SHEBA's CONSPIRACY AND AMASA's CONFEDERACY OR A Modest VINDICATION OF THE National Association Entred into by the Honorable House of Commons Feb. 25th 1695. BEING A SERMON Preach'd in the Parish-Church of St. James Clarkenwell March 29th By D. PEAD Chaplain to his Grace John Duke of New-Castle LONDON Printed for T. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside MDCXCVI To his Most Sacred Majesty William the III. OF England Scotland and Ireland by the Grace of God Rightful and Lawful King Defender of the Faith c. Most Gracious Sovereign VAlens the Emperor having incautelously entertain'd the pernicious Errors of Arius in a short time great part of Christendom became infected with the same Principles In those Days Aphrates the Monk leaving his Cell appeared in Publick striving by his Art and Wit to oppose that raging Torrent and to such as thought him too forward he offered no other Apology than that the Necessity of the Times forced him from his Retirement Our implacable Enemies of Rome who have for many Years laboured the Destruction of our Church and Nation finding their own Hands too feeble to effect their Enterprize have at last by a subtle Stratagem brought over too many of Ours to their Assistance for having cunningly inveigled with some to press the Doctrine of Passive Obedience in a time unseasonable and in a Cause not requiring Men's Affections became much alienate from the Truth they fear'd would expose 'em and having prevailed on others to invalidate your Majesty's Just and Legal Title to the Crown by introducing an uncouth Notion of a King de Facto by which Doctrine they have brought some to believe that Rebellion against a Prince no better qualified was necessary just and acceptable as well to God as Man in which Opinion some have already persisted unto Death At such a time to be silent is to be insensible not to reprove is to encourage and not to oppose such irreligious Principles and Practises is to want not only Loyalty but Religion The chief Designs of this Discourse now humbly laid at your Majesty's Feet are to confirm such as have hitherto kept themselves uncorrupted in Loyalty and Obedience to your Majesty to reclaim if possible some of the fallen as for the more froward and obstinate they must be left to your Majesty's Justice which I hope that God who hath so miraculously preserved and defended you will direct and enable you so to execute that it may be seen to the Comfort of the Loyal and the Terror of the Rebellious that your Majesty bears not the Sword in vain The Lord grant your Majesty a long Life that you may at last behold and rejoice in the Travel of your Soul the Preservation Reformation and Prosperity of your Kingdoms And let all the People say Amen Which is the Constant Prayer of Your MAJESTY's most Loyal Most Obedient and Most Humble Subject Deuel Pead A VINDICATION OF THE National Association 2 Sam. XX. 1. And there hap'ned to be there a man of Belial whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri a Benjamite and he blew a trumpet and said we have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse every man to his tents O Israel GOD whose only Prerogative it is ever hath been and shall be to dispose of Kingdoms was pleased to Appoint and Anoint David the Son of Jesse to wear Israel's Crown not that he delighted in Changes and Innovation but his Wisdom and Justice could not bear that such as reigned only by his Comimssion should dispute or refuse his Commands Wherefore Saul forgetting his Duty both to God and his People God saw it high time to remove him and made room for the Succession of a Prince who should prove more willing and obedient yet though this was apparently the Lord's Doings all were not then no more than they are now satisfy'd therewith Some turbulent Spirits lay upon the Catch watching the Opportunity of a Revolution these resolved that seeing God had translated the Diadem from the Tribe of Benjamin to that of Judah they would either bring it back or else convert the Monarchy into a Commonwealth of which number was Sheba who took Pett at the Honour the Tribe of Judah had done themselves in being so zealous after the Defeat of Absalom to conduct David from Mahanaim to Jerusalem for if you consult the 41 Verse of the preceding Chapter you will find the Ten Tribes sharply contesting with the Men of Judah and blaming them for their so great haste in transporting the King and his Houshold without calling them to the Consult that they also might have shared in the Honour of such a Loyal Action who hearing this would not have concluded David exceeding happy in the Affection of his Subjects But All is not Gold that glisters All are not therefore loyal because at this Juncture of Time upon the Discovery of so horrid a Plot they have set their Hands to an Association for even those Men who were so hot in the Contention pretending so much Loyalty of a sudden in the Rebellion of Absalom deserted David's Standard and within a few Minutes you will find them closing with Sheba's Traiterous Counsel And as saith the Verse following the Text they forsook David and I fear some who are now very forward in these Demonstrations of Loyalty had the Enemy landed would have held it their best Policy to have met him in an obsequious manner thereby to save their Estates It is pity such have any to save Sheba being among these discontented Persons and perceiving them in a Ferment closed with the Opportunity and to blow them up into a Flame he blew a Trumpet and said We have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse every man to his tents O Israel I shall consider these Words after this Method I. I shall treat of the Person Sheba the son of Bichri a Benjamite and which we must not forget a Man of Belial II. His Action He blew a Trumpet III. His Speech And said we have no part in David neither have we Inheritance in the Son of Jesse every Man to his Tents O Israel These Things dispatch'd I shall conclude with better Counsel 1. The Person Of whom I shall not speak much and that for two Reasons the one because I find no Good to relate of him the other because the less we have to do with such Persons the better First By his Behaviour A Man of Belial i. e. a yokeless lawless Person a pestilent Fellow a Mover of Sedition a meer Salamander that would expire were it not for the Fire of Contention a very Child of the Devil One would think no wise Persons would come at such a ones Call or find leisure to hear his Speeches yet some have such itching Ears that they will listen to any Villain that knows how to speak Treason enough Secondly He is described by his Name Sheba which being interpreted implies
Slaves and Vassals than like a Free People or God's Heritage That this was foretold of Saul the 18 Ver. makes appear where it is said Ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye shall have chosen What Fancy or Good will could these People have for a King of whom they had received so terrible an Account by God's holy Prophet yet read Ver. 19. all this moved them not but they persisted saying but we will have a King Who could have thought the Jews to be so stupid and senseless Yet we have heard others that match them crying out we will have a King we will have the Crown descend in the Right Line notwithstanding more dangerous Circumstances than these foretold of Saul were notoriously apparent in the Successour But what shall we say some are yet madder than Jews and they are such who once groaned under Saul's Persecution and yet when God who had punished them by granting their desire was pleased to relieve them for he did as is said Hosea 13.11 gave them a King in his anger and took him away in his wrath Instead of saying the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away and blessed be the name of the Lord we hear them blowing their Trumpets with Traitor Sheba and saying we have no part in David nor inheritance in the Son of Jesse Thus much of the Person Rejected turn we now our Eyes to the Person Elected His Name was David or Beloved he was indeed endowed with such wonderful Abilities and Perfections as were sufficient to conciliate the Love of all but Monsters Much I need not speak for the Scripture is every where so plentiful in his Commendation however you may take notice that you may the better judge of Sheba's unworthy Desertion 1. That this King David of whom Sheba and his wicked Crew was so weary was a King of God's chusing The People chose Saul as you read 1 Sam. 8.18 for have Saul they would though forewarn'd of his ill Qualities but God chose David 1 Sam. 16.12 When David appeared the Lord said unto Samuel arise anoint him for this is he Whoso readeth the first Verse of that Chapter will find Samuel something loth to go upon the Employment of Anointing a new King but he was not so backward but God was as urgent asking him How long wilt thou mourn for Saul Samuel mourned not for Saul's Deposition but Impenitence otherwise he had shewed himself discontented with what God had done which be it far from us to imagine however we may see God likes not too much Lamenting the Person he had Rejected how then would he have taken it if Samuel had made any Attempts to restore such an one I should have thought if the Troop of Non-Jurors had drawn up against this Text they would have been utterly routed but they never discover'd this Enemy We cannot now expect that God should give such plain and positive Directions as formerly in the Elections of Kings yet are we not left without all Rule for surely when we see unconceivable Hindrances remov'd when we see that all that Force Wit and Power can do miraculously disappointed and that the way to the Throne as inaccessible as it was thought made smooth and easie without Blood Treachery or Cruelty what can we say less than that God hath done all this in favour of his Chosen In plain terms we are taught by our Religion to ascribe all good Things to God because every good Gift cometh from him Who then dare say this is not a good and a great Gift that God hath given us viz. a Wise and Valiant Prince and with him a new Lease and I hope a very long one of our Religion Laws and Liberties 2. Another Particular manifesting Sheba's Complaint to be unjust and the alienating Israel's Hearts from David to be traiterous is David was not only chosen of God but he was the better of the two 1 Sam. 15.28 Samuel told Saul that God had not only rent the Kingdom from him but that he had given it to a Neighbour of his who was better than him I cannot but take notice of this pious Courage in God's Priest he was neither Son of Fear nor Slave of Flattery he could not call a wicked Saul a most gracious and Religious King but he told him that God had chosen a better not that David was so much Saul's Better by Nature as Grace for God had given him a better Spirit more obedient and ready to do the Will of God and set forth his Glory in Governing of the People committed to his charge in Godliness Peace and Wealth So much did David excell Saul that he is said to be a man after Gods own Heart 1 Sam. 13.14 and as St. Paul in his Sermon at Antioch 13. Acts 22. adds which shall fulfill all thy Will Hence it is easie to know who is the King of God's Election or the King after God's own Heart namely he that delighteth in doing the Will of God he that upholdeth true Religion Justice and Honesty in his Dominions which are agreeable to the Will of God David was really much better than Saul not so much in regard of his extraordinary Endowments as his gracious Performances we find 78 Psal 72. he fed God's People according to the Integrity of his heart he gave them not Stones for Bread he guided them by the skilfulness of his hands he provided faithfully for his Subjects he guided them by the best of Counsel and defended them by the utmost of his Power he neither sold nor betray'd them he neither enslav'd nor impoverish'd them 2 Sam. 8.15 he executed Judgment and Justice unto all his People so that there was no crying out nor complaining for want of Justice in the Streets of Jerusalem Before David's time Religion was unsettled the Ark was always shifting from place to place but by David it was settled at Jerusalem Surely it is a remarkable Happiness and such as may render a Government blessed and acceptable to have Religion settled that we halt not between two Opinions being in some places permitted to worship God and in others called to adore Jeroboam's Calves We read indeed Ezek. 11.11 of some Princes that accounted their chief Cities as Cauldrons and their People as Flesh to be sod therein Unhappy the People that are in such a Case and yet the time was our City was a Furnace and heated sufficiently to consume the Inhabitants as well as their Goods and Houses Jezabel had no other Opinion of Kingly Power than that it gave the Possessor a free liberty of doing what he would right or wrong and therefore when Ahab made a Conscience of taking away Nabal's Vineyard she accosted him saying 1 Kings 21.7 Dost thou now govern the Kingdom of Israel I fear she was not the last Queen that tempted a King to the Abuse of his Power Who can believe that God will ever permit his Power to be turned upon himself and such Princes
Captivity or Bondage and this Man was really Vir sui nominis one that answered his Name to a Title for had Israel adher'd to his Advice they had as certainly been made Slaves to the Philistines as we to the French if we had all as some did lately deserted King William Thirdly He is describ'd by his Family or Tribe he was Son of Bichri a Benjamite i. e one that could not brook to see the Crown settled in the Tribe of of Judah Considering the many Provocations of the Jews it was a Mercy that God would permit them a King of their own Blood and Nation whereas in Justice he might have given way that such as hated them should have held them in Subjection yet instead of a grateful Acknowledgment of God's Loving Kindness we meet with a murmuring against his Providence and so dissatisfy'd are these Benjamites that if they may not have a King of their own Tribe they care for no King of like mind are the Papists and their wicked Complices if they cannot have a King of their own Persuasion and Temper no other shall live in Safety or Peace I pass from the Person to his Action 2. His Action He blew a Trumpet Some whisper Treason and are well satisfied in dark holes to plot bloody Mischiefs hoping no eye shall see them but here we have a Traitor in Grain that matters not who hears him nay takes care to be heard for lest he should not have Auditors enough he summons them with a Trumpet When Rebellion War and Blood was the Banquet a Trumpet was a fit Instrument to congregate the Guests Treason is bad enough when conceal'd and solitary when it is promoted in Cabals and transmitted by Cabalistical Letters but it is come to its heighth when it dare appear bare-fac'd when Sheba with his Trumpet and Tongue shall loudly and openly impudently and publickly proclaim himself a Traitor and invite others into the Conspiracy Too many among us have sounded such Trumpets nay they that ought to have known better and taught better have from their Pulpits trumpeted We have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse Thirdly Let us observe though never believe his Speech We have no part in David nor inheritance in in the son of Jesse To your tents O Israel Here is a Speech made up of Lye Slander and Treason 1. The Lye in these Words We have no part in David Solomon's Observation is Prov. 10.18 Fools seek to hide their hatred with lying lips so that Sheba hath at once proclaim'd himself Lyar and Fool What no part in David Can he be a good Subject and have no Interest in a good King Out of thy own Mouth we will judge this wicked Wretch Did not he with the rest of the Tribes 2 Sam. 19.9 acknowledge their Interest in David Did they not prove it when they confess'd that he did deliver them out of the hands of their Enemies and out of the hand of the Philistines Had not David been heartily concern'd in your Safety and Welfare had you not had a near place in his Royal Heart would he for your sakes have courted Dangers have carried his life in his hand and have thrust himself amongst bloody and perfidious Enemies But how notorious will this Lye appear when we look upon the 43d Verse of this Chapter where it is said by these very Men We have ten parts in the King and have also more Right in David than you Some may be desirous to know what might be the Design of this loud Lye for few raise Lyes against their Sovereigns barely for lying sake but they have some farther wicked end to serve Sheba's Design was this He saw that he and his Tribe had put a bar in the way of their Preferment both by Rebelling against David and also in being tardy to bring the King back after that Rebellion was so happily appeased and thence he concluded it was vain for him or them to hope for any great Favours for if David had none of their hands it was unreasonable to expect they should have any of his Countenance Princes do not use to be so indifferent in the distribution of their Rewards as to heap Honours upon those that sought to prevent their just Rights or that impair their just Titles though in this Age this Rule hath been broke for the sake of some Being thus conscious of his own Demerits Sheba sought to embroil the Nation persuading to a general Defection instead of a National Association The next thing unseemly and worthy Reproof in this short Speech is the Slander and Contempt in these Words the Son of Jesse He upbraided David with his Descent and Family calling him the Son of Jesse whom he ought to have honoured with the Title of King This was done in scorn and thus some of our saucy irreverent Sheba's call him only Prince of Orange whom they ought to acknowledge as rightful King of England Scotland and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. St. Jude calls those that speak contemptuously of Dignities filthy Dreamers Persons whose Words declare that their Wits and Senses have been asleep while God hath brought about this Revolution Such another Son of Balial was Nabal but how shall Sheba or Nabal excuse themselves if ever it enters into their hearts to consider that he whom they speak thus contemptously off and set at naught is no less than the Lords Anointed He is a Traitor to his Prince who slanders and reviles him though not so great a Traitor as he that conspires against his Life Crown and Dignity The next Particular is the Treason Every man to his Tents O Israel The Consequence of which Words was to perswade the greatest part of the Kingdom to Sedition and Rebellion which once effected he hoped that the Tribe of Judah for fear or shame would have come over to them and then peradventure he himself might get into the Throne as being of Saul's Family or otherwise a Commonwealth might follow thereupon wherein it was more easie for him to put in for a share in the Government For this you may observe that there are but few Plotters or Conspirators but what are Necessitous or Ambitious This was a Speech indeed and very ill becoming the mouth of a Jew yet I could match it and out do it with one spoken by a reputed Christian who may well hide his Head as he now doth had he nothing more than a Black-mouth to answer for But blessed be God the Lot is fallen to us very pleasantly and we have a goodly Inheritance in our David a large Inheritance of Piety Wisdom Justice Goodness and Valour God give us the grace unanimously to defend this our Inheritance This Speech thus taken in peices expos'd and confuted I will now shew you how unreasonable this Benjamite was in this Invective against David and that he really had no cause to quarrel with that Revolution which Providence had made in