ordained and allowed of God I could tell you also of Ieroboam and all the succeeding Kings of Israel that begun and continued the revolt from the house of David how there was not one good man of all the number and how they and the people that adhered to them by heresie idolatrie prophanesse and villany grew worse and worse as being alwaies attended with Gods curse for their Rebellion till they were carried away God knowes whither no man can tell what became of them to this day I could also tell you out of your owne Chronicles the fearfull and dismall ends of those together with their families who have opposed their Soveraigne in former ages but the time will not permit 2. I could assure the downfall of the Rebells as they are men delighting in Warre from Psal. 68.30 Rebuke the company of the speare-men the multitude of the Bulls with the Calves of the people till every one submit himself with pieces of Silver scatter thou the people that delight in warre It is a rule in Divinity that a propheticall prayer is of the nature of a prophesie Rebuke thou O Lord is as much as the Lord will rebuke and scatter O Lord is as much as the Lord will scatter now by the speare-men in that verse you may understand those degenerate Gentlemen that have lifted up the hand against their Soveraigne or have consulted in this Rebellion by the multitude of Bulls you may understand the rich fat Citizens who by their wealth and money have administred strength to this Rebellion and by Calves of the people you may understand those Country folk that came bleating up to London from the adjoining Counties with their Petitions against the present established Government all these or all such as these shall bee rebuked by the Lord as the Psalmist teacheth and made to submit themselves with pieces of silver they shall be glad to offer money for the ransome of their lives even because they are a people that delight in warre and they that will not do so shall be scattered and blowne away as dust is before the wind 3. I could prove that an heavy woe is belonging to these Enemies of the King as they are spoilers and treacherous persons from that place Easy 33.1 Woe unto thee that spoiledst when thou wert not spoiled and to thee that didst deale trecherously when they did not deale treacherously with thee when thou shalt cease to spoile thou shalt be spoiled and when thou shalt cease to deale treacherously others shall deale treacherously with thee This is verbum Domini the word of the Lord and manet in aeternum 't is an eternall truth in all ages it hath beene made good and so for ever shall be upon all those unto whomsoever it is appliable 4. I could pormise their assured punishment as they are bloudy and deceitfull men from Psalm 5.6 where 't is said that God shall destroy them that speak leasing the Lords abhorres the bloudy and deceitfull man and Psal. 55.23 't is concluded hhat bloudy and deceitfull men shall not live out halfe their daies And I thinke none can denie that the Kings Enemies whom you are to oppose are such persons they have practised nothing hitherto but deceit and lies under the cloake of Piety and they breath forth nothing but warre and bloud Kill Slay and Destroy hath been their language a long time and the way of peace they will not own But I le take these men only in the notion of Rebells to evidence their assured ruine for in that respect they are the people of Gods curse the Lord himselfe doth so call them Esay 34 5. My sword saith he shall be bathed in heaven behold it shall come downe upon Idumea upon the people of my Curse to judgement The Idumeâ—ns were the Edomites or childen of Esau they are called the people of Gods curse for they were Rebells against the people of Israel unto whom in Iacob the superiority over them was given and by David seized upon and we may doubtlesse conclude that all such Rebells are in the very same condition the people of Gods curse as well as they Now what conditioned Rebells these Edomites were we shall more fully see in the 35 of Ezekiel where also God vowes their destruction As I live saith the Lord God I will prepare thee unto bloud and bloud shall pursue thee sith thou hast not hated bloud even vengeance shall pursue thee thus will I make Mount Sâ—ir most desolate and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth And I will fill his Mountaines with his slaine men in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy rivers shall they fall thâ—t are slaine with the sword I will make thee perpetuall disolations And thy Cities shall not returne and ye shall know that I am the Lord because thou hast said these two Nations and thâ—se two Countriâ—s namely of Israel and Iudah shall be mine and we will possesse them Therefore as I live saith the Lord God I well even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thine hatred against them and I will make my selfe knowne amongst them when I have judged thee c. In all which words of the Prophet beside the certainty of Edoms ruine evidenced by the oath of God twice over as I live observe these their conditions 1. They did not hate bloud they delighted to make themselves instruments of wrath when they had no call thereto God did at sundry times punish the Israelites by all their neighbour Nations by the Egyptians Moabites Midianites Philistims and the rest but never by the Edomites these were alwaies voluntiers in wars aginst Israel never imploied by the Lord in that businesse for they were brethren to the Israelites being the children of Esau Iacobs brother and they were to live in obedience to them by Gods ordination disposing the superioritie to Iacob and his seed and 't is not Gods Custome to set Brethren at odds one against another or Subjects against their Soveraignes the God of nature and order is no breaker of natures bonds or of his own Laws that is Satans work rather the father of divisions so that the Edomites were Rebells unnaturall and bloudy Rebels they did not hate bloud 2. They were also sacrilegious and covetous rebels they were the Edomites that cryed out against the Temple as some do now against Churches down with it down with it even to the ground and they were these that swallowed up in their expectation the estates of Israel and Iuda after that manner as the men of Westminster with their Abettors do the Inheritances of the Lords and Gentlemen that are with his Majesty they said these two Nations shall be ours which is a sin mightily provokeing God to wrath and jealousie the fire of my jealousie saies he Ezekiel 3.5 is against the Idumeans because they have in their own thoughts appointed
my land for the land bestowed by my providence upon such men unto their owne possession as a prey unto themselves with the joy of their hearts and with despightfull mindes 3. Observe that God in punishing wicked Rebells doth observe the law of retaliation as 't is lawfull for the King Gods Vicegerent to do in cases of like nature because they were men of bloud therefore they shall meet with bloud because thou hast not hated bloud saith the Lord even bloud shall pursue thee and againe I will even do to thee according to thine anger and envy unto them as if he had said I will enable them whom thou didst hate and envy and whose Lands and revenues thou didst covet to deale so with thee as thou in the dispightfulnesse of thine heart didst purpose and resolve to deale with them And indeed you may observe by the way that though God doth not usually imploy his owne people as instruments of wrath to punish but rather of mercy to comfort yet he imploied Israel in speciall to punish Edom see Ezek. 25.12 14. Because Edom hath dealt against the house of Iudah unbidden and hath taken vengeance for some conceived wrongs and hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them whereas being their brethren and superious they should rather if wronged by them have referred the same to God therefore saies the Lord I will stretch out my hand against Edom. And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel and they shall do in Edom according to mine anger and according to my fury and they shall know my vengeance saith the Lord God and the reasons of this are 1. Because 't is according to the course of ordinary Providence to punish Rebellious Subjects by their owne Princes against whom they do rebell 2. Because 't is according to ordinary Justice that they who injuriously encroach upon other mens rights should forfeit their owne as a punishment for their injustice to these very persons qui invadunt aliena merentur perdere sua and therefore 't is said by Obediah that the house of Iacob shall be a fire and the House of Ioseph a flame and the House of Esau for Stubble and they shall kindle in them and devoure them yea they shall possesse their possessions even the mount of Esau and Saviours shall come out of mount Sion to judge the mount of Esau The application of these things I leave to your selves 4. There is one thing more that I would have you observe from that place before quoted Ezek. 35. the last words where God tells Edom that he will make himself known amongst Israel by his judgements upon him I will make my self knowne among them when I have judged thee for indeed God was not knowne or acknowledged before as he ought to have been among them the Israelites were growne a most deboish'd prophane impudent and ungodly people the major part of them which made the Lord give them up to be punished by the Chaldeans but by his giving into his Israels hands the rebellious bloody treacherous Edomites who had no call nor cause to warre upon them or to joine with the Chaldeans against them the Lord did meane so to gaine upon their hearts and spirits that they should learne thereby to know him truly and for after times to serve him better then ever they had done before in humility and holinesse And truly friends I have an hope that when the great and mighty God shall have subdued under your power these Edomites our Enemies who are so full of spight and so thirsty after blood and shall have brought on their heads what themselves did purpose against others you will all gaine more knowledge of God and serve feare honour and obey him in holinesse and righteousnesse more then ever you yet did in all your lives the Lord sanctifie the observance of his judgements so unto you that you may And thus have you seen the certainty and in part the severity of the Judgement which shall be executed upon Rebells evidenced Now if you demand the Reason why the God of mercie and bowels should be so severe I answer 't is no such severity in God to beat men with their owne rods to do to them according as they determined to do to others beside 't is but equity and justice to proportionate punishment in weight and measure according to the height or weight of sin But there is no such sin as Rebellion this is ingens supremum scelus the most huge and highest sin and therefore doth merit the sharpest and surest punishment Rebellion is a sinne that strikes at Gods owne self at the face of Majestie there is no such expresse Image of God in the world as a King is every Christian is the Image of Christ as man every Minister of the Gospell is or ought to be the Image of Christ as Mediator but a King is the Image of Christ as God and to rebell against a King is to strike at the face of Christ as God which was more then they that crucified him durst dare to do for had they knowne saies the great Apostle they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory therefore no marvaile if a cruell messenger be sent against a Rebell if severe and sharpe punishment be the proper portion of such men Perhaps now you expect that by way of use I should stir you up to be cruell But noble Gentlemen and Souldiers If I should do so I should forget my self to be a Minister of the Prince of mercie and to be a Subject of a most mercifull King whose meeke and gentle Spirit as we all honour and admire so should we strive to imitate And I blesse God for it I could never yet speake that language of Kill Slay and Destroy which the Ministers of the Rebells side are so skilfull in I durst never excite men to fight up to the back in blood the spirit of the Gospell is no bloody spirit we saies the Apostle speaking of himself and all true Ministers have the mind of Christ which endeavoured the salvation not destruction of men wherefore I beseech you give mee leave as the Minister of Jesus Christ for your souls good to propound a few such particulars to your consideration and remembrance as shall tend both to your present honour and to your everlasting peace I am confident through the strength and goodnesse of God that these rebellious enemies of the King whom you oppose notwithstanding their height of pride and their studie to be auke crosse perverse and peevish and to vex the spirit of a mild and gracious King not withstanding their multitude of Armes and men and their diligence in their way shall ere long if your sinfull and unsutable carriages do not hinder be brought to beg their lives at your hands and at that time I pray remember 1. That though it be true Gallantry and noblenesse of spirit to bee fierce and contagious
of them was lately taken in the act and hang'd for the sin of Buggerie here in this Town if we Preachers should hereupon tell you from the Pulpits that all these blessed Reformers for so they are called by their adorers are even such men and guiltie of that horrid sin I believe for my part we should much abuse them in that particular and yet thus divers of their Ministers are pleased to deale with the Kings Friends the Lord in his good time rebuke them for it But alas gallant Gentlemen and Christian people you all know that there are too great and too manie occasions given by some amongst us to our enemies to report evill of us I beseech you therefore in the feare of God as manie of you are better borne and bred then those are who do accuse you and as all of you are imploied in a more righteous cause then they by your holie God and by your religious King so that you would all indeavour to be more holie in your carriages then they be to walk worthie your imploiment and you that be Commanders I beg of you that you would more strictlie punish sin in those that are under you according to those Militarie Orders set forth by His sacred Majesties your religious Master The profession of a Souldier as 't is honourable so it may be holie if you please we read of holie men of that profession David was a man of warre and did as you do fight the Battailes of the Lord and he was an holie man that great sin which did so blemish his reputation was committed by him afterward when he had left off to follow the Camp the Centurion in the Gospell was a man of your profession and our Saviour himself gives this testimonie of him that he had not found his like for goodnesse in all Israel and so that Captain Acts 10. was one that feared God with all his houshold and whose prayers and almes ascended daily into Gods presence Abraham himselfe the Father of the faithfull was a brave Souldier he with the number of 318. assaulted five Kings with their Armies vanquished them and took the spoile you may read the storie in the 14. Chapter of Genesis where you may also see who were the first men whom the Scripture notes did run away in the day of battell and hid themselves I do not say in Saw-pits but the Text saies in Slime-pits they were men full of guilt and sin even the Princes of Sodom and Gentlemen of Gomorrah Nay to speak all that can be said in one word for the honour and comfort of a Souldier God himselfe is called a man of warre Exod. 15 3. The Lord is a man of Warre and JEHOVAH is his Name I tell you Gentlemen there is not to an honest eye in these sad and dismall daies a more gallant sight then a valiant and religious Souldier Religion causeth courage in a good cause and giveth an high lustre to it especially in men of birth and place what true English heart is not warm'd with joy to see the living flames of ancient valour conjoined with generous minds in Gentile bloud but if thereto be also annex'd Religion I dare say to a trulie pious loyall eye the Sun it selfe is not more glorious Gentlemen your enemies call you Cavaliers a name as they take it of great reproach els you may be sure they would not call you by it will you give me leave in briefe to give you your owne Character or at least the Character of such a man as everie of you ought to be and as we your friends and servants in Christ desire to conceive of you why listen to it 't is this A complete Cavalier is a Child of Honour a Gentleman well borne and bred that loves his King for conscience sake of a clearer countenance and bolder looke then other men because of a more loyall heart He dares neither oppose his Princes will nor yet disgrace his righteous cause by his carriage or expressions He is furnished with the qualities of Piety Prudence Iustice Liberality Goodnesse Honesty He is amiable in his behaviour couragious in his undertakings discreet and gallant in all his executions he is throughly sensible of the least wrong that is offered to his Soveraigne and is a professed enemy to all Rebells the aimes of his sword are onely to dissever the malignity of those forces that have conspired the ruine of Monarchy and Innocency he feares no evill thing to come upon himselfe but contemns all dangers that look towards him he dares accept of deaths challenge to meet it in the field and yet can embrace it as a speciall friend when it comes into his chamber where he is alwayes making provision for its better entertainment in a word he is the onely Reserve of English Gentility and ancient valour and hath rather chose to burie himselfe in the Tombe of Honour then to see the Nobility of his Nation vassalaged the Dignity of his Countrey captivated by any base domesticke enemy or by any forraigne fore-conquered foe This is a compleat Cavalier and if any of you be not according to this Character believe me you are not right nor the men you ought to be And so much Gentlemen for the first particular in your description I come to the second and that is your Commission in the word sent shall be sent namely by him who hath power from God to send and that is only the King or Supreme Magistrate all the Commissions which God grants to Souldiers are signed by the Kings hand who is as Moses was the mouth of God unto his Subjects in things of this nature and such a Commission so signed doth constitute a lawfull Souldier the Lesson is this A right Commission makes a lawfull Souldier Yea a right Commission makes the Warre it self lawfull to the Souldier although it were undertaken by the Prince upon unjust grounds for the Subjects duty is to mind his owne call rather then the Cause for though in matters of Religion we disclaime and abhorre the Doctrine of blind obedience yet in matters of State and order wee professe allowance of it quae supra nos nihil ad nos things above us belong not to us if we pry into the reason of Princes undertakings we may prove our selves to be the Busie-bodies whom as we noted before the Apostle yoakes with murderers and evill doers And I thinke these times doe sufficiently declare the due concatention of these conditions But as I was saying though the Justice of the Kings Cause which is as cleare as the Sun to all unlesse to those that are given up to blindnesse and to believe lies were not so manifest and apparent nay were it an unjust cause on the Kings part yet were it not so to those Souldiers that are authorized by him for according to the point a right Commission makes a right Souldier and that cannot be given by any nor derived from any but the King
in the Battaile yet 't is no true valour to set your foot too hard upon the neck of a fallen foe that beggs your mercy the generous Lion scornes to exercise his fury upon an enemy that 's prostrate before him I would have the Kings men do nothing but what is Kingly let Rebells practice basenesse it best becomes them Beside the Scripture saies that mercy pleaseth God and in that we are bidden to be like him who in the midst of judgement remembers mercie Be yee mercifull as your heavenly Father is mercifull for as in another place there shall be judgement mercilesse to them that shew no mercy as men do to others so shall it be done to them 2. Remember to distinguish between quaerentes facientes malum the plotters and contrivers of or the leaders in this Rebellion and they that by seduction onely are drawne into it between your sturdy Rebels and those that by a kind of inforcement are made to take their parts the Text speaks only of the former that severitie is to be used against them which if it be men may call it cruelty if they please but 't is justice rather and the prevention of mischief and cruelty for as such have been meanes alreadie to undoe and murder many by leading them into paths of death so if they should continue they would destroy more 3. Remember I pray to shew respect to Women Children and aged persons to the first in regard of the weaknesse of their Sex to the second sort in regard of the minority of their yeares and to the latter sort in regard of their gray haires 't is said of the barbarous Chaldeans 2 Chron. 36.17 That they had no compassion on the young Children on the Maiden or on the old man on him that stooped for age indeed though God did deliver the nation into their hands to punish yet he looked they should have showne some pittie on such as these and because they did not he threatned to punish them Esai 47.6 O Daughter of Chaldea I was wrath with Israel and I gave them into thy hand and thou didst shew them no mercie but upon the ancient thou didst lay very heavily the yoke therefore v. 9. these two things shall come upon thee in one day losse of Children and widdow-hood 4. Remember for the honour of your King and Cause and for your own inward peace and outward credit sake that you neither do nor so much as in you lieth suffer to be done in coole blood to the most impious Rebels any thing that savours of immodestie barbarousnesse or inhumanitie To uncloath men and women of their garments and to expose their nakednesse to open view as the enemies did in Ireland is most immodest and offensive to God and all good men to be an houre or two in hacking and torturing a wofull wretch or in taking away that miserable life which might be concluded in a moment or to wreak ones furie upon a dead carkas is a most barbarous cowardly thing and odious to God though offered to an Edomite as appears by that his threat unto the Moabites for their burning the bones of the King of Edom to lime Amos 2.1 so to use reviling speeches and cursed execrations against them that are readie to die or are in going out of the world full of wounds and paines is most inhumane nay 't is plainly diabolicall to insult over men in miserie be they never so vile never such wretched enemies The ancient Romans the bravest Souldiers in the world were carefull to absteine from all kinde of harsh words in such cases as kill him hang him knocke him down rogue villain or the like as also from all kind of barbarousnesse and inhumanitie in their executions for they said they acknowledged their enemies to be men not Tigers Metius Suffetius was drawn in pieces with foure horses for his Treason from which as a spectacle of great horrour the people turned their eyes The storie sayes as it was the first so it was the last punishment in this kind of rigour that was exercised amongst them for nulli gentium minores plaeuisse poenas saies Titus Livius of them no Nation so carefull to preserve the reputation of humanity as they Be you also carefull noble Gentlemen and Souldiers to abstein from all such unworthy conditions object not that the enemies deal so shamefully with our men when they get them into their power for I 'le assure you basenesse doth better become them and their cause then ever it will become you 5. Take heed you do not do any thing against the enemies out of your own private hatred remember that you are the Kings men and your enemies are the Kings enemies and them you are to oppose as such and as the enemies of your Countrey even in battaile it self you must strike and shoot as at the common foe let God direct the bullet or arrow as it pleaseth him as he did that which being shot at a venture slew Ahab and then 't is God and not man that killeth for to levell at any knowne men or to pursue any out of particular malice may be found murder in Gods account at the great day The Lord threatens to execute great vengeance upon the Philistines with furious rebukes because saies the Text thou didst take vengeance upon thine enemies with a despightfull heart for the old hatred and private grudge that was betwixt you Though God imploys men as his instruments to punish the publike enemies of Church and State yet never to revenge themselves he never gave any man a Commission to do this he would have us all to referre such wrongs to him 6. Remember what ever you do you do it with a publike spirit and do it valiantly and in that manner as may no whit discredit the Kings cause or blemish your own reputation nor occasion griefe to your spirits afterward and to this end remember the graciousnesse of the Kings spirit and disposition how he hath hitherto looked upon the vilest of them all with an eye of pitie and look you to your Commission which you have from His Majestie which let the enemies bawle never so is far more mild then they deserve it should be and remember too that though they have by their actions renounced the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and offered despight to the patient obedient and peaceable spirit of the Gospell and have forgotten you to be their brethren of the same nation and of the same Religion too which themselves professed foure years ago and do in their Turkish charity call you nothing but Dogs Popish Dogs yet be not you like them but yeeld them still to be your Brethren though rebellious and degenerate and approve your selves towards them to be Christians And these be the Mementoes which as Gods Minister I do here propound unto you yea which I do in the name of God charge upon you But perhaps some of you will say if we should follow