Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n
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A34365
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God and the king, or, Monarchy proved from Holy Writ to be the onely legitimate species of politick government, and the onely polity constituted and appointed by God wherein the phantasied principles of supereminencing the peoples welfare above the kings honour, and popular election of kings are manifested to be groundless and unseasonable / briefly collected by Robert Constable.
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Constable, Robert.
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1680
(1680)
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Wing C5935; ESTC R24780
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17,869
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35
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the restitution of their Lawful Soveraign to his just Rights as Jehojada and the people restored Jehoash by the Deposition and Murther of Athaliah after she had Raigned peaceably for six years 2 King 11. and as the people restored Vzziah by the Deposition of those Conspirators who slew his father Amaziah after they had Raigned peaceably eleven years 2 Chron. 26. Quest If it be not Lawful for a people to Elect their own King nor any means assigned by God for Collation of this honour but either Birth-right or Conquest what is to be done when the Royal Family is Extinct and no Conquerer doth claim and where a mixt multitude amongst whom there is no Relation of Blood to Preheminence one above the rest do consent to make a Plantation and to Erect a new Commonwealth Ans Samuel hath set us a President in this case 1 Sam. 10. 20 21. For though the Lord had revealed his will to Samuel concerning his own Election and appointment of Saul to be King 1 Sam. 9. 15. yet because Samuel foreknew that King should be a Tyrant to plague the people for their Idolatrous Trust in a King he concealed that Revelation and would not nominate their King lest the people should afterwards when they suffered by Sauls oppression blame Samuel for appointing him but used the means of Lots to declare the will and pleasure of God in Electing of a King unto the people And the like was used by the Eleven Apostles when they had no warrant from God to Appoint or Elect another Apostle nor durst presume to confer that High calling upon any man without a warrant from God as you may read Acts 1. 23. So that in both those cases mentioned in this question we are to use the means of Lots for that means is likewise warranted by God where his will is not otherwise known and declared Prov. 16. 33. but the peoples Election is absolutely unlawful as the premises I hope have sufficiently manifested either in those or any other cases And this of the Efficient Causes of Monarchy The End or Final Causes thereof are either Principal and that is Gods Glory and the Kings Honour or less Principal and that is the Subjects welfare The principal End of Monarchy is either as the Schoolmen term it Originans which is Gods Glory or Originatus that is the Kings Honour Now concerning the Original Principal End which is Gods Glory it is to be understood that we do not speak of it here in its extent and latitude as it is the universal end of all things but onely as it is limited to Monarchical Actions and Duties in which sence Gods Honour and the Kings are not really but modally onely different both of them consisting in the very same Duties and are of the same Nature in reference to Monarchy For all excellency worth and goodness is radically and essentially in God from whom is communicated Personae honoratae that worth and goodness for which he is honoured and esteemed And therefore this Politick honour which Preheminences the Monarch above all others in the same Society is that excellency which God communicates to him enabling him for the execution of the Duties of his Calling in the Rule and Government of his people and subjects and with a Power to constitute and Enact Laws and Statutes for the Publick good and benefit of the Common-wealth and with power to execute the same Lawes either by remunerating the integrity of pious and just men according to the merits of their service and obedience or by correcting and punishing the Delinquences of Disobedient and evil men For a Seditious person seeketh onely evil and a cruel messehger shall be sent against him Prov. 17. 11. Obj. But it may be objected that seeing the Kings Honour is subsequent to Gods Glory it being the chief principal End of Monarchy that then when the Kings Commands are contrary to Gods we may resist Sol. We may resist his Commands but not his Power for in those Cases we must obey God by an Active the King onely by a Passive Obedience For which we have the president of the Apostles themselves Acts 4. 5. who did refuse to obey the Commands of the Rulers prohibiting them to preach in the Name of Jesus but yet submitted to their power in yeiding themselves to be imprisoned and beaten according to the commands of the Rulers So that they obeyed both God and the Magistrate the first by doing the latter by suffering For Rom. 13. we must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for Conscience sake by Christs example who needed not to have submitted to Pilate or the Jews for wrath for he was able to overthrow them all with a blast of the breath of his mouth but yet to honour the Substitute and Deputy of his Father he submitted to their power Acts 4. 28. which is the Ground of Nazianzens advise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must submit to good Kings as to the Lord himself to bad Kings for the Lords sake And Solomon Eccles 10. 20 makes this more evident where he extends the Honour and reverence due to Kings unto the very thoughts and imaginations of the heart notwithstanding they were both Fools Tyrants and Idolaters for when Solomon prohibited the cursing of the King yea even in the thought he was not ignorant that Saul had been a Tyrant himself an Idolater and that his Son Rehoboam who should succeed him was a fool Object You will say what must men then think and believe manifest lyes must we neither say nor think that those Kings are evil and wicked which manifest themselves to be such in all their actions such as the Scriptures record for most infamous and notorious finners Sol. Kings in reference to their duty towards God may be more wicked than other men because they may offend in a double capacity First In their Natural by transgressing Gods Commandments which do oblige them equally as they do other men Secondly In their Politick as Gods Deputies by breach of that Trust which God hath reposed in them for Ruling and Governing of his people according to Justice and Equity But in reference to their duty towards us they cannot do wicked things as before shewed so that the words of Solomon are to be understood onely of Kings in reference to the exercise of their Power upon us which whether it be for good or hurt is still from God And therefore we may not think them evil and unjust to us for the Judgement is not theirs but Gods Prov. 26. 29. who cannot be unjust Now as God did deligate unto Kings a Power over our persons in his Ordinance for their Primary power and Authority so did he likewise give them a Power over our Estates for the Magnificent Maintenance and support of that Honour which is their Secondary honour of Maintenance and Revenue Which was the ground of Christs command Matth. 22. 21. to render a Tribute of our Goods to Caesar intimating that this temporal honour of Tribute was by vertue of Gods Deligation as due unto Caesar as the spiritual honour of Praise and Worship was unto God And upon the same ground St. Paul commands to render Custome and Tribute to Kings not as a gift and favour but as a due and just debt Rom. 13. 7 and gives this reason for it because they are Gods Ministers appointed to supply his place in Ruling and Judging us And seeing God hath transferred the greater power to Kings viz. over our lives by putting the sword into his hands the Apostle thence concludes their Investiture with the less viz. a Power over our Estates and the like Power we see exercised by Pharao in that Ordinance for storeing up a fifth part of all the Corn in Egypt for seven years together which Law was Enacted by Pharao upon the single Counsel of Joseph with the Approbation onely of Pharao's servants or Council and not by the general consent of the people Gen. 41. 34. neither can we pretend this Law to be Tyrannical for it proceeded from the wisdom of God who in this business directed the mind of Joseph Gen. 45. 57. nor can any man imagine but the State and magnificence of Saul David Jeroboam and others who of private persons and others were advanced by God himself to Regal Honour and Dignity was supported by this means of Custome and Tribute nor do I find any particular Law or Statute for the particular endowment of those Kings but onely that general Right and Prerogative which they derive from God Investing them with a Power over both our Persons and Estates And now I hope our obedience either Active or Passive being a necessitated Duty and incumbency upon us as the premises do sufficiently declare to be performed both from our Persons and Estates to our Lawful King and Monarch doth absolutely manifest the peoples welfare to be the less principal end of Monarchy which though it be really distinct from the Kings honour yet is indeed a meer result and product of the same For Salus populi can never be effected or energated by any other means but those which in the first place do effectuate and energate the Kings honour whether we look upon the Monarchical Actions of King or Subjects both which are versant about the same object and matter onely in a divers manner For the King is Interested onely in the Active part of Government by Enacting and duly Executing of Lawes for Gods Glory his own honour and the peoples welfare the people in the Passive part of Government by their obedience and submission to such Laws and Commands of the King the violation whereof is a direct means of Dishonour to God and the King and of Ruine and of Destruction to the people FINIS * Quicquid est quod dat patri filius utique minus est quia hanc ipsam dandi facultatem patri debet Seneca lib. 3. †1 Tim. 5. 4. a The Stork * St. Leonards Colledge in St. Andrews in Scotland and Graies Inne in London lib. de Moderatione in disp Servand Ad rusticum Monachum * Jerom. cap. 1. ad Titum Ep. ad Evagrium