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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	david_n	king_n	saul_n	12,106	5	9.9774	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96595	Vindiciæ regum; or, The grand rebellion that is, a looking-glasse for rebels, whereby they may see, how by ten severall degrees they shall ascend to the height of their designe, and so throughly rebell, and utterly destroy themselves thereby. And, wherin is clearly proued by holy Scripturs, ancient fathers, constant martyrs, and our best modern writers, that it is no wayes lawfull for any private man, or any sort or degree of men, inferior magistrates, peeres of the kingdom, greatest nobility, lo. of the councel, senate, Parliament or Pope, for any cause, compelling to idolatry, exercising cruelty, prastizing [sic] tyranny, or any other pretext, how fair and specious soever it seems to be, to rebell, take armes, and resist the authority of their lawfull king; whom God will protect, and require all the blood that shall be spilt at the hands of the head rebels. And all the maine objections to the contrary are clearly answered. / By Gr. Williams, L. Bishop of Ossory.	Williams, Gryffith, 1589?-1672.	1643 (1643)	Wing W2675; Thomason E88_1; ESTC R204121	92,613	114

and Societies doe cease and are even then reduced into him from whom before they were derived But we finde it many times that not the fault of the Prince The true causes that move many men to disturbe the State and to rebell nor the good of the Common-wealth but either the hiding of their owne shame or the hope of some private gaine induceth many men to kindle and blow up the flames of civill discord for as Paterculus saith Itase res habet ut republicâ ruinâ quisque malit quàm suâ proteri It so falls out that men of desperate conditions that with Catiline have out-runne their fortunes and quite spent their estates had rather perish in a common calamstie which may hide the blemish of their sinking then to be exposed to the shame of a private misery and we know that many men are of such base behaviour that they care not what losse or calamity befalls others so they may inrich themselves Paterculus in Histor Roman so it was in the civill warres of Rome Bella non causis inita sed prout merce corum fuit they undertooke the same not upon the goodnesse of the cause but upon the hope of prey and so it is in most warres that avarice and desire of gaine makes way for all kinde of crueltie and oppression and then it is as it was among the Romans a fault enough to be wealthy and they shall be plundred that is in plaine English robbed of their goods and possessions without any shew of legall proceedings But they that build their owne houses out of the ruine of the State and make themselves rich by the impoverishing of their neighbours are like to have but small profit and lesse comfort in such rapine because there is a hidden curse that lurketh in it and their account shall be great which they must render for it Therefore I conclude this point that for no cause and upon no pretext it is lawfull for any Subject to rebell against his Soveraigne Governour for Moses had a cause of justice and a seeming equitie to desend and revenge his brother upon the Aegyptian And Saint Peter had the zeale of true Religion and as a man might thinke as great a reason as could be to defend his Master that was most innocent from most vile and base indignities and to free him from the hands of his most cruell persecutors August contra Faustum Man l. 22. c. 70. and yet as S. Augustine saith Vterque justitiae regulam excessit ille fraterno iste Dominico amore peccavit both of them exceeded the rule of justice and Moses out of his love to his brother and Saint Peter out of his respect to his Master have transgressed the commandement of God And therefore I hope all men will yeeld that what Moses could not doe for his brother nor Saint Peter for his Master and the Religion of his Master Christ that is to strike any one without lawfull authoritie ought not to be done by any other man for what cause or religion soever it be especially to make insurrection against his King contrary to all divine authoritie for the true Religion hath beene alwayes humble patient and the preserver of peace and quietnesse Pro temporali salute non pugnavit sed potius ut obtineret aeternam non repugnavit Aug. de Civit. l. 22. c. 6. and as S. Augustine saith the Citie of God though it wandered never so much on earth and had many troopes of mighty people yet for their temporall safety they would not fight against their impious persecuters but rather suffered without resistance that they might attain unto eternall health And so I end this first part of the objection with that Decree of the Councell of Eliberis if any man shall break the Idols to pieces and shall be there killed for the doing of it because it is not written in the Gospel Concil Eliber Can. 60. and the like fact is not found to be done at any time by the Apostles it pleased the Councell that he shall not be received into the number of Martyrs because contrary to the practise of our dayes when every base mechanick runs to the Church to break down not Heathen Idols but the Pictures of the blessed Saints out of the windows they conceived it unlawfull for any man to pull down Idolatry except he had a lawfull authority CHAP. VI. Sheweth that neither private men nor the subordinate Magistrates 2. Part of the objection answered No kinde of men ought to rebell 1. Not private men Calv Inst l. 4 c. 20. Sect. 31. Beza Confess c. 5. p. 171. I. Brutus q 3. pa. 203. Dan. de Polit. Christ. l. 6. c. 3. Bucan loc com 49. Sect. 76. nor the greatest Peeres of the Kingdome may take armes and make Warre against their King Buchanans mistake discovered and the Anti-Cavalier confuted 2. AS it is not lawfull for any cause so no more is it lawfull for any one or for any degree calling or kind of men to rebell against their lawfull Governours For 1. Touching private men we finde that Calvin Beza Junius Brutus Danaeus Buchanus and most others yeeld that meere private men ought not to rebell at any hand and no wonder for the Scriptures forbid it flatly as Exod. 22.28 Revile not the Gods curse not the Ruler 1 Chron. 16.22 Touch not mine anointed Proverb 30.31 Rise not up against the King that is to resist him Eccles 8.3 Let no man say to the King Why doest thou so Eccles 10.17 Curse not the King in thy thought The examples of obedience to Kings And the examples of obedience in this kinde are innumerable and most remarkable for David when he had Saul a wicked King guilty of all impiety and cruelty in his owne hand yet would he not lay his hand upon the Lords annoynted but was troubled in conscience when he did but cut the lap of his garment Elias could call for fire from Heaven to burne the two Captains and their men a hundred in number onely for desiring him to come down unto the King as you may see 2. Reg. 1.10.12 and yet he would not resist Achab his King that sought his life and was an enemy to all Religion but he rather fled then desired any revenge or perswaded any man to rebell against him Esayas was sawed in pieces by Manasses Jeremy was cast into the Dungeon Daniel exposed to the Lyons the Three Children thrown into the Fiery Furnace Amos thrust through the temples Zacharias slaine in the porch of the Temple James killed with the sword Peter fastened to the Crosse with his head downward Bartholomew beaten to death with Clubs Matthew beheaded Paul slaine with the Sword and all the glorious company of the Martyrs which have ennobled the Church with their innocent life and inlarged the same by their pretious death never resisted any of their Persecuters never perswaded any man to rebell against them never cursed the

every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King c. whereas he might well understand that the same act is oftentimes ascribed aswell to the mediate as to the immediate agent as Samuels anointing of Saul and David Kings denyeth not but that God was the immediate giver of their Kingdomes and the Author of that Regall power for God anointing Saul Captain over his inheritance 1 Sam. 10. and by the mouth of Nathan he telleth David 2 Sam. 12. that he anointed him King over Israel and Solomon acknowledgeth 1 Reg. 2. that the Lord had set him on the seat of his father David 1 Reg. 11. and Abija in the person of God saith unto Ieroboam I will give the Kingdome unto thee and yet it is said that all the people went to Gilgal 1 Sam. 11.15 and made Saul King before the Lord and the men of Iuda annointed David King of Iuda 2 Sam. 5. and Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet annointed Solomon King that is God annointed them as Master of the substance and gave unto them Regall power in whom is all power primario perse and the Prophets anointing them as Masters of the Ceremony and declared that God had given them that power Constituere regem est facere ut regiam potestatem exerceret Pineda de reb Solom c. 2. And therefore the power and authority of Kings is originally and primarily as S. Paul saith the ordinance of God and secondarily or demonstratively it is as S. Peter calleth it the ordinance of man when the people whose power is onely derivatively makes them Kings not by giving unto them the right of their Kingdoms but by receiving them into the possession of their right and admitting them to exercise their royall authority over them which is given them of God and therefore ought not to be withstood by any man And this Anti-Cavalier might further see that Saint Peter meaneth not that the King is the creature of man or his office of mans Creation but that the Laws and commands of Kings though they be but the commands and ordinances of man yet are we to obey the same for the Lords sake because the Lord commandeth that Every soule should be subject to the higher powers Or if this will not satisfie him because the Greeke word is not so plaine for this as the English yet let him looke into Pareus that was no friend to Monarchie Pareus in Rom. c. 13. p. 1327. and he shall find that he doth by seven speciall reasons prove that the authority of Kings is primarily the ordinance of God and he quoteth these places of Scripture to confirme it Prov. 8.15 2 Chron. 19.6 Psal 81.6 Ioh. 10.34 Gen. 9.6 1 Sam. 15. 1 Kings 12. 2 King 9. Dan. 2.21 Iob 34.30 Eccles 10.8 and to this very objection he answereth that the Apostle calleth the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an humane ordination or creation not causally because it is invented by man and brought up onely by the will of men but subjectively because it is borne and executed by men and objectively because it is used about the government of humane society and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the end because it is ordained of God for the good and conservation of humane kind and he saith further that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellatio the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ad Deum primum autorem nos revocat sheweth plainly that God is the first Author of it for though the Magistrate in some sense as I shewed may be said to be created that is ordained by men yet God alone is the first Creator of them as Aaron though he was ordained the high Priest by Moses yet the Apostle tels us None taketh this office upon him but he that is called of God as Aaron was Yet I doe admire that Buchanan or any other man of learning to satisfie the people or his owne peevish opinion will so absurdly deny so divine and so well known verity and say that any Kings have their Kingdomes and not from God so flatly contrary to all Scripture CHAP. VII Sheweth the reasons and the examples that are alleadged to justifie Rebellion and a full answer to each of them God the immediate Author of Monarchie inferiour Magistrats have no power but what is derived from the superiour and the ill successe of all rebellious resisting of our Kings BUt to prove their absurdities they still alledge The allegation to justifie Rebellion That the inferiour Magistrates as the Peeres and Counsellors of Kings and the chiefe heads of all the people which are flos medulla regni 1. By reason are therefore added unto the superiour Magistrate both to be his helpers in the Government and also to refraine his licentiousnesse and to hinder his impieties if he degenerate to be an Idolater or a Tyrant And to confirme this tenet 2. By examples they produce many examples both out of the Sacred and Profane Histories as the Iudges that that rose up against their neighbour Tyrants Ezechias against the King of Assyria the people withstanding Saul that he should not slay Ionathan Ahikam defending the Prophet Ieremy against King Iehoiakim Jer. 26.24 the revolting of the ten Tribes in the time of Rehoboam the Priests and Princes of Iuda taking away Athalia the Macchabees arming themselves against Antiochus and others of the Macedonian Tyrants Thrasibulus driving the thirty Tyrants out of Athens the Romans expelling their flagitious Kings Consuls and other Tyrants that behaved themselves most wickedly out of Rome and so many Peeres and Potentates of other Kingdomes that in the like cases did the like To all which I answer 1. That it is most false that any Peere Sol. or inferiour Potentate Magistrate or other 1. Their reasons answered is appointed by God to be the Associate of the King or supreame Governour for the government of the people for as God and not the people appointed Moses Ioshua Gideon and the other supreame Judges of Israel so Moses and not God immediately as he did the others appointed the Rulers of tens To what end Kings doe choose their inferiour Magistrates fifties hundreds and thousands which alwayes acknowledged themselves his subjects and not his associates in the government of the people And so other Kings and Princes have alwayes chosen whom they pleased to be their Peeres Counsellors and inferiour Magistrates as well to beare some part of their burthen as Iethro saith unto Moses and to lessen their care as also to afford them their best assistance and counsell in the discussion and determination of great and difficult affaires but not for them to prescribe and set down lawes orders and ordinances that should either moderate their royall liberty or bridle and revenge what they conceive to be Idolatry or Tyranny I am sure no King that did intend to be a Tyrant would choose Counsellours

as the Prophet calleth him The Saint of the Lord that is not onely Sanctificatum ad Sacerdotium but also a holy just and godly man in respect of the innocency of his life And so you have seene the persons described against whom these Rebels have rebelled They were the prime Governours of Gods people and such Governours as the like for all kinde of goodnesse and excellencies could not be found on earth Therefore these Rebels ought to have obeyed them though for nothing else but because they were their Governours for the Apostle tells us plainly that necesse est subjici wee must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake wherein you see a double necessity of obeying 1. Externall Propter iram for feare of wrath 2. Internall Propter conscientiam for conscience sake A double necessity of obedience therefore we must needs obey And our obedience consisteth chiefly in these two things Our obedience consisteth in two things 1. To doe nothing against them 2. To doe all that we can for them For 1. 1. In doing nothing against our Governours 1. In Thought Eccles 10.20 2. In Word Exod. 28.28 3. In Deed. Rom. 13.2 We are forbidden to thinke an ill thought of them with our hearts Speake not evill of the King saith Solomon no not in thy thought for a bird of the aire shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter 2. We are charged not to revile them with our tongues for Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of the people 3. We are restrained from resisting them with our hands for Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist receive unto themselves damnation And therefore the Lord saith unto all Nolite tangere Christos meos where he doth not say non occides or ne perdas the worst that can be but ne tangas the least that may be touch not tactu noxio with any hurtfull touch And many times we are touched secretly we know not how Many kinds of touches nor when nor by whom but cursed be he that smiteth his neighbour secretly and all the people shall say Amen and therefore much more cursed be he that smiteth his Prince his Priest his Governour And sometimes we are touched with violent hands when with hostile force and open armes our power and authority are withstood but Most frequently we are touched with virulent tongues as they say in Ieremie Venite percutiamus eum linguá Ierem. 18.18 and this touch though it breakes no bones yet doth it wound and kill the very heart But the Lord saith in generall touch not at all therefore no kinde is limited 2. In doing all that we can do for our Governours 1. To honour them no way permitted to touch them 2. As we are forbidden to doe any thing against them so we are commanded to doe all we can for them for Saint Peter saith Feare God and honour the King therefore he cannot be said to feare God that doth not honour his King And Solomon saith Feare God my sonne and the King therefore he cannot be the sonne of Wisedome the sonne of Solomon that doth not feare the King that is feare to wrong him feare to offend him Rom. 13. Vide Josh 1.16 Wherein wee ought to obey and disobey feare to anger him And when the Magistrates command us any thing Saint Paul bids us to obey them but if they command any thing against God then indeed their authority comes too short Quia melius est obedire Deo quàm hominibus Yet in these things wherein we may not obey we must not resist but as Julians Souldiers would not sacrifice at his command Sed timendo potestatem contemnebant potestatem in fearing the power of God regarded not the power of man yet when he led them against his enemies Subditi erant propter Dominum aeternum Aug. in Psal 124. etiam domino temporali so should we truly distinguish of the things they do command and take heed we be not blinde Judges herein and too partiall to satisfie our owne passionate affections 2. To impart our goods to them And besides we are to impart our goods to supply their necessities and for the supportance of their dignities for our Saviour bids us Give unto Caesar what belongeth unto Caesar and Saint Paul expresseth the same to be Tribute that is Imposts Subsidies Gifts or the like call it by what name you will we are commanded by God to the uttermost of our abilities to supply their occasions and necessities even as the children are bound to relieve their parents in their extremities And if we see our Moses 3. To hazard our lives for them our King or chiefe Governour any wayes impugned or like to be oppressed either by forraign Egyptians or domestick Israelites though they should with Dathan and Abiram the most prime and popular men in the Congregation that could draw thousands after them yet we are bound to the hazard of our lives to preserve the Life Crowne and Dignity of our Prince as the Subjects of King David hazarded themselves to save him harmlesse 2 Sam. 18.3 And if we will not doe this then as Mordecai in the like case said to Hester Hester 4.14 If thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there inlargement and deliverance arise to the Iewes from another place but thou and thy fathers house shall be destroyed So I say with King David the Lord will helpe his Annointed and deliver him from the striving of his people and it we still be silent and doe nothing yet the Starres in their order shall fight against Sisera Et coniurati venient ad classica venti and as the Angell of the Lord said of the Merozites curse yee Meroz The punishment of them that will not not assist their Governours curse yee bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to helpe Barack against the Canaanites so let them feare the bitter curse and a curse from God that will not helpe their Prince against his enemies especially such enemies as have least reason to be enemies unto him So you see what obedience wee owe unto our Governours and therefore their rebellion was the more intolerable that thus spurned against their Magistrates CHAP. IV. Sheweth the objection of the Rebels to justifie their Rebellion the first part of it answered that neither our compulsion to Idolatry nor any other injury or tyranny should move us to Rebell But we must not condemne them before their cause be heard and therfore Corah shall have his Counsell to object what he can for himselfe And I finde but one objection of any moment though the same consisteth of many branches As What if Moses the King or chiefe Governour The objection of the Rebels being so much affected and addicted unto Aaron the chiefe Priest or Bishop and to

be good he doth not punish the well-doer but loveth him because he doth well but if the Prince be evill Alex. Hales p. 3. q 48. memb 2. art 1. de offic subd erga Prine and punisheth the well-doer he hurteth him not but purgeth him and therefore he is not a terrour to him that doth well but the wicked ought to seare because Princes are appointed that they should punish evill Aquinas saith the faith of Christ is the beginning and the eause of righteousnesse and therefore by the faith of Christ the order of Justice is not taken away but rather setled and strengthened because as our Saviour saith It became him to fulfill all righteousnesse But the order of justice doth require that all inferiours should obey their superiours otherwise the estate of humane affaires could no wayes be preserved Thom. secunda secundae q. 104. art 6. and therefore by the faith of Christ the godly and the faithfull Christians are neither exempted nor excused but that they are tyed and bound by the Law of Christ to obey their secular Princes Where you see the Christian faith doth not submit the superiour to the inferiour contrary to the rule of justice neither doth it any wayes for any cause permit the power of the sword to any subiect to be used against his Prince because this inordinate power would turne to the ruine of mankinde and the destruction of all humane affairs which can no otherwise be preserved but through the preservation of the order of justice Indeed many times there may happen some just causes Wherein we may disobey and how for which we are not bound to obey the commands of our Magistrates as when they command any thing contrary to the commandements of God and yet then there can be no cause why we should withstand him that executeth the uniust sentence of our condemnation or requireth the punishment that an uniust malitious Magistrate under the colour of his power and authority hath most unjustly laid upon us because he hath as our Saviour saith unto Pilate this ordinary power from God which if he doth abuse he is to be refrained not by the preparation of armes and the insurrection of his subjects to make impressions upon their Soveraigne but by those lawfull meanes which are appointed for them that is Petitions unto him and prayers and tears unto God for him because nothing else remaineth to him that is guilty or condemned as guilty for any fault but to commit his cause to the knowledge of the omnipotent God and to expect the iudgement of him which is the King of Kings and the Judge of all Judges and will undoubtedly chastise and correct the iniquity of any unjust sentence with the severitie of eternall justice Barcl l. 3. c. 10. as Barclay saith These testimonies are cleare enough and yet to all these I will adde this one memorable example Berthetus in explicat contro ver Gallicanae cap. 7. which you may read in Berchetus and Joh. Servinus which tell us that in France after the great Massacre at Paris when the reformed Religion did seeme as it were forsaken and almost extinguished a certain King powerfull in strength rich in wealth and terrible for his Ships and navall Force which was at enmitie and hatred with the King of France dispatched a solemne Embassie and Message unto Henry King of Navarre and other Protestant Lords and commanded his Embassadours to do their best to set the Protestants against the Papists and to arme Henry the Prince of Navarre which then lived at Bearne under the Dominion of the most Christian King against his Soveraigne the French King which thing the Embassadours endeavoured to do with all their art and skill but all in vaine An er ample o a faithfull and excellent Subject for Henry being a good subject as it were another David to become a most excellent King would not prevent the day of his Lord yet the Embassadours offered him many ample fair and magnificent conditions among the rest abundance of money the sum of three hundred thousand Aureorum scutatorum French Crownes which were readie to be told for the preparation of the warre and for the continuation of the same there should be paid every moneth so much as was necessarie but Henry being a faithfull Christian a good Prince a widower and though he was displaced from the publique government of the Common-wealth and for his sake for the dislike the King bare towards him the King had banished many Protestants from his Countrey and had killed many faithfull Pastours yet would not he for all this lift up his hand against the Lords anointed Joh. Servinus pro libertat Ecclesiae statu Regni tom 3. Monarchiae Rom. p. 202. but refused their gold rejected their conditions and dismissed the Embassadours as witnesses of his faith to God his fidelitie and allegeance to his King and peaceable minde towards his Countrey Where you see this prudent and good Prince had rather patiently suffer these intolerable injuries that were offered both to himself to the inferiour Magistrates and to many other good Christians for his sake then any wayes undutifully resist the ordinance of God And surely this example is most acceptable unto God most wholsome for any Common-wealth and most honourable for any subordinate Prince for I am certain this is the faith of Christ and the religion of the true Protestants not to offer but to suffer all kinde of injuries and to render good for evill and rather with patience love and obedience to studie to gaine the favour of their Persecuters then any wayes with force and armes to withstand those that God hath placed in authority which must needs be not onely offensive unto God whose ordinance they do resist but also destructive to the Common-wealth which can never receive any benefit by any insurrection against the Prince 3. 3. Not for any tyranny that shall be offered unto us Though the King should prove to be Nerone Neronior worse then Phalaris and degenerating from all humanitie should prove a Tyrant to all his people yet his subjects may not rebell against him upon this pretence for if any cause should be admitted for which subjects might rebell that cause would be alwayes alledged by the Rebels whensoever they did rebell and whom I and many others should deeme a good Prince and most pious the Rebels would proclaim him tyrannicall and idolatrous And therefore in such a case The difference betwixt King and people to be determined onely by God when some men think their King most gratious and others think him vitious some beleeve him to be good others beleeve him to be evill shall we think it fit that the disaffected party shall presently with armes decide the controversie and not rather have the accused the accuser and the witnesses before a competent Judge to determine the truth of this question Surely this seems more reasonable and more agreeable

omnes Deos it is God alone in whose power Kings are kept which are second from him first after him above all men and before all Gods that is all other Magistrates that are called Gods Athanasius saith Athanasius de summo regum imperio q. 55. that as God is the King and Emperour in all the world that doth exercise his power and authority over all things that are in Heaven and in Earth so the Prince and King is appointed by God over all earthly things Et ille libera suâ voluntate facit quod vult sicut ipse Deus and the King by His own free will doth whatsoever he pleaseth even as God himselfe and the Civilians could say but little more Saint Augustine saith Simulachrum à similitudine dictum Isidot Videtis simulachrorum templa you see the temples of our Images partly fallen for want of reparation partly destroyed partly shut up partly changed to some other uses ipsaque simulachra and those Images either broken to pieces or burned and destroyed and those Powers and Potentates of this world which sometimes persecuted the Christians Aug. ad frat Maduar ●p 42. pro istis simulachris for those Images to be overcome and tamed non à repugnantibus sed à morientibus Christianis not of resisting but of dying Christians See the duty of Subjects or a perswasion 〈◊〉 Loyalty which is a full collection of the Fathers to this purpose and the rest of the Fathers are most plentifull in this theam and therefore to the later Writers Cardinall Alan saith but herein most untruly that the Protestants are desperate men and most factious for as long as they have their Princes and Lawes indulgent to thier owne wills they know well enough how to use the prosperous blasts of fortune but if the Princes should withstand their desires Card. Alan in rep ad Iustit Britannicam c. 4. or the Lawes should be contrary to their mindes then presently they break asunder the bonds of their fidelity they despise Majesty and with fire and sword slaughters and destructions they rage in every place and do runne headlong into the contempt of all divine and humane things which accusation if it were true then I confesse the Pretestants were to be blamed more then all the people of the World but howsoever some factious seditious Anabaptisticall and rebellious spirits amongst us not deserving the name of Protestants may be justly taxed for this intolerable vice yet to let you see how falsly he doth accuse us that are true Protestants and how fully we doe agree with the Scriptures and the Fathers of the purest age of the Church in the Doctrine of our obedience to our Kings and Princes I will only give you a taste of what we teach and to begin with the first reformer Luther saith no man which stirreth up the multitude to any tumult can be excused from his fault though he should have never so just a cause but he must goe to the Magistrate and attempt nothing privately Sleidan Commentar l. 5. because all sedition and insurrection is against the Commandement of God which forbiddeth and detesteth the same Philip Melancthon saith though it be the Law of Nature to expell force with force yet it is no wayes lawfull for us to withstand the wrong done us by the Magistrate with any force yea Melanctgon apud Luther to 1 p. 463. though we seeme to promise our obedience upon this condition if the Magistrate should command lawfull things yet it is not therefore lawfull for us to withstand his unjust force with force for though their Empires should be gotten and possest by wicked men yet the worke of their government is from God and it is the good creature of God and therefore whatsoever the Magistrate doth no force ought to be taken up against the Magistrate Brentius saith The rule of a Prince may be evil two waies that the rule and government of a Prince may be evill two wayes 1. When hee commandeth any thing against the faith of Christ as to deny our God to worship Idols and the like and herein we must give place to the saying of the Apostle It is better to obey God then men but in this case the subiect must in no way rage or rise against his Magistrate but he should rather patiently suffer any evill then any way strike againe and rather endure any inconveniences and discommodities then any wayes obey those ungodly commands 2. The Prince his government may be evill when hee doth or commandeth any thing against the publique Justice of which kinde are the exaction of our goods or the vexation of our bodies Brentius in re spon-ad artie rusticorum and in these kindes of injuries the subject ought rather then in the former to be obedient to his Magistrate for if hee steps forth to armes God hath pronounced of such men He that smiteth with the sword shall perish with the sword Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury together with the rest of the bishops and most famous Divines of this Kingdome saith if Princes shall doe any thing contrary to their duties God hath not appointed any superiour Judge over them in this world but they are to render their account to God which hath reserved their judgement to himselfe alone and therefore it is not lawfull for any subjects how wicked soever their Princes shall be to take armes or raise sedition against them but they are to powre forth their prayers to God Cranmer in lib. de Christiani hominis institut in whose hand Kings hearts are that he would inlighten them with his spirit whereby they might rightly to the glory of God use that sword which he hath delivered unto them Gulielmus Tindall a godly Martyr of Christ when Cardinall Lanio's sonne did leade the Lambes of Christ by troopes unto the slaughter doth then describe the duty of subjects according to the straight rule of the Gospell saying David spared Saul and if he had killed him he had sinned against God for in every Kingdome the King which hath no superiour judgeth of all things and therefore he that endeavoureth or intendeth any mischiefe or calamity against the Prince that is a Tyrant or a Persecuter or whosoever with a froward hand doth but touch the Lords anointed he is a rebell against God and resisteth the ordinance of God as often as a private man sinneth he is held obnoxious to his King that can punish him for his offence but when the King offendeth he ought to be reserved to the divine examination and vengeance of God and as it is not lawfull upon any pretence to resist the King Tindall l. de Christiani bominis obedient so it is not lawfull to rise up against the Kings Officer or Magistrate that is sent by the King for the execution of those things which are commanded by the King for as our Saviour saith Hee that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth

maintaine the Liberty of his Subjects the just Priviledges of Parliaments and the true established Religion in the Kingdome of England and likewise to rule over us according to our Lawes in this Realme of Ireland And we have least reason to rebell and take armes against him and therfore let us not be perswaded by any meanes by any man to doe it because God will preserve his annointed and will as you see plague the Rebels but let us pray for our King and praise God night and day that he which might have given us a bramble not onely to teare our flesh but also to set us all on fire hath given us such a Cedar such a gracious and a pious King and if either forreigne foes or domestique Rebels doe presse him so that he hath need of us let us adde our helpe and hazard our lives to defend and protect Him that protecteth us and suffereth all for the protection of Gods service as it was established in the purest time of Reformation and for the preservation of our Lawes from any corrupt interpretation or arbitrary invasion upon them by those factious men that under faire yet false pretences have with wondrous subtilty and with most subtile hypocrisie seduced so many simple men to pertake with them not onely to overthrow the true Religion to imbase the Church of Christ that hitherto hath continued glorious in this Nation and by trampling the most learned under feet to reduce Popery into this Kingdome and to bring in Atheisme or Barbarisme into our Pulpits when they make their Coach-men and Tradesmen like Jeroboams Priests the basest of the people to become their trencher Chaplaines and the teachers of those poore sheep for whom the Son of God hath shed his precious bloud but also to change the well-setled government and to subvert the whole fabricke of this famous Common-wealth either by their tyranny or bringing all into an Anarchie for if we have any regard of any of these things either true Religion or ancient Government a gracious King and a learned Clergy a glorious Church and a flourishing Kingdome we ought not to spare our goods or be niggards in our contributions to helpe his Majestie yea as Debora saith To helpe the Lord against the mighty Or if we be cold and carelesse herein pinurious and tenacious of our worldly pelfe preferring our gold before our God or fearing gracelesse Rebels more then we love our gracious King It may fall out as Saint Augustine saith Quod non capit Christus vapit fiscus or as it did with the Carthaginians who because they would not assist Hanniball with some reasonable proportion of their estates they lost all unto the Romans and with the Constantinopolitans that for denying a little to Paleologus lost all unto the Turkes so we may be robbed and pillaged of all because we would not part with some and I had rather the King should have all I have then that the Rebels should have any part thereof Therefore I hope I shall perswade all good men to honour God with their riches and to assist His Majesty to the uttermost of their powers even to the hazard and to the losse both of liberty and life And doing this our God which is the King of Kings will blesse us and defend us from all evill and make us Kings and Priests to live with him for ever and ever through Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be all praise and glory and dominion from henceforth for evermore Amen Amen Hester 4.16 If I perish I perish Yet Esdras 4.41 The truth is great and will prevaile Iehovae liberatori FINIS O Eternall and Almighty God thou Lord of Hoasts that givest victory unto Kings and deliverest David thy Servant from the perill of the sword save and defend our King from all dangers strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies and be with us O Lord that are thy faithfull servants and for thy sake his Loyall Subjects to preserve us from the gathering together of the froward and from the insurrection of the wicked doers that are confederate against thee and against thine Anointed for Iesus Christ his sake in whom we have ever trusted through whom we shall never be confounded and to whom be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen