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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
ground_n	authority_n	scripture_n	word_n	1,782	5	4.5549	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A89085	Curse not the King. A sermon preached at St. Martin's in the Fields, on the 30th of January, 1660. Being the anniversary day of humiliation for the horrid murder of our late gracious soveraign Charles the I. By John Meriton, M.A. rector of the church of St. Nicholas Acons, London, and lecturer to that congregation.	Meriton, John, 1636-1704.	1661 (1661)	Wing M1817; Thomason E1084_7; ESTC R202914	21,267	35

reprieval of a death-bed nay the bones of some who to a wonder have died quietly in their beds have not rested quietly in their graves Divine vengeance hath set them up as Sea-marks for others to avoid whose sin was the removal of antient Land-marks Thirdly Cursing the King in thought is a sin against publique Peace and Happiness Society is the guardian of man Peace the guardian of Society Justice the guardian of Peace the Law the guardian of Justice and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 King the Guardian of the Law and were not he a God to man one man would soon prove a Wolf nay a Devil to another were there no Ruler every one would be a Ruler and every Ruler a Tyrant Life liberty and estate would be exposed to the violence lust and rapine of every one that had but an heart and hand to assault them Should such as wish evil to Kings be taken at their words and have their desires granted and gratified by Gods taking them them away in wrath the issue should be the same that followed Phaetons overturning his Chariot and let our experience speak the sad fruit of Magistratus est illud vinculum per quod Respublica cohaeret est spiritus ille vitalis quem haec ●ot Millia trahunt nihil ipsa per se futura nisi onus praeda s● mens illa imperii subtrahatur Sen. l. 1. de Cl●m this days sin a general combustion and we should be reduced to that sad complaint of the Prophet being as the fishes of the Sea and creeping things where the great ones cat up the little ones because they have no Ruler over them Hab. 1. 14. Murder would be valour Robbery equity Fraud and Couzenage ingenuity exaction exactness every one would give out a measuring yard of Justice as King Henry the First did by the length of his own arm and all right would be tried as it is amongst Doggs by the teeth only Were not the Magistrate maintained in his Power and Dignity every man would be President of an High Court of Justice to speak Axes and Halters without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theodoret. Ora● 7. deprovid controle and shoot Bullets as boyes do pease by his breath or with Cain scorn to be his brothers Keeper and not fear to be his Brothers Butcher Fourthly Cursing the King in thought is a sin that many times breaks out into open R●bellion it begins under-ground but ends not there They despise Dominion and Jude 8. speak evil of Dignities Evil surmisings of the King Tuned up in the heart frequently ferment rise up and run over in treasonable words and practises Michal despises 2 Sam. 6. David in her heart and then falls into a downright railing upon him a yeilding to such unworthy thoughts is like firing the priming-powder in the Pan it s a wonder if it proceeds not to further mischief or like wilde-fire upon a Rope lighted at one end it runneth to the other Corah's Conspiracy Absaloms Rebellion the Horrid Powder-Treason and that execrable Fact that we this day lament before the Lord were branched Trees that began in this small covered Mustard seed and fiery flying Serpents hatcht out of this Cockatrice Egge Thus much for the Doctrinal part I proceed now to Application use 1 The first Use I shall make shall be to deduce some Corollaries by way of Instruction viz. These five following 1. Hence we may fetch an Argument for the Divine original and Authority of Scripture it being a Law given to the thoughts whereof humane Laws can take no cognizance Though it is true the Law of England makes it Treason to imagine the death of the King yet it annexeth no punishment unless when those imaginations appear above ground but the Scripture prohibits treasonable thoughts and that under a penalty a convincing Argument that it cometh from God the Searcher and Supervisor of thoughts for the obligation of no Law can extend further then the Authority and Jurisdiction of the Legislator Now the holy Scriptures both here and elsewhere fixing bounds to our thoughts which can no more be confined or kept in compass by Laws of mans making then a Pigeon can be hedg'd in a Pinfold It is an unanswerable evidence that they are from him thoughts being only open to his knowledge and under his judicature the Apostle doubts not to call it Gods Word which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a discerner of Heb. 4. 12. the thoughts 2. Hence I infer the Wise wonderful Providence of God for mans welfare who hath set up and secured Kings in order to our security No creature wants so much a Ruler as man other creatures come into the world Cooks Physitians Taylors Carpenters Souldiers to themselves armed apparelled and otherwise accouter'd by nature they bring as it were a train of Artillery along with them only poor man comes naked without Factum est ●ut non sine Dei providentiâ quidam essent regnis praediti quidam regnantibus subditi Aug. de Civ Dei lib. 18. skill strength or weapon And Oh how good is God that provides protectors for us and protection for them violent bloody and unreasonable men fear not Hell so much as the Halter the terrous of the Magistrate is more dreadful to them then the wrath and curse of God like some silly and timerous children that quake and tremble at the flash of lightning or roaring noise of the Thunder cop 2. more then at the killing stroke of the bolt Now how doth God manifest his Mercy and express a tender compassionate care for our quiet comfortable passage through a transitory troublesome world that defends us with Rulers and by such prohibitions as that of the Text is himself the defence of Rulers as when the husbandman sets a quick hedge to preserve his pastures from the intrusions of beasts from without and compasses it with a Rail or covers it with Bushes that it be not bitten or troden down by beasts within And it is most righteous with God that they should feel the Curse and smart of confused headless Anarchy who are not sensible of and thankful for the multiplied blessings of Regular well model'd Monarchy 3. Christianity destroyeth not but strengtheneth Magistracy One Ordinance of God doth not interfere with or abolish another The taking an Oath of Allegiance unto Christ doth not at all weaken but knit the sinews of our Allegiance to such as Rule by derived Authority from and in subordination unto Christ He maketh Rev. 1. 6. his Saints Kings and Priests but in a spiritual sence and as their being Priests doth not clash with the Office of Evangelical Ministry so their being Kings doth not in the least justle with lawful Magistracy they are Kings to God his Father and that is no ground of opposing or despising Kings that are Civil Fathers The Scepter of our Lord Christ swallows not up as Aarons Rod did the other the Scepters of earthly

and hath in this Text charged us that we charge not out hearts with the white Powder of disloyal thoughts sec●etly and without noise to murder and make away the Honour and Esteem of his Anointed Curse not the King no not in thy thought Some three or four verses before the Text Solomon insinuates and bewails the misery of a Nation by the mis-government of its Princes which may come to pass divers ways 1. By ignorance and unskilfulness ver 16. Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a child A child not in Age so much as in Experience A sad Pilot to be set at the Sterne that knows not his right hand from his left such a child 1 Kings 14. 21. was Rehoboam a child of one and fourty years old almost twice at age before once at years of discretion 2. By a Riotous intemperance and sensuality When thy Princes eat in the morning devoting the flower of their time that should be bestowed upon God and the Publique to excess and luxury 3. By stothfulness and a careless supine oscitancy ver 18. By much slothfulness the Building decaieth and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth thorow That Kingdome must needs run apace to ruine where the master Builder lets it rain thorow and rot the principals and never minds reparations And for this State-ill-husbandry Domitian stands upon Record who spent his time in making fly-traps 4. By an over-lavish and profase expensiveness vers 19. A Feast is made for laughter and Wine maketh merry but Money answereth all things q. d. Feasting and wine make merry but money makes the Feast and that must come out of the peoples purses Now let God have the praise that England subscribes not this woe by its present experience but may pity other Lands whose Princes are in some or more of these respects masters of mis rule as a man upon shoar is a sad spectator of a wrack at Sea But when it is thus and people over-burdened may be apt to kick and winse as the mad metall'd Horse would cast the Rider from off his galled back God hath in this Text senced in Princes as sacred Persons from the most secret projections of disloyalty setting their Subjects thoughts and consciences of their Life-guard and driving away the busie flies from sucking too much upon the sore place And much more when the King is Wise Temperate Diligent and Thristy Curse not the King no not in thy thought In the words we have a Prohibition And Reason 1. A Prohibition Curse not the King in thy thought Curse not the Rich in thy Bed-Chamber Where we may observe Three 1. An Act together with its prohibition reduplicated Curse not Curse not 2. This prohibited Act restrained and limited Not in thy Bed-Chamber nay not in that which is more secret and secure from Eves-dropping then thy bed-chamber Not in thy thought 3. The Persons against whom curses may not be levelled that are as by virtue of this sacred Charm to go free from this Gun-shot The King The Rich which are both one for by the Rich we must here understand the Ruler 2. A Reason taken from the certainty of discovery A Bird of the ayre shall carry the voice and that which hath wing shall tell the matter not only conscience the bird in the bosome will be disquieted and affright thee like a Scriech-Owl but the birds of the aire shall tell tales of thy Treason and publish that upon the Housetop which was hatcht in a corner Which may be understood Literally Or Metaphorically 1. Literally Rather then Treason shall go undiscovered bruit creatures shall turn Intelligencers as it s storied of Bessus that having murthered his Father he overthrew a Nest of Swallows that sate chattering by him because saith he they accuse me for killing my Father as Christ answered the Pharisees that would have had his Disciples checkt for praising God If these should have Luke 19. 40. held their peace the stones would immediately cry out That which hath wing it was a quill a piece of a wing that brought to light the hellish Powder-plot and hath been a pick-look to open the close Cabinet of many clancular and treasonable Conspiracies 2. It may be taken Metaphorically and so by the birds of the ayr some understand the Angels who like winged Eagles shall make report of thy secret wickedness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this sence is favoured by the Chaldec Paraphrase that runs thus Raziel the Angel cries continually out of Heaven apon Mount Horeb c. Others by these Birds of the air understand Fame a swift-winged Messenger as of reports we sometimes say I heard a Bird sing as if Targ● Quid est Catilin● quo● jam amplius exp●ctes si neque N●x tenebris obs●urare coetus nefarios nec privata Domus continere vocem conjurationis tuae potest si illustrantur si erumpant omnia Cicero in Catil orat 1. the Wise Man had said Take heed of treasonable disloyal Designes l●st thou hear of them again through fames Trumpet and that will report them with a shrill and f●ightful Eccho I purpose to insist upon the first Clause Curse not the King no not in thy thought And after a short Explication of the words I shall adde the Observations Curse not The word properly signifies to vilifie and dis-esteem it comes from a word that signifies Light as on the contrary Glory and Renown from a root that imports weight and heaviness It may here very properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 b● rendred Make not light of the King the same word is used Gen. 16. 5. when Sarah made her complaint to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Abraham that upon Hagars conception She was despised in her eyes and so 1 Sam. 2. 30. Them that honour me I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed That which this Text forbids is a slighting and irreverend dis-esteem of the King this God calls Cursing as it s said of Michal that she despised David in her heart And those filthy Dreamers of whom it is said they despise Dominion 2 Sam. 6. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies the dis-placing a thing Jude 8. with contempt and disdain as that which is unworthy to abide there any longer The King Neither his Person nor his Authority In thy thought In thy Conscience place no powder Barrels in thy inward parts tamper not with such fire-works as those which no creature can be privy to but thine own conscience the Law makes it Treason to falsifie the Kings Coyn It is Treason saith God to keep a Mint of disloyal thoughts going under ground I shall now sum up the words in two Propositions The one Implied The other Expressed 1. People are too apt to commit Treason in their thoughts 2. God allows not in Subjects a dishonourable dis-esteem of Princes 1. People are too apt to commit Treason in their