so contempt of the King Gods Vicegerent is contempt of God who ordained the King For in the chain of order one linke still depends upon the other Saint Basils advice then is good That we give Honour Tois men calois hws tw thew tois de cacois dia ton theon to godly Kings as to God to wicked Kings for God Though Kings themselves then be evill yet must we reverence Gods Ordinance and not resist but suffer their Commands to be fulfilled either a nobis or de nobis a nobis in Active obedience if lawfull de nobis in Passive if unlawfull we must take up not a Sword of resistance but a Buckler of patience and if occasion be we must maintaine Truth and Justice morte rather than marte by suffering rather than by resisting For qui insurgit in Christum Domini insurgit in Dominum Christi He that riseth up against the Anoynted of the Lord riseth up against the Lord of the Anoynted Monarchomachoi are theomachoi fighters against the Kings are fighters against God Therefore howsoever we respect the Royall Person as Man we must Honour Feare and Obey him as King For therefore are Kings called Gods as Brentius well upon Joh. 10. non quod natura sint Dii sed quod officium eorum ordinatio sit divina Not because they are Gods by Nature but because their Kingly Office is Gods Divine Ordinance Since the King then is per Deum by God we must Honour Feare and Obey him propter Deum for God which is the Charecter of a good Christian as well as a good Subject who doth arcessere rivum fidelitatis a fonte pietatis draw the streame of Loyalty from the Fountaine of Piety and where Loyalty is the Daughter of Religion like Naomi and Ruth they are inseparable When Saul was made King though the Sonnes of Belial did despise him yet they whose hearts God had touched say the Scriptures 1 Sam. 10.26 they followed after him They did not then look upon him as the Son of Kish but as the King of Israel as after David looked upon him not as his Persecutor but as his Soveraigne and therefore though cruell and impious yet did he Honour him propter Deum as the Lords Anoynted And thus have I done with the first word Rex a King having shown you 1 Quid what a King is 2. Per quem by whom he is King Quid in se what a King is in himselfe Huperoche ' Exousia ' Arche Excellency Power and Principality which require of us Honour Feare and Obedience Quid ad nos what he is to us the defender of our Faith the preserver of our Peace and the protector of our Laws which require of us a full maintenance of his Royall Estate This for the quid 2. The per quem answered with a per me where non vox hominum sonat it is not the voyce of Man but of God by him Kings Reigne who looseth the bond of Kings and guirdeth their loynes with a girdle Job 12.18 This the Summe of what hath been delivered I should now speak of that which followes against whom there is no rising up But of these Words when opportunity shall be offered Give me leave to adde a word or two which shall neither be propter nor ultra tempus beside or beyond the Time Beloved Elijahs small Cloud hath now overspread the whole face of the Heavens with a Storme The not long since Tumults have overspread the whole Kingdom with a Civill War and we must now know Stormes come not but by Vapors so that if the Storme of Gods Judgements fall down upon us the Vapours of our filthy Sinnes have first ascended take away the Vapors the Storme will cease take away our Sinnes Gods Judgements will be removed We attribute the continuance and encrease of our miseries to the raging malice of the Adversary who like Jehu drives furiou ly and what conditions of peace are offered yea what Articles concluded he casts them behinde his back But indeed we ought to look within our selves and if we desire peace with Men we must first make our peace with God and having made our peace with him we need not feare the Enmity of Man God shall be to us what he was to David Ps 62. our Rocke and our Salvation our Defence our Refuge and our Glory And if he be our Rock what Storme shall shake us if our Salvation what trouble shall deject us if our Defence what Weapon shal Wound us if our Refuge what Enemy shall pursue us if our Glory what Tongue shall disgrace us Feare we not then the power or violence of the Adversary feare we not his great strength It is a remarkeable passage which History relates concerning Phocas who when he had slaine his Master the Emperour Mauritius he strengthened himselfe with strong forces fortified himself about with strong Walls and when he thought himselfe secure from the Enemy without he heard a voyce in the Night saying to him The Enemy that is within that shall destroy thee meaning his rebellious sin the Application is easie We may blessed be God say with holy David Ps 21.2 In virtute tua Domine The King shall rejoyce in thy strength O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy Salvation The King shall rejoyce in thy Strength not in the strength and number of his people not in the valour and prowesse of his Captains but Virtute tua Domine in the might of the Almighty for that is Virtus ad Salutem that Strength brings Salvation in which Salvation great shall be our Kings Joy great shall be his Glory and his Honours v. 5. Now Regis ad exemplum let not us place our Strength in an Arme of Flesh which like Jeroboams hand shall suddenly wither and bring inevitable ruine upon us but let us rely upon the Arms of the Almighty which are Everlasting Deut. 33.27 strecht out to all Eternity as for the Defence of his Anoynted so for the Safety of all those who repose their whole trust and Confidence in him Let others thinke Force of Arms whereby they offend God no lesse than their King the way to reforme and repaire all my advice to you is that if you desire the Times should mend you would first mend your selves and to that end in unfaigned humiliation betake your selves to God with Prayers and Tears least your Darkenesse be without Light your Judgement without any Beams of Mercy Sue to God for a Treaty of Peace for your Soules first and then for the Kingdom sending forth Legationem Lachrymarum as Gregory calls the weeping of a Penitent an Embassage of Teares to which God will assuredly give a gracious audience Now that our State like Noahs Ark is tossed upon the waters of Civil Dissentions send out the Dove of humble Prayer and though it return into your bosomes as the Dove into the Ark empty yet send it out again and at length it wil bring in the Olive Branch
much stood upon A King against whom there is no rising up If we desire Examples for further confirmation let us retire backe to former Ages and we are presently as Saint Paul speaks upon another occasion encompassed about with a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12.1 Nephos martyrwn a cloud of Martyrs sealing and maintaining Gods Truth with their owne Blood not with the Blood of others Was not Saul a bloody Persecutor slaying Abimelech with fourscore and foure Priests in one Day upon the false accusation of Doeg was he not a Demoniacke possessed with an evill Spirit a cruell Tyrant seeking not onely the death of David but also of Jonathan his owne Sonne Yet when God had delivered him into Davids hands and Abishai looking upon him onely with a Souldiers Eye as his Enemy had been earnest to kill him yet saith David destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anoynted and be guiltlesse 1 Sam. 26.9 The Lords Anoynted What Saul a Persecutor a Doemoniacke a Tyrant and yet Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted Note Here beloved let me give you a remarkeable Observation This Anoynting here doth not betoken any Spirituall Grace as elsewhere it doth in severall places of the Scriptures a mistake let me tell you which hath begotten many irreverent opinions concerning Kings Royall Unction gives a Just Title to the Crowne not divine Grace to sway the Scepter it gives Right to rule not to Rule rightly Though true it is it were much to be wish't that Grace in their Hearts were as fragrant as the oyle upon their Heads and that as they excell in Glory and Dignity so in Godlinesse and vertue But we see wicked Saul then as well as holy David is Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted he had as all wicked Kings have sanctitatem Vnctionis though not sanctitatem vitae an holy Calling though not an holy Life Yea the Lord ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will so the Prophet Daniel c. 4. v. 32. so that he may be Christus who is not Christianus as was Darius the Heathen Is 45.1 If then Kings are made Christi Domini the Lords Anoynted neither for Religion nor Vertue then certainly they may not be unmade for either Heresie or Vice according to that Divinity axiome dominium temporale non fundatur in gratia Salis determinat Comment in locum temporall Dominion or power of Rule is not founded upon Grace To all this accords that of Junius and Tremelius Vncto Jehovae say they the Anoynted of the Lord that is a Deo ad Regnum assumpto admitted by God to the Kingdome and what to have his Crown presently cast down to the ground and himselfe upon misdemeanour deposed from his Throne by the States by the multitude by the Collective body of the Kingdom as some would have it no a Deo ad Regnum assumpto ac proinde sancto munito ab omni injuria admitted by God to the Kingdom and therefore sacred and fortified from all Injury Note In that great defection under Jeroboam did there not live many holy Prophets in that hot Persecution under Nero did there not live many holy Apostles under that grand Apostacy of Julian did there not live many holy Fathers yet I will speak it ex animo let it appear that there was ever any one Prophet any one Apostle any one Father that stirred up sedition or moved the People to take up Arm 's though in their defence against their Soveraign and I will submit to their Censure who now oppose their King I think I could not expect more severe Iudges Run over the Acts of the Apostles and you shall find them in the Prison not in the Campe drawne before Magistrates not drawing Magistrates before them stoned but not stoning struck with the Sword but not striking with the Sword And in 2 Thes 1.4 We glory in you saith the Apostle in the churches of God for what for their Valour and Courage in defending the Gospell by force of Arms no but for their Patience and Faith in all their Persecutions and Tribulations for the Gospell Epist 42. Aske Saint Augustine that holy and Learned Father how Paganisme and Heresie was vanquisht and how the Truth of the Gospell was maintained and he will tell you non a repugnantibus sed a morientibus Christianis nor by Christians resisting but by Christians dying What thinke you now who are the best Christians they who take up the Crosse and follow Christ or they who take up Arms and resist their Soveraigne But some may say The former Christians did not take up Arms and a good reason why they had no Arms to take up or if they had they were so far Inferiour in number and Power that they durst not take them up But what think you of that which Tertullian tells us of in his Greek Fragments That when Plinius Secundus observed the numerous Company of Christians which suffered Martyrdome for the Faith of Christ tarachtheis tw plethei multitudine interremptorum permotus as Ruffinus Translates it Paraphrasticws astonished at the Multitude of them that were slaine he related to the Emperour quod innumera hominum millia quotidie obtruncarentur that innumerable thousands of Men were slaine dayly as the same Ruffinus tells us what so many thousands slaine quotidie too slaine every day how easie had it been having the Lord of Hosts on their side to have gathered themselves together in every Province and to have stood not onely for the Truth but also for their Lives and to have destroyed to have slaine and to have caused to perish all the Power of the People and of the Provinces that should have assaulted them as did the Jews yet not without Commission from Ahasuerus Esth 8.11 But we see the contrary affirm'd to their Faces with a Challenge in Nazianzens Oration 2. contra Julian In quos vestrum saith he populum exaestuantem contra vos infurgere solicitavimw quibus vitae periculum attulimus Against whom of you have we moved the Tumultuous People to rise up Which of you have we put in danger of his Life They had not so learned Christ They knew well The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force but what Violence of opposing no but of suffering What Force of arm 's no but of a godly life They knew well if God had intended the founding his Church the propagating his Truth by an Arme of Flesh by the Power of the Temporall Sword he who is kardiognwstes the searcher of the Heart is also kardiotreptes the mover of the Heart and so would have moved the Hearts of Kings rather then the hearts of the People he would have called the Wise the Mighty and the Noble rather than the foolish the base and the despised But that no flesh should glory in his presence and that Gods Strength might appeare in Mans Weakenesse he
in doing the evill they Command so nor may we rise up against them when they Command that which is evill And this is the Summe of Gods Truth and the Saints Practise in this case of Subjection to wicked Kings This to remove Prejudice and Misunderstanding now ad Rem 1. No Cause can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their King 1. No cause can justifie arms against the King We must know Satan deceives not more than when an Angell of Light and Rebellion prevailes not more than when it's pretence is Religion and Justice See that one Example of Absolon 2 Sam. 15. He steales away the Hearts of the People and how that Vers 6. First he possesseth them with an evill opinion of the King Vers 3. that he neglects the execution of Justice and then insinuates into them Vers 4. That if he were made Judge in the Land not yet seeming to ayme at the Crown he onely desires to be made a Judge in the Land them the times should be better If any Man had any suite or cause if he came unto him he would doe him Justice Vers 5. c. And then condescended to a winning Affability with the People he raiseth a most unnaturall Rebellion which he colours over not onely with the faire Pretence of executing Justice but also of preserving Religion and therefore he offers Sacrifice before the People And the better to countenance his Rebellion he makes use of Achitophell the great Councellor and others of the Nobles of Israel And if we look upon King David he good Man is put to as great straits as King Charles He is driven from the great City Jerusalem he is forc't to fly a farre off and glad that he can be furnisht with provision at Mahanaim at the bounty of his better Subjects And being at this distance he Assembles what Forces he can rayse and sends them out to suppresse the Rebellion of Absolon who as he brought upon the Kingdome the misery of a Civill War so upon himselfe the confusion of an unnaturall Sonne and a Rebellious Subject Here let me say to King Charles what Cushi said to King David since their case is not much unlike when he brought the News of the Victory 2 Sam. 18.32 Let the Enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up to doe thee hurt be as that young Man is But that a pretended Cause how specious soever should justifie Arms against the King no Man will beleive Therefore I must goe a great way farther and draw the Cord much longer and make it appeare that no Cause how just soever truely and indeed can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their Soveraigne What cause more Religious than that of Religion What cause more Just than that of Justice it selfe Yet neither for the Profession of Religion nor for the execution of Justice may Subjects take up Arms against their King This is evident Ashur is the Rod of Gods anger yet must Israel be subject Nebuchadnezzar his scourge yet must Judah submit and be so farre from raising Arms against him that they must pray for his Peace Jer. 29.7 In that 1 Tim. 2.1 Prayers are commanded to be made for Governours who were they not Christians but Heathens In that 1 Pet. 2.13 Honour the King Who was that Constantine the good No but Nero the Cruell And sure where God Commands Prayers to be made for Kings Horour and Obedience to be given to Kings he takes away taking up Arms against Kings though such as Nebuchadnezzar such as Nero Idolatrous and Cruell Blessed are they saith our Saviour who suffer persecution for Righteousnesse sake for their's is the Kingdome of Heaven Math. 5.10 not Blessed are they who rayse Rebellion for Righteousnesse sake that theirs may be the Kingdomes of the Earth And againe Vers 44. Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you and the reason is ut Filii sitis That ye may be the Children the Children of whom Filii hujus seculi Children of this World no Flesh and Blood cannot endure this they are for another Way a Way of Opposition a Way of Rebellion but Filii Patris vestri qui est in Caelis the Children of your Father which is in Heaven If then to love our Enemies to Blesse them that Curse us to doe good to them that here us and to Pray for them who despightfully use us and persecute us be Godly Spirituall and Heavenly then to have bitter Envyings and Strifes in the Heart to rayse Civill Dissention and Division in the State is Earthly Sensuall and Divellish as S. James speaks ch 3. v. 15. S. Peter in 1 Ep. c. 2. v. 18. He admonisheth Servants to be subject to their Masters with all Feare not only to the Good and Gentle Alla kai tois skoliois but also to the Froward so our English pravis the wicked so Beza duris hard or cruell so Tremelius And if Servants must obey wicked and cruell Masters then must Subjects obey Wicked and Cruell Kings for the same relation that the Servant hath to his Master the same hath the Subject to his King And Beza's note here concerning the Servant may not unfitly be applyed to the Subject That though his condition seem in this case very grievous yet his subjection shall be so much the more accoptable to God si voluntas ipsius plus valeat quam Dominorum injuriae If the good pleasure of his will more prevaile with them than the injury's of their Lords Again in Rom. 12.19 Dearely beloved saith Saint Paul avenge not your selves If we may not avenge our selves upon our Equalls much lesse upon our Superiours and least of all that is not at all on him who is Supreame Comment in locum Ergo affligemur inulti shall we then be tyrannized over without Revenge Musculus makes the Objection and gives the answer adjecta est saith he hujus gratia assertio illa ego rependam For this cause is that Assertion added I will repay saith the Lord and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10 11. and ideo horribilius Regibus therefore the more fearefull for Kings because they have him alone to be their Judge and quid credimus judicem illum si non ultorem as Tertullian speaks Wherefore doe we beleive him a Judge if not a Revenger As for Kings then God will punish them Autocheir with his own hand which David knew well when he answered Abishai moving yea inciting him to slay Saul or suffer Saul to be slaine with a Deus percusserit God shall smite him but as for himselfe he would not stretch out his hand against him 1 Sam. 2.6.10.11 I could heape up Texts of Scripture to confirme this Truth but this one sentence of my Text may suffice where we have it propriis terminis a thing now a dayes so
chose the foolish things of the world to confound the Wise the Weake things to confound the things which are Mighty and base things of the World and things which are despised did God chuse yea things which are not to bring to naught things that are 1 Cor. 1.26.27 c. That of Cyprian to Demetrianus is full to our purpose none of us saith he when he is apprehended resisteth quamvis nimius copiosus noster sit numerus though our number be far the greater Above all Ecclesiasticall History relates that Julians Army notwithstanding his great cruelty and persecution did consist most of Christians who we reade fought for him against his Enemies but never for themselves against him and that his Army did consist most of Christians appears by that full Acclamation of theirs to Jovinian afrer Julians death Christiani sumus we are Christians So that we may well say with Tertullian concerning the Sect of Christians in their Persecutions occidi licet occidere non licet not occidi potest occidere non potest not that it is in their Power to be slain not in their Power to slay but it is Lawfull for them to be slaine not Lawfull for them to slay Solomon here confirm's it with a non est qui resistat there is not any that may resist Yet are not the Adversary's herewith satisfied The Adversaries obiections answered but object to us the Men of Jerusalem who rose up against King Amaziah 2 King 14.19 Yet see how the Scripture setts a brand upon them and tells us that conspiraverant conspirationem they made a great Conspiracy an act as little commendable as it is imitable They tell us of the ten Tribes falling away to Jeroboam though the Scripture tells us that it was of the Lord 1 Kin. 12.24 Jeroboam being anoynted to the Crown by Ahijah the Shilonite They tell us of Jehu smiting the House of Ahab and rising up in arms against Joram his King though the Scripture tells us 2 King 9.6 Thus saith the Lord I have anoynted thee King over Israel and so Peter Martyr well It was an act extraordinary Loc. com cla 4. c. 20. non in Exemplum trahendum and not to be drawn into example They tell us also of the People delivering Jonathan from Saul 1 Sam. 14.45 Though it appears not in Scripture that they did it by forceable arms of resistance but rather as Junius and Tremelius by forceable Argument of Perswasion ut posthabita juramenti ratione Comment in locum juris haberetrationem That laying aside the account he had of his Oath he would have respect to Equity and Justice Thus then notwithstanding the Opposition of the Adversaries I have made it cleare to you that no Cause can justifie the Subjects taking up arms against the King 2 No Authority Who shall command against him 2. No authority from whom issueth the Power of commanding Yea but he is entrusted with that Power by the Commonwealth for the safety and well fare thereof which if he abuseth he may be deprived of it by the Commonwealth Suppose this true as you know affirm'd it hath been for a Truth suppose our King had his Power committed to him by the State which yet is most false as shall presently appeare and suppose it in the Power of the State to require it of him again Though let me tell you this severing the Head from the Body the King from the State hath been as ominous as erroneus But as I leade you into this Maze Note so will I conduct you out again Upon this Supposition then consider well our many Hero's brave Worthies Starres primae magnitudinis shining no lesse in Valour than in Vertue consider the gravity of their Wisedome the Authority of their Persons the Uprightnesse of their Lives Men fit for Councell in Peace and Conduct in Warre Consider those great Nobles and Grave Judges of the Land the Learned Doctors and Clergy of the Land the Faithfull Gentry and Loyall Commonalty consider the great Counties the many Cities with the Famous Universities All which stand up in the defence of their Soveraigne the Lords anoynted Consider these well and then tell me what is that you call the State what is that you call the Commonwealth of the Kingdome Thus you see that not without cause Saint Jude tells us v. 8. that they who despise Governement kurioteta not Dominum but Dominatum not the Governours but the Governement Comment in locum ordinem ipsum a Deo constitutum so Beza the Order it selfe constituted by God They the Apostle tells u are ' Enupnazourenoi altissimo veterno sopiri buried in a dead sleep so Beza againe they are filthy Dreamers so our English delusi insomniis deluded with Dreames so Erasmus That of our English may be applyed to the great Statesmen the Patriots that of Erasmus to the People their Disciples the former they are filthy Dreamers the latter they are delusi insomniis deceived with their Dreames For is it not evident to him that is awake and his Eyes open That what those Men set down to justifie their Actions doe most of all condemne them they swerving from their own Principles But to returne The Power of Kings is de super nor de subter from above not from beneath from God From whence the power of Kings is not from the Subjects call them what you will the Multitude the States or the Commonwealth Ego dixi Dii estis Psal 82.6 I have said ye are Gods Ego dixi I have said not nos diximus We have said he hath said it whose Dixit is a Fecit by him are Kings ordain'd by whom all things are created Per me Reges per quem Regna by him are Kings by whom are Kingdomes the World and the Governement of the World hath the same per both potestatis personae of Power and of Person If wicked Men once separate Reges from per me Kings from him by whom they are Kings no wonder if they strike at Regnant too no wonder if they strive to cast their Crowns down to the ground and lay their Honour in the dust Tertullian is full for an Heathen Emperour In Apologet. Imperatorem saith he necesse est ut suspiciamus it is necessary that we reverence the Emperour and how so ut eum quem Dominus noster elegit as him whom our Lord hath chosen ut merito dixerim noster est magis Caesar ut a nostro Deo constitutus that I may very well say Caesar is rather our Emperour as constituted by our God Yea the King is by God but God he worketh by means and therfore though he chuse the King yet it is mediante Populo by the choice of the People For this see Psal 89.20 there saith God of King David I have exalted one chosen out of the People The King not chosen by the People Electumâ—e Populo chosen out of the People not
of the Church to this purpose as the Kings of the Jews had a Copy of the Law so now our Kings the Book of holy Scriptures committed to them at their Inauguration That as the King of the Jews was Custos utriusque Tabulae the keeper of both the Tables so ours also Custos utriusque Testamenti the keeper of both the Testaments Secondly the Preserver of our Peace 2. The Preserver of our peace preventing by his Wisdome or suppressing by his Power all Insurrections at home and withstanding and repulsing all Invasions from abroad Ver. 23. Hence it is that in the 34 of Ezech. the King is called the Shepheard of his people the Shepheard as pascere to Feed them regere to Guide them so tueri too to defend them to defend one from the other and all from the Wolfe Ver. 20. one from another the Leane from the Fat the poore from his Oppressor and all from the Wolfe the Wolfe the Enemy without the Fold the Enemy without the Kingdome In that 1 Tim. 2.2 we are commanded to pray for Kings Why that we may live Heremon kai ' Esuchion Bion a peaceable and quiet Life Heremon Bion a peaceable Life free from Civill Dissentions and ' Esuchion too a quiet Life safe from Forraigne Invasions This then is the King also ad nos to us the preserver of our peace 3. The Protector of our Laws as the Sunne is the Fountaine of Light The protector of our Laws so the King the Fountaine of Justice the Magistrates in the State like the Starres in the Heavens the Starres borrow their lustre of Light from the Sunne and the Magistrates their power of Justice from the King the Rule of which Justice are the Laws So that if any Magistrates shall violate the Laws they eclipse the Kings Justice and cast dishonour upon his Throne Which Indignity to revenge he hath the Sword committed to him by God and is appointed Vindex malorum Rom. 13.4 to take vengeance on them that do evill and this protection of our Laws is the preservation of our peace and defence of Religion the glory of both This then is the King ad nos to us the Defendor of the Faith and to that end especially he hath Huperochen his Excellency the preserver of our peace and to that end especially he hath ' Exousian Power the Protector of our Laws and to that end especially he hath ' Archen Principality or Governement or put them altogether as in good Kings they are ne're asunder he hath Excellency Power Principality for the Defence of the Faith the preservation of the Peace and the protection of the Laws of his Kingdom That the King is in se in himselfe this he is ad nos to us Now on our part is due to the King a full maintenance of his Royall Estate a full Maintenance is due non donum sed debitum not a Gift but a Debt For this cause pay you Tribute also so Saint Paul Rom. 13.6 from which Tribute Aquinas Comment in Rom. 13. though Aquinas will have the Clergy exempted ex privilegio Principum by the priviledge granted them from Princes for indeed no Man can remit a Debt but he to whom the debt is owing yet he confesseth it hath equitatem quidem Naturalem truely a Naturall Equity for it is Equity indeed if we will have our Faith defended our Peace preserved and our Laws protected that then the Excellency Power and Principality of the King should be maintained To see a Man stand bare headed we account an ordinary and usuall Signe of Subjection and what is it think we then to see a State bare headed the Prince who is the head kept bare not onely denuded of his power and Aurhority but also of his meanes and maintenance But what is the Subject excluded may not he stand up in the defence of the Faith the preservation of the peace and the protection of the Laws Yes rise up he may but with his King not against him for against him there is no rising up But what if the King neglects nay seduced by his evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion may not the Subject then stand upon Religions guard and Defend the Faith even against the King himselfe Judg. 6. v. 31. Here I might answer as Joash did Let Baal pleade for himselfe let wicked Kings Patronize their owne Cause Thanks be to God we have no cause to complaine of our Kings wickednesse but of our own and so need not I pleade for evill Kings since God hath given us so good and gracious a King But because this is that which many pretend to countenance their unlawfull Armes I Answer That in case a King neglects nay seduced by evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion the Subjects may not rise up against the King Vi Armis with Force and Arms but Precibus Lachrymis with Prayers and Teares the Weapons with which the ancient Christians overcame the cruelty of their Persecutors according to that of Saint Bernard Bernard Epist 221. Stabimas pugnahimus usque ad mortem si ita oportuerit We will stand to it and fight even unto Death if need be But how why heare the Father non scutis Gladiis not with Shields and Swords sed precibus fletibus ad Deum with Prayers and Teares unto God The Subject then may defend by Petition to the King and Prayers for the King By Petition I say to the King yet not as Caesars Captaine Petitioned the Roman Senate as Plutarch Relates it with his Hand upon the Pummell of his Sword that if they would not grant it that should give it And in case the King will not Grant not Reade not Receive a Petition then Vince serendo ouercome by suffering And if it be the Truth of the Gospell a Man stands for so that the goodnesse of the Cause will beare him out he must not refuse to undergoe goe Death it selfe and so obtaine a Crowne of Martyrdome to be a Martyr himselfe by Christian Patience not Martyr the State by Civill dissentions King Solomon was chosen by God to build the Temple because he was a King of Peace 1 Cron. 2. Sure then Beloved whatsoever Men may pretend God hath not chosen them to reforme the Church who are Men of War yea War against their King against a Solomon too War against a King of Peace To raise a Civill War is certainely to exalt Satans Kingdome and not Gods or the King every where as too sad experience tells us to settle vile Profanation no where to settle true Religion And if Petitions to the King will not prevaile we must use Prayers to God for Solomon tells us The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord not in the power of the People and he turneth it whethersoever he will He can move evill Princes to good in mercy to his People as he did Belshazzar and Darius as
well as suffer good Princes to be moved to evill in judgement to his People as he did David and Hezekiah yea as he can move evill Princes so remove them at his pleasure as he did Saul and Ahab But the full clearing of this belongs to the last part of the Text. Onely this by the way Since there are Men who are now up in Arms against their gracious Soveraigne least any should be led away with their faire pretences we must know That no Man ought to take up Armes but in the Defence of a just cause Note and in Obedience to a lawfull Command For as a Man must have a good Cause to justifie his Arms so a lawfull Authority to justifie his Cause which who so wants is not onely a Rebell but a Murderer as Bernard to the Templars Serm. 1. Concerning unlawfull Duels so may I say of him who takes up unlawfull Arms if he dyes Moritur homicida he dyes a Murderer if he lives Vivit homicida he lives a Murderer yea whether he lives or dyes Est homicida he is a Murderer Occ sor lethaliter peccat occisus aeternaliter perit if he lives he is spiritually dead in that he slew and if he dyes he is eternally dead in that he is slaine slaine without Repentance here then enter a serious Deliberation and no sudden Resolution Were the Cause as Just as is pretended though no Man will think to pillage Houses the way to reforme the State to deface Churches the way to confirme Religion formerly towling a Bell on the Lords Day hath been accounted a great breach of the Sabbath now sounding of Trumpets beating of Drums taking of Castles plundering of Houses on the Lords Day an acceptable and commendable Service Will any Man think this the way of Reformation no sure unlesse this Reformation must be another Creation and so require another Chaos of Confusion But suppose we yet the Cause as good I say as is pretended yet where is the lawfull Command of Authority As for Excellency Power and Principallity which must constitute this Authority The Scriptures allowes them to Kings denyes them to Subjects though Magistrates yea the highest Magistrates denyes them I say joyntly and together as in Kings For the Magistrate though ne're so high 1 Epist 2.14 he is the Kings Creature So Saint Peter and so his Power and Governement a Derivative The Subject may have an Huperochen an Excellency of Gifts yea Megisten Huperochen the greatest Excellency which makes him capable of being Councellor to the King but not a King But his ' Exousia and ' Arche his Power and Governement being only Delegate and Derived from the King it is not Consonant to Reason that they should afford a lawfull Command against the King For the King being the Fountaine from whence the Magistrates Power doth Streame how against Nature is it for the Streame to run backwards into the Fountain for the Power derived from the King to be exercised against the King So that whil'st Men take up Armes and prosecute a Civill War against the King in stead of Defending we see they destroy Religion in stead of Preserving they disturbe the Peace in stead of Protecting they violate the Laws and that in an high Measure and an hainous Nature Indeed if we aske whether there be any Cause that can justifie Armes against the King and any Authority that can justifie the Cause The Scriptures as shall afterwards appeare will say no the Fathers say no the best of Moderne Divines say no. What shall we say then or rather what shall we doe then Why Defend our Kings Person and he will Defend our Religion Preserve His Honour and he will preserve our Peace maintaine His Royalty and He will protect our Lawes Strigellus tells us That Alphonsus King of Naples his Embleme was A Pelican feeding her young with her own Blood with this Motto better applyed then of late Pro Rege pro Grege What was that Kings may be most truely Ours who Pelican like is now ready to spend His owne Blood for the redeeming His owne Honour and His Peoples safety and if ye now tread in His steps follow His Example in being ready to sacrifice your own Lives for the Honour of your King and the Peace of your Country if ye dye in the enterprise your Deathes shall not be Mortes but Immortalitates having made your peace with God an Eternall Reward shall attend your Temporall Deaths And here I passe from Quid What the King is to the per Quem by whom he is King 2. Perquem by whom he King 2. Per Quem by whom If we come to Solomons Proverbs we shall finde this per quem answered with a per Me Prov. 8.15 per Me Reges Regnant by me Kings Reigne by Me King of Kings and Lord of Lords where the per is not a meere Permission but a full Commission it is not that they Reigne by my Sufferance but by mine Ordinance for if we bring our per quem to St. Paul he will answer us with an Ordinatae sunt a Deo Rom. 13.1 The Powers which are are ordained of God Bring this per quem to the Ancient Fathers Lib. 5. c. 24. and Irenaeus will tell us That Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu Reges constituuntur By whose Command Men are Created by his Command are Kings Ordained Tertullian in Apologet. tells us Inde est Imperator unde homo antiquam Imperator By him is the Emperour by whom he is Man before he be Emperour Inde potestas illi unde Spiritus from him he hath his Power from whom he hath his Spirit Hence it is that in 1 Cron. c. 29. v. 23. it is said Solomon sate on the Throne of the Lord in solium Domini not in solium Populi on the Throne of the Lord not on the Throne of the People Yea bring this per quem to the Heathen and such is the dictate of Nature that he will answer it with a per Jovem And it were more than a Miracle that among the Heathen as one hath well observ'd so many Princes should submit themselves to one and that one peradventure a Woman peradventure a Childe were it not that they did acknowledge a Divine Power which St. Paul more Divine-like calls Gods Ordinance which begat a Reverence in their hearts Hence it is that we owe Honour and Subjection unto Kings though wicked even because of Gods Ordinance for as the unfaithfulnesse of a Man cannot frustrate Gods promise as appears Rom. 9. so nor can the Wickednesse of the Person make void Gods Ordinance So that a King is nor a King because he is a good King nor leaves being a King when he leaves being good We give Honour saith Bishop Andrews well not proswpw but proswpwpoiw not to Man but to God in Man So that as contempt of the Magistrate the Kings Vicegerent is contempt of the King who ordained the Magistrate