death take that breath againe from him turn him into dust or into nothing at his pleasure but his Vicegerents on earth have no such transcendent power their commission beeing confined to the rules of justice and religion the observation whereof is undoubtedly the fairest and safest course they can take Vriah was Davids Subject yet when the King had cunningly caused him to bee placed by Ioab in the forefront of the battell and upon a sudden retreit to fall by the sword of the Ammonite in sense of this unjust act hee afterwards cries out Deliver me from bloâ—d-guiltiness O God Naboth was Ahabs Subject yet because Letters were written in the Kings Name and his Seal was set to them for the putting of Naboth to death the Prophet Eliah is bid to charge him with the murther Hast thou killed and also taken possession Neither doth Ahab plead his power over Naboth or Naboths subjection unto him but by humbling of himselfe seems to acknowledge his guiltiness There is nothing that makes a man to bee more accounted of amongst all men than beeing accountable to no man for his actions so to carry himself specially in the destroying and cutting off of men as if he were ready to yeeld account of his proceedings to all men There is nothing that wins more hearty affection and inward both revereÌ„ce and obedience than when a man may uncontrouleably and without checke doe what hee list to doe no more than what is lawful and justifiable Nee tibi quid liceat sed quid fecisse decebit Occurrat mentemqâ—e domet respectus honesti And as the Panegyrist speakes of Theâ—dâ—sius Idem es qui fuisti tantum tibi per te licet quantum per leges antea licebat ius summum facultate câ—pia commodandi non securitate peccandi experiris Wherunto the strongest motive to induce a minde possessed with the sense of religion and the feare of God is that no earthly throne is so high but that it hath a superior throne in heaven from which it was derived to which it is subordinate and by which it must bee judged and the lesse it is lyable to humane censure the more strict and severe either in this world or in the next or in both must it in reason expect the divine Si genus humanum mortalia temnitis arma At sperate Deum memorem fandi at que nefandi Therfore our Prophet ads I will destroy I will cut off but whom the wicked of the Land the workers of iniquity which is my third generall part the Obiect upon whoÌ„ this severe justice is to be don It is as great abomination saith Salomon Prov. 17. 15 In the sight of God to condemne the just as it is to justifie the wicked And the Prophet Esay 5. 23 pronounceth as great a woe against him that taketh away the righteousness of the righteous from him as against him that iustifieth and absolveth the wicked for a reward As then speciall care must be had that the innocent do not suffer with the guilty or as the guilty So specially that their blood be not spilt and their life uniustly destroyed Know for certaine saies the Prophet Ieremy that if yee put mee to death yee shall bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this Citie and upon the inhabitants thereof 26. 14. Thereby implying that God would avenge his blood not onely upon the murtherers themselves but upon the people the whole Land should be guilty of it Manasses was a 〈◊〉 murtherer hee shed innocent blood exceeding much till hee replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner 2. King 21. But marke how fearfully God revenges this sinne in his posterity In the dayes of Iehoachim the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees and bands of the Aramites and bands of the Mâ—abites and bands of the Ammonites and hee sent them against Iudah to destroy it For the sinnes of Manasses and for the innâ—cent blood that hee had shed as it is exprest in the 24. of the same booke Manasses was dead and rotten long before this time yet wee see God had not forgotten that sinne but the whole Land smarted in the third generation after him So likewise Ioash most unkindly caused Zachariah the sonne of good Iehoiada to be stoned to death because he reproved him for his Idolatry But see what followed When the yeare was out the Hoast of Aram came uppe against him and they came against Iudah and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people and sent all the spoyle of them to the King of Damascus though the army of Aram came with a small company of men yet the Lord delivered a very great army into their hands After this the King himselfe was smitten with great diseases and at last his owne servants conspired against him and slew him in his bed And the reason of all these fearefull judgements is given there by the holy Ghost For the blood of the children of Iehoiada the Priest It is memorable that which Procopius an Historian reports touching Theodorick King of the Gothes how that having slain Boâ—thius and Symmachus two both noble and innocent persons the guilt of that horrible fact cleaving close to him hee had a strong imagination that the head of a certaine fish which was set upon his table was the head of Symmachus gaping and yawning upon him The very conceite whereof struck him into such a quaking fit as was the beginning of an extreame sickness upon which he shortly died Now as hee vowes to destroy the wicked and none but them so doth he all them my fourth generall part His indifferent and unpartiall proceeding I will destroy all I will cut off all Not that he thought it possible to root out all but that hee would doe his best to leave none The magistrate herein is to imitate God whose deputy he is whose person he represents And as he communicates with God in his name so shold he in his nature Who without respect of persons iudgeth according to every mans work 1. Pet. 1. 17. Though Coniah were as the signet upon his finger yet would hee pluck him thence Ieremy 22. 24. And as his practice is so is his precept Ye shall haue one lawe it shall be as well for the stranger as the borne in the countrey The stranger if hee deserve favour must have it as much as if hee were borne in the countrey and hee that is borne in the countrey must be punished as severely as if hee were a stranger Tros Tyriusue mihi nullo discrimine agetâ—r If a sonne be stubborne and disobedient the Parents themselves must bring him forth to the Iudges that they may sentence him the people stone him Deut. â—1 If a brother if a daughter if a wife offend in some cases they are not to be spared Deut. 13. And therfore Asa King of Iudah is commended for his uprightness in this respect that when Maacha his owne mother committed Idolatry hee would
wilt thou com unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 3 I will set no wicked thing before my eyes I hate the work of them that turne aside it shall not cleave to me 4 A froward heart shall depart from me I will not knowe a wicked person 5 Whoso pâ—ivily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look a proud hart wil I not suffer 6 Mine eyes shall bee upon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve mee 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwel within my house he that telleth lies beâ—stablâ— shall not tarry in my sight 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off al wicked doers from the City of the Lord. Buchanani Paraphrasis PSALMVS CI. TE salus rerum cano qui precanti Lenis irarum es facilisque flecti Impiorum idem tetricus rebelles Frangere fastus Huc meae vires vigilant labores Huc ferent omnes opis in tuae speâ—â— Semper ut castis domus institutis Culta nitescat Si salutarem mihi tu serenus Porrigis dextram tibi corde puro Serviam fraudum scelerÃsque pura Serviet aula Nec mihi exemplum statuam sequendum Litibus siquis miseros iniquis Vexet aut causam tenuis clientis Prodidit hosti Sponte qui pravis studiis inhaeret Sit procul saevi sceleris minister Candidos nunquam mihi censeatur Inter amicos Quisquis incautum lacerat sodalem Clam venenato iaculatus ictu Persequar plectam penitúsque ab ima Stirpe revellam Nec meae mensae dapibus fruetur Mentis elatae tumor arrogánsque Vultus cunctos veluti minores Lumine spernens Veritas â—â—mplex quibus est amori Hos amo amplector video libenter His mihi â—eros sociis senectus Impleat annos Integer vitae mihi sit minister Tecta non intret mea fraudulentus Nemo mecum intra mea commoretur Limina mendax Impios longè mora nulla terrae Finibus pellam procul omne monstruâ—â— Civitas sancta ut Domini releget Flagitioruâ—â— The Analysis of the Psalme The principall Contents of the severall ensuing Sermons THe first treates chiefly of the preheminence of the booke of the Psalmes of the Nature Conditions of a Vow of the antiquity excellency of musick of the diuerse kindes of Church-musick of the abuse good use of Songs singing of Mercy and Iustice requisite in a Prince Of the person to whom both Songs and Vowes are to bee devoted and to whose glory both Mercy and Iustice are to be administred The second of the necessity of a Magistrates beginning Reformation from his owne person of Wisedome required in him both Civill and Spirituall of his patience in waiting for the performance of Gods promises of his imploring the assistance of Gods Spirit of his Meditation of Mortality The third of Idlenesse of progresse in good duties of moderation of the alâ—owance of our owne hearts in all our actions of the perfection of the heart unfoulding it selfe in Integrity and Sinceriâ—y of the tryall of a mans sufficiency for publique imployment by the menaging of his housholde affaires of being the same abroad and at home The fourth of presumptuous sinnes of the sense of the word Belial of the vnlawfulnesse of Images for religious vse of sundry temptations and intisements by the sense of Seeing The fift of the good vse of naturall affections in the soule so they bee rightly moderated and applyed of a twofolde hatred of malice and zeale of the hatred of mens euill vvorkes not of their persons of the hatred of Apostates and Apostasie The sixt of the frowardnesse of the heart in rebellion repining against God in harshnesse and bitternesse towards men of shunning euill company for feare of Suspicion Infection Malediction The seauenth of the vertues and vices of the tongue of slaunder in generall of priuy slander of priâ—y slander of a mans pretended friend or fellow servant of the putting backe and punishing thereof The eightth of the affinitie between slander and pride of discouering the secret affections of the heart by outward actions and gestures in special the pride of the heart by proud lookes of the proud heart it selfe and wherein it consists of our Prophâ—ts not suffering it as a reasonable man as a member of the Church as the Father of a family as the Soveraigne of a kingdom of his owne freenesse from it notwithstanding his great and manifolde gifts and the reasons thereof The ninth of domination and service of fidelity in servants in actions vvhen a servant doth that vvhich tends not so much to the satisfying of his Masters sensuall appetite as his reall good when he preferres his Masters gaine his ease his liberty his safety before his own secondly in speeches by concealing his Masters secrets and imperfections by giving him if occasion serve and hee be called to it wholesom and free counsaile of godlinesse required in a servant as well in regard of his Master as himself where by occasion of the proper signification of the word to serve vsed in the Text is added a discourse of the disorder of States by the corruption of Iudges vnder-Officers even when there are good Kings and lastly it concludeth with the choise and reward of good servants The tenth of deceitfulnesse in generall of deceitfulnesse of servants in speciall how pernicious it is both to themselves and their Masters of lying in which are handled the nature and severall kindes of Lies the greatnesse of the offence how â—lightly soever wee esteem of it together with the punishment alwayes due vnto it and many times inflicted on it The eleventh of diligence dispatch and constancy in punishing malefactors at his very entrance to the Crowne yet not without advisement and discretion of three cases which by some are held vnlawfull in which it is lawfull to destroy in defence of a mans owne person in a iust and lawfull warre and by the sword of the publique Magistrate The twelfth of three vnlawfull kindes of destroying by some held lawfull namely selfe-homicide in Duell for reason of State without due order of law or course of iustice of the right obiect and vnpartiality of his iustice and lastly of his vowing to purge the Citie of the Lord whereby is meant Ierusalem first for example to the whole Realme it being the Metropolis and head Citie of the Kingdome as also and principally by reason of the service of God and exercise of religion which by divine ordinance was in a speciall manner tied vnto it I have the rather noted the distinction of these Sermons because the third and sixt are not sufficiently distanced from their next precedents ALia sunt quae Prophetae tradunt alia quae Historia Lex quoque alia Proverbiorum etiam alia
be true that the better sort be directed by love yet the greater sort are corrected by feare A man that stands by and sees one that is wounded seared or launced is therby made more carefull of his owne health and in like manner the beholding a malefactor to be brought to deserved punishment makes men more wary how they runne into the like courses It was a true saying in the generall of the Proconsull to Cyprian at his martyrdome though ill applyed to him in particular In sanguine tuo caeteri discent disciplinam In thy blood the rest will learne discipline Secondly the cutting off of the wicked causeth the good to leade a more quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty who if they should be permitted to live and enjoy their liberty wee should neither meet quietly in our assemblies nor dwell quietly in our houses nor walke quietly in our streets nor travaile quietly in our wayes nor labour quietly in our fields In better tearmes stands that State where nothing then where all things are lawful and it is no lesse cruelty to spare all than to spare none For he that spares one bad thereby injuries many good which gave occasion to the Proverbe Foolish pitie marres the Citie and to the saying of Domitius that hee had rather seeme cruell in punishing than dissolute in sparing Many saith Saint Augustine call that cruelty when for love of disciplin the fault committed is revenged by the punishment of the offender whereas the Sentence of him that punisheth satisfieth the lawe and redoundeth to the good not onely of them that are present but even of them that are yet unborne So that severity used in this case Vtilitate publica rependitur is payed home and recompensed with publike benefit Yea but though hee be a malefactor say some yet is hee a personable man of an excellent wit and good parentage and is it not pitie to cast away such a man To which may justy be replyed Is it not more pitie that a proper man should undoe a profitable man that a witty man should hurt an honest man that hee who hath good parentage should spoile him that hath good vertues to serve the Common-wealth To cut off such a wicked person then by the stroake of justice is not to castaway a man but to preserve mankinde and better it is Vt unus pereat quam ut unitas that one single person should suffer than a whol Society Truncatur artus Vt liceat reliquis securum viuere mâ—bris Thirdly as by sparing wicked and wilfull transgressors the wrath of God is provoked and his judgements pulled downe vpon a Nation So by cutting them off as by an acceptable sacrifice his wrath is appeased and his favour procured If blood were shed in the Land and the murtherer not put to death the whol Land was thereby defiled and made lyable to Gods displeasure Num. 35. 33. When Achan had stoln the consecrated thing the wrath of the Lord was so kindled against all the Hoast of Israel that they could not stand but were discomfited before their enemies but as soone as Achan with those that belonged unto him were stoned to death the Lord turned from his fierce wrath against Israel so that wheras before their enemies chased and smote them now they atchieved many great and famous victories Ios. 7. So long as the murther committed by Saul upon the Gibeonites was unpunished there was sent a grievous famine upon the Land of Israell three yeares together but as soon as Sauls seaven sonnes were hanged at the motion of the Gibeonites God was appeased with the Land Two notable examples to this purpose we have recorded by Plutarch the one in the life of Romulus the other of Camillus When Romulus K. of Rome Tatius K. of the Sabines after cruell war had made their coÌ„position to governe the Romans Sabines joyntly there fell a strange kinde of plague and famine in the Cities of Rome and Laurentum for two murthers committed by the Romans and Laurentines the one by the kinsmen of Tatius upon certaine Embassadours of Laurentum which murder Tatius neglected to punish and the other by the friends of the saide Embassadours upon Tatius in revenge of the injustice done by his kinsmen and suffered by him Whereupon it being noted that the plague and famine increased strongly in both Cities and a common opinion conceived that it was a punishment of God upon them for those murthers committed and not punished they resolved to doe justice upon the offenders which being once done the plague ceased presently in both places The same Author likewise ascribeth the Sack of Rome by the Gaules to the just judgement of God upon the Romans for two injustices done by them the first was the unjust banishment of Camillus the second the refusall to punish certain Ambassadors of their own who beeing sent to treate peaceably with the Gaules on the behalfe of the Clusians committed acts of hostility against them contrary to the lawe of armes And when the Gaules sent to Rome to demand reparation of the injury the Romans not onely refused to give them satisfaction but also made made their Ambassadours who had done the injurie Generals of an Army to assist the Clusians against them notwithstanding that the Foeciales officers ordained by Numa Pompilius to determine of the lawfull causes of Peace and Warre made great instance to the Senate that the Ambassadours might be punished lest the penalty of their fault might otherwise fall upon the Common-wealth as indeede it did For the Gaules giving battel to the Ambassadors overthrew them and prosecuting their victory spoyled and sacked Rome it selfe under the conduct command of Brennus their chief Leader and as some write a Brittain Wherein I wish to bee noted how grievous a sinne it is in the opinion of the very Paynims themselves and how dangerous to the Common-wealth to neglect and omit the punishment of notorious malefactors whereby the offences of particular men are made the sinnes of the whole State and draw the wrath and punishment of God upon the same And as upon the whole State so chiefly upon his person and posterity to whose place and office it belongs to see justice done It is a true saying Iudex damnatur cum nocens absâ—luitur the Iudge is condemned when the guilty is absolved and Qui non vetat peccare cum potest iubet He that doth not restrain a man when it is his duty and it lies in his power doth command him to sinne He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse Prov. 24. 24. And in another place Hee that justifieth the wicked is an abomination to the Lord 17. 15. So that whereas they thinke by this meanes to winne estimation with men they make themselves odious both to God and men Saul was punished with the losse of his kingdome for not punishing Agag with death 1. Sam. 15. And Ahab for sparing Benhadab had