A SERMON PREACHED IN St MARIES Church in Oxford March xxiv MDCX. at the solemnizing of the happy inauguration of our gracious soveraigne KING IAMES WHEREIN IS PROVED THAT KINGS DOE hold their kingdomes immediately from God By SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD D. of Divinitie Fellow of Corpus Christi College At Oxford Printed by Joseph Barnes 1611. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD IOHN BY THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON KIng Salomon one of wisdomes offspring Right Reverend Father hath said All rivers goe into the Sea Some thinke they doe it to doe their homage and pay tribute to that place frō whence they receiued their beginning May this little Sermon imitate those rivers it is all it careth for It had beginning from your Lordship when the fourth time you worthily bore the highest office in our Vniversitie For your request even then a commaund to me gaue it being It now returns as homager and tributarie to your Lordship and is glad that it seeth the light through your favorable countenance God almightie enlarge his graces vpon your Lordship and fill you with his strength that the Church of Christ here long enioying you may reioice to see the pride of many her enimies through you abated From my study in Corpus Christi College Septemb. 9. 1611. Your Lordships in all duty and service to be commaunded SEBASTIAN BENEFIELD Psal 21. Ver. 6. Thou hast set him as blessings for ever A King takes vpon him his Subiects person to sing an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a victoriall song a gratulatorie song a song of thankesgiving for the manifold blessings derived from heaven by the King vpon the Subiect This King was David his Subiects the people of Israell his Song this Psalme the Blessings perpetuall Iob for his seaven sonnes when their feasting daies were did early a Iob. 1.5 every day offer seaven Holocaustes so many burnt offerings for he thought It may be that my sonnes haue sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts and might not David for his subiects offer vp his sacrifices b Hos 14.3 vitulos labiorum the sacrifices of praise thankesgiving vpon the like thought It may be that my people haue sinned through their vnthankfulnesse against God God through my governement hath plentifully powred vpon my people his blessings it may be that now waxen fat they regard him not to giue him thankes therefore will I for them offer vnto him the sacrifice of praise That Sacrifice was this Psalme A psalme to bee vnderstood not only of the civill Magistrate as some affirme nor only of Christ as others but of the civill Magistrate with reference to Christ David was a type of Christ and his kingdome of Christs kingdome his victories were but Praeludia as preambles or fore-runners of Christs victories Therefore speaking of David wee must ever haue an eie to Christ And as this people here acknowledgeth for their temporall estate that the safetie of their king was their safetie and common ioy so must it be acknowledged by vs that vpon the victories of our head Christ and his exaltation dependeth our spirituall wellfare Christs victories over sinne death and hell are our victories and haue freed vs from the curse of the Law his resurrection is a cause of ours his exaltation is our ioy This Psalme thus vnderstood of David with reference to Christ yet primarilie of David hath 2. general partes One is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Enumeration of those many blessings wherewith God had blessed David and this part is continued for the first seaven verses The other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a confession or acknowledgement of the power of God whereby he dissipateth and bringeth to naught the counsells of the wicked Let the wicked assisted with all the powers of hell band themselues together to doe harme to the Lordes annointed they shall find that there is a God c Psal 144.10 Qui dat salutem regibus That giveth deliverance vnto kings and rescueth David his servant from the hurtfull and cruell sword The right hand of the Lord shall find them out and make them like a fierie oven in the time of his anger This confession of Davids people beginning at the eighth verse is concluded with an Epiphoneme in the 13. Be thou exalted O Lord in thy strength so will we sing and praise thy power Returne we to the Enumeration of the blessings wherewith God had blessed David and wee shall behold the king d Deut. 33.23 filled with blessings from the Lord. He was filled with ioy of heart for the strength and salvation of God vers 1. Whatsoever his heart could wish or lippes request that was graunted him v. 2. Hee was prevented with liberall blessings v. 3. A crowne of pure Gold was set vpon his head v. eod Life was given him a long life v. 4. Glory dignitie honour in despite of his foes were heaped on him v. 5. Hee was appointed for blessings vnto his people v. 6. and was made glad with the ioy of the coūtenance of the Lord eod And why was David thus filled with blessings from the Lord Was it for any merit of his own No. The 7 verse will tell vs why it was It was for the sure trust cōfidence he had in God and his mercies Because the king trusteth in the Lord and in the mercie of the most high he shall not slide Out of this abundance of blessings first setled vpon K. Davids head thence like Aarons e Psal 133.2 ointment descending and sending forth sweet odoures of peace and prosperitie to the lowest of his people much might be brought to fit this daies Solemnitie This day hath God given vs opportunitie of meeting now the eighth time to celebrate it to the glory of his holy name to the honour of our religious Soveraigne and to the comfort of his loiall subiects To which purpose out of Davids store of blessings I haue made choise of that which is in the former part of the sixt verse Thou hast set him as blessings for ever The words you may call Davids exaltation I obserue in them 4. Circumstances The 1. is the authour of this exaltation God The 2. the exaltation it selfe David appointed king over Israell The 3. the ende of the exaltation Blessings to his people The 4. the continuance of the blessings For ever Thou hast set him as blessings for ever Thou there is the authour Hast set him there is the exaltation As blessings there is the ende For ever there is the continuance I will with all the speede I may passe through these circumstances that I may speake somewhat to the generall doctrine issuing hence namely that kings hold their kingdomes immediately from God Whereof when I shall haue made some vse it wil be time to conclude Till then I commend my selfe to God his gracious assistance and your Christian patience Thou hast set him as blessings for ever The first circumstance is the autor
shall be a blessing In paraph. in Psal 20. and there the Abstract is for the Concrete It is Iansenius his observation Israel erit benedictio id est erit benedictus vel benedictione plenus which construction of his well sorteth with the verse following v. 25. where it is further added of the same Israel The Lord of hoasts shall blesse it saying Blessed be my people According to this exposition these words Posuisti eum benedictiones doe carrie this sense God hath so appointed David that he may be perpetually blessed both in respect of God who endoweth him with immortalitie and also in respect of men of whom hee shall for ever bee praised There is a third exposition Poni Dari or Esse in benedictiâ—nem may be said of one who is blessed not only in him selfe but is made also a blessing vnto others by whome others also are blessed and so account themselues To this sense God saith vnto Abraham Gen. 12.2 Thou shalt bee a blessing that is thou shalt be not only blessed thy selfe but by thee shall others also be blessed for so it followeth v. 3 I will blesse them that blesse thee and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed According to this exposition those words Posuisti eum benedictiones doe carrie this sense God tooke David from a poore and meane estate from a sheepheards life from following ewes great with young Psal 78.70.71 and exalted him to be king over Israel and placed him in that throne for this ende that he might be for blessings to Israel his people The ende then of Davids exaltation is blessings to his people and it was my third circumstance Thou hast put him blessings Blessings not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the 70 haue it nor Benedictionem as the vulgar a Blessing but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 blessings in the plurall number to note the wonderfull abundance of Gods graces bestowed vpon the people through the king The blessings bestowed vpon Israell through David may bee reduced to three heads one is the worship of God reinstituted in its puritie 2. Deliverance from forraine enimies 3. The restitution of iudgement and iustice The worship of God was reinstituted in its puritie when David brought the arke of the Lord from the house of Obed-edom the Gittite into the citie of David 2. Sam. 6.12 The deliverance from forreine enimies was wrought when David smote Aram 2. Sam. 8.12 and Moab and the childreÌ„ of Ammon and Edom and the Philistines and Amalec and Hadadezer the sonne of Rehob king of Zobah and tooke from out their hand the bridle of bondage 2 Sam. 8.1 That iudgement and iustice were restored by him it s not obscurely delivered 2. Sam. 8.15 where it is said that David reigned ouer all Israell and executed iudgment and iustice to all his people In these three heads consisteth the office of a good and godly King Giue such a King a King that shall promote the worship of God according to the word of truth that shall bee victorious over all his enimies that shall maintaine his subiects through iudgement and iustice in peace and tranquilitie Giue such a king such a king you enioy and he shal be a parallel for our David here and may as well bee said Poni à Deo in benedictiones to be placed by God in his throne for this ende that he may be for blessings to vs his people and that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for ever which is the continuance of the ende and my last circumstance Thou hast set him blessings for ever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Arke of Noe it is rendred aeternitati or in aeternum in the 70 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the vulgar Latine in seculum seculi for ever Some take it to signifie for a long season as Psal 18.50 Great deliverances god giveth vnto his king Wilcox in Ps 21.6 and sheweth mercy to his annointed even to David and to his seed for ever For euer that is faith an expositour for a long time if you refer the words to David and his posteritie but if you referre them to Christ and those that appertaine to him then it is put for all eternity So here Thou hast set him blessings for euer vnderstand these words to be spoken of Christ and For ever is For all eternitie vnderstand them to bee spoken of David and For euer is For a long season I haue hitherto expounded these words as they are appliable to David and accordingly doe take this last word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For ever David was à Deo positus in benedictiones he was set for blessings vnto his people Blessings temporall and spirituall temporall as deliverance from forreine enimies and the execution of iudgement and iustice for the peace quiet of his people and spirituall as the reestablishing of the true worship of God whereby his people might become Citizens of the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes 1.19 In respect of the former For ever is for a long season for Davids life time which was Dauids Ever ever whilest he swaied the scepter of Israel In respect of the latter For euer is for all eternitie for spirituall blessings continue after this life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 even for ever Thus haue I past over my foure circumstances the Author of Davids exaltation which was God the exaltation it selfe David placed in the throne of Israel the ende of his exaltation that he might be for blessings to his people and the continuance of this end For ever Was God the author of Davids exaltation Did he appoint him to be king over Israel Hence then ariseth this doctrine which before I promised to speake vnto Kings doe hold their kingdomes immediatly from God A truth so vnmoueably grounded vpon the word of truth that it is strange it should bee controverted The proofes of scripture that do concerne it are either generall or particular A generall proofe we haue Rom. 13. In the first verse it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The powers that be are ordained of God Therefore the power of a king of whom it is twise saide ver 5. that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods minister gods lieuetenant for thy wealth if thou do well for vengeance if ill The like proofe may be taken from Daniel 2.21 where not only the taking away of kings but also the setting of them vp is avowed to be gods owne worke The voice of wisedome crieth alowd Prov. 8.15 16. By me kings raigne and Princes decree iustice by me Princes rule and the nobles and all the iudges of the earth These proofes were generall The particular do consist in God his immediate designement of diverse vnto kingdomes Of Saul 1. Sam. 10.1 Samuel tooke a viale of oile and powred it vpon Sauls head and kissed him and said Hath not the Lord annointed thee to be governour over his inheritance Of Hazael and Iehu 1. Kings 19.15 16. The
Lord said vnto Elias Go annoint Hazael king over Aram and Iehu the sonne of Nimshi shalt thou annoint king over Israel Of Nabuchodonosor Dan. 2.37 O king saith Daniel thou art a king of kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdome Of Salomon 2. Chron. 8.9 The Queene of Sheba saith vnto him Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee to set thee on his throne as king And to omit others of David in my text of whom it is also specially said 1. Chron. 28.4 That God did choose him and delighted in him to make him king over Israel and ver 3. Psal 21. that the Lorde did set a crowne of pure gold vpon his head These proofes generall or particular standing vpon so soveraigne autoritie as Gods word is of doe make good my propounded doctrine namely that kings do hold their kingdomes immediatly from God Whereto I doubt not but I haue your full assent What neede then is there of any further insisting vpon this point Surely none were there not a generation of men bearing in their foreheads the stampe of Christians that cannot brooke any proofe taken out of Scripture for the maintenance of any doctrine that may distast the bishop of Rome or want his allowance Tel such that by scripture it is plaine that kings hold their kingdomes immediately froÌ„ God their reply wil be what tel you vs of scripture Set aside the autority of the Church the autoritie of the Pope we take scripture to be no better theÌ„ a q Colloqium Wormat. apud Lubbert de princip lib. 1. cap 5. doubtfull vncertaine and leaden rule then a r Colloq Ratisbon Rungqu 2. matter of debate then a Å¿ Colloq Wormat. vbi supra booke of discord then a poore t Hosius de expresso Dei verbo kind of element then a u Pighius coÌ„trov 3. de Ecclesia duÌ„b iudge then x Ludov. Canon Lateran dead inke then y Eckius inken diuinity then a z Pighius Hierar l. 3. c. 3. nose of wax then a Hosius Gretser c. Aesops fables Impious wretches had they not wiped all shame from their faces they would never haue laid such load of disgraces vpon Gods holy worde Their Cardinall Hosius staies not here he proceedes a degree farther He coines a distinction of scripture as it is vsed by themselues whom they call Catholikes and as by vs whom they call Heretikes His words are in the end of his third booke against Brentius his Prolegomena The scripture quomodo profertur à Catholicis verbum est Dei quomodo profertur ab haereticis verbum est diaboli as it is alleadged by vs so must it bee forsooth the word of the Devill but as by them so only shall it be the word of God Upon this ground and distinction of theirs I doubt not but that blasphemous b Apodix 1. Thes 8. p. 131 Dorhoff hath made an alteration in the beginning of our Creede and in steede of Credo in Deum patrem omnipotentem creatorem coeli terrae hath substituted Credo in Diabolum carnificem orcipotentem corruptorem coeli terrae For if scripture alleaged by vs be verbum Diaboli what is our beliefe What our religion You see of what validitie proofes drawne by vs from holy Scriptures for the confutation of any popish point are in the estimation of some Papists They hold vs for Heretikes and consequently the sense of scripture which we bring to be no sense of scripture Hence is it that the Author of the short Narration how Henrie the IV. late king of France and Navarre sent his Embassadours to Pope Clement the VIII for absolution from his heresie tels vs that though some doe mainetaine the king to hold his kingdome immediately from God yet that at Rome this is accounted a very ridiculous matter It is evident to be so by Cardinall Bellarmin who in his first book de Romano Pontifice cap. 7. parag Postremo distinguishing betweene secular and ecclesiasticall soveraignty affirmeth that the Ecclesiasticall is à solo Deo de iure divino from God alone and by the law of God but the secular is from mans institution and de iure gentium by the law of nations If we marke the antithesis and opposition betweene the lawe of God the law of nations as also between the soveraigneties Ecclesiasticall and secular we must needs acknowledge it for Bellarmines opinion that kings holde not their kingdomes immediatly from God This his opinioÌ„ is more clearely set downe in his booke de Clericis cap. 28. parag Ad confirmationem His expresse words there are Regna non sunt de iure divino sed de iure gentium proinde mutabilia sunt Kingdomes are not by Gods law but by the law of nations and therefore are changeable wherevpon dependeth his treasonable doctrine delivered in his fift booke de Rom. Pontif. cap. 8. where among other things Parag. Praeterea he affirmeth that not only Princeps Episcoporum the Pope but Episcopus quilibet every Bishop though but the Popes vassall may vse temporall power over kings and inforce them to make lawes yea and for some causes depose them too as appeareth by the precedents of that chapter But this and other like proditorious assertions there and elsewhere broached and defended by Bellarmine others of that faction vpon this ground That kings do not holde their kingdomes immediately from God I now let passe The immediate dependencie of kings and their kingdomes vpon God howsoever at Rome it be ridiculously entertained hath already bin prooved and warranted sufficiently to such as do beleeue the scriptures Unbeleevers I much heede not Yet if any will that the autority of the ancient fathers be produced let such know that a Ad utilitateÌ„ gentiliuÌ„ terrenum regnuÌ„ positum est à Deo sed non à diabolo c. Irenaeus in his 5. booke aduersus haereses b Christianus nulliê° est hostis neduÌ„ Imperatoris quem scien à Deo suo coÌ„stitui necesse est ut ipsuÌ„ diligat revercatur honoret salvum velit cum toto Romano Imperio quousque seculum stabit Colimê° ergo Imperatorem sic quomodo nobis licet ipsi expedit ut hominem à Deo secundum quicquid est à Deo consecutum solo Deo minorem Hoc ipse volet Sic enim omnibus major est dum solo vero deo minor est Et Apologet. cont gent. cap. 30. Sciunt Imperatores quis illia dederit imperium sciunt quà homines quis animam Sentiunt enim Deum esse solum in cujus solius potestate sunt à quo sunt secundi post quem primi ante omnes super omnes deos Quid-ni Cum super omnes homines qui ubique vivunt mortuis antistant Tertullian in the 2. cap. of his booke to Scapula c Super