hence are justly condemned two sorts of men amongst us 1. Those that dare presume to stile themselves the Godly Party and yet refuse all Loyalty to their Prince That pretend very much to fear the Lord and yet are not afraid to dishonour their King And who are such but only our Pharisaical Puritans and Fanaticks Time was we know when those Godly-gulls and Holy-cheats made the deluded people of this Kingdom to believe that he did fear God the most who did the least honour his King that he was the most godly who would offer the most affronts and indignities to his Prince Nothing was counted with them a greater piece of Piety than to stir up the people against their Soveraign by raising jealousies and casting abroad rude and scandalous Pamphlets almost every day to libel and disgrace him Which as that Holy Martyr King Charles 1. Himself saith in his Divine meditations * ΕΙΚΩΠΒΑΣΙΛΙΚΗ that Golden Manual like sparks in great conflagrations did fly up and down to set all places on Fire Yea he was thought to be the most Religious who was the best Incendiary to set a well ordered Kingdom in a Flame Hist of Indepen Compleat Part. 1. p. 55. and could cheat the giddy multitude the most into Rebellion no Ambassador to him that was the greatest Herauld of War and like a Geneva Bull could roar out loudest from the Pulpit Up ye Fanaticks Arm Arm ye are the only Godly party who have as much right to Rob the King and his Loyal Subjects as the Israelites had to spoil the Egyptians g Exod. 3.22 all that you can find is your own But only you must not think that you like ravening Wolves can make a prey of their possessions unless you hide the designs of your pride and covetousness under Sheeps clothing h Mat. 7.15 If therefore you have any lingering mind after the wages of unrighteousness i 2 Pet. 2.15 as we know you have as any Balaams of us all then you must deal wisely k Exod. 1.10 imitate our Language and behaviour to the life know no other godliness but your espoused gain l 1 Tim. 6.5 and make Religion but a stalking Horse to Rebellion regard not the voice of Conscience lest it interrupt you but yet be sure to carry it always about you that it may be ready to further your sinister ends and proceedings with its outward shews and varnish Be ye as Hypocritical in raising a Rebellion against your King as ambitious Absalom was when he raised a conspiracy against his Father m 2 Sam. 15. though like David he be a man after Gods own heart yet pretend ye that there are some grievous abuses in Church and State which if you were made Rulers and Judges your integrity would quickly remedy that so your Godly party being strengthned by the stoln hearts of others you may accomplish your ambitious and covetous ends the more assuredly to the temporal ruin and downfal of your King and Country O! Tell this not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Askalon lest the Daughters of Philistins rejoyce lest the Daughters of the uncircumcised triumph n 2 Sam. 1.20 For time was then too when these cursed Cains and Amalekites did all of them combine together and were not afraid to stretch forth united hands to destroy the Lords anointed o ver 14. And yet forsooth they pretended that it was out of fear to God to promote his Cause and his Glory Yea they thought they did God good service to kill their King and make him a glorious Martyr for God and his Country as Christ our Prince of peace foretold his Disciples of the like that was to happen unto them to make them stable in their persecutions p John 16.1 2 For as these Rebels did this Barbarous Villainous and unparallel'd act because they had no saving knowledge of God the Father and Christ God-man the Son q ver 3. So our Martyred Soveraign like King David in all his troubles though both had their failings demonstrated himself to be a true Disciple of Christ indeed for notwithstanding all the various modes whereby these proud and impudent wretches had him in great derision yet he declined not from Gods Law r Ps 119.51 But the guilty Consciences of these Parricides the true seed of Corah and his Complices two hundred and fifty Princes of the Assembly all of them Parliament men of their own Election ſ Numb 16. told them that the murder of their Soveraign was not enough to keep those Places Dignities and Power which before they had usurped from him unless they barred all his Heirs from succeeding Therefore though they consisted of two juntoes and were divided into two adverse Factions the one Presbyterians who to use their own distinction murdered the King in his Political Capacity and the other Independents who murdred him in his natural Yet they most firmly agreed in making an Act * Hist Independ Compleat Part 2. p. 140. p. 241. Part 4. p. 22. for the Dethroning of his Highness James Duke of York and all the Royal Family not sparing so much as the Kingly Office it self Especially therein they united themselves together against the next Heir to the Crown our now most gracious Lord and King as unanimously and as solemnly as those two deadly Enemies Herod and Pilate were made friends against Christ t Luk. 23.12 They hunted him from place to place for his life as Saul King David like a Partridge upon the Mountains u 1 Sam. 26.20 most inhumanely saying like the Husbandmen in the Parable w Luk. 20.14 this is the Heir come let us kill him that the inheritance may be ours Yet they had the impudence to pretend that all was but expedient for the good and welfare of the whole Nation the Glory of God the safety and liberty of the people Salus populi is the common pretence of all Rebels Caiaphas pretended the same for Crucifying Christ it is expedient saith he that one man die meaning Jesus and that the whole Nation perish not x John 11.50 And Cromwell too pretended the like for the murder of our Soveraign unless he die the whole nation must perish but as that which was pretended to be so much for the safety of the Jews brought a fearful destruction upon them so this which was pretended to be so much for the Glory of God and the Liberty of the People hath been seen by woeful experience for twelve years together to have been the very bane and ruin of the Nation When was there ever more slavery and bondage in the State And when more Anarchy and confusion in the Church Munster it self saw but the Prologue to our Tragedy But to maintain this their Usurpation they still persisted in their old Hypocritical zeal and re-inforced it too with such wonderful shews of godliness that if it were possible they
the King his due of fear and honour under a pretence of fearing him lest your portion at length be the same with the Hypocrites i Mat 24.51 Job 8.13 But as you have been taught by St. John in the beginning concerning the love of God and our brother forget not to fulfil this Royal and Loyal commandment in the Text that he who feareth God fear and honour the King also k 1 Joh. 4.21 For as they that despise God shall be lightly esteemed so he will honour them that honour him l 1 Sam. 2.30 2. Those are here condemned also that would forsooth be counted great Loyalists and yet are notorious Rebels against the Lord himself the King of Kings That pretend to be highly for the King great honourers of his Majesty and yet plainly shew by as highly debaucht lives and examples that they have no fear of God before their eyes m Ps 36.1 Rom. 3.18 Gen. 20.11 They never boast of their Loyalty more than when they are elevated into so many petty Kings in their esteem or rather are really the greatest Lords and Masters of mis-rule They never pretend more strongly to be for the King than when they are most mighty to drink Wine and men of the greatest strength to mingle strong drink n Isa 5. If a sober man chance to come into the company of these Ranters and Ruffins they will straight censure him for a Round-head and if he refuse to drink the Kings health so deep and so often as they would have him they will as readily cry out God damn them he is a Fanatick though they see he doth not refuse it in a sober way as the Kings health because he honours the King but only as a cup of excess because he also fears the Lord. These are those of whom St. Peter speaks who hold it not sufficient that they have heretofore wrought the will of man when they were Gentiles but still walk in lasciviousness lusts excess of Wine Revellings Banquetings c. wherein they think it strange that you who accomplish the end of Christs sufferings in walking according to the will of God should be such enemies to your own present enjoyments as not to run with them to the same excess of Riot and therefore speak evil of you o 1 Pet. 4.1 2 3 4. Where then is their great Loyalty which they so much boast of You see what goodly Loyalists they are they have only the name of the Loyalists and that 's all they want all the ingredients of a Christian which as you have heard constitute the being of a True Loyalist The fear of the Lord and the King always go together in the True Loyalist as well as the True Godlilist It is vain for men to pretend to fear God without honouring the King and it is as vain too to pretend to honour the King without fearing God The Loyalty of these proud Huffers and Hectors consists only in Hypocrisie That by the pretence thereof they may either the better gain or the more securely hold some maintenance that they have by the Kings benefit Or rather they pretend Loyalty as the Hypocrite pretends the name of Christ p Mat. 7.22 and the Fanatick his Conscience that it may be a rise for their sins and a vail for their impieties And no marvel for it is impossible we see that their Loyalty should consist in reality any more than the Godliness of those that stile themselves the Godly party The very Heathens though some of them I mean the wiser sort seemed to be very Loyal and true to their King yet their Loyalty cannot be said to be absolutely true and firm any more than their Religion How much less then may we term the Loyalty of these swearing swaggerers true and firm when as they profess themselves to be Christians yea and Protestants too and yet live more diametrically opposite to the Doctrine of Christs Gospel than the very worst of the Gentiles Is it likely think you that they should be such great friends to their King as they would make you believe who are such grand enemies to the Cross of Christ q Phil. 3.18 No certainly they are as arrant enemies to their King as any he hath And that both in Prosperity and in Adversity 1. In prosperity when the King sits most peaceably upon his Throne and they themselves are in the very height of their mirth and jollity even then they become his enemies by provoking sharpning and augmenting his adversaries against him through their evil examples What do they but draw a Sword for Fanaticks to fight with against his Majesty by bringing a scandal upon Loyalty through their debauchery and prophaneness Christopher Love in his Rebellious Sermon in the year 1644. made this his only objection to withstand the Treaty of Peace made by our Martyred Soveraign at Vxbridge Yea as meer formalists by living contrary to the doctrine they profess they bring a scandal upon Religion whereby the Conversion of the Churches enemies is impeded So these prophane Loyalists by living contrary to the Loyalty they profess do even now adays not only harden Fanaticks in their error and make them the more to glory in their shame but also give them occasion childishly and tauntingly to object that they dare not turn Loyalists for fear of prophaneness And not only so but others too as they are drawn into Fanaticism by a form of Godliness So they drive them from Loyalty by laying a stumbling block before their weaker brethren r Rom. 14.13 2. In adversity the Tryal of True Loyalty and friendship as they do their King much injury in the Tavern So they do him as little service in the Field for as soon as they see his power the foundation of their Loyalty to be once removed or likely to be so by his enemies then for all their former bravado's instead of assisting him and sacrificing their dearest interests for his life and preservation as King Davids True and worthy Loyalists did for his Å¿ 2 Sam. 18. 21. 1 Chron. 11. they will either most Traiterously Barbarously and inhumanely take part with his enemies and insult upon him like the Frogs upon the block in Aesop's Fables or else in his greatest need most dastardly forsake him This was too evidently seen in our late times of Rebellion against our Martyred Soveraign when some even of his own sworn servants and familiar friends too of a seemingly sober deportment in whom he trusted did like Judas against our Saviour t Joh. 13.18 Ps 41.9 most traiterously lift up their heels against him Neither was his Son our now Most Gracious Lord and King served much better at Worcester fight by such friendly gulls and Loyal-cheats when for all their former great pretences to Loyalty out of a slavish fear of Cruel Usurpers and Oppressers they most Cowardly sneak't in a corner and forc't his Majesty for want of assistance to fight with
under Heaven given among men whereby we must be saved e Acts 4.12 And St. John saith He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the Wrath of God abideth on him f John 3.36 17.3 Heb. 2.3 1 John 5.10 O therefore as you tender your everlasting Peace delay no longer to kiss the Son of God Christ Jesus our only Lord and Saviour g Psal 2.12 not with a Judas's kiss to betray him h Mat. 26.48 but with the mouth of Faith and obedience in token of homage i 1 Sam. 10.1 that he was Anointed to be your Lord and King by God the Father k Psa 89.27 Revel 1.5 Phil. 2.8 9. lest by your infidelity ye perish from the Way the Truth and the Life l John 14.6 And you O Christian Kings that are already established in the Faith and imbrace Christ and his Gospel the only means of your Salvation accomplish ye the end of your Ordination be ye true defenders of the Faith and Nursing Fathers to the Church that Christ may defend you from your enemies and nurse you in your Kingdoms manifest your wisdom by scattering the wicked in judgment and bringing the Wheel over the ungodly that the Lord may establish your Thrones in righteousness m Pro. 20.8 26. 25.5 Let Christ rule in your hearts by Faith n Ephes 3.17 Col. 3.15 that you may rule his people the more faithfully Pay ye True Loyalty and subjection to Christ your Lord and Master that your Subjects may the more chearfully pay you yours In a word have a care of increasing your accounts by negligence in your charge o Luk. 12.48 But crown your Sacred Office with Christian examples that at last you may exchange your corruptible Crowns for Crowns of glory But Lastly we must not forget that if a King should be wanting in his duty to fear the Lord yet our duty is nevertheless to fear the King let him be what he will that can be no excuse to us we must not forsake the Lord for his sake but still be subject unto him for the Lords sake Wickedness in a King may bring destruction upon himself but we know from what hath been said before that it can be no plea for Rebellion Yea suppose a King should be a notorious enemy not only to the Lord but to our selves too yet for all that we must not Rebel but still be subject and obedient David a man after Gods own heart when he was a Subject to King Saul that remarkable Tyrant and Rebel against God gives us in this a very fair example for when the evil spirit of King Saul rose up against him and that so violently that he sought to smite him even to the Wall with his Javelin and though afterwards he declared his malice to be as great as Davids innocency both by hunting him from place to place like a Partridge upon the Mountains and devising all the ways he could besides to take away his life p 1 Sam. 19.9 10 c. yet when he had him at his mercy even at such times when he came to attach him q 1 Sam. 24. c. 26. he would by no means Rebel lift up his hand or his heel against him no nor suffer those that were about him to do it though they much incited him thereunto alledging that the day was come in the which the Lord said he would deliver his enemy into his hand But alas they savoured not the things that be of God r Mat. 16.23 the Lord delivered him into his hand not that he should kill him but only to try his Loyalty whether he would kill him or not and so the words following interpret it that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee Å¿ 1 Sam. 24.4 5. And so accordingly he proved himself a True Loyalist indeed the more he feared the Lord the more he feared the King he cut off but the skirt of Sauls Robe and his heart smote him much less durst he kill him t Psal 4.4 Satan for all his great policy could not prevail with him to do that he said unto hismen The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lords anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the Anointed of the Lord With these words David staid his servants and suffered them not to rise against Saul u 1 Sam. 24.5 6 7. And when Abishai for the same reason would have killed him in the Wilderness of Ziph David was astonished at his boldness and impudency and forbad him with great indignation saying Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless w 1 Sam. 26. But behold instead of satisfying a revengeful nature upon his enemy he so pacified his wrath by yielding that he even inforced tears from his eyes x 1 Sam. 24.16 17 c. made him promise him that he would do him no more harm yea confess his own folly and bless him y 1 Sam. 26.21 c. This is so exactly according to what his Son Solomon hath taught us Ecclesiastes 10.4 that he may seem to have borrowed his Wisdom and Counsel therein from this very story the words are these If the Spirit of the Ruler rise up against thee leave not thy place for yielding pacifieth great offences If the Spirit of thy Ruler rise up against thee let it be for what cause it will yet for all that thou must not leave thy place and rebel to make him yield by constraint but keep thy order and station still z 1 Cor. 7.20 24. and endeavour to pacifie him by yielding This is the duty of us all how great then is the sin of them that leave their places and rise up against their Ruler when his spirit is calm and sedate and by their Rebellion inforce him aftewards to rise up against them and yet refuse to pacifie him by yielding though themselves have been the cause of his provocation Fanaticks themselves may be Judge but withal let them repent lest by their pride and obstinacy they also provoke Gods anger against them And in a word let us all be as careful always to discharge out duty to the Lord and the King that we may not make our selves for ever miserable by Rebellion but that as Kings on Earth dye like men so we in heaven may live like Kings a Psal 82.7 Revel 5.10 Part II. NOw Secondly that we may obtain this heavenly and Royal inheritance of the True Loyalist and avoid the everlasting perdition of Rebels Solomon also gives us a seasonable caution to meddle not with them that are given to change for by Changers here are meant Rebels such as neither fear the Lord nor the King but under an hypocritical pretence of being great Zelots in Religion pride themselves in nothing more
himself and his own Laws How great the judgment of these blasphemers and Rebels against the Lord and the King shall be I cannot determine because it is unspeakable St. Peter saith If the righteous scarcely be saved where shall the ungodly and sinner appear i 1 Pet. 4.18 Where then say I shall these appear That fall so far short of Nominal Loyalists that in Statu quo in the condition they are in fall far short of Heaven The nominal Loyalist hath something in him that is good more than his Essence or being his profession is good if his life were answerable but the profession of these is as Diametrically opposite to Religion as their Loyalty which consisteth only in Rebellion Moreover the nominal Loyalist though he pay his Tribute and Taxes c. only out of a servile fear yet by his outward conformity and obedience he declares himself to be a member within the Pale of the Church where he hath the means which God hath ordained to make him if he be not wanting to himself a True Christian and a True Loyalist in time And not only so but he also helps to preserve the publick peace and safety of the Nation whereby he peaceably enjoys many temporal blessings or at least keeps himself secure from temporal punishments as Ahab averted the temporal wrath of God by outwardly humbling himself k 1 Kings 21.29 But these Rebellious wretches are good for nothing they are no better than the very Heathens and Publicans l Mat 18.17 they are good neither for their Souls nor for their bodies they are Sots as well as sinners not only spiritual fools but natural and inconsiderate fools in the deepest Grain they not only excommunicate themselves from the ordinary means of True Loyalty and salvation and break peace and unity both in Church and State by their divisions but they also disturbe even their own quiet in this life by bringing punishments upon themselves by and for their Rebellion And how much are those Publicans and Tax-gatherers to blame too that make no more Conscience to empty the Kings Exchequer that they may fill their own Coffers or some ways or other build up themselves out of the ruins of the Kings Tribute than these Holy-cheats do to pay it Touch not mine Anointed m 1 Chron 16.22 is a prohibition to hurt the King not only in his Body but in his Estate too It is theft to steal the goods of any but to cheat and rob the King of his Tribute c. is a sin no less than Sacriledge For Tribute c. belongs to the King not as he is a person Civil but Sacred Anointed with Holy Oyl to be Gods Minister and Vicegerent n Rom. 13.4 5 6. And therefore to rob Gods Clergy of Tythes c. is also the cursed sin of Sacriledge because the High Priest the Representative of them all Rom. 11.16 was also Gods Anointed Anointed with Holy Oyl to his Sacred Function as well as the King Zech. 4.14 These are the two anointed ones or Sons of Oyl which stand by the Lord of the whole Earth This Targum expounds of Joshua and Zorobabel who were anointed the one for the Princely Government the other for the Priest-hood with the self-same Oyl o Numb 35.25 and accordingly God himself with relation to the days of Christ doth call this sort of theft Sacriledge Will a man rob God saith he yet he have robbed me but yet ye say wherein have we robbed thee 't is answered in Tythes and offerings Ye are cursed with a curse that is surely and greatly cursed for ye have robbed me even this whole Nation Mal. 3.8 9. 1 Cor. 9.14 'T is Sacriledge then the cursed and damnable sin of Sacriledge to rob God in the Ministers of his holy word and Sacraments But how much rather to rob God in the King his Minister and Vicegerent Surely if nearness of relation will make any distinction as touch not mine anointed goeth before do my Prophets no harm p 1 Chron. 16.22 it must needs be the greatest Sacriledge of all next to the robbing God in himself of his immediate Rents and dues of prayer and thanksgiving Render therefore to all their dues especially to God and Caesar Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Rom. 13.7 But 3. and Lastly The falsehood and deceipt of the Solemn League and Covenant discovered as the true Loyalist is obedient to his King in paying of him Tribute and Taxes c. so also in all his other Laws and Ordinances he still considers that his King is appointed by God to be his Minister and Vicegerent for the External government of his Church and therefore out of love and fear to God and obedience to his Laws in serving of whom the people have only perfect liberty q James 1.19 2.12 2 Cor. 3.17 Rom. 8.21 he most freely sweareth fealty to him to be true to him and obedient And accordingly he rejoyceth when the Oath of Allegiance is imposed upon him and the whole Nation because it is for confirmation of Loyalty and subjection that thereby there may be an end of all strife and all both in Church and State may enjoy Peace the more securely r Heb. 6.16 17 In which respect saith Solomon I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Å¿ Ecclesiastes 8.2 The True Loyalist though he would obey his Kings Commandment either actively or passively without an Oath his Conscience being bound before by the Law of God yet because God wills such an Oath for confirmaon of the lawless in outward obedience with the just and Loyal t 1 Tim. 1.9 he the more willingly takes and keeps it that so there may be an end of all strife for certainly he must be a notorious Rebel indeed that will not keep his Kings commandment in regard of his Oath if he had no other obligation for an Oath if it be only in such things which are not contrary to the will of God is so Sacred and obliging a thing that it bringeth the wrath and vengeance of God upon him that breaketh it u Joshua 9.20 Numb 5.21 and therefore saith Solomon it is a snare to the man who devoureth that which is holy to wit who taketh an holy Oath upon him and after vows to make enquiry w Pro. 20.25 to wit whether his Oath or Vow be any ways prejudicial to his Body or Estate or not x Ps 15.4 For which cause when Joshua and the Princes of the Congregation had made a Peace with the Gibeonites upon Oath they durst not break it though it were so disadvantagious that the Israelites murmured against them and their enemies had obtained the League by guile and craft y Joshua 9. and when King Saul in a battel against the Philistines had adjured the Israelites not to