בן ×—×•×¨×™× Filius Heröum THE SON OF NOBLES Set forth IN A SERMON PREACHED At St Mary's in Cambridge before the University on Thursday the 24th of May 1660. being the day of Solemn Thanksgiving for the Deliverance and Settlement of our Nation By WILL. GODMAN B.D. Fellow of the King's Colledge in Cambridge Because the Lord hath loved his people he hath made thee King over them 2 Chron. 2.11 Nusquam libertas gratior extat Quà m sub Rege pio 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LONDON Printed by J. Flesher for W. Morden Bookseller in Cambridge An. Dom. M DC LX. To the READER WHEN I saw the happy fruits that have been of late produced by the Counsells of this just and glorious Parliament and in particular by the great Prudence and Valour of the Noble and renowned Lord General I looked up to heaven and gave praise to Almighty God for that he had mercifully answered the prayers of all those that were faithfull and peaceable in the Land And being required by my Superiours here to discharge the duty of rendring publick and solemn thanks to God for this great blessing of our common Deliverance and Settlement I willingly obeyed the authority and chearfully embraced the occasion of expressing my joyfull sense of God's unspeakable goodness in restoring his Sacred Majesty with peace and honour And herein I confess my forward Zeale and pregnant inclinations out-weighed the consideration of mine own insufficiency For as I believe none could have undertaken this charge more chearfully so I am very confident that many could have performed it far more worthily My onely encouragement to enter upon it when it was laid before me was this that I consider'd it to be Opus non Ingenii sed Officii a work that requir'd more honesty than wit and needed rather the assistance of the heart than the influence of the brain However I shall desire the Reader to accept what is here presented to him not for his sake who hath taken the pains to compose it but in regard of the Auditory wherein 't was spoken Let all that is defective or culpable in it be charg'd on me alone But if there be any thing in it that may attain the happiness of any mans regard or approbation as proceeding from a good and peaceable intention and expressing the devout affection of a loyall heart then I desire it may be thought that I am not alone For I know this place so well that I can safely say that many of us here detest what is past love what is present and hope well for the time to come and that we have a great and unfeigned zeal for his Majestie 's service As I knew this long before I express'd my thoughts on that solemn Occasion so I have been since encourag'd and invited by severall persons of better judgement and reputation than ever I shall pretend to to publish what was then delivered And herein I have so little regard to my self that I am more afraid of the Readers censure than I can have reason to hope for his approbation And I conceive that the best that can happen which is yet beyond any merit of mine will be but the fate of him in Horace Laudatur ab his culpatur ab illis But however this shall be entertain'd in the severall judgments and opinions of men I must profess my self to have no other ambition but what is common to all his Majesties faithfull subjects which is to live securely and happily under His most just and gracious government And if I had any suit or controversie with any man I should say as Mephibosheth did of Ziba Let him take all for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace into his own house 2 Sam. 19.30 I am so much in love with a private and obscure life that if I meet with any discouragement in publishing my name yet I can secure my self from being endammaged or disappointed thereby For the worst that can befall me will but make me retire to my own naturall inclination Neither should I have appear'd at this time but that it was thought requisite I should give some testimony of the dutifull affection of my self and others that I should endeavour to contribute something to the universall joy and help to blow up those sparks of Loyalty that have been so long cover'd and suppress'd by violence Which as it hath been my grief a long time so it is now my joy to see Religion and Loyalty kiss each other And I wish that none may ever hereafter presume to put those asunder which God hath joyned together If I have given any assistance in the least measure to the tying of this blessed knot I shall think my self abundantly happy Upon these and other considerations I shall not much trouble my self or the Reader with an Apology for my self as being but little solicitous what becomes of me in this attempt Onely this I beseech him to take notice of that where I have express'd any bitterness against the murtherers of his late Majesty as I was prompted thereto by my own passionate indignation so I have a warrant for that invective from the justice of Parliament For I have reflected onely on those upon whom they have publickly fix'd the mark of their just displeasure and severity And I desire that whatever I have said may be so understood as that it may be coincident with their Decrees and Resolutions I bless God that there are so few offenders as 66 and I am glad to see that the short list of their names admits no possibility of adding a third figure of the same kinde 666 to make up the number of the Beast As to the length of the Application in comparison of the whole I have given some account in the body of the Discourse to which I shall onely adde that I see no reason that can oblige me to adhere rigidly to common rules and methods on an extraordinary occasion And in generall I profess it my private opinion that it were better Sermons had more of Application than sometimes they have And now to put an end to this preliminary trouble which I have given the Reader and that this Introduction may be somewhat conformable to the following Discourse I shall close it up with beseeching Almighty God to bless his Sacred Majesty with a long and happy reign over us and when he shall have accomplish'd the daies of his mortality on earth to crown him with everlasting joy and glory in that Kingdome which shall have no end This is my devout hearty and fervent prayer to which I hope all those who shall vouchsafe to peruse this paper will say Amen King's Colledge in Cambridge June 5. 1660. In בן ×—×•×¨×™× Gulielmi Godmanni Sodalis vere Regii carmen amicum ΦΙΛΟΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ EUge vel Augusto Princeps felioâ—â—r ipso Trajano melior succinit Anglus â—vaâ—s Quid Romane crepas quinquâ—nnia curâ—â— Nerâ—nis Secula sub CAROLO nos mâ—liora
to introduce distraction and confusion For the people have a power by their Representatives to consent or dissent in the making of Laws but when they are enacted there is a Power over them that can command their obedience These particulars I have only pointed at as not thinking it very suitable either to this occasion or my profession to enlarge upon them I shall rather desire you to consider what God himself hath declared concerning REGAL Government both in the Old Testament and the New and then you may discern that there is nothing more clear than that he approves of the power and authority of KINGS and nothing more certain than that 't is his will and pleasure they should be obeyed When he brought his people out of Aegypt he appointed Moses to be their Leader and Governour who had the power of a KING though not the name and title and yet the Scripture on one place gives him that also Moses commanded us a law even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob and he was King in Jeshurun Deut. 33.4 5. After him succeeded Joshua in the same Authority After his time Israel was governed by Judges extraordinarily called and appointed by God for the space of about three hundred years During which time by reason of the often intervals of Government much sin and many mischiefs grew up in that unsetled State Jud. 17.6 In the 17 of Judges we read of Idolatry set up by Micah and his mother 18.1 In the 18 of Violence and Rapine In the 19 of Adultery and Murder committed in one act 19.1 In the two last Chapters of a publick and insolent Defence of that wicked act and the destruction of almost all the Tribe of Benjamin And the Holy Ghost thus expresses the reason of all this In those days there was no King in Israel but every man did that which was right in his own eyes 22.25 but that which was neither right in it self nor in the sight of God I shall leave you to judge how much of this may be applyed to our Israel since we have been destitute of the presence and authority of a KING After that time although God was displeased with the peoples importunity in requiring a KING yet it clearly appears he had designed that government for them For having rejected Saul he gives this testimony of David I have found David my servant Psal 89.20 with my holy oil have I anointed him And elsewhere promises to establish his Throne and to confirm it to his posterity Again he had promised by the mouth of Jacob Gen. 49. That the Scepter should not depart from Judah And before his time he had said to Abraham Kings shall come out of thee Gen. 17.6 Lastly Moses had long before Saul's time drawn up the KING'S Charter as you may see Deut. 17.14 and so onward Next to this I shall reminde you of some few of the many clear expressions of Scripture that concern this matter If you will search out the foundation of this power you may finde it Prov. 8.15 By me Kings reign and Princes decree justice Would you have the duty it self Take it in these words Prov. 24.21 My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Doe you enquire into the danger of disobedience 'T is thus represented Eccles 8.2 3 4. I counsel thee to keep the King's commandment and that in regard of the oath of God Be not hasty to goe out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What dost thou Beside these Doctrinal expressions the Scripture affords us several examples of reverence and obedience among God's own people The first shall be that of Bathsheba whose vertue and piety there is little reason to question since no crime of hers is recorded but what is more expresly charged upon David himself She bowed with her face to the earth and did reverence to the King and said Let my Lord King David live for ever 1 Kings 1.31 In like manner did Nathan the Prophet who certainly was no flatterer when he was come in before the King he bowed himself before the King with his face to the ground 1 Kings 1.23 The like did Araunah 2 Sam. 24.20 But especially David's reverence to Saul is remarkable though God had rejected Saul and appointed David to be his successour When he had him in his power who sought his life yet he slew him not but onely cut off the skirt of his Robe And yet afterwards his heart smote him because he had cut off Saul 's skirt And he said unto his men The Lord forbid that I should doe this thing unto my master the Lord 's anointed to stretch forth mine hand against him seeing he is the anointed of the Lord 1 Sam. 24.5 6. After these I shall produce but one Example more and that 's equivalent to many being of a great multitude 'T is in 1 Chron. 29.20 And all the congregation bowed down their heads and worshipped the Lord and the King In the New Testament we know to whom that of S. Paul referres Let every soul be subject to the higher powers c. The Romans were then the miserable subjects of the worst of men as well as of Princes which is enough to cut off all pretence of resistance for ever But S. Peter more expresly describes the persons of those in authority Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours as unto those that are sent by him And again Fear God honour the King Let this be sufficient to shew that Kingly power is ordained of God that it is appointed for the good of those that are subject to it And therefore we are obliged as we regard both our duty and our happiness to render obedience to it and so farre to esteem it the blessing of God as to magnify it and preferre it before other forms of Government as most resembling divine power and carrying the most lively impress of divine approbation as being that which God recommended to his own people and to which they willingly submitted when they were in a setled and most flourishing estate under which our ancestours have lived happily for many Ages and by which our Israel hath been always governed ever since it was a Nation Whence we may confidently conclude that what by the appointment of God is sacred and venerable hath the assurance of his blessing And thus much of the first But this is not all that is required to make a Land blessed The King whom Solomon here describes must be the son of Nobles 'T is in the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the son of White ones or as some alluding to the word translate it Filius Heroum the son of Heroes Now that
noble accomplishments O what a pitiful dull thing is this rebellious malice how base and weak is it in its attempts how happily is it defeated and disappointed what have they done but to raise us higher by our fall and to lift themselves up on high that they might fall with a greater more dreadful ruine What do you think now you that us'd to talk so much of Providence where was your consideration of God's eternity I speak this not to reproach you but to undeceive you Did you think that God would never come and appear again because he hid his face from us for a time 2 Pet. 3.9 The Lord is not slack as some men count slackness for a thousand years in his sight are but as one day He hath now appeared again sooner than we could expect and much sooner than we deserv'd The stone which the builders Psal 118.22 23. not of Jerusalem but of Babel refused is now become the head of the corner This is the Lord 's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes The other was the Lord's doing too in exercising his just judgment upon a sinful Nation But this is his work of mercy the benefit whereof we hope will endure to all succeeding ages 'T is our comfort that we have remaining an illustrious branch of that ROYAL STEMME from which we hope to enjoy the fruits of Justice Goodness and Clemency Uno avulso non deficit alter Aureus simili frondescit virga metallo God and Nature his undoubted right and his Princely vertues have made him our King long since though we have wanted the comfort of his presence If any of his enemies should impertinently ask where his Kingdom hath been all this time 'T is easily answer'd where their 's never was He hath reign'd in the hearts and affections of his loving and faithful subjects which is a Kingdom farre more great and glorious than the proudest and most insolent Usurpers can ever hope to obtain Our Bodies only the worser part of us were under their power but our Minds which are most truly and properly our selves were at his dispose They bound our Hands but our Hearts were knit and oblig'd to him They possess'd the Cabinet but they could never come at the Jewel In the worst of times duty and allegiance were farre from suffering a totall defection and I dare confidently affirm that there are more than seven times seven thousand in England that never bow'd their knees to Baal If you could have then discover'd the hearts of many that were faithful in the Land there might you have discern'd a constant and immoveable Allegiance there might you have beheld the brightest flames of unextinguish'd love and Loyalty And now since the danger of owning him is taken away and the obstruction is removed behold how those hidden flames break out and make a glorious appearance Your eyes have seen and your ears have heard with how great a chearfulness with what expressions of unexpressible joy he is every where acknowledged I know no rejoycing that can so well be compared with ours as that of the Israelites at the proclaiming and crowning of Solomon 1 Kings 1. 39 40. They blew the trumpet and all the people said God save King Solomon And all the people came up after him and the people piped with pipes and rejoyced with great joy so that the earth rent with the sound of them And yet they had not so great reason to rejoyce as we Their change was but from a David to a Solomon immediately from a righteous KING and a great warriour to a wise and peaceful Prince But we I need not tell you the difference What shall we say now to those impostours that endeavour'd to put out our eyes by their frequent boasting of the consent of the people by pretending that their advancement was the Nation 's interest 'T is a sign they were farre from true Nobility that could so impudently practise that base and slavish vice of lying to maintain their ill-gotten authority I confess the late Tyrant in one or two instances seem'd to be somewhat modest but I attribute that rather to the over-ruling hand of Providence than to any goodness of his He styled himself Protectour of England Scotland and Ireland This was a notorious untruth for he was the ruiner and destroyer of these flourishing Kingdoms But here his impudence fail'd him that he durst not adventure to write himself By the Grace of God Again you know time was when he would and would not be King when he refus'd and yet hop'd that his refusal would have gain'd him that honour But in conclusion he miss'd of that which he had sought with so much ambition This again I ascribe to Divine Providence whose admirable contrivance it was that the Crown the sacred Embleme of Divine Power and Majesty should never touch that villanous and polluted head I need not tell you your own experience may abundantly inform you how dangerous it is to be under the dominion of ignoble and unworthy persons Whereas he that is of Royal birth and is a King by the appointment of God and Nature can maintain his dignity without those base and ignoble arts without those ambitious shifts and contrivances which are the only support of those that have no right and as little merit Again he that is a King by birth must needs look upon his people as his own natural possession and is thereby engag'd to provide more affectionately for their good and welfare and to regard them with a more tender and paternal care Lastly He that is such will be more sensible of honour and is likely to propound more noble ends in all his designs and counsels Therefore whether we look back upon what we have suffer'd or forward upon what we hope to enjoy in both respects we have reason to acknowledge this blessing of the Text Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nobles And we may well take up those words of the Queen of Sheba Blessed he the Lord our God which delighted in him to set him on the throne of this our Israel 1 Kings 10.9 Because the Lord our God loved Israel for ever therefore he hath made him King to doe justice and judgement 'T has been our very great unhappiness to know him yet but little by experience But all the fame and the report of those that know him speaks him to be a rare and most accomplish'd Prince And yet I hope that his wisdome and goodness will hereafter so much exceed our present expectations that we shall say 1 King 10.6 7. as the fore-mentioned Queen did to Solomon It was a true report which we heard but the half was not told us In the mean time I shall give you two ample and honourable testimonies of him when he was nine or ten years younger than now he is from two dying Lords who being persons of honour and at the point of death are