appointed not one but many Seates of iudgement And therefore euen the inferiour Seates howsoeuer as they are setled by the King and the State seuerally to fit the nature of the people in seuerall Kingdomes are of positiue and humane Institution yet as they are Seates of Iudgement they haue their foundation vpon Diuine Institution too since there is no power but of God Rom. 13. By these Seates of Iustice and Iudgement the Learned in all ages vnderstand all Iudiciary power and administration both Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill And they are right For the Sanhedrim of the Iewes their greatest Seate of Iudgement vnder the King after they had that gouernment was a mixed Court of Priests and Iudges Deut. 17. though other Kingdomes since and vpon reason enough haue separated and distinguished the Seates of Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill Iudicature Since this diuision of the Seates of Iudgement there was a time when the Ecclesiasticall tooke too much vpon them Too much indeed and lay heauy not onely vpon ordinary Ciuill Courts but euen vpon the House of Dauid and Throne of the King himselfe But God euer from the dayes of Lucifer gaue pride a fall and pride of all sinnes least beseemes the Church May wee not thinke that for that shee fell But I pray remember 't was Fastus Romanus 't was Roman Pride that then infected this Church with many others The time is now come in this kingdome that the Ciuill Courts are asmuch too strong for the Ecclesiasticall and may ouerlay them as hard if they will be so vnchristian as to reuenge But we hope they which sit in them will remember or at the least that the House of Dauid will not forget That when God himselfe and Hee best knowes what hee doth for the vnitie of Ierusalem erected Seates of iudgement Hee was so farre from Ecclesiasticall Anarchie that Hee set the High Priest very high in the Sanhedrim And Ecclesiasticall and Church Causes must haue their triall and ending aswell as others I know there are some that thinke the Church is not yet farre enough beside the Cushin that their Seats are too easie yet and too high to A Paritie they would haue No Bishop No Gouernour but a Parochial Consistory and that should be Lay enough too Well first this Paritie was neuer left to the Church by Christ. He left Apostles and Disciples vnder them No Paritie It was neuer in vse with the Church since Christ No Church euer any where till this last age without a Bishop If it were in vse it might perhaps gouerne some pettie City but make it common once and it can neuer keepe vnitie in the Church of Christ. And for their Seates being too high God knowes they are brought lowe euen to contempt They were high in Ierusalem For all Diuines agree that this in prime reference is spoken of Ecclesiasticall Censures and Seates And the word is Thrones no lesse So the originall So the Septuagint and so many of the later Diuines forgetting their own inuention of the Presbytery And one thing more I 'le be bold to speake out of a like duetie to the Church of England and the House of Dauid They whoeuer they bee that would ouerthrow Sedes Ecclesiae the Seates of Ecclesiasticall Gouernment will not spare if euer they get power to haue a plucke at the Throne of Dauid And there is not a man that is for Paritie all Fellowes in the Church but hee is not for Monarchie in the State And certainely either he is but Halfe-headed to his owne Principles or hee can bee but Halfe-hearted to the House of Dauid And so wee are come to the last the great Circumstance of the Text the House of Dauid the Guide and the Ground too vnder God of that vnitie which blesses Ierusalem The house that is not the house onely but the Gouernment All Regall and Iudiciary power was seated by God himselfe in Dauid and his Posterity 2. Sam. 7. That Hee as King ouer his people might take care both that Ierusalem might be at vnitie in it selfe and that the Tribes of the Lord might goe thither to giue thankes to the Name of the Lord that all the seruants of God among that people might knowe that God had committed them to the trust of Dauid that they might not promise themselues succour from God otherwise then as they liued in obedience to Dauid that they might not thinke to alter the gouernement or the succession but rest dutifully where God had placed them And therfore when Ieroboam rent ten Tribes from the house of Dauid almost nothing but distraction and misery fel vpon that people euer after as appeares in the story This to the letter strictly Now to the sense at large as both Church and State haue subordination to the house of Dauid For Ierusalem that 's at vnitie vnder Dauid And the Tribes they go vp to the Testimony vnder Dauid And the Seats of iudgement they haue their seueral ministrations but all with reference all in obedience to the house of Dauid Now in a State the King obtinet locum fundamenti is alwayes fundamentall All inferiour powers of Nobles Iudges and Magistrates rest on him And yet the holy Ghost doth not say in my Text that the Seates of Iudgement are vpon the foundation of Dauid but vpon the House of Dauid And the reason is plaine because there is one and the same foundation of the King and his people that is God and Christ. But when the house of the King is built vpon God as Dauid's was then 't is to the people domus fundamentum both an house and a foundation of all their houses And that you may see the trueth of this looke into the Story of all States and you shall neuer finde a thunder-clap vpon the house of Dauid to make it shake but the houses of all the Subiects in the Kingdome shooke with it And this is an euident Argument that the house of Dauid is a Foundation when such a mighty building as a State is shaken with it And therefore there 's no man that loues his owne house but hee must loue the Kings and labour and studie to keepe it from shaking And if you marke the Text here 's Sedes super Sedem one Throne or Seat vpon another And all well-ordered States are built so by Sub Super by Gouernement and obedience The intermediate Magistrates haue their subordinations either to other and all to Dauid But the House of Dauid that 's both Sub Super vnder the rest in the foundation for so the Septuagint and the Fathers reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vpon the house of Dauid so the house of Dauid vnder as Foundation But ouer the rest in the administration and the gouernment For they which are vpon him must not bee aboue him A primacie or superintendencie or what you will aboue the house of Dauid in his owne Kingdome is a dangerous and an ill construction of Super
Domum Dauid The house of Dauid a Foundation then and my Text warrants both it and mee I haue no will to except against any forme of gouernement assumed by any State Yet this my Text bids me say for the honour of Monarchicall Gouernment The Seates of iudgement in it are permanent And I doe not remember that euer I read Seates of Iudgement so fixed as vnder Regall power I do not by this denie but that there may bee the City in peace and administration of iustice in other formes of gourenment somtimes asmuch somtimes more But there are Iudicia not Sedes Iudgement not Seats of it And Iustice there may be but it cōtinues not halfe so steddy The Factions of an Aristocracy how often haue they diuided the City into ciuil warres and made that City which was at vnitie in it selfe wade in her owne blood And for a Democracie or popular Gouernment Fluctus populi fluctus maris The waues and the Gulfes of both are alike None but God can rule the raging of the Sea and the madnes of the people Psal. 65. And no safety or settlednes till there bee a returne in domum Dauid to a Monarchie and a King againe I 'le goe no whither but to my Text and Ierusalem for instance That people had a Sanhedrim ouer them a wonderfull wise and a great Senate the chiefe of the Priests and the most expert in their Lawes of the other Tribes If any greater difficulty arose God raised vp Iudges and Deliuerers to fight their Battailes This people were well a man would thinke for point of Gouernment very well And yet Caluin obserues and 't is true though they had then Iustice and Iudgement among them yet they were but suspensa Iudicia varie mutata Iustice with suspence often changes And which is more that people restles and vnquiet euen with the Ordinance of God himselfe till they had a King 1. Sam. 8. So after the disobedience of Saul which can cast euen Kings out of Gods fauour that State was settled vpon the House of Dauid The King then a Foundation and a settled one too as Mortality hath any The whole frame of the Common-wealth vnderstood here by the Seats of Iudgement rests vpon the strength of his house Vpon his house therefore it must bee built and settled els 't is not domus not a house When 't is built it must bee furnished plentifully too els 't is not fit to bee domus Dauidis the Kings house If any disaster hath been it must bee repayred els Domus lacera a House vpon props can be no foundation of Iustice to friends at home or vpon enemies abroad And there can hardly bee a greater miserie to a Kingdome then to haue the House of Dauid weake Well then would you haue the house of Dauid as Dauids was now at Ierusalem A built A furnished A strong An honourable House I know you would You are a Noble and a most Loyall People Why then I will not take vpon mee to teach but onely to remember you of the way The way is Am I out No sure The way is To set Dauid once vpon his owne feet to make him see the strength of the house which God hath giuen him to fill him with ioy and contentment in his peoples loue to adde of your oyle to make him a cheerefull countenance now that God hath anointed him with the oyle of gladnes ouer you that in a free Estate he may haue leisure from Home-Cares euery way to intend the good and welfare of his people and to blesse God for them and them in God And for Dauid God hath blessed him with many royall Vertues And aboue the rest with the knowledge that his House is a foundation A foundation of his people and of all the iustice that must preserue them in vnitie and in happines But 't is Domus eius His House still euen while 't is your foundation And neuer feare him for God is with him Hee will not depart from Gods seruice nor from the honourable care of his people nor from wise managing of his treasure He will neuer vndermine his owne house nor giue his people iust cause to bee iealous of a shaking foundation And here in the presence of God and his blessed Angels as well as of you which are but dust ashes I discharge the true thoughts of my heart and flatter not And now my Dread Soueraigne vpon you it lyes to make good the thoughts of your most deuoted Seruant Thus you haue seen as short a Mapp as I could draw of Ierusalem Shee was famous for her vnitie and blessed too when it was within her selfe Shee was famous for her Religion deuout too when all the Tribes went vp to the Arke of the Testimonie to giue thankes to the name of the Lord. Shee was famous for Iustice and successfull too both at home and against forreigne enemies when the Seates of Iudgement Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill were all as their seuerall natures beare founded vpon the House of Dauid This Ierusalem of ours is now at vnitie in it selfe And I see here Capita Tribuum the Heads and Leaders of the Tribes and People of the Lord come vp and present in his Temple I would to God they were all here that with one heart and one mouth wee might all pray vnto God for all his blessings to come down and dwell in the House of Dauid and to rest vpon this great and honourable Councell now ready to sit You are come vp to begin at the Temple of the Lord. The Arke was wholly Ceremoniall that 's not here But the Testimonie of Israel the Law yea and a better Law then that the Law of Grace and of Christ that 's here Here it is and open ready to teach the feare of the Lord which is the beginning of all wisedome Psal. 111. In this Law you can read nothing but seruice to God obedience to the House of Dauid And so you find them ioyned 1. S. Pet. 2. Feare God and honour the King And 't is a strange Fallacie in Religion for any man to dishonour the King and to make that a proofe that he feares God To the Temple and the Testimony you are come vp When God would giue Moses more speciall direction hee declared himselfe from the Mercy-seat which was on the Arke Exod. 25. The Mercy-seat was wholly Ceremoniall as the Arke was on which it stood that is the Seate Ceremonie but the Mercy substance And though the Seate bee gone with Moses yet I hope God hath not left will neuer leaue to appeare in Mercy to the House of Dauid and this wise Councell If hee appeare in mercy I feare nothing If hee appeare otherwise there will bee cause to feare all things And the way to haue God appeare in mercy is for both King and People not only to come to the Temple that 's but the outside of Religion but also to obey
the Law and the Testimonie Iudgement went out from God lately and it was fierce How many thousands strong men which might haue bin a wall about Ierusalem hath the Pestilence swept away But his mercy soon ouertooke his Iudgement For when did the eye of man behold so strange and sodain abatement of so great Mortalitie A great argument that hee will now appeare in Mercie And I cannot tell which hath got the better in the vie Your Honour or Your Religion that you haue made such hast to bring the Tribes to the Temple to giue thanks to the name of the Lord for this The first Lesson of this dayes Euening prayer is Exod. 18. There 's the Story of Iethro's counsell to Moses for assistance of inferiour Officers This was not the beginning of that great and parliamentary Councell which after continued successefull in the State of the Iewes For that was set after by GOD himselfe Numb 11. yet I make no great doubt but that the ease which Moses found by that Councell made him apt to see what more hee needed and so farre at least occasioned the setling of the Sanhedrim I take the omen of the day and the Seruice of the Church to blesse it That our Dauid may be as happy in this and all other Sessions of Parliament as their Moses was in his Councell of the Elders That the King and his people may now and at all like times meete in loue consult in wisedome manage their Counsell with temper entertaine no priuate businesse to make the publike suffer And when their consultation is ended part in the same loue that should euer bring King and People together And let vs all pray That our Ierusalem both Church and State which did neuer but flourish when it was at vnitie in it selfe may now and euer continue in that vnitie and so bee euer successefull both at home and abroad That in this vnitie the Tribes of the Lord euen all the Families and Kinreds of his people may come vp to the Church to pray and prayse and giue thanks vnto him That no Tribe or Person for any pretences for they are no better may absent themselues from the Church and Testimony of the Lord That the Seates of Iudgement Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill of all sorts may not onely be set but set firmely to administer the iustice of God and the King vnto his people That all men may reuerence and obey the House of Dauid who it selfe vpon God is the foundation of all these blessings That God would mutually blesse Dauid and this People That so the People may haue cause to giue thankes to God for Dauid And that Dauid may haue cause to take ioy in the loue and loyalty of of his people and blesse God for both Till from this Ierusalem and this Temple and these Thrones Hee and wee all may ascend into that glorious State which is in Heauen And this Christ for his infinite mercie sake grant vnto vs To whom c. FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL Printers to the Kings Most Excellent Maiesty 1625. Deut. 16.16 Vers. 1. Psalm 75 4â— Apoc. 12.6 S. Basil. Ibid. Psal. 113.6 S. Matth. 5.35 Thren 2.15 S. Matth. 24.2 Adrichom in descrip Ierus Iud. 19.10 2. Sam. 5.7 1. Chron. 11.4 S. Hil. ibid. Gen. 49.7 Coll. Dom. 5. post Trin. Plat. in vit Vrban 3. Lucan a Lib. 5. de Bel. Gal. In vita I. Agrip â—Cor 12. Vers. 25. Vers. 21. Vers. 21. Orat. 20. 1. Cor. 13.4 S. Luk. 23.34 Esai 2. 2. S. Math. 16.18 Gal. 6.2 Ezech. 13.10 2. Tim. 2.23 S. Luk. 19.12 Exod. 23.17 Psal. 50.13,14 1. Cor. 1.17 Psal. 127. 1. Ion. 3. Act 13.27 S. Basil. ibid. Deut. 17.11 Deut. 16.16 Vers. 22. Vers. 8,9 S. Luk. 10.30 S. Aug. Ibid. Exod. 23.15 a Apolina Ibid. Deut. 16.16 2. Chron. 7.12 S. Basil. Ibid. 3. Reg. 12.28 Ibid. S. Ioh. 21.16 Deut. 17.10 S. Basil. Theodoret Euthyâ— Caluin Mâ—scâ— Inn. Ibid. S. Luk. 1.75 Non eadem videntur Iudicibus iratis quietis Arist. lib. 2. Rhet. c. 1. 1. Cor. 6.6 * Tostat. in Exod 21. q. 16. P. Cuneus de Rep. Hebr. lib. 1. c. 12. Rom. 13. 1. Both for Causes Persons Pet Cun. de Rep. Hebr. lib. 1. pag. 101. 106. Caluin Muscul. Iun. versio Geneu Nay the Anabaptists themselues Ainsw Ibid. 2. Sam. 7.10 Psal. 89.36 Psal. 65.7 Calu. Ibid. 1. Sam. 8. Psal. 111.10 1. S. Pet. 2.17 Exod. 25.22 Exod. 18. Numb 11.16