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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	humane_a	law_n	positive_a	2,470	5	10.9031	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66600	God, the King, and the countrey, united in the justification of this present revolution containing also animadversions on Dr. William Sherlock's book intituled, The case of allegiance due to soveraign powers, stated and resolved, according to scripture and reason, and the principles of the Church and England / by Tim. Wilson ...	Wilson, Timothy, 1642-1705.	1691 (1691)	Wing W2950; ESTC R8407	46,572	49

make us wise to salvation The Law of Nature or Right Reason is the Rule of Political Government And all Civil or Municipal Laws are to be squared by it and so directed to the publick good as their end But more particularly for the illustration hereof 1. I shall consider what Government is 2. The several kinds thereof 3. I shall shew the Latitude of Subjection 1. I shall consider what Government is Government is Power or Authority which some men have over others derived from God and exercised according to Agreement for the good of the whole Society In this Description 1. We have the general Nature Power or Authority 2. The Author of Government it is derived from God 3. The formal Reason it is exercised according to Agreement 4. The End for the good of the whole Society 1. We have the general Nature Power or Authority Government generally considered denotes superiority of Office and Authority Where there is no Authority there can be no Government nor no Obedience or Subjection due Power or Authority saith Camero is that whereby a person may claim any thing to himself without the injury of any other Thus a Father exercises his Power when he commands his Children A Master over his Servants And a King over his Subjects 2. We have the Author of Government It is derived from God There is no Power but of God All Dominion is Gods The Kingdom is the Lords saith David and he is the Governour among the Nations And the Lord hath prepared his Throne in the Heavens and his Kingdom ruleth over all Psal 22.28 and 103.19 By me Kings reign and Princes decree justice By me Princes rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth Prov. 8.15 16. God is the Absolute Monarch over all 3. The Formal Reason It is exercised according to Agreement My Opinion is this Government in general is of the Law of Nature but in special whether Monarchical Absolute or Limited and Conditional whether by Hereditary Succession or by Election is according to Positive Humane Law and Compact So that the People or Fathers of Families were at liberty to chuse what Form of Government they thought most convenient and Fundamentally to fix the Constitution Which may not be altered but by the same means or power Thus Power in general is of God as Solomon and St. Paul say But the Specification Limitation and first Designation of the Person or Form is by Humane Right or Positive Law according to the Discretion of the Assembly of the People And this seems to me evident by Scripture and Reason Thus the Higher Powers are the Ordinance of God saith St. Paul And the Emperor is the Ordinance of Man saith St. Peter Mankind is naturally subject to none but God or whom God shall appoint But otherwise the Sons of Adam are left at Liberty to chuse what Person or Form of Government any free Multitude can agree upon This Opinion seems consonant to the Doctrine and History of the Holy Scriptures the constant Practice of the Kings of Israel or rather the People of any Common-wealth is consonant to the Principles of the Law of Nature and is neither Erroneous in Divinity nor dangerous in Policy And experience sheweth that the best and most conscientious Subjects pay Obedience according to the several Laws and Customs of their Countreys The Epistle to the Romans was written either in the Reign of Claudius Caesar or of Nero. As for Claudius Historians tell us that he hid himself and the Souldiers proclaimed him Emperor and both the Multitude and the Senate agreed to his Election And as for Nero his Quinquennium or first five years were admired by all and had the approbation of the best Men while he followed the Advice of Seneca and other grave Counsellors And tho' afterwards he proved a cruel Tyrant and Persecutor yet the Laws and Customs of the Roman Empire in Civil things were good and just And in those things of which St. Paul speaks even Nero's commands were to be obeyed Actively As is plain For there is no Power but of God and Rulers are not a terror to good Works but to the evil and he is the Minister of God to thee for good And therefore pay Caesar his due Tribute Custom Fear Honour or whatever the Laws of your Countrey and Conscience and the Laws of God require of you without Resistance For they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation And this is the Judgment of all the Famous School-men either Ancient or Modern whom I have either read or look'd into Insomuch that I stand amazed that this Doctrine should have no more Followers in England when in all other Disputes our English Divines are the most rational Men in the World But to use St. Paul's words in another case I bear them record that they have a Zeal for Monarchy but not according to Knowledge Yet let them know that as far as I can find by search it is the united Determination of all Politicians School-men and Divines who purposely handle the Controversies that tho' Prince and Subject are Relatives yet prioritate rationis or Ordine naturae intendentis as Logicians speak in nature and time Subjects were first instituted and Princes were constituted for the Subjects sake on certain conditions unless you follow the example of such as design'd Tyranny From whence it follows that Subjects were no Born for Kings but Kings or Princes and Governours ought to promote the profit of Subjects I have as much reason as any of your Majesties Subjects to value your Service Crown Dignity Honour and Prosperity and the Succession to your Heirs yet I follow the old Maxim Malim veris offendere quàm placere adulando I think nothing becomes a Priest so much as Integrity I am sure that no Man can deny that the Apostle speaks of the Higher Powers commanding things lawful or of the Civil Legal commands of the Higher Powers and these must not be resisted But they mistake who think that this command of the Apostles was given to Christians to be obedient to Nero in his unlawful commands Whereas the Apostles command in this place saith a Learned Divine reacheth to all times and is made to all that are Christians Tho' they did live under Nero yet it doth not follow that the Apostle commands them to be subject to him in Unlawfuls If indeed Nero's commands were only unlawful and this Direction of the Apostle was made only to Christians in those times and that subjection commanded were only suffering subjection then this Scripture might make much more for Non-resistance But tho' Nero was an Enemy to the Christians yet some of his commands were lawful and this Direction of the Apostle was not made only to Christians in those times but as a general rule for all good Men. And the Obedience and Subjection here commanded was not only to be Passive but Active This Scripture commands Active Obedience to the Higher Powers in all things

the Lord Deut. 8.3 And Hezekiah was recovered by applying a lump of Figs and laying it for a Plaister upon a Boyl Isa 38.21 Finally thus our Saviour saith Abraham in the Parable told the rich Glutton They have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them Luk. 16.29 Thus I acknowledge it is the disposal of Providence that by the Convention of Estates as Means or Instruments the Prince and Princess of Orange should be King and Queen of England c. Now the Dr. saith well § 3. p. 12. Providence is Gods Government of the World by an Invisible Influence and Power c. But he might have told us that the Acts Manner and Effects of Providence become visible to us And the disposals of Providence are seen either 1. In Divine Judgments or Punishments Or 2. In Divine Probations and Fatherly Corrections and Chastisements Or 3. In Divine Blessings Mercies and Deliverances And all these are Personal Domestical or National Now Gods Providence is holy and just in all these But sometimes the Instruments are very wicked Thus proud and cruel men who break in pieces Gods people and afflict his Heritage as the Psalmist speaks tho' they are Gods Rod or Instruments by whom the Lord chastiseth his Servants which in God is most lawful and just I say ungodly men are guilty of the evil of sin Because they propound to themselves the satisfaction of their own malicious and spiteful affections But whoever are the Instruments of Gods Providence in Blessings Mercies Deliverances in such Acts do well and deserve praise of all that are not ungrateful Thus the late Revolution is Gods just Judgment and Punishment on the Papists and all Oppressors that joyned with them But it is an exceeding great mercy blessing and deliverance to the Protestant Church and all Gods faithful Servants But I spare the Dr's prejudice He knows the old saying Dolus latet in generalibus God permits evil Instruments but he approves good Instruments in such acts It is true also as the Dr. saith That God not only permits but he doth these things He permits men to do wickedly but God is the Author of all the Good and Evil which happens to private persons or publick Societies Surely no Christian doubts of this But then we distinguish which the Dr. doth not and say 1. Evil is from God who punisheth corrects or chastiseth his Church 2. Good is from God who defends delivers blesses or saves his Church And this is done ordinarily by the free Ministries of men And the Question between us is of these Instruments whether they be Evil or Good or whether they have done Evil or Good deserve well or ill of the Church and Common-wealth Thus to illustrate my meaning I say that O. C. and his Confederates were Usurpers Traitors and Murderers and tho' they had power or strength yet they had not Power or Authority from God But King William and his Confederates had not only Strength or Power but also had Power or Authority from God to save this Church and Kingdom when we were so near sinking under Popery and Slavery And this I think is deducible from what the Dr. sometimes grants As when he saith p. 28. The Law of God and Nature must take place of all Humane Positive Laws and Oaths And when he saith p. 33. Tho' I have as great a Reverence for Princes as any man I do not think the Right and Interest of Princes so considerable as the Safety and Preservation of a Nation and the Lives and Fortunes of all his Subjects From whence I infer that no Positive Laws Oaths or Prince in case of such Oppressions as we groaned under ought to stand in competition with the Preservation of our Countrey Liberty Property and Religion And consequently King William and his Confederates deserve Immortal Honour from all Englishmen and good Protestants And if this be not sound Divinity I desire that the Dr. would be pleased to bestow some of his Charity upon me and write another Book to convince those of my Perswasion I wish he had free leave given him to try his skill For tho' I do not pretend to his Learning and Abilities and I know that he can teach me many things nor have I the Opportunity of such Libraries and Conversation of most Judicious Men yet I have studied this Controversie and I never acted in any Affair with a more full and clear Approbation of my own Conscience than in this Revolution Or to use the Dr's words in the beginning of his Preface This I am sure of that I never acted with more sincerity in any Affair of my whole Life than I have done in this matter from the beginning to the end and whether I have sufficient Reason for what I do I refer to the Tryal of this and other my Discourses But in short All Power is of God and all Power is of the People All preservation is of God and all Preservation is of our selves All Riches and Honour are of God and all Riches and Honour are of our selves by our own Industry and good Merit For tho' we can Merit nothing at Gods Hands yet we may Merit from Man Thus the Hand of the diligent maketh rich saith Solomon and the blessing of the Lord maketh rich And seest thou a Man that is diligent in his business he shall stand before Kings he shall not stand before mean Men. This is Gods Cooperation and Concourse And God quasi ex pacto coobligat se creaturis as a Learned Protestant Schoolman and Metaphysician speaks by Covenant obligeth himself with the Creatures and as it were promiseth that he will help their Acts. And I suppose the Dr. himself doth not imbrace the previous efficacious motion mentioned by the strict Followers of St. Thomas and of Calvin Thus God removes Kings and sets up Kings And this the Dr. will acknowledge when he recovers himself For he saith p. 13. Sometimes a Prince is placed on the Throne by God and receives his Authority by the Election of the People sometimes by Conquest which hath been the visible Original of most Governments True say I but Conquest makes a Man a Prisoner not a Subject till after Consent and Agreement and when any Family is thus advanced to the Throne it is continued by Succession and Legal Entails But all these ways or any other that can be thought of are governed and determined by Divine Providence and the Prince thus advanced is as truely placed in the Throne by God as if he had been expresly nominated c. But the Secret or Reason of the Drs. obscurity and confusion I believe is this He could not condemn the Instruments of Gods Providence in this Revolution out of fear And he could not justifie them because of his Erroneous Conscience and Prejudice And so he runs on with a General and Confused Discourse of the Disposals of Providence Just as a Quaker when he knows not what to say will tell you It is the

they believe that a King who hath no Right to the Throne is not set up by God and invested with his Authority they will find That it must ultimately resolve it self into the Authority of the People to make Kings which it is unjust for God himself to over-rule and alter pace tanti viri by the Dr's leave I should say it is not Gods usual Method and ordinary Providence to over-rule and alter for a Legal Entail is nothing more than the Authority of the People And if the People have such an uncontroulable Authority in making Kings hold a little the People cannot do this when they have Covenanted ordinarily but in extream necessity I doubt they will challenge as much Authority to unmake them to But perhaps the Dr. will say This is Argumentum ad homines and I would not willingly misrepresent him As for his Answer to the Objection which I find p. 26. I know not what to make of it it is pure Enthusiasm I think I cannot measure it by any Rules of Reason 3. He grants very honestly p. 27. That when ever a People have a good King as surely say I King William and Queen Mary are a good King and Queen it is both their Duty and Interest to defend Him And if they be not misled by the Cunning and Artifice of ill Men they will certainly do so But if they have a very bad one that notoriously violates their Rights and breaks the Constitution upon which Himself stands and strikes at the dearest things they have their Religion Established by Law and their Properties I doubt the Case may be altered And tho' every Body will not speak it out yet most may say in their Hearts Let him go if he cannot defend Himself It is enough in Conscience patiently to bear so bad a Prince but a little too much to venture their Lives and Fortunes to keep him in the Throne to oppress them This is against Reason and Nature and I know no Law of God which requires it c. I wish with all my heart that this Consideration and other Arguments of the Dr's may prevail with the most Reverend Father in God the late Arch-Bishop and the Right Reverend the Bishops who have not taken the Oaths to their present Majesties I believe out of pure Conscience tho' erroneous and full of prejudice And I have often wondered that so many of the Clergy who but a little before did so violently oppose the Prince of Orange's proceedings out of the like conscientious prejudice as I believe did on a sudden take the Oaths This seems to me to shew that our Case wanted but a little consideration and men might easily lay aside their prejudices in so blessed and desirable a Change 4. The Dr. grants p. 28. That the Laws of God and Nature must take place of all Humane Positive Laws and Oaths Hence I infer that the Dr. cannot deny Self-preservation 5. He grants p. 29. That it is unreasonable to expound the Oath to such a sense as no man would have taken it in had it been expressed No no man in his wits would take it for the best Prince that ever swayed the Scepter Then such an Oath or Promise or Declaration could not intend to dedestroy Self-preservation Liberty and Property 6. The Dr. grants p. 30. We are not bound to defend the King against Law or when he subverts the Laws und Liberties and the Legal Established Religion of the Kingdom by Illegal Methods Or as he saith presently after by the exercise of an Illegal and Arbitrary Power 7. He saith p. 32. Certainly this was not the Intention of the Oath to fight for their King against their Countrey For an Oath to fight for the King doth not oblige us to fight against our Countrey which is as unnatural as to fight against our King 8. He owns the preservation of the whole Kingdom is before the Prince p. 33. in these words Tho' I have as great a Reverence for Princes as any man I do not think the Right and Interest of any Prince so considerable as the Safety and Preservation of the Nation and the Lives and Fortunes of all his Subjects I am sure we who are for Defensive Arms cannot say more than this 9. I leave the Teachers of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance to answer his Arguments p. 36. or else I hope they will take the Oaths I have spoken my thoughts of this matter As for Bishop Overals Convocation-Book I do not love many words I have spoken my mind 10. This seems very hard that when God hath actually delivered us we must refuse our deliverance p. 38. And I add it seems very hard that the Clergy who receive most benefit by this deliverance if in heart they love the Protestant Religion should not honour the Deliverers 11. The Dr. agrees to what Bishop Sanderson tells us That the End of Civil Government and of that Obedience which is due to it is the Safety and Tranquillity of Humane Societies and therefore whatever is necessary and useful to this End becomes our Duty for the End prescribes the Means Hence I infer the lawfulness of Defensive Arms in some case because Humane Societies under a Tyrannical Prince who Rules Arbitrarily cannot be safe I beseech the Dr. seriously to consider this and examine throughly whether it doth not necessarily follow And before I end this Section I must desire the Dr. to reconcile some of his Assertions He saith p. 4. The Church of England hath been very careful to instruct her Children in their duty to Princes to obey their Laws and submit to their Power and not to resist tho' very injuriously oppressed and those who renounce these Principles renounce the Doctrine of the Church of England But she hath withal taught That all Sovereign Princes receive their Power and Authority from God and therefore every Prince who is setled in the Throne is to be obeyed and reverenced as Gods Minister and not to be resisted c. And here I observe that the Dr. chargeth the Non-swearing Bishops as well as those who joyned with the Prince of Orange as rejecting the Doctrine of the Church of England Well let the Dr. and his Party be the only true Church of England-men if he can disprove what I have now and elsewhere said He grants That whosoever is setled in the Throne hath Gods Authority and must not be resisted But p. 25 26. in answering an Objection That this makes the Prince lose his Right by being notoriously injured c. he tells us The Providence of God removes Kings and sets up Kings but alters no Legal Rights nor forbids those who are dispossessed of them to recover their Right when they can c. and doth not divest the dispossessed Prince of his Legal Right and Claim nor forbid him to endeavour to recover his Throne nor forbid those who are under no Obligation to the Prince in Possession to assist the dispossessed Prince to recover his

GOD THE KING AND THE COUNTREY United in the Justification of this Present Revolution Containing also Animadversions on Dr. William Sherlock's Book Intituled The Case of Allegiance Due to Soveraign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England By TIM WILSON M. A. and Rector of Great Mongeham in Kent Licensed Jan. 29. 1691. LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1691. To the Sacred Majesties of King William and Queen Mary by the Grace of God King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesties THE Divine Providence that disposeth all things to the emolument and advantage of those that love God hath sent Your Majesties to be our Saviours and Deliverers from Popery and Slavery to the Joy of all sound Protestants not wholly sunk and buried in prejudice And we see the Prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled Kings shall be your Nursing Fathers and Queens your Nursing Mothers But the Government of Moses whom God sent into Egypt to deliver his people was not without some Murmurers and men of a revolting spirit who looked back towards Egypt Victorious David had that crafty Politician Achitophel his Adversary and Absolom who stole away the hearts of this people and Sheba a Mover of Sedition The Reign of Solomon had some who complained of Grievances and Oppressions tho' he honoured God by building a Magnificent Temple The most excellent Deborah tho' she had some that jeoparded their lives unto death with her yet she had others who for their Divisions caused great thoughts of heart It is my affection to the Protestant Cause and Your Majesties Government that moves me thus resolutely to rush into your Sacred Presence I am very sensible that false Principles will create Practices correspondent to them And therefore I have examined some new and strange Notions of Gods Providence and Humane Governments of late asserted by some Doctors To say That a Prince hath Gods Authority tho' he hath no Humane and Legal Right and that there is another Person who hath Legal Right is dismal to consider in the consequences thereof If this Poison creeps into the Church I tremble to reflect upon the Effects of it It is good for nothing but to produce Insincerity and to make men swear to live peaceably when they have War in their hearts I am confident of Your Majesties Protection for I have acted in this Affair with a full satisfaction of Conscience and the greatest Evidence of Reason And no History can exceed if parallel so great valour and courage mixed with so much grace and clemency as hath shined in King William This is to be like God who is Almighty and yet slow to wrath whose Power is irresistible and yet he delights in Mercy Go on and prosper most victorious Prince and may the God of Heaven bless you with success by Sea and Land against that proud and persecuting Monarch who hath been the Ruine of so many Innocent Protestants in his own Dominions May God give Your Majesties the Necks of your Enemies and may they all tast of Your Forgiveness and Bounty but never forsake Your first Friends who ran all hazards with Your Majesty I pray with Tertullian who saith We Christians pray for our Emperors 1. That they may have a long Life which contains Health Joy and Prosperity 2. A constant safe and secure Government 3. Faithful and Trusty Domestick Servants free from Treachery and secret Conspiracy 4. A strong and valiant Army 5. A faithful Senate Council or Parliament 6. Obedient Submissive and Loyal People 7. A quiet and peaceable Reign In a word whatsoever can be the desire of Caesar God inspire Your Majesties with heavenly Grace and Wisdom and sound Knowledge and good Vnderstanding to go in and out before this great People and moreover give you Victory and Peace and Length of Days and at last may Angels convey Your Souls into Abraham's bosom This is the constant prayer of Your Maiesties Most Humble most Loyal and most Devoted Subject and Servant Tim. Wilson The Apostle asserts in the 13th Chap. of the Epistle to the Romans That all Emperors Kings Princes and Governors receive their Power from God And that the Right of the Sword is delivered to the Magistrate by God And therefore all are obliged to be subject to the Higher Powers and not to resist And whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and shall receive damnation FOR the right understanding whereof I shall premise these Principles 1. All Dominion is Gods 2. God gives Dominion and Power to some persons over others 3. The Law of Nature which is the Divine Law unwritten is a Rule by which all Nations should walk 4. This Law of Nature teacheth all Inferiours to honour their Superiours and Subjects to pay Tribute honorary Gifts c. to their Kings 5. The same Law of Nature secures every mans Propriety so that there can be no Alienation without consent explicite or implicite There is saith Aristotle Rhet. b. 1. c. 13. as all divine by Nature a common just and unjust though there be no mutual communication nor compact 6. The holy Scriptures do not contradict the Law of Nature but inform mankind more plainly what is duty Lastly The sacred Historian Moses and other holy Writers leave Positive and Political Laws to be practised according to the Usage of several Countries I suppose as the known truth is that God Created Adam and Eve And Adam begat Cain and Abel Now what Land or what substance and goods Adam gave Abel he had Right to by the Law of Nature as well as what he got by his own industry and labour Neither could Adam or Cain take any of Abels Flock without sinning against God tho' there had been no Agreement between them For this Law was written in Adams heart Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy Neighbours There is a Natural Right and there is a Civil Right Natural Right is by the Law of Nature Meum and Tuum were before there was any written Law Civil Right is that which the Municipal Laws of every Countrey gives And if good and consonant to Reason they are but confirmations or explications of the Law of Nature or conclusions drawn from it or securities of mens Lives Goods and Possessions from wicked men who would use no conscience We know saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.8 9 10. that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient c. Government as Government agreeth to Heathens Jews Turks and Christians all alike It is man as man who is the object thereof The Nature and Definition and Properties are the same The holy Scriptures intend not to teach us to be Politicians no more than to be Philosophers but to be Christians and