King Indeed in Bulk the Body is greater then the Head the People then the King but in Virtue in Power and Authority the Head excelleth the Body the King is above the Parliament For the Parliament by vertue of Representation is but the Body of the Kingdom whereas the King is the Head of that Body and the Representative of God himself and certainly He that represents God is above them that represents the People Thomas de Walsingham mentions a Letter written to the Bishop of Rome from the Parliament held at Lincolne in which Letter are these words Scimus Pater sanctissime et notorium est Anno 1301. a primâ institutione Regni Angliae quòd certum c. We know most holy Father it is manifest from the very beginning of the Kingdom of England as well in the times of the Brittains as of the Angles that the certain and direct Dominion hath belonged unto the King neither have the Kings of England by reason of the unbounded preheminence of the Royal Dignity and Custome observed in all Ages answered or ought to answer before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Civil Certainly the Paâ—liament is either an Ecclsiastical or Civil Judge or both Be it which it will or both if it wilâ— The King is above both because neither of them may call him to account He is of an unbounded preheminence and therefore by no means under the Peoples girâ—le Nec populus Acephalus says Fortescue corpus vocari meretur quia ut in Naturalibus Capite detruâ—cato Cap. 13. residuum non corpus sed Truncum appellamus sic in Politicis sine Capite communitas nullatenus corporatur A headless People or a People without a Head may not be called a Body because as in a Natural Body the Head being cut off the residue or remaining part is not called a Body but a Trunck or stump so in a Politick Body the Community or Representee if without a Head is not a Body Certainly then If the King makes the Community a Body and the Community without the King is not a Body the King is above the Community because the Head is above the Body He says Object I confesse and from him it is objected Ad â—tutelam legis subditorum ac eorum corporum et bonorum Rex erectus est et ad hanc potestatem a populo effluxam ipse habet A King is ordained for the defence of the Law of his Subjects for the defence of their Bodys and their Goods and hereunto he receiveth Power of his People and therefore says the Objector The King is accountable to his People and therefore the People is above the King But withal the Objector may know That in the same place the Author answers the Objection Answ by distinguishing of a King saying Rex hujusmods such a King i. e. A King meerly Politick or a King whose Government is meerly Policicall but the Government of England is as well Royal as Political Regnum Angliae in Dominium Politicum et Regale prorupit The Kingdom of England consists of a Regal and Politick Dominion Et in utroque tam Regali quam Politico Cap. 9. populo suo dominatur so are his words And the King of England is the Governour of his People as well by a Regal as by a Politick Dominion I add In reference to his Power he is a Regal King and Rex Naturalis a King by Birth In reference to his Duty he is a Politick King or Rex Nationalis a King by Law but in both a King and therefore above the People in both respects Nor is that any barr to the Kings Supremacy Object Fol. 56. which is alledged either out of Brrcton Rex sub lege est quia lex facit Regem The King is under the Law because the Law makes the King For though the King be under the Directing power of the Law as the Law is the Rule of Justice yet He is above the Corrective power of the Law as the Law is the Instrument of Justice Or out of Fleta Rex habet in popule regendo superiores De Iustic subst l. 1. c. 17. legem per quam factus est et curiam suam videlicet Comites et Barones The King hath Superiours in the governing of his People The Law by which he is made and his Council to wit his Earles and Barons For the Law doth not make the King Answ by giving him any thing that was not his own before but declaâ—ing his Right to what was his own before nor is the Counsel any other way above him then to direct and advise him In a word The Law declares and publishes the Kings right to the Crown The People admit the King to the Possession of his Right The Council advise him and direct him in the safest way of Governing his People and they are all but as Instruments and Servants to him and so He is above them all The King the Life the Head and Authority of all things that be done in the Realm of England Lib. 2. cap. 4 says Sr. Thomas Smith in his Common-wealth of England The King of England Summam et Supremam potestatem in omnes Regni ordines habet Cambd. Elis pag. 39. says Cambden hath the chief and Supream Power oveâ— all Orders and sorts of People in the Kingdom Supremam potestatem et merum Imperium apud nos habet nec in Imperij clientela est Brit. p. 132. nec investituram ab alio accepit nec praeter Deum Superiorem agnoscit says the same Cambden He hath Soveraign Power over us He is not under the Protection of the Roman Empire not doth he take investiture from any other nor doth he acknowledge any above him but God alone Certainly then the Distinction of Universis minor and Singulis major was not yet coyned For he that is under none but God is above all the People unless they be God And this is yet made as plain if not plainer by and in a Preface to a Statute in the Raign of Henry VIII 24. Hen. 8. cap. 12. where it is said By diverse sundry old Authenitque Histories and Chronicles it is manifestly declared and expressed that this Realm of England is an Empire and so hath been accepted in the world governed by one Supream Head and King having the Dignity and Royal Estate of the Imperial Crown of the same unto whom a Body Politick compact of all sorts and degrees of People divided in termes and by names of Spiritualty and Temporalty have been boundened and owen to bear next to God a Natural and humble obedience and thus afterwards This your Graces Realm recognizeth no Superiour under God 25. Hen. 8. but only your Grace The words are worth your marking We the Realme of England i. e. Surely the Subjects Conjunctim or Vniversalitas Angliae All the People whether Represented in Parliament or otherwise Owe the King a Natural Obedience i. e. by
nisi solus Deus De Schism Donat. lib. 3. says Optatus Milevitaâ—us Since there is no man no Representations of men above the Emperour but only God alone which made the Emperour Donatus by advancing himself above the Emperour doth exceed the bounds of Humanity and maketh himself a God rather then a Man in that he feareth and reverenceth him not whom all men should honour next after God All men should honour him and therefore All men are below him Siquis de nobis Hist lib. 5. c. 1. Rex justitiae limites transcendere voluerit c. says Gregorius Turonensis to Childerick that wicked King of France If any one of us O King do transgresse the bounds of Justice you have power to correct but if you exceed your limits who shall chastise you Who shall chastise you None No man no Assembly of men whatsoever who but God And if none but God may chastise the King surely the King is above all men because he may chastise any men I might be infinite this way Ep. 170. ad Lud. Regem a word from St. Barnard Si totus Orbis adversum me conjuraret ut quippiam molirer adversus Regiam Majestatem ego tamen Deum c. If the whole World should conspire against me to the end that I should do something against the Kings Mâ—jesty yet I would fear God and not dare to offend the King who is ordained by God and by him appointed over me over me and over all men and so he says elsewhere Quis vos excepit who hath excepted any man And Aquinas himself tell us That by the Faith of Christ Order of Justice 2 a. 2 ae q. 104 Art 6. all All Inferiours are bound to obey their Superiours neither the Godly nor Faithful are either exempted or excused but even they are tyed by the Law of Christ to obey the secular Prince Nay he goes a little farther saying If a Successive King or King by Inheritance turn Tyrant Recurrendum est ad omnium Regum Deum We must fly to God the King of all Kings who only hath power over Kings And certainly If God only be above the King the King is above the People Will you see the same confirmed thirdly by Reasons 3. By reasons I assume the Proposition again then and say The King is above the People not only Seorsim asunder but also Conjunctim together Because 1. The King is Sponsus Regni the Husband of the Kingdom and at his Coronation is wedded with a Ring unto his Kingdom not to the Kingdom in the Natural capacity of the People to this and that particular man and woman for so the King should have many Wives but in the Politick capacity of the people as All the people make but one politick Bridegroom so the King hath but one wife And therefore as the Wife is to obey her Husband and therefore the Husband to Rule his wife Eph. 5.22 and therfore the Husband is over his wife so the People All the people are to submit themselves unto the King and the King is over and above them not only Divisim one by one but Conjunctim also altogether 2. The King is above the People because the King is the Head of the People The Head not of these or those particular Members but of all the People For all the People make but one Body and one Body hath evermore a Head and but one Head Otherwise if it have no Head at all or more Heads then one It is a Monster And therefore as a Body Natural consists of many Members and the Head is above not this or that Member asunder but all the Members together as one Body so the Body Politick consists of many Members and the King is the Head of and above not this or that Member alone but all the Members together The Body Natural is ruled by one Head and the Body Politick ought to be ruled by one King 3. The King is above the people because the King is Oeconomus or Pater the Master 〈…〉 Father and the whole Kingdom is Familia the Family 〈◊〉 Childreâ— or Servants He is Dominus the Lord and They are Domus the House Now as Dominus domui praest The Lord bears Rule in his House The Father is above his Children The Master above his Servants not this or that Childe or each Childe a apart not this or that Servant or each Servant apart but all the Children and all the Servants together so the King is above all the People together Agesilaus fore-saw the danger of this Distinction and the danrous consequence of it if it were allowed and therefore to a Citizen of Sparta who desired an alteration of Government he returned this Answer That kind of Rule which a man disdains in his own house is very unfit to govern a Kingdom by Beloved make up you the Application your selves It may be your Children and your Servants which are the Representative Body of your little Kingdom your Family hold together Is it fit therefore that they should command you or turn you out of dores Will any but Unruly Servants or Graceless Children say They are therefore above over and greater then their Master then their Father Nor is it fit though all the Subjects of a Kingdom conspire and combine together that they should command the King Nor will any but unruly undutiful unthankful Gracelesse and Rebellious Subjects say They are or esteem themselves to be above the King They that say so speak against Reason For the King is the Husband The People the Wife The King is the Head The People are the Members The King is the Father the People are the Children The King is the Master the People are the Servants of the Kingdom They that say so speak against Learning For it hath been the Universal Opinion of the Fathers That the King is inferiour to none but God and They speak against the Letter and Sense of the Scripture For the Scripture calls such Despisers of the King Children of Belial And lastly they speak against the Common Law of England which is my fourth and last way 4. By the law of England I promised to make this good by viz. That the King is above the People and for the Common Law of England I shall refer you to Bracton Fortescue Sr. Thomas Smith Thomas de Walsingham Cambden and others Bracton thus Omnis sub Rege Ipse sub nullo nisi tantùm sub Deo Parem non habet in Regno suo Lib. 1. cap. 8. De Chartis Regijs et factis Regum nec privatae personae nec Justitiarij debent disputare Every one is under the King and the King is under none but God He hath no Equal no Peer much lesse Superiour in his Kingdom Of his Royal Graunts and Actions none neither private Persons nor Judges may dispute Certainly If the King be only under God then neither the People nor their Representatives are above the
of necessity note the Person and the Superiority of the Person that hath that Power conferred upon and given to him and such Power no Person in England hath but only the King of England His great Council may Jus dicere propose Lawes but He only can jus dare make Lawes They the Lords and Commons may give weight and Testimony to the Law but He only The King can give Force and Authority to the Law And therefore by Higher Power we English men must needs understand the King of England To whom the King every Soul i.e. All People in the Kingdom of England must be subject subject Actively If He commands not what is against Gods word Subject Passively if He do whether He do or do not we must be so far Subject as that we may not Resist For if we do we shall receive to our selves Damnation Not the Plundering of our Goods at Home not the hanging of our Bodies in the street or field but the Damnation the everlasting Damnation of our Souls and Bodies in Hell for ever Now search and examine your selves Art thou any where in the whole word of God commanded to bear Arms or to contribute to maintain a War against thy Lawful and Rightful King Art thou any where forbidden by the word of God to Assist thy King in his just Wars Nay Doeth not the word of God forbid thee That and command the This It does thou knowest it does and so I conclude this Proposition from the Scripture and say Therefore it is not lawful for any man to bear Arms or to contribute to the maintenance of a War against the King For no man may curse the King in his thoughts for no man may revile the King by his words For no man may resist the King with his Hands yea Therefore every man must assist the King with Arms and contribute to the maintetenance of a War for him with his Purse because they that do not are the Children of Belial The Children of Belial said How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no presents And this I shall endeavour to make good Thirdly 3. Fathers By the contemplation and conversation of the Fathers by their Practise and by their Opinion and that I may not tyre you or my self I shall give you but a Taste instead of a Feast and name you but Few instead of Many I begin with Justine Martyr Ad inquisitionem vestram Secund. Apolog ad Anto. Imp. p. 113. Christianos nos esse profitemur c. says he to Antoninus an Emperour bad enough At your Inquisition we Professe our selves to be Christians though we know Death to be the Guerdon and reward of our Profession Did we expect an Earthly Kingdom we would deny our Religion that escaping Death we might obtain our desires For the preservation of publick peace we Christians O Emperour yield you our help and assistance We Christians says Tertullian to Scapula the Vice-Roy are defamed for Seditious Persons against the Imperial Majesty Lib. ad Scap. but we were never yet found to be either Albinians Nigrians Cassians or any other sort of Traytors No we know the Emperour is ordained of God and therefore we love him we honour him we reverence him we pray for him and for the welfare of his whole Empire Una nox pauculis faculis c. says he In Apolog. in his Apologetical Defence of the Christians One short night with a few Fire-brands or Torches would work our deliverance and revenge our wrongs if it were lawful to requite evil with evil Vetat autem Deus ut aut ab igne humano vindicatur Divina secta aut doleat pati in quo probatur But God forbid that the Christian Religion should be revenged with humane fire or that Christians should grieve for suffering because in suffering they are refined and for suffering they are rewarded Apol. Atha ad Constant Holy Athanasius in the clearing of himself against the Accusation of the Arians to Constantius the Emperour thus expresses his own Duty and the Duty of all good Subjects I am not so mad neither have I forgotten the voice of God which says Curse not the King no not in thy heart and backbite not the Mighty in the secreets of thy Chamber for the Birds of the Aire shall tell it and the winged Fowle shall bewray thee It is not for any man to say otherwise then well of his Majesty in the opinion of this holy man and therefore certainly it is not for any man to do otherwise then well To bear Arms or to contribute to maintain War against the King Orat. 1. in Julian Nazianzene the Divine so termed for his Excellent Knowledge and profound Learning speaks to this purpose Repressus est Julianus Christianorum lachrymis quas multas multi profuderunt hoc unum adversus persecutorem medicamentum habentes Julian that great Apostata and persecutor of Christians was restrained by the Tears of Christians which many of them shed and powred forth aboundantly unto God nor had they any other remedy against the Persecutor because they knew it to be unlawful to use any other means then Sufferance or else they might having so much strength as they had have repelled their wrong with violence St. Ambrose being commanded to deliver up his Church in Millane to an Arian Bishop Contr. Aux Ep. 31 32 33. his people being very sorry for his departure he thus resolves and comforts both himself and them Quid turbamini Volens nunquam vos deesram Why are you troubled I will never willingly leave you Repugnare non novi dolere potero potero slere potero gemere adversus Arma Milites Gothos Lach rymae meae mea sunt Arma aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere If I be compelled I have no way to resist I can grieve and sorrow I can weep and sigh my Tears are my Weapons against Souldiers Armors Goths such is the Artillery and Ammunition of a Priest otherwise then with Tears I neither may nor must nor ought resist St. Chysostome in one Epistle tells us Ep. ad Tim. 2. That though Kings continue obstinate in Infidelity yet they must be prayed for they must not they may not be resisted The Apostle commands prayers supplications and intercessions to be made for all men especially for the King What he hath said in another you have heard before and thither I refer you St. Augustine is of the same opinion Julianus extitit Imperator Infidel is Julian was an unbelieving Emperour In Ps 124. he was an Apostata an Oppressor a Tyrant and Idolater yet the Christian Soldiers served this anbelieving Emperour They obeyed him in all things for Christ and when he commanded them any thing against Christ yet they resisted him not though they did not obey him Gregory the Great might if he would Ep. l. 7. Ep. 1. but would not though he could destroy the Lombards
the Primitive and later Orthodox Divines as To kill their King 3. And therefore I hasten to shew in the next place That such a desire to have the King killed is against the Law of Man and particularly against the Law of the men of this Nation even of those men who did Kill King Charles I. And that I may do it truly and according to the Law of this Nation I shall only repeat the words of Judge Jenkins who tells us His Oath as a Judge runs thus p. 174. 1. Well and truly to serve our Sovereign Lord the King and his People in that Office 2. To do right to all manner of People Poor and Rich after the Lawes and Usages of this Realm 3. Truly to Counsel the King and his Counsel to conceal and keep p. 174. 4. Not to suffer the hurt or disheriting of the King or that the Rights of the Crown be decreased by any means as far as he may let it 5. If he may not let it he shall make it clearly and expresly to be known to the King with his advice and Council 6. And that he shall do and purchase the Kings profit in all that he reasonably may as God him help and the Contents of Gods Book And after he tells us p. 175. That the House of Commons this Parliament some call'd it the Long Parliament gave in charge to Mr. Sollicitor St. Johns I think upon the Prosecution of the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford to declare the Law to be That Machination of War against the Laws or Kingdom is against the King They cannot be severed He tells us again p. 1676. That Mr Pym had in charge likewise upon the same Prosecution to Declare That the KING and his People are obliged one to another in the nearest relations He is a Father and the Childe in Law is called Pars Patres He is the Husband of the Common-wealth They have the same Interests they are inseperable in their condition be it good or evil He is the Head they are the Body there is such an Incorporation as cannot be dissolved without the destruction of both Once more p. 198. after this he tells 1. To Imprison the King is High Treason 2. To remove Counsellours from the KING by force is High Treason 3. To alter the Laws establisht in any part by force is High Treason 4. To usurp the Royal Power is High Treason 5. To alter the Religion establisht is High Treason 6. To raise rumours and give out words to alienate the Peoples affections from the King is High Treason 7. To sesse Souldiers upon the People of the Kingdom without their consent is High Treason 8. The execution of Paper Orders by Souldiers in a Military way is High Treason 9. To counterfeit the Great Seal is High Treason 10. Thâ— Commissions of Array is in force and no other 11. None can make Judges Justices Sheriffs c. but the King â—he King makes every Court 12. The Great Seal belongs to the Kings Custody or to whom he shall appoint and none other 13. Ordinances of one or both Houses are no Lawes to binde the people 14. No Priviledge of Parliament holds for Treason Felony or breach of the Peace 15. To Levy war against the Person of the King is High Treason 16. To impose unlawful Taxes to impose new Oaths is High Treason 17. It is a pernicious Doctrine to teach Subjects They may be discharged from the Oath of Allegiance Good God of what a complicated Treason then was that party of that PARLIAMENT Guilty who after they had taken up Armes against KING CHARLES I. did did then slaunder him did then Imprison him did then desire to have Him Kill'd and did then Actually Kill Him And so Committed a Murther a monstrous murther which is my second Generall Part Pars 2. And thus I discourse it Had they but desired to kill him they had committed a monstrous Murther For as to Lust after a Woman is Adultery in Christs Exposition of they Commandement Mat. 5. so to be Angry with a man to call him Fool or Raca is Murther in his Exposition of the sixth Commandement but they the Jews called Christ a Wine-bibber a Samaritan a Devil and at last desired to have him killed and thereby committed a monstâ—ous Murther King David tells us that the Lord aâ—horreth the blood-thirsty and deceitfull man Psal 5.6 and the deceitfull man as the best Expositors tell us is such a one as longeth after or desireth the blood of his Neighbour But they went further they did not only desire to have him killed but they actuaâ—y killed him Pilate indeed gave the sentence upon their importunity and they executed that sentence by their own Cruelty and so Murthered him in their heart by desire in their tongue by detraction and in their hand by Execution and so committed a monstrous Murther 1. Monstrous 1. as being against Nature Omnia appetunt esse Naturally all things love their being 2. Monstrous 2. as being against Reason Quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris Reasonably no man should do that to another which he would not another man should do to him 3. Monstrous as being Devilish He is a Muâ—therer from the beginning and the Author and Father of a Murther and who would be called a Malignant Joh. 44.8 or the Son of the Devill 4. Monstrous 4. as being Beastly Ferina rabies vulnere et sanguine laetari saies Seneca it is a savage Cruelty to delight in blood And yet if these Jews had thought that for this sin of Blood this monstrous Murther of Christ they should have been cursed upon earth and have been Vagabonds all the dayes of their life certaâ—nly they would never have committed so unnaturall so unreasonable so devilish so beastly a sin in defiring Christ to be killed by the Cross nor would the English have done the like by desiring Charles to be killed by the Hatchet But why did they desire Pilate to kill Christ and why did some others desire John Bradshaw to kill King Charles why that my prima secundae is to tell you and it tells you thus in one suppositive and in one Positive Quare 1. It may be the speak truth when they said to Pilate Joh. 18.31 It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death and some latter Jews tells us by name Moses Kots in Sanhedrin that all power of Capitall punishments was taken from them forty years before the destruction of their second Temple But this I dare not conceive For though power in Criminalls in the Generall was taken from them yet in this particular Pilate gave them power when he said Joh. 18.31 Take yea him and judge him according to your Law Nor could they object against this their Law could not condemn him if he had transgressed their Law because they confest they had a Law and by their Law he ought
KING CHARLES HIS FUNERAL Who was Beheaded by Base and Barbarous hands January 30 1648. AND Interred at WINDSOR February 9 1648. WITH His ANNIVERSARIES Continued untill 1659. By THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Qui orat exorat Vivat veniat Vincat Carolus Secundus Et sit Carolo Magno Major Amen LONDON Printed by John Clowes for the Author 16â—â— TO THE KINGS Most Exceent MAJESTIE CHARLES II. GREAT SIR THat Your Majestie may vouchsafe to give these Anniversaries a gracious Reception is the Petition to That Your Majestie may be Blest with a Long Life with a quiet Reign with a Faithfull Councel with a Pious Clergie with a Valiant Souldiery with a Loyal People and be preserved from a new Rivalry of Presbytery and Independency is the Petition for Your Majesty By Your Majesties Loyall Subject THOMAS SWADLIN D.D. Anno Dom. 1648. 2 SAM 1.14 How wast thou not afraid to put forth thine hand to destroy the Annointed of the Lord IN qualia tempora reservasti nos Domine O Lord God In what sad times do we live Times wherein sins of the highest size are comitted Sacriledge and Rebellion and not controuled Nay They are countenanced and not checkt Yea to check them and controule them is accounted a greater sin and can expect no greater Reward then an heavy punishment So sad are the Times we live in Sacriledge and Rebellion committed countenanced commanded To discountenance them to discommand them to rebuke them is accounted a greater sin and must expect as great if not a greater punishment But what then Shall we dry our Eys and not weep for them Shall we harden our Hearts and not sigh for them Shall we muzzle our Mouths and not declaime against them This indeed would involve us in the Guilt and â—â—y us liable to a greater punishment Not only to an Hatchet to an Halter to a Rack to a shame to a Torment here but to Fire and Brimstone to stormes and Tempests to Tortures and Devils hereafter A hard choice I confesse But for all that They that have more care of their Bodies then of their Souls They that have more respect to their Posterity then to their Eternity may consent by silence For my part Liberabo animam meam whatsoever becomes of my Body of my Wife of my Children I will if possibly I can deliver mine own Soul not only by not consenting to but also by dissenting from and increpating of those Royal Blood-suckers those Sons of Belial those Regicides and King-Killers not only in the Distillation of mine Eyes to bedew a Royall Coffin not only in the Compunction of my Soul to bewaile the losse of a Royal Person but also in the Objurgation of my Tongue by chiding those who were so Disloyal as not to be afraid to put forth their hands to destroy the Annointed of the Lord. And that you may deliver your Souls too I beseech you Joyn your Tears with mine Joyn your Prayers with mine Joyn your Sorrows with mine until God shall be pleased to establish King Davids seed in King David's Throne to increpate those bloudy Actors in this Expostulation and Disquisition of so bloody an Act How wast thou not afraid c. These words at first view seem to be nothing but an Interogation the asking of a Question and no more But upon a second and better Inspection they will appear an heavy Indignation and resolve themselves into this strong Negative No man may None but a fearlesse i. e. a gracelesse man dare put forth his hand against much lesse destroy the Lords Annointed and offer to our consideration these particulars Division 1. Whether all Kings bad and all be the Lords annointed I resolve it Yes They are 2. Whether such a Person though had may be resisted deposed or murthered I resolve it No He may not 3. How fearful a sin is it to do such an Act Besides what I shall resolve upon this anon I must add Time will discover I begin with the first Whether all Kings bad and all Par. 〈◊〉 be the Lords Annointed Yes I say They are For it was in a Phrensy mood when Ajax took Kings for Upstarts rising and standing of themselves Cowards get victory by God saith he but I will win whether God will or no. And it was in as desperate a sit when Antiochus said The Persons of Kings are of Force or Fortune 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Let him take the Kingdom to whom Fortune or the sword shall give it And a foolish Dream of wise Homer it was when he said That Kings are the spawn of Jupiter nursed and fostered by Jupiter And tâ—eir Speech is as full of Folly and Madness whether Papist or Puritan or him that hath out-stripped them both the Independent who say That the King is the Peoples Creature The People the Kings Creatour The King whosoever he be quâ King is King but Precario by the Peoples Courtesy And those Texts they alleadge for the proof of their Opinions are foolishly if not foully mistaken by them viz. All the People went up to Gilgal and made Saul King there and therefore the King is the Peoples Creature so again 1 Sam. 11.15 2 Reg. 14.21 All the People of Judah took Azariah and made him King for his Father Amaziah and therefore the People are the Kings Creator For in Propriety of Speech The People did then and do now only declare him to be King who was so appointed by God and therefore the Context runs thus Samuel said to the people Come let us go to Gilgal and renew the Kingâ—om there i e. Let us acknowledge and make known him to be King 1 Sam. 11.14 whom the Lord hath chosen as it is in the 24 verse of that chapter Outward Solemnity and Coronation the King hath from the People but Power Right and Authority he hath from God from God immediatly and Dependent upon God only and Independent from the People whether Diffusive or Collective whether Representative or Essenciall Look ye else upon the first Rulers Gods first Church had the Church of the Jewes Who made Moses to be Ruler over Israel God Act. 7.35 Num. 27.16 Judg. 2.16 The People had no hand in it who appointed Joshua over the Congregation of Israel who but God Who raised up the Judges who but the Lord Who appointed yes to come to the word of my Text who annointed Saul to be Captain over Israel who but the Lord 1 Sam. 10.1 Samuel poured on the Oyl but God annointed him That for the first King of Israel SAUL He was appointed to be King and annointed by God And so again for the second King of Israel DAVID Who found him and who annointed him Not the People I assure you not the better sort of them The Elders of the City Bethleem 1 Sam. 16.4 They were astonished when Samuel went upon that errand from God Nor the best sort of the People neither Not the Saints They dream't of no such matter until God
told them on 't by a Dream and Vision as you may read in the Psalmes God spake in a Vision to his holy Ones and said Ps 89.19 I have exalted One chosen out of the people chosen a exalted out of the People by God Not chosen and exalted out of the People by themselves No nor yet by Samuel the Prophet neither For if he had been left alone we had not had King David for the second King of Israel but King Eliab for so he said when he lookt upon Eliab 1 Sam. 16.6 1 Reg. 1.7 Surely the Lords annointed is before me No nor yet Abiather the High-Priest For if he might have had his will we had not had King Solomon for the third King of Israel but King Adonijah No no neither People nor Prophets nor Saints nor High-Priest are King-founders but only God himself and therefore certainly neither King-founders nor King-confounders are of God who lay the Foundation of Kings upon any other then God alone and so God-self tells us saying I have found David my Servant with my holy Oyl have I annointed him Ps 89.20 The words there are Emphatical and worth your marking It is not Reperi I have found him by adventure or I have stumbled upon him by chance but it is Inveni I have taken pains by seeking to finde him out and so it is elsewhere expressed Quaesivit Deus hominem The Lord hath sought him a man and in the Psalm it is Inveni Davidem servum meum 1 Sam. 13.14 I have found out David my servant But mistake not I repeat not these words nor do I comment upon these words to give you leave to think God needed either to seek him or finde him but to let you know How God stood affected to the having of Kings He was so set upon them that rather then not have them Hee would do as we do Take the pains to seek them and find them out and yet not do as we do too often so soon as we have sought a thing and found it by and by to loose it again No but God so sought and found out Kings as to have them continued and therefore it follows in that place Oleo meo sancto with my holy Oyl have I anointed him Were it no more but Oyle why yet that alone were enough to show both the Sovereignty and perpetuity of Kings For mingle what you will with Oyle it will be uppermost and though those Colours which are laid in water fade by and by yet the Colours of the Crown being laid in Oyle it is to let us know They should yea and notwithstanding the craft of Royal Horse-leeches they shall last and hold out all weathers Yea and to let them know too Kings themselves what they should be smooth gentle and supple as Oyle no Acrimonie in them at all If it were no more but Oyle We should learn so much and They should learn so much We That Kings should continue and live out their dayes because they are annointed with Oyle not with water They that they should be gentle to their Subjects because they are annointed with Oyle and not with Wine But it is more then Oyl It is holy Oyl Gods holy Oyl and this is to tell them Kings That they should be holy and as they bear an Image of Gods power in the sublimity of their places so they should also of Gods purity in the sanctity of their persons And this again is to tell us That their Function is like their Unction Holy and therefore not to be touched with the hand of violence by any They that offer violence to Kings offer violence to God himself because God finds them and makes them Kings because God annoints them and sacres their persons This happily may be granted for David and such good Kings as hee was who with the Sanctity of their Functions received also Sanctity into their Persons But is it so with bad Kings too Are they found out by God and annointed by God Yea that they are and this I shall shew you first in Generall and secondly in some particulars First in General Per me Reges regnant By me Kings Reign Per me Ia. Iae. Prov. 8.15 By me not per lumina by the Position of the Stars By Jupiter or Venus or some other good Planet in their Ascendent Nor is it per se By their own Bow or Sword Adonijahs regnabo sail'd him But it is Per me By me and that is By God himself In 13. al Rom. and therefore saith St. Chrysostome Reges quòd sunt per Deum sunt Kings are Kings by God and it was once the usual style of Popes themselves in writing to Kings to wish them health In co per quem Reges regnant In him by whom Kings do Reign and that was neither Saint nor Angel nor Pope nor People but only God A Deo saith St. Paul The Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13. Per me says Solomon By God Kings Reign And this per here is not only Permissivē by way of Toleration only though the Latine will bear such a construction as Per me licet you may if you will for all me I hinder you not And so some Priests of the Latine Church and some Presbyters in the English Church The Priest there and the Presbyter here is a solo Deo et Jure Divin◠by Divine Right and of Gods constitution But the King is ex importunitate Populi That there be Kings and that Kings Reign it is upon the Peoples importunity and God only bears them or rather bears with them and so They make Per me Reges regnant permissivé only and at no hand Positivé and yet the Apostle says expresly Rom. 13.2 It was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ordinance of God himself and so of Gods Institution Indeed however per in the Latine may bear it yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek cannot the Idiome of that Tongue rejects permission and says clearly Kings are of Gods Ordination and Institution By the Institution of his Power so is the Context I have strength By me Kings Reign By the institution of his Will Prov. 8.14 1 Pet. 2.13.15 Haec est voluntas Dei says St. Peter This is the Will of God that ye submit your selves to the King By the Institution of Gods good Will and Love Because God loved his People 1 Chro. 2.11 says Hyram King of Tyre he hath made thee King And this per me is as well for Saul a bad King as for David a good King as well for Cyrus an Heathen King as for Solomon a Jewish King as well for Constantine a Christian King as for any of the rest and so for all other Kings whether Jewish Heathen or Christian Good or Bad. That in Generall Secondly in particular Saul was as bad a King as well could be a Monster rather then a Man There were not many sins against God or
Nature wherein he transgressed not and yet his excesse was not punished either by Sacerdotal Synod or by the secular Senate either by an Assembly of Levites or by an Army of Souldiers David for bad it twice in his life time and revenged it after his death and for no other reason but this Quia unctus Domini quia Christus Domini Because he was the Lords annointed Sauls unction was the cause of his immunity Quaero si Saulus non habebat Sacramenti sanctitatem Contr. Patil l. 2. c. 48. quid in eo David venerebatur says St. Augustine If Saul had not the holinesse of unction I wonder what it was that David reverenced in him David reverenced Saul for his holy unction Saul a bad King was Gods annointed though bad and it is to let you know That annointing doth not signifie any spiritual grace or vertue For then Saul had not been King and yet when he was at the worst he was still Gods annointed Nor secondly does Unction signifie Religion For then Cyrus a meer Heathen had not been King yet King he was and Gods annointed too Isa 45.1 Unction or annointing then signifying neither confirming in Religion nor conferring of any spiritual grace it must and will sâ—grisie that Dominion and Sovereignty which God gives that man whom He chooses out of the rest to be King whether he be good or bad either in the beginning of a Royal Race or in the Succession of a a Royal Birth And the Primogeniture of Sovereignty I must tell you is enough to prove one Gods annointed At first God made Kings and his annointed immediatly by himself so Moses Then Mediatly by Men so Joshua by Moses so Saul and David by Samuel and so Solomon by David and these were extraordinary waies The ordinary waies are by Succession or by the Sword For Elective Kings are rather Reguli then Reges Jud. 2 Reg. 24.1 Isa 45.1 and titular then reall Abimelech got it by the Sword so did Nebucadnezzar and so did Cyrus and still they were Gods annointed But this we durst not say to you if Gods word did not say so to us The surest was by Succession or Birth-right which belongs to the eldest Son and thus Rehoboam succeeded Solomon c. and they that so come to the Crown are Gods annointed and therefore may not be resisted deposed or murthered which is my second part and thus proposed Whether such a Person as the King and Gods annointed Part 2. though bad may be resisted deposed or murthered I answer it No and thus I undertake it And that you may clearly and to the full understand the truth of this I shall leave it to your choyce whether you will believe Papists and Puritans without the word of God or the Primitive Fathers and Doctors with the word of God The Jesuites of Rome tell us That Kings may be deposed by Popes The Puritans of Geneva tell us That Kings may be deposed by the People Both in some cases and the spawn of both the Independents have done it de facto in England without any Case or Cause at all will you hear them speak 1. Say they of Rome If the King be a Tyrant i. e. If instead of protecting the People he destroy them If instead of feeding the People he fleece them If instead of enriching his Subjects Bellar. de he impoverish them If instead of doing them Justice he be unjust unto them Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed Potest Papae 2. If the King usurp power in spiritual things i. e. If he call himself Defender of the Faith or under Christ the Head of the Church If he call a Council without leave of his Holinesse the Bishop of Rome If he shed the bloud of Priests by the Secular Power and Civil Sword If he alienate Monasteries Nunneries and other Demeasus of the Church Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed 3. If he be an Heretique i.e. If he be not of the Romish Faith and Religion If he favour it not If he promote it not Lib. 5. If he practise it not If he persecute the Professors of it If he enact and execute Penal Lawes against them Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed 4. If he be a Fool had I been the Cardinal instead of Fatuity I would have said If he be a Demoniack i. e. If he be possest with the Devil or an evil Spirit if he have compacted with the Devil If he be so sierce that no man may speak unto him If upon every or any light occasion he throw his Javeline to nail men to the wall Cap. 1. and draw his Sword to cut their Throats Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed These are ruled cases in Rome to legitimate that spurious Doctrine of King-deposing and King-killing and all these made good by those hell-hatcht Distinctions of Proprié Improprié of Directé of Simplciter secundam quid of Absolute in ordine ad spiritualiâ— by the Popes Absolute and Relative Authority And the same Doctrine of Sedition of Deposing of Regicide and King-killing Loc. Com. Theol. Loc. 77. p. 845. is as stifly but not so subtly maintained by the Puritans else hear them speak 1. Subditis si sit publica et manifesta savitia licet fieri supplices implorare anxilia ab alijs et suscipere eorum defensionem aliis Regibus licet saith Bucanus when Subjects suffer Publick manifest wrong they may lawfully become Suppliants unto Forreign Magistrates and implore their aid against their own Princes and other Kings ought to take upon them their Defence and Protection 2. Si legibus Dei Magistratus transgrediantur c. says Christopher Goodman If Magistrates transgress Gods Lawes themselves Tract de obed p. 119. and commend others to do the like they loose that honour and obedience which is otherwise due unto them and ought no more to be taken for Magistrates but to be examined and punished as private transgressors 3. Licuit says Eusebius Philadelphus from Edengburgh Dial 2. p. 57 It was as lawful for his Brethren of France to defend themselves from the Tyranny of Charles 9. King of France as for wayfaring-men to resist and repel Thieves and Wolves Nay saith he I am of opinion with the old people of Rome That of all good action the Murther of a Tyrant is most commendable 4. Oritur nobilis quaestie says Danaeus in his Christian Policy Lib. 3. c. 6. Here arises a noble question Whether it be lawful for Subjects to change and alter their Government Yea whether it may be done by godly men with a good Conscience Yes says he It may and his Reason is this Reges summique Magistratus Kings chief Magistrates are the Vassails of the Kingdom Common-wealths where they Rule and therefore may be dispossest and dejected when they attempt any thing against the Fundamental Lawes thereof and as it
is truly said A General Council is above the the Pope so the Kingdom or Peers of the Land are above the King 5. Hunc tollent vel Pacificé vel cum bello qui eá potestate dotati sunt ut Regni Ephori vel omnium ordinum publicus conventus commended by Cartwright the Presbiterian-founder in England The Peers of the Kingdom or the publick Convention of the States ought to destroy a Tyrant Lib. 5. c. 13. pag. 1 85. either by peaceable practises or by open War says Fennerus in his Sacrâ Theolog. 6. Jus humanum Naturale Nationale Positivum Prt. 1. cap. 4. pag. 72. says Doleman All Lawes Humane Natural National Positive do teach That Common-weals which gave Kings ther Authority for the Common-good may take the same from them if they abuse it to the common ill Thus you see the Kings of Christendom crucified as Christ was between two Thieves the Papist and the Puritan All the difference is The Papists give this Power to the Pope The Puritans give it to the People and yet in that rather then fail they do sometimes agree But I pray take notice when this seditious Learning came in It is but of yesterdays standing but 220 years old at most by any Publick Record Then and not till then did Joannis de Parissis bring it in for the Pope and a great while after did John Calvin bring it in for the people and therefore with your favour we will look a little higher And first I will begin with that great School-man of Rome Aquinas by whom I dare encounter with either Papist or Puritan to justifie almost every point of that Religion wherein I have been born and bred and in which God willing I intend to dye For the present This we have now in hand Kings though bad may not be resisted deposed or murthered Esset enim multitudini periculosum et ejus rectoribus For it would be as dangerous to Subjects as to Soveraigns if any man should attempt to take away the life of Princes though Tyrants For commonly not the well-disposed De Regin Princip l. 1. c. 6. but the ill-affected men thrust themselves into that danger the Government of good Kings being as odious to bad men as the Rule of Tyrants is to good People and the Kingdom by this presumption will be rather in danger to forgo a good Prince then a wicked Tyrant and his Answer to that Objection which was even now delivered by the Scottish Eusebius Philadelphus 2 a. 2 ae 4.41 a. 2. ad 3. viz. That it is praise worthy to murther a Tyrant is Sedition is a mortall sin Secondly before him when Pope Paschalis had perswaded Robert the Son Ep. Laodiensium apud simonem scard p. 116. to Rebel against his Father Henry the Emperour and had excommunicated the Bishop of Liege or Lions for his Loyalty All the Church-men of Liege All Nemine contradicente none excepted writ an Apolegy for themselves the sum whereof is this We are excommunicated because we obey our Bishop Our Bishop is excommunicated because he takes part with his Lord the Emperour yet who can justly blame him for taking his Lords part to whom he hath sworn Allegiance Perjury is a great sin whereof they cannot be ignorant who by new Schisme and novel Tradition do promise to absolve Subjects from the guilt of Perjury that forswear themselves to their Lord and King And at last they conclude thus Nihil modo pro Imperatore nostro dicimus At present we say nothing in defence of our Emperour but this we say though Were he as bad as you report him to be we would endure his Government because our sins have deserved such a Governour Be it we must needs grant against our will That the Emperour is an Arch-heretick an Invader of the Kingdom a worshipper of the Symonaical Idol and accursed by the Apostles and Apostolical men as you say of him why yet even such a Prince ought not to be resisted by violence but to be endured by patience Aquinas is against Rebellion for Tyranny and a whole Church is against Rebellion for Heresie Before both these says John Damascene Though wicked Kings and their wicked under-Officers be Thieves Paralel l. 1. cap. 21. though they be unjust or otherways tainted with any other crime yet they must be regarded we may not contemn them for their impiety but we must reverence them for their Authority Rebellion Deposing Murthering of Kings is not allowable in the case of Tyranny by the judgment of Aquinas nor in the case of Heresie by the judgment of the Church-men of Liege nor in the case of Impiety by the judgment of Damascene St. Augustine is as positive against Rebellion in the case of Apostacy Julianus extitit Imperator infidelis Julian was an unbelieving Emperour for he was an Apostate for he was an Oppressor for he was an Idolater and yet Christian Souldiers served this Emperour Indeed when they came to the cause of Christ they would acknowledge no Lord but him that was in Heaven when they were commanded to adore Idolls and to offer Sacrifice In Ps 124. they preferred God before their Prince But when he called upon them to War and bad them invade any Nation they presently as they ought obeyed They distinguished their eternal Lord from their temporal King yet they submitted themselves to their temporal Lord for his sake who was their eternal King What means the Apostle says St. Chrisostome to command us to pray for all men and for Kings by name seeing Kings serve not the living God In ep 1 Tim. cap. 2. ver 1. as they did not in his time but live in infidelity Why surely it is to teach us That Kings though they be never so wicked yet they may not be resisted less may they be deposed least of all may they be Murthered Tyranny cannot justifie Rebellion if Aquinas may be believed Heresie cannot justifie Rebellion if the Church of Liege may be credited Impiety cannot if Damascene gains upon your Faith Apostacy cannot if St Austin speaks truth Obstinacy in all these cannot if St. Chrysostom be a true man I add If Nazianzen have repute with you who for his admirable Learning and Piety was called The Divine and lived under five Emperours four of them bad enough and the fifth no better then he should be viz. Constantius Julianus Valens Valentinianus and Theodosius There is no remedy against the Tyranny Heresie and Apostacy of Princes but Prayers and Tears No though a King be a Persecutor of the Church yet may he not be resisted deposed or killed either by Pope by Peers or People if Hosius who for his Age Experience excellent Learning and holy conversation was admired and esteemed by all men may be believed For thus he stoutly answered the wicked demand of Constantius the Arian Emperour Hosius apud Athan. ad solitarié viventes Ego confessionis munus implevi cùm persecutio
â—eÌ„ non digné operis ex eâ substractâ Gratiâ magis time quia te reliquit custodia tua si redirit gratia multò amplius time ne forté contingat pacis excidium If Grace be present Fear lest thou answer not the expectation of that Grace If Grace be absent Fear more because thou art left unto thy self If Grace return again Fear much more least thy Security ruine thy Peace And if Fear be so necessary a Vertue by the Verdict of so many Fathers and grave Authors what means King David here to give the blessed man this Character He feareth not Do but you distinguish of the Subject Fear and look upon the Object what the blessed man fears and you will presently confesse There is neither Adaxie nor Paradox neither Absurdity nor Ambiguity in this Character He feareth not Some have made six sorts of Fear 1. Natural which respects Beeing and this is in all Living creatures 2. Humane which respects Life and this is in all men 3. Mundane which respects Riches Liberty Beauty Honour and the like and this is in all covetous and cowardly wretches 4. Servile which respects pain and punishment and this is in Slaves Reprobates Rebels and Devils 5. Initiall which respects sin and this is in all good Christians and Loyal Subjects who chuse rather to suffer in Gods cause then to participate with the sins of a more successfull party 6. Filiall which respects God and this is in all Noble Martyrs and Glorious Saints who therefore fear to sin because they will not offend God You may contract these six into these two Filial Servile because under Servile may be comprised Humane and Worldly and under Filial Initial and Natural fear Filial fear looks upon God as a Father and honours him and is resolved to honour him though there were neither Heaven to reward him nor Hell to torment him Servile fear looks upon God as a Judge and shuns him and if now and then in a Fit he yields God any obedience it is Formidine paenae onely for fear of punishment Filial fear is an Ornament and Vertue of the Soul Servile fear is a Passion and Distresse of the Soul Filial fear is in the Regenerate both in the Church Militant and Triumphant but in several considerations Here by two Actions Evitando malum et faciendo bonum by eschewing evil and doing good There only by doing good Perficitur in Patriâ non abolebitur reverentia Timoris says St. Augustine Reverential fear shall not be diminished in Heaven but encreased It shall not be abolished but perfected Servile fear is not in them not in them at all so far as they are Regenerated As men they may fear their Lifes as covetous they may fear their Estates as Carnal they may fear their Liberties But he that fears either or the losse of either Liberty Estate or Life can never be good Souldier or Loyal Subject can never be good Christian or Gods servant He may fear God as God is just and so Fear is a Passion Distress of the Soule He doth not fear God as God is good for so Fear is a Grace and Ornament of the Soul As Fear is a Passion of the Soul you may understand that speech of St. John Many of the Rulers believed in Christ but for fear of the Jewes they did not confesse him least they should be put out of the Synagogue for they loved the praise of men more then the praise of God I may add They feared the Injustice and punishment of men more then the Justice and Judgment of God and therefore says Christ Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul but rather fear him who is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell Mat. 10.28 The words in the Original are worth the marking Fear not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them that kill the Body it is not them that can kill the body they do it by a permissive power They cannot do it by any Inherent power of their own 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the Soul they neither may nor can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but rather fear him who hath power to destroy Soul and Body in Hell I wish the late Renegado's had seriously considered these Texts Those men I mean who served the late King and tarried with him so long as the Sun shined and the weather was calm but so soon as ever the Rain began to fall and the Winds to blow they presently ran away to compound and save something a little wealth and some few dayes but they did forget that God could Luke 12. and it may be will cast both Soul and body into Hell And then as Christ says Fools whose shall these things your Riches and your Daies be Yes He both can will without a great deal of Repentance For their Sin was far more desperate then the first Rebells They ran into the Sin out of Rashnesse and Inconsiderately But these men put God into one Scale and the World into another and therefore to them especially belongs that fearfull doom The fearful shall be cast out Apoc. 21. i. e. Such men as fear the losse of their Estates more then the losse of Gods favour and the losse of their momentary Lifes more then the losse of their Eternal Lifes They forsook their King and God will forsake them And God have mercy upon us all and forgive us our following the Apostles in their worst Act and forsaking our Soveraign upon the Scaffold as they did their Saviour upon the Crosse and give us grace to redeem that fault by living for the time to come Loyal Christians and dying stout Romans to continue obedientially and not fear man who can kill but our Bodies and dye couragiously in the fear of God that we may not fear any evill tydings It is my second consideration Pars. 2. Quid non timet timens Dominum what he fears not that fears God Ab auditione malà non timet Ab auditu malo non timebit He is not afraid He shall not be afraid of any evil tydings At first sight again this Object encreaseth my wonder Fear not any evill tydings Why the Kings wrath is evil tydings for it is the messenger of death And shall I not fear him Solomon says Fear God and the King St. Peter it at the same Prov. 1 Pet. 2. Fear God and Honour the King St. Paul is at it for conscience sake Be subject to the higher powers not only for wrath but for conscience Rom. 13.5 And is the Son of David against either Fear not them that kill the Body Or is the Father of Christ against either Fear not any evil tydings not the wrath of Kings No at no hand This is no Absolute no General Prohibition but only a Relative and Comparative God is to be feared and the King is to be feared where their commands are not in opposition Fear belongs to them
both both Natural fear and Filial fear But when they stand in competition and my obeying the King will dishonour God and my fearing the King will displease God where sin is the subject of a Tyrants command and Gods Law must thereby be transgressed Act. Then I am at the Apostles resolution Whether it be fit to obey God or man judge ye I am then at King Davids blessed man I fear God and therefore I fear not any evil tydings This will appear more evident if we look into the diverse acceptions of Auditus malus Evil tydings and what is the true construction of evill tydings 1. It signifies sometimes Calumnies Contumelies Checks Taunts and Reproaches wherewith they that fear the Lord are slaundered Thus gluttony blasphemy and sedition were objected to Christ And now his Servants and the late present Kings liege people are called I should have said miscalled Malignants Delinquents Papists evil Counsellours enemies of the Church troublers of the State Haec autem perferre difficile and this is a very heavy burthen to bear Generosis enim animis cruciatus corporis Plutarch quám jacturam famae facilius est perferre A noble mind had rather have his Body to be bruised then his credit blasted yet he that is truly noble et sola virtus vera Nobilitas the Noble Christian that feareth God is so far from being afraid at these evil tydings that he neither forsakes the Truth nor declines his Loyalty He is not afeard of the evil tydings 2. Sometimes evil tydings signifie Famam sinistram quam improbi culpâ suâ contrahunt that evil report which base people deservedly bring upon themselves Thus Shemei is called a Rayler thus Doeg is called an Accuser thus Absolon is called a Traytor thus Achitophel is called a Conspirator thus Corah Dathan and Abiram and all such as rise against the Lords Annointed their lawful King are called Rebells But they that fear God and such as are Loyal Subjects fear not such aspersions If they are cast upon them by evil Tongues they readily answer as St. Augustine did Petilian upon a like scandal I know no such thing by my self and I think I know my self better then he knows me but believe you which you please and judge as you please whether he that writes and fights against the King or he that writes and fights for the King be a Rebel a Delinquent a Malignant I am not afeard of these evil tydings 3. Sometimes evil tydings signifie dangers and Calamities Jobs messengers One tells us Our Cattel are plundered A second tells us Our houses are fired A third tells us Our Children are murthered A fourth tells us Our Soldiers are mutined Our Garrisons are betrayed Our Armies are disbanded and Free-quarier is denied Why yet Non succumbit justus non deficit He that fears God faints not fails not looses not his courage yea though he knows Death to be the Guerdon of his not yielding to a Conquerors pleasure he looks upon his Saviour and fears not him that kills the Body he looks upon King David and fears not â—ay evil tydings These times offer as fit a case as this Text requires King David pronounces the man blessed that feareth the Lord My fear of God is best evidenced unto me by my Obedience to my Parents for that is Gods Commandement my great Parent is the King He is Pater patriae and the higher power so St. Paul calls him The Supream power so St. Peter calls him Therefore I to be subject to him and not to resist him is St. Pauls inference Therefore I to honour him and to fear him is St. Peters inference But of late there were a pack of men met together against Charles I. the long liv'd Parliament so there are now against Charles II. the too long being Protector with his too long fitting Council of State who did and do call themselves a Power above the King who did command us who do command us to take their part against Charles I. then against Charles II. now who did and do threaten us with Sequestration of our Estates That 's Beggary with Registring our names in the black Book That 's Infamy with bringing us to the Barr of Justice of their Justice or more truly To the Barr of their Court of their high Injustice That 's Death We know If we did forsake Charles I. If we do forsake Charles II. and take part with them against the King we sin we resist If we resist we incur damnation The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Marshall did qualify and linify it by the construction of Judgement and that signifies the destruction of Soul and Body here and for ever Now here is the tryall If we did stand to the late and do to the present King and do our Duties If we were and are resolved as Ittai was 2 Sam. Wheresoever my Lord the King is whether in Life or Death there will thy servant also be Then we fear God and therefore fear no evil tydings But if we did go back to them that opposed and deposed and murthered the Father or if we do go back to them who resist and keep out and calumniate and hunt after the bloud of the Son let it be upon what consideration it may I shall leave my Wife and Children beggars else I shall be a Slave and Prisoner all the dayes of my life else I shall be han'gd else And these pettire thoughts fright me out of my Duty I have then ruined my blessednesse I am not blessed I have lost my Evidence I am witnesse against my self I am afeard of evil tydings basely and slavishly afeard and therefore I fear not God Well fare that Heathen who was resolved for all Fortunes and will rise in Judgement against many very many cowardly Christians in England Non fulminantis magna Jovis manus Terrebit justum And again Etiamsi fractus illibatur Orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae Let the world totter turn round and fall I will not be afraid I will fear God But a Heathen is not fit to be our Schoolmaster look we upon the Primitive Christians and amongst them well fare old Hilarion who being in the hands and power of his Persecutors and by them demanded Antimeret If he were not afeard of those evil tydings they brought him For they came to strip and plunder him To which he returned an Answer as full of gallantry as mirth Nudus latrones non timet An empty Ship fears not a Pyrate A naked man fears not a Theif They then thâ—eaten him with Terribilium terribilissimâ— the Hyperbole of evil tydings sed occidemus te we will put thee to most exquisite torments and in the end will kill thee Non times mortem Art thou not afeard of death and he returns as great a Hyperbole of gallantry Non timeo mortem quia paratus sum mori No I fear not death because I fear God and am therefore prepared to
a Magazine of strength in that and we shall have relief enough El if we believe in him as He is a strong God Were it but Shaddai there is a Panacea of sufficiency in that and we shall have Succour enough if we believe in him as He is God All-sufficient Were it but Elion there is a Mountain of Hope in that and we shall have supply enough if our Heart standeth fast in him as He is the most High God Were it but Tsebaoth there is an Army of Protection in that and we shall have Victory enough if our Heart standeth fast and believeth in Him as He is the Lord of Hosts Were it but Adonai there is a Rock of Preservation in that and we shall be upheld enough If we believe in Him as He is the strong Foundation But it is more then all this for it is Jehovah the most Essential Excellent Name of God If El implies His Omnipotency If Elion implies his Soveraignty If Shaddai implies his Immutability If Tsebaoth implies his Irresistability If Adonai implies his Fidelity sure I am Jehovah implies all whether you take it in the construstion of our own Divines or in the Derivation of others 1. In the Construction of our own Divines it signifies three things First Habere esse a seipso that he hath his Being of himself Secondly Dare esse omnibus that He gives a Being to all things that be Thirdly Dare esse Verbo that He gives a Being to his word and we therefore need not fear if we believe the truth of his word but He will give the Rebells their due and settle the Crown to flourish upon the Kings Head 2. Or if you take the meaning of Jehovah in the derivation of others either with Oleaster as it is derived from Hovah which signifies Destruction then we have reason to believe He will be mighty in the Destruction of His Enemies or whether you take it with Galatinus as it is derived from Hajah which signifies to Be then we have reason to believe He will be mighty amongst us in our preservation Let your Hearts then stand fast in Jehovah And e're long He will either divert our Enemies from thirsting after any more of our Blood as He did Saul from hunting after David or He will divide our Enemies in their Consultations as He did destroy the Counsel of Achitopel by the Counter-Counsel of Hushai or He will give our Enemies to Self-Destruction as He did Abimelech and the House of Millo and as He hath one of the late King-Tryers to Hoyle himself or He will call back our Enemies by strange rumours next time the present KING comes to claim his own as He did the Assyrians All these wayes and many more God can do it so we may have no need to be afeard of any evil Tydings and He will be perswaded to do it if we fear him For when we fear him then as it was when the Dictator Ruled in Rome all other Offices ceased so when the Fear of God is in us then all other Fears vanish This was acknowledged by that once magnanimous Earle of Essex but afterwards the Rebel-Father of a Rebel-Sonne Sometimes said he when I have been in the Feild and encountered the Enemy the Weight of my sins have layn so heavy upon my Conscience because I was not reconciled to my GOD that my Spirits were quelled and I have been the most timerous man upon the Earth I wish our Gentlemen of the Sword when King Charles II. shall have occasion to use them that they would not batter our walls more within by sins then the Rebell enemy can do without by Guns that they would not storm themselves more by Oaths and ruine themselves more by Mutining and undo themselves more by Treachery then a Rebel enemy can do by strength And you that hear me this day January 30. 1650. Let your hearts stand fast and believe in the Lord And that all our hearts may and that the Heart of King Charles II. may Pray we for Him and for our selves Help the King O God and help us O God for vain is the help of man Though thou hast cast him a great way off and seasoned the morning of His daies with bitternesse yet be not displeased too long but turn thee unto Him again and return Him unto us again but return Him either with an Olive of Peace or with a Laurell of Conquest And as thou hast strangely and wonderfully delivered Him from those who eagerly hunted after his Life so let it appear to them that thou hast not done this to make him more miserable or to continue him in the condition of an Exile but rather that thou hast reserved him for faithfuller hands then the Scots for fairer opportunities and more prosperous successes then in the year 1650. for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Anno Dom. 1651. 1 SAM 10.27 But the Children of Belial said How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no presents THis latter and therefore this wicked Age hath broached three Seditious Questions the false resolving of which was a chief cause of the Decollation and Martyrdom of our late and blessed King Charles I. and the true resolving whereof will I trust be a leading cause for the Restauration of our present and glorious King Charles II. The Questions were brewed heretofore by Bellarmine and his fellow-Jesuites by Bucanan and his fellow-Puritans and this Age this Jesuitical Puritanical Age hath Practically broached what they speculatively brewed viz. 1. Whether God or the People be the Author and Efficient of Regality of Monarchy of Kingship 2. Whether the King be only singulis Major and Universis Minor greater then every particular man but lesse then the Assembly of men 3. Whether it be lawful to contribute for the maintenance of a War against the King And this Age this wicked Age resolves these Questions just to the Peoples humours 1. The People are the Author and Efficient of Monarchy 2. The whole People or the People in a Body Representative are above and greater then the King 3. It is lawful to contribute to a War against the King But to make good that old Adagy Quod vulgo placet sapienti displicet That which pleaseth the People displeaseth the wise the Prophet Samuel in this Chapter in this Text resolves clean contrary Samuel's Rosolve 1. That God not the People is the Efficient of Monarchy so he says See ye him quem elêgit Deus not quem populus whom the People have chosen Ver. 24 No but See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen The King hath his power not precariò by the curtesie of the People but Dei graciâ by the Grace of God 2 That the King is greater then the Body not only in peice-meale and particulars but also in grosse and in the whole so he says He the King stood amongst the people and was higher then all the People by the Shoulders and upwards
these several Countries or that whole world of men leave to make choise of their own Commander He could have done this by his power For his power had no bounds but he did not so So his Wisdom did mannage his power he made many Angels by his Power but in his wisdom he made but one Man And would you see a Reason of that I dare not pry into this Cabinet yet I shall shew you the outside of it God found not Heaven it self free from Mutiny amongst a multitude of Inhabitants and therefore to take off all colour to contention to with hold all pretext of disobedience to Soveraignty He made but one man one and no more thereby teaching us That the power of a King over his Subjects is as Natural as the power of a Father over his Childe That as Naturally there can be but one Father of one Child so Polittically there should be but one King over one people and all this to tell us That not only the King should have as great and pious a care over his Subjects as a Father hath of his children but also that the Power of Monarchy is from God and not from the People and so to be acknowledged by the People That 's the Duty of a King the Duty of a people He to use his power paternally and they to render their subjection Filially sic fuit ab initio Thus it was from the beginning And this is acknowledged by Aristotle himself Lib. 1. cap. 8. Polit. who was led only by Nature and saw as far into the Lawes of Nature as ever man did At first saith he Regal power belonged to the Father of the Family and he gives this Reason for it Because in the Infancy of the world the Fathers were so Grandevous and lived so long that each Father begate such a Numerous posterity as might People a whole Countrey Gen. 4.17 so we read That Cain built a City Certainly it was for his own Colony and that Colony certainly was his Natural generation and so he was at once as well their King as their Father and his Regal power over them as his Subjects was no lesse from God then his Paternall power over them as his Children And Justine though he did not see so well nor so far into Nature as Aristotle did yet he saw so far as to acknowledge so much saying Principio rerum gentium Nationumque imperium penes Reges erat The Rule of Nations of all Nations was in the hands of Kings from the beginning and the People had no more right to chuse their Kings then to chuse their Fathers because the Kingly Right pertained to the Father of the Family Therefore in the beginning if we believe these two lights of Nature Kings are of God not of the People sic fuit ab initio Thus it was from the beginning But hath not Moses since given a Bill of Divorce Hath it been so ever since and in all places It is a spacious and large demand and I shall as I am able for the present resolve it though briefly yet plainly Nor here will I tyre your Ears with the four steps or Ascents to Royalty viz. 1. Of Inheritance 2. Of Donation 3. Of Election In which only the People can claim some colour for chusing the person but not for bestowing the Power or at most for Administration of the power but not for Foundation of the power it self 4. Of Conquest Nor yet with the three Originals of Kingdoms 1. Natural which may also be called Civil 2. Violent which you may rather call Martial 3. Mixt of both In which last though the People had somewhat to do yet not any Absolute power and in the two former nothing at all God only therein is the Authour and Institutour Nor here will I tell you How Melchesedech Abraham and the Patriarchs were Kings and saluted Patres Patriae Arist loco prae dicto the Fathers of their Countrey where they inhabited without any Efficiency so much as of Curtesy from the People because Regal Power belonged to the Pater-familias so descended by Right of Primogeniture to the Eldest Sonne according to that Natural Moral Positive Divine Law That the younger should be subject to the Elder Gen. 4.7 I look first upon Moses who first efected Municipal and Natural Lawes amongst the Jewes and was the first Catholick visible King of over the Jewes for the Sanhedrim was but Moses his Privy Council or as Deligated Judges because of the numerous multiplicity of businesses and he as good a man as he was and enabled and endued with extraordinary abilities and fully perswaded that he was the Instrument appointed by God to be Israels deliverer Exod. 2.12.14 yet because he sought his Commission from the People Acts 7.25 before he had received his Commission from God he was fain to expiate the errour of his self-led Zeal with Forty years exile in the Wildernesse Exod. 3.10 and then and not till then God called him not the People for their approbation but to Pharaoh And all this was as for some other ends so also for this in particular To tell the People That they have nothing to do that yet they had nothing to do in the appointment of a King but that God himself and he only is the Author and efficient of Monarchy And that by him he Moses ruled Israel Forty years after him God appointed Joshua and he ruled Israel Sixty years and after these two Worthies died then God appointed Judah then Othniel then Ehud then Shamgar then Deborah then Gedeon then Tolah then Jeptha then Sampson still God appointed called and authorized them not the People These I confesse were not Kings so properly and absolutely as the former were They were yet Loco Regum instead of Kings and chosen and called by God When after God left them to themselves and gave them no Kings and that Monster the Multitude took the Power into their own hands Oh what hideous births did they produce The Danites instead of Libertie the Subjects Liberty betook themselves to Licenciousnesse the Benjamites instead of Property the Subjects property Judg. 19 gave themselves to Rapes and Rapines and in a word The whole Jury of the Tribes gave themselves to Revenge and have given up no Bill to their Posterity Judg. 20. but Astonishment and enough of that to affright any people unlesse they have lost their sense with their Conscience their Reason with their Religion from affecting Anarchy or almost any kind of Government whereof God is not the Efficient and Immediate Author Well After this when God in mercy looked upon their misery and gave them a little refreshment in the succession of two Judges Heli and Samuel and they were a weary of this Government and would needs have a King to govern them as the Nations had why even then God did not give them leave to chuse one themselves but he himself appointed one
over them even Saul of whom Samuel here says See ye not him the King 1 Sam. 10. whom the Lord hath chosen It is still to tell us That God is the efficient of Monarchy and not the People And was it not God that afterward appointed David and after him Solomon and so of all the Kings both of the Jewes and of the Nations was God the efficient 2 Sam. 5. Prov. 8.15 if you will believe Solomons Per me for the Kings of the Jewes By me Kings Reign and Isaiahs Unctus Cyrus for the Nations Isa 43.1 where the Lord calls Cyrus his Annointed or that of Daniel for both Dan. 4 25. The most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will Mark it The Lord gives it not the people and the Lord gives it to whomsoever he will not to whomsoever the people will But soft I have here committed a great Errour and given an open way to a very fair Objection For some Monarchomachoi Objection some Anti-Royalists and Fighters against the King say People are the Author and efficient of Monarchy and they give Scripture for it 1 Reg. 12.20 The people sent and called Jeroboam unto the Congregation and they the People made him King over all Israel Yet now I think upon it again Resp this Errour of mine was not so great nor the Objection so strong but that I can fairly salve the one and easily solve the other and in Answer I confesse That the People did make Jeroboam King and that by God too But How by God and How by them Not by God Efficiente approving of it but only Permittente permitting of it and By them not Authoritate by any Authority they had acquired but Rebellione by Rebellion they had incurred Jeroboam was King indeed and indeed of the Peoples making but in Fact not in Right because not of Gods appointing further then by way of Permission God blest him not Immediatly by himself No Prophet of God annoinaed him nor was there any Ceremony used for and at his Inauguration more then a Rent Ahijah the Prophet rent a new garment in twelve pieces and bid Jeroboam take ten 1 Reg. 11.31 In all which God only punished Solomons sin but did not make Jeroboam King And what a heavy Judgment God intends that people whom he permits to chuse and make a King unto themselves the sad progresse of this Story will demonstrate and that was this in a word When they had made a King of their own why then they and their King would have a Religion of their own and to effect this They banish or silence or imprison all their old Priests and Orthodoâ—al Clergy as absolute impediments to their new intended government and by and by they take as much Anthority over God as before they took Liberty over their King and Jeroboam confesses himself to be but an Usurper though a King of the Peoples making 1 Reg. 12.27 saying This People will return unto their Lord if they do sacrifice in Jerusalem And indeed when they had made an Usurper their King their King and they made a Calfâ— their God and this sin of Idolatry stuck so close to their King and that sin of Rebellion stuck so close unto themselves that He is made an example to Sovereignty they to Subjects least if Kings do as he did and become Idolaters and worship another God or Subjects do as they did and set up another King then whom God hath placed over them the Kings become Castaways and the Subjects first Rebels and ever after Slaves You see This Objection hath done the Objector little good All that it says is God may give way to people to make an Usurper King but punishes them soundly for it and is still himself the Author of lawful Kings and the Efficient of true Monarchy And as it was in the daies of Moses so it was in the daies of Christ He would rather be without his own Right then receive it in a wrong way or from a wrong hand and therefore to let the People know That they had no power to conferr Crowns Joh. he would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would have made him King He likewise acknowledged Pilate though he were but a deputy-Deputy-King to have received his power De super from above Joh. 18. and St. Paul maintained the same Doctrine saying The Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 Not doth the Reply any way foile this truth where St. Peter saith Replic 1. Pet. 2. That that is the Ordinance of man which St. Paul calls the Ordinance of God For the same Act is often times ascribed both as well to the one as the other sometimes to the Mediate Reasons and sometimes to the Immediate Agent so it is said 1 Sam. 11.15 1 Sam. 10.1 All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King and yet in the Chapter afore it is said The Lord hath annointed thee to be Captain over his inheritance and the like is said of David They the people annointed David King over Israel and yet it is said again 2 Sam. 5.3 The Lord annointed Dauid King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 i. e. God as the Master of the Substance makes Kings and gives them their Regall power the Prophets as Masters of the Ceremonies powred on the Oyle and declared them Kings and the People as under-Officers received them into the Possession of that Right and admitted them to the Exercise of that Authority which God had given them Or you may take the Answer thus whereas St. Peter calls the Supream Power or Monarchy the Ordinance of Man there he speaks of the Final cause of Power q. d. Power the Supream power Kingship and Monarchy it self is ordained for the good peace and welfare of man not but that God is the Efficient Cause of this power as St. Paul speaks And Paraeus himself who was no great Royalist indeed no friend at all to Monarchy In Rom. 13. pag. 1327. tells us That the Authority of Kings is primarily the Ordinance of God and he answers this very Objection thus St. Peter saith he calls the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An humane Creation or Ordination not causally as if it were invented by man or brought and begotten by the Will of man or as if man were the Author of it but this he speaks 1. Subjectively because it is executed by man And 2. Objectively because it is used about the Government of humane Society And 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Finally because God ordained it for the good and help of markinde And in the close he adds The wordused by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creation ad Deum primum autorem nos rev ocat sheweth plainly That God is the first Author of it Hitherto then it
holds right and true That God not the People is the Author and Efficient of Monarchy I descend and shall endeavour to make it good downwards Libr. ad Scupul and I begin with the testimony of Tertullian A Christian is enemy unto no man much lesse to the Emperour for he knows that the Emperiall Majesty is ordained of God He is next to God Soveraign ever all and Subject to God alone Hosius who lived in the time of Constantine the Great Apud Ath. ad sâ—litariam vitam agentes gives in the same evidence saying to the succeeding Emperour Constantius God hath entrusted your Majesty with the Empire and he that with an envious eye maligneth your Majesty and Imperiall Sovereignty contradicteth the Ordinance of God Liberius to the same purpose thus bespake the same Emperour Apud Ath. an Arian Fight not against God we beseech you who hath bestowed the Empire upon you And Athinasius himself confesses as much saying That the Power of Kings is of God God is the King over all the world Ad Antioch 9.55 and the King by God is over all Earthly men Beda tells us That David spared Saul for two Causes Lib. 4. Ex. posit in Sam. 1.21.6 one whereof was because Saul was his Lord and the Lords Annointed Walthramus in the succeeding age Ep. Wald. quae habetur in appendice Marian scot when this truth first began to be call'd in question and a contrary damnable Doctrine to be broached tells us Either that is false which some men prate amongst silly women and the vulger sort viz. That we ought not to be subject to the Kingly power or else that is false which the Apostle teacheth viz. Let every soul be subject to the higher Power because the higher power is the Ordinance of God Aquinas the great Schoolman tells us the same saying De Regiâ—â— Princ. l. 1. c. 6. They who are the Kings by succession are above the reach of all men subject to none but God in whose only power it is to mollifie the heart of a King if he turn Tyrant All Kings are Gods Ordinance wicked Kings are exalted by Gods permission to punish the Peâ—ples sins Aeneas Silvias exhorts all men to acknowledge themselves â—e ortu et author Imperij c. 2 〈◊〉 subject to their Prince and give reverence to him whom God hath made his Vice-gerant on Eaâ—th Luther speaks the same Language saying Ye ought not to reject your Prince whom God hath set over you Hitherto from Adam to Abraham from Abraham to Moses from Moses to Christ from Christ to Luther it hath gone currant That Kings are beholding to God only not to the people for their Crown and Royall Authority It only remains now to enquire Whether the Kings of England receive their Power from God or the People and this I shall dispatch suddainly And here I say first That the people could not give this Power because the People never had this power Nihil dat quod non habet and that the people never had it it is plain because it is against the Nature of Regality to be in more then one Rex unicus esto The Sun in the Firmament cannot be multiplyed the Firmament admits but of one Sun nor England of more then one King It is not with England as it was with Rome Leges a Magistratu proponuntur a populo jubentur The Magistrate proposes the Law and the People ratifie it but the clean contrary Leges a populo proponuntur a Rege jubentur The People propose Laws but the King makes the Laws and the Reason is plain The People of Rome elected the Magistrates of Rome but the God of Heaven hath appointed the King of England And this appears 1. By his Right to the Crown to which he is not elected but Born He hath it not by the Peoples Votes but by Gods blessing Heriditary Succession King Charles II was King of England so soon as ever King Charles I. was beheaded by the Law of Birthright and so is though he never receive the Ceremony of Coronation This is plain in the Case of Henry 6. who was not Crown'd until the 9. year of his Reign Speed l. 2. c. 16. Cook 7. Re. p. 256. 2. By his Power his Power Military the People cannot the King may Proclaim War and establish Peace His Power Curial No Court not the Court of Parliament can meet Polyd. Virg. Lib. 11. but by the Kings Authority yea the Court of Parliament it self was at first devised framed and instituted by the King and they have fairly rewarded it in the Decollation of one King and Banishment of another His power Official Smiths Com. wealth l. 2. cap. 4. et 5. He chuses and establishes all Officers the Superiour by himself Immediatly the Inferionr by others in Authority under him His power universal in and over all Causes and Persons as well Ecclesiastical as Civil and lastly by his Power Titular and that runs thus Carolus Dei gratiâ and not Carolus electione populi It is not Charles by the election of the people but Fol. 34. a.b. Charles by the grace of God King of England The King says Bracton hath under him Freemen and Slaves but he is under none but God and it is said of our King as it was said of Solomon in his Chair-Royal That he then sits not in Solium populi upon the Peoples Throne as though they made him King but In Solium Domini upon the Throne of the Lord because He is what he is King of England Scotland and Ireland by the grace of God And may Almighty God with that grace by which he design'd him King by his Birth restore him to the possession of his Kingdoms that he may punish all those men of Belial who said They made his Father King and he should no longer Reign over them and therefore murthered him Yea O God let all such men of Belial tast of thy mercy and the Kings Justice who dare say How shall this man save us and so deny his Authority to come from thee and despise him because they esteem him lesse then the whole Body though greater then the particular members Amen It is my second part and to be examined next year Till when and ever Pars. 2. God blesse King Charles II. thorough Jesus Christ Amen Anno Dom. 1652. 1 SAM 10.27 How shall this man save us And they despised him THis day Twelve-moneth you heard from the beginning of this verse The Children of Belial said That God not the People is the Author and efficient of Monarchy you shall God willing from the second part and middle words of this Verse hear That the King is greater then the People not only in piece-meale and particulars but also in grosse and in the whole notwithstanding they say How shall this man save us and they despised him whence they raise this Question Whether the King be lesse then the Representative Body
of the Kingdom and first here I shall examine what is meant by these words They despised him The meaning of this consists in three branches and they are these 1. They did Male-cogitare think evil of him in their hearts and so came within the compasse of Solomons prohibition Curse not the King in thy thought Eccle. 10.20 A thought of despising the King is Treason as well as a Word and a Word as well as an Action so says the Scripture of the Intention of Bigthan and Teresh Traytors they were and yet they never came to an Insurrexerunt or any Act of Treason Ester 2.21.23 but only to a Voluerunt an Intention they sought or they thought to lay hands upon King Ahasuerus and for this very thought of Treason they were hang'd And as the Law of God so the Law of this Kingdom doth construe a bare purpose against the King a despising thought of the King to be Treason and makes it deadly My prayer therefore is Convert them O God if they will not be Converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as have evil will against the King and do Male-cogitare despise him in their thoughts 2. They did Male-dicere despise the King with their tongues and speak evil of him saying How shall this man save us and this is the second Branch whereby the meaning of this word is explained They despised him i.e. they speak evil of the King and so came within the compasse of Moses's prohibition Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people Deut. 27.16 A Word against the King is Treason as well as a thought or Action Greater Treason then a thought and lesser Treason then an Action And they that Word it against the King if they be of the Clergy they are of Balaams Ordination Numb 23. because they Curse whom God hath blessed and he was killed with the Sword If they be of the Layety they are of Shimei's condition 2 Sam. 16.5 because they revile whom God hath annointed and he was put to death And of late by the Law of this Nation there stood one Pym condemned for saying He would if he could embrue his hands in the blood of King Charles the first and many more in good time may be condemned and executed for saying They will if they can embrue their hands in the blood of King Charles the Second My Prayer again therefore is Convert them O Lord if they will not be converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as speak evill of my Lord the King and do Male-dicere Despise Him with their Tongues 3 They did Male facere Despise the King with their Hands for they brought him no presents and so came within the compasse of King Davids prohibition 1 Sam. 26.9 Thou shalt not stretch forth thy hand against the Lords annointed I know King David there speaks by way of Interrogation Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse but I know withal that Interrogative Quis Who can is a most triumphant Negative and says Nullus No man can and be guiltlesse or No man ought unless he will bring Guilt upon his own Soul Absolon did was hang'd 2 Sam. 10.9 Robert late Earl of Essex did against Elizabeth our late Queen of England and was beheaded and how many that were in the same Conspiracy were hang'd you may read in that Chronicle My prayer therefore is gain Convert them O Lord Convert them and return them to their Duty of Loyalty to thine Annointed If they will not be converted confound them O Lord confound them and as many as lift up their hands against or withdraw their hands from my Lord the King Amen You see what is meant by these words 1 a. 2 a. They despised him will you now see Why they despised him why it was Because they lookt upon him as a single man How shall this man save us Happily they thought him greater then any of themselves in particular but they thought themselves in a collective or Representative Body greater then him the King and this brings me to the unfolding of the second Question which is Whether the King be singulis major Question 2 greater then single persons but Universis minor lesse then collected Persons or the Body Representative I shall not need to speak of the first Branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Singulis major Greater then any single Person For it is not denied by any or if by any yet only by such who are more Beasts then Men and live more by Sense then by Reason or Religion or rather have lost both their Sense their Reason and their Religion The enquiry therefore here must be upon the other branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Universis minor lesse then the Body Representative For this was the thing in agitation in this late wicked Age and affirmed by these wicked men the Children of Belial who did de facto murther King Charles I. of blessed memory and would have done as much upon King Charles II. if they could have fastened upon him at Worcester but God I trust hath preserved him for better times I must at first take leave to tell them That the Ground on which they build is false and meer Sophistry That the assumption and Inference which they build is weak and meer Fallacy For thus they argue The Fountain or Cause of a King is greater then the King but the People Representative is the Fountain and Casue of the King Therefore the People Representative is greater then the King And here I say The Ground is false the Assumption is untrue and the Inference therefore is so too 1. The Ground is taken from an old Axiome Quickquid efficit tale est ma gis tale whatsoever effects a thing is greater then the thing effected This though true Ante effectum productum before the effect produced yet it is often false Post effectus productionem after the production of the effect v. g. The Fountain was once bigger then the River but now the River is bigger then the Fountain A spark of fire was once more Fire then all the Wood in the Chimney but when the Wood becomes one Flame the Wood is more Fire then the Sparke You see the Ground is not ever true and sure I am the Assumption laid upon this Ground-work is never true viz. The People is the Fountain or Cause Efficient of the King For God as I have shewed you before and whether I referr you is the only Efficient of Monarchy Only I add thus much Were it so that the People did make the King yet it would not follow That therefore the People is greater then the King For this Axiome is true only in those Agents in whom the Quality by which they work is Inherent and from whom it cannot be separated But the People if they had Power to make the
King have divested themselves of that Power and the King is not under them and Over them not only Over them Sigillatim one by one but also Conjunctim over altogether Else the Body Representative need not petition him for they might command him They need not else call him their Soveraign but their Fellow-Subject They need not else write To the Kings most Excellent Majesty but To my very Loving Friend But you remember the usual style of the Body Representative To the Kings most excellent Majesty We your Majestys most humble Subjects in this present Parliament Assembled And this I hope is not a Complement or Pro formá tantum only for shew or fashion sake No They meant what they said for they called God to witnesse it and so by their own Confession and Practise they acknowledged The King not only Singulis but Universis major to be over as well the whole Body as Particular Persons But alas how suddenly they forgot and forfeited their acknowledgements and Duties this day sadly remembers us which was the Day wherein King Charles I. was murthered by Sonns of Belial who despised him and taught the world another Lesson That the King is Universis minor The Parliament the House of Commons is above the King the Army above all But the contrary will appear and I shall make my Proposition good 1. By Scripture 2. By Fathers 3. By Reason And 4. By that which is grounded on all these The Law of England And that I may not too far transgresse the time 1. By Scripture instead of many Texts I shall referr you only to two or three and first weigh seriously I beseech you and ponder well those words of the Army Royal when they were to joyn in Battail and to pitch the field against Absolon the General of the Rebels and his Rebellious Army When David had appionted three Chiefs over all his Cavelry and Infantry viz. Joab Abishai and Ittai and said withall He would go forth himself No said they 2 Sam. 18.3 No said they The People and the People represented the Representative Body of the People the Great Council the Council of War and the Council of State the three Lords Generalls the Lord Chancellour the Lord Treasurer and the Speakers of both Houses and give him their Reason for their Negative Vote and the best Reason in the world too Salus Populi Salus Regni The safety of the People and the safety of the Kingdom both depending upon the safety of the King saying If we fly away they will not care for us neither if half of us dye will they care for us but now thou art better then ten thousand of us i.e. Thou art worth us all thou art over and above us all thou art greater then us all In the next place I beseech you to weigh seriously the words of St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream Mark the word it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Submit your selves It is not Submit your self every single man of you one by one but it is Submit your selves all of you together and that not only to the Inferiour Magistrate but to the King as the Supream over them and you all Certainly St. Peter never intended an Absurdity or an Impossibility when he called the King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Supream yet he had committed both an Impossibility and an Absurdity if the People were above the Supream or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Supream above the Supream For so there should be two Supreams which is an Absurdity as absurd to suppose one Kingdom to have two Supreams as one Firmament to have two Suns as one Heaven to have two Gods and an Impossibility is it too For the two Supreams might be contrary Masters command contrary things and command to be obeyed by one and the same Subjest But no man can serve two Masters says the Master of us all But St. Peter is clear from and against all such Absurdities and Impossibilities and that you may clearly see if you please to read the Context which doth subordinate the Body Collective and Representative to the King The Body Collective is the People and St. Peter expresly subordinates them saying Submit your selves to the King The Body Representative is the Inferiour Magistrates the Peers Nobles and Counsellours call them what you will The House of Lords and the House of Commons And St. Peter doth expresly subordinate them too saying They are Governours sent by him i.e. by the King For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cannot Grammatically relate to any word but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King is the Antecedent to Him the Relative else questionlesse there is false Greek and little lesse then Non-sence Who makes the Inferiour Governours but the Chief Governour Who is the Chief Governour but the King God only as the Principal Efficient made the King and the King only as the Instrumental Efficient from God made the Inferiour Magistrats God only can De Jure unmake the King and the King only can De Jure unmake the Inferiour Magistrates For they are sent or made only by him and the refore they are not Co-ordinate with him but subordinate to him And so if you will believe either the Prophet Samuel or the Apostle St Peter The King is as well Universis as singulis major greater both then every particular Person and the Body Representative i.e. In plain English then People and Parliament viz. where King and Parliament are distinguished because the Parliament is sent or called or made a Parliament by the King Shall I commend to you one place more I will do it in a word and it is in the Psalms where God says of the King I have exalted one chosen out of the People Psal 89.20 and these words are worth your observation Unum electum é populo not á populo One chosen out of the people by God not by the people and that one so chosen by God God hâ—â—â— exalted and over whom hath God exalted him over the People or over no body and not only over this or that part of the People but over the People Indefinitely i. e. over all the People Generally Secondly I make this good by the Fathers 2. By the Fathers and I begin with Tertullian We honour says he the Emperour in such sort as is lawful for us and expedient for him we reverence him as a mortal man next to God of whom he holdeth all his Authority subject to God and so we make him Soveraign over all in that we make him subject but to God alone Sicut in toto mundo Deus Rex est Ad Antioch 9.53 et potestatem exercet in omnibus says Athanasius As God is King over all the World and exercises his power in and over all Creatures so the King is over all earthly men Over All. Cum super Imperatorem nemo sit
to lavish but with the High-Priest and certainly the King is higher then the High Priest St. Paul would never have said The Lord smite thee thou whited wall if he had known the man to whom he speak Act. 22.3 5. had been the High Priest But this place because is may be extended to Rulers in General and therefore may meet with some colourable evasion I shall give you some other Texts concerning Governours in particular and especially and namely Kings Eccl. 8.2 3. viz. I Counsel thee says Solomon to keep the Kings Commandement and that in regard of the Oath of God Be not hasty to go out of his sight stand not in an evil thing for he doth whatsoever pleaseth him where the word of a King is there is power and who may say to him What dost thou Mark the words Beloved and deal truely with your own Souls as you will answer it at the dreadful great and fearful day of Judgment I Counsel thee I that have more Wisdom then ever any man had before me or shall have after me I that am Directed by the Holy Ghost I Counsel thee i.e. I Command thee from God To keep the Kings Commandement i.e. Whatsoever he Commands thee so it be not against the Word of God And what did the late King Command thee He Commanded thee to assist him with men mony and Ammunitions He Commanded thee not to furnish an Army that was raysed against him by what Power soever under whose Conduct or Command soever with either men mony or Ammunition And Could any of you doubt whether you were bound to observe and obey that Command Solomon told you then you were and tells you now you are and tells you the reason why you were and are Even in regard of the Oath of God And what is that Oath of God Why it is that Covenant thou didst make with it is that Oath thou didst enter into to thy late Sovereign Lord King Charles viz. The Oath of Allegiance and Supremacy But it may be thou wilt say This was the Oath of man It was so but withal It was the Oath of God too For thou didst make and take these Oaths to the King by and with Gods approbation Thou didst call God to be the Witnesse of thy true Intention Endeavour and Resolution to perform those Oaths and assure thy self If thou dare so far to sin against thine own Soul for any by-respect whatsoever either for fear of plundering and undoing by Death or Torment or for hope of keeping thy Estate and getting more by Life and preferment thou shalt find God to be a severe punisher of thee Exod. 20.7 God will not hold him guiltlesse that takes his Name in vain He that uses Gods Name to vanity is damnable and in a possibility of Damnation and therefore He that uses Gods name to Perjury is damned and in a certninty of Damnation Be not hasty to go out of his sight i. e. says Tremelius Né ab obsequio illius te subducito animo perturbato Do not draw thy neck out of this yoak withdraw not thy self from his the Kings Allegiance in an angry mood or discontentednesse of Spirit Stand not in an evill thing i.e. Imperturbation et Rebellione quae tibi malum allatura erit In thy fullinesse in thy peevishness in thy discontentedness in thy Rebellion If thou doest stand out and refusest or neglectest the Kings offer of Grace and Pardon This thy standing out will at last bring mischief and evil upon thee For He the King doeth whatsoever pleaseth him i. e He hath a long hand and though for a while thou be sheltred from him yet at last He will reach thee and condemn the to the Gallowes if thou bear Arms against him if thou contributest to maintain a War against him Where the word of a King is there is Power Power to break a Loyal Subjects heart into Duty and Power to break a Rebels heart into Death and Confusion For a while The word of a King like the word of God may be slighted and resisted but in the end it will appear to be a word of power and shall be suffered with Death where it was not obeyed with Duty And who may say to him the King What doest thou i. e. Questiones affirmativas resolvendo negativè by the old Rule None may say unto the King what dost thou ot call him to account None may not the Judges of his Bench not the Captains of his Host not the Grooms of his Stool not the Masters of his Horse not the Nobles and Gentlemen of his Chamber nor yet his Great Council None whatsoever may say it It is not fit says Job not fit for any man whosoeoer Job 34.18 nor fit for any sort of men whatsoever to say to a King Thou art wicked or to Princes you are ungodly and Solomon gives you the reason of it saying Against the King there is no rising up Pro. 30.31 Nemo qui insurgit says Junius No man that rises up against him now Nemo qui insurgat says Clarius No man that may rise up against him hereafter No man either Clergy or Layety No man either privat Persons or Representative Body None either Lords or Commons Amen say I I would to God there had been none of late against King Charles I. If there may be none hereafter against King Charles II. If there be they will find Power in his word to punish those who resisted the word of his Father and that when come to passe they will find Answer enough against all Objections they can raise agafnst this last Passage Thirdly Lastly for I will not burthen you with many though I could with a whole Volumn I present you with that of St. Paul even that which some Anti-Royallists because they cannot evade it countercolour it and excuse it do scoffingly and contemptuously call our great and Goliah Text viz. Let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers Rom. 13.1.2 for there is no power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Here again let me advise you to deale ingenuously sincerly and truly with your own Soules and here give me leave to ask you or rather do you seriously ask of and enquire and Catechise your own Soules who or what doest thou think is meant by the Higher Powers Doest thou canst thou think That nothing is meant hereby but a Naked Authority as Mr. Burrowes would have thee believe 2 Thess 2.11 Take heed thou be not given over or givest thy self over to believe a lye Take heed I say take heed of such a construction of such an Exposition for admit that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signisie Power in the Abstract or the Power of the Law without relation to the Person that made the Law yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must
Misery because commonly Mammon is the Friend of iniquity Happiness because many times it frees a man from the stroak of Justice Misery because many times it lays a man obnoxious to stroak of Injustice For what made Naboth a Delinquent and put him under a Sequestration but onely because he had a Vineyard too near the Kings House and he was a Rich man Benedixit Deo et Regi He blasphemed God and the King was but a Forgery and a meer pretence of Jezabels as you may perceive in the Context Set two wicked men before him and let them Witnesse against Him Ver. 10. saying Thou didst Blaspheme GOD and the KING where you see Wicked men subborn'd to bear false Witnesse and therefore yon know it was a meer Forgery The true Cause you may read in the other Context Then Jesabel said unto Him Ver. 7. to her Husband Achab Doest thou now Governe in Israel Up eat Bread and be of good chear I will give thee the Vineyard of Naboth the Izreelite Naboths Vineyard lay fit for Achabs Pleasure and fit therefore upon refusal to make him a Delinquent And indeed had Naboth abused his Vineyard unto Drunkennesse he had merited the name of a Delinquent For Drunkennesse is one of those Seaven deadly sinnes which brings a Deliquium upon a Man and ranges him under a Delinquency because by the Commission of that sin he does Delinquerâ— Hominem cease to be a Man and becomes a Beast For this sin this very sin of Drunkenness Noah became a Delinquent and so did Lâ—t and one of Noahs Children C ham by name and Lots two incestuous Children Moab and Ammon lay under a Sequestration for many hundred years But alas Naboth had no such fault laid to his charge All the guilt I find him stained with is 1. He was a Rich man and would not part with his Inheritance 2. He was a Good man and would not yield to an Arbitrary Government Secunda Primae Which is my Secunda Primae and my Third Consideration and thus begins That a Rich man should be made a Delinquent is no great wonder no not in a well governed Kingdom for it is possible there may be ill Governours in a well governed Kingdom Justices and such subordinate Magistrates who from some Puny Divines may suck in false Doctrine and believe That Gods temporal Blessings and the Goods of this world belong onely to themselves because Dominium fundatur in Gratiâ non Naturâ none but the Babes of Grace have right to the blessings of the Earth But for a Good man to be made a Delinquent quâ talis because he is a Good man This certainly argues the Kingdom to be very bad the Government to be ill and the Governours to be worst of all which seldom happens in any but an Apostate Kingdom where the Subjects have resisted their true Governours and parted with their Allegiance under the Pretence of Religion but in truth for Rebellion and Licentiousness And such was the state of Israel at this time 1 Reg. 12.20 Jereboam the son of Nebat rebelled against Rehoboam the Son of Solomon and by that Rebellion got ten parts of the twelve 1 Reg. 15.29 and his Race was finished and expired in his son and next Successor Nadab For Baasha smote them all and left none alive to Jeroboam Elah his son Reigned in his stead and Zimri served him with the same sauce and slew all the house of Baasha 1 Reg. 16.6 not leaving one to piss against the Wall Omri succeeded him by a like Legerdemain onely he had the compact of the major part of the people 1 Reg. 9.11 V. 16. and Achab his son succeeded him By the way I beseech you mark The Kingdom thus got by Rebellion first changed their Religion and their Clergy 1 Reg. 12.27 For whereas before the People exercised their Religion in the House of God at Hierusalem now they exercised it to two Golden Calfes in the house of the High Places and the the lowest of the People took upon them the Priests Office and became as a man might say V. 31. Tub-preachers Next This Kingdom thus gotten by Rebellion changed the Peoples Prosperity into Poverty their Liberty into Slavery and dasht out the Magna Charta of Meum Tuum so that no man could say Any thing was his own For Naboth was therefore made a Delinquent because he layd claim to his Vineyard which came to him by the Inheritance of his Fathers and would not part with it at the will of his King i.e. Because he was a Rich man and would not part with his Estate because he was a Good man and would not yield to an Arbitrary Government And good reason for it For in an Arbitrary Government as was singularly well observed in the late long Regnant never to be forgotten Parliament by that man of Noted Mâ—mory Mr. John Pym Lust becomes a Law Covetousness becomes a Law Revenge hecomes a Law and every sin becomes a Law What his Intention was in that Speech I list not to enquire here but sure I am herein he spake truth For when it once comes to this pass stat pro ratione voluntas when one mans will becomes every mans Law why then the Chaste Wife and Pure Virgine are ravisht before the face of the miserable Husband and more miserable Parent Neutroque contradicente neither the Husband able to relieve the Wife nor the Father to rescue his Daughter from that Villany This was rhe case of pittiful Uriah who durst not relieve Bathsheba and of the more pittiful Absolon who could not rescue his Sister Thamar against the wilful lust of David and Ammon When one mans will is every mans Law why then the goodliest Cities are set on flaming fire and turn'd to Dust and Ashes Nemine abstante the Citizens not daring or altogether unable to resist the ambitious Conquerour This was the case of the most pious City Jerusalem and of the most famous City Troy the one rased to the ground by the Romans the other level'd to the earth by the Greecians and the deplorable Motto to this day stands Jam seges est ubi Troja fuitâ— The Corne grows where Troy stood When one mans Will is every mans Law Why then there is no Charter nor Freedom of the People no distinction of the Magistrate and the Plebeian This was Englands case once when Cade Straw and Tyler durst beard the King and give Laws from their wills It was Englands case again when John Hambden John Pym Oliver Crumwel and such other Patriots had a greater Influence upon the People then King Charles I. I pray God it be not Englands case again in King Charles the seconds time least the Nobles and Peers of this Land be perpetually made the scorn of Coblers ' Tinkers and Taylors When one mans will becomes every mans Law Why then All Priviledges All Immunities cease and cease to every man save to him whose
Power is equal to his Will The Crown is trampled upon the Mytre is thrown to the Dunghil The Garter is laid in the Dirt No Law but Power and Lust No Justice but spoile and Rapine No Religion but Schism and Heresy Tâ—i was Englands case once when Henry III in the Barons Wars at the Battle of Lewis in Sussex was overthrown by them I pray God the Issue of that may be Englands case again when not long after at the battle of Eversham in Worstershire the King defeated the Barons became the Conqueror rid his Neck from the yoâ—k of the Twelve Peers that had been put upon him and had long time been grievous to Him and to the whole Kingdom For whosoever parted not with his inheritance to their side and yeilded not to their Arbitrary Government was presently made a pretended Delinquent and brought under a Sequestration for his Estate and a pretended Malignant and brought under an Execution for his Life whereas in truth They themselve were all the while the true Delinquents and the true Malignants which is my second general part in the Person of Achab. And what signifies Achab Pars 2. I find but one signification of his Name and that is Frater Patris The Fathers Brother Nor can I in this signification fasten upon him the Truth of malignancy unlesse it be in the Poets transposition and observation Fratrum quoque gratia rara est The Love the Friendship the courtesie of Brethren is a very rare thing in this World and seldom to be seen And in this sense I find the first eldest Brother in this world a true Malignant Cain who pretended Malignity to his Brother Abel because he seâ—ved God better then himself and slew him for it and so were Ten Sons of Jacob who pretended Malignancy to their Brother Joseph because Jacob loved him best because Iacob their Father loved him best and prescribed Ruben But this is not an Universal Truth and therefore I shall not fasten the Title of Malignant upon Achab from the signification of his Name the rather because the Interposition of Non makes the verse false though the English true non Rebus conveniuâ—t nomina saepè suis And therefore I shall seek for another Appellation is given him whereby we may call him the true Malignant and that is in tâ—â—â— first Book of Kings where it is said Achab malum in conâ—pâ—â—â—â—â— Domini super omnes qui fuerunt ante â—um fecit Achab 〈◊〉 worse in the sight of the Lord C. 16. v. 30. then all that were before him How worse then all that were before him why so I beseech you An quia Idololatra fuit Was it because he was an Idolater Not so For Solomon fell into Idolatry 1 Reg. 11 4 An quia vineam alienam Or was it because he took away another mans Vineyard and did more then Decimate the Royal Party This indeed was one cause which made him a true malignant but this was not the cause which made him the worst in Gods account for Jeroboam did Decimate over and over 1 Reg. 12.20 when he took away the whole Kingdom of Israel from the right heir An quia unum Naboth injustissimè occidit Or was it because he put Naboth to death most unjustly This indeed was another cause which made him a true Malignant but yet this was not the cause which made him the worst in Gods account For Saul killed fourscore and five Priests which wore a linnen Ephod in one day 1 Sam. 28.18 Why then was Achab accounted the worst of the Kings of Israel Quia plurimis non solúm suppliciis sed etiam beneficiis excitatus fuerat ad impietatem deserendam et ad sanctitatem observandam because God sought to reclaim him by many Punishments and by many Benefits In li. 1. Reg. cap. 12.11 12. and yet he still remained obstinateâ— as Mendoza notes with whom Paulus Burgensis agrees saying Magis fuit rebellis et contumax có quód tempore suo sloruit Helias qui quam plurimis signis et prodigiis ipsum exhortaretur et tamen semper remansit in abstinatione suâ He was therefore the most wicked because God by the ministery of Elias would have reclaimed him but he still remained stubborn And with both these agrees St. Ambrose saying Debuit intelligere quód Helias vero Deo serviebat In Ps 35. cùm videbat in verbo Heliae clausum coelum tribus aâ—nis et trilus mensibus et ad preces ejus pluvias esse demissas ut arida omnia rigarentur seâ—â—oluit intelligere Achab saw Heaven shut up three years and three Moneths at the word of Helias and upon his prayers he saw the Heaven opened by both whicâ— he might have understood that Helias served the true God and therefore he should have repented but he would not understand And hereupon my Author concludes him to be the worst of men because he would not be frighted by Punishments nor wooed by Favours Now lay all these together He robbed Naboth of his Vineyard He robbed Naboth of his life He despised the Prophets and would have silenced the Clergy He was the worst of men And then tell me or rather tell your selves Whether Achab were not the true malignant If you ask why my prima secundae tells you in Quia occideriâ— Hast thou killed An occideris An tu occideris An tute occideris Hast thou killed Hast thou thy self with thine own hands killed for so the Prophet intends to bring Achab to the Bar and to implead him guilty of the murther And yet it is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He killed him with his own hands though Covetousnesse like wrath be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a self Executioner But this of Elijah to Achab is somewhat like that of Nathan to David There was the hand of the Ammonite that killed Uriah there was the hand of Joab that set him in the Fore-front of the Battail and there was the hand of David that invented and commanded all this and yet Nathan past by them and said to David Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the Sword So here were the false witnesses who testified against Naboth and stoned him here were false and new erected Judges that condemned him here was Jezabel the Queen who commanded this and here was Achab the King whose Seal gave Authority to all this and yet Elijah past by all the rest and said to Achaâ— only Hast thou killed i. e. Thou hast killed Thou who shouldst have been 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Shepherd and feeder of my People art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Pest and Butcher of my People Thou who shouldst have been Pater patriae thy Peoples Father art Lanio thy Peoples Killer Thou who mightst have in some cases Tondere fleece and clip thy Subjects wooll didst what in no case thou shouldst do Deglubere flawe and shed thy good Subjects blood But is it not lawful to
kill why 2 a. 2 a. that my secundae secundae shall tell you and it tells you It is lawful for some men to kill in some Cases but it is not lawful for any man to murther in any Case Clamitat in Goelum vox sanguinis Murther is the first and loudest crying sin of the four and who dare say It is lawful to have a Scritch-owle in ones Conscience Diabolum habet Patrem The Devil is the Father of it as appears by that Increpation of Christ upon the Jewes when he told them They were of their Father the Devil who was a murtherer from the beginning Et quis occidit John 8.44 And who dares say It is lawful to be the Devils Son The Discoveries of it are many and wonderful commonly the Wound it self bleeds a fresh in the Presence of the Murtherer and in a manner cryes out for vengeance Apoc. How long Lord how long dost thou cease to be avenged Jacob would not part with God without a blessing I will not let thee go except thou blesse me Gen. 32.16 Murther will not part with God without a curse The voice of thy Brothers Bloâ—d cryeth out unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 and now thou art cursed from the Earth Et quis occidet and who dares say It is lawful to deserve a â—urse Murther is most severely punished of all other sins Adams sin was not so severely punished as was Cains For the Earth yielded her strength to Adam upon his good hâ—sbandry but to Cain though he did till the Earth it did not Adam for all his sin had leave to eat his bread in the sweat of his face Gen. 3.18 but Cain was a vagabond Gen. 4.12 had neither leave nor leasure to eat his bread In a word Murther is a sin against Nature For Omnia appetunt esse Nature seeks her own preservation Murther deprives her of it It is a Beastly sin Ferina Rabies est sanguine et vulnere delectari None but Beasts delight in Bloud It seeks to annihilate God and to destroy his very Essence In the Image of God God made man and therefore he that kills man unlawfully does the best he can to kill God As Phydias painted the Image of Minerva and his own so cunningly together that be said whosoever should marr the Image of Minerva should marr the Image of Phydias and whosoever should marr the Image of Phydias should marr the Image of Minerva so hath God so place his Image in man that whatsoever defaceth his Image defaceth man and whosoever killeth man killeth his Image The Image of God I confesse is in the Soul tanquam in proprio objecto and that cannot be killed yet it is in the Body too you will not deny tanquam in Orgaâ—o and in the Blood tanquam in copula et per concomitantiam both which are destroyed by Murther And because the Soul depends upon the Sences and the Sences upon the Vital Spirits and the Vital Spirits are carried by the Blood Therefore he that taketh away the Bloud causeth the Vital Spirits to fail He that takes away the Vital Spirits causes the Sences to fail He that takes away the Sences causeth the Reasonable Faculty to fail and he that causeth that to fail destroyeth the Image of God so doth every Murtherer and so did Achab. Achab the Magistrate the King did better acquaint himself with θ to take away life against his Duty then with ζ to preserve life which was his Duty And that which adds â—o his sin he did not do it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interficiendo which a King may in some cases do but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trucidando which a King may not do in any case No may â— might not Achab a King shed blood yea he might so he did it as he might and there are 4 grounds that make it lawful Si ex justâ— causâ If the occasion be just and the Crime so requires I instance in this particular whosoever shedeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9.6 not that every man may be his own Judg but in necessitate instanti as Moses tells us If a thief be breaking up a house in the dark and he be smitten that he dye In this case God requires not the shedding of blood for him Exod. 22.2 The same Rule holds in the defence of our lifes when it once comes to this push either kill or be killed else if there be not a Necessity an Absolute Necessity It is unlawful Nay though there be a Necessity an Absolute Necessity yet in some Cases it is not lawful I propose the Case of Duels Rebels Tyrants 1. Duels that for private Revenge shed the Blood of Peace in War 2. Rebells that for Publick Revenge shed the Blood of War in Peace 3. Tyraâ—ts that for publick or private Revenge shed the Blood of Innocence by turning Peace into War no pretence whatsoever can make shedding of Blood lawful in these cases To affect Magnanimity is Heroical and lawful but to forget Christianity is Diabolical and unlawful let Duellists remember Cain Gen. 4. Kill and Despair To affect Liberty is Generous and Lawful but to purchase it by disloyalty is odious unlawful Let Rebels remember Corah Absolon Num. 16.2 Sam. Rom. 13.1 Sheba Resist the Powers of God and receive damnation To settle Crowns becomes Kings and argues spirit but to do it by Cruelty and Injustice becomes not Kings and argues an evil spirit Let Tyrants remember Pharaoh Achab Heâ—od secure their Crowns by Blood and loose their Souls for ever The King himself sins if he kills sine justâ causâ It was King Achabs fault For what cause in Naboth that he should be killed Capiat qui capere potest And secondly Si sine ordinariâ potestate If his Power be not Good and Right and such Power is only in the Magistrate in the Supream Magistrate and such as are delegated from him None but the Supream hath the Sword borne before him No may he for all that Sword take away every mans life Rom. 13. The life of the Innocent he may not the life of Malefactors he may and must Solomon was not Reus homicidiâ— guilty of murther for shedding Adonijahs though his Brothers Blood because he was a Malefactor the worst of Malefactors a Rebel But Achab was guilty of Murther for shedding Naboths blood though his Subject because Naboth was Innocent and guilty of nothing that we read of but his Inheritance which made him a Delinquent and merited a sequestration and his goodness in not yielding to an Arbitrary Government which made him a Malignant and merited a Trucidation And thirdly Is he guilty of murther who kills sine justo ordine without true proceedings and herein was Achab guilty again Due proceedings I confesse he observed by way of Formality For the Court was erected and Naboth was Arraigned but Due proceeding there was not
that his little Finger would be heavier in the Levies of Taxes for the payment of Soldiers to maintain his usurped Power and raysing up the basest and lowest of the People to be Priests and become their Teachers The English thought Ship-mony in King Charles his time to be a Tax unsufferable and therefore first set up Essex and found out an easy way of Excise and the First and Twentieth parts and a Bankrupt Publick Faith to maintain a Rebellious Army and when that would not do they then set up a New Modelled Army under the command of Fairfax with a lighter burthen of 60000 li. and 120000 li. the Moneth to reduce the King to obedience and then did Cromwell finely juggle him out and gave himself by deed of Gift the Protaectordom of England which he hath fairly safe-guarded by running it into a vast Debt and silencing the Orthodoxal Clergy for fear by their Preaching the people might be recovered of their madness and cherishes in their room an Anabaptistical Sect to keep them still in Bedlam But in the mean time they forget a Power which is in Heaven that will e're long laugh all these powers of Earth to scorn and establish Him whom by Succession he hath assigned to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland King Charles II. But till then Wo be to us if we preach says the Humane power Wo be to us if we preach not says the Divine power and So you see which power both by Reason and Religion we should rather obey And now 2. You may see which wo either Mans wo or Gods wo we should rather Fear 1. The wo which Man threatens us if we preach is the wo of imprisonment and the wo of banishment The wo of imprisonment for three Moneths the first time we preach The wo of imprisonment for six Moneths the second time we preach and he wo of banishment the third time we preach Now may not these woes be borne by us Certainly they may if we think upon Joseph in his Prison or the Jewes in their Banishment for Gods hand is not shorter now than it was then but He can preserve us as well in and deliver us as well out of prison as he did Joseph Nor is his ear heavier now than it was then but He can as well provide for us in and restore us from Exile as He did the Jewes and bring us back as well as them to re-build our Church and worship him with our former Reveverence Unity and Order 2. But the wo which God threatens us if we preach not is the Wo of the worst Goale Hell the Wo of the Banishment from Heaven and both these Eternal from which their is no Redemption and to bear which there is no Ability For who is able to dwell in those everlasting burnings Isa But then why do we not preach the Gospel Why Beloved It may be we do For the Pulpet doth not make a Sermon or if we do not It proceeds not from fear of either the Humane power or wo but because we believe God will be pleased more with our Obedience than Sacrifice Mistake me not I mean not Obedience to the Power which forbids us to preach but Obedience to the Providence which hath made our silence our punishment and also because we hope and pray that power which hath all things at his dispose to Restore King Charles the Second into the Throne of King Charles the First to Reign as he did Justly and Mercifully not to be Murthered as he was Barberously and Cruelly And then Wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel And as we believe and pray so be it unto us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Anno Dom. 1656. APOCALYPS 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth even so faith the Spirit They rest from their labours and their workes follow them THis Book is not Apocrypsis a Covering but Apocalipsis a Discovery and therefore may be lookt into Were it Apocrypsis a Concealment It were only for God For secret things belong only to God Deut. But being as it is Apocalypsis A Revealement or a Revelation It is for us and ours For things revealed belong to us and to our Children In this Book I confesse are Multa Mysteria Many Mysteryes and so not fit for vulgar eyes But in it too are Multae Hystoriae Many Historys and so fit for all Eyes The Mysterys indeed are for the Schools but the Histories may be for the Pulpit My Text hath not one jot of Mystery in it It is all an History a plain History for the understanding For who understands not That they which dye in the Lord are blessed It is a sweet History for the Affections For what more desired then Blessednesse And it is a short History for the Memory For it consists but of three parts and who remembers not three Those three parts are these 1. An Affirmation or a Proposition Beati abhoc tempore posthac amodo qui in Domino Domini causâ moriuntur Blessed henceforth are they which dye in the Lord or for the Lords Cause 2. A Witnesse or a Deposition to justifie the Truth of the Proposition Etiam dicit Spiritus Even so saith the Spirit 3. A Comment or Exposition Quoniam requiescunt a laboribus et opera eorum sequntur eos They rest from their labours and their works follow them The Proposition comforts us The Deposition assures us The Exposition enlightens it and us For if any man should say of the Proposition Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord Durus hic Sermo This is an hard sentence who can understand it why here is a Glosse to expound it and explain it and the Glosse tells you They are doubly blessed 1. In Deliverance and Relaxation They rest from their labour Pars. 1. 2. In Reward and Retribution Their works follow them If the time confines me not I shall D. V. speak of each And 1. of the first Blessed are the dead which dye c. Blessednesse is a large word and comprises all those Mercies and Favours which appertain to this Life or the next so we read in the Psalms Blessed is the man that fears the Lord and that Blessednesse is as well Earthly as Heavenly His Seed shall be mighty upon Earth Wealth and Riches shall be in his house There it is earthly His Righteousnesse endures for ever Here it is Heavenly But the Blessedness in any Text is not of this extent It is not extended to the Living and therefore is not earthly It is restrained to the dead and therefore only Heavenly Blessed are the Dead saith my Text. And here again least any one should quarrel with the Text and say flatly It is false because of all Terribles Death is the most Terribles and therefore said Mecaenas Facito debilem Pede facito debilem manu vita dum superest bene est Lay what Pain you will upon me Sursingle me with
be accursed and saies Origen propter hoc Ecclesia ab Apostolis Traditionem accepit etiam parvulis dare Baptissimum Rom. 6. Because we are all conceiv'd and born in sin the Church hath received a Tradtion from the Apostles to Baptise Children and saies St. Austin Consuetudo matris Ecclesia c. The Custome of our Mother the Chu ch in Baptizing Infants is not to be slighted because it is an Apostolicall Tradition De Gen. ad li. c. 23. That 's a ninth Invention 10. If we believe and have Faith It is no matter for good VVorks or how we live a meer Invention this For saies St. James faith without work is dead and saies St. Paul Jac. 2. neither Circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing but Faith which worketh by Love That 's a tenth Invention He is gone to Hell For he dyed of the Plague A meer Intention This For many of Gods dear Servants do dye of the Plague 2 Sam. 24. David was desirous to dye of it when he prayed Let thy hand I pray thee be against me and my Fathers house but sure he would not have been so desirous to dy of the Plague if he must have gone to Hell for it That is a 11th Invention Subjects may take up Arms against their King For the King is Universis minor though he â—e singulis major Lesse then the Collective Body though greater then any particular Person If he be a Tyrant If he be Sacrilegious If he be an Idolater He may be Resisted He may be Deposed A meer Invention's this For Saul was greater then all the People because he was their King and Saul was a Tyrant a sacrilegious person an Idolatar a Consulter with Witches and yet David durst not resist him durst not depose him and only for this cause Because he was the Lords Annointed and therefore the Lords Annointed because the King And this hath been the Judgement of all Divines until of late and therefore This is another twelfth Invention Bishops and Presbyters are of equal Authority They are all one For Bishops are called Presbyters in the word of God A meer Invention This and a false Conclusion For Presbyters are never called Bishops either in the Book of God or in any other book unlesse in the Books of Hereticks or Schismaticks And that is a Thirteenth Invention A King may be Deposed by an High Court of Justice and unjustly sentenced to death as a Tyrant Traytor and Murtherer and Publick enemy by severing his Head from his Body A meer Invention This though pronounced by John Bradshaw Lord President so called Oliver Crumwel L. General Henry Ireton Commis General Col. Hardresse Waller Col. Harrison Col. Whaley Col. Pride Col. Ewer Lord Gray of Grooby Sir John D'Anvers with many more who are not worth the remembring unlesse Dr. Dorislaus and Justice Aske Councellours for the Common-wealth Cook Sollicitor General Broughton and Phelps Clarks to the Court Danby Mace-Bearer Humphrey Sword-Bearer and King Cryer And this was an Invention beyond all the Jewes Inventions And a great many more Inventions yet have we found out but I have tyred you and my self already with these and by these though there were no more I am sure we have provoked God to wrath for the Plague is broken in upon us It is my fourth and last consideration in resolving that Question What is the fruit and effect of these Inventions Pars. 4. of these Provocations The Plague brake in upon them Irruit It brake in Magno impetu invasit It came with a mighty violence and could not be resisted Tanquam aqua exundas like a suddain Flood of water Maltiplicata est in eis ruina A multiplyed destruction came upon them Factis est in eis gravis ultio God took an heavy and grievious revenge upon them twenty four thousand of the common people and Princes were slain and this tells you what Plague it was is here meant It was not the Plague of Pustules or the Plague of the Pestilence or as the common people call it the Plague of Gods Tokens or as we of late have had the Plague of the Guts which was never heard of in any Kings Reign but only in the first Reign of a President and in the second Reign of a Protector but it was the Plague of a Civil commotion raised by the Madness of the people for a former madness of their provocation and the small number of the slain then but 24000 shews and proves their provocations to be lesse then ours because the Plague of an Uncivil civil war amongst us hath slain many score of Thousands some Hundreds of thousands and proves our provocations to be greater then theirs However I wish not the rest of the Rebels may either Hoyle or Phane themselves I wish them not confusion here or Damnation hereafter The worse that I wish is That God would be pleased to take them as the Rods of his Justice into the Hands of Mercy and bring in King Charles II. with power to recover his own Dominions and to sit upon the Throne of his Father King Charles Is the Royal Martyr of blessed memory who upon this day January 30. Anno Dom. 1648 was murthered by barbarous hands for seeking to preserve the Churches Rights and the Peoples Liberties and Reign over us and our childrens children in peace and prosperity thorough Jesus Christ Amen GOD Save King CHARLES II. Anno Dom. 1658. ACTS 13.28 And though they found no cause of death in him yet desired Pilate to kill him THere are not many steps betwixt Princes Prisons Graves Mat. 2. Christ was the King of the Jews so confest by the Magi and the People would have proclaimed him so But Pilate the Lord President and Cajaphas the High Preist having Him delivered into their hands by the Treason of Judas for a far less price then 200000 l. even 30. pieces of Silver and though they found no cause of death in him unless it were Negatively because he had not Ahab-like took away Naboths Vineyard or plundered any of his Subjects Illegally nor Jesabel-like took away Naboths life or put to death any of his Subjects Extrajudicially or Affirmatively had healed their sick cured their lame and their blind ear'd their deaf raised their dead delivered them all from the Kings Evil and made them happy to their Enemies Envy and their Friends Admiration yet they desired Pilate to kill him That 's my Text and in it I observe two parts and they are these 1. A VVonder they found no cause of death in him for a VVonder it is that a King who hath so many Prerogatives and Advantages to Blaspheme to Rob to Rabe to Murther to Idolatry and more causes I find not to kill any man should have no cause of death found in him 2. A Murther and a monstrous Murther Yet they desired Pilate to kill him for a monstrous Murther it is that Subjects who have so many tyes of Obedience upon them
to dye All that can excuse him in this is Joh. 19.7 the Holiness of that time made them say It was unlawfull because they held it unlawfull upon their daies of preparation to sit on life and death and Friday on which our Saviour was condemned was the preparation of their Sabbath But 2. My positive Quare is this They desired Pilate to put him to death because if they had let Christ alone all men would believe him et venient Romani the Romans will come and take away both their Place and Nation This was the causeless cry they made against Christ and the causeless end they pretended in desiring Pilate to kill him and here you may see how just the Judgment of God was We desire you Pilate to kill him for fear the Romans come upon us and destroy us and the killing of Christ was the cause that brought in the Romans upon them so justly did God punish them with that which they pretended most to fear I would the Application were not too visible 1. That gallant and wise Earl of Strafford must be beheaded because he plotted the Alteration of the Fundamentall Laws of this Kingdome and raising of the standing Army 2. The constant and learned Arch-Bishop of Canterbury must be beheaded because he plotted the Alteration of Religion and bringing Popery into this Church 3. King Charles the first that most Wise most pious most Learned Religious Defender of the Faith must be beheaded too because He listened to such evil Counsellors which God hath punish'd with an evil Counsell with the raising continuing of an Army against the Fundamental Lawes of this Kingdome with an Harvest of the Popes besides with the Gleanings of a Medley of many Sects and Schismes Anabaptists Independants Quakers Shakers Brownists the Mother Father of these and many more the Presbyterians to the utter undoing almost of the most glorious Church Christ ever had upon the Earth since the Apostolicall and Primitive time God Almighty in his good time send a Charles the second to restore Vigour to the Fundamentall Lawes Peace to the people and true Religion to the Church through Jesus Christ Amen But what end had the Jewes in killing Christ why that my seconda secondae and last disquisition must informe you and thus it doth it 1. It may be they had Jeroboams end to make Preists of the lowest of the people and it is observable that after they had killed Christ they never had nor to this day have a worthy man for their High Preist 2. It may be they had Jehu's end to make away all the Seed and Blood-Royall and it is observeable again that after they had killed Christ Herod the Son killed James also the Cozen-German of Christ and therefore of the Blood-Royal from David that so none of that Family might ever after inherit the Crown of Judea 3. Or it may be they had Omries end to erect new Statutes contrary to the old Statutes of a new Invention contrary to or diverse from thâ—se of Gods first Institution 4. Or it may be they had Je abels end that when Christ the King was killed they might without controule make honest loyall constant Consciencious men Delinquents and Malignants and plunder them of their â—states and take away their life 5. Or if they had none of these ends and I cannot positively say they had yet questionless their end was that in the Parable This is the Heire come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall be ours He being killed our Glosses and humane Traditions and Inventions shall go for Currant and all the world will be of our Religion and thereout shall we suck no small advantage And this end had some Judaized Scots and English in killing King Charles the first They desired the Deputy or Governour or President Bradshaw to kill him that the Possession of Crown and Soveraignty being of out his hands or podibility to recover them and his Heire and Issue banished he the President by name John Bradshaw might quietly and Conscientiously enjoy the Lord Cottingtons Estate and part of the Earl of St. Albons worth 4000. l. per ann Sr. Thomas Fairfax part of the Duke of Buckinghams Oliver Cromwell part of the said Dukes part of the Marquess of Worcesters with a great deal more who of late upon the third of September this year forfeited his usurped Protectorship with all his ill-gotten wealth and Honours and surrendred his Soul into the hands of God with this Manifesto of his Repentance O Lord how wilt thou deal with me O Lord what Judgements and Torments hast thou prepared for me I dare not say so let them and the Kings enemies perish O Lord and yet I do say How long O Lord how long will it be ere thou returnest King Charles II. with power to recover his Dominions and with Wisdom to settle Peace and Religion in these Kingdoms which we yet wait for patiently and do beg earnestly for his sake whom the Jewes killed Jesus Christ Amen Anno Dom. 1659. ROM 1.32 Who knowing the Judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them MAny Inditements hath the Apostle brought in against the Gentiles in this Chapter from the 29. verse to this 32. Two and twenty as some have tallied them Others add this to the former and read them Three and twenty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fornication the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickedness was the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covetousnesse was the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maliciousness was the fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Envy was the Fifth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Murther was the sixth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debate was the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deceipt was the eighth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malignity the ninth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wnispering was the tenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Backbiting was the eleaventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hating of God was the twelfth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Despitefulness was the thirteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride was the 14th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasting was the fifteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Invention of evil things was the sixteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disobedience to Parents was the seventeenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Understanding was the eighteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant-breaking was the nineteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without Natural affection was the twentieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Implacability was the one and twentieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unmercifulness was the two and twentieth and this I take to be the last of his Inditement And this I have now read unto you howsoever some men account to be a three and twentyeth Inditement yet I take it to be an aggravation of and not an addition to the former Inditements and withal a preoccupation of all excuse For they might say That we have done as you have
charged us we cannot deny but that we are therefore Reprobates we hope not For what we have done hitherto we have done ignorantly we knew not our sins to be so Capital and we trust God will wink at our sins of ignorance Nay says St. Paul you cannot plead ignorance For you know the Law of God and that they which do such things are worthy of death and yet you did them Yes truly they reply we have committed those sins against our knowledge but what then must we needs be damn'd for that will not God pardon the frailties of our youth though we have not done these ignorantly yet we have done them of infirmity Nay says St. Paul by your leave that you have not neither For if you had committed these sins by way of infirmity in your selves you would then con demn them in others but you not only do them your selves but you also take pleasure in them that do them Before I proceed give me leave to wish that those Inditements were not as justly chargeable upon a great part of English Christians as they were upon the Roman Gentiles not upon all no there are many Chast Plous Religious Meek Patient and Loyall Souls amongst them who are not liable to any of St. Pauls enditement in this Chapter nor yet upon the Parliament neither that long Parliament no God forbid I should have or haâ—bour such a thought of Parliament of a true Parliament which represents the blessed Trinity in Power Wisedome and Sanctity where the King as Head directs the Lords Spirituall and Temporall as heart enlivens and the Commons as the inferiour Members put all things into execution I speak only of a Faction in that Parliament who by their Serpentive sedulity and subtlety engros'd the power of all cut off the Head of the Head the Kings Head and voted down or rather out the Heart of the Hearts the Lords Spirituall and Temporall and did not only do these things themselves Malignity Murther Deceipt Debate but also took pleasure in them that did them and vent one degree further commanded others to do them too In which words the Apostle 1. Accuseth them for doing things worthy of death 2. Aggravates that fault And were blessed St. Paul now living he would further aggravate it 1. From their knowledge of Gods Law 2. By delighting in others for doing the same 3. By Commanding all others and compelling many to do the same witness the 1. Engagement 2. Oath of Abjuration 3. Subscription against the common Enemy King Charles the second I begin with the first Agravation so the Accusation is too plain indeed too plain that who so runs Psal 1. may read it and the Observation thence is this Knowledg Aggravates Sin Joh. 9.41 For saies Christ If yea were blind yea should have no sin i. e. Nullum non simpliciter sed nullum Comparative None not simply but no sin Comparatively and when Christ extenuates their sin that crucified him he prays thus for them Father Luke 25. forgive them for they know not what they do and if I if you am that Servant which knew my Masters will and prepare not my self to do according to his will I yes and you yes and they whosoever they are shall be beaten with many stripes Luke 12. If Christ had not come and spoke to you and them and me Joh. 15.22 we had not had sin but now because Christ hath spoke to us all we have no Cloak for our sin If you and they Joh. 4.17 and I know how to be good and do it not know how to abstaine from sin and abstaine not to us it is sin If I sin of Ignorance only I want both knowledge and good will having a will only to the deed not to the sin but if I sin willingly I want both good will and inclination to leave my sin having a will at once both to the deed and sin and therefore the more sinfull because when I knew the deed to be sin yet I would do it More sinfull therefore I am then other men because my knowledge makes my sin a willfull neglect of Gods Authority He is the immediate Law-giver and hath revealed it to me as well as to Adam and Eve as well as to Moses and Aaron as well as to the Prophets and Apostles More sinfull therefore I am then ignorant people because my knowledge makes my sin a Prophane Contempt of the Law-givers Authority and He hath revealed it more to me and you and them then to the Gentiles Yet may no man hence more prophanely in far welcome Ignorance for though ignorance lessors both Sin and Damnation yet it makes not my sin to be no sin and it is but a miserable comfort for a Soâ—omite to think that a Capernaise is worse then himself when he is in the burning Lake for he too is damned everlastingly Luk. 12.46 though less tormented Science in the knowing sinner shall have the more stripes yet no more stripes then his sciene is capable off Ignorance in the unknowing sinner shall have fewer stripes yet no fewer then his Ignorance is capable off As the tender and soft flesh is more sensible of the sharpness by incision or stripes then the tough and hardned flesh yet they both have enough though not equally the same Nessire to be invincibly Ignorant is damnable simplicity Nolle scire to be wilfully Ignorant is hainous Impiety Scire et nolle facere to know good and not to do it is intollerable Obstenacy or scire et contra facere to know good and yet to do the contrary against the light of that knowledge is a very near borderer upon that unpardonable sin the sin against the Holy Ghost which shall never be forgiven This is the Aggravations of the Gentiles sins they knew those severall acts to be sins yet they did the sins Now before we go on let us examine whether some of our English Christians did not know the Dethroning the deposing the killing the Murthering of King Charles the first were not a sin and a great a very great sin Certainly they did know it they knew it 1. By the Law of God they knew it 2. By the Example of Christ they knew it 3. By the Native Positive and Statute Lawes of this Kingdome all which they were bound and sworn to observe to follow and yet against their knowledge and Oath both They quod horrendum est dicere quod infandum est renovare They dethron'd him depos'd him kill'd and Murthered him 1. They knew it by the Law of God It is expresly said Thou shalt do no murther but this it may be is too generall what think you then of that particular prohibition Nolite tangere Christis meos Touch not mine Annointed Doeth not this concerne Kings in particular For they were Annointed or rather doth it not concerne you in particular that howsoever you touch other men yet you would forbear to touch Kings i. e.
to touch them with any hand of violence He whosoever he be that doth it commits no less sin then Crimen laesae Majestatis High Treason Touch not mine Annointed is all one with Prov. Job lay no violent hands on Kings no nor tongues neither speak not irreverently of them no nor hearts neither think not unworthy of them But it may be some have got and others follow the new gloss of these words Touch not mine Annointed i. e. touch not my Prophet touch not my Saints touch not my holy ones Prov. This concernes not Kings Well be this admitted though it be not granted yet what say you to that of Solomon Fear God and the King and that in respect of the Oath Is not this home to this particular The King next to God and the King joyned with God in the duty of Feare q. d. If you fear not the King when you have seen you fear not God whom you have not seen and is not that Aggravation of the sin in not fating God for want of fearing the King and an Aggravation of another sin in not fearing the King for want of fearing God But the Aggravation is yet further and higher and that in respect of the Oath Take the Oath which way you please eitheir the Oath of Universall obedience to God wherein the King is not left out or the Oath of particular Allegience and Supremacy to the King wherein the King is especially put in and yet God not left out for the Oath is to the Kiâ—g bâ—fore God and that God before whom you took this Oath will be a most severe revenger upon you that have broke this Oath of Allegiance to the King before God and the Oath of Obedience to God before the Church 2. They knew that Murthering of King Charles the first was a sin and a very great sin by the Example of Christ when he was upon the Earth Cloathed with the Garment of our Humanity Having at his Command and beck twelve legions of Angels for his assistance and rescue Joh. 19. and Pilate told him he had power to loose him and power to Crucifie him Christ was so far from Commanding his Angels or to resist Pilates power that he commanded St. Peter to sheeth that sword which he drew in his defence and said no more to Pilate but thou should'st have no power over me unless it were given thee from above therein acknowledging all Royall Power on earth to be a Dorrative and Derivative from Gods power in Heaven therefore to be feared obeyed and submitted unto at no hand to be resisted But whether the Murthering of a King be the resisting of Regall Power and a sin yes and an Aggravation of that sin because they knew it Judge your selves Again from Christs Example Mat. when these Crafty and Fox-like Pharisees come to Christ that they might entangle him and therefore demanded whether it were he asketh whose lawfull to give Tribute unto Caeser or no superscription was upon their money and when he heard it confessed from themselves that it was Caesers why then quoth he give unto Caser the things that are Casaers and to God the things that are Gods thereby denying God and the King to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Incompatible and commanding us as well to give the King our Goods and Bodies to him service as to do give God our Souls and Bodies in his service And doth not this Aggravate their sin who against their knowledg are so far from paying or giving the King his Tribute that they plunder him of his life 3. They knew that Murthering of the King was sin a great sin a very great sin by the Native Positive and Statute Laws of this Kingdome All which Lawes do say It is High Treason to Imprison the King certainly then much Higher Treason to Murther the King And this last Aggravation of their sin concerning their knowledge that Murther'd King Charles the first at his own Royal Pallace-Gate Jan. 30. 1648. and I conclude it with this prayer for you and my self Give us grace O God to labour for knowledge Joh. 13.17 and give us more grace to add practise to our knowledge that we may be blessed in knowing good and doing well through Jesus Christ Amen Cursed am I if I know and will not do not because I know but because knowing I will not do what I know and so sin against my knowledge as these Gentiles did They knew the Law of God This was the object of their knowledge some Translations read the Righteousness of God some the Judgement some the Justice of God They all come to one so I here understand by the Law not the Law written either Morall or Judiciall for this was the Jewes Prerogative but the Law unwritten whereby every man knowes in generall what is good what is evil what is to be done what is to be forborn and this was a priviledge which God vouchsafed the Gentiles and that three waies 1. By the light of Nature which Philosophers called the Law of Nature Lex and Lux not differing much either in Signification or pronuntiation E. and U. In pronuntion light i.e. the light of the minde which direct and Law the Law of the minde which perswadeth 2. By Conscience which is the lights light or the Lawes Law and is therefore quiet and commends the minde for well doing but is restless and condemnes the mind for ill doing and so the next Chapter tells us their Conscience or thoughts accusing or excusing accusing when any thing is done coâ—tra scientiam against knowledg excusing when the mind thinks or the mouth â—peaks or the hand doth cum scientia according to knowledge ever writing like that Lex Acilia among the Romans one of these letters to be read either A. or C. if A. it was Absolution if C. it was Condemnation 3. By examples of Vengeance upon evil doers which may be called the judiciary Law of God and so is the word here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Righteousness Law or Judgment injusti facti Correctio the punishment of an unjust act especially of that which is the unjustest of unjust Sects whether it be Homicidium Parricidium or Regi-cidium â—urthering of a man which is bad or the murthering of a Father which is worse or the murthering of a King which is worst of all Had we been before Christ or were we now without Christ yet we should have the Law at least the knowledge of the Law of God and this the Apostle proves to every one of us two wayes 1. A Facto by Fact 2. A Testimonio by Witness 1. By Fact thus Though they have not the law yet by Nature they do the things contained in the Law Rom. 2.14 by Nature by the light of Nature For by the light of Nature Plutarch thus justifies the first precept of the Decalogue saying Omnes hoc uno ore dicunt esse Deos In amator in Tim. 3. pag. 416.
to be sober in the Horse and drink no more then will do us good being Unchast or Lacivious in the Dove and know no woman but out own Wifes being Cruel or Unnaturall in the Storke and to maintain our Parents Children Freinds that if we do such things we are worthy of death Worthy of death of death temporal so Draco by the light of nature appointed Death for all great Transgressions but that is not all our Apostle here means but worthy of death eternal too and this the very Gentiles knew by assigning their Elisyan fields to some sinners and Hell or their Stygian Lake to other sorts of sinners Take you and I therefore heed of all sorts of sins and do with every sin as David did with his water which his Worthies brought him with hazzard of their lives powre it them on the ground and say God forbid we should commit these sins because if we do we are worthy of Death of Death Temporal and Death Eternal Especially take we heed that we delight not that we take not pleasure in that we applaud not them that do them For this is desperate impiety the hight of and the great aggravation of the Gentiles sin here used by this great Apostle which is my second consideretion They do not only do them Psal 2. Put also take pleasure in others for doing the same Some read it Consent so Lyranus Tolet and others and make the Aggravation lesse But Theophylact Paraeus Piscator and others read it Patrocinantur favour delight take pleasure in yes Applaudunt Applaud and defend them that do such things and so make the Aggravation greater either way It is bad enough Alexanders murthering of Clytus was not the lesse though Anaxarchus the Epicurian Phylosopher told him All was lawful that Princes did though Aristander the Stoical Philosopher told him it was Fate and Destiny Davids murthering Uriah was not the lesse though the Ammonite slew him 2 Sam. 12.9 because he commanded it Achitopels killing of Absolom was not the lesse because his Counsel brought him to his death 2 Sam. 16.21 Saul was not lesse guilty of St. Stephens death Act. 7.59 though the Jews stoned him Act. 22.20 because he consented to it Achab was not lesse guilty of Naboths death though some Sons of Belial bare false witness against him and others condemned him Reg. 21.13 and others stoned him because he authorized and countenanced it with his Seal Esau was not the lesse guilty of Jacobs destruction though Forreigners Obed. 11.12 carried him away captive because he did not rescue him All the Tribe of Benjamin was not guilty of the Concubines Death and Rape in the Act of it Jud. 19.22 Jud. 20.13.14 yet they were guilty of the sin because they sheltered the Actors and Doers of it The Modern or latter Jews were not the less guilty of the old Prophets death Mat. 23.34 though their Fathers and Grand-Fathers slew them because they were Heire as well of the Murthers as of their Fathers Nor were they less guilty of King Charles blessed King Charles the first his death who brought him to the Block though others chopt off his head because they then withstood it not nor ever since called any of them to account for doing of it Nor are you or my self the loss guilty of that sin which another man commits if lying in our power we do not hinder it if we do not reprove it if we counsell'd it if we consented to it if we commanded it if we concealed it if we entertain'd the Actors of it and gave them applause or took pleasure in them for doting of it I end this second part with Prayer O God we have much guilt of our own too much if thy mercy be not the greater suffer us not we beseech thee to partake of other mens sins or communicate in other mens guilt but give us Courage to hinder it Zeal to reprove it Power to forbid it Wisdome to dispraise it Anger to discountenance it Strength to resist it Hearts and Tongues to declaime against it The burthens of others miseries give us Charity to bear but the burthens of other mens sins give us piety to forbear and the burthen of our own sins do thou ease and the guilt of our own sins do thou forgive for his sake who hath borne that burthen and washt away that guilt by his pretious and invaluable blood Jesus Christ Amen And now I come to the last part I proposed That if the Apostle were now living Pars 3. he would certainly further aggravate this sin upon the English Christians then he did upon the Romane Gentiles who have out-stript and exceeded their doing these sins themselves and their delighting in those that do them by commanding all others and compelling many to do the same by 1. An Engagement 2. An Oath of Abjuration 3. A subscription of Opposition against the Common Enemy whom they at least some of them I am sure one of them with the Approbation if silence gives consent declared to be Charles Stewart whom we acknowledge to be Charles the second King of England Scotland and Ireland and for whose return we do and will pray with Power from above to recover his own Rights with mercy from above to forgive his Rebellions Subjects and with Wisdome from above to lettle this Church of God and his three Kingdomes in Peace and Truth untill the second comming of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen That Engagement with the Covenant was the first 1. Engagement and either of these bad enough since there is not one Engagement in the whole Book of God save those of the Rebels Corah and his Complices Absolom and his Conspirators Shaba and his Peufellowes nor is there one Covenant in that whole book but they were all given and taken by the Kings Authority not a Covenant amongst them all and they are but six in number imposed without much less against the Kings Authority and besides they were all meerly Religious Covenants not one Politick or state Covenant amongst the whole six Joshua 24.25 The first of which six was made by Joshua with the people The second was made by Jehojada the High Preist in behalf of the young King Joash with the people 2 Reg. 11.4 the sum of which Covenant was that the people should be true to God 2 Cron. 15.12 the King and the Church The third was made by King Asa with the people to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul The fourth was made by King Hazechiah with the people when they were in great distress for want of Religion and therefore said the King I have purposed to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel that he may turn his feirce wrath from us This was the Kings Covenant and Engagement with God for the people 2 Cron. 29.10 not theirs against him The
Ver. 23.24 not only in Stature but also in power and therefore the People shouted and said God save the King 3. That Contributions to maintain a War against the King are unlawful because He is to be assisted in his War and therefore they are marked cum carbone for children of Belial who brought hius no presents Certainly then they are ten times more the Children of Hell who bring presents against the King Indeed this Text within it's own Verge resolves these three Queries 1. In the Description of Rebels They are Children of Belial 2. In the Expostulation of Rebels Division How shall this man save us 3. In the Condition of Rebells the Condition Positive and the Condition Privative Positively they despise the King Privatively they bring him no presents The Result of the whole falls into these Particulars thus 1. They accounted the King as one of themselves and as one chosen by themselves and therefore they said How shall this man save us and therefore they are called the Children of Belial Had they looked a little higher and observed how God chose him out of them they would then have believed That God by him would save them because God chose him to be King over them and Protector of them 2. They looked upon themselves Aggregatim and in Conjunction and thought themselves in that Bulk and Aggregation or Collection or Representation greater then Him and therefore they despised him and therefore they are called Children of Belial Had they looked upon him as Head of that Body whereof they were Members they would have confest That neither some of the Principal Members Representatively nor all the Members Collectively had been worthy of Comparison with him and that He the King had been greater not only then any one a sunder but then altogether 3. They looked upon their Enemies how strong they were and upon themselves how numerous how copious how many how rich and therefore how well able to defend themselves and therefore brought him no presents and therefore they are called the children of Belial and therefore not only by Symbolical but also by Rational and Logical Divinity It is unlawful to contribute to a war against the King I begin with the first And the Children of Belial said How shall this man save us and of the first Question Pars. 1. resolved thereupon The King is Gods not the Peoples Creature God and not the people is the Efficient of Monarchy The Children of Belial What is meant by Belial Why as Christ tacitely tells you That there are diverse kinds of Devils when he says expresly Mat. 17.21 This kind goes not out but by Fasting and Prayer so I tell you That there are divers names of Devils or The Devil hath divers Names and this of Belial is not the best As sometimes he is called Daemon for his Knowledge sometimes Satan for his Malice sometimes Baalzebub for his Filth Belial what sometimes Diabolus either for his Defluxion and falling down from Heaven or for his Traduction and seducing of men sometimes as here Belial for his Rebellion and casting of the yoake of Obedience for contending against him as much as in him lies by whom he should and shall at last be controuled For Belial signifies Absque jugo or Absque domino a meer Masterlesse Sir Children of Belial who and how But what then Did the Devil beget these men in my Text or else how are they called the Children of Belial No the Devil cannot beget any children neither as 1. the Common Cause For so Sol et homo generant hominnem the Common Cause is the Heaven Nor 2. as the proper Cause For every thing begotten of the Proper Cause is begotten either a simili genere as the Mule that is begotten by the Horse and Asse or else a simili specie as a Child begotten by a Man but Satan is a Spirit and hath at most and best when he hath any but an assumed Body but the Child hath a Body begotten of the Father and therefore are our Fathers called Hebr. 12.9 the Fathers of our Flesh and this is proper only to a Natural Father and in this sense Satan cannot be called Father Besides every Childe so begotten is bound to honour his Father but no Creature is bound to honour the Devil Nay every Creature is bound to the contrary Nor 3. can the Devil beget Children as the Material cause For all Generation is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as speaks the Apostle Heb. 11.11 Through faith Sarah her self received strength to conceive seed or as the Prophet speaks Ex commixione seminum I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of men Jer. 31.27 They are then here called the Children of Belial not by Naturall or vertuous Generation but by vitious and sinfull Immitation Joh. 8.44 As therefore Christ told the Jewes They were of their Father the Devil because they sought to kill him and be-lye him and gives this reason of it because the Devil is a murtherer from the begining and the Father of lyes so Samuel here calls these men the children of Belial i. e. of the Devil because they by his example and tentation sought to shake and cast off the yoake of obedience and therefore barely apprehended the King as a Creature of their own and chosen by themselves saying How shall this man save us and this brings me to the examination and resolution of the first Question viz. Whether God or the People be the Author and Efficient of Monarchy To this it is answered by the children of Belial 1 a. 1 ae for the People saying How shall this man This man and no more save us but by the Prophet of God it is answered for God saying See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen and now Beloved judge your selves whether it be fit to obey God or man as the Apostle speaks in another case Act. 4.19 whether it be fit to obey the children of Belial who from their Father have learnt to speak nothing but a lie or the Prophet of God who from the Holy-Ghost can speak nothing but Truth But that the falsity of this populous opinion and the verity of this Prophetical Assertion may more fully appear either to call you by Repentance to acknowledge the Truth and to do your Duty or that you may wander with more security and with less excuse to Hell I shall endeavour as much brevity and perspicuity as I can to examine this Question to the full When God first made the world He made many Angells but one man and yet God could if he had pleased as well and as easily have made and created a Company a Colony a Countrey a Kingdom a whole world of men upon Earth with his own one Faciamus Let us make as he did create so many Legions of Angels in Heaven and so might if he had pleased Gen. 1.26 have given
have thy Calling 〈…〉 thâ—e as it is Honourable in it sâ—lf be sure to have a 〈…〉 â—â—â—â—â—ion by the Impositioâ— of Episcopal Haâ—d 〈…〉 â—â—â—l Calling and an Infallible Confirmaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 â—â—â—ing by the Illumination and Sanctification◠〈…〉 â—â—ost and when thou hast both these then look to it 〈…〉 thee if thou dost not Preach which brings me to 〈◊〉 â—hird Consideration the Reason why we 〈◊〉 Preach the Gâ—â—â—el Necessitas mihi incumbit Necessity is laid upon me The word here used Pars 3. is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and this word hath diverse signification especially two 1. Affliction Tribulation Misery or Trouble so by Saint Paul in this Epistle I suppose then this to be good for the present Necessity 1 Cor. 7.26 i.e. Because the Saints are daily subject to many Crosses and continually tosted up and down by Punishments and Banishments For this Necessity sake it is good that they marry not in these dayes And so it is used by my blessed Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There shall be great distress in this Land Luk. 21.23 Distress rendred Necessity and therefore Wo be to them that be with child and give suck in these dayes And the Reason is because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Idiom are of the same signification And St. Augustine in his Annotations gives us a very fair Glosse for it saying Afflictiones ideo vocantur Necessitates In Ps 25.19 quod necesse sit eas usque ad finem tolèrare ut salvemur Afflictions are therefore called Necissities because there is a Necessity upon us to bear them to our lifâ—s end that we may be saved But I do confess This is not the signification of it in this place For it is not a Misery no It is a Glory to Preach the Gospel 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken by Antithesis and opposition to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 So St. Peter Pascite Dei gregem qui penes vos est 1 Pet. 5.2 illius inspectioni vacantes non coactè sed Libenter Feed the Flock of God which dependeth upon you caring for it not by Constraint or Necessity but Willingly or Freely and so St. Paul to Philemon VVithout thy mind I would do nothing Philem. 14. that thy benefit should not be as it were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Necessity but VVillingly and so again here in my Text Necessity is laid upon me i.e. I am trusted I am commanded And so I Preach not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Voluntier and a man gifted but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Pressed and Commanded man That which I do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Freely and Voluntarily is that I make not use of that Power which I have to receive and demand maintenance from you for Preaching the Gospel to you and so St. Augustine expounds it saying Potuit beatus Paulus ex Evangelio sibi victinam quaerere Blessed Paul might get his Food by Preaching Quod maluit operari amplius erogabat In that he chose to labour with his hands he erogated the more or did more in Gods service than by any particular precept was required of him But that which I do 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Duty is that I Preach the Gospel because the Necessity of a Command from God lyes upon me I would to God an Act of Parliament did not lye upon us in these times now another Act of State lyes upon us The Act of State forbids us to Preach the Gospel The Act of Parliament yet unrepealed forbids us to enterfeer or meddle with other Trales then Preaching You And the last long Parliament thought Preaching the Gospel was work enough for any man to employ himself in and therefore accounted it a great prudence to take all Acts of Magistracy out of the Preachers hands and to divest them of being so much as a Justice of Peace Now lay these together An Act of Parliament forbids us to work with our hands An Act of State forbids us to preach with our Tongues What shall we then do shall we starve No Divine Providence running thorow the Channels of your Charity denies that and blessed be that Divine Providence by our Acknowledgments and may the same Devine Providence bless you for your Charity by our Devotions thorough Jesus Christ and may the same Divine Providence too bless us with this remembrance That the Act which forbids us to preach is but a humane necessity The Act which commands us to preach is a Divine necessity therefore to put on the Apostles courage and resolution Whether it be fit to obey God or man let God and man judge the rather because Wo unto us if we preach not the Gospel Pars. 4. which is my fourth and last consideration The wo here intended is the wrath of God here and hereafter for this sin of Omission in the Clergy if they preach not the Gospel But what if this wo be encountred with another wo wo to us if we preach says a man of power Wo to us if we preach not says the God of power Now which of these Powers shall fear ' which shall we obey Why the Choice will be soon made if we look upon the Differences 1. Of the Powers 2. Of the Woes 1. And first what Power is that which says Wo to us if we preach Why It is but a humane Power at most and if lawful it is the worst and last of Humane Powers too For Successive is the first and best because by way of Inheritance Donature is the second and the second best because by Deed of guift Elective is the third and better than the fourth which is Martial and the last and worst because in the former three God shews a hand of Mercy but in that of the Sword God shews nothing but Judgment or at best Justice Now so far as Mercy exceeds Justice so far doth the Title of Succession of Donation of Election exceed that of the Sword and So far as the Comparative exceeds the Possitive and the Superlative the Comparative so far doth Donation exceed Election so far doth Election exceed Conquest and so far doth Succession exceed them all and the Reason of all is plain God keeps the Key of Succession in his own hand Clavis Uteri They Key of the Womb no hand can turn but the hand of God The other Keys Clavis Donationis the Key of Donation God sometimes rents out to punish the peevish affections of some Princes and Clavis Electionis the Key of Election God sometimes lets out to punish the wantonnesse of some Subjects and Clavis Gladii the Key of Conquest God sometimes farmes out to punish the Madnesse of the People Would ye see this exemplified Look then upon the Jewes in Rehoboams time and look upon the English in King Charles his time The Jewes then thought King Rehoboam loyns too heavy and therefore they made an Election of Jeroboam never dreaming