Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n
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A45541
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The apostolical liturgy revived a sermon preached at the assizes held at Chelmsford in the county of Essex, March 18, 1660 / by Nath. Hardy.
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Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing H708; ESTC R27167
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22,011
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41
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perils they are by secret enemies rebellious conspirators in danger by them who say in the language of the people to Herod The voice of God and not of man and in danger by those who say We have no King because we feared not the Lord what should a King do to us and being in so great hazards they need the prayers of their people to guard them Upon these Considerations there is good cause why Kings and all in authority should be much in prayer for themselves like that good King Charls the fifth of whom it is said Soepius cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquebatur He did more frequently converse with God by prayer than with men by discourse and why their subjects also should be earnest with God in their behalf by which means even Kings are in some sort engaged to their meanest as well as their greatest subjects who by their zealous prayers for bring down blessings upon them These prayers must be made for Kings and all in authority as well bad as good The truth is as Saint Austin observeth Qui Mario Imperium dederit ipse etiam Caio qui Augusto ipse Neroni qui Vespasiano Domitiano He that gave authority to Marius Augustus and Vespasian who were mercifull gave it also to Caius Nero and Domitian who were cruel Emperors and therefore we must testifie our subjection to by our devotion for the one as well as the other If Kings be good they deserve our prayers so much the more because of their singular care over us and if they be bad then so much the more need there is we should pray for them by how much they are backward to pray for themselves I end this with this short Item we are obliged in many duties to Kings and all in Authority we are bound to pay to them those tributes and customs which by the Laws belong to them we are bound to fight for them when required If my kingdom were of this world then would my servants fight for me but surely it is very little we will do if not so much as to pray for them and therefore pray and again I say Pray for Kings and all in Authority and so much the rather because it is our own concerne as well as theirs for so it followeth 4. That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty which is the last part to be discoursed For the more Methodical handling whereof I shall consider these words in themselves and in their connexion 1. Consider the words in themselves they present us with the parts of a Christian conversation wherein it consists in godliness and honesty and with a singular help to the performance of them peace and quietness 1. If you would know what it is to lead a Christian life and wherein it consists the Text answers in godliness and honesty 1. The principal requisite to a good conversation is godliness which what it is will appear by the Etymologie of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 colo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 benè so that to be godly is to worship God aright 1. The material part of godliness is the worship of God for though it taketh in imitation yet it primarily consists in adoration by imitation we acknowledge his excellency but it is by adoration we proclaim his Deity and therefore though every godly man endeavours to follow Gods pattern yet the proper act of godliness is to worship his name 2. The formal part of godliness is to worship him aright which is 1. When it is performed according to the right Rule to wit the word of God wherein the substantials of Worship are particularly and expresly prescribed whilest the circumstantials are included in those general precepts of Order Decency and Reverence 2. When it is directed to a right end namely the glory and honour of God which as it is finis operis the end of the worship so it ought to be finis operantis the ultimate end of every worshipper 2. The next ornament of a Christian conversation is honesty If we consult the derivation of the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we shall finde it to be from the same verb with the former and is fitly rendered veneration or reverence and as that refers to God so this may be refer'd to Kings and all in Authority I cannot but sometimes wonder at the folly of the Quakers as in many others so in this particular of denying external expressions of Reverence toward their Superiors because it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve not considering that it is also written Fear God and the King fear God honour the King render to all men their due fear to whom fear honour to whom honour which cannot be render'd but by an outward testification in our speeches both to and of and our behaviour towards them Nor yet distinguishing between Religious and a Civil Worship the former whereof is Gods peculiar but the latter due to Kings and all in Authority Besides this strict notion of the word it is often used and may very well be enlarged to signifie gravitatem honestatem morum a grave and honest behaviour towards all men with whom we converse and so includeth omne officii genus all kinde of duty which belongeth to mutual society Both these godliness and honesty as elswhere righteousness and holiness are fitly joyned together since the one containeth the Duties of the first Table and the other of the second and so both render the conversation compleat But alas where or in whom almost do these two meet Some there are I trust not many who like that unjust Judge in the Parable who neither feared God nor regarded man abandon both godliness and honesty letting loose the reins to all manner both of impiety and iniquity But more far more there are whose Conversations are deficient in one or the other of these How many Christians are there who are no more then meer civil honest men to whom it may be truly said in the language of our Saviour what do you more then Heathens I can tell you of a grave Cato just Aristides chaste Lucretia many honest Pagans think you that the conversation of a Christian must not exceed theirs and what is it but godliness which maketh the difference Again how many Christians are there who seem for it is no more to be godly and so call themselves and would have others account them yet their practises have been manifestly unjust unmercifull and their works dishonest Oh that it might not be told in Gath and published in the streets of Ashkelon that in this Christian Kingdom there hath been a Generation of holy oppressors zealous Church robbers pious Traitors Religious Rebels and godly Regicides but where oh where is the Generation of them who lift up both
pray we pray not for one but the whole people because all the people are one Thus as our prayers must be for their depth cordiall from the bottome of our hearts for their height celestiall chiefly for the things of a better life and for their length continuall to the end of our dayes so they must be for their breadth universall for all men But withall 2. Eminently for Kings and for all that are in authority where besides the explicite Doctrine there are severall truths implicitely couched which would not be passed by and for the better handling of these words I shall proceed by these steps 1. All that are in authority supposeth a distinction of Superiors and Inferiors That there should be some Regnis praediti invested with dominion and others Regnantibus subditi obliged to subjection is not saith St. Austin without divine providence nay saith St. Chrysostome it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a work of divine wisdome so to order it Look as the earth is made up of hills and valleys mountains and dales so among the Inhabitants of the earth God hath appointed that there should be some above and some below In the naturall body there are severall members and some of them in the upper some in the lower part so it is and ought to be both in the Civill and Ecclesiasticall body A Consideration which not only serveth to justifie Superiority against the Levelling Party in Church and State but also minds those who are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 placed on high to remember that being set upon an hill they are more obvious and ought to be the more exemplary to others and therefore that as they exceed them in greatness they would excell them in goodness and as they are above so they would go before them in the paths of vertue and piety 2. Kings and all that are in authority implyeth that not only authority in general but Monarchy in particular is agreeable to the will of God it is the voice of wisdom not only non sine me not without my permission but per me by me that is my ordination Kings raign and had not Monarchy been approved by God St. Paul would not have exhorted Christians to make prayers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for but against Kings Yea when I consider 1. What Pliny observeth that in omni rerum conditarum genere unum quiddam eminere cernimus in all sorts of Creatures one hath the preheminence among the Planets the Sun Trees the Oak Beasts the Lion Birds the Eagle and the like 2. What St. Ambrose saith of Kings that they are dei imaginem babentes such as in a peculiar manner represent God himself for which reason his name is imparted to them and 3. that one of the offices which Christ himself undertaketh is Regal yet further 4. when I take notice what a special providence there must be in it that such multitudes of persons as are in every Kingdom should willingly subject themselves to and stand in awe of one person And 5. add to this when I observe a kind of Monarchy among Bees and Cranes unreasonable Creatures and that among Heathens no Government so usual as Regal as if the light of nature directed them to it Yea lastly when I read that promise to Abraham that Kings should come out of his loyns to the Christian Church that Kings should be her nursing Fathers and that it is set down as a signal favour confer'd by God upon Israel that it did prosper into a Kingdom I shall not fear to assert that of all Authority Regal is that which is most consonant to the Divine Will 3. It is not all in Authority and Kings but Kings and all in Authority whereby is implyed the subordination of others in authority under Kings which will more plainly appear if you compare this of St. Paul with that of St. Peter To the King as supream or to Governours as them which are sent by him The King in his Kingdom is sole deo minor only inferior to him whose stile is King of Kings and Lord of Lords and as he deriveth his power immediately from God so all other Authority is derived from him It was Moses who chose able men out of all the people and made them heads over the people Rulers of thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens It was Jehoshaphat who set Judges in the Land through the fenced Cities City by City The Statues of Kings were of old placed by fountains to intimate that they are the fountains of honour the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports that Kings are the basis and foundation of the people and all other Magistrates are pillars reared and supported by that foundation In our own Land those who serve in Parliament are elected and called by the Kings Writ Judges sit by the Kings Commission even Constables act in the Kings name all owning that authority which they have to be originally from the King in whom the Supream power doth undoubtedly reside 4. Lastly That which is expresly required is that intercessions be made for Kings and all that are in authority Mos hic egregius ut multa alia laudabila venit à Judaeis This as many other laudable practises cometh from the Jews saith the Learned Grotius whose custom was as you read in Ezra to pray for the life of the King It is here enjoyned by the Apostle to Christians and was accordingly practised Tertullian saith of those in his time Sine monitore quia de pectore oramus pro imperatoribus We need no Monitor our loyal hearts prompt us to pray for our Emperours There are two sorts of persons who of all men stand most in need of our prayers namely Magistrates and Ministers the King and the Bishop the Prince and the Priests no wonder if else-where St. Paul requireth praying for all Saints and for me and here for all men for Kings and all that are in authority Indeed on the one hand it is a great weight and burden which lyeth upon the shoulders of Kings and all that are in authority though earthly glory be but an empty shadow yet in this sense we may make use of St. Pauls phrase concerning that which is heavenly it is a weight of glory and quò sublimior gloria cò major cura the higher the glory the greater the weight which lyeth upon them great reason there is that the people should help them to bear it with their prayers it is but gratitude since they watch for us that we should pray for them and since they take upon them the care of our welfare we should put up our requests to God for theirs Besides on the other hand Kings and all in authority are exposed to manifold dangers in respect of themselves as well as cares in regard of us in perils they are by false friends fawning flatterers and in