GOD THE KING AND THE COUNTREY United in the Justification of this Present Revolution Containing also Animadversions on Dr. William Sherlock's Book Intituled The Case of Allegiance Due to Soveraign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England By TIM WILSON M. A. and Rector of Great Mongeham in Kent Licensed Jan. 29. 1691. LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1691. To the Sacred Majesties of King William and Queen Mary by the Grace of God King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesties THE Divine Providence that disposeth all things to the emolument and advantage of those that love God hath sent Your Majesties to be our Saviours and Deliverers from Popery and Slavery to the Joy of all sound Protestants not wholly sunk and buried in prejudice And we see the Prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled Kings shall be your Nursing Fathers and Queens your Nursing Mothers But the Government of Moses whom God sent into Egypt to deliver his people was not without some Murmurers and men of a revolting spirit who looked back towards Egypt Victorious David had that crafty Politician Achitophel his Adversary and Absolom who stole away the hearts of this people and Sheba a Mover of Sedition The Reign of Solomon had some who complained of Grievances and Oppressions tho' he honoured God by building a Magnificent Temple The most excellent Deborah tho' she had some that jeoparded their lives unto death with her yet she had others who for their Divisions caused great thoughts of heart It is my affection to the Protestant Cause and Your Majesties Government that moves me thus resolutely to rush into your Sacred Presence I am very sensible that false Principles will create Practices correspondent to them And therefore I have examined some new and strange Notions of Gods Providence and Humane Governments of late asserted by some Doctors To say That a Prince hath Gods Authority tho' he hath no Humane and Legal Right and that there is another Person who hath Legal Right is dismal to consider in the consequences thereof If this Poison creeps into the Church I tremble to reflect upon the Effects of it It is good for nothing but to produce Insincerity and to make men swear to live peaceably when they have War in their hearts I am confident of Your Majesties Protection for I have acted in this Affair with a full satisfaction of Conscience and the greatest Evidence of Reason And no History can exceed if parallel so great valour and courage mixed with so much grace and clemency as hath shined in King William This is to be like God who is Almighty and yet slow to wrath whose Power is irresistible and yet he delights in Mercy Go on and prosper most victorious Prince and may the God of Heaven bless you with success by Sea and Land against that proud and persecuting Monarch who hath been the Ruine of so many Innocent Protestants in his own Dominions May God give Your Majesties the Necks of your Enemies and may they all tast of Your Forgiveness and Bounty but never forsake Your first Friends who ran all hazards with Your Majesty I pray with Tertullian who saith We Christians pray for our Emperors 1. That they may have a long Life which contains Health Joy and Prosperity 2. A constant safe and secure Government 3. Faithful and Trusty Domestick Servants free from Treachery and secret Conspiracy 4. A strong and valiant Army 5. A faithful Senate Council or Parliament 6. Obedient Submissive and Loyal People 7. A quiet and peaceable Reign In a word whatsoever can be the desire of Caesar God inspire Your Majesties with heavenly Grace and Wisdom and sound Knowledge and good Vnderstanding to go in and out before this great People and moreover give you Victory and Peace and Length of Days and at last may Angels convey Your Souls into Abraham's bosom This is the constant prayer of Your Maiesties Most Humble most Loyal and most Devoted Subject and Servant Tim. Wilson The Apostle asserts in the 13th Chap. of the Epistle to the Romans That all Emperors Kings Princes and Governors receive their Power from God And that the Right of the Sword is delivered to the Magistrate by God And therefore all are obliged to be subject to the Higher Powers and not to resist And whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and shall receive damnation FOR the right understanding whereof I shall premise these Principles 1. All Dominion is Gods 2. God gives Dominion and Power to some persons over others 3. The Law of Nature which is the Divine Law unwritten is a Rule by which all Nations should walk 4. This Law of Nature teacheth all Inferiours to honour their Superiours and Subjects to pay Tribute honorary Gifts c. to their Kings 5. The same Law of Nature secures every mans Propriety so that there can be no Alienation without consent explicite or implicite There is saith Aristotle Rhet. b. 1. c. 13. as all divine by Nature a common just and unjust though there be no mutual communication nor compact 6. The holy Scriptures do not contradict the Law of Nature but inform mankind more plainly what is duty Lastly The sacred Historian Moses and other holy Writers leave Positive and Political Laws to be practised according to the Usage of several Countries I suppose as the known truth is that God Created Adam and Eve And Adam begat Cain and Abel Now what Land or what substance and goods Adam gave Abel he had Right to by the Law of Nature as well as what he got by his own industry and labour Neither could Adam or Cain take any of Abels Flock without sinning against God tho' there had been no Agreement between them For this Law was written in Adams heart Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy Neighbours There is a Natural Right and there is a Civil Right Natural Right is by the Law of Nature Meum and Tuum were before there was any written Law Civil Right is that which the Municipal Laws of every Countrey gives And if good and consonant to Reason they are but confirmations or explications of the Law of Nature or conclusions drawn from it or securities of mens Lives Goods and Possessions from wicked men who would use no conscience We know saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.8 9 10. that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient c. Government as Government agreeth to Heathens Jews Turks and Christians all alike It is man as man who is the object thereof The Nature and Definition and Properties are the same The holy Scriptures intend not to teach us to be Politicians no more than to be Philosophers but to be Christians and
which concern the Duty of Subjects and the Publick Good And as for the Instances in Scripture out of the Books of the Kings and Chronicles it is plain that there was a Covenant between the King and People And after the Deposing of Athaliah all the Congregation made a Covenant with the King in the House of God 2 Chron 23.3 And what doth a Covenant signifie if it may not be defended and justified If such a dead Dog as I am were worthy to admonish an English Monarch I would advise him to make Law the Rule of his Reign and shew his Prerogative in Acts of Bounty Mercy and Mitigation of the Rigour of some severe Laws And I would not tell him that it is Rebellion for an Innocent Subject to defend himself And yet I imagine that I am as great a Friend to Monarchy and to the Church of England as the greatest Passive-Obedience-Doctor is 4. We have the End of Government For the good of the whole Sodiety Power and Authority is ordained of God for the Happiness of Mankind By this we are legally secured against wicked Men in our Houses Possessions Lands and Estates in our Liberties and Properties and in whatsoever belongs to us as Members of a Civil Society Political Order is a just Disposition between King and Subject as well as between Subject and Subject God is the Author and Lover of Order and an Enemy of Disorder and Confusion And Government was constituted by the singular Wisdom and Providence of God for the good of his Creatures From hence I may deduce these Inferences 1. Hence the Power and Authority of Kings and Governours is clearly Divine They are constituted Rulers by God and are his Ministers And therefore Honour and Obedience is due to them for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 2. Hence it follows evidently That Princes and Governours ought to Rule in Gods fear and so perform their Office as Gods Vicegerents administring Justice impartially knowing whose Authority they have Hence Princes are called Pastors of the People and Fathers of the Countrey And should bear the Name of Gods and Children of the most High not only in Power but in Goodness 3. Hence it necessarily follows that all Subjects ought to reverence and honour their King and Governours with most humble Service Homage and Obedience in all things But of this more anon 2. I shall consider the several kinds The most common Distribution is into Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy The first kind or Form of Government is Monarchy I approve of this as best according to the saying of the most Famous Poet The Rule of many is not good Let there be one Ruler one King to whom God gives the Scepter He is King who hath Supream Power subject to none And a Monarch is either Absolute or Conditional And again either Elective or Successive Elective when in a Kingdom a Person of a new Family or of the same Family is chosen Successive when the next Heir Male and in some Kingdoms the Female is owned and proclaimed Thus the Kingdom of England is by Inheritance and Succession And our King never dies as we say But the King of England is not Absolute but Limited And hath Lords and Commons without whom he cannot make nor repeal Laws And we have Magna Charta unviolable And the Subjects great Felicity and no less the Kings Honour who Rules not over Slaves but Freemen 3. I shall shew the Latitude of Subjection It is a Civil Filial Fear of the King And excludes all things that tend to his Dishonour and includes all things that tend to his Honour It contains all Duties and Services required of Subjects to their Prince There is an universal Obedience next under and after God in all things Legal due to the King who Reigns by the Ordinance and Appointment of God Native Religion and true Christianity is the greatest Interest of Princes A good Conscience and pious Heart abhors Obmurmurations Factions Seditions Rebellions or whatsoever can be conceived to disturb the Souls subjection to the Higher Powers It is gross Hypocrisie to pretend to follow the Holy Jesus and not render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's I am sure that Christ and his Apostles taught Subjection to the Roman Emperor as the Ornament and Honour of their Religion This Subjection first forbids light and vain thoughts of the Kings Authority and Person 2. Uttering Wicked and Trayterous words speaking evil of him Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People Exod. 22.28 And curse not the King no not in thy Thought Eccles 10.20 And the Holy Ghost brands them with the odious name of filthy Dreamers who despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities St. Jude ver 8. In brief It excludes all retaining of his Dues Tribute Custom c. all Cheating him of his Revenue all Disobedience to his wholsom Laws all Contempt or Violation offered to his Sacred Person 2. Subjection includes or comprehends all Duties of a Christian Subject to his King For that which is in one place Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers is in another Fear the King and Honour the King And in the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother Here as by Father and Mother all Superiors are meant not only our Natural Parents but also our Political Father our Governours especially the Supream Magistrate the King As it is well explained in our Church-Catechism To Honour and Obey the King and all that are put in Authority under him Which also is the Interpretation of all sober Divines So by this word Honour all kinds of Duty and Services from all Inseriors to their Superiors respectively are comprised So to Honour as to Fear Love and Obey them c. This is expressed also by St. Peter Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well This is yet more fully and largely set down by St. Paul Rom. 13. Where this Doctrine is not only declared but pressed and confirmed by many strong and solid Reasons We must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake v. 5. If you make Conscience of your ways give the King his Due There is nothing more plain than this Chapter for Subjection to the King and Submission and respect to his Officers without murmuring and repining when according to Law they demand their Dues The humble Christian and obedient Subject who willingly submits to the Kings Laws may be assured that in that particular he pleaseth God and he always hath the Testimony and Satisfaction of a good Conscience But the stubborn and disobedient who will not render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's assuredly displeaseth God and can never quiet his Conscience but runs the hazard of a most ignominious esteem in
though the Dr. saith There is nothing like this any where else in Scripture which is gratis dictum yet other Learned Divines say that the Apostle means this 1 Pet. 2.13 14. When he saith Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supream Hence they collect and I think truly That the Donation of the Power is of God and the Designation of the Person or Limitation and Qualification of the Power is of Man tho' it is also the disposal of Providence I have said in another Discourse God and Man in these Acts are not opposite but subordinate God is the first Cause Man is the second Cause The Prince that receives Authority from Man receives it from God also tho' mediately by Man and is Gods Minister and a Ruler v. 3 4. The Dr. proceeds Then in order to the fulfilling of this precept it would be necessary for Subjects to exarmine the Titles of Princes and to that end to be well skill'd in History and the Laws of a Nation and to be able to judge between a pretended and real Right c. A. And surely it is not so difficult a thing to know who is our Prince as the Dr. would make it It is so easie that every Subject in England as far as ever I heard never doubted that the late King James was the lawful King of England c. And there needs no great skill in History and Law to know this And as for the Revolution when we are bound in Conscience to obey another King there needs no History to tell us what we have seen and heard And the Reverend Dr. will tell us when the Government is setled p. 9. Suppose the greatest uncertainty that you can suppose the Consciences of men would not be more perplexed than you have perplexed them at this day And therefore you need not have said Let any man judge in what perplexities this sense of the Apostles Precept would involve the Consciences of men The Dr. hath a great deal more to the same purpose and descants at large To which I answer in general That if St. Paul had taught us Politicks in Rom. 13. I should have thought it very strange Men must learn Politicks from the Laws of Reason and the common Prudence and Experience of Mankind Suppose the Great Turk in a Passion or upon a small Provocation should draw his Scymeter or Sword to kill some Eminent Nobleman of his Court and the Nobleman should defend his Life by force of Arms and by Skill or Strength should disarm his great Lord and Master and escape for his Life In this case I say Natural Religion and Conscience will justifie the Innocent Nobleman and will tell the Great Turk that he ought to give God thanks in such like words as David did when Abigail by her wisdom pacified his wrath 1 Sam. 25.32 Blessed be the Lord God who sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou who hast kept me this day from shedding blood I should never read the Scriptures nor any History or Law-book to tell me who is my King no more than I would to tell me who is my Father and Mother I like a Fool have all my days presumed without Book with my Fellow-subjects and with my Brethren and Sisters who is my King and who is my Father and Mother and have honoured and obeyed them according to the fifth Commandment Such reasoning is unworthy of the profound Judgment of Dr. Sherlock If the Dr. pleaseth I would desire him to write a Book to teach Children what are their Names and who are their God-fathers and God-mothers before we Catechize them any more For is it not a very hard thing to know all these things See how prejudice blinds the Eyes of pious and wise men I confess that when there is a competition for the Crown or when Imposture may be reasonably suspected or in the like extraordinary case then the Subjects may become Sceptics But then we have a Privy Council and a Parliament to examine judge and determine But otherwise I am persaded that there was not one of ten thousand that ever doubted whether King Charles the Second was the true Heir and rightful King or King James the Second But let us hear the Dr's Objection p. 24. If the choice and consent of the People makes a Prince then no man is a Subject but he who consents to be so For the major Vote cannot include my consent unless I please That is the Effect of Law and Compact or Force not of Nature If Subjects give their Prince Authority they may take it away again if they please There can be no Irresistible Authority derived from the People For if Authority be wholly derived from them who shall hinder them from taking it away when they see fit Vpon these Principles there can be no Hereditary Monarchy One Generation can only chuse for themselves their Posterity have as much right to chuse as they had A. The Dr. owns That if the Lineal Succession should fail then the People must chuse a Prince and this hinders not Hereditary Monarchy No more doth it in such an extraordinary case as our present case is And the Dr. himself saith p. 25. A Legal Entail is nothing more than the Authority of the People tho' here he saith Vpon these Principles there can be no Hereditary Monarchy Let him reconcile these The Parliament hath setled the Succession But saith the Dr. Every Subject must consent This is thought a mighty Goliath but I think it a poor weak Argument I have elsewhere shewed that the meek wise and ever-renowned Hooker foundeth all Government in Covenant so that I am not singular in the Church of England And surely it is not required in our Constitution that every individual person consent explicitly to Acts of Parliament but the major Vote includes all And there is nothing more common in the World either in Political or Sacred Affairs than for a Father or Guardian or God-father or Friend or Relation to engage for a Child See Deut. 29 10 11. If it were any other person I should be afraid would turn Anabaptist or at least a Puritan and write a Book against God-fathers In these Cases an Implicite Covenant is fully sufficient If the whole Kingdom consists of such who were Children to their Parents that Elected the Prince and agreed that the Kingdom should be Hereditary this in Conscience binds them Tho' they make no Personal and Vocal Expression of their Consent and Agreement as the Fathers did I imagine that upon second Thoughts the Dr. will have no mind to oppose this and therefore I say no more But the Dr. saith That if Subjects give their Prince Authority then they may take it away again if they please A. All Subjects are bound in Conscience to stand to their Covenant Agreement Promise and Oath And here whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance
the World and of Eternal Damnation in the World to come And verily Resisting Governours is not less unbecoming the Reason of a man than the Patience and Humility of a Christian For the Officer is armed with Authority but the contumacious Opposer hath nothing to defend or plead for him but Arbitrary Power wilful Perverseness and stubborn Humour which in cold blood or sober consideration must be acknowledged far more dangerous than the evil the Resistant pretended to remedy And here if ye demand the manner of this Subjection I answer True Christian Subjects bear to the King such a Submission as Children to their Parents Not a terrifying and amazing but a respectful and reverential Subjection The King is the Father of his Countrey and all his Loving and Loyal Subjects are as so many Children to him This Subjection also doth imply 1. A real and eminent Love of the King Gods own People Israel said of King David Thou art worth ten thousand of us 2 Sam. 18.3 Hence the King is called The breath of our nostrils Lam. 4.20 2. This Subjection doth imply Fidelity and adhering to the King at all times and in all conditions The King and his Subjects are united in their Political capacity as the Head and the Body Their welfare is conjoyned and cannot be separated And this Fidelity is most excellent when it comes from a touch of Gods finger from the Grace of his holy Spirit As we read there went with Saul a band of men whose hearts God had touched 1 Sam. 10.26 But such as clave not to him are stigmatized for Children of Belial who despised their King v. 27. For Fidelity also we have the example of Davids Servants Behold thy Servants are ready to do whatsoever my Lord the King shall appoint 2 Sam. 15. v. 15. And Ittai that Loyal heart that noble and constant spirit said to the King when David went to perswade him to go back and to take care of his own safety As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth surely in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in death or life even there also will thy Servant be v. 21. Here was a faithful Servant and Loyal Subject indeed and herein he evidenced himself no less obedient to the Law of God by which we are bound in Conscience to help the King against his Enemies And thus to adhere to the King by being faithful in the Trust reposed in us in being just in our places and ready to help in all difficulties is a right and sure way to make a Kingdom invincible and terrible to Enemies Divisions Conspiracies and Combinations in a State expose it to forreign Enemies A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand saith the wise Counsellor the Son of God But Unity of heart and affections between Subjects and their Sovereign renders a Kingdom prosperous at home and formidable abroad 3. Prayer to God for him Our Religion the Law of our God our Christianity as well as our Fidelity Loyalty and Affection call for this at our hands The blessed Apostle St. Paul exhorts Timothy to this duty 1 Tim. 2.1 c. And I think that the Collects of our Church for the King and Queen are both wise and Christian 4. Thanksgiving to God for any mercy to the King I exhort that Thanksgivings be made saith the Apostle The Infinite Majesty of Heaven is the Ocean from which flow all blessings that we mortals receive It is he that giveth great Deliverance to his King and sheweth mercy to his Anointed to David and to his seed for evermore Psal 18.49 50. Therefore should we give thanks unto the Lord and sing praises to his holy Name Especially let us praise God for the wonderful and happy Deliverance of this Church and Nation by our Joshua who hath by the Divine favour and blessing saved us and put a stop to the Malice and Cruelty of all the Churches Enemies This is the Lords doing and it is marvelous in our eyes And as great a mercy as ever this Nation and Church enjoyed Tho' through an unnatural Principle the Prejudices of many wise and pious men have made them ungrateful to your Majesties who are in truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benefactors not only to all English Protestants but to all the Reformed Churches And that these Prejudices may be removed and that all your Subjects may give God and your Majesties thanks hath been my constant desire and labour And tho' I know that the multitude are prone to Innovations and Changes and too apt to be seduced yet in this Revolution they are to be justified so far as they defended their Religion Laws and Liberties And I challenge any learned and conscientious Divine to dispute the Case in Print before God and the World And therefore I humbly beg your Sacred Majesties pardon while I make Animadversions on the Reverend Dr. William Sherlocks Book intituled The Case of Allegiance due to Sovereign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England I cannot believe that false Principles in Government conduce to your Majesties service And for this reason among others I think it my duty to oppose them I do believe that the Reverend Dr. acts according to the present perswasion of his Conscience as he speaks in the beginning of his Preface and I do not take him either for a dishonest man or a fool But as he saith he may be mistaken and so may any body else tho' never so wise and honest And he saith ingenuously that if any man can shew him that the Principles he acts on are false uncertain or precarious and such as cannot reasonably satisfie an honest and unbiassed mind he will confess that his desire of satisfaction secretly and insensibly distorted his Judgment tho he took all possible care that it should not I do as I would be done by and I believe that many have refused the Oaths upon Principles of Conscience tho' I believe their Consciences erroneous And I hope to make it evident if as the Dr's phrase is they will deliver themselves from the Tyranny of Prepossession and Prejudice § 2. p. 10. Animadversion on Section 1. The Dr. saith That which hath perplexed this Controversie is the intermixing the Dispute of Right with the Duty of Obedience or making the Legal Right of Princes to their Thrones the only Reason and Foundation of the Allegiance of Subjects A. I cannot imagine that any Obedience is due but to him only who hath Right If he hath no Right why should I pay him Obedience The Scripture saith Fear to whom fear honour to whom honour I must know therefore to whom it is due The Scripture supposeth all Subjects to know some other way to whom Obedience Fear and Honour is due For I take it for granted and as that which all Learned men will own that the Scripture is not a Rule of Policy or Political Government any more than
of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation This is Rebellion supposing a Kingdom not universally oppressed And this secures the Prince as well as the Providence of God in the Dr's unintelligible Notion But this is to say God as well as Man is confined to Humane Laws in making Kings p. 25. A. I suppose the Dr. living among such an Honourable Society of Lawyers hath heard of being tryed by God and the Countrey And so the King and Queen may be made by God and the Countrey God feeds us but we must put Meat in our Mouths God Clothes us but we must put on our Clothes God doth what we do when we use the Means appointed by God And when the Dr. is in a reasoning Humour he will tell us that there is no doubt but several Governments have been begun by and Originally derived from the Choice and Consent of the People p. 23. but still it is God who by his Providence advanceth Men to the Throne But of this before As for those who advance Conquest I have spoken my Mind formerly And I add that when the whole Community be it by the Sword is subdued as the Jews were by Caesar and have promised Subjection and own the Authority of the Conqueror and he promiseth them Protection I grant this gives the Conqueror Humane Right and Title as well as Gods Authority For he holds his Crown as some speak jure Gentium concessu Gentium But if the P. of O. did Conquer England against which he declared and acted nothing like a Conqueror in any part of the Nation where his Army Marched but every where like a Saviour and Deliverer I say if the P. of O. did Conquer the Nation the Princess of Orange did not And Queen Maries Title can be no other way God save Her Majesty for I am Her most Loyal Subject and Servant but by the Election of the People in Convention and now confirmed by Act of Parliament Which I desire all Conscientious Men to consider Finally As for Submission that is an Implicite Covenant as I have shewed and must be kept So that tho' the Dr. cannot yet with all or the most Judicious Philosophers Schoolmen and Reformed Divines I can see where to fix the Foundation of Government and that is in the Agreement of the People And this is the ordinary Disposal of Providence But let it be by the Election and Consent of the People Or by Conquest and so by After-Covenant Or by Submission which is an Implicite After-Covenant Or by continued Usurpation as the Dr. speaks which still is founded upon After-Covenant and Promise all these are the Disposals of Providence So that the Dr. very weakly for I do not believe he doth it craftily gives only the General Cause which no Man denies But we desire to know what is causa secunda proxima particularis the second next and particular Cause as the Schools speak of this Revolution and Government And the Reason is either we have done very well or very ill in joining with the P. of O. And we would gladly convince the Dr. or any Man else that we have hazarded all that is dear to Man Virtuously and Honourably to preserve Gods true Religion and Worship as by Law Established to save the English Monarchy from the Usurpations of the Bishop of Rome and to continue the Liberties of our Native Countrey The Providence of God is no Rule or Reason or Measure of our Duty But the Law of God and Nature and the Laws of the Land when they contradict not these And the Dr. will tell us so when he thinks of it p. 32. The Divine Providence hath Ways and Methods of removing Kings and Setting up Kings which we are not aware of nor concern'd to know because it is no part of our Duty To sum up all this In this Revolution some talk of Desertion and Abdication Some of Conquest Some of Gods Providence as the Dr. and some of the Election of the People 1. As to Desertion and Abdication whether the Late King did in a proper and strict sense Abdicate the Kingdom is a matter that I need not dispute but surely the Convention did well to take this into Consideration that the Kingdom was left without any Order or Government in a very troublesom time But supposing that it was a proper and strict Abdication this doth not make the Prince and Princess of Orange King and Queen of England This must be some other way 2. As to Conquest And 3. As to Gods Providence I have said enough to satisfie any Consciencious and wise Man who will lay aside Prejudice and Prepossession And therefore 4. I am fully satisfied in my own Conscience and will dispute the Case with any Learned and Consciencious Divine that it can be justified no other way but by the Election of the People in Convention As for the Examples of Jehoiada and Joash and Athaliah and of Jeroboam and Jehu I think there may be a better Account given than the Dr. gives But this is nothing to the main Controversie between him and us That concerns the Non-Swearers I shall only give you a familiar Simile or Example out of Scripture of the Election of a King tho' it doth not quadrare in omnibus it is not nor needs be fitted in all Circumstances to the Kingdom of England In the first Book of Sam. chap. 8. The People of Israel desire a King Then it follows they had none before Whereupon Samuel told them his Message from God and at last yielded to the importunity of the People And he called all the People Chap. 10. that is All the Heads Elders and Princes of the People a great Convention Parliament or Assembly of the Nation And they chose Saul And all the People shouted and said God save the King And those whose Hearts God had touched went with him And they that despised him were called Children of Belial And I shall only add Samuel's Admonition and Counsel Chap. 12. ver 24 25. Only fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart for consider how great things he hath done for you But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King I know that there are two Prejudices as the Dr. speaks in like case rather than Objections against this Truth 1. This will not please the King and Royal Family 2. This occasions Subjects to Rebel when they think fit 1. This will not please the King and Royal Family A. We are confident that this is an Insinuation of weak Spirits and directly contrary to the Great and Heroick Designs of their Sacred Majesties and their Impartial Administrations of Justice and God forbid we should do any thing justly meriting the loss of Their Majesties Favour and their Hearts confiding in us I am sure that the pleading for our Liberties is no Prejudice to the Kings Crown or Prerogatives Why should not our Soveraign look
upon us with Respect when we pay him all Legal Obedience out of Conscience and venture our Lives and Fortunes in defence of his Crown and Dignity as well as of our Laws and Properties Why may not we hope for Preferment Honour and Commendation as well as those who never practise what they teach When I have lived to see their Senses too much for their singular Divinity But however we fare in this World I am of Opinion that a King should do Justice a Priest should teach Truth and a Souldier should Fight for a good Cause and leave the Success to God The Happiness of a Kingdom is in a Princes Ruling as a Father and Subjects obeying out of Love rather than meer necessity Obj. 2. This occasions Subjects to Rebel when they think fit To this I say besides what I have formerly written that the Doctrine of Non-Assistance which is now become common is as bad if not worse than our Doctrine of Resistance in some Case Now the Dr. owns the former p. 50. saying Thus far I think the Subjects may be very guiltless who do not drive the King away but only suffer him quietly to be driven away or to escape out of his Kingdom for this is no Rebellion no Resistance but only Non-assistance which may be very innocent For there are some Cases wherein Subjects are not bound to assist their Prince and if ever there were such a Case this is it I grant Non-Assistance and Resistance are not the same in all cases I grant we are not bound to assist our King in Illegal Commands But I should think that if we may not resist him in his Illegal and Arbitrary Commands we ought in Conscience to assist him in his Legal Commands especially in the preservation of his Person Crown and Dignity And I am sure that the late King would have called this a Seditious and Rebellious Doctrine as well as ours But thus the poor King was cheated And the Dr. may say as well as think in his heart p. 27. Let him go if he cannot defend himself Well I commend the Dr. in this case for Teaching Subjects to sleep in a whole skin But in troth I think it is more plain dealing and the King had better be told that in the same case they will not assist him they will resist that is in case of Universal Oppression I will suppose for once that David was against Defensive Arms and Resistance in any case and upon this supposition let us hear his Judgment and Resolution 1 Sam. 26.15 16. David said unto Abner Art not thou a valiant man and who is like unto thee in Israel Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the King for there came one of the people in to destroy the King thy Lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done As the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your Master the Lords Anointed Abner might have replied to David if he had been taught by the Dr. Sir the King is in pursuit of you when you are innocent and that illegally cruelly causlesly maliciously and therefore tho' I must not resist I may not assist nor see your innocent blood shed Take my Master Lord and King and do what you will with him Here I must desire the Dr. to reflect upon his Conscience in the fear of God And I dare appeal to the Judgment of any moderate conscientious and learned Papist or to the Judgment of any indifferent man in the World if our Doctrine be not as honest as this In this case Non-Assistance is as bad as Resistance for the Prince must certainly infallibly and inevitably fall into the hands of his Adversaries with this aggravation That those he trusted deceived him To this purpose we may consider that distinction of the Efficient Cause mentioned by the School-men It is either 1. Physical Or 2. Moral The Physical Cause is that which hath a real influx towards the Effect or that which truly and of it self contributes to the Being of the Effect The Moral Cause is that which tho' it doth not really operate in producing the Effect yet it is such in ordine Moris in order to Manners as they say as if it really conferred Being to the Effect and that because the Effect that follows is no less imputable to it than if it had produced the Effect by a real influx such are causes consulting commanding and not hindering when they ought to hinder But I have sufficiently lashed this Doctrine elsewhere As for the rest of the Book it is either what we grant or what hath been already answered or contains the Dr's Arguments to perswade the Clergy that have not taken the Oaths And I see no reason why the Arguments should not prevail with them if they will lay aside prejudice But I believe the Dr. may Preach Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance upon Rom. 13. long enough before he will gain one rational and considering man For the Male-administration of the late unhappy King and the Tyranny Pride and Insolence of the Jesuits instead of frighting them out of their senses have frighted the Commons of England into their senses that they will rather believe they merit Salvation if the Protestant Faith allowed it than that they are guilty of that Resistance which the Apostle saith shall receive Damnation for joyning with the Prince of Orange and his Confederates in this Revolution Wherefore I shall conclude with these three Propositions 1. In our Case Defensive Arms were lawful 2. King William and Queen Mary with their true Friends can be justified no other way 3. This Doctrine as I have explained it is neither contrary to the Church of England nor more prejudicial or dangerous to Monarchy than any other Principle as will appear I hope to any who will impartially consider what I have written in a Treatise called Conscience Satisfied in a Cordial and Loyal Submitting to the present Government of King William and Queen Mary and in another small Discourse in Answer to the History of Passive Obedience and in a Fast Sermon on Josh 5.13 Art thou for us or for our Adversaries And I think that the Thanksgiving-days and the Fasting-days and the Collects and Prayers read and the saying Amen by all the Members of every Congregation is a Justification of what hath been done in this Revolution unless men are gross Hypocrites and honour God with their mouths without their hearts And whatever some late Bishops and Governours of the Church have done I am sure the first Blessed Reformers honoured all Protestant Churches as Sisters and their Divines and Ministers as Brethren I know not why Luther and Calvin and Arminius tho' they differ in some Opinions should not all still be honoured as faithful Servants of Christ And here I shall produce a few of our Divines most famous who speak honourably of them as all men that hate Faction in the Church ought to do The Reverend Bishop Jewel Reply