and dispise it as profane Augustine was of another mind In quaest mixt 35. when he taught That the King hath the Image of God as the Bishop the Image of Christ yea by so much the more excellently doth he expresse the Divine Image by how much the glory of a Judge is more excellent and his Majesty more illustrious then that of the Priest I appeale to your own Consciences good Men what and how great thinke you was the Power of ancient Emperours by whose sacred command Churches have been dedicated Bishops invested the Clergy exempted and Synods assembled in which themselves sate Presidents and confirmed their Decrees thereby establishing the Faith overthrowing Heresie obâ—iging Clergy and Laity to the worship of God oppointing all things requisite for the excercise of Religion and ordering by their Laws the forme of outward Worship and all this they did by a lawfull power as Socrates in prolog l. 5. and as Saint Augustine expresly and elegantly de civit Deil. 5. c. 24. yea to the safety of humane things and necessity of the Church as one of the Popes himselfe has confest Leo ad pulcherimam Augustam where he saith Humane things cannot otherwise be safe than as they pertaine to the Divine Profession and be defended by Regall and Priestly Authority The Power Civill is taken away by the Papist Supreame Princes are obnoxious to the Laws by all Law Naturall Nationall and Positive and it is in the power of the Common-wealth to require againe the authority it has committed to the Prince for the publike good and to exauthorize the King if he shall evilly administer So Parson in Doleman par 1. c. 4. By the Disciplinarian The Tyranny and unjust Violence of the Superiour Magistrate ought to be restrain'd by the ordinary power which in every Polity is either the Inferiour Magistrate or the consent of the People So Paraus in Epist ad Rom. c. 13. quest 4. prop. 2. The Soveraignty is usurped in both by the Papist Judgement concerning the King belongs to the Pope to whom is committed the charge of Religion therefore it is the Popes right to judge the King to be deposed or not to be deposed So Bellarmine de pont l. 5 c. 7. By the Disciplinarian The Presbytery is erected in the Church as Christs Tribunall Who then shall exempt Kings and Princes from their Soveraignty not humane but divine and not be guilty of Treason against the Majesty of Christ So Beza de presb p. 116. Hence forwards let Kings cease their care of Religion the Pope will undertake that charge and so will the Presbytery the Pope in his Kingdome the Presbytery in it's Dominion If any Secular Prince shall put in his sickle to cut down this standing corne of the Popes or this new-sprung hearbe of the Presbytery he shall not escape unpunished the Popes thunderings and the Consistoryes lightnings shall pursue him the People equally bewitched with errour one where assists the Pope another where the Presbytery but every where resists the King that he may learne poore King at length To hold his Scepter and to lay it down At 's Peopl's favour and at 's Peopl's frown About foure yeares since when according to the order of our University after I had taken the degree of Doctor it was imposed upon me to determine a controversie in Divinity my duty did require me to assert the free and absolute Power of Kings against David Paraeus and the Anti-monarchians Which assertion when I had intended to have kept reserved provoked by the rashnesse of an heady young man in Oxford I have presented to publike view having been more severely examined and more largely explained I appeale to thy own Conscience whosoever thou art O Christian and Faithfull Subject whether doth this usurped Tyranny over the Lords anoynted ones favour at all of the Spirit of Truth is not this discording concord of false Brethren fit to be committed to the fire fit to be exploded with the unanimous contempt of all Christians the Fathers of old both thought and writ more holily both according to the Prescript of the divine Law and Rule of the Gospell Tertullian God alone it is in whose power onely Kings are to whom they are second after whom they are first above all men before all Gods in Apologet. Agapetus The Emperour is equall to every man in the naturall essence of Body but equall to a God president over all in the powerfull excellency of Dignity for he has not on Earth any higher than himselfe Therefore it behooves him as a God not to be carryed away with wrath as a Mortall not to be lifted up with pride for though he be honour'd with the divine likenesse yet is he fram'd of the earthly dust whereby he is taught that he preserve a just equallity towards all Paraenet ad Justin Imperat Gregorius Magnus Therefore is there power given to the Emperour from Heaven over all men on Earth that the way to Heaven might be laid open and the further spread that so the earthly Kingdome might be subservient to the Heavenly Epist 91. l. 1. This most sacred Majesty which God himselfe hath ordained Christ confirmed and the Orthodoxe Church perpetually reverenced I now endeavour to vindicate from the injury of seditious men and that with solid Reasons drawn even from Nature the Law of Nations the Civill Law Canon Law the word of God the sayings of the Fathers and the writing of the Protestants All which are so truly fairely and sincerely alledged that I neither feare the Judgement of the Reader nor the calumny of the Adversary Thou pious Reader and Loyall Subject live well and farewell If ought thou know'st that better is to me impart If not use these with me and so thou friendly art The Contents The Question stated Pag. 1. The Terms explain'd pag. 2. The Agreement of Presbyterians and Jesuits pag. 3. The foure Propositions of Paraeus are refuted Concerning 1. the Excommunication of Kings pag. 5. 2. the Power of the inferiour Magistrate pag. 11. 3. the duty of a private Man pag. 47. 4. private revenge in case of necessity pag. 57. The absolute Power of Kings is confirm'd From the Dictate of Nature pag. 68. the Law of Nations pag. 69. the Civill Law pag. 74. the Canon Law pag. 77. the Holy Scriptures pag. 78. the Ancient Fathers pag. 84. the Protestant Divines pag. 85. ANTI-PARAEVS The question Stated The Position It is not lawfull to resist the King violating the Fundamentall Laws of the Kingdome DIvers Men in this our Age have handled this controversie Divers Waies whilst the Pontificians contend to have the Royall Scepter submit to the Roman Purple the Presbyterians to the States of the Kingdome and in some cases to the provoked Multitude and the Protestants to God alone David Paraeus A Palatine Divine in the Year 1612. writ very elegantly coucerning the Lawfull Right of Kings in the behalfe of the then Soveraigne and most potent Prince King of
light of his Age he will cry out prosently an Act just holy and prayse worthy and that not in one place alone but almost in every page of foure Books which he composed to the envie of one Prince and the injury of all Kings Traytors magnified by the Papists Let Parry draw his Dagger he shall forthwith receive Apostolicall Benediction for the Remission of his sins and Salvation of his Soule Let a Monke stab a King he shall be extold in the prayses of slaying Holofernes even this in the Consistory of the Pope Let a Traytor attempt the Destruction of King and Kingdom by Gunpowder he shall be inserted into the Catalogue of Martyrs Let Castellus strik at the throat of a King or break his tooth he shall be honoured to eternity under the name of Franciscus Veronensis Constantinus in the Elogy of John Boucher heare ye Catholike men what the Father the Jesuite thinks of those holy men and Religious If they escape death they are admired as great Worthies if it happen otherwise they fall by their noble endeavours a Sacrifice acceptable to the Gods acceptable to men even to the Memory of all posterity By the Presbyterians Heare also a noble payre of Puritan Brothers Were it lawfull for me to make a Law I would command rewards to be appointed to the slayers of Tyrants not onely by all the People but by each of them as it is commonly wont to be done to them who have slain Wolves or Bears or caught any of their Whelps Buchan de Jure Regni p. 31. All Citizens which are lovers of their Country and which desire the safety of the Commonwealth ought to adjoyne themselves to the inferiour Magistrate against the Supreame and those same men Victory being gotten are to be preferred before the rest in obtaining the dignities of the Kingdom and before them especially who gave back and adjoyned not themselves to him Thus Danaeus de politia Christiana lib. 6. pag. 460. Who doth not abhorre this monstrous kind of Doctrines in disproving whereof he doth but misuse his pains who abounds with leisure and Learning Let passe this pretence Paraeus it is not lawfull for the Subject to resist the King We may not resist the King upon any pretence of Religion or Justice though a Tyrant upon any cause whatsoever either of true Religion or of Justice without injury to the Divine Law the Gospell of Christ and Tradition of the ancient Church Moses had the true cause of Justice who revenged his Brother upon the Ægyptian Peter had a true zeal of Religion when he would have delivered his most innocent Lord oppressed with most horrible injury from the hands of his Persecutors Yet did Moses offend and so did Peter both that I may use the words of Saint Augustine did exceed the rule of Justice he that is Moses offended through the love he had to his Brother and the other that is Peter through the love he had to his Master against Faustus Manichaeus l. 22. c. 70. That which was not lawfull long since for Moses in the behalfe of his Brother that which was not lawfull for Peter in the behalfe of his Master and the Religion of Christ is not at this day lawfull for any man for Religions sake whether it be Roman or Reformed unlesse it be by a New Gospel not yet fully reveal'd to the Christian World That Decree of the ancient Councell held at Eliboris is well known If any shall * That is without lawfull authority break in pieces the Idols and there or then be slain because it is not found commanded in the Gospel or practised by the Apostles it hath pleased us to decree that he be not received into the number of Martyrs Can. 60. Yea the former and purer Church hath detested this Justice and Religion more than either Dog or Serpent of whose praise Saint Augustine speaks De Civit. Dei l. 22. c. 6. The City of Christ though it was a stranger on Earth and had great troops of people against the wicked persecutors yet did it not fight for temporall safety but rather not resist to obtain eternall safety To take up Arms against a Tyrant were it lawfull yet is it not expedient True Religion was alwaies humble and the conserver of Kingdoms The false Religion that hath alwaies set Kings at odds and Arm'd the Subjects against their Superiours from whence it appears this is not the true Religion but such as hath put on the faire shew and specious maske of Piety and the better the Author is of which it boasteth the more detestable it is I will say further were it a thing Lawfull yet were it not a thing expedient For the miserable People whilst they endeavour to shun the Scylla of one Mans Tyranny they fall headlong upon that Charybdis of many Tyrannies All things shall be exposed to devastation and destruction The Peasant will insult over the Nobleman the Servant over his Master the Robber over the Rich the Oppressor over the Citizen the Adulterer over the Matron the Lecher over the Virgin the Pyrat over the Merchant the Thief over the Traveller and the Spoyler over the Husbandman Lastly one Man will be a Wolfe to another This evill â—iberty will endure no Law no Law will make a most miserable Common-wealth when every man may doe what seemeth good in his own eyes as it was in those Dayes when there was no King in Israel The Sixth Moderating Condition David Paraeus A favourable Interpretation being alwaies reserved and the ordering of an unblameable defence according to the Laws Doctor Owen It is not an unblameable Defence but a most detestable Sedition to resist the Superiour The places of Scripture against this Sedition are so clear and manifest that they cannot be eluded by any sly evasion Prov. 20.22 Rom. 12.19 1 Thes 5.15 1 Pet. 3.9 whosoever therefore shall offer violence unto any man not commanded by an ordinate power is guilty of sinning both against the Divine and humane Majesty To the Moderating Conditions he hath adjoyned some Reasons whereof the first is David Paraeus Because the Superiour Magistrate is subject to the Divine Laws and to his Commonwealth which appears in Deut. ch 17. Joshua 1.8 Doctor Owen Paraeus his Reasons answered That the King is subject to the Divine Laws Who denyes he is subject also to the Laws of the Common-wealth though not in the same manner to the Divine Laws absolutely and to the Laws of the Common-wealth not for ' its coaction but direction as Thomas witnesseth The Prince is said to be free from the Laws as concerning the coactive power of the Law because no Man can passe Sentence of Condemnation upon him but as concerning the directive power of the Law he is not free 1.2 quest 96. art 5. ad 3. David Paraeus The Law of God doth not onely forbid Tyranny but also commands it to be lawfully restrained He that sheds Mans Blood c.
Doctor Owen God the only remover of Tyrants He that is Lord of all forbids Tyranny and takes it away when and how he will at his command Jehu unsheaths his Sword where God commands not Peter puts up his Sword even in the cause of Christ For if any will betake himselfe to his Arms without the command of his Superiour he shall presently heare He that striketh with the Sword shall perish by the Sword For God will not have an evill taken away but in a lawfull manner and by lawfull means Though therefore it be just that Tyrants should suffer yet most unjust that Subjects should inflict punishment God brought against Pharaoh Frogs Flyes Locusts Haile and other Plagues of that sort he did not stir up his Subjects against him Against the Kings of Judah and of Israel he armed the Forraigne Enemy not the native Citizen That place in Gen. 9.6 Fevardentius long since wrested to the same sence whom Paraeus now follows but with little credit For God will not that Mans Blood be shed but by a Man Invested with Authority as Saint Augustine concludes directly against Faustus Manichaeus lib. 22. c. 70. but to no Man living is there Power or Jurisdiction given over the Superiour Magistrate as O tho Frisingensis hath it For seeing it is a dreadfull thing to all Men to fall into the hands of the living God to Kings who have none above them but God whom they may fear it is so much the more dreadfull by how much they may si◠with the more freedom in Epist ad Freder Ænobarb David Paraeus Also because the Emperour witnesseth himselfe that he would not that his decrees should have place in judgements against Law but that they become voyd if by chance they be known to depart from Justice and lib. 4. cap. de lege Princip A voice it is worthy the Majesty of a King to professe himselfe bound to his Laws Doctor Owen What shall that which is granted for Publique Peace and Justice sake be turned to an occasion of Parricide Emperours they are the Authors Interpreters and Defenders of the Laws to which they freely submit themselves but are compelled by none That which the Clemency of the King doth indulge to the Prelats Nobles or Commons doth neither diminish His Majesty nor confer upon them any Right or Power above the Prince who so desires more let him consult Barclay against the Monarchomachi lib. 3. cap. 15. the Apology for Kings cap. 34. Saravia de imper author lib. 4. c. 11. Joannes Roffensis de Vsurpata Pontif. potest l. 2. c. 8. David Paraeus Therefore also the Tyranny and Robberies of the Superiour Magistrate ought to be restrained by the ordinary Power which in every Polity is either the Inferiour Magistrate or the consent of the People Doctor Owen Princes though wicked are not to be reviled Tyranny and Robbery are the revilings of Magistrates unbeseeming a Divine not savouring of the Spirit of the Prophets There were very many Kings of the Jews and have been in the Church of Christ who have Reigned Tyrannously Worshipped Idols forcibly drawn their Subjects to Idolatry and afflicted the innocent with horrible injury of whom not one in all the Sacred or Ecclesiasticall History or in the Ancient Fathers is called by the name of Tyrant or Robber if we except but the revilings of Lucifer Calaritanus against Constantius that we may learn that Kings Gods Vicegerents though they abuse that Power are not to be reviled with a reproachfull Tongue The Actions of those who are set over us saith Gregory the Great are not to be struck at by the Sword of the Mouth no not even then when they are judged justly to be reproved but if the Tongue at any time slip out against them though but in the smallest matters it is necessary that the Heart be afflicted in repentance that he may return to himself and seeing he hath offended the Power set over him he may tremble at the judgement of him who hath set the Power over him thus he Pastor part 3. adm 5. fol. 16. This Conclusion gathered from false Propositions is seditious and destructive of all Monarchy For if the chief coercive Power in every Polity be in the Inferiour Magistrate or the consent of the People the World will not have in it one Monarch which let them look to to whom the Power the Right and rule of Government belongs David Paraeus Because it is the duty of the Inferiour Magistrate no lesse then of the Superiour to defend the Life and safety of the Subjects against the horrible injuries and unjust violence of Robbers and Tyrants whether Forraign or Domestick which is proved because of them it is said He is the Minister of God for thy good He is not a terrour to good Works but to the bad He beareth not the Sword in vain he taketh vengeance on him that doth evill c. Doctor Owen Kings not lyable to be punished by the Inferiour Magistrate Paraeus in the Explication of that Text in Gen. 9.6 followed Fevardentius here he is plain Buchanan contrary to the Sence of St. Paul and the unanimous consent of the Church For the actions of Kings cannot be brought to punishment because they have no Man to be a competent Judge over them the Inferiour Magistrate is Subject to the Superiour by whom he suffers the punishment due unto his committed wickednesse the Superiour is held guilty before God alone not before any Mortall Man as Tostatus most truely If any of the Rulers over Ten had sinned he was brought to his tryall before the Rulers over Fifties if any of them had sinned he was brought to his Triall before the Rulers over Hundreds if any of them had sinned he was brought to his tryall before the Heads over the tribes if any of them had sinned he was brought to his tryall before the Seventy Elders if any of them had sinned he was brought to his tryall before Moses if Moses had sinned He had God alone to be His Avenger Thus he upon Numb 25.9 David Paraeus Also because the Inferiour Magistrates are therefore added to the Superiour both that they may be Companions in their Government and also that they may moderate their immense Liberty which therefore when they do bridle they use the Authority and Sword delivered unto them by the Divine Power by a Lawfull calling Doctor Owen A great error of Paraeus discovered and disproved Here Paraeus is shamefully deceived with hazard to them who are so addicted to him as a tryed Man for his singular Learning that they think they may safely Beleive whatsoever he Affirms and Reject whatsoever he Disallowes For there is not in the Sacred Scripture any Foot-step of this Authority which he averts to be delivered by the Divine Power God the disposer and preserver of Politicall Order never instituted this pretended Power God I say not the People designed Moses Josuah and the Judges and guirt them
Electors deprived Winceslaus of the Empire Doctor Owen Done it was I confesse whether done by equity or injury let others determine let him tell us that can What is the Authority of the Imperiall Majesty or what is the Power of the Electorall dignity I am not ashamed to be ignorant who have spent my time in the study of Divine not Politique matters it was doâ—â— also peradventure to the Publique good but is it therefore to be imitated Poyson hath been a Remedy to some which yet the Physicians do not number amongst their wholesome Medicines David Paraeus Lastly Trajanus is praysed in Dion because that delivering the Sword to the Praefect of the Praetorium he said if I command things Just use this for me if unjust against me Doctor Owen Trajanus his Speech to the Tribune of the Souldiers approved Paraeus did not draw the prayse of Trajanus out of the Fountain of Dion but the rivulets of Bucan For Trajanus delivered that Sword not to the Praetorian-Praefect but to the Tribune of the Souldiers The Emperour was indeed worthy of all prayse who freely of his own accord not by any others compulsion did that which was acceptable to God profitable to the Subjects and worthy of an Emperour These and the like favours which Princes vouchsafe of themselves do indeed procure to them the affection and good will of their Subjects but confer upon the People or Inferiour Magistrates no right at all over their Princes David Paraeus Let the judgement also of Luther be seen and of the Divines to the Lawyers of Wittenberge concerning this question and Peter Martyrs Commentaries upon Judges cap. 1. Doctor Owen Luthers â—â—inion concerning this question Luther and the Divines do speak not of a King invested with an absolute Power but of Princes admitted upon condition which as well the writings of Luther as Sleidans Relation of Luther do Witnesse Concerning Tyrannicall and Idolatrous Kings thus did Luther both teach and write What therefore was to be done were the Kings to be banished out of their Kingdoms or Forces to be raised against them No. They were not to be obeyed but the greatest extremities to be suffered which the example of Daniel and of his Companions do declare Thus Luther in Thesaur artic loc de Magistratu When the Duke of Saxony and other Princes of the Empire saith Sleidan met together at Smalcaldia to deliberate concerning the undertaking a defence against the hostile violence if by chance any should happen before the League was entered There were admitted to the Councell not only Lawyers but also Divines Luther he alwayes taught that we ought not to resist the Magistrate But when the Lawyers in this deliberation taught that it was permitted by the Law somtimes in some cases to resist and that they declared that then the matter was brought to that case of which the Laws amongst other things makes mention Luther ingenuously profest that he knew not this was lawfull and because the Politicall Laws are not impugned or abolisht by the Gospell he said a League might be entred for a Defence whether Caesar himself or any other in his name should make war against them Hitherto Sleidan concerning the judgement of Luther Neither has the opinion of Peter Martyr any other meaning This manner of dealing with Authors is very ill that what they have writ concerning one kind of Polity should be wrested to another contrary to their Sense and meaning The Third Proposition David Paraeus It is not lawfull for Subjects meerly private without a Lawfull calling to take up Arms either to invade Tyrants before danger or to defend themselves against them in danger or to revenge themselves upon them after danger if they may be defended by the ordinary Power Doctor Owen These are but deceitfull Flatteries framed to the destruction and eversion of Common-wealths I will not repeate the Vanity of that distinction of Subjects into private Subjects and Inferiour Magistrates this hath been sufficiently discust before Whosoever they are of what name or Title soever they be if they be Subjects they ought not to rise up against their Superiours to resist their Lords with Force and Arms or to remove them from their dignity or deprive them of their Honour because there is no Power given by God or granted by Man to the Inferiour against his Superiour How mischievous that pretence of a lawfull calling it The Pretence of a Lawfull Calling opens a gap to all Impiety and all kind of Injustice It will be an easie thing for any Man to pretend this Lawfull Calling and to accuse even the best Prince of Tyranny Corah Dathan and Abiram will not spare Moses Achitophell will be enemy to David Jeroboam a wicked Servant will thrust out the Son of Solomon A Military fury will lay violent hands upon Alexander Severus Yea the Jews have a Law against Christ the King of Kings and according to that Law he ought to dye Grant it Paraeus that it is lawfull to restrain Kings which Reigne Tyrannically and then no Kings by what calling soever will be safe Although they live Holy and governe Justly yet shall they never satisfie Seditious Men. Theordinary power opposeth Divine Law Reason and Nature The Ordinary Power which Paraeus suggests doth oppose the Divine Law Reason and Nature hath the Son any Power over his Father though cruell Have the Servants any Power over their Lord though churlish Hath the Wife any Power over her Husband though unkind and is the condition of a King any whit worse Every Power which is of God saith the Apostle is an ordinate Power but this Power which he calls Ordinary is not Ordinate which subjects the Superiour to the Inferiour the Head to the Body the Lord to the Servant and the King to the Subject The King is Supreame over all if once he admit a Companion or Superiour he is no longer King To this captious Proposition he hath adjoyned some Reasons which I will briefly run over David Paraeus Because this were to take the Sword away from God and a thing not permitted by the Laws Doctor Owen He that takes it away whether he be a Private Subject or Inferiour Magistrate he shall suffer punishment as a Traytor to the Divine and Humane Majesty David Paraeus Because the Subjects are bound to obey a wicked Magistrate whilst they are not compeld to do any thing against God Doctor Owen These Words are not clearly and plainly enough set down which may be understood two wayes First That the Subjects ought not to obey in those things which the Prince shall command against God This I confesse to be true of which there is no controversie in the Church of God Secondly That the People ought not to obey that Prince any longer in any thing when once he shall command any thing obstinately against God Which opinion the Jesuites and Puritans stifly maintain who contend with all the force they may to perswade the Subjects That
more holy or more orthodoxe Bishops and Priests then under Theodosius yet have they not made known to us this way of avoiding the Violence of Tyranny It is shall be and hath been the common opinion of all Catholicke men agreable to the Writings of the Prophets the Precept of Christ the doctrine of the Apostles and the practise of Christians that the King which sins hath God alone to take vengeance from whom alone he takes his being whose Court he cannot decline and Judgement he cannot elude he ought not to be violated by men although he degenerate into a Tyrant and abuse that power which he hath received from God Which seeing it is so it remains that I weigh well what remains of your new Divinity David Paraeus Because against whom defence by the Magistrate is lawfull against them private defence is lawfull in case of necessity when that which is done by the Magistrate cannot be had because then the Laws arme them also who are private men But in case of necessity defence is lawfull by the Inferior Magistrate against the Superior and by the Superior against the Inferior Therefore also then private defence is lawfull Doctor Owen The absurdity of this reason concerning private defence Paraeus follows his old wont He confounds things different and unlike as if they were the same and by comparing things different he cunningly draws the unwary Reader into the Trappe Those things which are invol'd by him in a multitude of words I will declare more plainly The sonne hath the same Power over the Father that he hath over the Servant the Wife over the Husband which she hath over the Handmayde the Servant over the Master which he hath over the Slave the Marriner over the Ship-Master which he hath over the Pirate The Subject over the Prince which the Traveller hath over the Robber He that proves this shall be crown'd with Hellobore and drinke till he surfeit The purging Iuice that whole Anticyra affords That which follows concerning the threefold Power of the Superiour against the Inferiour and the Inferiour against the Superiour and of private revenge against them both is turned over and over and with it's confused turnings exceeds my capacity neither have I what to answer Yet the Divine Law hath which is the Rule of our words and actions which no man ought to swerve from Concerning the King it is commanded Destroy him not for who can lay his hand on the Lords anointed be guiltlesse 1 Sam. 26.9 Christ the eternall Law-giver and the faithfull Interpreter of the Law given The Apostles whom Christ endued with the graces of the Holy Spirit and with infallibility of Judgement for the direction of all Christians The truely Apostolicall Men and all Christians who in the time of the ten Persecutions have illustrared the whole World with their Faith and Charity and sealed the Orthodoxe Doctrine with their Blood Christ I say the Apostles and Apostolicall Men all patiently suffered Kings most infamouâ— for their Tyranny Wickednesse and Cruelties and not onely patiently suffered but also performed all Honour and Reverence to them and taught all indifferently to doe the same by Word and Example Not for wrath but for Conscience sake as in the presence of the living God who alone is the Witnesse greater then all exception of their innocency and free Subjection That which Christ taught and did a Christian ought not to gainsay and if he doe were he an Angell he shall incurre the heavy course of an Anathema The King that Steward which the Lord not the Servant may cast out Besides the King is the Minister of God and that great Steward which Christ hath set over his whole Family If that Steward shall beginne as that wicked Servant in the Gospell to despise his Lord to neglect his duty to smite his Fellow-Servants to eate drinke and be drunken it is not in the power of the whole Family not of the Pope not of the States of a Kingdome not of the promiscuous Vulgar if they be in the Family of Christ to remove the Steward constituted and for over them all by their Lord the comming of him that appointed him is to expected who alone can call the Steward to account and put him out at his pleasure Therefore Paraeus you do talke in vaine of a lawfull Means to depose Kings quest 3. pag. 49. Yet neither can commend the Author nor designe the Executor nor determine the forme thereof I inquire for the Authour in the Word of God not in your Commentary's which being without witnesse is without Reason and deserve no beleife I desire the executour not confirmed by humane Appointment but by Divine Authority It is Adulterate Impious and Sacrilegious saith Cyprian which is instituted by humane presumption that the divine ordinance should be violated That which you inculcate concerning the Brethren of the Kingdome is a meere Dotage and has no being but in your braine God is not the Authour of this Anarchy neither may man be the Executor One man compared with another is either his Superiour his Equall or his Inferiour the Superiour is no way 's Subject to the Inferiour the Inferiour is every way Subject to the Superiour and an Equall has no Rule over his Equall That the matter may be the more evident in this Supposition view well the Jewish Polity The manner of the Jewish Polity with the degrees and order thereof the Decurians are above the people the Quinquagenarians above the Decurians above them the Centurians over whom the Tribunes bear rule over them the Seventy Elders of whom Moses alone is Judge who is Subject neither to each severall nor to all joyntly but to God alone He himselfe that I may use the words of Ambrose was held by no Laws because Kings are free from the bonds of offences and are not cal'd to puishment by any Laws being secure in the power of their Empery Thus he upon the 50 Psalme As concerning the Meane themselves I deny not but that there are some ordained by Christ which the Saints long since have used The meanes to avoyd or destroy Tyranny and Christians ought alwayes to use such as are Flight Patience Prayers and Teares Christ himselfe sought his safety by Flight The Martyrs offer'd up their Soules to God with patience and by Patience the Confessours preserv'd the Faith entire By Prayers the Sons of the Church have still overthrown the Tyrants whose Ensigne-Bearer and Captain of the Lords Host Saint Ambrose has these words I know not how to warre I know how to greive I can weepe I can mourne against Arms Souldiers Gothes my teares are my we apons otherways I neither can nor ought to resist In his Oration against Auxentius post Epist 32. Basil the great well appointed for Battell I will not saith he betray the Faith through the losse of Goods through Banishment or Death I have no wealth more than a torne Garment and a few Bookes I sojourne
on Earth as ever about to leave it my weake Body having received one stripe will over come the sense of Paine and all Torments In Lonicer theatr historic pag. 154. To him adhears Chrysostome no light-armed Souldier When I was driven from the City I said within my selfe if the Queen will have me a Banished Man let her banish me the Earth is the Lords and the fulnesse thereof and if she will cut me into two let her cut me Isaiah suffer'd the like if she will cast me into the Sea I will call to mind Jonah if she will cast me into the Furnace the three Children suffer'd the same if she will throw me to the Wild Beasts let her throw me I will remember Daniel cast into the Den of Lyons If she will stone me let her stone me I have Stephen the Proto-Martyr my companion If she will take away my head let her take it I have Iohn Baptist my Companion and if she will take away my Substance let her take it naked came I out of my Mothers wombe and naked shall I returne in Epist ad Cyriacum Let Bernard that stout Champion come upon the Stage Whatsoever you please to doe with your Kingdome with your Soul and your Crown we the Sonns of the Church can by no means dissemble the injury's contempt and trampling upon our Mother Verily we will stand and fight unto Death if need be for our Mother with those arms that are lawfull not with shields and with swords but with prayers and teares unto God Epist 221. Those men scarce hoped for Glory in the Heavenly Country unlesse it were by patience in the way on Earth they would not be delicate Members under a thorny Head Since Paraeus is conceited otherwise let him raise himselfe a Ladder that he may climbe up to Heaven alone David Paraeus The second Reason Because to take away publicke or private defence against the horrible cruelty of Tyrants were to confirme their licentiousnesse infinite whereby civill Society would be plainly destroy'd and especially the Church because the worse part would take away the better Doctor Owen Publique or private defence by Arms how dangerous The second Reason is grievous to Kings unprosperous to Subjects and odious to all Peaceable Men because it will make the multitude so insolent and unruly that they will obey neither the Laws nor their Kings if they shall displease them and will open not a Window onely but even a large Gate to men for the still devising and attempting new Matters under the pretence of restoring the Common-Wealth For the reverence of Supreame Power being taken away and Majestie contemn'd wicked hands will soone be upon any man and the best Kings shall perish by the same fate that Tyrants So in humane things there shall be nothing kept sacred or inviolate as the Ancients have observed and they who are now alive do perceive and bewaile The Society of men is made firme and the communion of Saints preserved not by Humane Prudence but by the Divine Providence that it cannot be destroyed by any â—â—â—elty of Tyranny He that is our God doth permiâ—â—â—ranny when and how long he will's and doth dispose of the Ministry of Tyrants to the Punishment of Impiety and Tryall of Faith Neither is he lesse mercyfull and gracious when he castneth our offences by cruell Tyrants for the salvation of the perishing Soule than when he bestow's Blessings upon us by mercyfull Princes for the comfort of this present Life Neither can the worse part take away the better because God will not give his holy ones as a prey unto their teeth who casts his Vessell into the Furnace of Tribulation to strengthen not to breake it and Tyranny doth keepe under Gods people that they may be pressed for their amendment not oppressed for their ruine whence Theodoret saith As often as Tyrants sit at the sterne of the Common-Wealth or cruell Lords administer the Houshold affaires the wrath of God is to be appeased by holy Prayer and serious amendment of Life and a mitigation of the present difficulties and troubles is to be prayed for Thus he de provident orati 7. which good and wholesome Remedy the ancient Christians had try all of whose Glory was in the Crosse How the ancient Christians behaved themselves under Tyrants and whose Triumph was in Patience who as long as they could they willingly enjoyed the benefit of Life and when they could not they willingly endured the sharpenesse of Death alwayes faithfull to their God in under going Martyrdome least they should offend the Divine Majesty Loyall to the King not in doing the Sinne he commanded but in suffering the Punishment he inflicted Paraeus he describes a Remedy worse than the Disease wherewith as it were with a Butchers Knife he cuts off the King from the Common-Wealth and makes the inferiour Members to rule over the Head even against Nature by subjecting the Supreame Magistrate to the ordinary Power of the Inferiour Magistrate and when this Power cannot be implored to the private revenge of the Tumultuous People which Remedy God did neither institute before the Law nor establish in the Law nor vouchsafe by the Prophets nor reveal by Christ nor promulge by the Apostles nor publish by the Catholike Fathers nor decree by Orthodox Councells whereby I the more wonder that this man of no small learning and verst in the Sacred Scriptures Ancient Fathers and Ecclesiasticall History should so rashly turne aside from the Law of God the Gospell of Christ the Doctrine of the Apostles and opinion of the purer Church to the errour of the Modern Anti-Monarchians David Paraeus Without doubt the Law of God doth not so establish the licentiousnesse of Tyrants that in the meane time humane society be destroyed Doctor Owen Note God shall henceforward sit idle in Heaven neither taking care of the Earthly Kingdomes nor holy Church let all perish and come to ruine if the Ambitious States or Seditious Commons do not come in to helpe What else is this but to exalt the Arm of Flesh the Wisdome of this World the humane that I may not say Devillish Power above God himselfe and against his divine Ordinance to the subversion of Piety the destruction of Peace and ruine of all Common-Wealth All Lawes are either given by God or established by Man that men may live peaceably and holily in a Common-wealth and that those things may be avoyded which doe hinder either Peace or Holinesse I appeale to your own Conscience Paraeus is it not better safer and securer to the propogation of piety and preservation of peace to suffer the Tyranny of one though more cruell than Nero than to set all the Members of the Common-Wealth at odds and to cast the whole State upon the greatest and most certain Dangers For the King cannot be so destitute and forlorne but that he will have many of the States of his Kingdome to be joyned with him and companions of his
wickednesse with whose helpe he being assisted he cannot forcibly be reduced unto order without bloody Slaughters and the publike Calamity But a Kingdome never becomes so miserable under that King though most cruell as for the most part it happens to be in a civill Warre Gods providence in the order of Superiority So that God seems in nothing more to have provided for the publike good than by setting the Superiour above the Inferiour and subjecting the Inferiour to the Superiour that no man presume to rise up against the King whom God hath placed above all and being so placed he hath not left to humane Tryall but reserved to his divine Judgement He blasphemes therefore against Heaven who attempts evil in heart mouth or hand against a Tyrant justly possest of his Kingdome And thus farre concerning the Propositions of Paraeus and the Reasons of them not good and well applyed Reasons but weake and frivolous framed to the deceiving of the People and ruining of Kings and their Kingdomes I will now returne to the confirming the truth of my Assertion concerning the absolute power of Kings Those men agree well amongst themselves concerning the thing it is concerning the manner that Bellarmino Danaeus and Paraeus do contend neither may we see the contrary in the rest of the Followers of both Sects I insist onely upon these three because they are of so great note amongst their followers that none of the Papists will contradict Bellarmino none of the Puritans gainsay Danaeus and Paraeus Know these and know all The first Reason of the absolute power of Kings from the Dictate of Nature Nature it selfe doth oppose this Puritan-Papisticall Tenet from which fountain the Authority of Rule the Necessity of Obedience the Honesty of Life the filthinesse and punishment of Vice the goodnesse and reward of Vertue do streame forth And those Wise Men whose Prudence in making Laws Antiquity so much admires discerning good from evill just from unjust honest from dishonest have published most wholesome Laws Whence Basil the great The Princes of the whole Earth are sacred even for the propriety of nature it selfe to good who her selfe bestows this Empery upon them in psal 44. In this saith Cyprian whole Nature doth agree there is one King to the Bees one Captaine among the Flocks one Governour among the Herds de vanitate Idol St Ambrose lib. 6. cap. 21. concerning the works of the six Dayes he observes an admirable dispensation of Nature in the hives of Bees Bees defend their Kings with the chiefest protection they think it honourable to dye for the King the King being insafety they alter not their judgement they change not their mind the King being lost they forsake their faith of keeping their offices because he who had the principallity is slaine The same hath Hierome lib. 1 epist 3. Let him that fights against Monarchs goe to the Bees let him consider their wayes that he may learne to feare God and honour the King From the dictate of Nature I hasten to the Law of Nations the Lawyers call that the Law of Nations which is equally observed by all Nations Whence Augustine It is a generall covenant of humane society to obey their Kings confess lib. 3. cap. 8. The second Reason of the immunity of Kings from the Law of Nations Although the Acts of Ancient Kings for a great part of them are lost by the injurie of the Times or sloth of Men yet from them that are extant in the Reliques of Historyes it will evidently appear both that all Nations have obeyed their Kings and that all Kings have excercised an absolute Authority circumscribed with no bounds of conditions Let the Annalls of all Nations be turned over it shall no where be found that such a bridle is cast over Kings that they must submit their scepters to the will of the People or that they should receive from the Nobles a Law to moderate their Royall Jurisdiction Which thing Cicero hath observ'd in his oration for King Deiotarus before Caesar most expert in the Law and History ' s. It is so unusuall a thing saith the Oratour for a King to be guilty of a capitall crime that before this time it was never heard of Artabanus also Vice-Roy of Persia not without a Jeere deriding the lightnesse of the Graecians mocked Themistocles You Grecians saith he care for nothing more than Liberty and Equallity but we Persians do think it most excellent and most sacred of all things to give Honour and Reverence to the King as to the Image of the living God who rules and governs this whole World What Artabanus delivered by the instinct of Nature Augustine and others of the Ancients delivered by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost whose sayings produced in their place will have the more Weight That which those Politicall Divines do so often repeate concerning the Lacedemonians Athenians and Romans is a meere dreame After that Theopompus the last King of the Spartans had joyned to his Sonne and his future Successors the Ephori the name of King became an empty Title amongst the Lacedemonians having altogether lost the authority which before Theopompus all the Kings had absolute and most free The Athenians after that they ceased to be under Kings they endured no kind of Government long being impatient of the present and desirous of new at length they were ruined by an Anarchy The People of Rome bewiched with the sweetnesse of liberty after the example of the Graecians they changed their Kingdome into a Democracy and established a Law never to reduce their Kings But by their forraigne Warres and civill Discords they learnt at last that there was no Remedy for their decaying Country but to be governed by one Therefore they created a dictator of a free Power and Rule free from giving any account of his Words and Actions from whom there should be no appeale and to whom was permitted to imprison punish with bonds or death any man of the Nobles or of the Patrician Order the cause not declared What the Puritans have devised concerning the States of the Kingdom in England France and Scotland I dare not call them old wives fables since that they are shamful lyes so lately broached For how great the Power and how sacred the Majesty of our Kings is I had rather draw from the full fountain of the ancient Parliaments of this Kingdom and of men most expert in the Laws of England living in former ages then from the muddy standing pooles of Modern Politicks There is in Thomas de Walsingham an Epistle in the name of the whole Kingdome from the Parliament held at Lincolne about the Yeare 1301. inscribed to the Romane Bishop wherein the Lords Spirituall and Temporall with all the Commons doe speake to the Bishop concerning the preheminence of the King of England in these words following We know most holy Father and it is a thing notorius from the first institution of the Kingdome of England as
well in the times of the Brittains as of the English that certaine and direct power of Rule hath belonged to the King and that the Kings of England by the free preheminence of the Royall Dignity and by the custome observed at all times have not answered neither ought to answer any thing before any Ecclesiasticall or Secular Judge c. Henry de Bracton Lord Cheife Justice of the Kings Bench under Henry the third a Man most learned in the English Laws hath these words There are under the King free men and servants and all under him and he under none but God onely If a man be injured by the King since no urit can run against the King there is place left for petition that he would correct and amend his fact if he do not it shall be a sufficient punishment that he may expect God his avenger Concerning Royall Charters or the Acts of Kings neither private persons nor Justices ought to dispute This is cited in that Oration of the most honourable Lord Elismer Viscount Bareley late Chancellour of England most expert in the Laws of England which oration he made in the Exchequer chamber in the yeare 1609. pag. 108. it is cited also by the Lord Bishop of Rochester de usurp pontif potest lib. 1. cap. 8 What was the authority of the States of France in former times over their Kings which offended Pasquerius doth relate lib. 1. antiquit Gallic Lewis the 11. did urge the Senatours and Councellours that they would be the Authours of a certain Edict which they refused to doe because it seemed to be unjust The King full of wrath threatned death to the whole Senate Vacarius the President of the Councell approched the King with the whole Senate clothed in Purple the King astonished at the comming of the Senate all in Purple he asked wherefore they came and what they would Vacarius answered for them all We seek for death which thou so wrathfully threatned us with Know this O King we will assuredly dye rather than do any thing against our Consciences and duties Thus Pasquerius Those States had learned not to punish the King offending but to lay down their lives at the will and command of the King And in their generall Councell held at Paris Anno Domini 1614. it was propounded That there was no earthly power spirituall or temporall which hath any right over the Kings of France to remove the sacred persons of Kings from their dignity or to absolve their Subjects from their Loyalty and Obedience which they for ever owe them upon any cause or pretence whatsoever When the Scotch Nobility had endeavoured Sedition against Ferchardus the most wicked King of the Scots Colmannus the Bishop did restrain them and admonished the King that the divine vengeance would shortly overtake him The King a while after being wounded at a hunting sick of the lousie disease he cryed out That all the evills were befalne him because he hearkned not to the holy Bishop when he so well admonished him Afterwards Colmannus comforting him he repented and quietly departed Well done good and faithfull Bishop Thou recalledst the People and Nobles from Insurrection thou repressedst the Seditious thou didst openly admonish the King and that modestly yet freely too thou didst not doe it privily with raylings to the stirring up the people Thou perswadedst that he is not to be chastised at the pleasure of the States but left to the divine Revenge I will adde some heads of the Royall Law among the Scots out of Hector Boethius lib. 12. In profane matters let no man determine the Law but whom the Royall Majesty shall appoint Let all Law be determined Assemblies cited Councells called in the name of the King alone Let no man obtain the Magistracy by any other than the Kings authority If any man shall sweare Allegiance to any but the King let the crime be Capitall Let no man possesse ground farme or field by any other then the Royall Authority If any man shall enter league with another professing faith and loyalty against any man let him be punished with death If any man without the command of the King shall have men in Arms let him expiate his crime with death If any of the Nobles shall contract affinity with those of another Dominion let him be punished with Death These and more like unto these are to be found in Boethius As for other Kings and Kingdomes let them look to it whom it concerns So that we have the Imperiall highnes of our Lord and King then which the Sunne hath not seen any thing more just more learned or more holy preserved whole and entire against all the machinations of Papists and of Puritans Blessed be the name of the Lord who in these our day's wherein he foresaw so many scandalls of Hereticks and Schismaticks would arise hath placed King James in the height of this Dominion to the comfort of the Christian World the increase of the Catholick Faith and the safety of the Churches Peace that the Royall Power and the Sacerdotall Office may still flourish The third Reason of the Royall Prerogative from the authority of the Civill Law Amongst the Interpreters of the Civill Law doe every where meet us these expressions of the Emperour that he is the a The Emperour doth punish his Subjects wheresoever they offend and the Reason is because he is of Right the Lord of the World So Baldus C. lib. 4. tit 42. de Eunuehis Lord of the World b Although he be the Vicar of God Baldus C. lib. 6. tit 8. de jure aureorum annulorum Gods Vicar on earth c Jacobus Omphalius lib de officio potest princip c. 10 the living Law d The Prince hath the fulnesse of Power Baldus again lib. 4. tit 52. de commun rerum alienat the fulnesse of Power e The Prince is free from the Laws because he is subject to none neither is judged by others Hostiensis Sum. lib. 1. Rubr. 32. de officio legati and he cites ff lib. 1. tit 3. l. 30. where the same words are had the free and f The King in his Kingdome can do all things even out of the fulnesse of power Corsetus Siculus tract de potest Reg. part 5. num 66. absolute Power g He that disputes concerning the power of the Prince whether he hath done well or no he is sacrilegious So the Marginist upon Angelus Perusinus C. lib. 9. tit 29. de crimine sacrilegii l. 2. Disputation concerning the Priviledge of the Prince is sacrilegious h Instit lib. 1. tit 2. de jure natural Gent. civil and Claudius Cantiuncula in the same place that which pleaseth the King hath the force of a Law i To restraine the Supreame Power belongs to them who neither acknowledge the Imperiall Power nor how great a distance their is between a private fortune and the Regall Dignity Doctores in
speaketh concerning the Kings of the Gentiles the Polity of the Jewes was not as yet constituted by the hand of Moses by me Kings raigne and Princes decree justice saith the Holy Ghost Prov. 8. Christ witnesseth that Pilat's power was given him from Heaven Saint Paul hath writ that there is no power but of God From him is the Emperour from whom he is Man before he be Emperour saith Tertullian From him he hath his power from whom he hath his spirit And as Irenius hath it The Earthly Kingdome is appointed by God for the benefit of the Gentiles and by whose command Men are borne by his command Kings are made Augustine is yet more plain and more full It is God alone who gives earthly Kingdomes both to the good and to the bad and this not rashly or as it were by chance because he is God but according to the order of things and of the times hidden from us but most open to himselfe Thus Augustine de Civ Dei lib. 4. cap. 33. Yet do the Papists and Puritans devise many things out of the Scriptures a thing usuall with Hereticks contrary to the genuine meaning thereof with which I will not detaine you they are so unsound and unsavory that they will deceive no man but such an one as is voyde of Reason or altogether ignorant of ancient History I have already spoken of Paraeus Bellarmine and Danaeus do most of all insist upon Examples of the tenne Tribes who revolted from their naturall King to a man of servile condition of the Men of Libnah and the Edomites who rebel'd against Joram And of the Kings Amaziah Vzziah and of the Queeen Athaliah to which I answer The defection of the tenne Tribes from their naturall King to Jeroboam the Rebellion of the Edomites and of the men of Libnah and the slaughter of Amaziah by the men of Jerusalem doe containe the Truth of the thing done but not the equity of the fact as Augustine most truly We may not therefore believe a thing must be done because we reade that it hath been done least we violate the Precept whilst we follow the Example In the History of Vzziah and Athaliah I see no difficulty nothing is there done which is not according to the equity of Reason and the prescript of the Law Vzziah being diseased could not be conversant in the affaires of the Kingdome by reason of the contagiousnesse of his disease he is removed from the company of the Courtiers and assembly of the People In the mean while his Sonne govern's the Common-wealth in his Fathers stead yet before the death of Vzziah he neither affected the name nor assumed the title of King And as for Athaliah Jehoida the Chiefe Preist shewed the surviving Sonne of the deceased King whom he had six yeares hid from the fury of Athaliah the Murderesse of the Royal ofspring to the Princes and Centurions whom he had gathered together at Jerusalem They all acknowledge the Child their true King being so acknowledged they crown him being crowned they salute him with joyfull acclamations God save the King after that neither by their own nor by the Priestly Authority but in the name of the lately crown'd King they deposed Athaliah as guilty of Treason and Murder by force and arms Jehoiada acted the chiefe part but not as chiefe Priest but as chiefe of the Tribe of Levi being ancient in yeares expert in the divine Law provident against the dangers which are imminent the Preserver of the young King and the next Kinsman The law of God doth not permit to touch Kings with a violent hand to revile them with a rayling tongue or to thinke of them with a malicious heart The Gospell of Christ forbids resisting Tyrants Peter and Paul forbid resisting Persecutors and Slayers of Christians Bellarmine answers that Laicks of what order or dignity soever they are are thus bound by the Law Gospell and Apostolicall Precepts but not the Roman Bishop the Vicar of Christ and the universall Lord of the whole World for which he is stiled by Danaeus the grand Impostor a flatterer of Capitoline Jove a Lyor a Blasphemer and a Mad-Man But saith Paraeus in his foresaid book pag. 49. The Pope and the Church have not power to depose a King that is an Infidell because deposing ought to be according to the Laws But the Laws do not grant this power to the Pope and to the Church but to the Brethren of the Kingdome and as Danaeus hath it it belongs to the godly States in every Common-wealth to chastise those Kings which offend and depose those which are obstinate The Pontificians againe cry out a Puritan by whom he is stiled an Atheist a Politician and Seditious and affirme that this power of chastising Kings and deposing them doth no wayes properly belong to the Barons or Peeres of the Kingdome or to the Multitude for the defect of coactive Jurisdiction which Vassalls for so they speak have not against their Lords So Jaco Anthon. Marta de jurisdict lib. 1. c. 23. num 18. and Carerius de potest Pontif. lib. 2. cap. 3. num 6. Whether Learned Sirs will you have the Pope or the Popular State the Avenger and Judge of wicked Kings Neither I confesse ingeniously doth please me But that I may ingratiate my selfe into their favour whom I so lately provoked I suppose both opinions to be true that all Kings Emperours and supreame Magistrates are obnoxious to the Pontifician and to the Tribunitian Power Yet that any man be justly condemned the course of the Court it selfe doth require these two things the desert of the Crime and the order of Power I would have those Puritan-Papists to tell us from whence this Pontificiall and Popular power is Without doubt it is not from Christ who yeilded both obedience and tribute to Tyberius Caesar no good Emperour who reproved Peter smiting with the sword and commanded him to put it up Not from Paul who will have every soule subject to the higher Powers Not from Peter who subjecteth all without difference to the King and to those not Tribunes which are constituted by the People not Legates which are sent out from the Pope but Magistrates which are appointed by the King from whence it necessarily followes that all coactive power and secular dignity doth issue from the King whose sacred Majesty he that violates shall be guilty of treason not so much against the humane as against the divine Majesty and what Bernard long since said ad Archiepiscop Senonens may I now say to the Commonalty and Nobility Let every Soul be subject if every soule then yours who hath exempted you from the generallity the that endeavours to exempt attempts to deceive rest not upon their councells who though they be Christians yet thinke it a disgrace either to follow the example or obey the precepts of Christ Epist 24. The sixth Reason from the Authority of the Fathers In the primitive Church of an unspotted faith
ANTI-PARÆUS OR A Treatise in the Defence of the Royall Right of KINGS Against Paraeus and the rest of the Anti-Monarchians whether Presbyterians or Jesuits Wherein is maintained the unlawfulnesse of opposing and taking up Arms against the Prince either by any private Subject inferiour Magistrate the States of the Kingdom or the Pope of Rome Confirm'd from the dictate of Nature the Law of Nations the Civill and Canon Law the Sacred Scriptures Ancient Fathers and Protestant Divines Delivered formerly in a Determination in the Divinity Schooles in CAMBRIDGE April the 9 th 1619. And afterwards enlarged for the Presse by Learned Dr. OWEN Now Translated and Published to confirme Men in their Loyalty to their King By R. M. Master in Arts. Printed at York by Stephen Bulkley 1642. To the Honourable Sr. THOMAS GLEMHAM KNIGHT Collonell Generall and Governour of the CITY of YORK Sir A Brest Fortified with Loyalty is the CITY of Refuge this Worke flyes to whereof your Noble Selfe being Governour it craves with Boldnesse a Gracious Entrance and doubts not of your Favourable Protection If my particular Duty did not engage me your Noble Worth would soone Invite me to Dedicate my Labours to your Honourable Patronage for who shall better Patronize that Worke whose Subject is Loyalty than he who is a Loyall Subject who better encourage the Pen in the Cause of Kings than he who with Glory hath engaged his Sword in the Kings Cause But Sir I will not detract from your Worth by presuming to declare it being a thing better known by your Actions than I can expresse by Words Onely this whilest this CITY gloryes so much in being under your Government the Souldiers under your Command give the Scholler leave to glory in being under your Patronage Goe on Sir in your Loyalty to the Crown and God shall Crown your Loyalty let your aime still be Gods Glory and your Soveraignes Honour and that shall make for your Soules Happynesse and this Kingdomes Peace Sir York March the 10. 1642. Your most humbly Devoted Servant R. MOSSOM To the Reader wishing Loyalty and Peace COurteous Reader If thou enquirest after the Author know he was a Man of so much Piety as to write nothing but what his conscience told him was the Truth and of so much Learning as to maintaine the Truth he writ Howsoever then thou dost censure the weaknesse of the Translatour yet cast no aspersion upon the Authour Let him Rest who is departed to his Eternall Rest and hath left this Worke as a Lecture of Loyalty which if thou readest shall either helpe to convince thy Conscience or without Repentance to condemne thy Soule Take heed therfore to thy self that whilst thou resists a Gratious King thou resist not the Holy Spirit too who is the Spirit of Truth It is as well out of love to thy Soule as duty to my Soveraigne that I have published this present Treatise in thy Mothers Tongue That if thou hast lift up thine hand against thy King in Rebellion thou mayst lift it up again to God in Prayer for Pardon and that as thou desirest to professe thy self a true Christian thou mayst declare thy selfe a true Subject This Worke was written above twenty yeares since and therefore free from the prejudice of the Times envy and flattery And know such hath bin my faithfulnesse in the Translation that I have rather chosen to lose of the Lustre of the Stile than to detract from the Sincerity and Truth of the Matter The Language is plaine being intended especially for the Vulgar who most need instruction in this lesson of Loyalty their disobedience arising from their Weaknesse though others from their Wilfulnesse whose Judgement will be the greater Let me prevaile with thee Christian Reader to lay aside all private Respects which may prejudice the Truth of this Worke for Saint Augustines rule is most firme quamdiu blanditur sibi dulcis est iniquitas amara est veritas Truth will taste bitter to that Palate which pleaseth it selfe with the sweetnesse of Impiety Do thou with as much Sincerity read as the Authour writ and when thou art convinct in judgement how great an Impiety it is to rise up against a most Wicked Prince consider what an height of Impiety they arise to who rise up against a most Pious King if they receive to themselves Damnation who resist a Nero a persecuting Emperour what shall they receive to themselves who take up Arms against our Charles a most gracious Soveraigne if it be a Sinne to oppose that King who violates how great a Sinne is it to injure thy King who protects the Laws of the Kingdome I will not detayne thee longer from that Satisfaction thou shalt receive in perusing this Booke there thou shalt find all the Adversary's objections fully answered the truth it selfe fully cleared be obedient to the Truth and I doubt not but thou wilt be loyall to thy King If otherwise take this with thee at thy Farewell Qui insurgit in Christum Domini insurgit in Dominum Christi he that riseth up against the Anoynted of the Lord riseth up against the Lord of the Anoynted The Preface AFter that the People of Israel had escaped the darkenesse of Ægypt and the Wildernesse they were infested from the East by the Ammonites from the West by the Philistines from the North by the Assyrians and from the South by the Ægyptians So even now the Faithfull Flocke is every where from every place Impugned whilst Tyranny rageth Heresie prevaileth Schisme overspreadeth Hypocrisie deceiveth and all Impiety encreaseth against the soundnesse of Faith the fervour of Charity and the integrity of Life to the seducing if it were possible the very Elect of God whom Christ hath committed also to the Trust of Kings by whose Laws the Church is fortified and by whose Arms she is defended against the incursion of the Enemyes the perfidiousnesse of Heresie the divisions of Schisme the flattery 's of Hypocrisie and the corruption of Manners Deceitfull Ministers leave no stone unmoved that they may exclude the King from the charge committed to him which they endeavour by denying the Authority Regall in matters Ecclesiasticall by taking away the Royall Power in matters Politicall and by usurping the Soveraignty in both The Authority Ecclesiasticall is deny'd by the Papists Christians ought to be subject to Kings as Supreame that is true indeed but in those things only which appertain to the State Politicke So Bellarm. de Pontif. l. 1. c. 7. By the Disciplinarian The Civill Power is referr'd to things Earthly and Temporall but the Ecclesiasticall is referr'd to things Spirituall and which appertaine to the Worship of God from whence it is that the Ecclesiasticall Power is usually stiled jus poli the right of Heaven the Civill jus soli the right of Earth So Bucan loco 43. Sect. 5. Majesty must creepe on the ground whilst those our Spirituall Masters placed in the Clouds doe from high behold it below them
Great Brittain France and Ireland against the Papall Usurpation against Bellarmine Becanus and other Popish Parasites of the same mold The Printer Dedicated that Tract to the same Soveraigne in which the foundation of that Pontifician Tower is rased the sophisticall disputes of Bellarmine are confuted the vain Arguments of Becanus refell'd and the cunning Impostures of the Canonists forcibly retorted Yet as if he had drunke deep of the * A Lake that Watereth the Borders of Genevah and Lausama Lemanian Lake he brandishes the inferiour Magistrates Sword against Kings and greatest Emperours and affords no lesse dangerous than impious Arms to the confused and incomposed multitude and this in many parts of that Tract out of which receive these few selected The violence and tyranny of the Superiour Magistrate ought to be restrained by the Ordinary Power which in every Polity is either the inferiour Magistrate or the consent of the People This David Paraeus has quaest 4. Tract de potest civ rat 1. Against Bellarmine Becanus Danaeus Paraeus and the rest so devoutly addicted to the Popedome or the Presbytery I confidently aver That neither the Roman Bishop the States of a Kingdome nor the Tumultuous Commons have any power over Kings which offend or violate the Laws which they call Fundamentall and this I shall manifest and evince by many strong Reasons that I may give some light to the weaker sort of Men distracted with variety of Opinions that as Men placed in a Watch-Tower they may a far off discover or as Men sayling in the Haven they may without danger escape those gulfes of errors and Whirle-Pooles of Falshoods with which the Writings of Papists and Puritans do plentifully abound But in the first place to the taking away all ambiguity I will explain the Terms of the Question The Terms of the question explained I call him King who hath a Supreame Power subject to none In the Word Resist I comprehend all Power of gainsaying all commotion or confederacy against the Royall Majesty a Violator of the Fundamentall Laws is according to the Theologicall Politicks such an one as doth overthrow either all or the chiefest establisht Laws of the Common-wealth The Puritan-Papists tell us the Fundamentall Laws are I know not what contracts or conditionall Covenants betwixt the King and the People entred and establisht by Oath at the Kings first Inauguration which being broken they will have the People free and loose from all Bonds of Allegiance and Religion to their Soveraignes the Kings being ipso factor null and devested of all authority As if that Sacred Majesty given by God were confer'd by the People and that upon certain conditionall Laws at whose pleasure it is to be resigned Which madnesse I will clearly refute from the Dictate of Nature the Law of Nations the Civill Law Canon Law from Sacred Scripture Orthodox Fathers and the most famous Pastors of the reformed Church who as they have bid adieu to the Popedome so have they not sworn to the Dictates of the novell Presbytery But first give me leave to shew the seditious agreement of Papists and Puritans against the Majesty of Kings The agreement of Papists and Puritās against the Majesty of Kings Robert Bellarmine an excellently Learned Cardinal most accurately skilfull in unloosing the Knots of Controversies yet Lib. 5. de Pontif. he doth so involve this power of restraining Kings with so many subtilties that he receives no better stile from Carerius than Atheist and Politician Yet under the Maske of Mathaeus Tortus doth he impose the same upon the English Papists as the foundation of the Catholique Faith And in a Tract concerning the Temporall Power of the Pope against Barclay he concludes the same clearly and briefly from many Arguments reduced to foure heads First from the authority of some Writers Italian French Spanish German and English of whom Gregory the seventh is the first Nicholas Sanders the last he the Head this the Tayle of that Beast in the Revelations Secondly from good Scripture but bad interpretation Thirdly from politicall Reasons Lastly from Examples Of all them which stand on the Presbyterian side Lambertus Danaeus is the most Learned and in resolving controversies the most perspicacious After those many and wearisome labours against the Pontificians and Lutherans when he was now grown old he put forth his Christian Politie as his last work and in lib. 3. c. 6. he propounds as he calls it this noble question whether Christian Men and Pious Subjects may with a good Conscience change and abrogate a constituted Polity and chuse to themselves another He answers That the Supream Magistrate violating the Fandameutall Laws of the Kingdom may be deposed by godly Subjects and that with a good Conscience And lib. 3. c. 6. he affirmes That Judgement upon the Superiour Magistrate who exceeds the bounds of his duty or performs not his duty as he ought belongs to the States of the Kingdome And this he endeavours to fortifie with a soure square Army like to the Macedonian Phalans First from Politicall Reasons Secondly from the authority of Gods Word Thirdly from the Opinions of the Prudent namely John Calvin Brutus Junius and George Bucanan Lastly from Examples and those of the Ancients namely the People of Israel the Lacedemonians Athenians and Romans also those of later times namely French Spanish Germans English and Scotch And against Bellarmine Controvers 3. lib. 3. c. 7. he confesseth plainly That the King which is an Hereticke ought to be depesed but that not by the Bishop of Rome but by the States of the Kingdeme Those things which have been occasionally here and there toucht upon by others are all collected into one summe and digested into Method by David Paraeus which he concludes in foure Propositions each of which I will set down least I should seem to let any thing escape The first Proposition David Paraeus The Bishops and Pastors may and ought upon the consent of the Church deliver up the contumacious Magistrates unto Satan untill they do repent Doctor Owen first Propesition of Paraeus confuted In these few words do lurke not a few errors Contumacy is a Law Terme which the Lawyers define to be a Disobedience against the Superiour as often as the Subject being cited in a due course of Law doth not appeare doth not obey or depart without Licence The Supreame Magistrate being inferiour to God alone is not subject to Man and therefore neither can nor ought to iucur the guilt of Contumacy Some speak with good reason saith John of Paris that not every offendor is a fit matter upon which or can work with effect but that offendor whe is a Subject Kings cannot properly be sayd to be contumacious and therefore the foresaid power has not effection the Offender unlesse when subjection is presupposed which makes a Man to be a fit matter upon which the Keyes may have their Act with effect de potest Regia Papasi c. 13.
A King in his Kingdom is not subject to the Episcopall Jurisdiction as it is penall and coercive How the King is not subject to the power of the Keyes but is superiour in Order of Power as Augustine affirm's expresly Moses was in the midst betwixt Aaron and God Aaron in the midst betwixt Moses and the people c. In Exod. quest 10. Those Bishops therfore and Supercilious Pastors who send out their citation or put forth their accusation against their Prince are impious against God whose Ordinance they resist seditious against the King ouer whose soueraignty they insult Traytors against the Common wealth whose Peace they disturbe I beleive Paraeus can neuer shew where any one of the Apostles sate Judge of Princes I read the Æpostles stood to be Judged but I never read they stood Judging saith Saint Bernard de considerat l. 1. c. 6. The consent of the Church not required in the act of excommunication Whereas he saith upon consent of the Church without doubt he doth but catch at popular Applause by subjecting Princes to the censure of the Pastors and the Pastors to the Judgement of the People The Apostles had the power of the Keyes from Christ and the Bishops have it from the Apostles without reservation of the Churches consent Augustine cals this power the Episcopall judgment de corrept grat c. 15. and Beza himselfe hath exploded this Consent out of a well constituted Church as wicked dangerous and dissonant to the Word of God in Epist 83. To deliver unto Satan which he improperly attributes to excommunication was an extraordinary power granted to the Apostles for a time What is meant by delivering unto Sathan according to the more commonly received opinion of Ancient and Moderne Divines Consult S. Ambrose upon that 1. Tim. c. 1. S. Chrysostome upon 1 Corinth 5. hom 15. S. Aug against the letters of Petilian l. 2. c. 10. S. Hierome Bede Theodoret Occumenius Theophylact and Sedulius all upon that 1 Cor. c. 5. of the Apostles to deliver to Satan which all of them doe understand to be meant of that corporall affliction which the Apostles did inflict not by the power of the Keyes but by the power of working Miracles To which I adde the Divines of later times and those of better note and sounder judgement Thomas Bilson lately Bishop of Winchester Peter Martyr Thomas Erastus and Benedict Aretius I am fully perswaded saith that Reverend Bishop that S. Paul in revenging that wickednes would have some footstep remaine of that wonderfull power and virtue which he received from Christ to revenge impiety whereby the imitation of so great a wickednes might hereafter seem dangerous to the rest c. in his perpetuall government of the Church c. 8. The Apostles saith Peter Martyr had the Devills subject to them and by them they might sometimes punish offendors to the furtherance of their salvation therefore to whom this gift is not imparted they ought wholy to abstaine from the exercise thereof locor com clas 1. c. 8. sect 9. The power of delivering unto Sathan as Erastus hath it which was given to S. Paul was not so necessary for the Church that it should become an ordinary power Confirm Thes lib. 41. cap. 7. To deliver unto Sathan was a power delivered unto the Apostles saith Aretius of punishing the notoriously contumacious which afterwards ceased Upon the 1 Tim. c. 1. From the miraculous power of the Apostles to the ordinary jurisdiction of Pastors is a most frivolous consequence for what did extraordinarily belong to the Apostles had its end with the Apostles but grant we that this delivering unto Satan has no other signification but that of Excommunication it will not from hence follow That it is lawfull for Pastors to exclude the Supreame Magistrates from converse with their Subjects The prescripts of the Gospell of making the wicked ashamed avoyding the company of the Scandalous and rebuking the obstinate whilst there was no Man in the Church intrusted with the Sword to the revenge of evill doers are not rashly to be applyed to the disgracing deserting or rebuking the Magistrate Note For the rule is Those things which by the Prophets and Apostles are set down in Generall ought not to be pressed to the everting those things which are commanded by them in particular God in the Law and in the Gospell hath given especiall and expresse commands for Subjection and Reverence to Magistrates yea though fouly polluted with vices with tyranny and impieties as that such were those of whom our Saviour and his Apostles spake cannot be denied Therefore no consequence of a generall Precept ought to be wrested against the expresse and speciall Command of honouring the Magistrates least we make the divine will changeable or repugnant to it's selfe which to say were horrible wickednes and blasphemy and to beleive it a grand impiety heresie Gregory the 7th by an unheard of example presumed to attempt this Paraeus has trod in Hildebrands steps and hath conveyd that to the Pastors of the reformed Church which was most vile in the Pontifician Kingdome which an Ambrose would never have done nor any holy and Orthodox Bishop in the Church of Christ hath ever done David Paraeus The first Proposition proved by exemples By the Examples of the Prophets of Elijah who in Word resisted wicked Ahab Jeremiah wicked Joachim John Baptist wicked Herod and Ambrose Theodosius for unjust slaughter c. Doctor Owen The Examples cleared Elijah did recall the King from his errour and confirmed the People in the Truth both by Word and Miracles he shut not out the King from the Company of his People for his impiety he withdrew not the People from their Subjection to the King he delivered him not as contumacious unto Satan he commanded not Obadiah that good man nor any other to refraine Communion with that wicked King Jeremiah reproved the impious King I neither read nor beleive that in Word he resisted the King of whose Peaceable Doctrine and no way seditious Life Calvin speaks in these words Jeremiah saith he doth not onely command the Jews to bear patiently the punishment inflicted upon them but will have them to be subject to Nebuchadnezzar and not onely forbids them to be seditious but will have them to be so Obedient from their Hearts that God may be witnesse of their free subjection and obedience these are the Words upon the 29. of Ieremy verse 7. Herod the Adulterer at the request of the Damosell Dancing before him beheaded Iohn The Innocency of the Prophet or the cruelty of the Tyrant was not unknown to Christ yet did He not revenge the Prophet by force of Arms He did not deprive the Persecutors of His Kingdom He did not deliver him unto Satan He did not animate the People against the Tyrant being an example unto us that we strive not against perverse Kings and such as are wickedly opinioned concerning God Ambrose did
not resist Theodosius with threatning Words but Exhorted Him with calme Language I Councell saith he I entreat I beseech I admonish I have no cause of contumacy against thee but of fear I dare not offer if thou be present This Ambrose tels us concerning this his Act In Epist 28. They who Interpret this fact of Ambrose to be Excommunication as Excommunication is taken for the Act of exteriour Power and superiour Jurisdiction they do much wrong to the Truth of the History Ambrose had not such as the Puritans Dreame of a Presbytery erected as Christs Tribunall from whose Government who so exempts even Kings shall be accounted guilty of high Treason against the Majesty of Christ as Beza Writes De Presbyter Excommun p. 116. Nortons Edition Ambrose did not decree his Letters of Summons against Theodosius neither did he send a Messenger to cite him being absent or accuse him of Contumacy being present and judicially condemne him Neither did he decree him to be Excommunicated not sentence him Excommunicate nor exclude him out of the holy Congregation and Divine solemnities from the company of the Faithfull I will dispatch the whole matter in a few words The true Relation of Ambrose his Act concerning the Emperour Theodosites The Bishop with-held the Emperour from the Sacred Mysteries by no Act of Jurisdiction but by intermitting his publique Ministry and Sacerdotall Office who would neither performe Divine Service nor Administer the Holy Sacrament so long as the Emperour was present which every Pastor though no Bishop might lawfully have done if he had happened upon an impenitent sinner or such an one as did trample upon those Sacred Mysteries with manifest contempt according to the Doctrine of the ancient Church as Saint Chrysostome witnesseth in Matth. Hom. 83. And according to the opinion of the Church of England as Bilson the Augustine of our Age doth witnesse in his answer to Cardinall Alanus part 3. pag. 366. But in this Act Ambrose that good Bishop did not do well whose default many have endeavoured to excuse no man could approve or can indeed any godly or Just estimator of the truth He caused the good Emperor pious faithfull penitent acknowledging his offence publickly and deprecating the same earnestly to refrain from the communion of Prayers hearing of the Word and participation of the Sacrament which Christ himself would not have done who admitted Judas to the holy Assembly of his Apostles and hath commanded us to forgive our Brother as often as he shall repent The second Proposition David Paraeus Subjects not private but constituted in the inferiour Magistracy may lawfully even with Arms defend themselves and the Common-wealth and the Church or true Religion against the superiour Magistrate These conditions being supposed Doctor Owen The second Proposition of Paraeus confuted The inferiour Magistrate in a Kingdome has no authority but from the King and under the King which if he abuse against the King or Common-wealth he is deprived at the pleasure of the King and suffers punishment for the ill ministration of his Office not on the contrary This power of the Inferiour over his Superiour is not established by God but is introduced by Divellish malice or Humane presumption against the Divine Ordinance contrary to the Order of Nature and equity of Law Paraeus saw the harshnesse of this Proposition and therefore hath mollified it with some Moderating Conditions The first Moderating Condition David Paraeus When the Superiour Magistrate doth degenerate and become a Tyrant Doctor Owen This is not to provide a remedy against evill Kings but to help forwards and add to the publique calamity and indeed to deceive the Reader When he Degenerates you say into Tyranny But tell me Paraeus seriously seeing what is Sacred ought not to be eluded how and when doth he degenerate he which is a Tyrant in your Judgement may perchance be a King in mine and whom you suppose to be a very good Prince I may justly conceive a very Cruell Tyrant In this variety therefore of Opinions the question will be Whether hath he degenerated you affirme I deny Therefore the Accuser is to be brought forth the guilty Arraigned the Witnesses Produced and this before a Competent Judge There is none on Earth under God that can be a competent Judge ouer Princes such as indeed there is not any on Earth under God which Scripture teacheth the Church beleiveth Reason perswadeth and the Publique Safety requireth The Scripture teacheth The King doth whatsoever Pleaseth Him Where the Word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him what dost thou Ecclesiastes 8. vers 3.4 The Church beleiveth No Man saith Cyrill doth vilifie the Laws of Kings unpunished saving Kings themselves in whom the Crime of prevarication has no place for it is wisely said That he is wicked that saith unto the King thou dost unjustly in Joan. l. 12. c. 56. These are his Words according with the sense of the Scriptures and the unanimous consent of the Church for as God is the Supreame Head of all who Judgeth all and is judged by none So Kings Princes of the World who Correct and Judge others may be Corrected or Judged by none but by Him only to whose power alone they are Subject Which King David had an eye to who when he was an Adulterer and Murderer pray'd for the Divine Mercy saying Against thee onely have I sinned For I acknowledge none other my Superiour on Earth save thee alone besides thee I have no Judge who may or can compell me to Tryall Sentence or Punishment for my wickednesse Whence is that of the Poet. The People to their Soveraign's Scepter brings Their awfull reverence and to Jove their Kings Reason Perswadeth The King is Head of the Body Politique the Members neither ought to Judge the Head because they are below it neither may they cut it off because thereby they even cease to be Members The publique safety requireth The King being condemn'd will not yeeld to the Conspirators although their strength exceed his an hundred fold He will call to all the Kings about him for help He will seek to His Friends Allies Confederates he will Muster His Merconary Souldiers and will in Fury Vindicate the injury that is offered him with Fire and Sword and which is often found true by direfull experiments His Kingdome being lost the ruine of the Common-wealth is to Him a miserable Comfort and sad rejoycing Evill Princes seldom removed by violence with benefit to the Common-wealth Grant which yet is not to be granted that a Tyrant may be reduced into Order or ejected out of His Kingdome by the Inferiour Magistrate yet is He neither reduced nor ejected without great dammage to the Common-wealth the Death of Caesar brought no remedy to the Romans but a greater mischiefe Nero perished but with no good successe The next Year which followed after His Death felt a greater measure of calamity and abundance of
not it selfe to them therefore the Son is not bound to appeach his Father nor the Wife her Husband nor the Servant his Master secretly inticing or forcibly compelling him to Idolatry and although the appeachment of Father Husband or Master is not expresly forbidden yet because God gave an absolute and perfect Law to which nothing may be added and from which nothing may be detracted that is understood to be forbidden which is not exprest but especially because Penall Laws are to be restrained as Tostatus hath it upon Deut. 13. q. 3. That which is not lawfull to do or at least which God requires not to be done against a Father an Husband or Master we may by no means do against the King who as is before said is the Father of His Country the Husband of the Common-wealth and the supreame Lord of all His Subjects Lastly this Condition is repugnant to the Evangelicall precepts for if they be Blessed Note who do suffer Persecution for Righteousnesse sake then are they not Blessed who will not suffer Persecution for Righteousnesse sake because in that they doe nor suffer but rise up against their Persecutors they are convinced of sinne and by sinning get to themselves Damnation The Third Moderating Condition David Paraeus When some horrible injury is offered them Doctor Owen Christ himselfe suffered horrible injury which Peter willing to Vindicate he was repressed by our Lord. The Persecutors in the times of the Primitive Church did afflict the Christians with horrible injuries and under Constantius the Arrian Emperor the Catholique Faith did suffer the most Horrible of Injuries which in the former and purer age of the Church did not so much as think of Revenge Baronius himselfe will witnesse it who writing about the Yeare 350. saith When Christians first began to be Antimonarchians Hee first the Christians Captain enraged with a cursed desire of reigning conspired against the Christian Emperors whereas in times past not so much as a Common souldier could be found who sided with the rebelling tyrants against the Emperors although they were Heathens and Persecutors of Christians From Christ those Christians and true Catholiks did the Faithfull learn their patience under the Turkish cruelty and the Protestants under the Popish Tyranny which I think Pareus I will speak freely The evils which follow upon the Doctrine of Antimonarchians You do horrible injury to Christ himself all good Christians yea even to mankinde by this your Doctrine which now rageth throughout the Christian World to the conspiracies of Citizens slaughters of Princes and proscriptions of Kings to the ruine of the Faith and almost utter destruction of Christianity it selfe Paraeus condemned by King James the Bishop of London and his Clergy and by the whole Universitie of Oxford From whence it was that the most Soveraign King Head under Christ of the Church of England the true Defendor of the Catholique Faith and assertor of the Christian Truth purged your Commentaries with sire The Bishop of London a Man greater than praise can make him born to the good of the Church of the Country and of Learning it selfe together with his whole Clergy condemned this your fourth question concerning the Civill Power of Heresie and Sedition Your foure Propositions brought to strict Examination the Universitie of Oxford did not weigh in a Popular Scale but corrected them by the Gold-Smiths Ballance and that by a Publike Decree of the whole Universitie Why might not our Soveraign King commit to the revenging Flames why might not the Orthodox Bishop passe sentence and condemne why might not the Academian Muses altogether banish what Christ the Apostles Fathers Schoolemen Protestants and more moderate Papists have all at all times in all places utterly rejected Of so great an heap I will give you a small handfull Antimonarchians opposed by Christ Christ I say unto you that ye resist not evill but whosoever shall smite thee on the one Cheeke turn to him the other also Math. 5.39 Apostles Peter This is thankworthy if a Man for Conscience towards God endure griefe suffering wrongfully for what glory is it if when you be buffeted for your faults you take it patiently but if when ye do well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God 1 Pet. c. 2. v. 19. Ancient Fathers Tertullian One Night could worke our revenge abundantly with a few fire-brands were it a thing lawfull with us to render evill for evill far be it that the Divine Sect should either seek revenge by humane fire or grieve to suffer that whereby it is approved So he in his Apology Tell me Paraeus how could Tertullian live under the Sword of Persecutors without horrible injury Nazianzen Julian was repressed by the Tears of Christians which many abundantly shed having that onely remedy against the Persecutors in Julian orat 1. They had other remedy Paraeus being Judge If Julian the Apostate the vilest of Emperours had offered some hainous injury to the Christians Ambrose It was required of me that I should appease the People I answered It was my part and Duty not to stir them up it was in the hand of God to appease them Epist 33. It had been here your part Paraeus to have stirted up a Popular Revenge for the hainous injury offered by the Arrian Emperor Prosper of Aquitania Let present evils be endured till the promised blisse be obtained let the unfaithfull be born with by the faithfull and the plucking up the Tares differed although the wicked rage yet is the cause of the just even in this time the better who by how much they are assaulted the more fiercely by so much they are Crowned the more gloriously Sent. 99. Declare to us Paraeus what shall be the violence of the wicked against the Righteous without horrible injury my dulnesse cannot apprehend it Bernard If all the World should conspire against me to force me to attempt any thing against the Royall Majesty yet would I fear God and not dare rashly to offend the King ordain'd by him for I am not ignorant how I have Read he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Epist 170. to King Lewis Darest thou not Bernard to remove the horrible injury offered even to the whole Clergy all whose goods King Lewis had invaded and which was worse he would heare no admonitions for Amendment or Restitution as Robert Gaguinus hath it lib. 6. without doubt either Bernard err'd or Paraeus dotes School-men Let us turn aside if you please into the Schooles where presently will meet us our Countryman Alexander de Hales who concerning the Duty of Subjects towards their Princes has these words The evill ought to be subject for the fault of their unreasonablenesse but the good fâ—r that Duty they owe to the Divine Ordinance and the benefit of purging themselves From whence Ambrose upon that Princes are not a terrour c. If the Prince be good he
doth not punish but love him that doth well but if he be evill he doth not hurt but purge he is not therefore a terrour to him that doth well But the wicked ought to fear because Princes are appointed to punish the wicked Thus he part 3. quest 48. memb 2. art 1. Dost thou heare Paraeus the Power of the Superiour though cruell and unjust doth not hurt but purge the Righteous Will you heare Aquinas The Faith of Christ is the beginning and cause of Righteousnesse and therefore by the Faith of Christ the order of Justice is not abrogated but confirmed and the order of Justice requires that the Inferiours obey the Superiours otherwise the state of humane affairs cannot be preserved and therefore the Faithfull by the Faith of Christ are not excused from their obedience to secular Princes in 2.2 q. 104. art 6. Have you it now Paraeus Faith doth not subject the Superiours to the Inferiours against the Order of Justice neither doth it permit the Power of the Sword to the Subject against the Prince upon any cause because that inordinate Power would tend to the destruction of all humane things See the seventh reason from the opinion of Protestant Divines The Faithfull Flock of Christ long since and at this Day obey the Turk not without horrible injury yet are they Subject and alwaies have been not for wrath but for Conscience sake and amongst the Protestants Luther Melancthon Brentius Cranmer Archbishop of Canterbury Tyndall and Barnes doe condemne this error with an Anathema To whom I add the famous Example of a brave Prince an Example acceptable to God wholsome for the Common-wealth honourable to the Prince which I would have thee Reade Paraeus that thou mayst learn to be wise in * Berchet in explicat controversiae Gal licanae c. 7. Servinus pro libertate Ecclesiae Statu Regni Tom. 3. Monarchiae Romanae p. 202. Berchetus and Johannes Servinus I will relate it in briefe When in France after the Massacre in Paris the reformed Religion seem'd as it were deserted and almost extinct which I thinke could not be done without horrible injury A certain King powerfull in strength rich in Gold and dreadfull in his Navy with whom when the King of France was at odds he dispacht a solemne Embassage to Henry King of Navarre and other Protestants it was commanded the Embassadors that they should set the Protestants and Papists at strife together and to Arme Prince Henry who lived at Bearne under the Government of the Christian King against the King which they endeavoured with all Art and cunning attempt Note but in vain Henry a good Subject and as another David being himself to be King he would not fore-run the Day of the Lord. The Embassadors offered large rich and bountifull Conditions amongst the rest there was tender'd three hundred thousand Crowns in readinesse to make preparation of War and a necessary summe for continuing the War was to be payd every Moneth Henry a faithfull Christian a good Prince de prived of his Wife removed from the publique Administration of the Common-wealth and for whose sake the King had banisht very many Protestants and slain their Pastors I would have you Paraeus to acknowledge the words of your own Bucan yet did not Henry stretch out his hand against the Lords Annoynted he would have none of their Gold he refused the Conditions and dismist the Embassadors as Witnesse of his Faith towards God his faithfulnesse towards his King and his peaceable mind towards his Country There remains now no starting hole for you Paraeus here was an horrible injury done to the Inferiour Magistrate as well as others yet because a Lawfull Power was wanting to Henry which you Dream to be ordinary against the Power ordained by God he chose rather according to Christs precept to suffer a Greivous Injury with patience than according to your Prescript to resist the Power ordained by God What hath been the Religion of the Protestants This is Paraeus and ever has been the Religion of the Protestants not to offer but to suffer injuries to render good for evill and not to represse Persecutors placed in Authority by Force or Sword but procure their favour by Patience Love and Benevolence which truth even the more moderate Papists themselves do not abhorre who are averse from the Tyranny of the Papall Monarchy and the popular Anarchy of the Puritans William Barclay may be one in stead of all his Words are these Oftentimes there happens causes for which we are not bound to doe the commands of the Magistrate namely when he commands contrary to the commands of God But there can be no cause why we should resist him executing the unjust sentence of condemnation Note and requiring punishment out of malice under pretence of Authority because he has power ordained him by God which if he abuseth he is to be restrained by lawfull means not by the violence of the Subjects and after a few Lines Nothing remains to the guilty but that he commit his cause to the knowledge of the Omnipotent God and that he expect his Judgement who is King of Kings and the Judge of all Judges he will undoubtedly chastice and correct the injustice of the sentence by the severity of his eternall Justice Thus he lib. 3. c. 10. Remember Paraeus this your horrible injury and repent The Fourth Moderating Condition David Paraeus If they cannot otherwise be safe in their Fortunes Lives and Consciences Doctor Owen O the Blindnesse of the Primitive Church of the Ancient Fathers to whom that light of a New Gospel hath not shined Those men born to misery or this Divinity is false have altogether erred who were so willing patiently to undergoe the pangs of Martyrdom and when they were both the more in number and the stronger in power would not by Force and Arms defend their Fortunes from the Tyrants their Lives from the Persecutors or their Faith from Hereticall Kings The first Moderating Condition David Paraeus That under pretence of Religion or Justice they seek not their own Doctor Owen Justice and Reâ—igi on the pretence of Rebellion A Subject of what condition soever he be who resists the King seeks not his own but covers other Mens Goods yet obtains them not unlesse he pretend justice and Religion Lucifer himself doth not deceive Men but as transformed into an Angell of Light neither doth Vice deceive any Man unlesse it assume the name of Honesty What need of pretence Paraeus Rebellion it self is Justice and Religion and by how much any is more expert in Treachery and Treason by so much is he accounted the more Just and Holy I would to God this our Age were not an eye-witnesse of this Religious Justice Let an inferiour Magistrate inforce his Superiour into Order though to the diminution of Majesty Buchanan a Man if we give any credit to the Consistorians T. B. L. D. most excellent and the
Kings who do not observe the Law of God or hinder those that are observers of it or be persecutors of them and that I may speak in one Word who do not governe according to the Prescript of the Divine Law they do ipso jure lose their Kingdoms and deprive themselves of all Honour Dignity and Power They who list to take in this Dunghill let them reade Joannes Baptista Fichlerus The names and writings of the Anti-monarchians de jure Magistrat offic Subdit fol. 15. Franciscus Fevardentius upon Hester pag. 89. Creswell in Philopat pag. 194. Vindicias contra Tyrannos quest 3. pag. 189. The Tract de jure Magistrat quest 6. pag. 155. 275. Lambertus Danaeus de Politiâ— Christiana lib. 3. cap. 6. pag. 221. Joannes Althusius in Politicis cap. 14. pag. 146. cap. 15. pag. 195. Whose raging madnesse all true Catholiques do and have detested For The power of Rule is not founded in Grace which neither can Goodnesse conferre nor Wickednesse take away David Paraeus In which case also we must rather dye than unlawfully resist We have the Lacedemonians for an example who when the Conquerâ—urs commanded those things which were against their Laws and Customs they said If yâ— command things more harsh than death we will rather dye And Aristotle in his Ethicks doth advise rather to dye than to suffer a Mans selfe to be compel'd to dishonest things lib. 3. cap. 1. Doctor Owen Resistance of the Superiour unlawfull Speak out Man that we may know you Do you beleive there is any lawfull Kind of Resistance for the Inferiour against his Superiour Christ the eternall Law-giver doth simply condemne all unsheathing of the Sword without the order of authority Paul the Interpreter of the Law forbids the Faithfull all resistance Peter the chiefe of the Apostles commands Subjection to every Creature which hath an higher Power where all is spoken properly of Superiours without a difference of good or bad and to all Inferiours indifferently without limitation of either Layity or Clergy of Order Degree or Dignity Paraeâ—â— therefore doth ill distinguish here where the Divine Law admits no distinction the Admonitions of Philosophers and Examples of the Heathen may induce to the information of Manners to the explication of Loyalty or confirmation of the Faith they availe nothing in these we have a more firme Word of Prophesie and more famous Examples of Saints Thou shalt not speak evill saith Moses of the Ruler of thy People Exod. 22.28 Touch not mine Anoynted saith David 1 Cron. 16.22 Rise not up against the King Prov. 30.31 Who may say unto the King what dost thou Eccles 8.3 Curse not the King no not in the heart Eccles 10.20 as for Examples David that famous Prophet when he had King Saul guilty of Impiety Tyranny and great wickednesse delivered into his hands yet would he not touch him By which Example he would instruct men that the punishment of Kings is to be committed to God alone and that it is not lawfull for any Man not onely to lift up his hand against the Prince but also to violate that Sacred Majesty Note so much as in Word Elijah did not resist but fly from Ahab that Enemy of Religion neither did he stir up any to Rebellion Isaiah sawn into two by Manasses Jeremiah shut up in Prison Daniel cast to the Lyons the three Children thrown into the hot fiery Furnace Amos struct through the Temples Zacharias overwhelmed with Stones at the Threshold of the Temple Peter Crucified with his Head towards the ground James slain by the Sword Bartholomew beate with Clubbs Matthew and Paul beheaded that I say nothing of the glorious Company of Martyrs who have honoured the Church of Christ by their holy life and propagated the fame by their precious death But what Popular tumult was amongst them Who of them was an Author of Rebellion Which of them put the Inferiour Magistrates in minde of this duty or imployed their ayde by way of Petition or Appeale Which of them did either curse or revile their Persecutors The Christians of ancient Faith would not oppose themselves against the Superiour Power in Defence of the faithfull Brethren They thought it much better that the Just should suffer though unjustly for true Justice sake than that they should offer any violence to the Magistrates under Pretence of feigned Justice though wicked Persecutors David Paraeus By the Example of David refusing to kill Saul a Tyrant when it was in his Power to doe it 1 Sam. 24.26 Doctor Owen When it was in his Power Paraeus That is most properly in a Mans Power which is a Mans Right so that what he doth he doth Lawfully Yea but David might have done it Lawfully saith Bucan loc 49. Sect. 77. yet he would not doe it David the greatest opposers of Anti-monarchians David therefore was herein the worst of Men a Violator of the Publick Peace and true Piety an Enemy of his Country a Neglector of his Friends 〈◊〉 Desertor of his Duty who with one Act and little or no Labour by the Death of the Tyrant whom he might have slaine safely and justly had delivered the Church from error the Commonwealth from Tyranny his Fellow Sufferers from Injury and himselfe from Persecution David wanted many Teachers such as we have at this Day abounding amongst us as well in the Reformed as in the Roman Church who might have admonished him of this duty where there as a private Man yet suffering horrible injury or as an Inferiour Magistrate Invested with the ordinary Authority Of whom I would aske one question Whether or no have the Subjects Private or such as are placed in Magistracy any greater Right or Lawfull power against the King than that which David had against Saul The Authour of that Book called Vindiciae contra Tyran doth affirme That David could doe nothing against Saul for the defect of the Ordinary Power because he was not one of the States of the People whom Paraeus also in this place ranks with the Common People and private Subjects What was he a Man famous in Peace powerfull in Warr Son in Law to the King appointed by God for the Kingdome who went in and out before all the People whom all so dearely loved and above all so much honoured and reverenced And was not he one of the States of the People This one onely Example were there not another to be found in Sacred or Prophane History doth demonstrate by a necessary Consequence That no private Subject or publike Magistrate hath any lawfull Power against the King whom they may either punish with Death thrust out of his Kingdome reduce into Order by violence or deprive of his Dignity David Paraeus Lastly the Arguments brought in the beginning for the negative part do all tend to this and only confirme this Proposition of the duty of Christians who are meerely private Men. Doctor Owen Against these Positions which Paraeus undertook to
prove and I beleive will prove * That is never ad Graecas Calendas he brought in the beginning of this Question some places of Sacred Scripture viz. Rom. 13.2 1 Pet. 2.19 Math. 5. Rom. 12.4 17. 1 Pet. 3.9 All which he will have to be Spoken and Understood of meerely private Men. Calvin also found out this very way of evading for after he had heapt up diverse Precepts and Examples out of both Testaments for Obedience he blows all away as it were at one blast Of private Men saith he I alwayes speak for if there be any popular Magistrates appointed for the moderating the licenciousnesse of Kings such as were in times past the Ephori Tribuni Demarchi and which power is enjoyed by the three States in every Kingdom when they sit in the * That is in Parliament chiefe Assembly I am so farre from forbidding such to restraine that raging licentiousnesse of Kings that I affirme if they winke at Kings who rage and insult over the poore Commons they are not guiltlesse of wicked treachery Jnstit l. 4. cap. 20. sect 31. Beza followes Calvi◠There is no other remedy saith he propounded to private Men subject to a tyrant but amendement of life and Prayers and Teares which the Lord in his time will not despise But as concerning those Popular Officers he answers in these words This burden is layd upon the Superiour powers such as are the Septemviri in the Roman Empire whom they call Electors and the State of the Kingdome in almost all Monarchies that they restraine the raging Tyrants which if they do not they shall answer for their persidiousnesse as betrayers of their Country Thus Beza in Conf. c. 5. p. 171.172 the Author of that Book called Vindiciae cont Tyran followes Beza whose Words are these Christ because his Kingdome was not of this world fled into Ægypt and withdrew himselfe from tyranny Paul because he describes the duty of every Christian and not of Magistrates he teacheth to obey even Nero himselfe qu. 3. pag. 203. 204. From this Fellow of an unknowne Name did Lambertus Danaeus draw his Polity In a godly Common-wealth saith he Iudgment upon the Supreame Magistrate doth not belong to any one private man in the Common-wealth not to one or other only of the Iudges Magistrates or Princes of the Kingdome but to the whole States of the Kingdome c. de Politia Christiana lib. 6. cap. 3. p. 413. Bucan drawes this cord longer yet and that which others attribute to all in generall he to each one in particular The Subjects saith he shall not rightly withdraw their obedience yet notwithstanding they who are in any part partakers of the administration of the common-wealth as Governors Senators Consuls States or Tribes ought to moderate the Violence of Princes loco 49. Sect. 76. After him in the next yeare following wrote Joannes Althusius Doctor of both Laws that All the Ephori together are the Supream Magistrates Superiors when representing the people they doe any thing in the peoples name But each of them severall is the Magistrates inferior de Politicis cap. 14. pag. 142. and afterwards The people have not the power of punishing the Magistrate but the States only pag. 161. Peradventure from him Paraeus borrowed that distinction not from Tertullian Cyprian Nazianzen Chrysostome Ambrose Augustine Hierome or any other of the Fathers of the first or middle Age of the Church Gregory not the Great but the wicked Hildebrand delivered this burning Firebrand to our Politicall Divines The divers names of the usurped power over Princes Observe ye Academians amongst divers Men the divers Names of this usurped Power Calvin hath it the popular Magistrates Beza the Superiour powers Junius Brutus the Nobles of the Kingdom Bucan the partakers of publick Administration Althusius the Ephori Paraeus the Inferiour Magistrates So that amongst those Authors I finde so many Names of that Power as there are Heads of that Beast Revel 13.1 But letting Names passe let us search into the Thing ir selfe Peter long since said be ye Subject to the King as Supreame 1 Pet. 2.13 fy St. Peter fy the King is not Supreame the Inferiour Magistrates are Supreame those Magistrates censorious Rod is ever to be feared by the King being ordained for his Correction Deposition or Death according as the Wrath of the Ambitious Nobility or the Fury of the Provoked Multitude shall suggest But howsoever the matter is it shall be more safe to erre with St. Peters spirit than to be otherwise opinioned with those Men. With your leave therfore Paraeus what Optatus Milevitanus wrote long since of Donatus may I affirme of those Ephori Since there is none above the Emperor but God alone who made the Emperor whilst the Inferior Magistrates do exalt themselves above the Emperor they do as it were exceed the bounds of men by esteeming of themselves as God in not reverencing him who after God is to be feared of men de schism Donat. lib. 3. p. 85. which how well and according to the Rules of a Common-wealth this done I appeale to your own Conscience Paraeus and so hasten to your last Proposition The fourth Proposition David Paraeus Yet is it lawfull for Subjects meerely private in a present danger to defend them and theirs against a Tyrant as against a private Robber if the Tyrant shall offer violence against them as a Robber or Ravisher they not having the possibility of imploring the ordinary power or any other means to avoid the danger Doctor Owen Monstrous Doctrine altogether unworthy to be Propounded or to be refuted Neither did it become Paraeus ancient in years and famous for learning to deceive the Reader with an undiscreet confusion of things which are most disjoyned and ought to be considered in a different respect A Surgeon runns a man thorow the same thing in the same manner is done by a Robber the one deserves a Reward the other a Haltar Sometimes the Prince doth the same thing and in the same manner that the Spoyler as often as by force of Arms he reduceth into order an obstinate Enemy of the State but not both by the same Right because the Prince hath his Sword for revenge which the Spoyler doth usurpe for Rapine Whosoever therefore shall say the Subject hath the same Right over the Prince that punisheth that the Traveller hath over the Robber that spoyleth he hath no forehead But the Prince offereth violence to some man upon a cause not sufficiently just and lawfull yea altogether unjust and unlawfull namely Saul to David and the innocent Priests David to Uriah Ahab to Naboth Joash to Zachariah Manasses to Isaiah Pilate to Christ and peradventure Theodosius to the Thessolonians Under Saul David Ahab Joash Manasses liv'd Preists and Prophets famous for their holinesse inspired with the holy Spirit Under Christ liv'd Zachaeus and Nichodemus Inferior Magistrates men pious and expert in Sacred and Politicall matters No age brought forth
l. 3. bene a Zenone C. lib. 7. tit 37. de quadriennii proscriptione the power of the Prince is not to be restrained k The Prince is bound to no forme neither is a Reason to be required of him why dost thou so Baldus C. lib. 7. tit 50. sententiam rescindi non posse l. 3. impetrata Because seeing the King is the Cause of Causes a cause is not to be required of his power since that of the first cause there is no cause giuen So Baldus again decret l. 2. tit 16. Vt lite prudente nihil in novetur upon 3 Eccles num 7. if the Prince shall do any thing out of the fulnesse of Power no man may say why dost thou so Lastly William Barclay doth inferre from Bartolus Baldus Paulus Castrensis Lodovicus Romanus Alexander Felinus Albericus and others That the Prince upon certaine knowledge can doe all things above the Law without the Law and against the Law the Prince alone may constitute an universall Law the Prince oweth an account to God onely The Prince is free from the Laws And it is a rash thing to desire the Royall Majesty should be limited with any bounds contra Monarchum l. 3. cap. 14. There are more of this sort in Pet. Greg. Tholosan de Repub. throughout his sixt book In Adam Blacuodaeus in his Apology for Kings c. 25. 31. and in Adrian Saravia de imperandi authorit lib. 2. c. 16. 17 from whence it doth necessarily follow that the authority of the People is nothing the authority of the Inferiour Magistrate is above the People but below the King by whom he is and to whom he is Subject but the Royall authority is free and absolute For that Power is free which cannot be condemned by mans judgement nor ought to be compelled and the absolute power is under God Supreame in every part perfect which can neither be encreased nor ought to be deminished without offering injury to the divine Diety because God is the Author and Ordainer of it For where there is a Majority there is a power of commanding to the rest there remains a necessity of obeying as the Lawyers speak The fourth Reason from the Cannon Law Many things are alledged in the behalfe of Kings even from the Cannon Law also against the insolent haughtinesse of the Pope First it is infer'd that the secular Princes are not subject to the Pope because God hath disposed Secular affaires not by the Pope but by the Emperours dist 8. cap. quo jure Innocent the third doth acknowledge the authority of the Kings of France which he neither intends to disturbe or deminish de judiciis cap. Novit the same Pope also confesseth that the same King hath no Superiour in temporall things qui Filii sunt legittimi cap. per venerabilem Honorius the third presupposeth himselfe a fit Judge concerning the birth-day of the Queen of Cyprus but judgement concerning the right of succession he confesseth doth belong not to the Pope but to the King de ordin cognit cap. Tuam Allexander the third he would not take knowledge of the possessions of some English men contending before him least he should seeme to detract from the right of the King of England Qui Filii sunt legittimi cap. Causam To whom knowledge concerning the Rights of private men doth not belong he ought not to judge of Kings and their Royall Crownes and Kings who would not acknowledge the Roman Bishop bearing himselfe the Vicar of Christ and the Universall Bishop their Superiour they will not endure the States of the Kingdome or the promiscuous multitude a wilde beast of many heads to be above them You will say what then shall the Royall Majesty be immense inclosed with no Limits not liable to be punished by the Pope nor by the Nobles of the Kingdome nor at least by the whole multitude not at all The King has the place of God on Earth and hath his authority from Heaven he acts the Person and beares the Image of the eternall King to whom alone he is bound to render an account of his words and actions being secure from all constraint thorow the Majesty of his Royall Dignity Which I shall evince by most firme reasons drawn out of the old and new Testament The fift Reason from sacred Scripture What High Preist what Synode of Preists what Senate of the Nobles or what promiscuous Multitude ever excercised the ordinary Power against Saul defiled with all impiety against David guilty of Adultery and Murder against Solomon guilty of Poligamy and Idolatry against other Kings of Judah and Israel miserably profaning the Temple of God wickedly polluting the divine Worship drawing the People in heapes to Idolatry drunken with the blood of the Priests of the Prophets of the Nobles and all innocent Men even most defiled with all kind of wickednesse David he spared Saul and because he had cut off the skirt of his Garment his heart smote him he greatly trembled Ieremiah taught the Captives not to fight against the King but to pray for the King Ahasuerus had by his publicke decree destinated all the Jews unto slaughter at an appointed day the People fortified themselves with Prayers with Teares with Fasting with Sackcloth and Ashes not with Revilings not with Lyings in wait not with Treasons not with Arms. Mordecai did not admonish the Queen to take away the Tyrant by poyson but by fastings and prayers to God and humble supplication to the King to avert the heavy falling of that mischeife which hanged over them which Buchanan doth not deny in whose seditious dialogue concerning the Right of Kings with the Scots are these words The Kings of the Jews were not punished by the Subjects because from the beginning they were not created by the Subjects but given them by God by the best right therefore he that was the author of the Dignity the same should be the exactor of punishment Thus Buchanan But seing he could not well unloose this knot he cut 's it into two with the sword of a Lying tongue to wit That the Scotch Kings are not given by God but created by the People and that whatsoever right they challenge to themselves they have it from the Commons and that the Multitude has the same right over the Kings which the Kings have over each one of the Multitude Tell me Buchanan I pray why shall not the Kings of all other Nations have the same immunity that the Jews they also have no Authour and accknowledge no Authour but God Moses doth witnes that God the Creator of the whole World presently after the Flood ordained the Sword to be the avenger of Bloodshed and established Servitude to be the punishment of the Father that was mocked In which all the parts of civill Jurisdiction and Royall Power are Synecdochically understood Job also doth witnesse that God alone it is who unlooseth the bond of Kings and girdeth their loynes with a girdle I suppose he
beautified with candid innocency and purple Martyrdome there is a deepe silence of this power Indeed those Ancients choose to suffer any thing for righteousnesse-sake and to be crowned with Martyrdome rather than by repelling violence with force or by resisting publicke Anthority to be accounted guilty of impiety against God or rebellion against the Emperours Justin Martyr in his Apology for Christians to Antonius Pius describes the duty of Subjects That we may worship the true God saith he we willingly obey you Emperours whom we acknowledge Kings and Princes and we pray that there may appeare in you equall wisdome joyned with your Royall Power Tertullian also to Scapula President of Carthage Concerning the Majesty of the Emperour we are defamed yet cannot the Christians be found to be either Albinians Nigrians or Cassians a Christian is no mans enemy much lesse the Emperors whom knowing him to be constituted by God it is necessary that he reverence and honour and that he desire his safety with the whole Roman Empires we reverence the Emperour therefore as second to God and what he is he hath received from God inferiour onely to God c. The same Author in his Apologeticke relates the prayers and devotions of the Christians For the Emperour persecuting the Church The Christians with their Arm 's spread because they are innocent with their heads bared because they blush not lastly from their hearts they pray for all Emperours a long life a secure Empire a safe home Valiant Armyes a faithfull Senate a loyall People a peaceable World and whatsoever is the desire and wish of Man and of Caesar The Founders of the Presbytery were wont to pray otherwayes in Scotland From the Guysian blood good Lord deliver us The most desperate Contrivers of that Powder-Treason prayed otherways in England whom I think it were fit they were parg'd with Hellebore rather then refuted with Reason Holy Athanasius speaking of the supreame Empery of Kings hath these words ad Antioch quest 55. As God is King and Emperour over all the World and doth excercise a power over all things which are in Heaven and in Earth so is the Prince and King set over earthly things who of his owne accord doth what he will even as God himselfe The day would faile me if I should recite to you the testimonies of Ignatius Arnobius Iraeneus Lactantius Ambrose Hierome Basil Hillary Chrysostome Nazianzen Cyrill Optatus Milevetanus Leo the first Fulgentius Gregory the first Bernard and others And Augustine shall be one for all Epist 42. ad fratres Madaur Ye see the Temples of Idols partly decayed without repaire partly thrown down partly shut up partly changed to other uses and the Idols themselves either broken or burnt or destroyed and the very powers of this world which sometime for these Idols sake persecuted the Christian people overcome and subdued by Christians not resisting but dying The seventh Reason from the Authority of Protestants The Protestants vary not an haire 's breadth from the Doctrin of the Ancient Church Yet is it an usuall thing with the Papists to accuse the Church purg'd from the dregs of Popery both of defection from the Catholike Faith and of Sedition in a constituted Polity Hear from Cardinall Alanus the common calumny of the Papists in respons ad Jnstit Brittan c. 4. The Protestants saith the Cardinall desperate and factious men So long as they have Princes and Kings indulgent to their wills they know well how to vse that prosperous estate of Fortune but if their Princes crosse their desires or the Laws be against them presently they breake the bonds of Loyalty despise Majesty every where they rage with Slaughters Firings and Plunderings and run headlong into the contempt of all divine and humane things Thus he To the wiping off this foule calumny I will set down a few sayings of a few men that the Adversryes may blush if they have not wholly cast off all shame of Man and feare of God As for the followers of the Presbytery I number them with the Jesuits whose manners they imitate rather then with the Protestants I call God to witnesse I never yet found any man devoted to the Idol of the Preâ—bytery who was not as great an anemy to the Regall Majesty as to the Episcopall Dignity Sleidan doth expresse the opinion of Luther at large com lib. 5. From whence I have taken these few words No man saith Luther who moves Sedition can be excused although he have a just cause he must repaire to the Magistrate and attempt nothing privately All Sedition is contrary to Gods precept who disalowes and detest's it Thus he Philip Melancthon neither thought nor spake otherwayes Although it be the Law of Nature to repell force with force yet is it not lawfull by force to repell the force exercised by the Magistrate Although we seeme to promise obedience upon this condition if the Magistrate command things lawfull yet is it not therefore lawfull to repell the unjust force of the Magistrate by force Although Empires be obtained and possessed by wickednesse yet the Ordinaion of the Empire is the worke of God and the good creature of God There is therefore no force to be taken up against the Magistrate These words hath Melancthon in Luther Tom. 1. pag. 463. Brentius dissents not from them the Government of a Prince as he hath it in Resp ad Art Rustic may be evill two wayes First when any thing is commanded contrary to the Faith as to renounce God Here is the Apostl's saying good We must obey God rather than Man Let not the Subject by any means use violence against the Magistrate let him suffer any evill patiently let him not strike again but be quiet and suffer any discommodity rather than obey his wicked commande Secondly the Government of a Prince may be evill when any thing is commanded contrary to publike Justice of which sort is the exaction of a mans goods or the punishing of his body in those kinds of injuries Obedience becomes a Subject for if he betake himselfe to Arms his sentence is past he that smiteth with the sword shall perish by the sword Thus Brentius Under Henry the eight Cranmer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury together with the Bishops and other the the more famous Divines of the Kingdome in a booke concerning the Institution of a Christian man hath these words If Princes shall do contrary to what their duty requires they have not in this world any Judge set over them by God but are to render an account to God who hath reserv'd to himselfe alone the judgement of them But it is horrible wickednesse for the Subjects to raise Sedition or Rebellion although their Princes be evill But God is to be pray'd unto in whose hand are the hearts of Kings that he would alluminate them by his Spirit whereby they may rightly use the Sword committed to them to Gods glory Thus they Least any man should slanderously report that this
was feigned and therefore spoken to flatter the King I will adde the opinions of others the most learned of that age who lived under the Crosse of Persecution who wrote in the troublesome time of Banishment and who suffered most cruell Death for the Truth of Christ William Tyndall an Exile for Religions sake and Martyr under Charles the fifth put forth a Booke concerning a Christian mans obedience in the nineteenth yeare of Henry the eight's Reigne when the Cardinall a Butchers Sonne led away the Lambs of Christ by flocks to the Slaughter in which he describes the authority of the King and the duty of Subjects according to the rule of the Gospell David saith Tyndall spared Saul if he had slayne him he had sinned against God In every Kingdome the King who hath no Superiour judgeth of all He that attempts any mischiefe to the Prince being a Tyrant or Persecutor or with a stubborne hand toucheth the Lords anoynted is a Rebell against God and resists Gods Ordinance As often as a private man offends he is held guilty to the King when the King offends he ought to be reserv'd to the tryall and vengeance of God And as it is not lawfull to resist the King upon any pretence whatsoever so is it not lawfull to rise up against the Magistrate who is sent by the King to execute those things which are commanded by the King Thus he Robert Barnes condemned to the fire in the year 1541. in a Tract concerning humane constitutions he prescribes the best forme of obedience to Subjects living under wicked Princes If the King saith he endeavouring to root out the faith of Christ shall forbid the hearing of the Word or receiving of the Sacraments under the penalty of some great Fine or danger of Death God is to be called upon with faithfull prayers the King petitioned with humble supplications that he will be pleased to revoke his decree if he will not doe it it becommeth a loyall Subject to cleave to the Truth and patiently to bear the violence offer'd by the King He that cannot fly a raging Persecutor let him patiently suffer the losse of goods the tearing of his members yea a Christian ought to suffer most cruell death for the truth according to the example of Christ whosoever shall rebell for Religions sake shall be guilty of eternall damnation Thus Barnes They who in the Reigne of Queene Mary renounced Popery refused to believe the breaden God were constrained to undergo the most exquisite kinds of torments after many Calamities Miseries Chains Fetters Hunger Thirst Cold and other Punishments great without measure many without number being condemned to the Flames they offered up their holy Soules an acceptable Sacrifice to God of whom not any man either in his fore-spent life or brought to the place of punishment being now laying down his life did contemne the royall Majesty though so cruell No man cursed the Queen destroying her People the Church of God contrary to her publicke protestation no man was found who refused obedience yea no man who did not humbly pray for her So the Men of God and dutifull Subjects by leaving to posterity a famous example of obedience and patience by leading an innocent life free from sedition they sealed with one and the same blood the duty of Allegiance and the purity of their faith We have not now place to speak of the Protestants under Ferdinand Maximilian and Radolphus Emperours of Germany and under Elizabeth of blessed memory Queen of England God I hope will grant an opportunity I cannot passe by one anoynted by the Lord with the oyle of saving Grace and singular Knowledge above his fellows the pillar of the Church the prop of the Common-wealth a most expert Champion of Christ against Anti-Christ and the new Arrians a most invincible Warriour in the cause of Kings against the Papall Tyranny the Cardinall impostures and Puritannicall seditions the restorer of the Episcopall Dignity and most eager opposer of the Presbyteriall Anarchy the Defendor of the Catholick Faith the truly peaceable King in his golden treatise concerning the true Law of free Monarchy pag. 48. The wickednesse of him that ruleth ought not to subject the Ruler to them over whom God hath appointed him to be Judge if it be not lawfull for a private man to prosecute an injurie against a private Adversary seeing God hath committed the sword of Vengeance to the Magistrate alone how much lesse dost thou think it lawfull either for all the people in generall or some in partiticular to usurpe the sword to which they have no right against the publicke Magistrate to whom alone it is committed Thus the most royall King Seeing the Papall and Tribunitian power is contrary to Nature is disalowed by the Law of Nations the Civill and Cannon law seeing it can find neither foundation in the Word of God nor patronage from the Ancient Fathers nor entertainement with the most learned of the Protestants but is rejected antiquated and exploded by all with one mouth I confidently aver that it is the meer devise of Papists and Puritans seditious men odious to God injurious to Kings devised to the ruine of the Common-wealth and destruction of Religion Therefore I conclude according to the Dictate of Nature the Law of Nations the Civill and Canon Law the sacred Scriptures the Orthodox Fathers and most Famous Doctors of the Reformed Church It is not lawfull to resist the King violating the Fundamentall Laws of the Kingdome 1. Pet. 2.17 Feare God Honour the King FINIS