Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n
Text snippets containing the quad
|
ID |
Title |
Author |
Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) |
STC |
Words |
Pages |
|
A85738
|
Royalty and loyalty or A short survey of the power of kings over their subjects: and the duty of subjects to their kings. Abstracted out of ancient and later writers, for the better composeing of these present distempers: and humbly presented to ye consideration of his Ma.tie. and both Howses of Parliament, for the more speedy effecting of a pacification / by Ro: Grosse dd: 1647
|
Grosse, Robert, D.D.
|
1647
(1647)
|
Wing G2078; Thomason E397_3; ESTC R201664
|
38,810
|
64
|
of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours that are sent by him And presently after Feare God Honour the King From which wholsome doctrine of Saint Paul the Prophet Jeremiah and Saint Peter you may see not onely the pernicious tenets and positions of those and all other Schismatically affected Reformadoes alias Renegadoes confuted but the truth of obedience due to the Civill Magistrate confirmed and that in obedience honour reverence tributes and other duties formerly mentioned to be by Subjects performed to their Princes comprehended and enjoyned But to what kind of Princes do the Apostles c Prophets in Scriptures enjoyne these duties to be performed That wil be a question wel worth the time to be resolved especially at this time when every one almost doth take the liberty to himself peremptorily to affirm that Subjects ought not to give obedience to their King if he doth not as they they would have him wil not be perswaded ruled by them For say they it would not bee grievous or irksom to us to yeeld obedience and that respective observance w◠you have alleadged fro the Holy Scriptures unto good gracious Princes but it goes against our consciences to performe these duties to one King seeing hee swerves from the Holy Scriptures which are the word of God and wil not be ruled by his great Counsel but is seduced by Malignant Councellors to wicked and ungodly acts of tyrannie To this I answer That if our Gracious King which God forbid should degenerate so far from himself as to comit such outrages as they would suggest which blessed be God as hitherto he hath not nor is there likelyhood that he ever wil although if he were not so good and so gracious as he is he might soone by their rebellious carriage be invited to it yet they are bound in duty to performe obedience to him and not of as too many abuse 〈…〉 c misled do hand over headrise up in rebellion against him For if we consult the same Apostle and other places of the holy Scriptures we shall finde that the forementioned duties are not only to be performed to good and gracious Princes but even to wicked and Tyranicall even to those that are most cruel as were Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero For under all these the Apostles lived their Epistles coetanie to them directed for obedience to them Nor is it without good reason that such obedience should be given to them for they are of God as well as good Kings there is no power saith the Apostle but of God that is all power is from God onely For that negative Apostolicall Axiome is equipollent on all sides to an universall affirmative So Daniel telleth Nebuchadnezzer that the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over at the basest of men So Christ himselfe pronounceth of Pilate that wicked president of the Jews that he had no power over him were it not given him from above And therefore seeing their power is alike from God we must give the like obedience to them as to God It was the saying of him who sometimes was Nazianzens Worthie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Subjects must submit themselves to good and gracious Princes as to God and they must submit to evil and ungodly Princes for God that is because God hath so commanded it Let us heare the Fathers a little farther in this point and we shall finde that they doe all unanimously give their votes unto it Tertullian if we addresse our selves to him resolves us in these words For as much therefore as concernes the honour of Kings and Emperours we have a sufficient prescript that we should be subject according to the Apostles precept in all obsequiousnesse to Magistrates Princes and higher powers But yet within the bounds and limits of Religion so far as we are separated from Idolatrie For therefore is that example of the three brethren excelling who otherwise obsequious to King Nabuchodonosor did most constantly refuse to give honour to his Image proving that it was Idolatry whatsoever was exalted above the measure of humane honour after the manner of Divine Majesty And so Daniel relying upon Darius forother things so long continued in his office as he was free from the danger of his Religion But rather then he would run that hazard he did no more feare the Kings Lyons then the others were afraid of the Kings Fornace Optatus Milevitanus speaking of Davids observance to King Saul hath these words David had the opportunity of victory in his hands he might have killed his adversaries unwitting of him and secure without much adoe and he might have changed without much bloud-shed or the conflict of many his tedious warfare into a sudden slaughter both his servants and opportunity did invite him to it Opportunity did spur him on to Victory Now he began to draw his sword and now his armed hand was ready to seize upon his adversaries throat But the remembrance of divine institutions did altogether withstand these intentions He contradicts not onely his servants but opportunity egging him on to victory As if he should have said thus unto them O victorie causelesly dost thou provoke me on O victorie thou dost in vaine invite me to triumph I would willingly overcome mine enemie but I must first observe the commands of God I will not saith he lay my hands on the Lords Anointed He did represse both his hand and his sword and whiles he did revere the oyle he saved his adversary and performing observance to him though his adversary he did vindicate him from slaughter Saint Augustine speaking of the same person speaks in this manner David well knowing that there was a Divine constitution in the office of Kings doth therefore still honour King Saul being in the same condition lest he should seeme to injure God who decreed honour to this Order For a King hath the image of God even as a Bishop the image of Christ So long therefore as he is in that condition he is to be honoured if not for himself yet for his order Whereupon the Apostle saith Be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Hence it is that we doe honour an Infidel in authority although he be unworthy of it who performing Gods office in that order doth gratifie the Devil yet the power he hath doth require that we give honour to him c. And in another place but in that the Apostle saith Let every soule submit himselfe to the higher powers for there is no power but of God he doth rightly admonish that no man be puffed up with pride for that he is called by the Lord into liberty and made a Christian and that he doth not think there is no order to be
he includes all of all orders and states all sexes and conditions As if hee should have said All whatsoever they be that do live in a Common-wealth must submit themselves to the supreme Magistrate that is the head of that Common-wealth So that in the Apostles precept we have not onely implyed the qualities of their persons that are subjects but we have also expressed the nature of their duties viz. Subjection and obedience We shall not need to goe farre then to search after the duty of Subjects to their Prince the Apostle he hath done it to our hands it is Obedience And so the Augustane Confession in the 16. Article doth acknowledge it The first Commandement of the second Table which as the Apostle speaks is the first Commandement with promise doth set forth this duty by the name of Honour For So we read it in the Decalogue Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20.12 Where by father according to the unanimous consent of all Divines we are to understand not onely our naturall father that did beget us but our spirituall Father also that doth teach us and our Civill father likewise the King who is Pater patriae the Father of our Country that doth protect us And then by honour which we are commanded to yeeld to this Father we are to conceive all those duties which are comprehended in it Now the Politicians doe tell us that this name of Honour doth consist of sixe severall members which doe imply as many severall duties which every Subject is bound to performe to the Prince his head viz. Agnition Reverence Love Obedience Gratitude and Equity The first member wherein this honour doth consist and the first duty which every Subject is to performe unto his Prince is Agnition that is an acknowledgement of Gods Ordinance in the office of the Prince For God will have his owne Ordinance to be acknowledged in the Civill Magistrate and that we doe conceive of him as constituted by God seeing that as the Apostle speaks there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God After which manner did the woman of Tekoah conceive of King David when as she being sent by Joab to intercede for Absolom that he might returne from his banishment into the Kings favour For as an Angel of God saith she so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad And a little after My Lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel of God And so did Mephibosbeth esteem of him when as he did compellate him with the same title But my Lord the King is as an Angel of God Which agnition and acknowledgement of Gods ordinance in him is a notable meanes to stir up our obedience to him The second member wherein this honour doth consist is Reverence when as Subjects look upon their Prince not onely as a man but as a man of God and reverence not so much his person as his office For the King is Gods legat and his Vicar presenting his person And therefore Saint Peter when he exhorts to the feare of God he doth annex the honour of the King as if there can be no true feare of God without due reverence to the King who presents Gods person For which cause Solomon the wisest of men richest of Kings doth joyne the feare of God and the King together the King for presenting Gods perion is called God not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Plato styles him as a God amongst men but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an earthly God being Gods Minister Yea as the Prophet David and before him Moses God himselfe Yea to goe farther God himselfe doth so call him Ego dixi I have said it Ye are Gods Which yet we must not understand as if they were so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} indeed but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in name not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by nature but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by office And so much the very heathen did acknowledge For it is reported of Philip of Macedonia that he was wont to say that a King ought to remember that he being a man doth discharge the office of God and the office which he doth execute is from thence named {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a power like unto Gods Whence it is that S. Augustine saith the King bearing the image of God ought therefore to be reverenced if not for himselfe at least yet for his office sake The third member wherein this honour doth consist is Love And it is another duty of Subjects to love their Princes Not onely for their office which they in the name and place of God do undergoe but for the manifold benefits and commodities which they receive from them by their happy government Thus was King David accepted in the eyes of all the people whither soever he was sent Kings as you heard are Patres patriae Fathers of their Country and therefore Subjects ought to respect them with a filiall love even as children do love their fathers A fourth member wherein this honour doth consist is Obedience Subjects must willingly and readily yeeld obedience to all the just and honest commandes of their Princes which do no wayes repugne the lawes of God They must not onely acknowledge Reverentiam Subjectionis a reverence of Subjection but they must also give them obedientians jussionis an obedience to their just commands For as Saint Chrysost 〈◊〉 observeth a people that obeyeth not their Prince is like to them that have no Prince at all yea and in a worse estate for you cannot call that a Kingdome where the King is neglected and his Laws not observed He seemeth to mee to have lost his Kingdome saith the Philosopher who hath lost his due obedience from his Subjects And therefore Subjects must obey their Prince not onely for feare of wrath that is to escape punishment if they neglect their duty but also for conscience sake as the Apostle teacheth because God commands them The fift member wherein this Honour doth consist is Gratitude Subjects are bound by way of thankfulnesse to honour their Princes if it were for no other reason but because they do dayly enjoy the benefits of peace prosperity and protection by them Which gratitude must expresse it self by two other virtues as necessary as it self and without which it cannot subsist and they are these Verity and Justice Verity in acknowledging what great blessings favours and emoluments they receive by them and Justice in endeavouring to make satisfaction and compensation for them And for this cause it is that they pay them Tenths Subsidies Customes and Tributes without which not the King onely but the Kingdome also