jus est De jure Regni P. 15. ut imperium cui velit deferat He hath now many followers and it is a wonder to see how that these men who professe that they will banish all Popery root and branch are yet drawing in Popery by head and shoulders for I know no point of doctrine which can with better reason be termed Popery then that which had a Pope for the first author of it and which in it selfe is so false as being contrary unto the Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient Church and even contrary to the confession of many of the wisest amongst the Heathen for Homer tearmes Kings the sons and off-spring of Iupiter Anal. Lib. 3. so doth Callimachus and the wise Tacitus saith Principes imperium à Deo habent Therefore some Emperors did stamp't their Coine with an hand comming out of the Clouds holding a Crowne and setting it on their heads and accordingly did stile themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crowned by God And yet for all this the Iesuites and Puritanes pretend that the Scripture is for them because forsooth Deut. 17.15 the constitution of a King seemes to be left unto the People Constitues eum Regem super te thou shalt set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose So the choosing of the King is ascribed unto the people 1. Sam. 8.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye have chosen the like is Chap. 12.13 Behold the King whom ye have chosen The making of the King is ascribed unto the People 1. Sam. 11.15 And all the People went to Gilgall and there they made Saul King before the Lord. The anointing of the King is ascribed unto the People 2. Sam. 2.4 And the men of Iudah came to Hebron and there they anointed David King over the house of Iudah And Chap. 5.3 So all the Elders of Israell came to the King to Hebron and they anointed David King over Israel So it is said of Solomon 1. Chron. 29.22 And they made Solomon King the second time and anointed him unto the Lord. Of Rehoboam 1. Kings 12.1 All Israell were come to Sechem to make him King Of Ioash 2. Kings 11.12 That when Iehojada had shewed unto the Captaines and the Guard the Kings Sonne and put the Crowne upon him and given him the testimony that they made him King and anointid him Of Azariah 2. Kings 14.21 And all the People of Iudah took Azariah and made him King instead of his Father Amaziah Of Josiah when his Father Ammon was slaine 2. Kings 21.24 And the People of the Land made Iosiah his sonne King in his stead Of Iehoahaz 2. Kings 23.30 And the People of the Land took Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah and anointed him and made him King in his Fathers stead And yet for all this it is certaine that the constituting the choosing the making the anointing of the King did not properly belong unto the people For in that place Deut. 17.15 the choice of the King is plainly reserved unto God Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose And so God did choose Saul first as Samuell told them 1. Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath set a King over you God designed him unto Samuel commanded him to anoint him without the consent or privity of the People he caused the lot to fall upon him and therefore albeit it be said that the People went to Gilgall and there made Saul King yet we know that Saul was King before that chosen at Mizpech by the Lord as Samuel saith 1. Sam. 10.24 See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen he was there publiquely acknowledged and received with acclamations And all the People shouted and said God save the King ibid. The men also whose hearts God had touched went with him and gave him presents vers 26 27. He had also done the Office of a King raising Armes and fighting against their Enemies Chap. 11.4 So that that act of the People in Gilgall of making him King was onely a renewing of the Kingdome as Samuel tearmes it in the words going before Let us go to Gilgall and renew the Kingdome there vers 14. They did renew it by a solemne inauguration And when God had rejected Saul for his disobedience it is manifest that he onely did choose David and establish the Kingdome in his line no man did contribute any thing to his advancement for if Samuel might have had his will Eliab had been King and not David So God choose Solomon among all the Sons of David to succeed him as David tells us 1. Chron. 28.5 And of all my sonnes he hath chosen Solomon my sonne to sit upon the throne of the Kingdome and when David was upon his death bed and all the People together with Abiathar the High-Priest and Joab the Generall of the Army had set their eyes upon Adonijah to make him King David commanded Zadocke the Priest and Nathan the Prophet to anoint Solomon King 1. King 1.34 All the rest succeeded by the right of inheritance God having now setled the Crowne in his line insomuch that albeit it be said that all Israell went to Sechem to make Rehoboam King yet in the words immediately going before we read that Solomon slept with his Fathers and Rehoboam his sonne raigned in his stead 1. King 11.43 So that Rehoboam raigned before the People went to Sechem to make him King And therefore the constituting choosing making anointing of the King which is ascribed unto the People must be understood onely of their Solemne Declaration and acceptation of their King otherwise the Scripture shall be contrary unto it selfe which we may not in any wise admit That this is the true meaning of these phrases may further appeare because as the People are said to make Saul King so Samuel is said to make him King 1 Sam. 12.1 And Samuel said unto all Israel behold I have hearkened unto your voice in all that you said unto me and have made a King over you Now it is certain that Samuel did nothing but onely powred a box of oyle upon him by Gods direction yet for performing of that Ceremony he is said to make him King so the People for performing another part of the solemnity are said to make him King Again as the People are said to make the King so they are said to anoint him they anointed David in Hebron they anointed Solomon unto the Lord we know it never belonged unto the People to anoint that Office was ever performed by Priest or Prophet yet are the People said to anoint the King because they were present when he was anointed did concurre to make up the solemnity testifying their approbation of that act And as they are said to anoint the King so are they said to anoint the Priest 1 Chron. 29.22 They anointed Solomon unto the Lord to be the chiefe governour and Zadock to be
is his tabernacle In Salem that is where Peace is for so the Fathers read it In pace fastus est locus ejus But where division and discord is there God can have no Tabernacle And therefore the Brethren of the Separation in their present Schisme and Rebellion are not lead by the Spirit of God who is love it selfe Galath 5.20 but by the lusts of the flesh ingendring hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings These as they are not Iudahs People so neither are they Gods I have now done with my Text for the time will not permit me to speake of the other two Petitions but the Service of this day and your expectation doe require that I say something by way of application This day was this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Luk. 4.21 for upon this day full nineteene yeares agoe Almightie God brought Iudah unto his people he set our gracious Soveraigne that now is upon the throne of his Father which unto us was no small blessing if we had knowne our owne happinesse For to have a King though he be none of the best is a great blessing unto a Land Moses tells us Num. 27.16 17. that unlesse God set a man over the Congregation which may goe out and in before them the Congregation of the Lord will be as Sheep without a Sheepheard And we are often told in the Book of Iudges that when there was no King in Israell every man did that which was right in his owne eyes Experience also hath taught all men that tyrannie is nothing so bad as Anarchie Saul was no good King yet his advancement was counted a great favour unto the people for of it Samuel said 1. Sam. 12.24 Consider how great things the Lord hath done for you By his government they reaped divers benefits for he saved them often from their Enemies Saul did slay his Thousands 1. Sam. 18.7 C. 28. 9. C. 22. 7. he destroyed the Sorcerers out of the Land he gave them Fields and Vineyards he made them Captaines over Thousands and over Hundreds insomuch that after his death David ascribed all their wealth unto him saying Ye daughters of Israell 2. Sam. 9.24 weep for Saul which cloathed you in scarlet with pleasures and hanged Ornaments of gold upon your apparell Such benefits came by the government of a Tyrant but when they had no King at all all manner of evill did ensue Whence came it that the People in the wildernesse did worship the golden Calfe but that Moses their Prince and keeper of Religion was absent and Aaron the Priest was too weake to withstand the importunity of the People and whence was it that a little after they were seated in the land of promise the state of Religion became so corrupt and all manner of iniquity so to abound that it is often said in the book of Iudges the Children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the lord the cause appeareth plainly in the text Ioshua their godly Prince was dead and either they had no cheif Governor or at least not one armed with sufficient power to restrain them for it is said they would not obey their Iudges Iud. 2.17 but went a whoring after other Gods So it came to passe that every man did what seemed good in his owne eyes And so it will ever be when there is not authority strong enough to controule our unruly desires therefore the want of a King is threatned as the greatest of judgments Hos 3.4 the children of Israell shall abide many daies without a King and without a Prince and without a Sacrifice Certainly these were miserable dayes in which there were neither justice nor religion But if there be a King set upon the throne of power his feare will restrain the wicked as Solomon saith Prov. 20.8 A king that sitteth in the throne of judgment chaseth away all evill with his eyes And vers 26. A wise king scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheele to turne over them So that upon the King depends the safety of the people and therefore in the book of Iudges the cheife governor whom God raised up is still called a Saviour because by him God did procure the Salvation of the people The Scripture useth this as a motive to pray for the King Ps 20.10 Lord save thou the King then followeth the reason he answer us in the day we call For that I take to be the true reading of the text In the Ps 144. at the 10. vers there is a thanksgiving for the deliverance of Kings it is he that giveth deliverance to Kings at the 11. vers there is a prayer for King Davids safety Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of strange children and in the verses following he sheweth what great good commeth unto all from his safety that our sonnes may be as Plants Our daughters as the corner stones that our garners may be full c. Eight temporall blessings they be in all yea that which is above all the rest is added in the conclusion Blessed are the people whose God is Iehova for even that too that the Lord be our God that the true religion and worship of God be preserved amongst us doth in a great part depend upon the King But some will say though these blessings come by such a King as David and we are to pray for him yet not for every King yes for every King the Jewes in captivity were commanded to pray for the King of Babel 1. Tim. 2.1 2. and St Paul at that time when Kings were none of the best injoyned us to pray for them and the reason which he useth sheweth that upon their safety doth depend the safety of the people Therefore for Kings that under them we may lead a peaceable life in all Godlinesse and honesty as if he should say if the King be safe the peace will be safe by peace commeth the knowledge of God from the knowledge of God a Godly and honest life Thus to have a King is a blessing unto a Land but to have a good King is the greatest blessing which God can vouchsafe unto a Kingdome And such a King hath God given us He hath not dealt so with any other Nation nor yet with this Nation at other times When God set him over us it might have been said of England as the Queen of Sheba said of Israel when Solomon was King 1. Kings 10.9 Because the Lord loved Israel therefore made he him King to doe Iudgement and Iustice Here I need not to feare the aspersion of flattery for he who flatters the King can expect no reward there is indeed on the other side a reward for Traitors and Libellors and therefore flatterers now speak against the King not for him they blaspheam the Lord and his anoynted And truth never stands more in need of an advocate then when it is spoken against Give me leave therefore out of
the duty which I owe unto this day to make some acknowledgement of those manifold graces wherewith God hath indued His Majesty and therein blessed us and I shall intreat you in the phrase of Philo to behold the image of a great mountain in a small ring to conceive the worth of a good King in the narrow words of an unskilfull speaker for I freely confesse the mercies of God bestowed on us in and by him are higher and greater then I can measure Turn over all your Chronicles and tell me what King was there ever in this Land so free from vice so eminent for vertue whose life was so Religious and exemplary as His Plinie saith there be three vertues which especially commend a Prince Paneg. namely Piety Temperance and Meeknesse and I believe that these are hardly to be found in a more eminent measure in any man living then in Him His Piety is seen in His frequenr acts of devotion and great reverence in Gods worship which I wish were recommended unto all His Subjects as a patterne for imitation His Temperance is such as may be in some sort compared with that of the ancient Philosophers And this is no smale blessing unto the Land Eccles. 10.17 for saith Salomon blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkenesse His Meeknesse mercy and clemency is so great that his greatest enemies and most perfidious Traytors do not dispaire of his pardon I should come farre short if I should only apply unto him the commendation of Augustus Quo nihil immensus mitius orbis habet He goes farre beyond that and hath learned the hardest lesson in Christianity not only to forgive his enemies but also to render good for evill Vnto these I might adde His great Iustice and Integrity which is such that He may make Samuels testament and say 1. Sam. 12.3 witnesse against me before the Lord whome have I defrauded whom have I oppressed or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blinde mine eyes Surely when God gave us such a King as he Crowned him with a Crown of Gold so he Crowned us with a Garland of Peace every man did sitt under his own vine and did eate the fruit of his own laboures Religion and Iustice did flourish there was great plenty in the Land there was no leading into captivity no complaining in our streets But alas we did not know our owne happinesse but were weary of his government as the Israelites were of Samuels so that for a long time he hath been driven from his People But it may be now we will learne to prize the blessing of a good King Carendo magis quà m fruendo by the miseries which we have endured since he was driven from his people Since our gracious Soveraigne hath been kept in Wardship under Tutors and Governors these Aegyptian taskmaisters have not only usurped the rights of his Crown but with more then Spanish cruelty Tyrannized over the Goods Lives and Liberties of the Subjects yea and over their Consciencies too forceing men to forsweare themselves and to forsake the true Religion wherein they were bred The time was when there was no King in Israel and these were very bad dayes Iud. 17. for in these dayes every man did that which was good in his owne eyes In these dayes Micha made him an Image set up a new Religion and got him a Chaplaine for the purpose In these dayes the men of Dan did rob kill and burn Iud. 18. In these dayes the men of Gibeah ravished a Woman Iud. 19. a Levites wife and that unto death And the censure which the holy Ghost passeth upon all these facts is this In these dayes there was no King in Jsrael but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes Almighty God because of our sinnes and especially for not acknowledging the blessing of a good and peaceable King hath caused these dayes to returne upon us There are many Michas who will have a new Religion by themselves for one image which Macha made they have set up an hundred fond imaginations so that they have already more Religions in London then ever was in Amsterdam Others kill burne and spoile a thousand times more then the men of Dan did Women also are ravished and much more wrong done to the Levites now then that which was done by the men of Gibeah So that one would think that even in these dayes there is no King in Israel Yet praised be God we have a King the best of Kings of whom I may truely say as a late Historian saith of Henry 6th against whom there was such a Treasonable combination Speed Pag. 856. as is against our King That he hath no fault but that he is too good to live amongst such Subjects But for all this every man doth what is right in his own eyes because the sonnes of Belial have risen up against him and taken from him that power whereby he should controule the wickednesse of men and execute vengeance on him that doth evill And a King who is thus robbed of his power Rom. 13.4 beareth the sword in vaine which ought not to be if we may beleive the Apostle or if you will take Solomons word for it Eccles 8.4 who saith Where the word of a King is there is power and who shall say unto him what doest thou If Solomon did live now he needed not to aske that question Who shall say unto the King what doest thou For now every one questions the King for his doings they charge him with many things which he never did accuse him even for these things which he did aright with these men the Kings word hath no power and so with them he is no King The same Solomon amongst the three or four comely things that order well their going reckoneth as the cheife in the last place Prov. 30.29.31 A King against whom there is no rising up If a King who is so powerfull that against him there is no rising up be a comely thing then certainly to take Power from a King and to rise up against him is a thing very uncomely But it may be the Close Committee is wiser then Solomon and they thinke it comely and decent to curbe a King to keep Him in bondage to rise up against him and to take all Power from him howsoever I beleeve Solomon and I know that to deale thus with a King is not onely uncomely but most unjust and impious It is unjustice to rob any man of his right much more to rob a King whom God hath priviledged and exempted from humane touch When there was onely a conspiracy intended against Henry the 3d the Traitor was put to most cruell death and the historian saith it was well done Speed 616. for that a Traitor is guilty of homicide of parricide
of Christicide nay of Deicide And long before Tully said that in punishing Treason no Iudge can be too cruell We read of a great King who going in his Barge his Crowne fell into the water the Barge-man swumme after it and having recovered it Niceph. Greg. put it on his head onely that he might have the use of his hands to swimme unto the Barge the King gave him a Talent of silver for saving it but cut off his head for wearing it What then should be done to these Traitors who forceably usurp the Kings Crowne and all rights of Majesty they grant Commissions place and displace Officers have made them a new Seale possessed the Kings Revenues Castles Ships raised Armes pressed the Kings Subjects to fight against Himselfe given away a great part of the Land to Srangers to assist them and indeed they have done whatsoever belongeth unto the King to doe and a great deale more And they weare the Kings Crowne not as the Bargeman did to save it for him but to deprive him and his of it for ever These traiterous attempts contrived in Hell have brought such miserable Calamities upon our Kingdomes as would minister occasion and matter to write a new book of Lamentations for the Land is filled with blood and uncivill Warres the Church with Schisme confusion and prophanation of Gods worship the Cities with poverty and want every house with skrikes and lamentations for their dead the grave with bodies and hell with soules And all this since Judah was driven from his people by this most horrid groundlesse and unnaturall Rebellion I am not able to expresse in lively colours the horrible deformitie of this Rebellion that will require a better pen and the best will come short and want words to describe it Onely this I will say that all the Rebellions that ever were since the fall of Adam cannot match it And yet our Kings case in some sort is like unto Davids David was the best of Kings yet he found more thornes in his Crowne then Achab did for it pleased God that he might humble David and every way fit him for his service to traine him up in the Schoole of afflictions First 2. Sam. 15. his unnaturall sonne Absolom under the colour of a vow 2. Sam. 16. caused a great Rebellion against him then Shimei cursed and reviled him calling him a man of blood after this there fell out a difference betweene the men of Israell and the men of Iudah 2. Sam. 19. about the bringing of the King home to his house whereupon Sheba in whose heart Treason had long lurked took an opportunity to blow a Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Iesse 2. Sam. 20.1 Such hath been the lot of our most gracious Soveraigne first many unnaturall Absoloms in the Kingdome of Scotland pretending a vow which they called a Covenant with God but was indeed a Covenant against the Lord and against his Anointed raised great Forces against him when he was thus weakned many a wicked Shimei in this Kingdome reviled his government as impious and tyrannicall In the meane time there ariseth a difference amongst the Nobles and Commons touching the establishing of the Kingdome a thing called Militia but hath proved Malitia this gave the hint to many a Sheba first in Ireland and presently after in England and Scotland to blow the Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David nor Inheritance in the son of Iames. As God hath made His Majesty like David in suffering so may he make him like in overcomming David at last was victorious his end peaceable and glorious all his Enemies were put to shame and confusion Absolom was brought to his deserved end Shimei though reprived for a time yet his hoary head was brought downe to the grave with blood Sheba had his head throwen over the wall Even so let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but upon the Kings head let his Crowne flourish That the Kings Enemies be subdued and he brought back againe unto his house as David was and set upon his throne must be your speciall care Give me leave therefore to exhort you in the words of my Text heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People I told you before that this blessing is not onely a Prayer but also a Prophesie he foretells that God will heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People Now you must thinke that God ordinarily worketh by meanes and it is by you he will relieve Iudah and to that effect doth even at this time call for your helpe And therefore that which Moses powred out as a Prayer unto God give me leave to present as a Petition unto you who are the Princes of Iudah that you will be pleased now to heare the voyce of Iudah to bring him unto his People to make his hands sufficient for him and to help him against his Enemies And first heare the voyce of Iudah for now Iudah utters his voyce unto you crying as Moses did who is on the Lords side Exod. 32.26 let him come unto me Now it will be knowne whether you be the People of Iudah for as Christ discerned his Sheep by this marke Iohn 10.27 my Sheep heare my voyce so by this same marke may Iudah discerne his people And think it not strange that I should presume to exhort you unto this dutie for when David after his banishment was to returne he appointed the Priests to speake unto the People to bring him home and King David sent to Zadock and Abiathar the Priests 2. Sam. 19.11 saying speak unto the Elders of Iudah and say why are ye the last to bring the King back unto his house and when Zadock had thus spoken it is said Vers 14. he bowed the heart of all the men of Iudah even as the heart of one man I wish my speech could be so powerfull with you for never was there so great need of help to bring the King back unto his house as now in regard that at this time many of his People have rebelliously withdrawne themselves from him and risen up in Armes against him not like those two hundred men who followed Absolom in the simplicity of their hearts 2. Sam. 15.11 but like Sheba with malice and obstinate resolution against the King They refuse all offers of Peace made by our gracious Soveraigne whereof you are witnesses They demand as hard conditions of Peace from us as Nahash did from Iabesh-Gilead 1. Sam. 11.2 He would grant them no Peace but upon condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes These men will grant no Peace unto the King and Kingdome but upon that condition that they may be allowed to thrust out both our eyes the eye of Learning and the eye of Religion So that the King may say with David Psal 120.6 7. My soule