that many ichinges are purloined and much of the Kinges treasure mscarrieth in the way neither can a great part of that either come home to the kinges coffer or be brought to light which is either payed or receiued to and for the kinges vse such is the fault of Officers But to speake of my selfe I haue done that which I haue been able to do in mine office as mine owne cōscience testifieth for me be fore God and the king I haue taken the Accompts viewed the Audictes reckoned the Receites receiued in the moneis and duties I haue againe disbursed allowed paid out that which I haue or might haue receiued faithfully to the kinges vse that which remaineth is made knowne and I am alwayes readie both to yeeld an accompt of those things and of my dealinges therein I haue cleared my fingers and am ready to cleare my conscience I doubt not therefore but that as the king is wise hath two eares in his head so he hath not opened them both vnto him which hath sinistrelie accused or slaundered me before his royall presence but hath yet reserued the one of his eares for me Solomons discretiō in iudgment when I shall come forth to be heard in my honest iust defēce for this princelie virtue hath béen euer apparant and shining in the king from the tyme that he began to go out and in before vs and the people Such words spake Azariah the Collector and then gaue palce of speach vnto Benaiah the Captaine who had expected Benaiah the captaine declareth his integrity for his owne discharge in his office as yet when he might haue the like oportunity to speake for himselfe amongst the rest * And thus he prostested with great boldnesse Being placed ouer the kinges hoastes I haue béene also ready for my part in all pointes to do my duetie and to eschew and abandon the contrary as any other whatsoeuer I know how ready some are to leauie warres and to wage battailes without the Princes authority how hasty some are to ioyne their authoritie to old soares when they would be reuenged how some haue vpon displeasure pressed forth the vnworthy to serue in the Kinges warres and againe for money haue released and sent them home againe which were meetest for the seruice how some haue reteined to themselues the poore Souldiers paie and others haue receiued from the kinges Treasure pay for many more then they haue had in their Bandes And to passe ouer other particular faultes committed by them whome the king hath authorized to deale in his warres many haue dealt most vngodly respecting neither the cause nor the kinges commaundement nor the defence of the innocent nor the safetie of their Countrie nor the ouerthrow or weakning of the enemie nor any thing else besides the spoile for their owne lucre or the victorie for their owne glory For mine owne part I know iust warres are not vnlawfull nor vnméete for a godly man to fight in The honor of a good Souldier the duety of a Captaine and the office of a Captaine therein is an honourable calling and therefore ought to bee vsed and esteemed accordingly I haue not béen ignorant what thing this profession is what is the right end and vse of the same what is the dutie and office of a Captain who ought to be chosen for Souldiers and what they be what thinges are to be considered in them what thinges are necessarie how to place the companies and bandes what directions to giue what caueats how to encounter with the enemie how to fight how to triumph after victory such like The whole estate of a kingdome is contained in two partes wherof the one is Iudiciall the other Military and this Military part is euen a kind of prudence ordained for the common good There is prudence singular prudence oeconomicall prudence royall prudence politicall prudence in fiue points and prudence militarie By the first a man gouerneth himselfe by the second he gouerneth his houshold by the third a kingdome by the fourth a Cittie by the fift he defendeth and maintaineth the common good And here I haue considered this ende that as lawes doe chiefly respect the common good so is warfare instituted for the defence and maintainance of that common good either of the kingdome or Citty And for this purpose I haue considered from whence disturbances haue come to the common peace which might hinder that good whether by the sedition of Cittizens or by the oppression of innocentes or by incursions or inuasions of forraigne enemies and thereupon by the kinges commaundement and warrant I haue suppressed th' one and defended th' other I haue thereto made choice of méete and able persons for my souldiers as namely strong manly bolde nimble well set and of sufficient yeares aboue all I haue regarded such as feare the Lord loue the Kings Maiestie and the common-wealth of the Countrey Iudg. 7.3.4 remembring what the Lord charged to Gedeon for the choice of his Souldiers of the which sorte I estéeme tenne before an hundred of all others Furthermore to euery one I haue caused such meete weapons and furniture to be committed as best fitteth their strength knowledge and constitution of body That now they might know that they ought to bee as Doctors in their facultie Moreouer their apparrell their dyet their pay and their prouision in all partes haue also by my carefull prospection and direction béene duely proportioned and appointed vnto them without deniall diminution tasking telling wringing polling delay or any other inconuenience which might any way hinder or discourage them And I haue caused mine vnder Captaines to do the like After this I haue considered of the number of the daily practises of the constitution of the strength of the industrie of the virilitie of the enemies I haue also considered of the armour the victuals the places the times the aides of either partie I haue weighed where should be placed the horsemen where the footemen How many should be vnder the conduct of one Captaine how many vnder another I haue caused them to haue directions of their wayes in writing I haue placed in the Campes prudent Counsellors for aduise and direction to the Captaines I haue aduised that they conioyne and holde their forces together not to be dispersed that they keepe their purposes secret especially from the enemie I haue willed them to encounter with the enemy in the name and feare of God as Gedeon and David and Abraham and as Barach Moses Iosua and as Iepthe and such other noble Captaines haue done and therin not to feare And lastly hauing stroken down or dispersed the enemie I haue charged them to consider from whom the victory commeth as namely from the Lord of hostes who is the chiefe warriour mighty and glorious in battaile as David the king saith and then not to forget nor neglect to giue and ascribe vnto his high Maiestie the honour
volume of the booke it is written of mee that I should fulfill thy will O my God I am content to doe it Thus was the most holy sonne and worde of God brought in talking with his father touching mans redemption and shewing both his willingnes and obedience to relieue the state of mankind Hereof it was that the Lord God decreed and said that the womans seed should tread on the serpents head Gen. 3. which signified that one should be borne of the womans body the which the Serpent had corrupt that should not onely purifie her and all mankind but also confound the Serpent and all his power From the which time our fathers haue expected we as yet expect and waite for the comming of that holy Seede Now here by the way wee may consider that albeit the Lord God be wonderfull mercifull vnto mankind he doth not ouerthrow therin his Iustice How the Lord was both iust and mercifull but obseruing either he expresseth great Equitie in a wonderfull for t For beholde hee laid that on his sonne which was due vnto man and againe hee gaue that vnto man which was onely proper to his sonne hee laid mans sinne and faults on his sonne hee imputed the righteousnes of his sonne vnto man In th' one appeared his iustice in th' other his mercy And in them both conioyned equitye That which was due vnto man the holy seed taketh on himselfe namely mans punishment which mans nature could not beare that which the holy seede merited namely eternall life the Lorde gaue vnto man for the sinne of man which deserued death was imputed vnto this seede and the Iustice of the holy seed which deserued Heauen was imputed vnto man I meane vnto them onely that by faith depend on that promise and those be the same whom the Lord God had before loued elected and predestinated to eternall glory and whome hee would not by any meanes permit to perrish and dye for euer This is the onely recouery of mankind and hope of his health This is that eternall verity and obiect of our faith This is the same whereunto all the law and the Prophets and all the tipes and figures both of them before vs and of them now in daily vse do aime point Promises of the Messiah Gen. 6. Gen. 22. Gen. 22.18 and direct vs for all succour helpe comfort and reliefe The decree and promise of this seede was after this confirmed to Noah to whome the Lorde said With thee wil I make my covenant thou shalt come into the Arkè But more plainly to our father Abraham to whome the Lorde declared this Sauiour and said of him In thy seede shall all the nations of the earth bee blessed The same which was called the seede of the Woman is now called the seede of Abraham for the Lorde woulde that hee shoulde come of Abrahams Seede after the flesh Prophesies of Messiah Gen. 49. Exod. 4.13 This is that whome Iacob our Father called Shilo and prophesyed that he should come in the tribe of Iudah And to him should be the gathering of the people This is that same to whome Moses pointed in the booke Velleschemoth when he saide to the Lord. Send I pray thee by the hand of him whome thou wilt send Deut. 18.15.18 and in his booke Haddebarim the Lorde himselfe calleth him a Prophet saying thus vnto Moses I will raise them vp a Prophet from among their brethren like vnto thee This is the same the holy man Iob calleth his Redeemer whome hee knewe to liue Iob. 19. Num. 14.17 This is that bright Starre and Scepter of the which Baalam did prophesie in Moses Booke Vaiedabber saying there shall come a Starre of Iacob and rise a Scepter in Israel 2. Sam. 7.12.13 14. This is that true King of peace promised to David the Kinges Father in 2. Schemuel 7. that Seede of David and Davids Lorde whose throne shall bee established for euer To bee short this is that lively Image of God and King of glory without all spot or blemish most mightye wise and excellent which shall in his time new builde Heirusalem and prepare himselfe an holy Temple and house for his worshippe therein I meane a Church spiritually framed and gloriously garnished after that proportion and forme which David the Kinges Father gaue and prescribed him according to the writing thereof which hee had receiued from Iehovah his God and the which the King hath in his time of peace builded and perfected accordingly Therefore of this holy Seede sang the Princely Prophet in many Psalmes calling him sometimes Gods Sonne sometimes a King psal 2.45.110 sometimes the King of glory sometimes a Priest eternall after the order of Melchisedek sometimes his Lorde sometimes his God sometimes his Redeemer sometimes his Saviour sometimes the Messiah or Annointed of Iehovah And as this holy Seede hath beene thus promised and foretolde of and belieued to come into the worlde Shadowes tipes and figures of Messiah The tree of life in paradise Abel Abraham Noah so hath hee beene shadowed typed and prefigured As first by the tree of life in Paradise of the which if our first parentes had taken and eaten they had neuer dyed but should haue liued foreuer Next by the Sacrifices of Abel Abraham others in the which it pleased God to declare himselfe gratious This Noah also prefigured when the Lord made him the finisher of the old world and the beginner of the new To the same pointed Melchisedek and Melchisalem Melchisedek to shew that he was a King and a Priest A King of peace and righteousnes and a priest of the highest God for euer as without beginning and without ending for the number of his daies may not bee reckoned or knowne The same was signified in the ladder our father Iacob saw Iacobs ladder Moses Iosuah by the which the angels did ascend and descend to and from heauen He was fore-shewed a deliuerer from thraldome in Moses and a Sauiour in Iosuah for Moses brought our fathers out of the land of Egypt and Iosuah conducted them inherited them and preserued them in the promised land Also Aaron the priest of the Lorde prefigured him with his Vrim and Thumim Aaron The pascall Lambe c To the same also serued the vse of the Pascall Lambe and those other symboles and sacraments in the Wildernes as the Manna from heauen the Water from the rocke Iudges and such like In the booke of * Shophtim is mention made of many bodily Saviours by the which was mistically shewed the person and office of Messiah There was Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel And within our age Sampson Gedeon Othoniel Ieptha Samuel David the calling annointing and manner of the raigne and condition of David foreshewed the same For all these things my Lordes haue and do rightly aime to that most holy Messiah whome the Lord God would that men should belieue and expect and
burthen and poore men satisfied in their iust requests 16. They had the ingenie and vertue to inuestigate vnderstand and make knowne to the king the whole estate and principall affaires of his kingdome 17. They were both able willing to cheare the subiects to correct their acttions to salue their sores to consolate the afflicted to tolerate the simplicitie of the ignorant by a fatherly connivance and to gouerne not only the whole but euery particular member of the common wealth 18. Lastly they had a chiefe regarde of their oath to God and the king as Solomon himselfe aduised them fearing God and keeping his commandements wherein the whole duty not onely of euery man but especially of such princely personages consisteth And this Solomon well obseruing as hee had an heroicall spirite so procéeded he to consider of and to reward their good deserts according to their seruices done and after the terme of the imposition of his will that they might further be encouraged in their places of gouernment but those placed he in the highest grade of remuneration whose good seruice he had approued most profitable and so orderly euery one of the rest after his place had both his qualification rewarde of the same for the king being conuersant with those his princes he honoured the honour worthy and held euery one in his sorte he inuited to his owne Table this day one the next day another adorning this man now and that man then according to his degrée Neither was any one of them neglected or left without some taste of his bounty yea his clemency liberality grace was apparent to all for he was neuer of the mind or semblance to be couetous towards his subiects whiles he was bountifull to himselfe but as I said bountifull to all but especially to those his princes and them which had best deserued in their faithfull seruices Now by this the sooner the true religion florished the common-wealth of Israel prospered and the highest of all was wonderfull well pleased with the king with his Nobles and with the people in those his happy daies wherein as he was not inferiour to any Prince in the whole world so neither was the kingdome of Israel thereby lesse prosperous then any kingdome on the earth yea this nation and their policie was to all others by many degrées preferred through this grace and blessing of the Lord both on them and their king Truly these be the things which the noble Counsaylors of kings and Princes most respect according to the right of their degrées the dignities of their functions the duties of their places and the diuine prescription knowing this to be the verie end of their preferments and the same which finally crowneth them that are worthie with the highest honour as we haue séene it verified in the examples of Abraham Moses Iehosuah Ioseph Samuel and Dauid the Kinges Father Whereas the neglect or abuse of this princely duty which is often found in them which ambitiously aspire for their proper pleasures vain glory or filthy lucre hath occasioned euen mighty men in the world shamefully to couch and fall downe vnder ignomy and finally to dye without any honour as we may behold in the fearefull examples of Cain Nimrod Achitophel Ioab Shimei Adonia Doeg and many such like But yet behold After many prosperous and florishing daies of peace and pleasing tranquillity this wise king euen Solomō began more and more to decipher his infirmities and to manifest himselfe as indeede he was a mortall yea a sinfull man For as Sathan who had long time envied his happy state and royall dignity suggested euill in his heart and tempted him to sinne against Iehouah his God thereby entending to ouerwhelme him his kingdome as sometimes he assayed to effect against righteous Iob whereon the Lord who had thus long staide him vp with his diuine power permitted him at the length to fal that for some good causes to himselfe wel known howbeit within the compasse of such a limit and measure as he should not defect and fall away from him for euer But King Solomon was as it were for a time committed I say not to Sathan but to himselfe who beeing so left notwithstanding his excéeding great wisedome soveraigne dexteritie in iudgement soone forgat himselfe his condition his duty and the law of his God following after the sensuall humour of a humain mind and prave affection he bowed his loynes vnto Women yea to many outlandish strange Women contrary to th'xpresse commandement of Iehouah his God whereby in his elder dayes being quite ouercome in his bodie turning away his hart from the Lord and affecting those vaine Gods which his wiues worshipped he wrought wickednes before Iehouah his God and walked not vprightly in his law by doing whereof he stained his honour defiled his posterity brought wrath on his children and felt sorrow for his folly For the Lord who had before graced and magnified him being iustly prouoked was very angry with him and in his fierce yet iust wrath not only minaced the diuision of his kingdome in the dayes of his Successor namely Rehoboam but stirred vp against him to that end euen in his latter time sundry Satans or aduersaries who euer crossing thwarting his peace purposes drenched him with manie bitter potions to the noysome disturbance of that blessed tranquillity which his name imported th'exéeding sorrow of his people dayly vexed with incursions of enemies and the continuall agony of his oppressed soule which both day and night felt the gnawing of a restles worme within his consciēce And here we obserue two memorable things for admonition and instruction to all posterities first what is the nature of man with his condition when hee is left or committed to himselfe not stayed or assisted by the diuine grace Next how little the Lord God regardeth them that turne their harts frō him how wise or magnificent soeuer they bee in their places before men We know how true and too often that is verified which King Dauid said in his godly meditations that man being in honour hath none vnderstanding and therefore is compared to that Beast which perisheth For thus Adam the Lord of the whole earth beeing left vnto himselfe with Lady Hevah his wife though in the most blessed Pallace of pleasant Paradise within short time transgressed the commaundement and expressed folly Thus Prince Noah after his laborious trauails on the huge deluge at length being at ease and as it were cōmitted to himselfe was made druncken with wine and lay vncouered before his children Thus good Lot after that Sodom was burned and himselfe but a little refreshed fell into both the sinne of drunkennes and inceste Thus Israel both in the wildernes and in the land of Canaan franked and pampered with prosperitie wherein they too much admired their owne valour forgat the Lord went a whoaring after strange Gods and fell to ruin Saul the late king plaied a plain
the glory and the prayse for euer As Moses and Barach and David haue worthily taught by their holy examples in the like case These be the thinges my Lordes which in my dutie among others I haue duely regarded to be performed Besides this I haue had a care neither to wrong or oppresse any man nor to be reuenged on any mā vnder colour of mine authority as my predecessor Ioab hath oftentimes done to the great affliction of David the kinges father wherewith being much grieued he could often complaine and lament with teares as then when Ioab had killed the noble Captaine Abner Davids friend But some peraduenture scarcely will belieue this secing they haue neither beene companions of my trauelles in those affaires nor been acquainted with my manner of dealing for the king howbeit I perswade that the King knoweth all this to be true which I haue said for he hath beene certified from time to time not onely by my selfe but by others about me which accustom not to glorie of the truth of al things If the King knew it not nor could bee perswaded to belieue me yet I am sure that the Lord of heauen knoweth it with the same mine owne pure conscience testifieth in me and for me Although I haue beene a Souldier my Lords and now a Captaine and man of warre appointed ouer the Kings hostes yet I praise God for this that I haue alwaies feared God and obserued a good conscience the which whosoeuer respecteth not nor regardeth may happily be as strong in body as Goliah but he shall neuer preuaile with David hee may peraduenture goe forth with Gedeon but he shall be as fit for Gedeons warre as were those doggish lappers and those faint hearted dastardes whome hee sent backe againe Whatsoeuer some say which neyther know the one nor regard in their dealinges to expresse the other I know it is a fearefull thing to goe forth to the warres without God and a miserable thing to want a good conscience in the warres This regarded Abraham and Moses Iosuah Othoniel Sampson Gedeon Iepthe Dauid and therefore haue been noble warriours and happy in battels And this I would aduise all them that goe forth to the wars to respect as they would tender their owne welfare prosperity in the same But to be briefe I esteeme my selfe frée from all offence iustly offered to the kings Grace in this case And now my Lordes I thinke verily The cause of the k. affliction supposed not to rise from any of the Lordes that wee neede to looke further then into any of our selues here assembled if we shall find the cause of the kings affliction Neither ought this to be procrastinated lest by our delay the king perish vnder our hands and all things grow out of order to the griefe of the kinges friendes and dutifull Subiects and to the glorie of his Enemies Nor may wee think but that though the king haue many friends which are right glad to heare of his prosperitie yet he is not quite free from such enemies as enuie and hate both him and his felicity These be they which can very hardly be perswaded to thinke or speake well of his maiestie but to doe and to vtter out that which may anie way hurt or blemish his roiall honour they are alwaies readie and waite for their occasions Besides that wee may with others perswade and be thereof grieued in our heartes that the king being in this time troubled in minde and disquietted in his soule cannot well vse the faculty of reason albeit he be so wise a man as neither the eye in the head nor any member in the humaine bodie is wel able to execute his proper function when the same shal be molested or blemished And therfore it cannot bee that he shall well gouerne and iudge his people after the discretion and wisdome of a Prince except that speedie meanes be found and applyed to withstand this dangerous inconueniences CAP. VIII Zadok the high Priest and Abiather the priest disdaine not to examine themselues and are cleare in iudgement with the rest King Solomons Princes and Lords hauing thus farre pleaded for themselues in the audience of Zadok and Abiather who vntill now had holden themselues silent listning and pondring of that which had beene spoken in the end they both also vouchsafed the like But first Abiather by Zadoks leaue began in this sorte Why should I be silent in this examination Abiather the Priest here clereth himself in his function seeing that euery one of you my Lordes hath declared his integritie and cleared himselfe in iudgement against the King In what soeuer his Grace be displeased I know for my part that I haue not faulted as that other Abiather faulted whom therfore the king worthily depriued of his place and dignitie for albeit I haue the like name yet God forbid I should be of the like nature and quality nor haue I euer minded to worke treacherie as he did against my Lord the king nor do I know that in any part of my ministerie I haue so offended as wherof his Maiestie might iustly conceiue any such displeasure or sorrow of mind Howsoeuer others in this function haue béene approued how they haue entred how they haue behaued themselues and neglected or transgressed their duties I hope that shall not bee laide to my charge Yee know well that according to the election of such as I am what view examination The election and entrance of priestes Leuit. 2◠triall and approbation hath beene made of me the law ordained in that respect hath béen sufficientlie respected exacted and performed that so I might be made fit for the place for the better seruice of the Lord knowing wel that none of them which were either halt or blind might be permitted to dwel within the gates of the tower of Zion but were by the kings father expelled kept out that the place being of such purged 2. Sam. 5.8 they which reteined the right vrim thūmim might enter remain therin for the seruice of God honor of the king Neither vsed I any vngodly or indirect meanes for mine entrance I came not in by the windows or by the clifts of the wals as théeues and murtherers accustom to do but by the gates the dores being set opē as right lawful it was for me to doe yea they which were both of authority of a fellowship in the house of the Lord were as willing and glad to receiue entertain me therein as I was willing ready to enter Hauing thus entred I haue bin as careful to perform obserue my dutie I haue sacrificed praied taught ministred in my due course according to the order effect of the priests office with al diligence to my power knowing that it is no small danger no lesse disgrace to a mā of my profession to expresse one thing in habite and another thing