelius And if Servants must obey wicked and cruell Masters then must Subjects obey Wicked and Cruell Kings for the same relation that the Servant hath to his Master the same hath the Subject to his King And Beza's note here concerning the Servant may not unfitly be applyed to the Subject That though his condition seem in this case very grievous yet his subjection shall be so much the more accoptable to God si voluntas ipsius plus valeat quam Dominorum injuriae If the good pleasure of his will more prevaile with them than the injury's of their Lords Again in Rom. 12.19 Dearely beloved saith Saint Paul avenge not your selves If we may not avenge our selves upon our Equalls much lesse upon our Superiours and least of all that is not at all on him who is Supreame Comment in locum Ergo affligemur inulti shall we then be tyrannized over without Revenge Musculus makes the Objection and gives the answer adjecta est saith he hujus gratia assertio illa ego rependam For this cause is that Assertion added I will repay saith the Lord and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10 11. and ideo horribilius Regibus therefore the more fearefull for Kings because they have him alone to be their Judge and quid credimus judicem illum si non ultorem as Tertullian speaks Wherefore doe we beleive him a Judge if not a Revenger As for Kings then God will punish them Autocheir with his own hand which David knew well when he answered Abishai moving yea inciting him to slay Saul or suffer Saul to be slaine with a Deus percusserit God shall smite him but as for himselfe he would not stretch out his hand against him 1 Sam. 2.6.10.11 I could heape up Texts of Scripture to confirme this Truth but this one sentence of my Text may suffice where we have it propriis terminis a thing now a dayes so