and onely shall aime at his owne private ends to the inconvenience and detriment of the publique good of his Kingdome he doth abuse his Kingly power and degenerates into tyrannie Excellently and satisfactorily to this purpose is that of Lyra in Comment 1 Sam. 8. Sciendâ— quod aliqua sunt de jure regis in necessitate positi c. We must saith he know that there are some things which by right are the Kings being placed in necessity for the common good of the Kingdome and so all those things which are here expressed are by right the Kings because that in such a case all things that are the Kings or Princes are to be exposed and expended for the common good Even as we see in the naturall body that the hand or any other part of the body even by instinct of nature is exposed for the preservation of the life of the who 〈◊〉 But if the â—ight of a King be taken otherwise out of necessity then there are more things expressed there than doe appertain to the right of a King as all those things which doe make a people to be 〈◊〉 subject and those which doe not respect the common good but rather the will of that man that is set above others in 〈◊〉 some And such things 〈◊〉 the Prophet Samuel fore-tell them to with dâ— their minds from asking after a King because it was not so expedient for them and because the power of a King by reason of its greatnesse doth easily degenerate into tyrannie Gregorio calls the power given unto Kings Jus Regium turannerum the Kingly right of tyrants He calls it â—gly saith Arnisaeus because it is common to all Kings and he calls it the right or power of tyrants because it doth easily degenerate into tyranne iâ— Kings doe not use it in opportune and convenient time and place with due moderation The elect King David as 〈…〉 the fore-named place when he was 〈…〉 unto the Lord he would not 〈◊〉 at 〈…〉 power and right of tyrants but he did 〈…〉 the threshing floore of Araunah the 〈…〉 for his money Yea and Ahab even 〈…〉 King did usurpno such power unto himselfe when as he sought to acquire the Vineyard of 〈◊〉 for the worth of it in money or in exchange for a better Vineyard But whiles he did upon a pretended crime take both life and Vineyard away from Naâ—th because he refusing the conditions he had propounded to him he did fulfill the Prophecie of Samuel and justly suffered the reward of his impiety So that though Kings be constituted only by God are to give an account of their actions onely to God though they be above the people and for no crime soever may be deposed or coerced by the people yet they must not deale with their Subjects as they list they must neither make slaves of their persons unjustly oppressing them with their power nor yet make havock of their estates tyrannically usurping them at their pleasure They must know that as God hath set them over men so it is for the good of those men They are not onely Lords and Arbiters saith Lipsius but they are Tutors and Administers of States They are lewd and wicked Princes as he speaks who being constituted in an Empire doe think of nothing but to be imperious And they are proud and carelesse saith he who doe think that they are not given for the good of their people but their people onely for them For as in the superiour world the stars have their splendour yet so as they may be usefull for men So in this inferiour would Princes likewise have their dignity yet so as with it they have their duty The Commonwealâ— is by God conferred upon them but it is committed as it were into their bosome that it may be fostered and preserved not ruined and devoured by them Happy is that Prince who in the highest pitch of fortune desires not so much to be held great as good in the esteeme of his people and he is no lesse fortunate that can so temper Power and Modestie the two most differing things in his behaviour and carriage as that his people cannot tell whether they shall salute him as a Lord or as a Father There are Prerogatives and Royalties which must by no meanes be denyed to the Prince and there are Immunities and Priviledges which must not be kept back from the Subject The Prince must so use his Royall Prerogative as that he doth not infringe the Subjects rights and the Subjects must so lay claime to their rights as that they doe not derogate from the Regality of the Prince That so he ruling as a Royall Prince and they obeying as Loyall Subjâ— may be both happy in the enjoyment of each other Now the Prerogatives which by right belong unto the Prince are Ripaticks or watertoles which are commonly called Customes for the importing and transporting of commodities by Sea Ship-money the profit of fines and amercements vacant goods the goods of condemned and proscribed persons and other emoluments which the Lawyers doe terme Royaltyes which are due unto the Prince not only for the splendor and glory of his Court but for the better maintaining of the publique affaires Princes may alâ— be use of the propes goods and labours of their Subjects for the 〈◊〉 of the common good 〈…〉 may exact tributes and taxes of the 〈…〉 they may impose Lawes to them whe◠〈…〉 will or no and they may command 〈…〉 which doe not repugne the Law of God 〈…〉 of Nature and the Law of the Land O◠〈…〉 Christ to the Pharises asking him whether it were lawfull to pay tribute to Caesar or no looking upon the money which had the impression and inscription of Caesars image gave this answer Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods And Saint Paul to the Romans Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom 〈◊〉 and the same Apostle to Titus Put them in minde to be subject to Principalities and Powers to obey Magistrates to be ready to every good worke For as Seneca hath it the power of all things pertaine unto the King the propriety unto the Subject The King hath all things in his command every man in their possession The King hath all things within his dominions his exchequer onely those things which properly belong unto him and all things are within his power his owne things onely in his patrimony Rightly Cicero we must endeavour that we doe not which often times happened amongst our Ancestors give tribute by reason of the renuitie of the treasurie and assiduity of wars which that it may not come to passe we must make provision long aforehand but if any necessity of this duty shall happen unto a Common wealth for I had rather Prophecie of another
their supream head In the same manner Subjects are subordinate to their Prince and bound to performe obedience to him Now what this power of a King is is not of all sides agreed upon If we looke into the sacred records we may see the manner of the Israelites King to be described And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a King And he said This will be the manner of the King that shall reigne over you he will take your sons and appoint them for himselfe for his chariots and to be his horsemen and some shall run before his chariots And he wil appoint them Captains over thousands and Captains over fifties and will set them to care his ground and to reap his harvest and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries and to be cooks and to be bakers And he will take your fields and your vine-yards and your olive yards even the best of them and give them to his servants And hee will take the tenth of your seede and of your vineyards and give to his officers and to his servants And he will take your men servants and your maid-servants and your goodliest young men and your asses and put them to his work He will take the tenth of your sheep and ye shall be his servants Some from this description of Samuel doe think that the rights of Majestie are set forth So Luthen in Postil super Evang Dom. 23. post Trinit. Conc. 1. Those things saith he which are said to be Caesars Mat. 22.21 are those rights of Kings which are described 1 Sam. 8. Now those things which Christ affirmeth to be Caesars ought of right to be given unto him So Strigelius in 1 Sam. 8. p. 27. Hic dicunt aliqui describi tyrannum non regem c. Sed textus nominal jus regis loquitur de oneribus stipendiorum causâ mpositis Some say that here a tyrant is described not a King and that these things are not so spoken as if the Lord did approve of servitude but the Text saith he doth name the rights of Kings and speaks of burthens imposed by way of Stipend But these with others of the same opinion are much mistaken and deceived For God constituting Judges under him was himselfe in a peculiar manner which never hapned unto any other Nation a King to the Israelites who now did ask a King of him as the other Nations had Hearken saith God to Samuel unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not reigne over them Samuel therefore as the Lord commanded him that he might reprehend the rashnesse of this people describes unto them the impune licence the rage and violence of this man whom in stead of God they did desire to be set over them and so in his person of all kings As if the Prophet had said the lust of this Kings licence shall break forth so far that it shall not be in your power to restraine it who yet shall have this one thing betide you to receive his commands and to be obedient to him Insomuch sayth he that ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye shall have chosen you and the Lord will not heare you For Kings are exempted from the punishments of humane Lawes and have God only to be their Judge and their avenger The vertue of the Law as Modestinus hath it is this to command forbid permit and punish But no man can command himselfe or be compelled by himselfe or so make a Law that he may not recede from it Lawes are given by Superiours to inferiours but no man is superior or inferior to himself It is impossible therefore for Kings to be bound by their owne Lawes much lesse by the Lawes of their predecessors or the people For an equal hath not power over an equall much lesse an inferiour over a superiour There are three sorts of Civill government according to Aristotle Monarchie Aristocracie and Democracie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} It is necessary saith he that the chiefe be one or a few or many For all Nations and Cities as that great Secretary of State to many Emperours hath it are governed either by the People or by the Peeres or by the Prince As then in Aristocracie and Democracie it must needs be that the Government be in the hands of some few or many so in Monarchie it is in one mans hands onely whose lawes all men are bound to obey but himselfe none save the Law of God For otherwise it is not a Monarchie but a Polyarchie that is the state of the Peers or People A King subject to Laws saith the Philosopher {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is not a species of a Republike Cicero being to defend King Deiotarus before Caesar begins his oration from the insolencie and novelty of the thing telling him that it was so unusuall a thing for a King to be accused as that before that time it was never heard of C. Memmius a popular man and of great power although he were a most deadly enemie to Nobilitie yet he subscribes to the same opinion For to doe any thing without being questioned is to be a King saith he A Prince saith Ulpian is free from all Lawes Dio his Coaetanie speaks to the same purpose They are free from Lawes saith he as the Latine words doe sound that is from all necessity of the Laws or the necessary observation of the Laws nor are they tyed to any written Laws Constantinus Harmenapolus a Greek Interpreter to the same sense thus delivers himself A King is not subjected to Laws that is he is not punished if he offends To which I might adde the common consent of the Interpreters of both Laws unanimously affirming and concluding that a King is to give an account for his offences to God onely and onely before him to justifie his innocencie Excellently Solomon Where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him What dost thou And therefore the Wise man in the Wisdome of Solomon thus addresseth his speech unto them Heare therefore O ye Kings learne ye that be Judges of the ends of the earth Give care you that rule the people and glory in the multitude of Nations for power is given you of the Lord and soveraignty from the Highest who shall try your works and search out your counsels Let us heare some of the Fathers about this matter Irenaeus tels us that the Princes of the world having the Laws as the garment of Justice shall not be questioned for those things they shall doe according to Law and Justice nor yet suffer punishment but if they shall practice
he includes all of all orders and states all sexes and conditions As if hee should have said All whatsoever they be that do live in a Common-wealth must submit themselves to the supreme Magistrate that is the head of that Common-wealth So that in the Apostles precept we have not onely implyed the qualities of their persons that are subjects but we have also expressed the nature of their duties viz. Subjection and obedience We shall not need to goe farre then to search after the duty of Subjects to their Prince the Apostle he hath done it to our hands it is Obedience And so the Augustane Confession in the 16. Article doth acknowledge it The first Commandement of the second Table which as the Apostle speaks is the first Commandement with promise doth set forth this duty by the name of Honour For So we read it in the Decalogue Honour thy father and thy mother that thy dayes may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee Exod. 20.12 Where by father according to the unanimous consent of all Divines we are to understand not onely our naturall father that did beget us but our spirituall Father also that doth teach us and our Civill father likewise the King who is Pater patriae the Father of our Country that doth protect us And then by honour which we are commanded to yeeld to this Father we are to conceive all those duties which are comprehended in it Now the Politicians doe tell us that this name of Honour doth consist of sixe severall members which doe imply as many severall duties which every Subject is bound to performe to the Prince his head viz. Agnition Reverence Love Obedience Gratitude and Equity The first member wherein this honour doth consist and the first duty which every Subject is to performe unto his Prince is Agnition that is an acknowledgement of Gods Ordinance in the office of the Prince For God will have his owne Ordinance to be acknowledged in the Civill Magistrate and that we doe conceive of him as constituted by God seeing that as the Apostle speaks there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God After which manner did the woman of Tekoah conceive of King David when as she being sent by Joab to intercede for Absolom that he might returne from his banishment into the Kings favour For as an Angel of God saith she so is my Lord the King to discern good and bad And a little after My Lord is wise according to the wisdome of an Angel of God And so did Mephibosbeth esteem of him when as he did compellate him with the same title But my Lord the King is as an Angel of God Which agnition and acknowledgement of Gods ordinance in him is a notable meanes to stir up our obedience to him The second member wherein this honour doth consist is Reverence when as Subjects look upon their Prince not onely as a man but as a man of God and reverence not so much his person as his office For the King is Gods legat and his Vicar presenting his person And therefore Saint Peter when he exhorts to the feare of God he doth annex the honour of the King as if there can be no true feare of God without due reverence to the King who presents Gods person For which cause Solomon the wisest of men richest of Kings doth joyne the feare of God and the King together the King for presenting Gods perion is called God not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as Plato styles him as a God amongst men but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} an earthly God being Gods Minister Yea as the Prophet David and before him Moses God himselfe Yea to goe farther God himselfe doth so call him Ego dixi I have said it Ye are Gods Which yet we must not understand as if they were so {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} indeed but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in name not {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by nature but {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} by office And so much the very heathen did acknowledge For it is reported of Philip of Macedonia that he was wont to say that a King ought to remember that he being a man doth discharge the office of God and the office which he doth execute is from thence named {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a power like unto Gods Whence it is that S. Augustine saith the King bearing the image of God ought therefore to be reverenced if not for himselfe at least yet for his office sake The third member wherein this honour doth consist is Love And it is another duty of Subjects to love their Princes Not onely for their office which they in the name and place of God do undergoe but for the manifold benefits and commodities which they receive from them by their happy government Thus was King David accepted in the eyes of all the people whither soever he was sent Kings as you heard are Patres patriae Fathers of their Country and therefore Subjects ought to respect them with a filiall love even as children do love their fathers A fourth member wherein this honour doth consist is Obedience Subjects must willingly and readily yeeld obedience to all the just and honest commandes of their Princes which do no wayes repugne the lawes of God They must not onely acknowledge Reverentiam Subjectionis a reverence of Subjection but they must also give them obedientians jussionis an obedience to their just commands For as Saint Chrysost 〈◊〉 observeth a people that obeyeth not their Prince is like to them that have no Prince at all yea and in a worse estate for you cannot call that a Kingdome where the King is neglected and his Laws not observed He seemeth to mee to have lost his Kingdome saith the Philosopher who hath lost his due obedience from his Subjects And therefore Subjects must obey their Prince not onely for feare of wrath that is to escape punishment if they neglect their duty but also for conscience sake as the Apostle teacheth because God commands them The fift member wherein this Honour doth consist is Gratitude Subjects are bound by way of thankfulnesse to honour their Princes if it were for no other reason but because they do dayly enjoy the benefits of peace prosperity and protection by them Which gratitude must expresse it self by two other virtues as necessary as it self and without which it cannot subsist and they are these Verity and Justice Verity in acknowledging what great blessings favours and emoluments they receive by them and Justice in endeavouring to make satisfaction and compensation for them And for this cause it is that they pay them Tenths Subsidies Customes and Tributes without which not the King onely but the Kingdome also
of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme or unto Governours that are sent by him And presently after Feare God Honour the King From which wholsome doctrine of Saint Paul the Prophet Jeremiah and Saint Peter you may see not onely the pernicious tenets and positions of those and all other Schismatically affected Reformadoes alias Renegadoes confuted but the truth of obedience due to the Civill Magistrate confirmed and that in obedience honour reverence tributes and other duties formerly mentioned to be by Subjects performed to their Princes comprehended and enjoyned But to what kind of Princes do the Apostles c Prophets in Scriptures enjoyne these duties to be performed That wil be a question wel worth the time to be resolved especially at this time when every one almost doth take the liberty to himself peremptorily to affirm that Subjects ought not to give obedience to their King if he doth not as they they would have him wil not be perswaded ruled by them For say they it would not bee grievous or irksom to us to yeeld obedience and that respective observance w◠you have alleadged fro the Holy Scriptures unto good gracious Princes but it goes against our consciences to performe these duties to one King seeing hee swerves from the Holy Scriptures which are the word of God and wil not be ruled by his great Counsel but is seduced by Malignant Councellors to wicked and ungodly acts of tyrannie To this I answer That if our Gracious King which God forbid should degenerate so far from himself as to comit such outrages as they would suggest which blessed be God as hitherto he hath not nor is there likelyhood that he ever wil although if he were not so good and so gracious as he is he might soone by their rebellious carriage be invited to it yet they are bound in duty to performe obedience to him and not of as too many abuse 〈…〉 c misled do hand over headrise up in rebellion against him For if we consult the same Apostle and other places of the holy Scriptures we shall finde that the forementioned duties are not only to be performed to good and gracious Princes but even to wicked and Tyranicall even to those that are most cruel as were Tiberius Caligula Claudius Nero For under all these the Apostles lived their Epistles coetanie to them directed for obedience to them Nor is it without good reason that such obedience should be given to them for they are of God as well as good Kings there is no power saith the Apostle but of God that is all power is from God onely For that negative Apostolicall Axiome is equipollent on all sides to an universall affirmative So Daniel telleth Nebuchadnezzer that the most high ruleth in the Kingdome of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will and setteth up over at the basest of men So Christ himselfe pronounceth of Pilate that wicked president of the Jews that he had no power over him were it not given him from above And therefore seeing their power is alike from God we must give the like obedience to them as to God It was the saying of him who sometimes was Nazianzens Worthie {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Subjects must submit themselves to good and gracious Princes as to God and they must submit to evil and ungodly Princes for God that is because God hath so commanded it Let us heare the Fathers a little farther in this point and we shall finde that they doe all unanimously give their votes unto it Tertullian if we addresse our selves to him resolves us in these words For as much therefore as concernes the honour of Kings and Emperours we have a sufficient prescript that we should be subject according to the Apostles precept in all obsequiousnesse to Magistrates Princes and higher powers But yet within the bounds and limits of Religion so far as we are separated from Idolatrie For therefore is that example of the three brethren excelling who otherwise obsequious to King Nabuchodonosor did most constantly refuse to give honour to his Image proving that it was Idolatry whatsoever was exalted above the measure of humane honour after the manner of Divine Majesty And so Daniel relying upon Darius forother things so long continued in his office as he was free from the danger of his Religion But rather then he would run that hazard he did no more feare the Kings Lyons then the others were afraid of the Kings Fornace Optatus Milevitanus speaking of Davids observance to King Saul hath these words David had the opportunity of victory in his hands he might have killed his adversaries unwitting of him and secure without much adoe and he might have changed without much bloud-shed or the conflict of many his tedious warfare into a sudden slaughter both his servants and opportunity did invite him to it Opportunity did spur him on to Victory Now he began to draw his sword and now his armed hand was ready to seize upon his adversaries throat But the remembrance of divine institutions did altogether withstand these intentions He contradicts not onely his servants but opportunity egging him on to victory As if he should have said thus unto them O victorie causelesly dost thou provoke me on O victorie thou dost in vaine invite me to triumph I would willingly overcome mine enemie but I must first observe the commands of God I will not saith he lay my hands on the Lords Anointed He did represse both his hand and his sword and whiles he did revere the oyle he saved his adversary and performing observance to him though his adversary he did vindicate him from slaughter Saint Augustine speaking of the same person speaks in this manner David well knowing that there was a Divine constitution in the office of Kings doth therefore still honour King Saul being in the same condition lest he should seeme to injure God who decreed honour to this Order For a King hath the image of God even as a Bishop the image of Christ So long therefore as he is in that condition he is to be honoured if not for himself yet for his order Whereupon the Apostle saith Be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordained of God Hence it is that we doe honour an Infidel in authority although he be unworthy of it who performing Gods office in that order doth gratifie the Devil yet the power he hath doth require that we give honour to him c. And in another place but in that the Apostle saith Let every soule submit himselfe to the higher powers for there is no power but of God he doth rightly admonish that no man be puffed up with pride for that he is called by the Lord into liberty and made a Christian and that he doth not think there is no order to be
kept in the course of this life and that he is not to be subject to the higher powers to whom for a time the government of temporall things is concredited And a little farther If any man therefore think that because he is a Christian he is not to pay custome tribute or due honour to those higher powers to whom those things of right doe appertaine he is in a great errour But this rule is to be observed which the Lord himself prescribed that we give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods S. Jerome whose sentence is inscribed among the Canons saith thus If it be good which the Emperour or Magistrate commands obey the will of him that commands but if it be evill answer him out of the Acts of the Apostles It is better to obey God then men S. Chrysostome upon the words of the Apostle Let every soule submit himselfe to the higher powers thus descants {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Although thou beest an Apostle although an Euangelist although a Prophet or whatsoever else thou beest thou must submit S. Ambrose thus expresseth himselfe I could grieve I could weep I could mourne my teares are weapons against the armies and soldiers of the Goths for such are the weapons of a Priest Otherwise I neither ought nor will resist Bernard to Lodowick King of France writes in this manner But whatsoever it shall please your Majesties mind to doe we that are the sonnes of the Church cannot in the least dissemble the injuries contempts and scorn even to the trampling under foot of our mother c. And a little after But we will stand out and fight even to the death if necessity shall require for our mother but with such weapons as are lawful for us to use Not with swords but with words not with shields but with prayers and tears to God And in another place If the whole world should conspire against me to make me attempt any thing against Royall Authority yet I would feare God and would not dare to doe any thing rashly against the King that is ordained by him For I well know where I have read Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God c. Amongst later Writers Cardinall Cajetan thus Comments upon Saint Paul After that the Apostle had instructed the Romans about the use of the body affaires of the world and the gifts of God he doth now prosecute his instruction about the use of liberty in respect of Princes For he gives them a caution lest by reason of the liberty which they had obtained by Christ they should think themselves to be exempted from the power of Secular Princes And to this end he doth instruct them that they should be subject to Secular Powers And whereas he ought to have said Every man he doth more significantly say every soule that so we might understand not only our estates not onely our bodies but even our souls ought to be subject to temporal Kings in those things which they may lawfully command And in saying All or every he excepteth none See how the Fathers doe with one consent Vote that we must give obedience to Kings although they be wicked in all things that are not unlawfull That honour tribute obedience and the like must be given to lawfull Princes and that there is no other remedy against their violence and injustice but prayers and teares to Almighty God What doe we think that they were destitute of strength that they could not oppose one power with another or repell one injury with another Were they so stupid and ignorant that they did not understand what power was in the Pope or People to reduce their Kings into good government They wanted neither power to resist nor forces to rebell if we dare give credit to Tertullian who yet is of sufficient authority and antiquity to be beleeved even without our assent thus writing in his Apologie against the Gentiles But far be it that either the children of God should be exempted from the furie of man or that they should grieve to suffer in that thing wherein they are tryed For if we would take upon us to be open and professed enemies doe you think that wee could want money or men Are we not more in in number then the Moores and Marcomanns the Parthians themselves or the Gentiles how great soever they be let them be but of one place and of their neighbours adjoyning unto them yea then of the whole world besides We are but of yesterday and yet we have filled all places among you your Cities Islands Cittadels Burroughs Assemblies your very Camps your Tribes of the common people Decuries of the Judges Palaces Senats Judicatories onely we leave your Temples to your selves for what war have we not been fit and ready to manage even with fewer forces who thus willingly suffer our selves to be put to death if that we were not disciplined by our Religion that it is more lawfull for us to be killed then to kill Thus far Tertullian with whom S. Augustine is not discrepant you may find his sentence to be registred among the Canons in these words Julian was an Infidel and unbeleeving Emperour was he not likewise an Apostate an enemie an Idolater yet the Christian soldiers served under this unbeleeving Emperour When they came to the cause of Christ they did acknowledge none but him that is in heaven when he would have them to worship Idols and to sacrifice then they did prefer God before him but when he said unto them Lead forth the Armie go against such a Nation they did presently obey him They did distinguish the Lord eternall from a Temporall Lord and yet they were subject unto their Temporall Lord for their eternall Lords sake When Jovianus after the death of the fore-named Julian was elected by his armie to be their Emperour and he refusing began to speake in these words unto them I cannot seeing I am a Christian command such men nor take the Government upon me of Julians Armie which he hath imbued with such venemous precepts and pernicious discipline Which and words of the like nature when the Souldiers had heard they began to shout with one acclamation and say O Emperour let not your minde be troubled with such doubtings nor yet wave the command of us as if we were prophane and wicked for you shall finde both Christians of us and men disciplin'd in piety to doe you service From which recited places it may appeare that it was no such difficult matter for the Christians in the Primitve times to have coërced their Emperours by whom they were miserably afflicted and most cruelly used if it had beene lawfull for Subjects to rise up against their Princes But if those forementioned fathers endued with no lesse science then conscience and furnished with as much
knowledge as zeale had thought it lawfull either for the Pope or the People or any other men to regulate their Princes as they thought fit without all question they would never have suffered themselves and the whole Church of God to bee so cruelly oppressed by those wicked Emperours But as they did most freely reprehend their vices so they would at least have admonished them of their office if they had beene wanting to it But when they knew that Kings as have beene formerly not onely touched but oftentimes urged have onely God to be their judge and their avenger hence it is that they did only flee to him and piously and happily implore his aid These things saith Nazianzen did Julian meditate and deliberate as those that were witnesses and co-partners of his secrets have imparted and divulged to the world yet hee was restrained by the Ordinance of God and the teares of Christians which were then many and shed by many seeing they had no other remedie against their persecutors The like may be said of divers other wicked Princes who have either beene taken away by the singular providence of God or at length reduced to a better minde for God who is the Father and Judge of all alike doth oftentimes most justly send ungodly Princes unto a people for the punishment of their sins although they minding nothing lesse than the justice or purpose of Gods wil doe most unjustly Shall there be any evill in the City saith God by the Prophet Amos which the Lord hath not done But no sooner doe Subjects repent them of their sins and depart from their evil courses but God In whose hands the heart of Kings is and which way soever it pleaseth him as the rivers of waters he doth incline it according to his great goodnesse and singular mercie wherewith he is affected towards afflicted Penitents makes those wicked princes either cease to be or to bee tyrants Vengeance is mine saith the Lord I wil repay it This is the onely fort and sure defence against all injuries of wicked Kings they are the weapons that are to be taken up against ungodly Princes and this lastly is the most expedite way to pessundate all Tyranny But then you will say If the King should make aprey of his Subjects and impose greater taxes on them and exact more grievous Tributes and Customs on them oppressing all and every one of them with his Tyrannicall power shall we not in this Case resist and oppose him For answer of this I must tell you if we will be as we professe our selves to bee Christs Disciples and obey his word which we desire at least pretend above all things to be sincerely preached unto us wee must not resist him Now what saith Christ But I say unto you that yee resist not evill c. Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ being King of Kings and Lord of Lords as he is stiled in holy Scripture yea and the sonne of Kings according to the flesh being of the seede of David yet lest he should give offence though he were free payed Tribute to Caesar For so wee finde him discoursing with Peter The Kings of the Earth of whom doe they take Custome or Tribute of their owne Children or of Strangers Peter saith unto him of Strangers Jesus saith unto him then are the Children free Notwithstanding lest we should offend them goe thou to the Sea and cast an booke and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opened his mouth thou shalt finde a peece of money that take and give for thee mee Hereupon Bernard to Henry then Arch-bishop of the Senones thus elegantly writeth Let every Soule bee subject to the higher Powers If every Soule then yours who doth except you from the universality If any endeavor to deceive you hearken not to their Councols who seeming to be Christians hold it yet a disparagement to them to follow the Deedes or observe the Words of Christ their Master And a little after These things saith he doe they but Christ he did both bid otherwise and did otherwise Give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods What he spake with his tongue hee performed with his hand as he taught so hee wrought The maker of Caesar did not deny to pay tribute to Caesar for he gave an example to you that you should also doe the like And a little farther he saith to this purpose Doe you contemne the saecular power None was more saecular then Pilat before whom our Lord stood to be adjudged Thou couldst have no power saith hee over me if it were not gâ—ven thee from above even then did he speake by himself and in himselfe shew what afterwards he did by his Apostles in his Church That there is no power but of God and that hee that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God Before Bernard St. Ambrose wrote to the same purpose If the Emperor demands tribute we doe not deny it the lands of our Church do pay him tribute If he requires our fields he hath power to lay claim unto them none of us doe interpose or withstand him The Collation of the people may redound to the poore let them not conceive displeasure about our fields let them have them if they like them I doe neither give them the Emperor nor deny them And againe I was commanded by the Court officers and tribunes to make a speedy surrender of the Church they alleaging that the Emperor doth but use his right in demanding it for as much as all things are in his power I made this answer that if hee did require of me what was mine owne to give viz. my ground or my goods or any thing of the like nature this my right I would not deny him although even those things of mine are the poores also Very excellently St. Ang. But whereas the Apostle saith Wherefore yee must needes bee subject it is as much as if hee should have said there is a necessity for this life that we be subject not resisting if they will take any thing away from us in that they have power given them over our temporall things Now then if it were not lawfull for subjects without sin to resist their kings when they did exact unjust tributes of them and by violence take away their estates from them much lesse may we deny to Princes just tributes other things of the like nature which are requisite and necessary for the safety of the Common-wealth and cannot bee denied without its certaine ruine and the great hazard of the whole Christian Policie In the law of Moses we reade that the Man that would doe presumptuously and would not hearken to the Priest that stood to Minister before the Lord or unto the Judge even that man was to be put to death And since by the Lawes of men they have