that shew that Princes may make use of other help So there is for Subjects to make use of other helps against the oppression of their Princes many Scriptures have been mentioned formerly and cleered Further besides this we answer that the power of all Kings is not alike it is no argument because one King hath such and such power therefore all must needs have The power of Kings is limited or enlarged by the severall Laws of severall Countries Let us see what the third Scripture sayes for yet our consciences are not scrupled it is Numb 10. That the people might not go to war but by order from him that had the power of the Trumpet Because there was a positive order there that Moses must make trumpets and thus use them Doth it follow that this must be so every where you may by as true a consequence urge the necessity of silver trumpets and that the Priests should blow them as well as the former The consequence would be full as good No King can use Trumpets in war but by the blowing of the Priests for it is commanded there as that no people can go to war till the Magistrates use the Trumpets because it is so ordered there we know the Law is judiciall and for those judiciall Laws the equity binds no further then according to rules of prudence and justice every countrey shall see behoofefull for their conditions Besides if this did binde then it were a sinne for an Act to passe to put the Militia for any time into any other hands for certainly it might not then be done no not with Moses and Aarons consent The next Scripture is 1 Sam. 26. 9. who can stretch out his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltlesse Why doth the D. speake of stretching forth the hand against the Lords Anointed who endeavours it doth not the Parliament professe the defence of the Kings Persons 2. Doctor willet upon this place gives you this Answer That indeed it is not lawfull for a private man to lay hands no not upon a tyrant for it is not lawfull for a private man to kill a thiefe of a murderer much lesse a Magistrate a Prince But secondly he tels us of some that have laid hands upon a King and yet have been guiltlesse as Ehud upon Eglon King of Moab therefore from that Scripture there cannot be a generall Proposition drawn that no man in any case may stretch forth his hand against a King Yea Doctor willet answers in the third place that yet Tyrants and wicked Governours may be removed by the whole State He indeed limits this and sayes it must be understood of such Kingdomes as goe by election as in Polonia and gives this reason From whom Kings receive their authority by them may they be constrained to keep within bounds This it seems was good Divinity in those dayes This distinction he used to deliver the opinion from opposition in England but if the distinction be examined there will appeare little strength in it We doe not find that D. willet was ever reproved or his writings censured for this thing Concerning that restriction of his to Kingdomes by election we shall when wee come to shew from whence all Kings have their power see that if it proves true of them it will prove true of others for the foundation of all power that such and such men have over others will be found either from election or covenant which will come to all one D. Ferne proceeds thus If the King had come into the battel his person might have been hurt as well as any This had been but accidentally If a father should voluntarily goe into the Army of the common enemy against whom the childe is in service and the child in discharging upon the enemy should slay his father being there especially he being desired beseeched by any meanes not to be there but to withdraw himselfe doth the child contract guilt in such a case His next Argument from Scripture is That the Prophet reprechending the Kings of Israel and Judah for Idolatry and oppression none ever called upon the people for this duty of resistance First There is much difference betweene Kings now and those Kings The people then did neither give them their power nor limit their power They doe both now when first they are set up Secondly if this be a good argument that because when Kings oppressed the prophet did not cal upon people for resistance therefore all resistance in any case is unlawful then if when people have resisted cast oft the Government of their King the Prophets have not reproved them for it then it is lawfull for people in some case to resist He that will harken to his own reason must acknowledge there is par ratio If the Prophets exhorted not to resistance then there may be no resistance sayes the Doctor Then if when there is resistance the Prophets rebuke not that resistance then there may with as good reason be resistance say I. When the ten Tribes cast off the Government of Rehoboam for his oppression and hearkning to his young Cavalliers about him rather then to his ancient grave counsel the Prophets did not rebuke the ten Tribes for what they did but rather seemed to take their parts 1 Kings 12. 24. â—eturn every man to his house for this thing is from mee Now the D. comes to his great place again Rom. 13. which he sayes be will free from all exceptions Nay bare me an Ace of that The truth is he vever so much as mentions nor thinks of the great exception which duly considered will clear the Text to be nothing to his purpose First he supposes that the King is the supream as Peter calls him or the higher power as here 1. It is true Peter cals the King Supreame but in the same place he is made an ordinance of man and therefore to be limited by man He may be the chiefe man in authority and yet limited in that authority he is supreame but not absolute We grant that the Houses of Parliament and we all are his Subjects but not Subjects to his will but to that power of his that Law gives him 2. He takes for granted the King is the higher power Here observe his mistake Let it be granted that the King hath the highest power yet what propriety of speech is it to say that he is the highest power It is proper to God to say that he is Power in the abstract Well The King hath the highest power and we must be subject to this power of his and not resist it Who denies all this When all this is granted the D. hath got nothing at all for if we resist not that power which Law hath given him we do not resist the higher power although we do not do nor suffer what hee would have us to do or suffer Then he reasons from the person whosoever
Lord Ye shall not goe up to fight against your brethren returne every man to his house The Text sayes They hearkned to the word of the Lord and returned to depart according to the word of the Lord. What a mighty work of God was this what power hath God over the spirits of men yea of the greatest who think it an unsufferable dishonor to be controlled in any thing they have set their hearts upon Rehoboam a wicked man in the heighth of his pride and wrath thus strong apprehending himselfe exceedingly wronged so much of his Kingdome rent from him and there comes onely a poore Prophet and speakes to him in the name of This Lord of Hosts that hee should not fight against his brethren and all is stayed he returnes back again and sits down quiet Oh that now some Prophet of the Lord might have accesse to His Majesty and tell him that hee must not goe this way he doth that he is drawn aside by evill men about him that there is a misunderstanding betweene him and his people that nothing is done by us but according to the minde of God that we doe not endeavour to deprive him of any lawfull power he hath given him by God or man but onely to preserve our lawfull liberties as truly ours as he is born unto the Crown and that we might with peace enjoy the Gospell and serve the Lord and His Majesty in our own Land 11. The providence of God in war is great in removing it from one place to another The Lord of Hosts gives the sword commission to ride circuite from one Land to another Countrey and from one part of a Kingdome unto another Ezech. 14. 17. Or if I bring a sword upon that Land and say Sword goe through the Land so that I cut off man and beast in it The sword hath beene in many parts of our Land already even in the utmost parts Northumberland and Cornwall the two extremities of the Land as Dan and Bersheba in the Land of Canaan Just were it with God to give it commission to goe up and downe in the midst of it yea in great part hee hath done it already and how is it devouring even almost round about us the guilt of the misery our brethren have suffered the guilt of their blood is upon the whole Kingdome in as much as the whole Kingdome hath not risen even as one man to prevent it but wee suffer our brethren in severall places to bee devoured one after another one countrey hopes it will not come there and another countrey hopes it shall escape and in the meane time wee suffer our brethren to bee spoyled Jer. 12. 12. The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wildernesse They are come from the Countrey to the City the Countrey is to them but as a wildernesse in comparison of the City For the Sword shall devoure from the one end of the Land to the other no flesh shall have peace Jer. 25. 15. The Lord bade the Prophet take the cup of the wine of his fury and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it God hath given other Nations this cup of his fury France Holland Germany have beene drinking these 24. yeeres Spain Italy have had it a little of the top of it Scotland had we were afraid of it then here and they and we cryed to God If it be possible let this cup of blood passe from us and God in his great mercie caused it to passe from us but it went to our brethren in Ireland they have drunke deepe of it and still are drinking and whether God intends that wee shall drinke the dregs of it we know not wee had neede doe as Christ did in his Agonie Luk. 22. 44. yet pray more earnestly the second and third time If it be possible let this cup of bloud passe from us If an Agony cause Christs spirit to rise in Prayer it should then do ours it is a sad thing to have our spirits heavy dull and strait in such a time as this 12. The work of this Lord of Hosts in Warre is to give wisdome and counsell for the managing of the affaires of it and hee takes away wisdome and counsell when he pleaseth 2 Sam. 22. 35. Thou teachest my hands to war and my fingers to fight The same wee have Psal 144. 1. Other Generals have their Councell of War to help them that they may not miscarry in it but this Lord of Hosts gives all the counsell and wisdome from himselfe to all under him And in this there is much of Gods glory Esay 28. 24 25 26 27. The Lord accounts it his glory that hee teacheth the Plowman to plow his ground to sow his seede to thresh his corne his God doth instruct him to discretion the Text sayes much more then is the glory of God in giving wisdome to order and to leade Armies And when the Lord pleaseth he takes away counsail he besots men in their counsails mingles a perverse spirit amongst them befools them he turns their counsails upside downward and insnares them in the work of their own hands This made David pray against the counsaile of Achitophel 2 Sam. 15. 31. O Lord turne the counsail of Achitophel into foolishnesse what counsail that was you may finde 2 Sam. 17. 2. Fall upon him while he is weary and weake This war was raised up against David for his sin and yet God heares Davids prayer against Achitophel The same counsell was given against our Army of late by a great Achitophel when the question was whether they should come to the City or fall upon the Army the counsail cast it upon the Army because they were weary and weake not being together and how hath God turned that counsail into folly it hath bin our safety and preservation but their shame There God wrought for David in that Achitophels counsail was not followed although it was a more politique counsail it had more warlike wisdome in it then Hushaies had but for us God wrought in that Achitophels counsail was followed Thus Isai 19. 11. Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsails of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh are become brutish where are they where are the wise men and again The Princes of Zoan are become fooles Why are the Princes of Zoan so much mentioned there Because Zoan was the Metropolis of Egypt where the great counsail of Egypt was and verse 14. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof and they have caused Egypt to erre in every worke thereof as a drunkenman staggereth in his vomit Jerom upon the place adds this to expresse the meaning Non solum ebrii sed vomentes furorē draconū furorē aspidum insanabilem not onely drunken but vomiting the fury of Dragons the incurable fury of Aspes And is not this the vomit of our adversaries at this day who are drunke with
malice and rage against us yea against Christ himselfe and his Saints 13. The spirit of valour and courage is also from this Lord of Hosts When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson Gideon and others of the Worthies of the Lord what great things did they Heb. 11. 33 34. Who through faith subdued Kingdomes stopped the mouthes of Lyons out of weaknesse were made strong waxed valiant in sight turned to slight the Armies of the Aliens It was through faith they were enabled to doe all this faith fetcht valour and courage from this Lord of Hosts Hag. 1. 14. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel and the spirit of Joshua and the spirit of all the Remnant of the people and they came and did worke in the house of the Lord of Hosts their God It was a warlike spirit to resist their enemies to encounter with dangers God hath stirred up a spirit in many of our Nobles in our Worthies of Parliament in some of our people if a spirit were now stirred up in the remnant of our people our worke would soone bee at an end It were the unworthiest yea the most horrible thing that ever was in this world that now people should forsake Nobility those they have chosen in Parliament and Ministers who have had a spirit to stand up for God and their liberties Oh that a spirit of indignation would arise in the whole Kingdome that they may not suffer themselves to be baffled out of their Religion their Liberties their estates by a generation of vile men that are risen up amongst us Zac. 10. 3 5. The Lord of Hosts hath visited his flock the house of Judah and hath made them as his goodly horse in the battel They shall be as mighty men which tread down their enemies in the mire of the streets in the battel It seems they presumed to come into their towns and Cities therefore sayes the Text They shall tread them down us mire in the streets They are vile and therefore to be trodden down as mire in the streets The spirits of those that seem to be the greatest terror amongst us are mean and base What worthy thing have they ever done have they ever stood before those that opposed them All their valour is in going up and down to Countrey houses in a poore unworthy manner pillaging and pilfring A spirit in people raised by God would scorne to be brought under by men of such spirits as these Further as God gives a spirit of courage so he takes it away when he pleases Is 19. 16. And in that day shall Egypt be like unto women and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord of Hosts which he shaketh over it and the land of Judah shal be a terror unto Egypt every one that maketh mention thereof shal be afraid in himself because of the counsell of the Lord of Hosts It may be they will not confesse that they are afraid but may make their boast as if they had got the better but marke the words every one shall be afraid in himself If we could look into their bosoms we should see blacknes tremblings the terror of the Lord upon them Ps 76. 5 The stout hearted are spoiled they have slept their sleep none of the men of might have found their hands at thy rebuke O Lord the horse chariot are cast into a dead sleep and v. 12. He shal cut off the spirit of Princes he is terrible to the Kings of the earth he shall wipe them off as a man will doe a flower between his fingers or as easily as a bunch of grapes is cut off from the vine 14. The Lord of Hosts hath the absolute power over all weapons in battel to let them prosper or not prosper as he pleaseth This is beyond all the Generals in the world Isay 54. 17. No weapons formed against thee shall prosper If any shal say This is a speciall promise to them at that time mark what follows This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord This that is this promise of the Lord is the inheritance of his servants Now we of late have had the benefit of this our inheritance the last Lords day fortnight we did inherit this promise when there were 17. Canons discharged from the Adversary and not one man slain by them How was this made good that no weapon formed against thee shall prosper The adversary was enraged at this they said they thought the devil was in the powder No it was God that was there fulfilling this promise of his to his servants 15. All the successe in battels is from the Lord of Hosts It is not in men nor ammunition nor in advantages Eccles 9. 11. The battel is not to the strong A horse is but a vaine thing for safety Psal 33. 17. Behold is it not of the Lord of Hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity Hab. 2. 13. Yea lastly the whole battel is the Lords when it is a just cause 1 Sam. 17. 47. The battel is the Lords Now you see what the Scripture saith about Gods providence in battel You have the summe presented here together in which is a full and strong encouragement to those who fight the battels of the Lord. Now if the Question be asked Why doth the Lord thus work in Armies The Answer is 1. Because the lives of men are precious to him In them multitudes of creatures are cast for their eternall estates If not a sparrow not a haire from the head falls to the ground without providence much lesse the life of a creature appointed for eternity 2. Because of the great things of consequence that depend upon War the mighty turnes of Nations and changes of Kingdoms depend upon them But how comes it to passe seeing God is thus The Lord of Hosts that yet the adversaries of Gods people doe often prevaile in battel 1. It is for the chastisement of his people Ashur is made sometimes the rod of Gods anger Jer. 12. 7. I have given the dearly beloved of my soule into the hands of her enemies She is the dearly beloved of Gods soule yet she is given into the hands of her enemies We must not judge by the present prevailing that God loves those who have the day and hath rejected those who seeme to have the worst God sometimes for chastisement brings the worst of men upon them Ezek. 7. 24. I will bring the worst of the heathen and they shall possesse their houses The Lord hath raised up against us many that are the worst the vilest upon the face of the earth and they have possessed the houses of many of his Saints the dearly beloved of Gods soule We use to take the vilest the worst of men to be Hangmen the worst rags and clouts to scoure withall It is an argument that we are very foule
that were few in number that went from one countrey to another them for whose sakes Kings were reproved he said that these anointed ones must not be touched though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones yet God accounts them his anointed ones and will not have them touched but if Kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt he will reprove thē for their sakes You may see how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar for their sakes Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones observe the expression This Nebuchadnezar he makes but a This of Nebuchadnezar a great King when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones and mark further how the reproofe is when their inheritance is but touched Jer. 12. 17. Thus saith the Lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land If they do but touch my peoples inheritance I will pluck them out of the Land And Isa 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment The burden shall be taken off their shoulder and the yoake from their neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing I suppose now every one that lookes into this Scripture Touch not mine anointed will see that it hath been grosly abused and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghost But for futher satisfaction consider it is not peculiar to Kings to be anointed It is true they were anointed in the time of the Law but as they were anointed so Priests were anointed Prophets were anointed yea other Magistrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones First for Priests Numb 3. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron the Priest that were anointed And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha And Zac. 4. 14. speaking of Zerubbabel and Joshua the text saies these are the anointed of the Lord now then if this meaning could be put upon the words that those which are Gods anointed must not be touched whatsoever they do then Priests and Prophets whatsoever they do must not be touched for they are as truely Gods anointed as Kings are yea Captaines and inferior Magistrates must not be touched because they are Gods anointed also The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then as David and Solomon and others were and Kings anointing now Then God chose such himselfe by revealing from Heaven that they should be Kings it was the immediate choice of God and then they were upon this submitted to by the people but now the people first agree that such a one shall be King the Kingly power shall be in such a family successively and then God establisheth this choise or agreement There is a great difference between these two First Gods chusing and then the peoples establishing and this the peoples chusing and then Gods establishing There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant but with us it was and so is with others But what if the Kingdom be got by Conquest the right come in that way Those who plead thus for Kings know not what they do in making this plea For if there were no other right neither precedent nor consequent but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus that which subjects my conscience to such a one is the submission upon some compact covenant or agreement This may be when Kings are elective but what will you say concerning Kings that are hereditary Kings that inherit inherit no more then their fathers had and their fathers no more then those before them so that you must come at length to the root to the first who had this Kingly power invested upon him and by whom was he invested with this but by the people and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family more then another man or another family but only the agreement that passed between this people and such a man or family But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture We reade that Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment because Saul was Gods Anointed The consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this That no private man in his own cause for so was David then by his own power may seize upon the person of a King in an offensive way especially such a King which had his call immediatly from heaven what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand let any shew from this place that can But is not this a Popish tenet that in case of Religion Subjects may rise up against their King Papists hold and practice against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own turns in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people yea and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the Kings that his wil is our Law that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed either by doing or suffering Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine so that to question this was dangerous enough yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings is because their being but few they hope to gain some of them at least to them and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth and upholding Popery In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome if this King may rule by his absolute power if once he be a Papist then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power it is the Prelates absolute power for if he useth it not as they please they can excommunicate him they can free their Subjects from their allegiance yea being by them excommunicated Marke what follows it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans We take them not in any wise to be man slayers who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother shall happen to kill an excommunicated person This they teach and practice if they doe not gaine them to be full Papists yet if they can by popish matches or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them or remisse in the profession of the truth they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power
unto them They in their pride lift up themselves and magnifie themselves against the Saints as if they were a company of silly weak men they doe not know that they are the people of the Lord of Hosts therefore God threatens there that he will be terrible unto them And thus you have the Relation of the Church to God revealing himselfe in this name The Lord of Hosts yet marke further the Relation that God hath to them in this his name As 1. The Lord of Hosts is the portion of his Church Jer. 10. 16. The portion of Jacob is not like them hee is the former of all things The Lord of Hosts is his name Wherefore if there be any thing in The Lord of Hosts that can doe them good they may challenge it for God The Lord of Hosts is their portion they may make use of all that is in him for their good 2. Hs is their Redeemer That you have in the Text Our Redeemer The Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord undertakes the redeeming of his people under this title of his on purpose that the multitude the greatnesse the fury of their enemies might not daunt them Your Redeemer is not one that cannot save he is The Lord of Hosts and one you may certainly confide in for he is The holy One of Israel 3. He is the pleader yea the through pleader of the cause of his people Jer. 50. 34. Their Redeemer is strong the Lord of Hosts is his name he shall throughly plead their cause that he may give rest to the land and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon God hath begun to plead the cause of his people already and hee hath shewne himselfe The Lord of Hosts in it but hee hath not yet throughly pleaded their cause as he meanes to doe when he shall doe that he will then give rest to the Land and disquiet the Inhabitants of Babylon This work will cost the inhabitants of Babylon deare they were never so disquieted amongst us as they are at this day They have troubled the Saints and God now troubles them but will yet disquiet them more although they thinke to defend themselves by gathering Armies yet the Lord of Hosts shall disquiet them and give rest to his people There remaines yet a rest for the people of God even in this world 4. The Lord of Hosts is the Husband of his Church and this is the most neare and sweet relation of all Esa 54. 4 5 6. Feare not c. For thy Maker is thy Husband the Lord of Hosts is his name The Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken grieved in spirit when thou wast refused saith thy God Alas saith the Church I am a poore desolate widow a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit every one neglects me I am rejected of all Well sayes God I took thee when thou wert thus forsaken to be my Spouse I have marryed thee to my selfe therefore now feare not I am the Lord of Hosts the God of the whole earth Surely a Generall if he hath the heart of a man in him he will fight for his Spouse he will not suffer his Spouse to be ravished before his eyes What sayes Ahasuerus concerning Haman Will he force the Queen before my face Vile men are risen up and they seeke to ravish the Church the Spouse of the Lord of Hosts and do you think he will suffer this before his face Shall not all the Armies in heaven and earth rather come together and fight for her deliverance Now then if all these things be thus we have cause then to quiet our hearts in the midst of all our fears and distractions to stand still and see the salvation of God the salvation that this Lord of Hosts is working for us This is the businesse that I have been endeavouring to enlarge before you the object of your faith and to lessen the object of your feare Surely if the Lord of Hosts hath such a relation to his Church and the Church such a relation to him he cannot but be exceedingly provoked against any that shall meddle with his Church to doe it hurt I will give you one notable expression of his anger against such Esa 3. 15. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces and grind the faces of the poore saith the Lord of Hosts God here speaks angerly What am I the Lord of Hosts and will you offer this What mean you As when we flie upon a man in anger whom we see doth things to our prejudice or the prejudice of any neer to us in an absurd maner we say What doe you mean to do thus what are you mad Doe you know what you doe Doe you know who they are you thus abuse From all these gracious expressions of this Lord of Hosts to the comfort and encouragement of his people the result is that in the 8. of Esay 12 13. Say not A confederacy to them that say A confederacy oh many of their forces are joyned together feare not their feare but sanctifie the Lord of Hosts himselfe and let him be your feare and let him be your dread The Name of God is a strong Antidote to drive feare out of the hearts of the weakest Upon what we have seene in this title of God we may well say to the fearful in heart be strong feare not as we have it Isa 35. 4. Let women and all such as are naturally feareful take heed of sinfull feare The fearfulnesse of women hanging about their Husbands and children and friends crying out when they should goe forth in this service and going up and down wringing their hands and making dolefull outcries may do abundance of hurt exceedingly hinder the work that the Lord hath now in hand Let women take heed they be not hindrances but let them learne to exercise faith and take spirit to themselves that they may further their Husbands children and friends in this work of the Lord of Hosts Marke that Scripture 1 Pet. 3. 6. Yee are the daughters of Sarah so long as you do well and be not afraid with any amazement Yee would all willingly be accounted the daughters of Sarah Observe how the holy Ghost puts it upon this that you be not afraid with any amazement it may be nature may cause some feare but grace must keepe it that it be not with any amazement Why is it thus put upon this As Abraham is most commended for his faith and so by beleeving wee are the children of Abraham so it seemes Sarah his wife in those difficulties that Abrabam went through she was no hinderance but a furtherance to him she did not cry out to him Why will you leave your fathers house and all your kindred and go up and downe in a strange country in the middest of dangers and many straits no but shee rather was a helpe to him and an encourager of him so saies Peter who speaking to Christians who lived in troublesome and dangerous
times You shall shew your selves the daughters of Sarah if you have such a spirit as Sarah had not to be afraid with any amazement not through your inordinate feare either hinder your selves your husbands or any other in the service of the Lord. If God call you or them to suffer you must not through feare pull backe but go on with courage undauntedly then you are indeed the daughters of Sarah And that a spirit may be put even into women in these times that call for all to be above sinfull feares let them consider these three things First The first time that ever any speaking to God called him by this name the Lord of Hosts it was a woman and that was Hannah 1 Sam. 1. 11. Shee vowed a vow and said O Lord of Hosts if thou wilt indeed looke on the affliction of thine handmaid c. Secondly One of the principallest Psalms wherin this title of the Lord of Hosts is most magnified is a Psalme tuned to that Musical instrument that virgins and women use to play on from whence the Psalme hath its title A Song upon Alamoth Ps 46. Which is as much as A song upon the Virginals for the Hebrew word comes of a root that signifies to hide and so we formerly made use of it but from thence because Virgins used to be covered and hidden hence Gnalamoth signifies Virgins and here used for the musical instrument of Virgins Virgins and Women it seems had wont to sing this Psal and play to it upon the instrument Now it is supposed that their hearts should be some way sutable to what they sung played here they rejoycingly sing The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 7 And again The Lord of Hosts is with us the God of Jacob is our refuge ver 11. besides other passages yea almost all the same tending this way 3. The most brave expression of a strong valiant spirit triumphing over enemies in time of battel is from a woman Jud. 5. 21. it is the speech of Deborah O my soul thou hast trodden down strength As if she should have said They come with a great deale of strength that they think to prevail with but to me all their strength is but as the dirt in the streets my soul is above it though my body be weak yet O my soul thou hast troden down strength Where have we a braver expression of a more raised spirit either in Scripture amongst any of the Lords valiant ones or in humane story amongst any of the great Captaines and Conquerours that ever were I cannot but repeat it again O my soule thou hast trodden down strength Let not women then so complain of their weaknes as thereby to think to excuse their sinfull feares I will give you a notable speech comming neer this from another woman that Ecclesiasticall story records of one Julitta there are many famous things recorded of her but this speech of hers to other women of her acquaintance is most remarkable Cease to accuse sayes she the fragility of the Foeminine sexe What are not we made of the same matter that men are Yea after Gods Image are we made as wel as they God did not use flesh to make women of in token of infirmity We are bone of his bone in token we must be strong in the living God If the spirit of The Lord of Hosts were with you even you may daunt your enemies You may make such preparations for your own defence as not to let your lives go at a cheap rate but that the losse of every one of yours may cost the life of one of them at least Even you may cast shame upon them If there were such a spirit in you they would fly before women for their spirits are base and vile If God be the Lord of Hosts if he hath such wonderfull workings of his providence in wars and battels hence in all war and battels there is some speciall thing of God to be looked at Surely this great Lord of Hosts doth not use to raise War to go into the field for nothing there is some great thing aimed at especially where he appears in more then an ordinary way as certainly he doth in these wars of ours We should not hearken after or speake of Warres onely as matter of news but observe what the way of God is in them what his aim looks to in ordering of them what his intentions work at how he brings his own ends to passe furthers his glory by them Whosoever lives to see the issue of these great stirs and warlike commotions amongst us shall see that God had a hand in them to bring great things to passe that the mercy he intended for us was worth all the trouble these have brought upon us yea all the bloud the most precious bloud that hath been shed amongst us God hath many promises to his Churches to accomplish many Prophecies to fulfil many glorious things to declare many mercies for his Saints to bestow these stirs amongst us wil make way for all We have had much mercy from God on free-cost that mercie that is to come it may be is of an higher nature therefore God intends it shall be more costly to us it may cost many of our lives but we or our posteritie shall see that when it comes it wil pay for all That this Lord of Hosts had great thoughts of heart for the good of England when he raised these Civil wars amongst us though it be the sorest judgement yet it may make way to the greatest mercy It is our duty diligently to observe how God works in his Providence to the attaining such ends of his 6. God is The Lord of Hosts Hence know from whence it is that we have enjoyed so much peace as we have with the comfortable fruits of it it is from The Lord of Hosts who hath all power in his hands to keep off or bring war as he pleaseth It it is he alone that hath kept off from us those hideous things others have suffered it is from him that we have not all this while wallowed not sweltred in our bloud that our garments have not been rowled in bloud as our brethrens have but we have enjoyed our houses beds tables wives children we have had all comforts for soule and body about us Micah 4. 4. They shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree and none shall make them afraid From whence is this The words following wil tell you The mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it The Vines and Fig-trees we have sate under have not beene empty Vines nor barren Fig-trees to us we have not onely had refreshment from the shadow of them but much comfort from the fruit of them It was this Lord that promised to Israel that he would cause their enemies not to desire their land when they went up to Jerusalem to worship What a
mercy is it for us to be as Gedeons sleece dry when all about us have been wet not with dew but with blood These beginnings of wars tell many Countries and Shires in England what a blessing peace vvas vvhich they never understood before Peace is sweet and good but let us take heede we buy not our peace too deare 7. This name of God shews us how neerly it concerns all people in times of wars to seeke to make up their peace with this God When we goe forth to war against our enemies vve had need take heed that God be not our enemy too If hee be all our Armies and power we can raise are to little purpose to help us Let us deale vvisely for our selves to make sure that he fights not against us If this be not done against whomsoever else vve fight vve fight with infinite disadvantage Now we must seek to make our peace with him by our unfained-humiliations before him and our sincere reformations in turning to him For the first we are loth to humble our selves before our enemies this we think is our shame Let us humble our selves before this God this is our glory You make Fortifications and in that you doe well but except you adde thereunto humiliations it will be to little purpose Esay 22. 11 12 c. Ye made a ditch also betweene the two walls for the water of the old poole but ye have not looked to the maker thereof It follows And in that day did the Lord God of Hosts call to weeping and to mourning and behold joy gladnesse killing oxen drinking wine This was revealed in mine eares by the Lord of Hosts Surely this iniquity shall not be purged till you dye saith the Lord of Hosts Mark three times in that verse is mention made of The Lord of Hosts He takes special notice of this And the rather should wee get our hearts afflicted and humbled under the mighty hand of this God because our adversaries are so proud because of that high hand of pride and blasphemie that they goe forth withall against God There is no such stratagem of war like this to get the advantage of our adversaries in this very thing Doe we heare of their pride and blasphemies let our hearts be the more humble before the Lord let us labour so much the more to sanctifie the Name of this holy God whose name the Angels celebrate as Holy holy holy the Lord of Hosts Esay 6. 3. With our Humiliations let Reformation turning to this God be added It must needs be a dangerous thing in times of wars to carry with us or harbour amongst us any Traitors against this Lord of Hosts as the truth is all sins that we retaine are What acceptance can we then expect from him or successe by him You know what trouble the accursed thing of Achan caused in the Camp it made the Children of Israel fly before the men of Ai. If any accursed thing though secret be such a disturbance in the Camp much more accursed Officers Hos 12. 5 6. Even the Lord God of Hosts the Lord is his memoriall therefore turne thou to thy God Zach. 1. 3. Say to them Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Turne ye unto me saith the Lord of Hosts and I will turn unto you saith the Lord of Hosts Here we have also this name of God three times as a provocation to us to returne unto him Let us all know and especially those who are in service in the Army the great General the Lord of Hosts cals to us he cals to you to returne to him and promises to returne to us to return to you As if he should say You have been very vile and wicked your consciences cannot but tell you so and I know it yet returne now to me and I professe my selfe notwithstanding all that you have done I am here ready and willing to returne to you all shall be forgiven as if it had never been committed Surely there is no such valour as in a spirit cleared from the guilt and filth of sin 8. This name of God shews us our duty to seek him much by Prayer in times of war and to depend upon him wholly for successe in it for he is the Lord of Hosts For the first Where should we seek for light but in the Sun where for water but in the rivers where for heat but in the fire where for valour victory but in the Lord of Hosts The Heathens were wont to offer their Sacrifices to God in times of War Hence a Sacrifice hath the name Hostia because when they went against enemies they offered it Saul thought it a very hard thing to goe forth to War not having offered Sacrifice before 1 Sam. 13. 12. Therefore said I The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal and I have not made supplication unto the Lord I forced my selfe therefore and offered a burnt offering When Jehosaphat heard of an Army comming out against him before he would goe out to battail he set himselfe to seek the Lord 2 Chron. 20. 3. He gave his whole selfe so the words are Moses his hands lift up in Prayer and Joshuahs stretched forth in the battel makes a victorious army Our Prayers are our Guns saith Luther Prayer hath done mighty things in battels The praying Christians in Marcus Aurelius his Army were called The thundring Legion Sozomen and Nicephorus tel us that Theodosius by Prayer made the weapons of enemies turne upon themselves I am sure it hath done as great things One of the strangest victories that ever was heard of was that we have recorded Numb 31. 8. They slew five Kings of Midian they slew all the males and all the women that had known man and burnt all their Cities and took booty six hundred thousand and seventy and five thousand sheep and threescore and twelve thousand beeves and threescore and one thousand Asses and thirty and two thousand women that had not known man ver 32 33 34 35. Now here was the wonder of this battel that in all this great victory the Children of Israel lost not one man for so saies the Text plainly ver 49. Thy servants have taken the summe of the men of war which are under our charge and there lacketh not one man of us And mark what was done when they went forth to this battel ver 6. The holy instruments and the trumpets sounded in the hands of Eleazar the Priest It was an ordinance of God amongst them that the Priests should sound with the silver trumpets when they wentforth to battail Numb 10. 9. Which was observed here and see what a victory was obtained An Army of prayers is as strong as any Army of men whatsoever yea one man praying may do more then many men fighting Elisha hath his sword to slay as well as Jehu and Hazael 1 King 19. 15 16 17. when Elijah thought there was no help Yes saith God Goe and
a servant by stipulation makes a man his Master who was not before Now the power of the Master is Gods may he therefore never be deprived of that power Servants must serve Christ in serving their Masters as truely as Subjects must obey God in obeying their Prince Pastors and Teachers have a ruling and a ministeriall power and this power is Gods may it therefore never be taken away from them His second Argument is We cannot recall what is once given as in things devoted 1. That can never be proved that a thing devoted to a religious use can never lawfully be imployed to no other This is a groundlesse conceit because he brings no proofs for it Eadem facilitate rejicitur qua asseritur But this that we speake of is a civill thing And for Kings that the power they have may not be taken away he gives that reason Because the Lords hand and his oyle is upon them So the Lords hand and oyle is upon Captains and other Magistrates Ioshua and Zerubbabel are called The anointed ones Prophets Priests have Gods hand and oyle upon them and cannot the power for no cause be taken from these And yet how confidently doth the man conclude This will not a true informed conscience dare to doe Certainly notwithstanding all the information in this argument he may doe it But he proceeds How can conscience be satisfied that this their argument grounded upon election and derivation of power can have place in this Kingdome when as the Crown descends by inheritance and hath often been setled by Conquest 1. There is no body here that yet hath attempted to take any power away from the King that Law hath given him 2. Howsoever the point of inheritance or conquest cannot hinder For first none inherits but that which his Progenitors had his Progenitors had no more originally then by consent was given them therefore the difference between Kings by inheritance and Kings by election in this case is not much And for Conquest that onely settles former right or makes way to some farther agreement to adde to what was former The right comes not from power to conquer or act of conquering but from some agreement precedent or consequent He further argues It is probable indeed that Kings were at first by choice here as elsewhere but can Conscience rest upon such remote probabilities for resistance or think that first election will give power against Princes that do not claime by it 1. Is it but a remote probabilitie that Kings were here first by election I demand what first invested such a Family with Regall power more then another It must be either God from heaven designing it as David or men appointing it or taken by force there is no quartum It was not the first and to say the third is the right is an extream wrong to the King If meer force can give right then whosoever is most forcible hath right it must therefore be something else what can that be but the consent of people to such a family which is in effect all one with elect on You may give it what name you will it is not therefore a remote probalilitie but a neere certainty that even here Kings were at first either by choice or by that which in effect is all one The Doctor sayes that Kings of England doe not claime their right by election It may be they use not that word but if the Doctor shall presume to dispute their claime for them and think to get a better and surer claime then the agreement of people that the Regall power shall be in such a family surely he will have no thanks for his labour Let him take heed of this Although he is pleased to call Election a slender plea yet I beleeve he cannot bring a stronger He is at his place in Rom. 13. againe with the absolute Monarchy of Romane Emperours This hath been answered againe and againe The next thing he discusses is the covenant the King enters into and the oath he takes And here he tels us our Kings are Kings before they enter into the Covenant or take this Oath Although they be Kings before they personally do covenant or sweare yet their right comes in by their Progenitors who had their right conferred upon them by some agreement or other so that they have covenanted in them But this clause in the covenant or oath is not expressed that in case he will not discharge his trust it shall be law full to resist We doe not stand so much upon the oath that every King takes as upon the originall agreement between people and King whereby this power was conferred first upon such a family and for that wee say that no more power was conferred then was done by vertue of that agreement and why there should not be the same reason in the Covenant between a Countrey and a Family in matters of so high a nature as there is in other Covenants amongst men let the Doctor shew or any for him The Doctor confesseth Page 16. line 21. That Lawes are for the restraint of the power of Princes But at length after the discussion of the businesse he tels you that to argue any forfeiture of power by breaking his covenant is an inconsequent argument You must beleeve him because he sayes so If his bare word will not satisfie you you are like to have nothing else Yet we would have him and all know that we do not think that every breach of promise and not performance of covenant in every thing makes a forfeiture this indeed were a dangerous consequent But the question is Whether no breach of Covenant may possibly in any case make a forfeiture We confesse our selves not willing to dispute this too farre He presently seemes to grant that there may be some force in the argument in States elective and pactionall but not in this Kingdome If the ground of all power that one man hath over another in Civill Government be some kinde of election explicite or implicite or some kind of agreement at the first let the Doctor shew how this Kingdome is freed But what if the King will not keepe to his agreement may the Subject doe nothing The Dr. 〈◊〉 Yes they may use faire means by Petitions and they may â—ery him Subsidies and ayds To what purpose are Subsidies and ayds denyed if the King hath power to take our estates when he pleaseth and there must be no resistance Though this he sayes may seeme unreasonable to people and very impolitique to the States-man yet plain Scripture and reason forbids it But this Scripture and reason lies hid from us as yet we have examined them as they have come and we have found plain mistakes in the alledging them SECT V. THis Section is spent in the argument of meanes of safety to a Kingdome in case the King should tyrannize if they might not resist it seemes God