Reign being the first King of Israel he was very prosperous against the Ammonites and other Enemies of God's People and all the Men of Israel rejoyced greatly But Saul did not long continue in this happy Condition He rebelled against God to whom Kings ought to be subject and did not hearken to his Commands Whereupon God rejected him and determined to translate the Kingdom to David The Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a evil Spirit from the Lord troubled him Which melancholick Distemper occasioned him to seek out a Skilful Musician to divert his perplexed Mind And one of his Servants mentioned David as an excellent Artist and a mighty valiant Man and a Man of War and Prudent in Matters and a comely Person and one much in God's favour This wrought upon the King and he sent for him and was well pleased and much refreshed with David's Musick David had not been long at Court but by his Prudent Behaviour Integrity and great Valour he became very renowned Saul made him General and he was accepted in the sight of all the People and also in the sight of Saul's Servants And after David's Victory over the Philistins they Playing on Instruments highly exalted David in their Songs of Triumph This filled Saul's heart with envy and from that day forward he eyed David The King greatly jealous of him would have killed him with a Javelin and was very angry with his Son Jonathan for holding Correspondence and making a League of Amity with him When David understood the King's wrath he fled But Saul's envy and malice increased and he persecuted him from place to place David still protested his Innocence and Loyalty and not only barely protested but sufficiently manifested it by saving the King's life when it was in his power to kill him In this his Distress David being a Man of Valour gathered together about Four hundred Men and became Captain over them And did good Service to his People against the Enemies of the Lord. Particularly in this Chapter he saved the Inhabitants of Keilah from the Philistins When Saul heard that David was at Keilah he resolved to Besiege him David being informed of this inquired of God whether King Saul would certainly come down with his Army and whether the men of Keilah would deliver him up into Saul's hands The Lord answered him and said Saul will come down and that the men of Keilah would deliver him up The words are a Question proposed by David to God And from this place some both Divines and Statesmen have been of Opinion That it is very lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the oppression and violence of their Kings Which matter being very great and weighty and of present practice is worthy of most serious Consideration This may well occasion two Questions First Whether it may be deduced from this Text that it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the Oppression and Violence of their Kings Secondly Whether it may be deduced from any other grounds First I shall consider whether it may be deduced from this Text. They who are for the Affirmative say That it is very clear that David did intend to defend himself against King Saul by force of Arms. And to this purpose desired to know of the Lord whether the Keilites would prove treacherous to him or would stand by him and fight to defend him They say that David would not have fled if he had not understood their design to deliver him up into the hands of Saul Now it cannot be denied that David was the Servant of God a very good and religious man and therefore if this had been Rebellion and Rebellion so hainous a Crime David would not have intended that which they say he did intend to defend himself by fortifying the place yea and giving Saul Battel Again it cannot be denied that David was Saul's Subject that he was injuriously treated oppressed and persecuted by Saul And upon the whole matter they conclude That this example or instance of David will justifie Defensive Arms in case of Oppression of Governours And I must confess that I cannot answer the Arguments if what they who maintain this Opinion say be true to wit That David did intend to oppose Saul by force of Arms. I am of Opinion and fully convinced that David intended to defend himself against his King in Keilah if he could have been sure that they would have helped him Because he might have fled before the Inquiry seeing David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him v. 9. Whether David saith no mean Divine would have defended Keilah against Saul I leave to the Conscience of the Reader considering that this only is made the reason of his removing from Keilah because the men of Keilah would not be faithful to him For he did not inquire of the Lord whether it were lawful for him to abide in Keilah but having inquired whether Saul would come down against him and whether the Keilites would deliver him up into Saul's hands he removed from Keilah because the Lord answered him that they would deliver him up not because it was unlawful for him to keep the City but because the City would be false to him And the end why he desired to know whether the Keilites would deal falsely with him or no was that he might by his more early flight prevent their design of delivering him up into the hands of Saul It is certain by the event that as soon as their ungrateful treachery was discovered to David he forthwith arose departed out of Keilah and escaped And Pelacher a very Learned Analyzer saith that this flight was commanded to David by the Divine Oracle at which he inquired The Supposition then is plain and clear that David would have defended himself in Keilah against Saul if the Keilites would have been true to him Which may be proved by these Considerations First It is certain by Scripture that David had a Company Six handred men at least And why should he gather so many men together or what use of such an Army if not to defend himself by force of Arms against the injustice of Saul This will be more plain if we reflect on Chap. 22. the Chapter before the Text. Where we read that David departed from Achish King of Gath and escaped to the Cave of Adullam and when his Brethren and all his Fathers house heard it they went down thither to him It is supposed to be a Town in the Tribe of Judah fortified by Nature and Art He received all that came to him and was their Captain He secured his Father and Mother with the King of Moab to whom Saul was an Enemy at that time 1 Sam. 14.47 Which had been needless if there had not been an Association to defend themselves The Prophet Gad one of God's holy Prophets was on his side and commanded him in God's Name to go into the
I shall shew that it was just to depose Nebuchadnezzar To this purpose we must consider 1. That all Government is a Trust 2. That all Government is for the safety and good of the Community 3. That there may be such crimes as may forfeit the Crown and Throne and reduce all to first Principles 1. We must consider that all Government is a Trust The Dominion of one man over another is by consent and is founded in Covenant All men are free by the Law of Nature to chuse what kind of Government they think most convenient And the Positive Law of God hath left this to their Election The Nomination of the person and the Limitation of the power is originally and radically in the Community Hence some Nations have Lords Dukes c. their supream Governours Some Nations have Kings by Election every Reign Others have Succession in one Family Some have Queens to rule over them others will not allow Women to reign Some are absolute Monarchs others are limited Some have Aristocratical others Democratical Government And almost all Nations vary in these Circumstances It is true Authority is from God There is no Power but of God saith St. Paul Rom. 13.1 And By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice saith God by Solomon Prov. 8.15 But tho' the Donation of the Power is of God yet the Designation of the Person and the Limitation of the Power how much or how little or in what manner Mankind must be ruled and give Obedience and owe Submission is wholly by Positive Law and Agreement at the first Constitution or afterwards Thus we read 2 Sam. 5.3 All the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron and King David made a League with them in Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David King over Israel Here was an Assembly or Parliament who chose David King and covenanted with him God and Man are not opposite but subordinate in this case That which is of God saith a learned Divine may be of Man also For the second cause doth not exclude the first or contrarily Because the fruits and increase of the Earth are obtained by the care and labour of Man therefore are they not given of God So that as the Prophets and Apostles in old time were called immediately by God not by Men but other Pastors and Bishops of the Church being not immediately called by God but by men yet cease not to have their Vocation from God Because God ceaseth not to do what he doth by means As God designed Timothy Bishop not immediately as Paul but by the Imposition of the hands of Paul and the Presbytery So God in old time by an immediate call set Magistrates and some Kings upon the Throne as Moses Joshua the Judges David Jehu c. But he gave Power and doth not cease to give Power to others as to the seventy Elders by Man's counsel and means and that according to the Laws and received Customs of the People either by Election and the consent of the Senate as now the Roman Empire or by the Suffrages of the People as Consuls Governours of Cities either meerly or mixtly Democratical or by the will of the Souldiers as the old Empire of Rome or finally by Hereditary Succession as the Kings of France of Spain and of Great Britain c. and the Princes of the Empire For there is no Power but of God And certainly the Authority of one or a few in humane Consideration would not suffice to govern and contain so many in Duty and many times very cruel and evil Men unless there were something of the hand of God in it Therefore God himself is the proper and first Cause of Magistracy tho' Men are the next Cause The Prince is bound saith no mean Divine to look to the safety and welfare of the Kingdom as is agreed by all And therefore he is bound to it because he receives this Power originally I speak not in opposition to God but I say originally from the People themselves as appears by the Government of Judah and the Kings of Israel For Judg. 8.22 The men of Israel came to Gideon to make him their King It is true Gideon refused this offer saith Mr. Rogers in his Commentary with great resolution and wisdom telling them that the Lord should rule over them v. 23. His meaning was that the Order that God had set of Governing by such as had no continued Government should stand and not be perverted by or for him or his but contrarily to his Power he would hinder it And God reigned indeed in the Commonwealth of Israel which flourished in Gideon's time wherein the Elders were chosen by common consent some Ecclesiastical to give the meaning of the Law and others Civil and Temporal as men call it to rule the people thereby c. And if any War fell out the Lord himself stirred up Guides and Judges and they were not chosen I suppose he means only or in a usual course by Men as appears c. 1. v. 1. neither did their Children succeed them And thus the Lord both in Peace and War ruled over them and so Gideon meant that the Office of a Judge was no ordinary Magistracy such as the King is but a Temporary and Occasional much like to the Dictatorship of the Romans in respect of the use whereto it served tho' otherwise of divine Election immediately not by Men. And Judg. 9.6 They gathered together and made Abimelech their King And Judg. 11.8 9 10 11. the people covenanted with Jephtha and made him their King And as for Saul tho' he was designed by God for the Kingdom yet the people themselves chose the kind of their Government first when they said Give us a King to rule over us after the manner of the Nations After that God had anointed Saul it is said 1 Sam. 11.15 And all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord in Gilgal And as for David tho' he was anointed King by Samuel yet we find that he continued subject unto Saul after that And 2 Sam. 2. He came to Hebron thither the men of Judah came and there they anointed David King over the House of Judah v. 4. After that he was thus anointed by Judah to be King over them yet he did not rule over Israel till the other Tribes also went out and made him King over them 1 Chro. 12.38 It is said That all these men of war came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David King over all Israel And as for Solomon tho' he was designed by God to the Kingdom yet it is said of him also 1 Chro. 29.22 That all the Congregation did eat and drink before the Lord and they made Solomon the Son of David King the second time and anointed him to the Lord to be Chief Governour Solomon being dead 2 Chro. 10.1 it is said of Rehoboam that he went to Shechem where all Israel
us into the hands of men as cruel as the Irish were in 41. At which time King Charles I. said Those barbarous Rebels practised such inhumane and unheard of outrages upon his miserable People that no Christian Ear can hear witthout horrour nor Story parallel Let us conclude with Application 1. This teacheth us the vanity and uncertainty of all worldly things Kingdoms themselves are not so fixed as not to be subject to change God changeth the times and seasons saith Dan. c. 2. v. 21. he removeth Kings and sets up Kings God hath rejected many Kings for their wickedness He rejected Saul and took his Kingdom from him The most High ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will c. 4. v. 25. God hath an hand in all these changes His Providence ruleth over all Of this no Christian doubts And this some call how properly I need not dispute a Providential Right which is by God's Permission Traitors and Usurpers have this Right to the Thrones that they possess This Right as one saith a Slave through God's just Judgment on a Nation may have to the Throne for not a Sparrow falls to the ground without God's Permission This Right both lawful Kings and Usurpers have to the Thrones they possess Athaliah that Murderer of the Royal Family had only this Providential Right which she made appear only by Possession But this Right being neither by Succession nor Conquest nor Compact nor lawful Call of the People gives not just Title nor can expect any Subjection meerly upon that and no other right And the Reason is because when Providential Right crosseth Civil Right a man is not bound to follow Providence but to guide himself by Moral and Divine Precepts For Divine Precepts are perpetual standing Laws by which the Actions of men ought to be guided But Providential Acts were never ordained for Laws or Rules by which men should walk and therefore to such a Right there is no Subjection due 2. It teacheth us the heinous nature and ill consequent of Pride It is enough to ruin a whole Nation the King as well as his Subjects A proud Man is not under God's Protection but forsaken of Him 3. It teacheth the great Mischief of Tyranny and Oppression God and Man hate Oppressors who obstinately refuse good and reasonable Advice Any Bishop or Teacher saith Dr. Bilson P. 3. pag. 1. may reprove Princer when they violate the Precepts of God For God hath placed them in his Church to teach reprove correct and instruct in righteousness 2 Tim. 3.16 as well Princes as others and chargeth them not to conceal one word of that he hath spoken neither for favour nor terrour of any Prince The Will of God must be declared to all and Sin reproved in all without dissembling or flattering any sort or state of men And that is most expedient for all even for Princes themselves rather to hear with Humility what God hath decreed for their Salvation than to run to their own destruction without recalling or warning So Samuel reproved King Saul 1 Sam. 15. Ahijah King Jeroboam 1 Kings 14. Elijah King Ahab 1 Kings 21. Elisha King Jehoram 2 Kings 3. John Baptist King Herod Mar. 6. Neither were wicked Princes only but also the good and virtuous Kings of Judah reproved by the Prophets As namely King David by Nathan 2 Sam. 12. King Jehosaphat by Jehu 2 Chro. 19. And Hezekiah by the Prophet Isaiah 2 Kings 20. But this reproof reached no farther than to putting them in mind of God's Grace and Mercy towards them and their Duty again towards him c. 4. It teacheth Kings to rule justly for otherwise their wickedness will flnd them out If in stead of saving the lives of their Subjects they endeavour to destroy them if instead of punishing the wicked they punish the good and God's Servants if instead of reasonable and lawful Commands they will have their Lusts their Wills and strive to ruin the People committed to their charge without Law or with cruelty rigour and severity without mercy rage against their Subjects they may well expect Divine vengeance and the Judgments of God either immediately or by the hand of their own Subjects who have been threatned or cruelly used and unmercifully or illegally dealt with God hates Oppression in all even in Princes especially the Persecution of his Servants for his true worship and renouncing Idolatry Kings must give Account to God as well as meaner Men for there is no respect of persons with him God is the Judge and he putteth down one and setteth up another as he pleaseth To him be Glory and Dominion for ever Amen FINIS
and Argument But this is not our Case I will state the Case Suppose a whole Nation Christian and the true Religion fixed by Law so that it is our Birthright and Property as it were and we have a Legal and Civil Right or Human Right as well as a Divine to our Religion and yet this is evidently Invaded by Evil Councellors about the King and he is drawn to destroy Religion If this Gentleman can shew any Primitive Christian or ancient Father and Doctor of the Church who saith in this Case it is not Lawful to Defend our Religion Laws Liberties and Properties I yield the Cause Otherwise we grant all his Examples and Instances as nothing to our purpose They shew indeed the Peaceableness Meekness Humility Patience and Faith of those Primitive Christians their Zeal and Affection for the Happiness of the Empire and their Submission to the Government Laws and Usages of their Country and to their Superiours in their most rigorous Execution of them to the destruction of them and their Religion which is called the Abuse of Power and Legal Tyranny in which case we also own Passive Obedience Secondly I differ from this Gent. about Conquest He would have King William a Conqueror tho' He claims not by it And so tho he was none of them that did or durst have resisted or rebelled against King James yet after his Desertion he forsook him P. 13. Answ If the Prince of Orange had designed an Invasion and Conquest as this Gent. calls it both he and we had been bound in Conscience to Oppose him because there is a Loyalty to our Country as well as to our King And Invasion and Conquest are dismal things as well as shameful But blessed be God He came not as the Enemy of our Country but as our Friend as our Joshua our Saviour to deliver us from Popery and Slavery He ventured his Life to save us from Oppression not to Conquer us Besides if he conquered King James and this Gentleman He did not Conquer those that joyned with him which were by far the greatest part of the Nation I am sure in our County multitudes Subscribed the Association to stand by the Cause with their Lives and Fortunes not to Enslave themselves by Conquest And then it followed That they humbly desired the Prince of Orange to take the Government upon him and Circular Letters were issued out for a Convention and that Convention or Parliament Elected him King and the Princess Queen and He accepted it as a Trust and all Government is a Trust and founded in Covenant as I have elsewhere proved and then we honoured Him and prayed for Him as our King According to those Exhortations in Scripture which order us to Fear God and the King Prov. 24.21 to be subject to the higher Powers which are of God Rom. 13.1 and to pray for Kings and all in Authority that under them we may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all Godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. All which are as much now due to Their present Majesties as to any that ever sat on the Throne It is true by His Affection to our Nation and Zeal for our Religion and Liberties he conquered our Hearts and will for ever reign there and He merits our Lives and Fortunes but it is not for the Honour of our Nation to say He Conquered us And indeed 14000 Men cannot subdue England by force which is properly Conquest We received him as sent from God with hearts full of joy and with chearful countenances And were it not for that Doctrine of Passive Obedience in its vast extent with which many devout Christians and many Learned Pious and great Bishops and Doctors through prejudice were possessed I will not say infected the whole Nation had sounded with Songs of Triumph and our Churches and Pulpits with Praises and Hallelujahs as if we had had Heaven upon Earth So great was the Mercy of our God in delivering us and our Posterity from Popish Ignorance Error Superstition and Idolatry and restoring our Laws and Liberties For my own part I was transported with joy and I care not if all the world saith as some said in Hosea his time c. 9. v. 7. The Prophet is a Fool the spiritual Man is Mad. But surely in truth and reason they are Fools and Madmen that reject so great Deliverance and Salvation out of fondness to a silly Opinion There need no Eloquence if I could use it our great Fears and imminent Dangers are Oratory sufficient Popish Judges Popish Officers in the Army Popish Priests and Jesuits at Court Popish Heads of Colleges in the University Popish Justices of the Peace Mayors c. with the Dispensing Power might well affright us And tho' we perhaps might have spun out a slavish life without great Persecution yet our Children could expect nothing but French Dragoons and Torture or voluntary Exile if not the Marian days of Fire and Faggot But as for those who plead Conquest for the King they know not what they do in making this Plea as a Learned Man speaks For if there were no other right neither Precedent nor consequent but meerly because such an one was stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is strongest at any time he hath right and if a stronger than he comes he shall have right This is no good Divinity nor Policy to Plead thus That which subjects my Conscience to such an one is Submission upon some Compact Covenant or Agreement Besides this sort of Men by flattering Monarchs and deluding the People with crying out The King the King have wholly forgotten the very Heathens Lesson It is sweet and comely to Die for our Country that is our Laws Liberty Property c. I must confess Conquest makes way for Subjection as it did in Caesar over the Jews but I hope no man will say this is our case nor do they do their King or Country any Service who put the Controversie upon this Issue Thirdly I must consider what this Gentleman saith about God's Providence in disposing Kingdoms And here I must needs say that he is honest in the main but he hath not read and digested Divinity enough to handle this subject and therefore he is very confused And I will not arrogate so much to my self as to say I have sounded this depth which hath cost me some years study and yet I must admire for I am ignorant or unsatisfied about many things concerning God's Providence I will not at this time ingage in the Controversie between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants God's Providence and Man's free acting are not inconsistent that is certain How they concur is most mysterious and the Highest Point in School-Divinity And I may safely say that it is above my strength to cut asunder or my wit to untie this knot But it is mine and every mans Duty to do God's Will and submit to his Pleasure who doth whatsoever pleaseth him in
Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places However I beg leave of the Learned and Judicious to make a favourable Interpretation of my design upon this abstruse subject First It is certain and agreed upon by the Calvinists and Arminians that God is not Author of Sin He is the Author of the Evil of Punishment but not of the Evil of Sin Amos 3.6 Secondly God permits many things which he doth not approve as the Persecution of good men for righteousness sake Thirdly God in his Providence for the wickedness of a people or for their probation and trial may suffer his Church to fall into the hands of Tyrants and Oppressors and to be carried Captive or to be Exiles Fourthly Tho' such wicked Instruments as Tyrants sin greatly in their Pride Cruelty and Oppression of Gods own Inheritance yet in his Providence he may make use of them as Scourges and Rods to punish the wicked and chastise the good for their trial as the exercise of their Faith Patience Humility c. Fifthly God in his Providence may and sometimes doth create Deliverance for his People in an unexpected manner And we may well say of this great Deliverance of our Nation This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Psal 118.23 So much for God's Providence Now I must distinguish about Governours which this Gent. doth not Governours are either Lawful Princes or Usurpers First A lawful King is he who hath a true Title to the Throne either by Succession or Election Secondly An Usurper is he who hath gotten Possession but hath no right This latter is by God's Permission This Usurpers have for God suffers them to rule and some call this a Providential Right very incongruously For this gives no just Title and consequently there is no Subjection due The vilest person may have this in Judgment to a Nation as one speaks on purpose to try them that so by such unlawful Subjection that Nation may fill up the measure of their Iniquities and God may destroy both them and their Governours of which there are many dreadful Examples in History This Gent. is very confused He saith That the Primitive Christians never regarded the Right Title or the Claim of Princes and Emperors And by this seems to own Oliver Cromwel as well as any Lawful King And he makes no Distinction between a Lawful King and an Usurper I must confess the History of the Primitive Christians about Governours is very imperfect Because they minded Religion more than Political Government and an Heavenly Kingdom more than an Earthly But it will be very hard for this Gent. to prove That the Primitive Christians owned any Emperor that was not first own'd by the Senate and People of Rome In times of Confusion many things are suffered or indured which are not approved And when the Empire was in Distraction through Emulation of men aspiring to the Throne both the Christians and the Senate and the 〈…〉 might not know what to do in Prudence or what course to take as well as this Gentleman in our late Confusions and yet not be blame-worthy nor own an Usurper And it is a Case of Conscience of great concernment sometimes How far we may live quietly under an Usurper First No man is bound in Conscience to tell an Usurper that he is so no more than he is bound to tell a Thief upon the High-way that he is a Rogue Secondly Any man may with a good Conscience take upon him the Office of a Judge or any other Legal Trust or a Preacher of God's Word in time of Confusion under an Usurper provided he owns not his Authority nor Swears Allegiance as to a Lawful Prince Because Government must be and Good Laws may be put in Execution in any time of Confusion and somebody must do these things In short in my opinion a Conscientious man living under an Usurper may do whatsoever conduceth to Order Natural Right Publick Good and Justice and the Preservation of the true worship of God without owning his Authority But this I am sure is very unseasonable and I almost tremble to say this little about it at this time for fear of giving Scandal But I think my self able to prove against any man that King William and Queen Mary by the Election of the People in Convention have as true a Title as ever any Prince had And if this Gent. can prove what he saith P. 10. with all my heart be it done I must out of awful fear and reverence say nothing of it more I hope by God's grace I shall ever render fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Thirdly Every man is bound tho' not unseasonably rashly and furiously when there is no probability of good Success to indeavour that the right Governour be placed on the Throne As for instance when O. C. had possession all the true Sons of the Church of England and many of our Presbyterian Brethren to my knowledge never owned his Authority but were very zealous and heartily prayed for the Restauration of the King and Royal Family And they thought it their Duty when they could not actively serve and obey the King to suffer with him and lye at the Mercy of the Usurper till God should pardon the Sins of the Nation and send Deliverance Now as this Gentleman writes P. 13. Did God give the Empire of the World to Nero to Domitian to Julian the Apostate all Usurpers and some of them Murderers of their Predecessors nay to Marius who was the very Image of O. C. And hath he not since that done any thing of that Nature Did not he that gave the Kingdom of England to King James give it also to King William Here he seems to own O. C. as much as King William I hope he means not so and I will not positively charge him tho' I grievously suspect him Sure I am this is no Doctrine of the Church of England O. C. was permitted by God's Providence as a Scourge and Plague to this sinful and unworthy Nation both to Prince and People according to the third Premise And for the transgressions of a land many are the Princes thereof Prov. 28.2 But King William was sent to us by Divine Providence as a gracious Gift and the greatest Temporal Blessing that God could vouchsafe a poor distressed distracted Nation according to the fifth Premise And indeed to do this Gent. right I charitably presume that it is want of Distinction in Divinity not in his thoughts to compare O C. and King William For P. 12. he applieth Dan. 4.17 where God is said to set over Kingdoms the basest of men such as O. C. was Kings given to a sinful Nation in his wrath and sometimes as suddenly again taken away in his anger and at other times continued longer for the Trial of his People or the Chastisement of wicked men which is good Divinity I shall conclude this about God's Providence with the
Spirit when he saith As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth surely in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in death or life even there also will thy Servant be 2 Sam. 15.21 And they that furnished David with Provisions especially Barzillai the Gileadite according to this Gent. Doctrine and indeed his whole Discourse of this Matter is meer Enthusiasm as if God did all things without means might have been wiser and saved Charges and committed the thing to God to determine as he thought fit But I am weary of lashing this Doctrine with which none but poor weak crazy Heads can be deceived or vile leud and Atheistical men because it teacheth such Nonsensical Disloyal Unchristian and Unnatural Behaviour towards our King and Country Voluptuous and Effeminate Epicures indeed by this Doctrine may sleep in a whole skin as we say but if they do not betray they will do no service to the Throne and Kingdom in time of Difficulty And as much as I think the late King was to blame I cannot but pity him if all his Adherents were of this Gent. Mind But let God be true and every Man a Liar Is there no distinction to be made between Lawful Kings and Usurqers or Tyrants in Title And again between Lawful Kings having Authority and ruling according to Law and Princes that have Authority but are Tyrants in Exercise and would subvert the Ancient Government and rule Arbitrarily Again he doth not distinguish between God's extraordinary and immediate and his ordinary and mediate Providence between what he doth by his Almighty Power immediately and what he doth mediately by Men as Instruments and these Instruments are Good or Bad. And here should be considered in what manner he works by good Instruments and in what manner by bad And tho' this Subject is difficult yet surely the Primitive Doctors and Fathers of the Church made distinction I have ever thought that all Government in Church and State stands most firm upon its own Foundation Let us have true Divinity and true Policy once more in England for God's sake Fourthly I must consider what he saith to the Williamites And here what he saith P. 35. is true We are satisfied and highly pleased with the present state of Affairs But I observe here that he fails in the usual Complement and Address of a Gent. He might if he had thought of it have honey'd the bow with us as we say in our Country and at his first Aggress given us thanks for assisting in our several Callings and Places to preserve our Religion and that Church of which this Gent. saith he is a Member and our Laws Liberties and Properties But oh this Passive Obedience I have a mind to say once more that I would have it rooted out of the world because this ingenious Gent. and verily in my heart I believe a good Christian hath forgotten the common courtesie of the Nation and falls foul upon us with some morosity He saith VVe have appeared very pertly against the Doctrine of Non-resistance and Passive Obedience Very pretty This Gent. in Conscience could neither resist nor assist and therefore tho' he is glad of the Deliverance yet he cannot thank the Deliverers Well but at least he might be silent and not speak evil of those who with a good Conscience could and thorough God's blessing did deliver him from that Bondage under which he â—â—â—ned If I were in the mire and the greatest Villain upon Earth helper me out so far I would be thankful to him and own his kindness as not to expose him when I am not bound in Conscience But this Gent. design is to put an End to this unseasonable Controversie p. 2. Very well Why then does he assert and defend Passive Obedience as the Glory of the Church of England and the Bulwark of all Religious Kings and States against the rage of mutinous and rebellious Spirits who pretend to fight for God's Truth against the Laws and Governments of their Countries P. 36. This foolish and sottish Charge would move a stone as we say Surely he had a mind to provoke us and quicken this Controversie almost buried in the Grave of Silence I could here fairly illustrate and make it probable that Passive Obedience hath been I will not say the Cause but the Occasion of the Ruin of two Kings and of a Civil War and of the Church of England once and almost the second time for what reasonable man indued with flesh and blood can indure this Church Tyranny that in any case whatsoever we must not resist Would to God this Gent. would have been quiet Does he think that we will be beat out of our Senses once more and that so soon after our eyes have been opened I will rebuke him in the words of Job cap. 27. verses 5 6 7 8. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my Integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Let my Enemies be as the wicked and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous For what is the hope of the Hypocrite tho' he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul I will stand by it there is no other way in Conscience to justifie our cause but by asserting defensive Arms in some Case But says this Gent. VVe had no disloyal Exhortations from the Press or Pulpit to perswade men to sight against their Prince nor had we any to perswade us to sight for Him but the thing was committed to God to determine as he thought fit P. 3. God a mercy Prejudice I Suppose our Reverend Fathers and Brethren can give an Account to the world of their own Behaviour without asserting God's Providence in this Gent. wild notion But for once I will write a Latin Sentence Turdus sibiâ—â—â—lum cacat Every man must Answer for himself I 'le blame no man that does not blame me But some Writings from the Press we had and from the hand of a Person who is now dignified in the Church if we are not all mistaken And he is highly approved of by His present Majesty and all the Clergy that are without Prejudice and honour real worth speak honourably of him As for our Gracious King the whole series of his Proceedings since He Landed on English Ground shews his most Excellent Virtues Justice Mercy Clemency Fortitude and Magnanimity And I am confident He can say what the Emperor Trajan said to a Tribune when he set him over the Praetorian Band delivering the Sword Vse this for me when I Command just things and against me when I Command unjust things And now with due Submission to my Governours in Church and State I come to the main Matter of Controversie First I assert That Defensive Arms are in some case Lawful and consequently that the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance is false This I
true Protestants and their Souls Eternally happy I hope that God will accept of what was well done and Pardon our Infirmities thorough the Son of his Love Let us now come to the hardest Task and most unpleasing Subject The Power of Deposing Kings and disposing of their Kingdoms There are Learned Pious and Judicious Protestant Divines that are of this Opinion whose Arguments I imagine this Gentleman would be puzzled to Answer Our Convention if I mistake not did declare that the late King Abdicated the Kingdom broke his Original Contract and vacated the Throne and what is this but that he deposed himself Almost all Nobility Clergy and Commons were for a Regency without Scruple and what is that but a milder word for Deposing This was a Fig-leaf to hide the Nakedness of those who rashly had asserted the Divine Right of Monarchy and Passive Obedience and Non-resistance in any Case But I suppose the late King would not thank these Gentlemen for putting him into the state of a natural Fool a Madman or a Lunatick I confess those Noble Persons and Wise Lords and Great Councellors of State who did never believe Divine Right Antecedent to Agreement in Prudence might Vote for a Regency Because all Alteration in Government much more so great an Alteration is troublesom as shaking the very Foundations of the Building And all wise Men and Politicians never change but in extreme Necessity taking Solomon's Advice Meddle not with them that are given to Change But yet if a Nation be forced to take up Defensive Arms they must be Secured before they lay them down and if the King be so Perfidious as this Gent. represents him even at this time to the Irish Protestants p. 23. it would have been as he says in the same place Incorrigible folly to have trusted him and consequently in this Case it is my Opinion and Conscience that he was justly Deposed See Discourse on Dan. 5.20 And this Gentleman if he is consistent with himself about his Notions of God's Providence must needs say that it is not only God's Permission but Approbation tho' P. 35. he rails at it as from the Devil But I leave him to reconcile his own Sentences for to me they seem a contradiction I beg His Sacred Majesties Pardon upon my knees and I am sorry if I have Scandalized the great Councellors of State in revealing this Mystery But I am a Preacher of God's Word and I believe in my Conscience our present Cause can be justified no other way And seeing all was at stake as this Gent. confesses our Religion our Laws Liberty Property Wives Children and Posterity and whatsoever is done is God's Providence methinks this Gent. might pronounce us Innocent and not Damn us But however if he will Damn us we possibly may escape his hands for he is not God but a poor weak man And I could afford to give him another piece of my advice but I will let it alone for this time Let me add The Church of England being truly Loyal could not dream of such an extraordinary Case But blessed be God some were wise as Serpents tho' harmless as Doves Let me use the words of St. Paul Rom 9.1 I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Those Noble Patriots of the Protestant Religion and Liberties of their Country into whose Hearts God put it to invite the Prince of Orange over deserve this Motto And tho' we Canonize no Saints nor give Divine Worship to any but God yet I wish their Names were known that the Nation might Erect a Monument for them with this Inscription Hitherto hath the Lord helped us and these are the Names of those Great Souls who run the hazzard of being accursed by the Papists for us their Protestant Brethren O most Sage Politicians and most Heroick Christians tho' this Gentleman's Doctrine calls them Traitors and Rebels O brutish and ungrateful Prejudice what can any free Mind think of these Effects of Passive Obedience Had it been an uncircumcised Philistin a subtile Jesuit who had thus defyed the Armies of the Living God and called them Rebels it had been no wonder But for a Gent. a Subject to King William and Queen Mary a Protestant thus to dip his Pen in Gall and sadden the hearts of those who should fight the Lord's Battel in Ireland by calling them Rebels is a Riddle that I cannot unfold I dare say that the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop and the other Right Reverend Bishops who cannot satisfie their own Scruples which is their Calamity and our Grief tho' there is all the reason in the world that all should swear Allegiance to Their present Majesties and they cannot be helped do not censure us as Rebels who according to our Consciences have assisted the Prince of Orange in this Revolution When I reflect on this I am tempted to lay aside my former good opinion of this Gentleman and must say what Michael the Arch-Angel said when he contended with the Devil about the Body of Moses The Lord rebuke thee God give him repentance and a better mind for he seems like wicked Doeg and his Confederates that Enemy of David and false accuser of his Brethren of whom the Prophet saith Psal 140.3 They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Adders Poison is under their lips I have Studied these Controversies about Government in Church and State for some Years but more exactly upon the rising of the Disputes about the Bill of Exclusion I have always been Inquisitive and have striven to give a Reason of my Faith and to search to the Bottom that my Principles might be unmoveable and unblameable with Wise and Good men And what I have written by way of Assertion to use Dr. Fern's words Conclusion or General Rule is but a Sacrificing to Truth from a Conscience not simply devoted to man And I have always esteemed it the greatest Preferment to have Liberty to speak Truth I was not for the Bill of Exclusion because necessity of Change was not palpable to me but I was against it as an Act of Imprudence not an Act of Injustice as I then said if King Lords and Commons should think fit But as for Monmouth's Rebellion I abhor it at this day because the late King had Promised upon the word of a King that he would Protect us and Rule accordding to Law and he might have made himself and us happy notwithstanding his Religion and I do not remember that he had commanded any thing against Law at that time And I have been taught and teach others that Subjects must not be Jealous of their Prince and that Defensive Arms are Lawful only in Extreme Necessity And I verily believe that the late King designed not at the first what he Acted afterwards His Bosom Friend his Priests and his Jesuits like a pack of half-witted Knaves and Fools stirred him up to his own and the
it be indifferent to us whether God or Baal the Ark or Dagon Christ Jesus or Saints and Images be invocated and worshipped if we care not whether Papists or Protestants rule over us then our Condition must needs be miserable But let us take Jacob's Advice to his Sons see that you fall not out by the way Let us with one heart and one voice earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints In short if we have wise Heads and Christian Hearts and Spirits we may easily unite We read in Holy Scripture of an hot dissention between Paul and Barnabas and they separated one from another but it continued not long Let us be English Men and Christian Spirits Valiant for the Truth and full of Mercy and good Fruits We took up Arms not to hurt others but save our selves Let it then be known to all Men what the late King is reported to say of us when he returned to London that though we hated his Religion yet we loved honoured and pitied his Person so grievously misled by foolish and evil Counsellors Fourthly Let us beware of a Relapse into the same Misery Let us be joyful but not secure and careless Such a condition ruined the men of Laish Let us so triumph as to be sober and watchful For if we fall again who shall raise us up A Relapse we know is worse than the first Sickness Therefore let us pray for Men over us who fear God and hate Covetousness Men of Knowledge and Men of Courage Men of Fidelity and Merit such as cease to do Evil and learn to do Well that seek Judgment and relieve the oppressed So God will rejoyce over us to do us good and will never leave us nor forsake us Amen Daniel 5.20 But when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in Pride he was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him IN these words we may observe these two general parts First Nebuchadnezzars's Crime His heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride Secondly His Correction and Judgment He was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him For the illustration of the former I may briefly consider First Who this Nebuchadnezzar was Secondly Wherein his Pride chiefly consisted First I shall consider who this Nebuchadnezzar was He was Emperour of Babylon the Queen of Nations and the most famous City of the world And he was the greatest Monarch of his Age. He fought against the Syrians Phenicians and Egyptians He made the Ammonites Moabites Philistines Idumeans and all Egypt Tributaries He conquered Tyrus also As ye may see in Jeremy and Ezekiel He took the City of Jerusalem and put Jehoiachin to death He made Jehoiachin or Jeconiah or Coniah Jer. 2.24 King and returned to Babylon In the eighth year of his Reign going back to Jerusalem for he feared that Jeconiah would rebel and revenge the death of his Father he took Jeconias Mordecai and three thousand Jews of the Nobility and carried them Captives to Babylon Nine years after he came again to Jerusalem and besieged the City because of the Impiety and Rebellion of Zedekiah and within a while utterly destroyed the City of Jerusalem carrying then the Vessels and Ornaments of the Temple to Babylon But it is thought that he took Daniel and his Companions captive and brought them to Babylon in his first Expedition Secondly I shall consider wherein his Pride chiefly consisted I shall name these three things First In not giving God the glory of all his Victories Secondly In commanding Image-worship Thirdly In persecuting the Servants of God for not worshipping Images First Nebuchadnezzars Pride consisted in not giving God the glory of all his Victories God prospered Nebuchadnezzar but he sacrificed to his own Net that is he ascribed it to his own Policy Strength and Wisdom and did not give glory to God This was his Pride Thou O King saith Daniel c. 2. v. 37. art King of Kings for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom power and strength and glory And wheresoever the Children of Men dwell the Beasts of the Field and the Fowls of Heaven hath he given into thine hand and hath made thee Ruler over them all Notwithstanding this the King gloried in an Arm of flesh and Boasted in the multitude of his Hosts Secondly His Pride consisted in commanding Image-worship Of this we read c. 3. He made an Image of Gold and commanded all to fall down and worship it It was not the Image of Bel or of other Gods of Babylon but of Nebuchadnezzar himself Neither was this unusual among the proud Heathen Tyrants For Alexander the Great Antiochus Epiphanes Caligula and others would be worshipped as Gods while they lived Thirdly Nebuchadnezzars Pride consisted in persecuting the Servants of God for not worshipping his Image He was not contented that the Heathens who had been bred up in Slavery and Idolatry worshipped the Image but he must force Gods Servants against their Consciences to fall down and worship also Maldonate saith Cor. Ã Lap. probably conjectures that the King had erected this Image upon the suggestion of the Chaldees who envied the three Jews Shadrach Meshach and Abednego the Government of the Province of Babylon and therefore to make them odious to the King and turn them out of Office they put the King upon making this Image which they knew that the Jews would by no means worship and thereby the King would be provoked against them as it fell out They served the King faithfully in the Trust committed to them but they obeyed God rather than Man and therefore told the King that they could not commit Idolatry to please him For they were the Servants of God and must adore him only with Religious Worship This incensed the King against them and in his wrath he commanded them to be cast into the burning fiery Furnace and that it should be heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated The Chaldees accused them and with all malicious insinuation stirred up the King against them As it is the nature of envious and wicked men to inflame Princes against the true Worshippers of God But the Jews notwithstanding all this fury and threats and cruelty continued resolute and persevered in the Faith and God miraculously delivered them When God pleases to shew his power the proud Helpers must stoop under him They destroy themselves that go about to destroy Gods Servants The flame of fire slew those men that took them up c. 3. v. 22. The righteous is bold as a Lion saith Solomon They answered the King with a mighty courage As who should say It is plain O King that there is only one God whom we worship and he can deliver us out of thine hand but if not yet we will worship him only and not thy Idols Observe here the undaunted resolution liberty fortitude and courage of these three Servants of God
I go on to the second general part of the Text Nebuchadnezzars Correction and Judgment He was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him Here I shall shew these three things 1. By whom he was deposed 2. Why he was deposed 3. That it was just 1. By whom Nebuchadnezzar was deposed 1. By God 2. By his Subjects 1. He was deposed by God Tho' God is not the Author of the evil of sin yet he is the principal Efficient in the evil of punishment Now this was the punishment of the King for his Pride Oppression and Impiety And the Prophet tells Psal 75.6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another This the King acknowledgeth c. 4. v. 2 3. I thought it good to shew the signs and the wonders that the high God hath wrought towards me How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders his Kingdom is everlasting and his Dominion is from generation to generation And v. 17. This matter is by the Decree of the Watchers and the Demand by the word of the holy ones The Watchers that is the Angels of God who are God's Instruments and Servants in punishing the evil and rewarding the good See v. 31 32. God who gives grace to the humble resists or fights against the proud This may comfort those that are oppressed God is the Avenger of all such I even I am he that comforteth you saith God by the Prophet Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man who shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth And hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the Oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the Oppressor 2. Nebuchadnezzar was deposed by his own Subjects They shall drive thee from men c. 4. v. 25. And if any say this is spoken neutrally Thou shalt be driven yet still here is the person understood be it spoken neutrally or impersonally Some body must do it And v. 33. He was driven from men By whom I answer He was either driven out by Tumult as it often happens to Tyrants or by the Conspiracy of the Nobles and Commons or by his Son Evilmerodach who as the Hebrews report affected the Kingdom while his Father lived Some think that he had oppressed and tyrannically used the Chaldeans Magicians and Wise-men of his Kingdom because they could not tell his dream See c. 2. v. 5. where he threatens that they should be cut in pieces and their houses should be made as a dunghill This Tyranny over their Liberties Properties and Lives ingaged them to depose the King according to the Law of Nature And this leads me to the second Why he was deposed 1. Because he was in a deep Melancholy and so unable to rule 2. Because he was a Tyrant and Oppressor and so his Subjects would not trust him with their Liberties and Lives 1. He was in a deep Melancholy and so unable to Rule See c. 4. v. 33. He was driven from men and did eat grass as the Ox and his body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers and his nails like Birds claws The sense is that his hair beard and nails were very much grown out because there was no body to cut them and he himself did not think of cutting them loving the likeness of beasts thro' black Choler or Melancholy His heart was changed from mans and he had a beasts heart given to him v. 16. He was not truly transformed into a beast as I believe but because his imagination was corrupt and his reason eclipsed thro' this adust humor he seemed to himself a beast And the most learned Physicians speak of this kind of Melancholy And our own Experience may confirm it in some of our own Age that have been troubled with Hypochondriack Passions and Melancholy He remained a man truly but Humane Sense and Reason as to the Exercise was taken from him 2. He was deposed because he was a Tyrant and Oppressor and so his Subjects would not trust him with their Liberties and Lives His severe and cruel Edict against the Magicians and Wise-men was intolerable and they could not but resent it See c. 2. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and forgat his dream and yet would imperiously and tyrannically force his Magicians to tell the dream and the interpretation They make humble supplication to the King and tell him that no Ruler ever asked such a thing of any Magician or Astrologer or Chaldean None but God could reveal such secrets But notwithstanding the King was angry and very furious and commanded to destroy them This cruelty as it is thought stuck in their minds they treasured it up in their hearts and as soon as opportunity served were glad to throw off his tyrannical Yoke The word Magician to tell you that by the way among the Persians and other Eastern Countries at first was used in a good sense for a wise and understanding man for a Philosopher who spends his days in contemplation and meditation These were Astronomers and Astrologers or Mathematicians who by the influence of Stars and calculating Nativities foretold many strange things And for my part I believe there is much Truth and Innocence in this Art at least I am far from condemning so many wise men of all Ages But as for Sorcerers Diviners c. they are deluders of the People full of Imposture and Superstition And this sort of Diabolick creatures were forbidden by Moses Law Levit. 19.31 Regard not them that have familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defiled by them And Deut. 18.10 11. There shall not be found among you any one that makes his Son or his Daughter to pass through the fire or that useth Divination or an Observer of times or an Inchanter or a Witch or a Charmer or a Consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizard or a Necromancer But to return This Demand and Decree of the King in it self was unjust for man though most skilful and most wise Lap. cannot reveal secret dreams especially already past much less their signification But some who write of Oneirocriticks do own that great Conjectures may be made from some certain and unwonted dreams A learned Author saith That the Chief Priests of the Chaldeans were addicted to Astrology And you will easily believe that Priests do not love to be oppressed and murdered without cause This was saith Synop. out of Calvin a beastly rage of the King because he demanded that which was above the power of man and that which the Chaldeans never arrogated to themselves Yet this was a reward of their arrogance because they assumed to themselves more than was meet 3.
Arbitrary power my Heart grew cold my Affection was lost and I could not as an English man nor a Christian nor a Priest who ought to teach Truth comply with such wicked and mischievous designs And I have ever since prayed or wished in my heart that God would send us a Deliverer He hath sent us a Deliverer And blessed be his holy Name And this discourse I may well call a justification of their present sacred Majesties and of the Proceedings of the Lords and Commons and all the People of the Land at this day And I hope that every good man who makes Conscience of his ways will not be backward to advance this publick design All that hate Popery and Slavery and have any love for true Religion will stand to this cause There is Loyalty to our Countrey and an Heathen could say It is sweet and comely to die for our Countrey And the true Protestant Religion by Law established is of unexpressible value To this purpose consider seriously and without prejudice the Distinction mentioned by Civilians and applied almost to our case by a great Scholar There is a difference between disposing of things by way of Donation and Sale and disposing things by way of Trust True those things which we dispose of by way of Donation and Sale are not afterwards in our power to recall as they were before the Donation and Sale As if a man gives his Land to Children or sells Land to his Neighbour it is not in the power of the Father or Neighbour to recall or dispose of the Land as before the Donation or Sale But if a thing be disposed of by way of Trust then if the Fiduciary or Trusted shall not discharge his Trust it is in the power at least of the Trusting to look to the matter himself As in case a Steward be trusted with a mans house And thus when any Governour is set up in a Land by the People they trust the Governour they do not give away Liberty or Right but trust them in the hands of the Governour who if abused that he do not perform his stewardly Trust as he should the People or Representative Body as an act of self-preservation I do not say as an act of Jurisdiction are to look to it Neither do they herein so reassume their Power as to take away any thing which they gave to the King but so as to act that power which they always had left in themselves as the power of self-preservation By the way observe I do not believe that the People have power of Jurisdiction for that properly connotates an Office which the People have not but they can never give away power to preserve themselves and they have power virtually to elect an Officer to rule and exercise all Jurisdiction And the end of the King's Trust being to look to the Kingdom tho' there be no such words expressed in the Covenant or Agreement between the King and his People that in case he shall not discharge his Trust then it shall be lawful for the State of the Kingdom by Arms to resist and to look to their own safety yet their safety being the end of this Trust and the reason of the Law is Law in reason that must be implied As for Nebuchadnezzar his impious Pride and Oppression and perhaps consequently the Magicians hatred and opposing of him brought him into a deep Melancholy and Distraction and so he was Abdicate And from this Example very Learned Divines and States-men infer the lawfulness of Abdicating a Prince for such Male-administration And I shall prove it thus What the wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have done by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it that is lawful and agreeable to the Will of God But the wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have deposed Kings by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it Therefore it is lawful and agreeable to the Will of God I suppose none will deny the Major because the Law of Nature is the unwritten Law of God and acknowledged by all Divines to be the most certain Rule of Life It is the Minor that I must establish which is The wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have deposed Kings by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it I need not here mention the Feats of Semiramis related by the Historian Justin and as he saith admired by all wise men of Babylon and honoured for her Prudence in Government and Valour not two hundred years after Noah's Flood Neither shall I speak of Sardanapalus King of Assyria mentioned by the same Justin an effeminate Prince deposed by Arbactus President over Media and his Associates for ill Government I will also omit the Monarchy of the Medes and Persians in which ye will sind that Darius was chosen by the neighing of his Horse and that the best Kings among them and their Posterity were not esteemed so sacred but for Mis-rule they might be deposed In the Grecian Monarchy which was the next all the World knows what strange changes happened After the death of Alexander the Great the Empire was divided according to Tumult or Prudence and several Dukes or Captains obeyed And this was divided into the Kingdoms of Egypt Syria and Macedonia All which by all wise and conscientious men of those days were required to obey their several Governors The next Monarchy was the Roman And as to the Roman it is evident by the Historian Livy c. that Tarquinius Superbus was justly deposed And all that opposed him were accounted Patriots and Defenders of their Countrey good men and true that would not see common Justice excluded and their native Countrey inslaved Brutus saith Livy b. 2. decad 1. deserved glory for expeâ—ling King Tarquinius Supcrbus They expelled wicked Rulers and Tyrants especially Nero and are commended in all Authors for it When the Head of Maximinus that tyrannical Emperor with his Sons were brought to Rome all ran to the Altars to thank the Gods And Balbinus Sacrificed Hecatombs for his deliverance commanding the same to be done through the Empire I do not hereby intend to justify all circumstances or all persons or all their actions But I bring these Instances to shew That by the Light of nature Government is alterable and that a Supream Prince may be deposed And Dr. Bilson Warden of Winchester confesseth in his book intituled The true difference between Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion perused and allowed by publick Authority and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth There may fall Extremities when Princes are not able to guide themselves much less their Realms P. 3. p. 145. As if the right Heir to any Crown be a Natural fool or he that is invested in the Crown wax mad and runs beside himself In either of these two cases any Realm by publick consent and advice may chuse another As Childerick was deposed for a Fool and Pipin
Destruction of them all Thus I have discreetly or indiscreetly rationally or not I must leave the indifferent Reader to judge but I am sure with greatest Satisfaction of my own Conscience laid open my heart to my Countrymen And I am ready to Answer this Gentleman or any of my Brethren in these Problems following First That the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous Church Secondly In some Case Defensive Arms are Lawful Thirdly In some Case it is Lawful to Abdicate a King Fourthly King William and Queen Mary by the free consent and Election of the People in Convention have as good a Title as ever any had Fifthly Neither Monarchy nor Episcopacy nor Presbytery nor any one Form of Government in Church or State is of Divine Right Antecedent to Law and Agreement Sixthly That if the Bishops and Fresbyterians could Unite in one National Church and Worship by a Comprehension it would be a blessed Agreement Seventhly That Liberty of Conscience for all Dissenting Protestants of what Sect soever with some Limitations and Restrictions as to Government yea Papists themselves in some Degree not Excepted is a piece of Prudence and harmless Policy at least if not of Christianity which commands universal Charity Lastly I think that I can shew that these Problems are not contrary to the Practice of this Church and State in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign whose Memory is for ever blessed among Protestants And if I could have the License of the Press I doubt not to make these things probable notwithstanding the Present Prejudices of many I have read that there was no Persecution for Religion in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and if I were worthy to advise there should be no Persecution for Religion in the beginning nor in the whole Reign of King William and Queen Marry that Glory may be to God on High as the Angels Song is on Earth Peace good will towards Men that Man may be at Peace with Man and all Men may be reconciled to God I hate Bigotism for an Opinion tho' I think every Man is bound in Conscience to lay down his life for his King and Country when God shall call him thereunto and earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints against the Abominations of the Roman Synagogue As for Protestants they agree in the Main and tho' I approve of the Saying of a Learned Presbyter if Opinions make Saints or Saints make Opinions we shall quickly have more Opinions than Saints yet St. Paul says They that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves Rom. 15.1 And I like Gamaliel's Councel as most seasonable for our times for this reason among others because it is a good natured thing and all mens Minds are so full of Prejudice that what one calls Saint another calls Devil Wherefore refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of men it will come to nought But if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found even to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. I believe in my Conscience that the Church of England in her Liturgy and Ceremonies as by Law established is fairly defensible against all Antagonists But the Church her Self never thought them equal to God's Word or unalterable in some Exigents as the Right Reverend the Bishops and Great Men of our Church have with no less Prudence than Piety acknowledged in all times and more especially in their late Petition to King James wherein they say that they want not due tenderness towards Dissenters and that they shall willingly come to such a Temper as shall be thought fit when Matters come to be settled in Parliament and Convocation And this is all that ever I designed for the great End of Peace and Union among Protestants And now I have Cause to be angry with this Gent. for he hath heated me and set me on fire and that in Hell too But if he will Damn the Priests and Jesuits he may for me for they deserve the Curses of the Nation but if ever he Damns us again I think what I 'll do and I need not care if I tell him tho' I am a Reprobate and the worst of Reprobates a Rebel I will do what I can to save his Soul by reducing him to a more Charitable Opinion of the Friends of his King and Country and that he shall never produce Rom. 13. against us more tho' perhaps I may shame him in this world The Righteous is as bold as a Lion says Solomon Prov. 28.1 What Evil have we done Nay what Good for this Cause have we not done Was ever any Man before Damned for helping to Save his Country What does this Gent. mean I tell him again we have Cause to be Angry But I have read excellent advice of St. Paul Eph. 4.28 Be ye angry and Sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Neither give place to the Devil v. 27. And therefore before I bid him God be with you Sir this Gent. and I will shake hands and be Friends for we are resolved that if we can hinder it the late King shall never return to England again Hear what he says to the Jacobites p. 24. If they admit all the dreadful Consequences that attend this relapse and yield up both Church and Nation to certain and inevitable ruin only that they may not be Damned for Perjury and Disobedience to a King that has left them when he might have stayed and now offereth to return and do what he then refused What shall we also Consent and Sacrifice our selves and our Posterity to the humour or scruples of these men Shall we suffer the English Church Liberties and the very People of England to be destroyed to gratifie two or three hundred Persons And it is a remarkable Speech if it be true which he saith he hath been told from good hands that one of our Bishops Bishop Ken said Tho' he could not satisfie his own Scruples yet he thought the English Nation fools if ever they suffered King James to return And Pag. 33. he saith It is now the same Sin to resist them that is King William and Queen Mary it was formerly to resist Him that is King James And we will Joyn our hearts in Prayer Cloath all their Majesties Enemies with shame O Lord but upon themselves and their Posterity may the Crown flourish for ever Ps 132.18 Long live King William and Queen Mary Deliciae humani Generis the Darlings of England and the Favourites of Heaven and may they late enter into Coelestial Joys Amen 1 Sam. 23.12 Then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up SAul was appointed by God anointed by the Prophet Samuel and chosen by the Children of Israel to be their King And in the beginning of his