go together The Church may be persecuted by wicked Rulers but ordinarily is not taken away and wholly rooted out but by the rooting out of the established Government of that Nation wherein the Church is And have we not seen how the Church was wronged among us by the boundless toleration of errour the Government and Judicatories thereof encroached upon by Acts and Ordinances taking the power of Plantations out of the hands of established Judicatories and putting the same in the hands of others not concerned and severall such other practices as might be instanced ever since the violence was done to the settled Civil Government of these Kingdoms from these things we may see how useful civil Government is not only for the State but for the Church also Therefore as we ought to bewaile the sad sufferings of our King and seriously mourn before the Lord for these sins that provocked his Holinesse to make our Israel be so many dayes without a King So it is our duty to praise and magnifie the Lord who hath graciously returned to us our ancient and known Government and our own King to exercise the same whereby we have a full accomplishment of that promise Isa 1.26 I will restore thy Judges as at the first and thy Counsellours as at the beginning The second Doct. is That even a righteous and good King may be thrust away and refused by these over whom he is sent of God to Govern This so clearly ariseth from what is in the text that we need not stand to clear the ground See also vers 27. and 39. The same was Davids case 2 Sam. 2. and 5. chap. And for the prosecution of this point I judge it not unfit to take a short view of these few things which concurred in the thrusting of Moses away As first Who the person was that refused and thrust him away and he is described ver 27. to be one that did the other wrong that is a violent and wicked oppressour of his brethren Secondly What it was that moved this oppressour to thrust Moses away even fear of punishment he had done evil and feared the Judge Thinks thou to kill me He desired in effect to be Judge himself and could not endure any above him to controul his dealing with the weaker and therefore would not so much as suffer Moses to be an amicable adviser ver 26. much lesse to be Judge ver 27. Thirdly The means whereby this rebellion is carried on and they are three 1. The calling in question and contemning of his Authority and Warrantablenesse of his undertaking Who made thee a Ruler c 2. Reproaches of him as a bloody man that would kill all he ruled over though he had no other ground but his own prejudged opinion misrepresenting Moses for one act of Justice in killing the Egyptian Wherein though hee speak the truth materially yet it was malo animo to bring Moses in hazard 3. The third mean whereby this rebellion was carried on to it's hight was violence he thrust him away ver 27. And where the Authority of a Ruler begins to be contemned there if it be in the contemners power thrusting away cometh in the close The fourth thing considerable in the thrusting of Moses away is the grounds upon which this refusing and rebellion is builded and we find no real ground of provocation from Moses his worst word we find ver 26. to be Sirs ye are Brethren why do ye wrong one to another Innocencie in a King will not restrain rebellious Subjects Fifthly Consider what are the sad effects of a rebellion coming to it's hight even upon the Subjects to wit oppression of the weaker by the stronger See Isa 3.2 3 4 5. And lastly That rebellion once coming the length of thrusting away God must in a more then ordinary way interpose for the reintroducing of the expulsed Ruler I shall say no more for the application of this point But that the sin of these who had hand in the horrid murther of our late Soveraign or the expulsion of our present is more inexcusable then that of this oppressing Israelite who thurst Moses away because their just tittle to the Government was more evident to them then Moses tittle at that time was to the Jews And therefore we ought earnestly to supplicat the throne of grace that these sins may no more be laid to the charge of these Lands and that the divisions of the people may be solidly healed for it is marked as the first rise of the occasion of this rebellion against Moses that the people strove v. 26. We might gather our third Doct. by comparing this vers wherein their refusall of Moses is spoken of with vers 30. Where his fourty years sojourning in a exiled condition is mentioned to be That sinfull opposition and thrusting away of a righteous Ruler may have successe for along time but the successe of the oppressour is the servitude of the subjects I will not stand on this Doct. It is too sad a Theme to insist upon Only this Although we have reason to lament that by the successe of oppressours our King hath been so long kept away from us yet we have also reason to blesse God that it hath not been for full fourty years and to praise Him from our souls who hath said concerning us as he said concerning the Jews vers 34. I have seen I have seen the affliction of my people I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them and now come I will send thee into Egypt The fourth Doct. arysing clearly from the words is That though a righteous Ruler be thurst away and long kept away from his just right Yet the Lord can in his time send him back to the exercise of that Government he had right to So dealt the Lord with David both after Sheba's rebellion and Absolom's And so hath the Lord done to our King and it will not be amisse here to consider a little some things wherein the sufferings and the return of our King is parallel to the sufferings and the return of Moses And first their sufferings after their expulsion are parallel First In that both their rights was unquestionable before God and man though they wanted the exercise Secondly both driven to exile and put to great pinches under it Thirdly made to sojourn among people of another Religion Fourthly Yet both remained constant in the Truth the great glory of their sufferings notwithstanding of their strong temptations Fifthly Both found more relief of strangers then of friends Sixthly Both waited patiently untill Gods time of outgate came There are also some things wherein the manner of their returning is parallel as First Gods hand was eminently seen in both Secondly their return was without blood or War Thirdly Both were unexpected Fourthly both were when the affliction of their people was at a great hight Let us then blesse and praise the mighty Lord whose right hand hath done marvellously
themselves and curse their King and their God Yea by the Apostle we are commanded to pray for them and at that time when he wrote a wicked Nero reigned The third kind of Reverence is with the body using a suteable gesture to regall Authority as the Woman of Tekoah 2 Sam 14.4 And Ahimaaz 2 Sam. 18.28 So did all the people 1 Chron. 29.20 I might multiply other citations but it is superfluous exhibeant eis etiam foris honorem cuique regne pairia consuetum saith Bullin dec 2. ser 9. speaking of the duty of subjects to their Soveraign The second duty that we ow them is Obedience 1 Pet. 2.13.14 Titus 3.1 Such Obedience it ought to be as excludeth resistance to him Rom. 13.2 As is willing chearfull and for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 For their Authority is an Ordinance of God and they are the Ministers of God Yea this Obedience is due from all persons Rom. 13.1 Let every soul be subject c. even Church-men as well as Laiks for saith Bern. in one of his Epistles writing to an Arch-bishop Quis vos excepit ex universitate It is true that Kings have no power to exercise Ministeriall acts themselves Yet they have power to put Ministers to do that which they cannot do themselves and to punish them when after orderly tryall they are found guilty of Mal-administration So David Solomon Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Josiah c. governed the Priests even as Priests and the Levits as Levits But we say not that Kings can punish Church-officers by any Ecclesiastick censure they can no more depose then they can ordain The power of neither of the keyes was given to Kings as Kings Neither is this Obedience that we presse as due from all persons due in all things from any person For if Kings command what God forbids Then the Apostles rule must stand Acts. 5.29 Obey Gedrather then man So did the Egyptian Midwives So did the three children with approbation from God The third duty we ow is Fidelity the breach whereof is above disobedience Fidelity to his person Fidelity to his Authority if any of these be plotted against or injured there is laesa Majestas This made David say of Saul God forbid I should touch the Lords anoynted Not a lap of his garment can be touched but the tender heart is smitten And in Scripture we find nothing taught for loosing subjects from their fidelity and aleadgeance But on the contrary the saints are recorded to have remained loyall even to wicked Kings and Emperours The last duty is Aid and that First by saithfull counsell and advice when called for and discovery of his secret enemies and their plots Secondly by our estates chearfully paying out thereof tribute and custome Rom. 13.7 Christ himself payed pole-money Match 17.27 And Thirdly by our persons We ought to assist our Soveraign both against countrey Rebells and out-land Enemies whensoever it is called for by him who hath it in his Commission to be Deliverer I have been the longer upon these things because no small part of the dayes work is to teach you to give to God what is Gods due even all Honour Praise Power and Dominion being King of kings and the only Potentate who hath made this day that we may rejoyce therein And to give to our Casar what is his due even Reverence Obedience Fidelity and Aid which is a debt upon us by Gods ordinance and ought to be payed for conscience sake I shall shut up all with repeating the Apostle Peter his exhortation Fear God and honour the King These two are chained together by the Holy Ghost Who do the first will not neglect the last and such as are much taken up with the last would not neglect the first Go therefore and through the rest of this day expresse your joy and thankfulnesse as the people did 1 Chron. 29.22 When Solomon was made King the second time they did eat and drink but it was before the Lord on that day with great gladnesse Beware of any excesse Sin is no way to praise God or please our good King who hath declared against it Do as 1 Kings 8.66 Pray for a blessing to the King and go to your tents joyfull and glad of heart for all the goodnesse that the Lord hath done for CHARLES our King and Scotland England and Ireland His people And thus as we blesse God for him So we pray for all blessings on him from the King immortall invisible and full of Glory to whom be praise for now and ever Amen FINIS
MOSES Returned from MIDIAN OR Gods kindnesse to a Banished KING His Office and His Subjects duty As it was delivered in a SERMON Preached at Linlithgow on the day of Thanksgiving for His MAJESTIE our Soveraigns Happy Restauration By J. R. M. L. And published By A. G. P. L. ACTS 7.34 I have seen I have seen the affliction of My People which is in Egypt and I have heard their groaning and am come down to deliver them and now come I will send thee into Egypt Magistratus est res optima feracissima multorum bonorum operum Bull. Dec 2. Ser. 6. Principio subditorum est sanctè reverenter honorificè non abjectè vulgariter sentire de Principibus suis Exhibeant eis etiam subditi foris honorem cuique regno patriae consuetum Idem Dec. 2. Ser. 9. Published by Authority Edinburgh Printed by Gedeon Lithgow 1660. MOSES returned from MIDIAN OR Gods kindness to a Banished KING His Office and His Subjects duty ACTS 7.35 This Moses whom they refused saying Who made thee a Ruler and a Iudge The same did God send to be a Ruler and a Deliverer by the hands of the Angel which appeared to him in the Bush GOvernment is so necessary for the entertainment of an orderly and comfortable society amongst men that next to the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is no greater blessing can be bestowed by the Lord upon a people then a lawfull and righteous Ruler who will govern for the Lord ruling in righteousnesse and judgement Therefore doth this Protomartyre Steven while he is recounting the great mercies of God to the Church of the Jews stay long in rehearsing the Lords sending of Moses to be Ruler c. unto them as the Churches eminent mercie yea in all this recapitulation he mentioneth none of the sins of the Jews but that of rejecting Moses their Ruler vers 27. and 39. and their black sin of Idolatrie which vers 40. followed upon their rejecting of Moses That we might see that Rebellion against lawfull Authoritie is as unavoidably the forerunner of rejecting God as honour to the King is by the Apostle 1 Peter 2.17 immediatly subjoyn'd to the fear of God My Text seemeth to quadrat well with what is the occasion of this joyfull Day which will the better appear by holding out the severall parts and purposes therein contained They are three The first is the sinful and rebellious cariage of the people to a Ruler sent them of God They refused c. Secondly What the righteous Lord out of compassion to His people did for this oppressed and refused Ruler or King so the Spirit of God calls him Deut. 33.5 God sent him c. Thirdly You have a threefold office to the administration whereof he is sent and commissioned of the Lord viz. Ruler Judge and Deliverer Under which also relatively the duety of people is determined and set within its limits There is also a fourth thing in the words viz. the hand by the which Moses is sent to that office which because time will not allow us to speak of is purposely forborne in the Division For the first The peoples sinfull and rebellious cariage in these words They refused or denyed as the word is most ordinarily translated yea the word is sometimes used for a refusall or a denyall with disdain and undervaluing as Acts 3.13 which also accompanied therefusall in the words as is clear from the disdainfull saying attending it at the back in these words Who made thee e such an answer as we use to give to bussie medlers in matters not belonging to them And vers 39. it s said They thrust him away and would not obey him The second purpose in the text is what the King of Kings did for this refused and thrust away Depute of His concerning which the text holdeth cut First What the Lord did in the time of his exile even kept fellowship with him through Jesus Christ the Angel that dwelt in the Bush comforting and directing him in a wonderfull manner that he might know he was not rejected of God though refused by men Secondly That God sent him after his long so journing as it were renewing his Commission and making him successefull with a mighty hand in this last essay so that without violence the people are conquered to a submission unto him The third purpose in the text as I have said is the parts of that office to the exercise whereof he is sent viz. Ruler Judge and Deliverer under which I conceive is comprehended all that a Soveraign can or ought to claim and no more then should be granted to him since these three are expresly in his Commission from God whose the Kingdom is to the exercise whereof Moses was brought by the hand of Jesus Christ the King of His Church upon whose shoulders the Government lyeth So that the conceding these things to the Ruler so sent can be no Dammage but rather advantage to the Church of Christ But what each of these comprehendeth of the Rulers power shall be shewed afterward Now it followeth that we proceed to the Doctrines and in the entrie I would warn you that this text being so full of weighty matter it will not be possible in the short time allowed us to presse forth the whole substance thereof nor must that requisite acuracie in such points be expected from me Therefore many Doctrines I must passe altogether and such as shall be named must be discharged with greater brevitie then perhaps the matter would require But to proceed I make the first Doctrine to be That Government is in it self a thing so evidently necessary and usefull that even the opposers of lawfull Governours will not speak against Government This is grounded upon these words This Moses whom they refused Where it 's only the person which they question and afterwards Who made thee c Wherein they challenge nothing but his Warrand Commission and Authority for exercising of that Office See also vers 27. It will be supperfluous labour to prove the truth of this Doctrine The necessity and usefulnesse of Government being clear from Hab. 1.14 Where to be without a Ruler is to be as the Fishes of the sea and the creeping things the weaker whereof are destroyed by the greater and mightier as also from that Judg. 17. 6. Where it 's said that in the dayes wherein there was no King in Israel every man did that which was right in his own eyes Which is also repeated chap. 18. verse 1. and 19.1 and chap. 21. vers 25. In which places it is also observable that there is mention made of the wrong which the Levites the Church-men sustained that thereby we might see how usefull even to the Church a right constitution of Civil Government is Without this the Church wants the benefit of that promise Isa 49.23 that Kings should be nursing fathers yea Hos 3.4 to be without a King and to be without a Sacrifice do
This day is set a part for this end O let praise be rendred and our vows which were made when our harps did hing on the Willows be this day payed in the sight of all the people the Lords doing in this is not after the manner of man Look to what he hath done in restoring the breath of three languishing Kingdoms look how mercifully he hath done it and how unworthy we were that our Posterity much lesse our selves should have seen it and all cryes aloud that it is our duty ever to praise Him and not to let this so great a benefit slip out of our minde Yea with our praise let us joyn prayer that God may make our King who hath been in so many things like to Moses in his sufferings and return like to him also in the sequell of his Reign both for gracious and royall enduments and beyond him for length of dayes Yea let us pray God would make him according to his own heart And we may have the greater encouragement in this from what the Lord hath done for Him and made appear in Him As also that most ordinarily the best Kings registrat in Scripture were such as the Lord trained in the school of affliction as may be seen in Moses David Jehoash and many others mentioned both in Sacred and Profane Historie The fifth and last Doct. that I shall name is this That whom God sends to the government of a people he also giveth them commission for the Dignities Authority and power belonging to their place for saith the text He sent Moses to be Ruler and Deliverer Not to be one of the Rulers and Deliverers which would take in others to a parity with him but to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And although that this same God that sent him doth limit him and all Soveraigns Deut. 17.14 Yet he takes nothing from them essentiall to Soveraignty So when he sends Apostles Ministers c. all belonging to their office is allowed them and ought not to be encroached upon for we can no more expect the full and free exercise of any office from one who is restrained therein then a free flight from the pinioned bird take away the least lith that God hath framed Soveraignty with and the Soveraign is pinioned But for the more orderly and full explication of this Doctrine there are these four things to be a little opened up First Something concerning a Monarchs Commission or the fountain whence he derives his Authority Secondly Somewhat of his Prerogative and eminent Power Thirdly Somewhat of his office and the duty he is bound before God to perform in the behalf of his people Fourthly Somewhat of the peoples duty which relatively they are bound to perform to him As to the first of these to wit the Soveraigns Commission wee see it is from God God sent him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The word used in the Mission of the Apostles Whence we infer First That a lawfull Soveraign hes his Authority immediatly from God Rom. 13.1 and not from the people who being of God appointed to be subject to Rule and ruled can have no power of ruling in themselves there being as clear distinction betwixt the Ruled and Ruler as is betwixt the relatum and correlatum of any other relation wherefore there are some Kings who take their sword from off an Altar in token of their receiving their power immediatly from God so that the assertion which alloweth to people a Majestas realis seemeth to be groundlesse and dishonourable to God the only Original and Fountain of Soveraignity As also because it takes away the distinction betwixt Governour and Governed Secondly I infer as following on the former that a Soveraign having his Commission from God as is said though God will call him to an account yet he is countable to none else for his administration but to God only Not only because he hath no Pares to be his Judge But because no Commissioner is answerable to any Authority but that which did cloath him with the Commission and that is upon this subject God who hath said By me Kings reign Prov. 8.15 16. Thirdly I infer that Soveraigus may expect Gods presence and assistance in the work of their office if they look to and depend upon him from whom they have their Commission Fourthly I infer that the opposing and resisting of them is to resist the Authority of God from whom they have their Commission But secondly The words hold out something of his Prerogative and eminent Authority as necessarily annexed to his Office and place to the which his Commission bears him in these words God sent him to be Ruler and Deliverer Where it is observable that what Steven calleth a Ruler is in Exod. 2.14 called a Prince to shew that all the prerogatives of Ruling do appertain to a Prince There are two words used in the Commission to wit Ruler and Deliverer as said is under which the Soveraigns power both in Peace and War in Civil and Military affairs is comprehended as also somewhat of that power which is distinguished in potestas Legibus astricta Legibus soluta And under the first of these viz. Ruler is comprysed the power of Judging which is mentioned in the beginning of the vers and adjoyned to Ruling even by the rebel himself Nor can it be denyed I suppose to appertain to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea ordinarly Ruling and Delivering are more controverted then Judging But to proceed by the first Ruler there are these particulars of his Prerogative held forth unto us First That he is Chief Principall and Soveraign therefore even in contradistinction to all the people he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which holds out a priority and preeminency in the person beside what it speaks of his office Secondly That all authoritative Acts within his Kingdoms be in his name Thirdly That all Rule and Power in inferiour Officers or Governours be derived from him Therefore the word signifies not only Authority but a primary and fountain Authority Fourthly That he have the power of making the universall Laws of the Kingdom for these being the Rule both for inferiour Judges and the judged it is requisit that the Ruler have a speciall and Soveraign hand in making thereof the Legislative power being naturally annexed to Soveraignity Fifthly That fince all power in inferiour Judges is derived from him their sentence cannot be the last but may be appealed from Therefore the last appeall to any on earth is to the Soveraign whose sentence is finall and cannot be appealed from but to God Under these as the principall are comprehended the power of dispensing with penall Laws by Pardons and with positive statutes about duty by Licences Yea in some cases to alter and abrogat some Laws although ordinarily and without weighty causes these things are not to be done Together with many other Jura majestatis reduceable to