Divine Plato saith God doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which he meant in this sense because The Geometrical proportion was more agreeable suitable to Regal Power because this makes no Confusion of all-together but giveth unto every one according to his desert and worthiness whereas the other viz. Arithmetical proportion giveth equally unto all according to number and therefore it was that Lycurgus chased out of Lacedemon Arithmetical proportion as a popular thing turbulent and apt to make Commotions Secondly Nature shews it The Image of this Government is to be seen in Sensitive and Inanimate Creatures there are in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Philosopher calls them some faint adumbrations and resemblances of this Polity as for Example There is but one Sun in the Firmament Among Birds the Eagle hath the Supremacy and therefore because of his Dominion and Soveraign'ty over other Birds you will find in Scripture Kings are compared with it particularly the King of Babylon is shadowed out under the similitude of a Great Eagle Among Beasts the Lyon is Lord Paramount if you dive into the Sea there you will see a King of Fishes In the Common-wealth of the Bees there is one that is the King In the Microcosm of Man you may observe the same thing Several Members do their homage and service to one Body the several Senses of the body are governed by one Mind and one Reason moderates all the various and manifold Affections of the mind Thirdly Art which imitates Nature doth affect this political frame In a Family you know there is but one Master in an Army but one General in a Ship but one Governour And so One King amongst the people Last of all Experience doth irrefutably evince the truth of this Assertion Consult all Authors that are most skilful in Politicks and they will all tell you that Monarchy doth excel all other Governments To begin with Homer doth not he say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hear what Aristotle speaks that Lynceus of all political Science 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Monarchy saith he is to be preferred as the most Divine Government and to name no more although I could heap up infinite testimonies in this kind take in the last place that lofty Athenian Poet Euripides doth not he sing to the same Tune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Two Governours saith he cannot stand together in one Kingdome for it would be an occasion of Sedition and Commotion But why do I spend time in giving you proofs in this kind when Holy Writ it self doth so pregnantly conclude the same thing You read Judg. 21 In those dayes there was no King in Israel and what follows Every one aid what was right in his own eyes Observe the words for they are very Emphatical It is not said There was no Government in those dayes but they wanted Monarchy the most excellent Government and this was the cause of all disorder both in Church and State for the words without any streining will bear that Construction viz. Every one did what was right in his own eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So the Arabick Translation renders it that is Quod libebat Every man did what he list Mary may some say there was a brave time indeed that was a great privilege For a man to be sui Juris to act without control Alas that which you call priviledg is a great and sad Judgment as you may see by comparing this place with the 78 Psalm where it is said God gave them their own desires speaking of the people of Israel and what followed In the 31 Verse you shall find that The Wrath of God came upon them and slew them Such a Liberty as this for a Man to have his full Swinge in a Licentious Course is worse than bondage for the greatest freedom in the World is to be able to do nothing but what we should do Again the Tryal that hath been made of other Governments both abroad and at home will abundantly commend the excellency of this above any other for Contraria juxta se posita magis elucâ—sâ—unt is a Rule in Logick Contraries do best appear when most directly opposed Travel into the Roman Empire and you will find it verified there The Romans when they shook off their Government by Kings History testifies they had so many Changes that in the space of 600 years they tryed all forms and kinds of Government in the world Of Two by their Consuls of Three by their Triumvirate of ten thousand by their Tribunes But when they found that the further off they departed from Monarchy they lost themselves and were involved still in greater mischiefs and dissentions at last they set up One pro unâ vice unoque anno These were their Dictators and in time they grew to be Perpetual which Perpetuity begat Monarchy But what need we travel so far when we here in this Nation have had such sad and woful experience of the truth thereof in our late miserable confused Anarchy when that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato calls the unruly Multitude The many headed Hydra did reign shall I say or rather rage when like the great Leviathan it played his pranks among us Truly did that Glorious Martyr of ever-blessed memory K. Charles the first prophesy concerning this Government in that incomparable Treatise of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As it makes a shew saith he to the People to have more eyes to sorcsee so they will find it hath more mouths too which must be satisfied and at best is rather a monstrosity than any thing of perfection beyond that of right Monarchy where Counsell may be in many as the Senses but the supreme power can be but in one as the Head But I shall not need to labour in such a plain thing which carries its Evidence with it You have heard We have Monarchy the most excellent Government Now Gentlemen give me leave to tell you as a further degree of our happiness That the best kind of Monarchy obtaineth in this Kingdome Bear with me a little if I be too long in these things I shall be very short in the other part of the Charge touching your Enquiries But I would fain speak something to this Point because it may be of no little use to you and others to establish them in an obediential frame of Spirit For as it is in Religious matters so it holds in Political too that one which is not well grounded in the Fundamentals of polity and government will quickly fall away and become a Rebel to his King as he that is not well rooted and instructed in the first Principles and grounds of Religion will prove an Apostate and fall away from the Truth which he prefessed We have I say absolute Monarchy and herein we differ from the lacedemonian-Lacedemonian-Kings who were subject to their Ephori which had a power above them No Oursagrees with the persian-Persian-Government for their King had plenary power in all things not
A DISCOURSE CONCERNING THE Basis and Original OF GOVERNMENT WITH The Absolute and Indispensable NECESSITY of it Wherein the EXCELLENCY of MONARCHY Above any other Kind is Evidently Demonstrated As it was Delivered by way of Charge to the GRAND-JURY at a Quarter-Sessions of the PEACE held at Ipswich in the County of SUFFOLK By F. T. Esq One of His MAJESTY's Justices of the Peace for the said County 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adag Rabbin LONDON Printed by W. G. for Robert Littlebury and are to be Sold at 〈…〉 THE Book-seller TO THE READER Courteous Reader THe Publication of this Discourse hath been much Desired by several sober and judicious Persons but such is the Modesty of the AUTHOR that hitherto he hath had a Reluctancy thereunto until now that by my Importunity I have prevailed with him to Expose it to Publick View for the Satisfaction of others although not of himself R. L. Imprimatur Tho. Cooke Reverend in Christo Patri Domino Dom. Gilberto Archiep. Cant. à Sacris Dom. Ex Aedibus Lamb. Maii 27. 1667. Errata Pag. 1. lin 17. read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 2. l. 1. for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 6. l. 15. for more r. better p. 11. l. 20. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 18. l. 3. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 19. l. 28. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 23. 1. 6. r. Bowels p. 29. l. 16. r. Serpents do p. 31. l. 27. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 4. l. 26. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 7. l. 7. r. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gentlemen of the Grand Inquest BEfore I enter upon the particular Heads of the Enquiry I shall premise something in General lay down certain Theses and Positions which being rightly understood will much further you in your Proceeding and facilitate the Work which lyes upon your hands First I shall shew you the Basis and Original of Government and the absolute indispensable necessity with the Sacredness of it Next I shall shew you our Happiness in this Nation that we have not only Government but Monarchy the best of Governments To begin with the first thing propounded Now Gent. That you may understand the Primitive Institution of Government I shall clear it up to you thus Man you know is a Congregative a Sociable Creature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as it is well express'd by the learnedst of the Jews Moses Ben Maimon in his Moreh Nebochim Man saith he hath a Natural Propension and Inclination to joyn himself unto Company And herein he differs from other Creatures which stand not in need of such Society And therefore when God made Man lest he should be alone he provided a Companion that was meet and fit for him namely one of his own kind a Woman and this is a strong argument of the necessity of this bond of Society even by a kind of natural Instinct Therefore 't is the Philosopher calls man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a peaceable and a sociable Creature and tells us that he which desires to be alone must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 either a God or a Wild Beast Me-thinks the Arabick words which signifie Man doth very fitly express his Nature 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 socium esse associari Now this Appetite of Association in Man did very probably instigate and stir him up not by any necessity of Cold as Vitruvius fondly dream'd nor from the admiration of Eloquence as Cicero imagined to excogitate and find out some way for the Conservation of his Species and that was Order which is Vinculum Vniversi the bond of the World without which it would drop in pieces as a Beesom un-bound Now because Order could not consist without Government which is the strong fortress of all Interests therefore it came to pass that by the common consent of all Soveraignty and Supreme Power was delegated and devolved upon one or more that should personate the whole Community and they should have power to make Lawes for the rewarding the good and punishing the bad which might be a means to secure them against all violence and oppression 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Jamblichus a famous Pythagorean Philosopher saith for Men could not live safe without a Governour All which is pointed at though somewhat darkly by Plato in his Dialogue of Policy or Civil Government where he makes a graphical Description of the golden Age of the World under Saturn's Reign who saith That Men then being naked lived abroad in the open Air and were nourished with the fruits of the Earth which sprung up of their own accord without any labour of Tillage in great abundance for the Hook and Sickle in Saturn's hand signified the plenty of that time which they made him the Author of as likewise the first Inventor of Agriculture and Husbandry The Famous Sulmonian Poet Ovid I mean speaking of this Age sings the same Note in these Verses qui vi ndice nullo Sponte sua sine lege fidem rectumque colebant Contentique cibis nullo cogente creatis Vivebant Then it was to go on with the Relation that Men had all things in common they were mutual Benefactors one to another and were free from all injury they had as little mind as cause to do any wrong for there was no injustice in the World at that time but Men did as Seneca phrases it aperto ostio vivere Truth Faith Peace Concord Amity and Righteousness carried the whole sway amongst men and they were without Law without Order and without any Government save only Theocraty for God himself by a singular Providence did watch over them and they were under his immediate Gubernation Now some Poets say that when Jupiter reigned then began the Silver Age being worse than the former Justice having then taken hir flight from Earth to Heaven Oppression Fraud Violence Injustice Sedition Impiety Prophaneness and what-Vice-not was practised cum licentiâ and all things were counted lawful save what was lawful and so by degrees the World grew so bad that it was called the Iron-age a Description whereof Horace gives us in the Sixth Ode of his Seventh Book Aetas parentum pejor avis tulit Nos nequiores mox daturos Progeniem vitiosiorem Then it was in this Age that Government began to be instituted and Laws were made for the suppression of Vice and Reformation of Manners Now it is probable That this Theorem and notion of the golden Age Poets and Ancient Philosophers received by Tradition from the Hebrews as some other opinions of their Religion Or else they might gather it out of the Prophet Daniel There the first Empire of the World under the Babylonians is represented under the form of a golden Image but however it is we must not think it had its
Denomination from the great plenty of Gold which was in that time No Plato in his Cratylus tells us That was not the reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he It was not so in its own Nature but is to be taken Tropically or Metaphorically for thereby was signified the happy and excellent Condition of Men in that Age. And Hierocles upon Pythagoras his Verses speaks to the same purpose in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We call it the golden Age saith he because it was the best and pure Age of Men taking the difference of Manners from the property of Metals so that under this Mythology it seems clear to me that this Truth is covertly insinuated that the State of Man in the first Age of the World was a State of Innocency and Integrity He was pure and righteous not contaminated with the pollution and defilement of Vices but was in favour and well accepted with God The elegant and complete Volume of the Protoplast Adam in which was bound up the whole Species of Man was such an accurate correct Copy and so exactly printed by the Supreme Being that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato calls God The Father and Architect of the World and all things therein that there were no Errata to be found no blots at all But though this Book was put forth in so fair and legible a Character and was flourished with many Capital Letters yet the Worm of Sin did quickly get into it and did so fret and corrode it that the whole Impression was utterly defaced and spoiled Man I say continued not long in his happy prosperous Estate the Sun of his Glory was soon set he was benighted with a sad and disconsolate privation of his Native purity and perfection he did not abide in honour he was but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Son of a Night nay the Psalmist saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he did not lodge one Night in Honour for so the Emphasis of the Hebrew Words imports but he fell from his primitive righteousness and holiness into the profound Abysse of Sin and Misery I joyn both these together because for the most part they are Twins of the same Womb and as it was with Jacob and Esau the one catcheth the other by the Heel Then it was that all manner of Villanies and Outrages were committed Every man became a Wolf and Beast of Prey to another and the Earth as the Scripture-phrase is was filled with Cruelty Gen. 6. 11. or as the Chaldee paraphrase hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. rapinis with pillage and robbery 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the word in the Samaritan Version which signifies Oppression And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Persian Translation which is Violence all different words though much to the same sense yea it is said in another place The wickedness of Man was great And it seems he was so habituated in an evil Course and in all manner of Debauchery that he was grown obdurate and hardned and so the Arabick Translation glosses it when instead of the Imagination of the thoughts of his heart it hath this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. pervicacia eorum their Stiff-neckedness and obdurateness in Sin And now you will say it was high time some Course should be taken for the reducing the World to some better Order which could not probably be effected any other way more than by Government so that the Summe of all in one Word is That the Corruption of manners was the generation of Government So Gentlemen I have given you the best Accompt I can considering the un-beaten Path I tread in of the Golden Age and the first Institution of Government And now I shall proceed to the Second thing I propounded to speak of which I shall endevour to open to you with as much perspicuity and plainness as I can Aristotle in his Polit. saith That the true reason of Civil Society or a Common-wealth consisteth principally in the Communion of those that live well and virtuously and therefore it is necessary that there should be some Governour and Ruler to adaequate and square Mens Actions for them according to rule which Rule is the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the aforesaid Jamblichus saith Which Commands those things that are sit to be done and contrarily forbids those things which ought by no means to be done The Heathens had a Conceit that Phoroneus whom they feigned to be the first Law-giver was likewise the first-man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Nonnus calls him as if all that lived before him had not been Men for want of Government and Laws Government why 't is the great Atlas which supports the vast Fabrick of the World you may as well imagine the Sun can be without a Principle of Light as the World without Government and Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Gregory Nazianzen hath it Order is the Mother and Security of the Being of all things that have a Beeing were it not for this the whole Foundations of the Earth would be out of Course and the world would be resolved into its first principles of a miserable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Scripture-Phrase is It 's Government which Organizes as I may say and animates the body of the World draws it out of its rude and indigested Chaos and quickens it into Action and Usefulness It 's the Sun of the Political World without which the World would be as a dark Dungeon This is that which refines Men and makes them sit for Converse who otherwise would be like irregular Stones in a Building which are full of roughness and corners and so take up more room than they fill and till they be polish'd and made eeven others too cannot lye neer them Government is that which Orpheus-like tunes men into a Common-wealth-frame as he is fabled to do when by the sweet Melody of his Harp he drew after him Wilde Beasts Woods and Mountains that is Men that were wilde and savage by Nature became tame and were charmed into obedience What a Jewish Author saith of the Divine Law in that Ancient Book called Zohar which the Jews believe was writ long before our Saviour's Coming is true too concerning Political Law namely Lex assumpto Corpore venit in mundum that the Law assumed a Body when it came into the World that is it was assimilated and made like unto us it is accommodated and fitted to our necessities and imperfections Government is that which sounds a retreat to the Sons of Rebellion who otherwise by their desperate wickedness would every moment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confront God Almighty Your ranting Beliallists they are absolute Antinomians and wish that all Law and Government were banish'd out of the World that they might sin more freely this is that which puts a restraint upon them in their wicked Courses and
causes them to walk more regularly Laws you know have generally in them a double power Directive and Coercive the first sets down the duty the second appoints the penalty for non-performance of the duty Now 't is the latter only which lewd and licentious men are affected with the fear of punishment is that which scares them into some handsome outward Conformity when-as they have no principle of Ingenuity from within inclining them to it The penalty I say of the Law is that which hales them like a Bear unto the Stake out of the broad way of destruction wherein they were posting apace into the narrow Street mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles called Strait I mean Goodness and Virtue Government 't is the Pruning hook to lop off all the luxuriant excrescencies of Vice and to pare away the superfluity of naughtiness The Sons of Anak Men of Giant-like Lusts the mighty Nimrods that are grown so audacious and incorrigible in their wicked practices that like a Titan-brood they even threaten Heaven it self with an over-daring impudence and would if it were in their power dethrone God Almighty were it not for these Manacles of Government and Law wherewith these unruly persons are tyed they would run up and down and make havock of all good men yea these prodigies of Impiety Devils incarnate I may call them would so rage and so fearfully terrifie and haunt good men that were they not bound down by the strong Cords of the Law there would be no place of safety for men in the world no rest for the soles of their Feet no more than there was for that winged Mercury Noah's Dove I mean the Emblem of Innocency which was sent out by him to make a discovery of the drowned World in the time of the Flood I say were it not for this Curb of Government Murders Adulteries Incests Rapes Robberies Perjuries Witchcrafts and Blasphemies would ride in Triumph up and down in every Town of the Country and thorough-out the Kingdome so as it might be said of them as of Gad Behold a Troop cometh yea all kind of Villanies Outrages and savage Cruelty would overflow the Nation and the face of the Earth would be covered with blood as it was once with water Were it not for Government I say we should all be a Company of Ismaels Wild-men our hands would be against every man and every mans hand against us all the several Counties of the Kingdome would be but as so many Dens of Wild Beasts Cruelty would insolently strut it up and down in every place with her Writ of Privilege in her hand No mans Life Goods or Wife could be secured What I pray you do you think would become of Propriety the Guardian and Tutelar-Angel of Commerce and Traffick were it not for this Enclosure Would not all things lye wast and common Would not every Mans Lands and Goods become the possession of the strongest So that our Patrimony and all that we enjoy in the World if we sold it but for a Mess of Pottage the price of Esau's Birth-right we should hardly think we made an ill bargain And as St. Augustine saith well Talle Jura Imperatorum quis audet dicere Mea est illa villa aut Meus est iste servus aut Domus haec mea est Take away Government and none dare say These Lands are mine this Servant is mine or I have right to this house And as for Women what think you of them If they be such as resolve to preserve inviolably the choise Jewel of their Chastity who would rather choose to dye than live an Example of dishonour to the rest of their Sex What rage and fury would beastly libidinous men exercise towards such who like Lightning would rend most where they find most resistance and would vent their angry passions upon them in as high a manner as Cruelty could invent and at last bereave them of their Lives whom they could not bereave of their Honour The men of Gibeah will abuse the Levite's Wife yea and professedly too abuse her to Death And what do you think of Life it self if there were no Government Would it not be a Burthen to us for to live and to be born a Misfortune Life certainly would be but an empty flat Parenthesis of time a very Wilderness we should be in continual fear of being assassmated Men would be afraid to abide in their own houses for fear that ravenous savage Beasts should come and become Cut-throats and Cannibals to them much less durst they venture abroad or if they did What pannick fears would seize upon them every step they took how would they tremble and quake as if they trod upon Ice or as if they were doomed to the old Tryal of Ordeel Our Lives would but as the Scripture phrase is hang before us just as Dumaris his pointed Sword which hung over his head while he was at his Banquet only by a single hair so that there would be no comfort at all in ones Life And indeed I know not how there should for as the Spanish Proverb is Que Quien teme la muerte no goza la vida He that fears Death doth not enjoy his Life And in fine to say no more Were there no Government there would necessarily ensue a general Confusion of all things we should be as the Fishes of the Sea the greater destroying the smaller And as it is said by that Rabbi in Pirke Avoth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vnless there were Magistracy one would devour another alive But I shall not need to dilate further upon this Subject The rise and ground of Government and likewise the necessity of it you do I suppose fully understand Blessed be God we here in this Nation have Government and that the best too which is the next thing Gentlemen that I would make appear to you as that which may be of use to you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of preparing you to the main and principal business I aim at Now that Monarchy which is the Establish'd Government among us is the most Excellent Government God Nature Art and Experience will sufficiently demonstrate First I say God He is the sole Monarch of all the World he is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords as the Scripture styles him He ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will Monarchy was the Government which God made choice of to set up among his people First in Moses then in the Judges then in the Kings In the several Changes of the Names of the Jewish Government God still avoided Polyarchy When Captains but one Moses in Temporals one Aaron in Spirituals when Judges but one Othniel when Priests but one Eli when Prophets but one Samuel and when for their own ease they joyned others in Commission with them they presently degenerated and became corrupt for the Elders of Israel complained that they turned aside after Lucre took Bribes and perverted Judgment
subject to be called to account by any person whatsoever and so is ours if you will believe Cambden a famous Antiquary who saith That the King of England supremam potestatem merum imperium habet He hath supreme power and absolute Command in his Dominions and So Bracton a sage profound Lawyer in ancient time speaks to the same purpose Omnis quidem sub Bege ipse sub nullo sed tantum sub Deo So that it is an unquestionable truth that the King is subject to no over-ruling power of man and that he is free from all humane Coercion and Restraint I do the rather insist upon this because of those seditious jesuitical Principles that were infused into the minds of the Credulous vulgar in the times of Confusion by some Ambitious Democratical Antimonarchical men namely That Constituens est prius Constituto Rex singui◠major universis minor that The King is greater than any particular single man but less than the whole Body of men in a Nation What an absurd Tenet this is will easily appear if it be duly examined I would fain know of these men whether the King is not bound as much to protect all his Subjects universally as to protect any one singly and are not all then bound no less universally than singly to honour the Kings Sacred Person obey his Commands and assist and defend him in all dangers And another new devised State Quirk they had to wit That the King cannot be without the People but the People may be without a King and so conclude hence The People are more excellent than the King If there be any force in this way of arguing by the same reason it will follow that a Flock of Sheep are more Excellent than a Man because the Shepherd is found out for the Sheep and not the Sheep for the Shepherd for if there were no Flocks of Sheep there would be no need of a Shepherd What a strange Inconsequence there is in this kind of Argument you may easily discern This makes as much to the purpose as that Parson's argument who would undertake to prove the Parish must pave the Church and not he because it was written in the Prophet Paveant illi Ego non paveo or that no man ought to have the Sign of the King's-Head Queens-Head c. hanging at his Dore because the Scripture saith There shall be no sign given but the Sign of the Prophet Jonas We had need be careful we be not infected with such Sectarian Principles these are dangerous Sophisms that lead the way to Rebellion and tend to the Alteration and Subversion of Government therefore as an Antidote and Preservative against such poysonous Positions as these I shall prescribe you to take the wholsome Advice which Solomon gives Fear God and Honour the King and meddle not with them that are given to change or as the Hebrew hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with Rebels and Seditious persons for the word in that language signifies both the former and latter But Gent. that I may come up closer to the business in hand you have heard how necessary Government is and the Excellency of Monarchy above any other kind hath been fully demonstrated to you Now you must know as to the Exercise of this Government that it is in the body Politick as in the Natural body every Member hath its proper Office and place assigned it and all the Members do conspire together for the safety of the whole Body You Gentlemen are called here this day to bear a share in the Executing the Laws of this Government in your Capacities Now as Government cannot consist without Laws so neither is Law of any validity or force without Execution which is the life thereof And here I desire to press this point of Execution because I perceive there is a great defect in that particular And I would not only speak to you Gentlemen but to my self and to you pace quod fiat vestra my noble and worthy Co-adjutators to whom the sacred Oracles of Justice are committed that we may be all stirred up and quickned to the performing of the Duties of our several places It is commonly said in reference to the Preaching of the Gospel that Application is the Life of Doctrine It is so in respect of the Law too for all those great Privileges and rich Commodities which the Law is pregnant with will all prove abortive without this The Law I say hath no strength of it self to bring forth unless the Magistrate obstetricates and puts-to his helping hand by a diligent and serious Application The Law without Execution is like a Cloud without Rain which promises Rain but gives none The Law 't is a deep Well of all things necessary for the support of our well Beeings but the Magistrates are the Buckets wherewith the people draw out the Waters of all their comfortable Enjoyments As a Magistrate without Law is a Workman without his Tools so the Law without a Magistrate is but a dumb Idol He it is that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A Living Law Aristotle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As good no Law at all as not Executed The whole body of the Law without the Soul and Vital heat of Execution to animate and enliven it is but as a Dead Carcass and exposed to Contempt therefore we must do by the Law as we read Elisha did with the Child of the Shunamitish Woman Holy Writ saith that he lay upon the child and put his mouth upon his mouth and his eyes upon his eyes and his hands upon his hands and he stretched himself upon the child and the flesh of the Child waxed warm So we must do by the Law incumbere legi stretch our selves lay out our utmost improved abilities upon it pour into it the Aqua Vitae of Impartial Justice which may Cause it to speak and revive then move it up and down by a Spirit of activity and by our nimble diligence Magistrates are styled Cods in Scripture but if they do not use industry and assiduity in the Execution of the Law these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will be but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meer Idol-Gods and signifie Nothing The Law of it self is like Mephibosheth lame and cannot go unless it leans upon the Staff of the Magistrates Authority Or it is like the Pool of Bethesda which we read of in the Gospel where every diseased person that is infected with any ulcerous sore or Contagion of Vice may be washed from his filthiness and healed but first the Angel must stir the water I mean the Magistrate that is the Tutelar Angel of the Law he must be active and stirring in putting of it in Execution or else it will be of no efficacy Although we stand up to the Chin in the waters of Privileges contained in the Law have never so great a Confluence of them yet we shall but Tantalize and never be able to taste