Selected quad for the lemma: heart_n
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A52041
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A letter of spirituall advice written to Mr. Stephen Marshall in his sicknesse by one of his brethren in the clergy, Mart. I, M DC XLIII.
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One of his brethren in the clergy.; Marshall, Stephen, 1594?-1655.
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1643
(1643)
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Wing M760; ESTC R26802
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14,741
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22
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ought not so to have interessed your selfe in them 1. The parties oppos'd and in collision against one another in this warre are on the one side the Kings Majesty assisted by the most considerable part of the Nobility and Gentry and Commons and all the Clergy that are indeed the true English Protestant Clergy and on the other side No King nor so much as an usurping pretended King but onely Subjects or such as ought to be such and have often sworne they will be such and among them the only forward persons are Sectaries such as abhorre the established Doctrine and Discipline of our Church as appeares in that wheresoever almost that Army comes there is all the violence and despight imaginable exercised against the Leiturgy and Ceremonies of the Church and persons of Church-men witnesse Canterbury Worcester Winchester Salisbury and the other day Lambeth And herein I accuse you first or rather I desire you that you would permit your owne thoughts to accuse you I doe not yet say to condemne you but accuse you that you have forgotten or wilfully transgressed the duty of a minister of the Gospell of Peace in being forward to kindle a warre of what nature or with what pretences soever Do you in the Gospell Master S. Marshall which is your Commission find any encouragements or which is more any command to foment Warre From whence are Warres in generall and fightings among you S. James will answer Come they not even {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} from your lusts which warre in your Members Christ our Master indeed sayes that he came to send fire and the sword upon the Earth shewing not what he intended or commanded but what through the wickednesse and malice of Satan and prophane men would be a consequent of the preaching of the Gospell even that Gospell which is not withstanding the Gospell of meekenesse and patience and charity viz that the enemies thereof would expresse all possible fury and rage against it For that fire as appeares in the text is the Baptisme of persecutions wherewith Christ himselfe and his followers were to be baptized a warre wherein he and they were to be patients only and not agents he came not to put the sword into the hands but into the bowels of his owne servants You stand therefore accused for being active your selfe and encouraging other Christians to be active and invaders in this warre for being a most unchristian Baptizer of Christians with this fire But secondly the accusation against you for being a fomenter of warre in Subjects against their lawfull Prince acknowledged for such both by you and them is farre more heavy and pressing I know you have pretty distinctions whereby you can gaine applause of your hearers by dividing the King from Charles Stuart and defending the one by murthering the other but remember now it is God your own conscience before whom I accuse you who will prove Judges too cunning for such distinctions For Gods sake therefore lay your hand upon your heart and aske your owne soule what pretence or excuse can be found for this in any law either of the Kingdome of England or Heaven Is there any one word either in the Common or Statute Law which allowes an English Subject with Armes in hand to resist the King in person Is he not indeed and as you have often sworne to acknowledge him the supreame Monarch in his dominions does not all exercise of coercion and power from all Courts issue by his writ Have not all subordinate Magistrates their power from him and therefore are they not with respect to him meere private persons Do the two Houses of Parliament themselves in all their addresses petitions c. unto His Majesty assume any other title unto themselves both severally and joyntly but onely your Majesties most humble and faithfull Subjects These things being so you knowing them to be so I beseech you next search diligently the Gospell find but one clause where you are allowed or where the least suspicion may be given you that you may hope that you may in any case be allowed to dispence with this your duty to His Majesty and I will confesse that you and your friends only have shewed your selves good Subjects and good Christians and that all we who pray for him and wish him victory in this warre are Traitors to him and Apostates from Christianity But no such thing appearing as you too well know for I wish for your owne sake that it were but ignorance that has made you so zealous in the cause as you have been how can you read or but think upon the beginning of the 13 Chap. to the Rom. without horrour and secret wishes that S. Paul had had no inke to write words that will prove so fatall against you Is that Chapter Master Marshall a part of that Covenant by which you must be judged at the last day And can you hope to appeare with any confidence when that Chapter shall be charg'd upon you Consider Sir from whom has the King His power is it not from God Does not S. Paul say expressely he is the Minister of God His Vice-gerent to exercise some Acts which not the consent of all the men in the world have right to invest him with For he beares the sword that is the power of life and death Has any man power over his owne life to relinquish it at his pleasure And it being sure he hath not can he communicate to another the disposition of his owne life over which no man but God only or they to whom God delegates his power have Authority no certainly Master Marshall There is no power at least no such power but of God the powers that are are ordained of God Insomuch that you will not find any example of Capitall punishments in the world exercised by any till God gave that power to man which to my understanding he first gave and then only in the case of murder to Noah Gen 9. 4 5 6. so that before it was under a dire punishment forbidden to kill even that murderous wretch Cain himselfe The people then though they choose the person of their King which questionlesse they did by direction from God at the first yet not they but God only gives him this supereminent power over life and death with regard whereto doubtlesse he call's Kings and all supreame Governours especially Elohim and saith By me Kings raigne whosoever therefore saith S. Paul resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation These will prove sad words Master Marshall to a dying man that is guilty he hath in so high a nature resisted and taught others to do so too Especially considering that these precepts of obedience were by S. Paul given to us Christians at a time when the world was governed by such prodigious Tyrants as no History mentions the like either before or after them as if God intended