Selected quad for the lemma: honour_n
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A13078
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A looking glasse for princes and people Delivered in a sermon of thankesgiving for the birth of the hopefull Prince Charles. And since augmented with allegations and historicall remarkes. Together with a vindication of princes from Popish tyranny. By M. William Struther preacher at Edinburgh.
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Struther, William, 1578-1633.
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1632
(1632)
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STC 23369; ESTC S117893
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241,473
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318
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addeth moreover an aptitude to vse his Power aright And in Subjects it looseth not the obligement of obedience but confirmes it For if any man thinke because hee is a Christian that he needes not pay tribute nor giue due honour to Superiours hee falleth in a great error And the Iewes sinned not because they said they had not a King but Caesar but because they denyed Christ. It is a singular worke of God to erect and maintaine a right Governement in the world And the Apostle hath commanded vs to render tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour The mysticall Bodie of Christ is not a multitude of one gift one degree one office but in diversity of gifts and Operations doth respect other Preheminency in Princes Subiection in people stand well with grace the holie Spirit can direct the one in commanding the other in obeying without any disparagement of grace for hee who said By mee Kings doe reigne sayes also Let everie Soule bee subiect to the higher Powers Since grace then hath the owne order and degrees in his mysticall Body it can well agree with the order and degrees hee hath made in the civill Body of Kingdomes The like may bee seene in Heathen Princes for their jurisdiction destroyes not their humanitie but they may keepe them both it enableth Humanitie in them to curbe the inhumanitie of oppressors The heavenly City of the Church is here lodged in the earthlie Citie of worldlie Kingdomes and it were a bad requit all for that her lodging to destroy them Therefore let that heavenlie Citie obey the Lawes of that earthlie Citie so long as shee soioâ—â—nes in it that since mortalitie is common to both Cities concord may bee keeped betweene them in things that concerne it These men doe sin against God the law of Nature the good of humane Societies for even reasonlesse creatures haue a King of their own kinde submit themselues to him It is but a fleshly licence that they seek vnder the name of a Christian liberty as was said of old to the Donatists their forefathers according to these deceitfull and vaine opinions the raines are loosed to humane licence and all sinne left vnpunisht that a boldnesse to hurt and a libertie of wantonnesse may reigne without the barre and opposition of Lawes Yea take away that which wholesome Doctrine commandeth wiselie by the holy Apostle for the health of the World Let every Soule bee subiect to the higher Powers The second is a popular errour of some who thinke that Magistrats receiue onely benefite of Subiects and giue no recompence againe But they should remember that dueties betwixt Princes and people are mutuall and their fruites also The wise governing of Kings and peace following is as great a good as people can giue to them GOD hath tyed them together by mutuall respects the more they are keeped by both the parties the more they increase and there is neither possibility nor hope of safetie to either but in their agreement The people of Rome fell in this same errour they departed from their Senate because they sate in ease while the people indured labour and lose of warre But Menenius Agrippa cured that errour by a popular comparison All the parts of the bodie said hee were angrie on a time at the Bellie because by their care and service all things were purchased for it which in the meane time had ease in the midst of the Bodie and enioyed the fruite of their labours Heerevpon they conspired against it that the hands should not beare meate to the mouth nor the mouth receiue it nor the teeth bray it But while by this anger they would dantoun the Bellie all the members of the Bodie fell in extreame consumption whereby it appeared that the service of the Bellie was not in vaine and that it was no more nourished than did nourish the bodie while it sent out prepared foode to everie part Theerfore they resolved to quyte their miscontentment and doe their wonted offices to the Bellie By this rude and populare Oration the people of Rome began to heare of concord and at once were reconciled to their Senate The Bees giue the like respect to their King hee alone among so busie labourers is exeemed from labour and yet is placed in the midst and largest roome of the throng Hyue The directions for people are to pray for Princes obey them in the Lord Gods care of Kings is both for their Place which he assigneth vnto them and for their worke to bee his Instruments for the good of mankind And therefore people are bound in the Lord to honour them for their place so farre aboue them To loue them for their worke so profitable for them And to commend them daylie to GOD that hee would hold their Heart in his hand and magnifie his ordinance in their government So Davids example in this place and the Apostle commands vs to make Supplications Prayers Intercessions for all men for Kings and for these that are in authoritie Their condition also craues this for their education is vsually in libertie without controlement and since corruption in Subjects breaketh out in great insolencies What may it doe in Kings great power without great wisedome and a speciall assistance of God is dangerous both to the possessours and those they rule Their place layes them open to many dangers and therefore a necessitie on our part to pray earnestly for them Our prayers are both for their good and our own thogh the fruit come first on Princes yet in the next roome it commeth to vs The raine that falleth on the mountaines bydeth not there but slydeth downe to the Valleyes So when servent prayers bring downe blessings on Kings the people are therein blessed also When the Apostle biddeth vs pray for Kings hee telleth that our fruite shall bee a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinesse and honestie and when God biddeth his people pray for the peace of the Citie where they dwell in captivitie hee promiseth that in their peace they shall haue peace The standing and falling of Princes importeth their Subiects greatlie So long as David walked in his vprightnes God blessed him his people but wheÌ„ he waxed proud Satan tempted him to number them they were punished And when Rehoboam forsooke the Lord hee fell not alone but all Israel fell with him When one of the people goes wrong he alone perisheth but the error of the Prince involveth many hurteth all that hee ruleth The fall of Kings is the punishment of people for as by their vertue wee are safe so by their errour wee are in danger Therefore wee should pray to God that wee may haue a glorious and perfect King It is then most profitable that good Kings reigne long and that profite is not so
in God to repent their sinne and sinde remission in Christ that is the way to Gods Peace Being iustified by Faith we haue peace with God No faith iustifieth but the true Faith no Religion informeth men in the true Faith but the true Religion As it leadeth vs in a sure way to peace in Christ so it leadeth vs to keepe that peace in sincere obedience In which respect when God getteth his due hee blesseth vs with his Kingdome within vs. For the Kingdome of God is righteousnesse peace and ioy in the holy Ghost This is the peace that no Kingdome can haue but such as haue a true Religion they may haue a civill and politicke peace amongst themselues but none of this peace with God The second is a civill peace with man when every one keepeth his place and doeth his duetie as hee standeth bound the body is then in good plight when everie member is whole and exerciseth the functions in order So in a Kingdome when everie one in his calling doeth his duetie with a loving respect to other there is peace or if any bee not peaceablie disposed their broyling humour is hemmed in by Iustice that they trouble not the peace of their Neighbour This is a civill peace the health of the civill body and a comely beautie in it when everie one brooketh another in loue and worketh to others hands And thogh there were innumerable men in callings places offices c. Yet they seeme all to be but one man with one minde seeking the good of other and of the common bodie As in Musicall instruments sounds are diverse and contrair high low c. and yet make a sweete harmonie so in a Kingdome are diverse estats rich and poore c. Yet they haue an harmonie and concord and that concord is peace That rule is generall for all things Let no man seeke his owne but everie one anothers good The third is a particular peace of our Lotte when every mā brooketh his lot peaceably without oppressiō either violent or coloured by Law This is as the life of our lot whē our right and possession haue a peaceable vse following and every man may eate vnder his owne vine and vnder his owne figge-tree It is the verie lotte of our lotte and a pleasant sawce to sweeten our vse a sort of fruition of our Lot the fruite of that fruition a way to Contentment and the verie prosperitie of prosperitie The fourt may bee called a Kinglie peace when people are in loue and peace with their King They are his bodie and hee their Head vnder whose shaddow they haue these peaces The vse and enjoying of them will reflect vpon him as a procurer and maintainer None can finde comfort of a true Religion in libertie and peace but hee must loue and pray for him vnder whose governement hee hath that great blessing None can looke on that publicke peace the health and beautie of the civill bodie but he must loue and honour that Head from whom the influence of the publick peace floweth And none can enioy the private peace of his Lot lying downe rising in peace but he will loue the preserver of it Yea that peace that floweth from supreme Iustice is a natiue and kinde Daughter and so iust as to make vs honour him who ministreth Iustice for the procuring of peace All these are strong bands to ty the hearts of good people to such Princes by whose governement God blesseth them with so inestimable blessings This order is in the Angels Song Glorie to God in heaven peace on earth and towards men goodwill When man giveth God his glorie worshipping him in Spirit and truth then God giveth Peace to man beeing reconciled to him in Christ and the ground of both is Gods good will towards man whereby hee elected him in Iesus Christ that good will sendeth downe true Religion to man to direct him in the obedience of Gods revealed will These are the fruites of Iustice in their severall branches The first is Gods peace in our minde The second is mans peace in the civill body The third is Peace of our Lotte And the fourt is a peace with the Head of the common bodie The first appeaseth the terrours of our Conscience The second stayeth sactions and divisions amongst Subjects The third privat oppression And the fourth Rebellion against Princes And all of them are our ends in their severall kinds when God dwelleth in vs and maketh vs enioy him in his peace then hee maketh vs brooke one another and our selues in him Where Iustice is not these fruites of peace cannot bee found Where God getteth not his due honour in a true Religion there can bee no peace with him but hee sendeth warre or other calamities to trouble their peace and revenge the quarrell of his Covenant As long as Israel worshipped him a right matters went well with them but when they fell to idolatry he raised vp bordering nations to punish them In like manner hee can punish iniustice among people Lawfull Governement ministreth Iustice and Iustice bringeth peace so want of Iustice bringeth confusion and confusion breedeth discord Heerevpon also commeth the losse of particular Peace when by tumults no man can securely possesse his goods his blood or life Where violence rageth there reason is not heard and the Lawes are silent more where Armes doe speake Iustice well administrate is a great preservation to a Land It purgeth it from sin committed by punishing the sinner keepeth many from sin that they would otherwise commit and so holdeth off Gods anger and procurreth his blessing But neglect of Iustice is crueltie and not clemencie or rather a cruell mercie it fostereth sinne and hasteneth Gods wrath when grievous sins are committed they defyle the Land and the Land defyled can not be expiate but by the punishment of the malefactor What shall God doe but powre out his plagues and mak the Land spew out her Inhabitants where sinners will not repent and the Magistrate will not punish These two then Iustice and peace goe in others hands in a well governed Kingdome Iustice without Peace is a fruitelesse severitie and peace without Iustice is a conspiracie against God Iustice is Gods arrestment layed vpon mans corruption and peace is the quietnesse that followeth that arrest Both the necessitie and difficultie to keepe peace are as great as to purchase it for peace bringeth wealth and wealth because of our wickednesse bringeth insolencie and insolencie bringeth violence so that the daughter Peace would devoure iustice her mother except Iustice did her second service to keepe men from violence Her first service is to giue every man his due and her second is to secure him in it Peace of her selfe is a thankfull daughter to her Mother Iustice but our corruption that abuseth all can abuse her also and Ieshurun waxing fatte will kicke against his