and seditions in relation to the subjects And directlie contrary to Gods Law and Commandments And the actions of the Polarchists who are interested in the passive part of Government must needs be of the same nature so farre as they are consenting and assisting unto their usurping Governours in these Polarchical and sinful actions But I desire the Reader to consider that my discourse relates to Ancient Common-wealthes and not to our new Plantations who may indeed erect a Polarchy without any guilt of Rebellion or intrusion upon another mans right because happily the places may be void of Inhabitants and so void of all Government But yet those Polarchyes cannot be free from such factions and divisions as our Saviour Christ doth make Essential even to the least Polarchy though it be but onely Oeconomical And a minore ad majus the common principles of a Logick make a valid Argument And upon these grounds I conclude all Polarchies of what kind soever to proceed from Divine Malediction and therefore to be directly a curse and judgement of God upon a Nation And that therefore the vocation and profession of Polarchs is cursed unlawful and unwarrantable by the word of God either in themselves or their partakers And I hope there is sufficient matter alledged in the premises to warrant this conclusion And yet to adde a greater lustre to this truth I shall in the next Chapter resolve two queries or cases of conscience concerning these two opposite kinds of Government viz the blessing of Monarchie and curse of Polarchy CHAP V. Of the Resolution of two Quaeries concerning a mutual transmutation betwixt these two opposite kinds of Government I Confesse the cases of conscience which may be proposed concerning these two opposite kinds of Government are very numerous But yet I suppose a judicious Reader may frame a resolution of any one or all of them out of the premises together with what I shal further adde in the resolution of the two subsequent quaeries 1. Quaere Whether a Monarch or King and his people may not either severallie or by joynt consent endeavour the change of that Government into a Polarchy salvis utriusque partis conscientijs when there appeares a manifest cause for so doing As in the King a consciousnesse of his own disability to execute the dutyes of his calling In the people a sense of their own sufferings under an evill and Tyrannicall Government the fruits of that disability Sol. This querae consists of 3. parts 1. Concerns the King severally 2. Concerns the people severally 3. Concernes both King and people joyntly unto each of which parts I shall frame a severall answer 1. The Kings sole endeavours for such a change do render him guilty of a five-fold iniurie 1. To himself which is the most unnaturall kind of obloquie therefore an offence of the highest nature amongst those which relate immediately to man 2. To his posterity wherein the Holy Ghost declares him more notoriously criminous then an Infidell 1. Tim. 5.8 For an Infidell is even naturally studious to preserve the honour both of himself his posterity and family 3. To the faith of Christ the renunciation whereof Saint Paul in the prementioned Text imputes to him who doth renounce that Legal Authority and Power wherewith God hath invested him for the just defence of that faith according to Esaiah's prophesie Cha. 49 23. Kings shal be thy nursing Fathers 4. To the Saints and Church of Christ whose wants ought to be supplyed out of his abundance 2 Cor. 8. and 9. Ch. 5. To his people changing their blessing into a curse As for the Kings disabilities It was never intended by the Law either of God or man that they should be the ground and measure of his Power and Prerogative for then most Kings should transferre their Supreamacy in matters civil unto the Lawyers and in Ecclesiastical unto the Divines whereas both Divine and humane Lawes invest the King with a Supreamacy in both presupposing the supply of his defects in either by a Councel composed of the most knowing men in both Lawes Civil and Ecclesiastical For which the Lord himself supplyed us with a president in the Jewish Sanedrim which was the great Councel instituted by God himself to assist Moses in matters of Importance and difficulty when such grew numerous and after him all the Judges Monarchs and Kings of Israel which Councel consisted both of priests and Princes or chief Elders in every tribe as you may read 2 Chron. 19. 2. Sol. The peoples sole endeavour for transmutation of Monarchie into Polarchy cannot be free from a triple guilt 1. Of injustice to their own selves in depriving themselves of that which God ordained for a blessing and a meanes of their happinesse and security and contracting upon themselves that curse which is the fruits of Divine Malediction and ordained by God for a Punishment of sinne 2. Of Manifest Disobedience to the Kings Power and Authority in acting things contrary to his commands 3. Of Manifest injustice to his person by intruding upon his just and lawfull Inheritance As for the peoples sufferings by the Kings evil and Tyrannicall Government that can be no ground or warrant for them to act any thing prohibited by the Lawes of God For though such sufferings be Mala poenoe that is afflictions and punishments from which we are taught by Christ to pray deliverance and from which we ought also to endeavour a deliverance by all such lawful meanes as are warrantable by the word of God Yet in regard all Mala poenae are a part of Gods justice whereby he is honoured And all Mala culpae such as disobedience and rebellion against Authority and the endamagement of our neighbour much more of our Soveraign in his estate or honour are transgressions of Gods precepts wherein God is dishonoured and the Devil the flesh and the world preferred before and above him No man ought to endeavour a deliverance from the most horrid Tyranny and oppression by the least act of injustice or rebellion As for the arguments and objections alledged by the oppugners of this doctrine to legitimate their acts of injustice and rebellion under the pretences of self-defence I shal recite and resolve the most material of them in the eleventh Ch. of this book which speaks of the subordination of the ends of Monarchie manifesting also the Kings Honour to have the Right of preheminence ante salutem populi that is above the peoples welfare 3. Sol. The joynt endeavours of both although they carry the fairest shew of equity and conscience in regard there is no injustice done but to those that are willing to receive it who by Aristotles rule are incapable of an injury but that must be understood ab Extrinseco and in foro judicij yet are altogether unwarrantable in this case For first they are directly felons de se and as guilty of self-robbery as he that kils himself is of self murder As we shewed in the
excellency worth and goodnesse which God doth communicate unto men for the Regulation of their owne private affections and the exercise of a pious and vertuous life of which Honour every man in the Common-wealth is equally capable 2. Politicall Honour is that excellency worth and goodnesse which God doth communicate unto men for the Regulation of the externall actions of men in order to the preservation of society and the exercise of a peaceable and quiet life which is that Honour which the King doth receive from God and which doth supereminence him above all others in the same society and Common-wealth And this is also two fold viz. Primarius Secundarius 1. Primarie Honour is that excellency of power and authority which doth enable the King for execution of the duties of his Calling in the Rule and Government of his people and Subjects And this is two-fold viz. Legislativus Judiciarius 1. Legislative Honour is the power and authority to constitute and enact Lawes and Statutes for the Publike good and benefit of the Common-wealth And this againe is twofold viz. Ecclesiasticus Civilis 1. Ecclsiasticall Honour is the power and authority to enact Lawes and Statutes for the Regulation of mens words and actions in order to the externall performance of the duties of the first Table of the Morall Law according to the patterne exhibited by God in the frame and composure of the Ceremoniall Law instituted by God for that purpose 2. Civill Honour is the power and authority to enact Lawes and Statutes for the Regulation of mens words and actions in order to the externall performance of the duties of the second Table of the Morall Law according to the patterne exhibited by God himselfe in the frame and composure of the Judiciall Law Instituted by God likewise for that purpose 2. Judiciarie Honour is the power and authority to put all these Lawes in execution And this is two-fold Compensativus Vindicativus 1. Compensative Honour is the power to encourage and remunerate the integrity of pious and just men with titles of Honour and offices of state and the like according to the merits of their service and obedience which is the pastorall duty and office of Kings signified principally by their Scepter which is is called in Christs Govenment A Scepter of righteousnesse because of Christs Government over the Saints and Church triumphant wherein there is no use at all of the Sword but onely of the Scepter and by the exercise of his pastorall office to reward the faith and patience of the Saints Which passage I doe here insert to shew that the Scepter doth principally import the Pastorall and not the Imperiall and Magisteriall office of a King which relateth properly to his Militarie power 2. Vindicative Honour is the power to correct and punish the delinquences of disobedient and evill men which is the Magisteriall office and duty of Kings signified by their sword 2. Secondarie Honour which is a spece also of Politicall Honour is that Honourable and Magnificent maintenance which God hath assigned unto the King for support of his Royall power and dignity for as our lives Gen. 5.9 so our estates and fortunes are not ours but Gods For heaven and earth are his and all riches and honours come from him and he is Lord over all 1 Chron. 29.10 11 12. Psal 50.10 11. Psal 95.4 For a manifest of which Prerogative God in all his distributions reserved some part which he ordained to be sacred and holy unto himselfe as in that charter and grant made unto Adam in Innocency when there was no King or Priest but onely Adam himselfe the Lord in that grant reserved the Tree of Knowledge So that the law for honouring God with our substance Prov. 3.8 was an eternall law of nature and not any positive emergent law for before the Institution either of the Ceremoniall or Judiciall lawes of Moses This Prescript and Rule was observed by the Patriarchs as Cain and Abel both which did render unto the Lord a tribute out of their several possessions Gen. 4.3 4. And Abraham by this law paid Tythes to Melchisedec Gen. 14.20 And by the same law Jacob vowed unto the Lord the retribution of a Tenth of that which the Lord should give him Gen. 28. last as an acknowledgement that hee received it from God the Lord of all for Jacob had nothing of his owne at that time but a staffe Gen. 32.10 Now as God did delegate unto Kings a power over our persons in his ordinance for their Primarie honour of power and authority so did he likewise give them a power over our estates for support of that honour which is their Secondarie honour of Maintenance and Revenue which was the ground of Christs command to render a tribute of our goods unto Caesar Mat. 22.21 intimating that this temporall honour of tribute was by virtue of Gods delegation as due unto Caesar as the spirituall honour of praise and worship was unto God And upon the same ground Saint Paul commands to render custome and tribute to Kings not as a gift and favour but as a due and just debt Rom. 13.7 and gives this reason for it because they are Gods Ministers appointed to supply his place in Ruling and Judging us And seeing God hath transferred the greater power to Kings viz a power over our lives by putting the sword i. e. the Militia or Military power of the Common-wealth into his hands Rom. 13.4 the Apostle thence concludes their Investiture with the lesse viz a power over our estates Ver. 6. And this power was all the title which Christ had to that Asses-Colt which he sent his Disciples to fetch for his use Luke 19.30 for it appeares in the Text that Christ was not the proprietour of that colt yet he did not give order to his Disciples either to buy or hire or begge or borrow the colt of the owners but onely to tell any that profered to interrupt them that the Lord had need of him for it was a sufficient title to dispossesse the private owner that the publike Lord of all did command him and upon that answer the private owner did not resist the Disciples in taking him away Ver. 34. And the like power we see exercised by Pharaoh in that ordinance for storing up a fift part of all the Corne of Egypt for seven yeares together which law was enacted by Pharaoh upon the single Counsell of Joseph with the approbation onely of Pharaoh's servants or Councell and not by the generall consent of the people Gen. 41.34 Neither can we pretend this law to be Tyrannicall amd contrary to the law of God and Nature for it proceeded from the wisdome of God which in this businesse directed the mind of Joseph Gen. 45.57 Psal 105. Nor can any man imagine but the state and magnificence of Saul David Jeroboam and others who of private persons were advanced by God himself to Regall honour and dignity was supported by this meanes
of Custome and Tribute for their owne private patrimonies could not be sufficient for maintaining such Kingly magnificence nor doe we finde any particular Law or Statute for the particular endowment of these Kings but onely that generall Right and Prerogative which they derive from God investing them with a power over both our estates and persons which was the cause that God prescribed not in the Law any settled or certaine maintenance for Kings as he did for Priests For though both were his anointed Servants and Deputies and Kings also in a higher degree for they had power over the Priests as well as the people for Moses was not onely a god to the people but to Aaron Exod. 4. And Moses David Solomon Jehoshaphat and other godly Kings exercised this power over both Priests and Levites yea even over the high Priests themselves and that in the highest manner deposing one and advancing another to that Pontificall honour 1 King 2.26 Yet in regard Kings had power to provide for themselves in that manner as themselves judged requisite for their own honour and the peoples safety whereas the Priests had no power at all in any secular matters but what the King did delegate unto them by Commission therefore it pleased God to consigne a set portion for the Priests maintenance and not for the Kings Ob. The Lord blamed the Kings of Judah for imposing taxes upon the people Ezek. 45.8 9. And when Moses prescribed the Kings duty Deut. 17. he prohibited the multiplication of horses and of gold and silver whereby to spoile and oppresse the people Sol. The Lord both in these and many other places prohibiteth the imposition of all Illegall taxes and exactions such as Tyrannicall and wicked Kings usually laid upon the people for the support of their owne insatiate lusts and vanities and such as Samuel told the Israelites would be imposed upon them by Saul in his Tyrannicall government 1 Sam. 8.10 But never prohibited such as were intended for the honour of himselfe and the King and the benefit and welfare of the people though they seemed never so heavy and grievous as that tax was which Pharaoh by Joseph's advise imposed upon the Egyptians for seven yeares together which use and end is not to be determined by the people's discretion but the Kings as appeares in that instance concerning Pharaoh's act And therefore though it be unlawfull for the King to demand such taxes for any other intent but the honour of himselfe and the good of his Subjects yet is it not lawfull for the people to deny them or resist the Kings authority when they suppose and judge them to be demanded for other wicked ends as appeares by those addresses which Samuel told the people they should make unto the Lord for redresse of Sauls Tyranny by prayers and teares 1 Sam. 8.18 For neither Samuel nor the people in those dayes dreamed of these means of resistance and dethronement of Kings which the Devill hath since suggested unto his disciples For surely had those ancient Statists understood these new redresses of Tyranny to be just and lawfull they would never have enslaved and subjected themselves unto such pressures as are recorded in that Text. Repl. Naboth did justly deny his vineyard unto Ahab 1 King 21.3 and therefore the peoples disobedience to the Kings unjust demands of any part of their estate is not unlawfull but commendable Sol. That deniall of Naboth's was grounded upon a particular law of Gods concerning Inheritances in Israel as Naboth there declareth God forbid saith Naboth that I should give the Inheritance of my fathers unto thee For God had prohibited by his Law that any man should alienate the hereditary possessions of his family which by his appoitntment were to be reserved entire to continue the distinction of the families in Israel Numb 36. And againe Ahab did not command that vineyard from Naboth as a King but as a private purchaser intreated Naboth to exchange or sell it to him for a private conveniency and not for any publike use in which case Naboth might justly deny it For though a King be alwayes a King yet he doth not alwayes act as a King in his Politicke capacity but sometimes as a private person in his naturall capacity as in the scholasticall discussion of any point in question or in any contentious recreations as in Wrastling or Tennis and the like in which cases it is not unlawfull to oppose the King both in words and actions And of this nature also are such private bargaines for private uses and conveniencies as Ahab desired to make with Naboth and as David did make with Araunah for his threshing-floore which he would not take by his power but bought with his monie 2 Sam. 24. because it was to pacifie God for his owne private offence and not for the peoples Ver. 17. For though the people were punished it was David alone that offended Delirant Reges plectuntur Achivi But in whatsoever the King acts in his Politicke capacity as a King he may not be resisted or opposed either in words or actions or denied any service either from our estates or persons because in that capacity he is a God over us and may claime the same obedience from us which is due to God himselfe in all Politicall matters whereunto his Commission doth extend as the eleventh Chapter of this Booke shall more fully manifest So that if Ahab had demanded this vineyard of Naboth for any publicke use concerning the Kings honour and the peoples safety Naboth's pretence of Inheritance could not have warranted and justified his deniall thereof to Ahab For inheritances might be sold in Israel till the year of Jubilee in case of private necessity as appeares Lev. 25.25 and therefore much more might be commanded by the King in case of publike necessity For a publicke necessity must needs be a stronger super sede as for any Law then a private can be As also the description of Sauls Government by Samuel doth further evidence 1 Sam. 8.10 for what that Tyrant did to satisfie his lusts a good King may do to preserve the publike And it is not improbable that the pretence of such a deniall was the blasphemy whereof Jezabell caused Naboth to be falsly accused for the Text doth not say that it was blasphemy immediately against God but against God and the King which argueth that those witnesses accused Naboth of some disloyall speeches not consistent with the duty of a Subject which for ought appeares in the Text might relate to Naboth's deniall of that vineyard which the false witnesses might pretend to have beene demanded for such uses and in such a manner as that the deniall thereof might render Naboth guilty of a capitall dishonour and disobedience to the King And thus much briefly of the nature and spece's of Fundadamentall Honour the other spece of Honour opposite to this is Symbolicall whereof in a word 2. Symbolicall Honour is the signall exhibition
and destruction thereof which defects in our naturall inclinations God ordained to be supplied by the exercise of a Judiciarie power whereby to excite us to the performance of these naturall duties either by the remuneration of our merits of obedience or the punishment of our crimes of disobedience unto the Lawes and Statutes composed for mans direction both in Ecclesiasticall and Civill affaires so that the exercise both of the Legislative and Judiciarie power of Kings were meere emergencies of mans Apostasie Before which time though Government was established amongst men by that law of nature yet in regard that Law whereupon this Government was founded was so principled in mens hearts that it was sufficient to direct all Politicall and Monarchicall duties and the naturall rectitude of their wills to excite the performance of them there was no occasion at all for the exercise either of the Legislative or Judiciarie power for direction of Politicall and Monarchicall duties or restraint of Politicall and Monarchicall exorbitances neither should there ever have beene any more occasion if man had persisted in that his native Innocency and integâ—â—â—y for any such direction or restraint then there was to direct the duties or restraine the exorbitancies of Christ himselfe whose innocency and integrity both in his nativity and conversation was parallel to Adams in his created and native state and condition the conformity of whose active obedience to authority in omnibus licitis and passive in illicit is neither was nor could be any way defective to the most exact rules and lawes of God and nature Whence it is manifest that though Magistrates in the state of Innocency were invested by the law of nature both with a Legislative and Judiciarie power in actu signato yet the actus exercitus or exercise thereof was a meere emergency of mans prevarication and Apostasie which did not occasion God to ordaine and institute any new sort of humane policy or any new lawes for direction of Politicall duties but onely to ordaine the actuall use and exercise of his Legislative power to supply and help the defects imperfections and infirmities of his understanding in the lawes of nature by the composure of Positive Lawes and Statutes and of his Judiciary power to correct and regulate the depravities of his will by remunerating the merits of his obedience and punishing the crimes of his disobedience to those Lawes and Statutes The result of all which is but briefly this that the Objectum per se or the direct and immediate Object of Politicall Cognizance consisting in the Fundamentals and Essentials of Politick Government is onely the externall duties prescribed in the Morall Law in reference unto which duties Kings both may and ought to exercise both their Legislative and Judiciary power over all persons within their Dominions whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill Ob. Some do object against this that Christ hath suffered for the sins of the whole world and therefore that no man ought to be punished for sinne for it would be a point of direct Injustice to require satisfaction of us for that for which our surety hath already paid and given plenary and perfect satisfaction to our Creditour so that the exercise of the vindicative part of Judiciary power in Magistrates inflicting punishment for offences must needs be unlawfull and destructive to the principles and priviledges of the Gospell of Christ Sol. I answer that the punishments inflicted by Magistrates are not intended for the satisfaction of Gods justice for our offences against God but for the instruction of our obedience in order to the publike peace for no temporary punishments or tortures how extremely inhumane and barbarous soever can possibly be satisfactory for the least sinne against the law of God whose merits in the court of Gods Justice are eternall death Neither doth any man suffer now in earth nor shall any man suffer hereafter in hell for any sinne against God and his law of nature but onely for sinnes against Christ and his law of the Gospell that is for infidelity despaire and want of charity or the love of Christ as I have already intimated in the Introduction So that the punishments inflicted by the Magistrate is not intended for satisfaction of any sinne committed against God for that satisfaction is peculiar to the sufferings of Christ but for prevention of future mischiefes either in the offender or others or both that men may live together in peace and unity following all godlinesse and honesty according to the commands of the Gospell and law of Christ which as I said before is not different from the Morall law given by God at the first creation in Essence for both of them enjoyne the same duties but onely in circumstance and the manner of performing these duties For whereas the law of God doth require an exact and legall performance according to the letter of the law the law of Christ doth require onely an equitable and Evangelicall performance according to the measure of our abilities And therefore whereas the offences against Gods law were determinable only in a Court of Justice and so punished according to the quality and merit of the trespasse the offences now against Christs law are determinable onely in a Court of Mercy and Equity and so punished according to the measure of our abilities and the mis-imployment of such talents and blessings as wee have received by Christ who hath renewed by his Spirit in every mans soule some of the obliterated characters of nature whereof they were deprived by Adams sinfull prevarication And according to this law of Christ are all the Nations and Kingdomes of the world now governed as well Heathen as Christian for all Government was by his Father transmitted unto him John 13.3 Phil. 2.10 11. so that now all Kings and Rulers as well Heathen as Christian are Christs Lieutenants and Deputies for what Solomon attributed to Christs power indefinitely in the consignation of Kings Prov. 8.15 By me Kings raigne David expresly extendeth to Heathens as well as Christians Psal 2.8 I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance And Saint John expresly affirmeth Jesus Christ to be Prince of all the Kings of the earth Apoc. 1.5 And therefore all Kings doe now order and decree all things in a Court of mercy and equity which looketh upon the abilities of the offender and not in a Court of Justice which looketh onely upon the quality of the offence For no Prince in the world whether Heathen or Christian doe punish Ideots and Mad-men for the same offences which sometimes are made capitall in men of understanding the reason is because these are capable of Reformation and to be made better by punishments the other not so and therefore though the offence be the same in both yet the punishment is not so whence it is manifest that the exercise of the Kings Judiciary power is not intended for satisfaction for sinne for which Christ died but meerely for restraint of such
enormities as are destructive to peace and unity and by consequence to all Politick Association 2. The second spece of the Object of Politicall Cognizance is Objectum per accidens which is the indirect and mediate Object of Politick Government consisting in the Contingentials thereof being such causes and matters wherein the King may exercise both his Legislative and Judiciarie power over some persons both Ecclesiasticall and Civill but not over other some of either sort And these are those supernaturall and Evangelicall duties which were never knowne nor any way usefull upon the first institution of Politick Government under the old Covenant of Workes but were instituted afterward and made ordinances of the new Covenant of Grace not directly for helps of Politick Government but for the immediate meanes and helps to life and salvation by Christ and the advancement of his mysticall kingdome Such as were the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament which were symbolicall ordinances instituted by God meerely as seales and confirmations of this new Covenant of Grace and also all Evangelicall formes of Worship Government and Discipline relating immediately unto Christ All which are supernaturall duties wherein the light of nature though it were restored to its native and pristine purity is no way conducent to guide or direct us without particular revelations of the Spirit of God declared either by Scripture or some other extraordinary and supernaturall meanes which duties therefore cannot be knowne to Heathens to which God never vouchsafed the benefit of such revelations nor be possibly capable of any legall sanctions from the most prudent and intelligent Legislator that ever sate at sterne in any Heathenish Common-wealth And yet though Heathens cannot be good Christians they may be good Kings as the Holy Ghost testifieth of Cyrus whose Government is much magnified Esay 45. although he understood nothing of these Evangelicall duties which relate to Christ the like Panegyricks are recorded not onely by the Heathenish but also by Christian Authors of the government of Solon of Athens Lycurgus of Lacedemon and Servius Tullius of Rome And this is further manifested by that judicious and rationall answer which Gallio the Romane Deputy returned to the complaints of the Jewes against Paul for preaching against the Jewish Ceremonies and the outward form of worship prescribed by Moses Acts 18.14 15. If it were a matter of wrong or injustice saith Gallio which importeth sins against the law of the second Table or of wicked lewdnesse which importeth sinnes against the law of the first Table of the Morall law then reason would O ye Jewes that I should bear with you But if it be a Question of your law looke ye to it for I will be no Judge of such matters Whence it is observable that though this wise Heathen was perswaded that it was a part of his office and duty to judge of offences against the law of nature whether they were transgressions of the first Table and so immediately against God or of the second Table and so immediately against our neighbour ye he did conclude from the principles of sound reason that the judgement of these Jewish Ceremonies which were not naturall but Evangelicall duties did not pertaine to his Office or Calling So that these Evangelicall duties cannot be directly and per se the Object of Politicall Cognizance or the subject of any positive Law or Statute generally obligatory unto all persons But yet these Evangelicall duties may and doe fall within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance indirectly and per accidens that is in such persons to whom God doth vouchsafe the benefit of these supernaturall revelations for in regard the service and worship of God ought to be the first and principall care of all Kings as well Heathen as Christian according to the Maxime of that * Arist pol. lib. 7 c. 8. knowing Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion must be the foundation of all Policy being the most important businesse amongst the affaires of State cementing all societies and energating all lawes as Plutarch well observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in regard also that they to whom God hath vouchsafed the knowledge of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties cannot with a safe conscience serve and worship God after any other manner but that which in their opinion is most consonant to his word and will therefore it is both lawfull and expedient for Kings to exercise both their Legislative power in composure of Lawes and Statutes for directing a laudable conformity amongst these persons in the religious observation and practise of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties of the Religion and piety whereof they are already sufficiently perswaded and satisfied in their consciences and also their Judiciary power in punishing the contempt or neglect thereof because to such persons there is no medium betweene the practise of these duties and that wicked lewdnesse or profanenesse the restraint and reformation whereof Gallio did acknowledge to be directly a part of the duty of the Magistrates office and calling But for other persons who are not of the same perswasion concerning the Religion of these Evangelicall duties but beleeve the practise thereof to be superstitious and dishonourable to God and another forme of worship to be the onely acceptable service unto him in regard the practise of Evangelicall duties in such persons cannot proceed from faith and trust in God whereby they may expect a blessing from him upon their service and devotion but rather that curse and damnation which Saint Paul affirmeth to be the just merits of all acts of worship which are not of faith but either of doubtfulness or which is worse of perfect hypocrisie and dissimulation Rom. 14. last The enforcement of such a conformity by the Magistrate in Evangelicall worship and service in such persons contrary to their consciences must necessarily render him guilty not onely of their sinnes and thereby liable to that curse and damnation which is due to their hypocrisie and dissimulation whereof hee is in some sense the efficient cause but also of sacrilegious intrusion upon those sacred prerogatives which God hath reserved wholly unto himselfe that is the command and power over mens consciences over which he never appointed any lord or master besides himselfe as the expressions and exhortations both of our Saviour Mat. 23.8 9. and of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 8.6 doe purposely insinuate and whereunto the Kings Commission did never extend Whence it is manifest that Christian Kings may exercise their Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes to direct a conformity of Evangelicall worship and service in those persons unto whom God hath vouchsafed the true understanding thereof and thereby satisfied their consciences of the Legality and Religion thereof and also his Judiciarie power in rewarding the pious and due observance and punishing the impious contempt and neglect of such duties in the same persons But may not exercise either his Legislative or Judiciary
power to prescribe Laws for to enforce the practise of such duties upon other persons to whom God hath not vouchsafed that understanding knowledge concerning these duties But now for a further illustration of the premises and to frame a more direct full and satisfactory answer to the Quaere concerning the due limitation and extent of the Kings power I will here set downe a briefe Analysis of the whole duty of man the regulation whereof is the very designe of that Power and Dominion which God hath either delegated unto the King or reserved unto himselfe and conscience touching humane affaires And from thence demonstrate 1. Unto what duties the Kings power doth properly and directly extend so that he may lawfully exercise the same over all persons within his Dominions whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill for the regulation of such duties 2. Unto what duties the Kings Power doth extend onely indirectly and per accidens so that he may lawfully exercise his power over some persons within his Dominions of both sorts but not over other some of either sort for the regulation of those duties 3. Unto what duties the Kings Power doth no way extend neither derectly nor indirectly so that he may not exercise the same over any person within his Dominions whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill for the regulation of those duties The duty of man is twofold 1. Naturall which is the duty of man quà homo rationalis and is expressed in the law of nature divided by Christ Mat. 22. into two parts or tables 1. Containes the duty of man towards God and consists in a love exceeding all selfe-love Ver. 37. And this duty is twofold 1. Internall consisting in the service and worship of God by the inward acts of the soule i. e. of the understanding will and affections of man and in a due returne of the bona animi which God hath conferted upon man And this part of mans duty is prescribed in the first Commandement 2. Externall which consists in honouring God by outward actions and in a due returne of those hona corporis fortuna which God hath conferred upon man And this is twofold 1. Originall and Primarie which is that honour worship and service which both Moses Deut. 6.13 and Christ Mat. 4.10 â—mits solely unto God And is twofold 1. Private consisting in personall honour and worship of God which is twofold 1. Corporall consisting in the outward gestures of the body Prescribed Commandement 2. 2. Vocall consisting in reverent speeches praises of God Prescribed Commandement 3. 2. Publick consisting in the practise of these duties at solemne times and in solemne assemblies Prescribed Commandement 4. 2. Representative and Secondarie which is the honour worship and service due unto Parents Kings and Magistrates as Gods Deputies and Lieutenants Prescribed Commandement 5. which I shall fully demonstrate in the next Chapter to be a Precept of the former Table of the Morall Law and that Kings and Parents in that capacity as Kings and Parents doe relate unto their children and Subjects as Gods and not as Neighbour 2. Containes the duty of man towards his neighbour and consists in a love inferiour unto the love of our selves And is twofold 1. Externall which consists in the performance of externall offices of love and restraint of externall injuries to our neighbour 1. In his owne person Commandement 6. 2. In his second selfe Commandement 7. 3. In his god's Commandement 8. 4. In his good name Commandement 9. 2. Internall consisting in the inward inclination and desire to perform these duties and in the restraint of all inward motions to the sinnes prohibited in these precepts Commandement 10. 2. Evangelicall which is the duty of man quà homo Christianus And is expressed in the Gospel or Law of Christ Which duty is twofold 1. Meerly Evangelicall which consists in the right use of Evangelicall and supernaturall blessings conferred upon particular men for the advancement of the Gospell of Christ as the power of working miracles of prophecying and the like mentioned by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 12. 2. Mixtly Evangelicall which consists in the right use of those naturall blessings which enable men for the performance of the law of nature And therefore these mixtly Evangelicall duties are the same in substance as I shewed before with naturall duties and are differenced after the same manner and regulated by the same precepts of the Moral Law but the difference consists as to our present purpose in the Object and terminus ad quem whereunto these Evangelicall duties do referre which is Christ the Redeemer whereas naturall duties do relate unto God the Creatour both as their object and erd Now from these premises I shall returne a direct answer to the Quaere concerning the extent and limitation of Regall power in three briefe Theses or Corollaries shewing 1. What are omnimodò Regalia 2. What are partìm Regalia and partim extra-regalia 3. What are omnimodò extra-regalia Onely by the way I shall premise another briefe praecognitum to facilitate the understanding of these ensuing Corollaries Note viz. That in regard the opinions of Heathens Jewes and Christians doe generally concenter in the due extent and limitation of Regall power in order to the duties of the second Table my present discourse shall onely referre unto the duties of the first Table of the Morall Law for two reasons 1. Because the people are most subject to offend in these duties and that two wayes 1. Through errour because these duties do most transcend their naturall reason 2. Through zeale because they conceive these duties most neerly to concerne their eternall and spirituall happinesse and welfare 2. Because Kings and Magistrates are or at least wise ought to be most diligent in the reformation and punishment of offences which immediately concerne God and Religion because the promotion of Gods honour worship and service is the principall part of the office and calling of Kings and Magistrates the direction of whose precipitate zeale in this point is the absolute designe of this Chapter The first Thesis declaring what are omnimodò Regalia is this Thesis 1. All Externall duties prescribed in the foure last precepts of the first Table of the Morall Law are directly and properly of Politicall Cognizance so that the King may lawfully exercise his Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes for direction of honour worship and service both to God and himselfe and that concerning both publike and private acts of honour and worship whether of the body or of the tongue and here the disposall and ordering of our estates i. e. the bona fortunae as well as bona corporis must be presupposed to be directly of the same cognizance and to pertaine to the same power For Solomon commands to honour the Lord with our substance Prov. 3.9 and God ordained parents and Kings to be his instruments in the impartment of these outward blessings of fortune as well as the blessings of the
body unto their children and subjects and therefore it is lawfull for them to command in the one as well as the other in order to all outward duties And in whatsoever he may lawfully exercise his Legislative power in the same he may likewise exercise his Judiciary for that is the life of the Law which without execution is but a dead letter like a man without a soule I shall not need to insist upon the confirmation of this Corollarie because I presume the grounds already premised in the former part of this Chapter may be sufficient to warrant this conclusion And besides the profest designe of this Chapter is not so much the extent as the limitation of the Kings power in order to Evangelicall duties which are extra-regalia and Metapoliticall matters whereof wee shall speake in the two following Theses Thesis 2. The second Thesis which declares what are partì Regalia and partìm extra-regalia relates to matters of Evangelicall worship Government and Discipline which is this No Evangelicall ceremonies or formes of worship nor any Ecclesiasticall Government or Discipline which relateth unto Christ is directly and per se of Politicall Cognizance but onely indirectly and per accidens And therefore the King cannot lawfully enact any Lawes or Statutes concerning these matters which shall be generally obligatory unto all persons within his Dominions but onely unto such persons whom God hath enlightned by his spirit and thereby satisfied their consciences of the lawfulnesse and Religion of such Worship Government and Discipline The Reasons are two The first whereof is fully declared in the former part of this Chapter demonstrating all Ceremonies which relate unto Christ and are any wayes significative either of his person his offices or acts of mediation to be supernaturall matters and therefore such wherein the light of nature cannot be a sufficient guide so that they cannot be ranged amongst the Essentials but onely the Contingentials of Politick Government The second Reason is because conscience is the onely law and rule whereby the merits of these duties are to be judged as Saint Paul declareth Rom. 14. last where speaking of Evangelicall Priviledges and Ceremonies he enjoyneth the dictates of conscience to be observed under no lesse sanction then damnation to him that disobeyeth of which doctrine his owne practice concerning the Sacrament of Circumcision is a manifest confirmation for though he caused Timothy to be circumcised because of the Jewes who were perswaded that none who contemned that Ceremony were members of the true Church or fit for their association Acts 16.3 yet he would not permit Titus to be circumcised because the Grecians should be satisfied that he did not esteeme these Ceremonies so essentiall to life and salvation that they ought to be obtruded upon those whose consciences were not satisfied concerning the same Gal. 2.3 And you may observe Acts 15. that when the Apostles consulted of sending decrees concerning the observation of Ceremonies to the Gentiles upon whom the Jewes would have obtruded the observation of Circumcision as necessary to salvation they were carefull to enjoyne neither Circumcision nor any other Ceremony but such as those of the Religion whereof the Gentiles were formerly satisfied in their consciences And therefore if the Magistrate shall by any Law or Statute compell men to practise those Ceremonies or Formes of worship concerning the Religion and lawfulnesse whereof they are not satisfied in their consciences hee doth compell them to sinne and thereby render himselfe guilty of that damnation which Paul affirmeth to be the merits of all injuries done to the conscience Ob. All the godly Kings of Judah as David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat Joash Hezekiah and Josiah did impose the observation and practise of the Jewish sacraments and other Evangelicall formes of worship upon the whole nation of the Jewes and also punish the neglect thereof and therefore Kings may lawfully exercise their power in these matters over all subjects within their Dominions Sol. God had revealed and expresly enjoyned the use of these Sacraments and set Formes of Worship Government and Discipline unto the whole nation of the Jewes and therefore the Jewes were obliged thereunto not by the Lawes of the King but by the immediate law of God within whose cognizance both these Evangelicall ceremonies and conscience it selfe also the Judge of all these doth directly fall over which God onely and not the King is Judge so that when these Kings did exercise their Judiciary power concerning these Jewish rites it was onely in pursuance of the law of God which made these duties generally obligatory unto that Nation But it was not lawfull for those Kings to force the practice and observance of these duties upon any other people though they lived within their Dominions nor doe we finde in Scripture that any of these godly Kings did force the Gibeonites who were their subjects but no Israelites either to be circumcised or to eat the Passeover or observe any other Jewish Rites Onely indeed if any stranger became a Proselyte and so a professour of that Religion not by constraint but of their owne voluntary inclination and desire then it was lawfull for the Magistrate to force such to observe the Jewish Ceremonies Exod. 12.48 because then the neglect thereof was an act of profanenesse in such as well as in the Jewes which is directly of Politicall Cognizance and pertaines to the Magistrate both to judge and punish But in regard the inward satisfaction of conscience concerning these Evangelicall Formes of Worship Government and Discipline is that alone which doth naturalize these supernaturall duties and thereby quarter them in praedicamento Regalium and transforme them into matters of Politicall Cognizance And the inward dissatisfaction of conscience that which impedeth their naturalization and the removall of their quarters de praedicamento extra-regalium the proper sphere of all Metapoliticall matters which inward qualification of conscience is properly a point of faith and so a duty of the first Commandement of the Morall law for till we be so fully satisfied concerning the Religion of these Evangelicall Ceremonies and Formes of Worship that the practise thereof may proceed from faith neither can wee adventure upon the voluntary practise thereof or the Magistrate enforce the same upon us without the incurment of the guilt of damnation to both I shall therefore referre the more punctuall discussion of this point unto the next Thesis which concernes the omnimodò extra-regalia whereunto it doth more properly appertaine The third Thesis declares what are omnimodò extra-regalia Thesis 3. And this relates to Internall duties and matters of Evangelicall faith and doctrine which is this No internall duties prescribed in the first Commandement of the Morall Law doe either directly or indirectly fall within the sphere of Politicall cognizance so that the King cannot lawfully exercise either his Legislative or Judiciarie power in matters of faith and doctrine nor by any positive Lawes and Statutes determine what points shall
be Orthodox and what Hereticall neither may he under the sanction of any personall or pecuniarie mulct or penalty enjoyne his Subjects to professe and sweare such Creeds and Articles of Faith and Religion as those Lawes shall make Orthodox or by virtue of those Lawes punish any of his Subjects who out of conscience doe professe themselves of another different Faith and Religion The Reasons for confirmation hereof are three The first whereof appeares partly in the premises declaring no humane power or authority to extend unto the acts of the soule because the soule doth derive its being immediately from God himselfe and not from our parents Ob. Saint Paul exhorteth not every body but every soule to be subject to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 thereby importing the Kings power to extend unto the acts of the soule as well as the acts of the body so that not onely the Externall but also the Internall duties of the Morall Law must come within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance Sol. That exhortation of Pauls is not directed unto Kings but unto Subjects and therefore doth not relate unto the Kings power but unto the Subjects obedience For though the King cannot judge the acts of the soule or punish the thoughts of the heart how unjust impious or Atheisticall soever yet doth not that priviledge the Subjects to performe their acts of obedience out of hypocrisie and dissimulation and with eye-service as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 6.6 And not out of sincerity and singlenesse of heart for wrath and not for conscience sake The Reason is because this duty of obedience and subjection to Kings is not meerly a service to Kings but principally to God himselfe whose person the King doth represent who seeth and judgeth the secrets of our soules and measureth the merits of our duty not by our outward worke but by our inward faith and love And therefore though the Kings power cannot yet our obedience must be extended even to the acts of the soule that it may be an acceptable sacrifice to God as well as the King but this doth not authorize the King to exercise his power over the acts of the soule The second Reason is grounded upon Christs ordinance for the plantation and promulgation of the Gospell and faith of Christ Marke 16.15 Goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospell This is all the commission which the Apostles had and which other Ministers still have for the conversion of men to the Faith and Religion of Christ And yet they were sent to convert the Gentiles a people who neither understood or beleeved any thing at all either of Christ or Scripture or any principles of that Faith and Religion nor were any way inclined to seeke after such knowledge It 's true indeed that Christ endowed his Apostles with a power farre beyond the power of Magistrates for it was a power to worke miracles but that was not for the punishment or destruction of any but for the benefit and preservation of all such upon whom they were shewed which was a fit meanes to perswade and convince their understandings but wee never read that Christ did delegate any Legislative or Judiciarie power unto his Apostles to punish any mis-beleevers or enforce the profession of those truths and points of faith which they could not perswade nay indeed he peremptorily inhibited them the affectation of any such power Mat. 20.25 whereupon Saint Peter chargeth Presbyters not to demeane themselves in the execution of their office as lords over Gods heritage And yet it is the duty of Ministers and not of Magistrates to reforme errours in matters of Faith and Doctrine for we doe not read that ever Christ gave any rule or command to Kings or Magistrates to plant or propagate his Faith and Gospell and therefore in relation to these duties the Ministers and not the Magistrates are stiled Fathers because it is the duty and office of Ministers and not of Magistrates to beget men in Christ Jesus through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 Ob. Esay prophecying of the flourishing estate of Christs Church among the Gentiles under the Gospell reciteth this for a speciall meanes of the encrease thereof that Kings shall be the nursing fathers and Queenes the nursing mothers of the Church in those dayes Esay 49.23 whose office it is by power to compell and not by preaching to perswade men to forsake the errour of their wayes And therefore Kings being fathers to the Church of Christ may execute the duties of their calling over the members thereof and by consequence may exercise both their Legislative and Judiciarie power in matters of Christian Faith and Doctrine which is that which constitutes men members of this Church and gives the nomen esse to a Christian quà talis Sol. The attribute which this Text giveth unto Kings doth admirably expresse the duty of Christian Kings towards their Subjects in reference to their Christian and spirituall vocation and profession For Kings are not here simply stiled fathers as in other places of Scripture which relate directly to their power and soveraignty over their Subjects but with the addition of this Epithet of Nursing they shall be saith the Text Nursing fathers now a Nurse you know doth not beget a child but onely protect and nourish it after it is both begotten and borne And such a power indeed a Christian King may and ought to exercise over his Subjects that is after they are begotten and borne children of the Faith and Church of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell he both may and ought to use his power to protect them from the wolvish enemies of Christs Church and to nourish them by gracious expresses of his Royall favour But I cannot finde any warrant for the King in that Text to enact any Lawes or Statutes to compell men of another Faith and Religion to become such as himselfe or to punish them that will not nor can I beleeve it to be any part of his commission or calling Repl. It may be replied against this first That such a liberty for every man to professe and beleeve what his owne phantasie doth suggest and judge Orthodox in such high and sacred mysteries will fill the Church with absurd and blasphemous errours and heresies and by consequence the Common-wealth with distractions and divisions For it is a probatum of daily experience that when the people are madded and instigated by mad Sheba's and Sectaries they will adventure upon any mischiefe sparing neither Scepter nor Mitre Ephod nor Diadom fancying the cause to be Gods and that themselves doe God good service when they rage against his Anointed and kill his Prophets with the sword in the furious pursuit of their fanaticke opinions And therefore there is a necessity that Kings should exercise their power to settle an Uniformity in matters of Faith and Doctrine because the peace and unity and preservation of the Common-wealth doth so directly depend thereupon Secondly The Primitive Church hath
worship left unto the discretion of the Church Now the Papists presuming their Church to be both the true Church and infallible and that also by warrant of Scripture as they suppose it cannot be imagined that they can possibly understand or beleeve those formes of worship which they practise by the direction of their Church to be Idolatrous and therefore their errours in this kind deserve rather to be the object of our pity then our wrath Much more is requisite to complete this discourse concerning the limitation of the Kings power in order to these extra-regalia and Metapoliticall matters and more particularly concerning the limitation thereof in order to the calling and office of Ministers which is not subordinate but of a different degree and nature from the office of Kings both of them being the Anointed of God and neither of them depending directly and properly upon the other but onely in ordine ad aliquem tertium viz. God unto whom they both are servants and from whom immediately they doe both receive their commissions and neither of them from other For as the King hath no father or superiour but God himselfe in his Politick and sacred capacity as we have already demonstrated so neither hath the Minister in his Ecclesiasticall and sacred capacity as Christ himselfe declareth Mat. 23.9 And therefore though the Apostles both taught and practised obedience to Magistrates in all matters of Politicall Cognizance wherein it was lawfull for the Magistrate to command yet did Peter and John refuse to obey the commands of the Jewish Rulers in matters which immediately related to their office and calling Acts 4.20 and so did other of the Apostles also Acts 5.29 For surely if Ministers were obliged to obey the Magistrates in the execution of the duties of their calling the Gospell of Christ had never attained unto such a degree of perfection and maturity nor Christianity ever taken root in the world especially amongst the Jewes for the two prementioned Chapters of Acts 4. and 5. and many other Texts in the Acts doe sufficiently manifest by what strict lawes and commands the Jewish Rulers and Magistrates interdicted the publication thereof But the accurate discussion of this point concerning the Kings power over Ministers in reference to their persons estates and callings would swell this Chapter into a larger volume then was designed for the whole Treatise And therefore I will conclude this Chapter with a cautionary supplication to the Reader concerning the premises thereof which is that my expresses therein pleading the exemption of conscience from all secular power in reference first to matters of Faith and Doctrine which are neither directly nor indirectly of Politicall Cognizance Secondly to matters of Evangelicall Worship Government and Discipline which are onely indirectly and ex accidenti of Politicall Cognizance may not be so understood as if thereby I should intend to make the pretence either of conscience or of an Ecclesiasticall calling to be a sufficient warrant to authorize the resistance of Secular power by any Subject whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill For as the Kings commands in Metapoliticall matters whereunto his Commission doth not extend doe render him guilty of sacrilegious intrusion upon the sacred prerogatives of God so the Subjects resistance and deniall of a passive obedience though even in those Metapoliticall mattees doe render them guilty of a sacrilegious intrusion upon the sacred Prerogatives of the King to whom God hath delegated an absolute and unlimited power over both our estates and persons in resistance whereof we become guilty of rebellion both against God and the King as the next Chapter will more fully manifest speaking the due extension of the Subjects obedience CHAP. XI Of the due extension of the Subjects obedience THe ninth Chapter presented the Reader with two proposals concerning the ends of Monarchy The first whereof concerned their nature the explication whereof was the errand both of that and the tenth Chapter The second concerneth their order in the discussion whereof our principall designe is to declare in this present Chapter the due extension of the Subjects obedience and that it is their duty to preferre the Kings honour before their owne welfare in all matters of Politicall Cognizance You may remember that in that ninth Chapter I distinguished the adaequate end of Monarchy into principalem minus principalem The principall end is either primus which is Gods Glory or à primo ortus which is the Kings Honour The lesse principall end is salus populi Now concerning these three ends of Monarchy we must observe that they are not coordinate but subordinate and ought all of them to have an influence upon every Monarchicall action whether it proceed from Monarchs or Monarchists amongst which three the first and principall is the Glory of God which both parties ought principally to look upon in all their relative actions whether of power or obedience for that is the finall cause for which God ordained the King to rule and governe and the people to be ruled and governed So that the degrees of order and subordination amongst these three ends of Monarchy in reference to the duties both of King and people stands thus 1. The King ought to consult and endeavour by way of power the peoples safety in order to his owne Honour and to endeavour both his owne Honour and the peoples safety in order to the Glory of God 2. The people ought to endeavour by way of obedience and submission their owne safety in order to the Kings Honour and to endeavour both the Kings Honour and their own safety in order to the Glory of God Now because the true understanding of this order and distinction of degrees amongst these ends doth much conduce to the right understanding of the Subjects duty I shall endeavour to manifest this subordination by proposing 1. The most materiall Objections and Arguments which seeme to disprove it 2. The most materiall Grounds and Reasons which doe confirme it 3. By framing Resolutions upon these grounds to those Objections Indeed the preheminence of the first of these ends which is Gods Glory is not a point disputable amongst Christians But whether the Kings Honour may justly claime the second place and ought to be preferred before the peoples safety in all Monarchicall actions is not so unanimously agreed upon for though many beleeve that the Monarch may observe this method in his owne actions yet that the people both may and ought to preferre their owne safety before the Kings Honour is an opinion that hath not wanted store of Patrons in these times And the principall Arguments whereupon they ground the same are three Argum. 1 The first is grounded upon the Law of Nature which is never repugnant but subordinate and conformable unto the Law of God and indeed properly a part of Gods Law For the will of God which is the very adaequate Law of God doth receive diverse denominations from the diverse limitations of the
Charles par la grace de Dieu Roy de la grande Bretaigne P. Stâ—nt excudit THE DIVINE RIGHT OF GOVERNMENT 1. NATURALL AND 2. POLITIQUE More Particularly of Monarchie the onely Legitimate and Natural spece of Politique Government VVherein the Phansyed State-Principles Supereminencing salutem populi above the KINGS Honour And Legitimating the Erection of Polarchies The popular elections of Kings and Magistrates And the Authoritative and compulsive establishment of a National conformity in Evangelical and Christian dutyes Rites and Ceremonies Are manifested to be groundlesse Absurdities both in Policy and Divinity By MICH HUDSON 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 22.21 And Paul said I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day Act. 23.1 But this I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God Act. 24.14.16 Printed in the year 1647. To his most Sacred Majesty Charles by the grace of God King of Great BRITTAINE France and Ireland defendor of the Faith c. Most Gratious and dread Soveraign WHen I behold the prodigious preposture and confusion which reigneth in your Majesties Dominions where servants ride on horse-back and Princes walk on foot where subjects are clavered up into the Kings Throne and the King debased below the condition of a free-born subject me thinks the wisdome and goodnesse of God whose castigations of his children are his ordinary Heraulds to proclaime his Commands of Reformation doth by these sacrilegious usurpations upon your Majestyes Sacred Prerogatives which have produced these National calamities wherein your Majesty is the principal sufferer Intimate a National guilt of the like usurpation upon the more Sacred Prerogatives of God wherein your Majesty to whom God hath delegated the Supream Authority hath been in a Legal construction the principal actor and that God hath permitted your Majestyes subjects to possesse themselves of your Throne and act as Kings in those things whereunto no King did ever by any Commission Authorize a subject because Your Majesty hath formerly possessed your self of Gods Throne and acted as a God in those things whereunto God did never by any Commission Authorize a King Pardon I beseech Your Majesty my audacious and rude expressions extorted from my pen by the Nature of the matter charging the guilt upon Your most Sacred Majesty of a Crime whereof I dare be deposed Your Majesty was never any way conscious For the most Sacrilegious Champions of these times have experimented Your conscientious resolutions to be so compleatly postur'd in the Militia of Sanctity and Religion that neither their fiercest assaults nor subtillest temptations could ever make them accessory to the least thought of alienating those things which Your Majesty did believe to be made Sacred only by the Temporary dedication of men which is an obvious and evident Demonstration to the world how horrid and abominable the very thought of a Sacrilegious Intrusion would be to Your Majesty if rightly understood upon those Divine prerogatives which were made Sacred by Gods own institution from the foundation of the world And that therefore Your Majestyes Aberrations in this kind have been Circumstantiated with no lesse innocency of soul no lesse zeal to the glory of God the prosperity of his Church and the Spiritual welfare of his and Your people then the Resolutions of David were for building the Temple or of Uzzah for saving the Ark of God So that I cannot but expect these unexpected expressions to breed an amazement in Your Majesty for prevention whereof I shal in plain termes declare what I understand this Sacriledge to be And that is All usurpation of Power over conscience in the enactment of Lawes and Statutes for the Regulation thereof in matters which are not of Political cognisance And under the sanction of Personal or Pecuniary mulcts to enjoyn a National conformity in confession of Evangelical and Christian Faith and in Evangelical and Christian forms of worship Government and Discipline Which were neither dutyes nor indeed things in rerum Natura when Politique Government did first receive it's Institution from God and therefore cannot be directly of Politique cognizance nor any fundamentall or Essential part of the object of Politique Government as the tenth Chapter of the second Book doth more clearly manifest The design of which Chapter being the due limitation of the Kings Power in ordine ad extra Regalia Metapolitica And of the subsequent Chapter being the due extension of the subjects obedience in ordine ad Regalia Politica were the principal Inducements that gave life unto this present discourse and is indeed a service whereunto I do acknowledge my self able to bring more zeal and good affection then any other abilities yet I could not chuse but like Balaams Asse Imploy the utmost of my pore endeavours to secure both my Master and his subjects from the fierce wrath of that angry Angel which me thought I saw standing in the way with a drawne sword in his hand ready to take vengeance for both their sacrilegious exorbitances And thereupon resolved rather to hazard the crushing of my Masters foot against the wall of worldly reputation by an humble and dutiful representation of his errour which I knew to be committed in the Innocency of his soul then by an undutiful silence or palliation thereof to prompt or permit him quantum in me to gallop on into mischiefes in my apprehension destructive both to his temporal and Spiritual welfare Sr God is my record I do not plead this exemption of Conscience from the Iurisdiction of Regal Power for mine own sake out of any designe that I have thereout to suck the least advantage unto my self either by gaining a toleration to professe or act contrary to any Law Statute or Ecclesiastical Canon enjoyning a conformity in these Evangelical duties For I do acknowledge mine own conscience so fully satisfyed concerning the Orthodoxnesse of the Faith professed the Religion of the formes of worship practised the warrantablenesse of the Ecclesiastical Government established and the Comodiousnesse of the Ecclesiastical Discipline exercised in the Church of England as to my self and all others of my perswasion in the Reign of queen Elizabeth Your Royal Father and Your Sacred self til these late years of frenzie that mine own Conscience would witnesse all such designes in me to be designes for gaining a toleration not to be Conscientiously devout and pious but onely to be unconcionably profane licentious and Atheistical Or yet by engratiating my self with any of the Spurious Grandees of these times who now soare aloft in the highest Region of Pomp and Magnificence through a supportment from those feathers which they have with Sacrilegious hands pluck't from your Majesties wings And like ambitious Icarus have Artificially cemented and fastened the same unto
the title of Conquest in it self is neither lawful nor warrantable nor cannot create a just and lawful title to a Crown but onely in such cases where it is legitimated either à Priori by an Immediate warrant and Command from God or else à Posteriori by the extinction of the issue Royall Chap. 8. 3. Theologicall as it relateth to the end of Monarchie which qualifieth all Monarchicall duties both in King subjects in which sense it is the subject of the four last Chapters of this second book 1 wherein is shewed 1. The nature and species of the end of Monarchie and what is meant by God and the Kings honour which is the principall end of Monarchie and what by Salus populi which is the lesse principâ—ll And wherein these ends do consist Chap. 9. 2. The duty of Kings in the due limitation of their power in Ordine ad extra Regalia Metapolitica Chap. 10. 3. The duty of subjects in the due extension of their obedience in Ordine ad Regalia Politica Chap. â—â— 4. What influence oathes and Covenants may or ought to have upon the mutuall and Monarchicall dutyes either of King or subject Chap. â—â— The Scope and Substance of the whole TREATISE ALl Authors whose judgements and intentions have fitted their pens for the communication of a compleate and grounded knowledge of the subject of their Treatise unto the apprehension of their Reader have endeavoured to frame their discourses in that method which deduceth things from their Originall causes grounds and principles the right understanding whereof hath by the approbation of the most judicious Writers of all sorts and in all ages been constantly applauded for the most profitable guide and introduction to the right understanding of the matter principally intended to be insisted upon in the sequel of their discourse My purpose therefore being in pursuance of that duty service and affection wherein by the law both of God and nature I stand obliged unto my King and Countrey to present them with an Idea of that unparallel'd policy which the providence of God and the prudence of our Ancestors hath established and continued for many ages together in this kingdome to the unspeakeable comfort benefit and happines of all those who live under the protection thereof if they were truely sensible of the abundant manifestation of Gods mercies towards them in the establishment and perpetuation of Monarchiall Government in this nation being the onely policie honoured with Divine institution and many other sacred sanctions whereof no sort of Polarchie whatsoever is capable all Polarchies being onely corruptions and opposite curses and privations of the blessing of Monarchie and the fruites of Divine malediction for sinne as I shall demonstrate in the sequel of this discourse and that also of such a Monarchie as is grounded upon Hereditary succession the onely ordinary title to soveraignty and Royall power whose justice and Legality is warranted by Divine Ordinance Conquest in its best attire being the most eminent of curses and all popular elections most Sacrilegious sinnes as the latter book of this treatise will fully manifest I shall endeavour in imitation of the most judicious Authors to facilitate the right understanding of the Divine Right of Monarchie by observing this Method in my ensuing discourse 1. To lay the foundation and Basis thereof in a briefe explication of the nature and Species of Jus Divinum which I shall premise for an introduction to this treatise 2. To proceed in the superstructure by declaring the Divine Right of Order and Government in generall together with the severall kindes thereof as it hath its effects in all the three species of the creatures of God compleating the immediate composure of the vniverse whereof the first sort are Celestiall as Angels the second intellectual as men the third meerly natural as al other inferiour creatures whose actions and motions are framed and ordered meerly by the Law and light of Nature First in their Generall Relation to God their Creator Secondly in the specificall relations of the different kindes of creatures to one another and thirdly to the mutuall Relations of the particulars of each of these three species among themselves which shall be the work of the former book of this treatise 3. To finish and consummate the work by manifesting the Divine Right of Monarchie which is the onely policie or humane Government warrantable by God and Nature First in its Originall and Efficient Secondly in its Form and Essencie Thirdly in its ground and matter And Fourthly in its end and use which shall be the businesse of the latter booke of this Treatise An Introduction to the Treatise declaring the Nature and Species of Jus Divinum IN regard the Divininy or Divine right of Government and particularlie of Monarchie is the principall scope and intendment of this Book It will be requisite in the first place to premise a description and series of the Nature and species of Jus Divinum to the intent the Reader may more perfectly understand what this Jus Divinum meaneth and thereby the better judge what sort of Jus Divinum may justly and properlie challenge a place in each sort of Government and particularlie in Monarchie Jus or Right is that which is conformable unto and warrantable by some Law And Jus Divinum or Divine Right is that which is conformable unto and warrantable by some Divine Law The Generall and Vniversall Divine Law is the will of God Which is the Generall Vniversall cause of all things that have or ever shall have a being both in their esse and their modo essendi Whether it be happy or miserable so that there is nothing exempted be it good or bad from the participation of some kind of Jus Divinum because the will of God which is the onely ground of a Jus Divinum doth extend unto every entitie both in its being and manner of being And therefore to guide the Readers apprehension in a more Methodicall path unto that Jus Divinum which properly claimeth a place in Monarchie I shall endeavour the Investigation thereof through all the severall degrees of entities that also in all their severall states and conditions relating to Order and Government till I come to that Jus divinum from which this naturall blessing of Monarchie doth derive its Divine Sanction and the opposite Curse of Polarchie its Divine Malediction Divis Gen. beginning at the first and generall division of Jus Divinum in Jus Divinum Absolutum Relativum Absolute Divine right is that which is grounded upon the eternall will of God concerning himselfe considered in his absolute and abstract capacity as he was before all worlds without relation to any creature as a subject object or instrument of his glory either in its Creation or Government in which sense it is the very Essence of God for in God the Law which guideth the light which sheweth the right which emanateth and the Object
Derivative Divine Right is that which is grounded upon the will of God concerning the Manifestation of his Native grace and favour in the preservation of the creature in its native and happy state of being by the mediate Subordinate and Instrumentall agencie of the more excellent kind of creatures in the Government and Regulation of the externall Actions and Motions of such of their fellow creatures as it pleased God to make inferiour unto them in perfection and excellencie By vertue of which Jus Divinum Angels were invested with a power and authority over all their fellow creatures the Intellectuall Agents or men over all naturall Agents which were naturallie subordinate and subject both to men and Angels And these were the native and Divine Degrees and Orders observed in the Government of the world at the first creation wherein the Lord himself was the King and Generalissimo Angels whose Superlative perfections did constitute them in the highest degree and rank of creatures were as the great Councell and Nobility of this King and Gods imediate Captaine Lieutenants in this great Armie of creatures Men whose perfections were of a middle rank and degree were as the inferiour Magistrates and gentry of this great King and the subordinate officers in this great Army of creatures And naturall Agents whose mean and low condition and quality made them Incapable of any interest in the active part of Government or of any power and command in Relation to the two former sorts of creatures were as the yeomanrie of this great King and the body of this great Army of creatures And therefore in all their externall Actions and Motions were subject and subordinate to the Orders and Commands first of God secondly of Angels thirdly of men But this Jus Divinum by vertue whereof these admirable degrees of Order and Government were observed amongst the creatures was but of a short continuance as to the greatest part thereof for Beelzebub and his confederates presently renounced their Alleagance to their King and Generall and by their subtilties seduced all mankind from their duty and Obedience whereby all of them became guiltie of high treason and forfeited their Native and Originall Right and interest in all the prerogatives and blessings which they held in Capite of this great King and in all that power and authority wherewith they were invested by Commission from this Generalissimo Whereupon the second sort of Jus Divinum Nativum obtained a place in the Government of these Apostate Angels and men and all the naturall Agents which were created for the use and service of men viz. Jus Divinum Vindicativum 2. Vindicative Divine Right is that which is grounded upon the will of God concerning the Manifestation of his justice and equity in the preservation of the creature in that adventitious state of miserie whereinto it is elapsed by its voluntarie and ungratefull transgression of that Divine Law for the performance whereof he had enabled them in their native investiture with those Divine graces blessings which were requisite thereunto Which misery of the creature doth consist in the just and due punishment inflicted by God for its most unjust and undue disloyaltie and Rebellion Which punishment is twofold Spirituall and Personall 1 The Spirituall punishment is the Generall disenablement of the creature for the performance of its native duty to its Creator by the Generall devestment of the creature of all its native graces and blessings in place whereof doth succeed the opposite and unnaturall curses and privations which dispose the creature to all manner of unnaturall wickednesse and rebellion against God And this spirituall punishment in Devils is the Vniversall depravitie of their wils whereby their native transcendent love of God is transmuted into the like proportion of hatred of God and their transcendent zeal to immitate God in doing good to the like zeal to oppose God in doing evill And in men this speciall punishment is the Vniversall obscurity of their understandings and the Vniversall depravitie of their wils Quaere It may be demanded why God should punish the Apostasie of man both in his will and understanding and the Devils onely in his will Sol. That understanding and knowledge which the Devill still retaineth in its native perfection is not left him by God for a blessing but a curse to aggravate his guilt in sinning against the cleare light of his Conscience in so perfectly hating that God whose goodnesse he so perfectly knowes and so obstinately acting that evill which he knowes to be opposite to that goodnesse Whereby he contracts a greater guilt upon himselfe then man doth in his disobedience who though he sinne wilâ— llâ—â— yet he sinnes partly Ignoâ—antlie in this state of Apostasie And therefore as the Malignanâ—y both of his Originall and Actuall sinnes are lesse then the Devils in regard the Devils Originall sinnes did proceed immediately from his own wil and mans partly from the Devils temptation And the Devils Actuall sinnes of perfect knowledge and so are directly sinnes against the holy Ghost but mans partly of Ignorance so shall mans judgement and condemnation be lesse severe and rigorous then the Devils 2. Personall punishment is the torment and execution whereof the creature is made sensible for the just punishment both of its Originall and Actuall delinquencies And this consists of two parts viz a positive and a primitive part The positive part is the paena sensus so frequently inculcated by the Schol-men for though spirits as Devils and damned soules cannot be sensible of paines in that manner as bodies are yet doubtlesse they shall be truly sensible of paines and torments of a higher nature in that eternall fire of Hell prepared for the Devill and his Angels The primitive part is the paena Damni which is the sense of the losse and privation of those joyes and comforts whereof they participated in their native state of Innocencie And this is that Jus Divinum which still hath retained a place in the Government of the Apostate Angels since the first instant of their disloyalty and Rebellion and shall for ever continue the same place to their everlasting woe and misery Wherein man had likewise deservedly participated if the wisdome of God out of the aboundance of his Grace and mercy towards man had not erected a new Jus Divinum purposely to anticipate the wrath and vengeance due to man for his disobedience and to redeeme him from Hell and damnation And this is Jus Divinum Redemptivum 2. Redemptive Divine Right is that which is grounded upon the will of God concerning the manifestation of his mercy in the preservation of Man-kind together with the creatures made for his use not in his native state of happinesse nor in his Apostate state of misery but in a new estate of Grace and mercy whereunto he is advanced by the mediation of Christ and thereby re-invested with a capacity of all those blessings and graces which he enjoyed in his state
ruling and ordering the Extrinsecall actions and motions of the creature sometimes doing it in an extraordinary and miraculous manner sometimes onely in a common and ordinary is distinguished into these two species 1. Miraculous and Extraordinary Regiment 2. Common and Ordinary 1. Miraculous Regiment is the exercise and Administration of Power and Authority over the Externall motions and actions of the Creature after an extraordinary and miraculous manner Concerning which it is not difficult to determine in whom the propriety of interest and Title remaineth For even the Magitians of Egypt themselves although they used their utmost endeavour before Pharaoh to advance the reputation of their Magicall art and power derived from the Devill and to make that power whereby the Devill wrought in them seem as great and miraculous as that power whereby God wrought in Moses yet did they at length acknowledge Moses his miracles to be wrought by the finger of God and to exceed their own and all other created power whatsoever Ex. 8.18 For all these seeming miracles which are done by Magitians and Witches through the Devils assistance are but meer fantasies and delusions and are either nothing at al in reality or at least-wise nothing such as they seem to be For though the Devil be conscious of the limitation of his own power by God and of his own Inability to do any thing exceeding the limits of Art and Nature yet hath it alwaies been the Devils greatest ambition to work an opinion in man of his own Omnipotency and in that particular to share with God in his glory And therefore the Devil is more Gods Ape in this kind of Government and more diligent and solicitous to Imitate God in his miraculous works then in any other And whereas the object of Gods miraculous power is either substances or quantities or qualities which three indeed comprehend all things which have absolute being and existence for all those relative Entities which are placed in the other seven predicaments are but onely circumstantial superadditaments grounded upon one of these three in every one of which we find by the Records of Scripture that God hath exercised his power after a miraculous and extraordinary manner 1. In substances and that either by a miraculous creation as in the several sorts of noxious creatures which God produced upon a suddain for the plaguing of Pharaoh and the Egyptians Exod. Ch. 8.9 and 10. And the Manna and Quailes which fell amongst the tents of the Israelites Exo. 16. and those Pillars of fire and cloud which conducted the Israelites in their way both by day and night Exod. 14 or else by a miraculous Annihilation as in Elijahs sacrifice and the twelve stones upon which he offered it and the twelve barrels of water which he powred upon it 1. Kin. 18.38 or else by a miraculous transmutation as in the water of Egypt changed into blood Exod. 7. and in that water which Christ changed into wine Iohn 2. 2. In quantities and that either by a miraculous Augmentation as in the multiplication of the loaves and fishes Mat. Ch. 14. and 15. of the oyl and meal of the widdow of Sarepta by Elijah 1 Ki. 17. and of the oyl of the Prophets widdow by Elisha to pay her debts 2 Kin. 4. or else by a miraculous diminution as in reducing that over-plus and exuperancie of Manna unto the appointed measure of an Omer which some of the Israelites out of greedinesse had gathered farre exceeding that proportion Exo. 16.18 or else by a miraculous division as in dividing the Red sea for the passage of the Israelites Exo. 18. and the waters of Iordan for the passage of Elijah and the return of Elisha 2 Kin. 2. 3. In qualities by a miraculous alteration as in turning floods into wilderness and the wilderness again into a standing water making also a fruitfull land barren for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein Psa 107. In interrupting the course and stopping the motion of the Sunne and Moone Jos 10. In inverting the Suns usuall course causing the retrogradation of ten degrees 2 Kings 19. In Converting the rudeness and simplicity of the Apostles into a Superlative eloquence in variety of Languages and most profound knowledge in the mysteries of Salvation as their own writings testify In reunion of Soul and body and raising the dead to life as in the widdows sonne 1 Kings 17. The Shunamites sonne 2 Kings 4. and in Lazarus Iohn 11. Now although the Devils power really extend not to the production of the least of these miraculous effects unlesse it be by way of subordinate and Instrumentall Agency as the Prophets Apostles and other creatures have done and still may do when and where it pleaseth God for the promotion and advancement of his own glory to make use of their ministery and service to that purpose yet doth he by delusive vertue of his art dexterity those transcendant faculties wherewith God hath enriched his Angelicall nature wherein the Devill is not inferior to the persevering and Celestiall Angels endeavour to possesse men with an idolatrous opinion of his ability to effect the greatest whether it be in substances or in quantities or in qualities 1. In substances as in those phantasmes which he presents before witches and those which be in Covenant with him to satisfie their desires and wishes which he doth either by assuming the shape of such a Creature for that power the Devill hath though the form thereof be never so beautifull or Angelicall as when by the conspiration of the witch of Endor the Devill appeared unto Saul in the form of Samuel 1 Sam. 28. but such spectra's and apparitions are no reall bodies but onely appeare such to the sight as Christ himself proveth by that Argument which he alledgeth to satisfy the fears doubts of his Disciples concerning himself when they supposed him to have been a spirit Luk. 24.39 handle me and see saith he for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see mee have or else by entring actuating in the real body of some other corporeall Creature and so indeed the Devil may appeare in a true and real body as he did in the Serpent which deceived Eve Gen. 3. and thus he entred and moved and spoke in the dumb Idols which were the Oracles of the heathen And so he sometimes acts in the very bodies of dead or murdered men and women Which he doth not by way of information but of inlocation onely neither the Devill nor any created power is able to make one real body or any part thereof no not so much as one hair white or black for that Christ himself intimateth to be the very prerogative of God alone Mat. 5.36 2. In quantities as when the Devill maketh witches beleeve that he reduceth their bodies into the formes of such minute creatures as may pass through key holes like Bees or flies or other smal passages like Cats or Hares which is done
meer Natural cause viz Birth-right and hereditary succession and not from the peoples election or any other meanes i. e. justly and Legally for conquest is unlawful unlesse where it is Legitimated by Gods special warrants as I shall demonstrate in the eighth Chapter of this Book And this I purpose to be the errand of the three following Chapters 3. In the third and last place I shal speak of Monarchie in its Theologicall capacity as it relateth to those ends which qualifie al Monarchical actions concerning which I shal declare first their nature what the Monarchicall honour due to God the King is wherein both that honour and salus populi doth consist Secondly their due order and that the Kings honour is to have the preheminence above salus populi in all the Monarchicall actions both of King and subjects in the former of which I shall Intimate the duty of Kings in the due limitation of their Power in order to all Extra Regalia and Metapolitical matters and in the latter the duty of subjects in the due extension of their obedience in order to all matters within the sphere of Political cognizance The explication of which particulars shal be compleated in the four last Chapters of this Book The first point which my Method invites me to insist upon in this Chapter hath an influence upon all our ensuing discourse and that is the Jus Divinum Naturale which I mentioned in the Introduction to this Treatise but referred the more punctual explication thereof unto this place purposely thereby to usher the Readers apprehension into the more facile and perfect understanding of that Divine Right which is incident to Monarchie in all the prementioned Respects I shal not need to make a repetition here of the several divisions subdivisions of Jus Divinum specified in the Introduction for if the Reader please to reperuse the same there he may find to what species of Jus Divinum this Naturall Divine Right which doth claime a place in Monarchie properly appertaineth Which there he shall find to be a species of Jus Divinum gratiosum and thus described Naturall Divine Right is that which is grounded upon the will of God revealed in the Scriptures concerning those natural truths whereof Heathens and Christians are equally capable by nature onely the same are made more clearly known and Manifest unto Christians by Revelations of Scripture in those particulars which the Holy Ghost hath judged requisite to be communicated for the benefit of the Church then they can now in this Elapsed and Apostate condition be possibly known unto man by any natural meanes and helpes And this Jus Divinum Naturale is two-fold viz. Implicitum Explicitum 1. Implicite Divine Right is that which is grounded upon the will of God revealed in the Scriptures concerning natural blessings conferred upon us by God as pledges and expresses of his love to us which blessings are notified unto us in Scripture by clear and manifest intimation of the acceptability thereof unto God and Recommendations of the vtility thereof unto man Which sanction doth not make a thing absolutely and Essentially Divine and necessary excluding all humane option and prudence and not admitting of any case wherein the Conscience may dispence with the contrary without manifest guilt of sin But onely it makes it naturally and Religiously eligible and desirable of a meanes and help to the performance of those duties which are absolutely and Essentially Divine and necessary and those blessings which are capable of this recommendatorie sanction are the same whereof Adam in innocency did participate as natural helpes and meanes for the due performance of his duty unto God The curses or opposite privations of which blessings being the fruits and effects of that Divine Malediction which Adams prevarication and Apostasie contracted upon himself and his Posterity Now though every man be not obliged in conscience to have and enjoy these blessings in regard they are no proper and Immediate part of our duty unto God nor yet to eschew the opposite curses in regard they are not properly sinnes against God yet is every man obliged in conscience to desire and pray for these gifts and blessings and to attempt and endeavour the attainment of the same by all such lawful and warrantable wayes meanes as do not transgress any of Gods Precepts Commandment which do impose a sanction of a higher nature upon all such matters as are capable thereof so that those gifts and blessings are the proper and Immediate object of our natural desire and the Remote and Mediate object of Christian hope And therefore are included in a part of that Divine Orison composed by our Saviour himself for the Generall use of all Christians summarily comprehending the whole matter of all devotions In the fourth petition whereof we pray for these naturall gifts and blessings in that expression of daily bread And in like manner also every man is obliged in conscience to deprecate the curses which are the opposite privations of these blessings and to endeavour the avoidance thereof by all such lawfull and warrantable wayes and meanes as do not transgress any of Gods precepts and Commandments because in their own nature they are mala poenae that is curses and punishments for sinne and Impediments to the exact performance of those duties which are absolutely and Essentially Divine And therefore the last petition of the prementioned Orison deprecates these curses in this expression Deliver us from evill Now these natural blessings which participate of this Implicite Divine Right are of two sorts viz. Internall and Externall 1. Internall blessings are those which Aristotle termes bona animi And these again are of two sorts 1. Moral habits which are seated in the will 2. Intellectuall which are feated in the understanding The Intellectual habits are of two sorts 1. Speculative which are three viz. Sapientia Intelligentia Scientia 2. Practicall which are two viz. Ars prudentia Which habit of Prudence according to Aristotle is Recta ratio in agendis directing the disposition and guidance of humane affaires And this habit of Prudence is three-fold 1 Prudentia Ethica which directeth the Moral actions and matters of particular Persons 2. Prudentia Oeconomica which directeth the actions and matters of a particular family consisting of diverse Persons 3. Prudentia Politica which directeth the actions and matters of a publike society consisting of diverse families which kind of Prudence is termed in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 multus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse because Politick Government is the very esse and being of a multitude without which it cannot subsist And is the very form and Essence of Monarchie which ordereth and directeth the actions and matters of a publick society by the Prudence of one supream person Who for this cause is termed in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is the
capacity as it relates to the habit of prudence 2. In its Naturall capacity as it relates to the supremacy of Power 3. In its Theological capacity as it relates to those dutyes which are the end of Monarchie Concerning every one of which acceptions I shall exhibit a more particular explication in the subsequent Chapters of this Book Whereof the next four shal finish the discourse of Monarchie in its first acception the first whereof shal declare the several sanctions wherewith this blessing of Monarchie is honoured in the Scriptures from whence the Reader may receive satisfaction concerning the Divine Right of Monarchie in Reference to its Original and Efficient cause The second shal declare the Nature Original and grounds of Polarchie which is the opposite privation of this blessing of Monarchie the third shal declare the several Divine Maledictions Incident to the curse of Polarchie the fourth shal unscruple two material difficulties or cases of Conscience concerning Monarchie 1. How farre every man is obliged in conscience to endeavour the Reducement of a Polarchie to a Monarchie 2. Whether any man may lawfully salvà Conscientiâ endeavour the alteration of a Monarchie into a Polarchie CHAP. II. Of the six several sanctions whereof Monarchie doth participate AMongst all the Natural and common gifts and blessings of the Spirit I do not find any one honoured with greater variety of Implicite sanctions then this of Monarchie which I shall demonstrate in this Chapter to participate of as many as any such blessing is capable of the Holy Ghost thereby manifesting the excellency and preheminence of this blessing of Monarchie above all other natural blessings whatsoever And those sanctions are six viz. 1. Divine Institution 2. Divine prescription 3. Divine Stipulation 4. Divine Assimilation 5. Divine Accommodation 6. Divine Regulation 1. The first sanction Incident to Monarchie is Divine institution God himself being the Original Author of this blessing of Monarchie in the very first beginning of the world Investing Adam with a Monarchicall Supremacy not onely Oeconomicall over that one created family in Paradise but Political over a society consisting of many families which were to descend of Adam For the same Law which Commanded obedience of children to Parents servants to Masters and subjects to Kings in Paradise did oblige all Adams posterity for the space of 930. years to perform this duty of obedience to Adam within which space Adam became a Father and Governour not onely Oeconomicall of one family but Political of many families which as we shewed before is the very ground of Political Government and particularly of Monarchie Now although this Government be styled most commonly paternal because all Adams subjects could derive their Pedegree from the blood Royal Yet is it the very same in substance with that which we terme Regal Monarchie or Regal Government being described by most Authors to be a Political Government over a society wherein one person is supream and chief And the Holy Ghost to demonstrate unto us that the name did not create any real difference between this Paternal Government which continued til the confusion of Languages and Regal Government which style the Scripture useth for the policies observed by societyes after the dispersion of the seventy families of Noah's posterity being divided by so many several Languages did afterwards in the penning of the Decalogue upon Mount Sinai use onely the word Father to expresse all sorts of Governours as wel Kings and Monarchs as others But to unscruple all vocabular doubts and difficulties let us but look into the fourteenth Ch. of Gen. and there we shall find a King of Gods own making and his Regal Power of Gods own Institution For Sem alias Melchisedech was by Gods special Ordinance a Type of Christ both in his Regal and Sacerdotall office Heb. 7. And therefore is styled by the Holy Ghost the King of Righteousnesse and King of Salem which is Jerusalem where this Melchizedech reigned til Jacobs time who at his death though then a bond-man in Egypt did in his last Wil and Testament declare the Ordinance of God concerning the establishment of a Monarchie amongst the Israelites his own posterity and that Judah should sway the scepter of the Kingdome and Reign in that very City whereof Melchizedech was King Gen. 49.10 Of which Royal tribe that great King the true Lyon of Judah and the true Shiloh our Saviour Christ himself should descend who by Gods own Ordinance likewise was to be born truly and Legally King of the Jewes As the Angels declared to the Wise-men who by the Angels direction enquired at Bethlem for him that was born King of the Jewes Mat. 2.2 Which is also Manifested by the Holy Ghost in the derivation of Christs Pedegree from Abraham and David Mat. 1. and even from Adam himself Luk. 3. And this also was acknowledged by Christ himself unto Pilate John 18.37 Again we shall find that several persons received their Regall Investiture from Gods Immediate and particular consignation who had no other title to that Monarchical honour and supremacie As Saul David and Solomon Kings of Israel Jeroboam and Jehu Kings over the ten Tribes And amongst the heathens also Hazael was made King of Syria by Gods particular appointment And Cyrus was both named and ordained by God to be the Monarch and King which should erect that Monarchie which Historians make the second of the four Monarchies of the world above seventie years before he was born Esay 45.1 Ob. God was angry with the Israelites for asking a King 1 Sam. 8. And did further declare his dislike thereof by a miraculous Thunder and Rain 1 Sam. 12.18 Whereupon the people did acknowledg their sinne in asking a King and desired Samuel to pray for them 1 Sam. 12.19 Sol. Two things are observable in that desire 1. The object of the peoples desire which was Monarchie or a Regal Government And in relation to this the desire was good being the very Ordinance of God himself Deut. 17.14 And therefore was also sanctified unto the people with the promise of a blessing 1 Sam. 12.14 and was afterwards also confirmed unto them by God himself in his own particular Election of another King even King David a man after Gods own heart to succeed Saul and also in his sonne Solomon to succeed him both which two were Types of Christ and Prophets of God 2. The end of the peoples desire and that was Idolatrous and sinful the people therein looking upon a King as the onely meanes whereby they might attain deliverance from the feares and pressures under which they groaned at that time through the Tyranny of the Philistines who had subdued them which was the very end why they desired a King looking for deliverance from him and not from God As God declared unto Samuel 1 Sam. 1.7 They have not rejected thee saith the Lord but they have rejected me Imputing more to the power of a King for their deliverance then unto my
his option as the most glorious disguise for that grand Impostor the man of sinne wherein to act his Antichristian and blasphemous tragedies in the latter dayes which Saint Paul speaks of 2 Thes 2. For though Satan be the greatest Maligner of all Divine truths yet we are sure he is the most exquisite knower and the most Artificial Imitator thereof And therefore to create the greater esteem and Reverence in mens hearts of the Power and Majesty of his Eldest and best beloved Sonne he wil be sure to usurp that form of Government which is most glorious Divine and plausible in the eyes of men to make his delusions more Potent and Effectuall Now the Text plainly declares that Antichrists Government shall be Monarchical and that he wil admit of no competitor but will exalt himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he as God shall sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God The meaning is that Antichrist shal Reign as an Universal and absolute Monarch here on earth And the same happinesse which the erronious expectations of the Jewes are fixed upon and hope to receive by the Government of the Messiah at his comming who as they conceive shall be absolute King and Monarch of the whole world and exercise an absolute Power and Authority over all Kings and Nations both in Spiritual and temporal matters as Priest and King to fulfil the Type of himself prefigured in Melchizedech and as King and Prophet to fulfil that Type of himself prefigured in David and Solomon the same will Antichrist pretend to communicate by his Government to all his Disciples and subjects both Jewes and Gentiles Vsurping the same temporal and Spiritual Power and Soveraignty which the Jewes through misinterpretation of Scriptures Attribute unto Christ And practising all the lying Miracles and Delusions which the power of Satan can effect for confirming the belief of his Monarchicall and just Power and Majesty in the minds of men 5. The fift sanction whereof Monarchie doth participate is Divine Accomodation God himself sitting and apportioning this blessing of Monarchie for the most commodious Instrument and meanes to advance virtue Piety and more especially unitie and concord the Basis and foundation Salutis Populi and to suppresse vice and iniquity more particularly civil discords and dissentions the very Morbi laethales populi Rei publicae whereof the Lord himself exhibited a manifesto to the Israelites after they were setled by Joshua in the ful possession of the land of Promise when the Lord to the intent the Israelites might take a more full and perfect Estimate of this blessing of Monarchie did after his customary Method in conferring blessings upon his people by making first the opposite curses or privations thereof an Introduction thereunto first make them sensible of the mischiefes and inconveniencies which accrewed to a Nation through want thereof whilst there was no King in Israel For in those dayes saith the Text every man did that which was right in his own eyes which right was measured by the law of their own lusts as appeares in the Theft and Idolatry of Micah Jud. 17. In the Idolatry and Rapines of the Danites Jud. 18. In the abominable Beastialities of the men of Gibeah Jud. 19. And those bloody Intestine dissentions and civill wars which accrewed thereupon between the Benjamites and the rest of their brethren Jud. 20. All which enormities the Holy Ghost justly imputeth to the want of a King and Regal Government in Israel Notwithstanding the Sanhedrim or great Counsel of the Israelites was not wanting in those dayes as appeares Jud. 21. Where mention is made of that Court of Elders which was composed of the select Elders of every tribe which onely had cognizance of those High and Capital offences from which they undertook to free the six hundred exiled Benjamites which none of the Inferior Courts of justice could do which yet were not then wanting neither in all or most of the Cities in Israel as in Succoth Judg. 8. And in that Citie which Boaz inhabited Ruth 4. But although all these subordinate Magistracies and Courts of justice were then in Israel yet the Holy Ghost in every passage inculcateth the defect of a King to be the cause of those many and grievous enormities and offences incurred by the People which were the cause of many grievous judgements upon that Nation For when they forsook the wayes of God and followed their own inordinate lusts God likewise forsook them giving them over to the lusts of heathen tyrants and making them which hated them lords over them Now after God by his judgements had humbled them and made them capable of the renewall of his mercy in their deliverance it pleased the wisdom of God alwaies to raise them some one man to be a Judge Monarch and Captain over them by whose hand he wrought that deliverance for them No doubt God could have wrought their deliverance by diverse other meanes as he did in the dayes of Hezekiah when he delivered both King and people by an Angel 2 Kin. 19. Or in the dayes of Ioshua when he slew the Amorites by hail-stones from Heaven Ios 10. Or in the dayes of Samuel when he slew the Philistines by thunder 1 Sam. 7. Or as Christ delivered himself from the first attempt of the Soldiers who came to apprehend him whom he overthrew with a blast of the breath of his mouth Iohn 18.6 As he shal likewise overthrow Antichrist and all his power at the last day 2 Thes 2. But yet it pleased God in all their captivity's and distresses during those sinful times wherein they wanted a King and Regal Government to raise them up occasionall Monarchs and Judges for their occasional deliverances thereby to manifest unto them the benefit of Monarchie and how conducent Regal and Monarchicall Government was to their constant security and happiness 6. The sixt Sanction whereof this blessing of Monarchie doth participate is Divine Regulation God himself prescribing Rules and Lawes for the mutual deportment of the parties interrested in this Relative blessing of Monarchie which are the Relatum or Monarch and the Correlatum or Monarchists and subjects and that first concerning the Monarchs consignation and election unto that Dignity Deut. 17. but the punctual discussion of this point pertaines more properly to another place where we treat of Monarchie in its Natural acception as it relates to that Supremacy which doth preheminence the Monarch above all others within the same society Secondly concerning the Relative dutyes of Monarchs and Monarchists in which point both the old and new Testament are very plentiful but the punctual discussion of this also pertaines properly unto that part which speaks of Monarchie in its last and Theological acception as it relates to those dutyes which are the end of Monarchie And these are the grounds whereupon I conclude Monarchie to be Jure Divino not Explicito which is proper onely unto
captivity of Babylon which fel out five hundred twenty six yeares before the birth of Christ and yet within that time the Jewes sometimes had Kings over them as Aristobulus who was of the family of the Machabees and of the tribe of Levi whose posterity was rooted out by Antipater an Idumean and a servant to the Machabees of whom descended Herod who was King of Judah when Christ was born Sol. There are two things to be regarded in all Gods temporall promises to the Israelites 1. The substance of the promise which was the Spiritual blessing principally intended by God and in this God was alwayes very punctual in every Circumstance and of this principally the promise of the scepter and of the perpetuity of Davids Throne is to be understood that is of a Spiritual Kingdome For such a King Christ was and such a Kingdome Christ onely claimed that is a Kingdome of Righteousnesse and of this Kingdome of Christs there shall never be an end And this scepter and the Prerogatives thereof never departed from Judah til Christ came for that Tribe enjoyed the Spiritual Prerogatives of the Gospel though under Types and Figures and was not transferring from the Jewes to the Gentiles til after Christs death 2. The shadow and type of the promise which was the temporal blessing prefiguring and pointing out that Spiritual blessing and in this God purposely failed the Israelites expectation oftentimes thereby to draw their minds from temporal to Spiritual matters which was the cause also why Christ never pretended to as earthly Kingdome although he was truly and really heire to the Crown of Judah And though the actual administration of the outward scepter and supremacy promised to Judah was often Intermitted for the foresaid reason yet was his actual Right and Title stil manifested by God not onely by exact records of the genealogies of the Royal family whereof Christ descended but also by severe judgements upon those who presumed to usurp the scepter For all the brethren of the Machabees dyed by the sword and their posterity was rooted out as you read before by their own servant And Herod in his latter dayes lived a miserable life and dyed a miserable death So that even the temporal part of that promise of supremacy to Judah which was the Type of the Spiritual was performed exactly in the realty though not in the Modality thereof that is in the manifestation of a clear and undoubted title to the crown though not in the actual administration of Power and Authority and the outward pomp which is an appendage thereof For Christ was proclaimed by Angels King of the Jewes as soone as he was born Which must needs relate to his temporal Right For in his Spiritual Right he was King of the Gentiles as well as the Jewes And thus you see what that Jus Divinum is whereof Polarchy doth participate viz Jus Divinum Vindicativum which is indeed a Divine Malediction for the further Illustration whereof I will shew you first what Polarchy is in this present Chapter secondly how many several Maledictions are Incident thereunto in the ensuing Chapter Polarchy in its proper genus is neither described by Aristotle nor any of those Statists who from his principles have framed discourses thereupon because all of them proceed upon that principle in Policy which Divinity manifesteth to be false and erronious For all of them generally take it pro Concesso that these kinds of Polarchies which Aristotle placeth amongst the laudable sorts of Policy are gifts and blessings of God as well as Monarchie and different onely in degrees of goodnesse All which Polarchies out of the principles of Divinity warrant of Scripture the onely infallible Rule and ground of truth and wherein a judicious Textuary shal find a more exact prescript and Model of Policy and Monarchical Government then ever was set forth either by Plato in his phansied Republique or Aristotle in his Politiques or Xenophon in Cyropaedia or Cicero or Livie or Dionysius Halycarnasseus or Cornelius Tacitus or the most exact Polititian that ever writ purposely of this subject I place amongst the curses and judgements which God doth inflict upon a Nation for sinne And if Aristotle had wel considered the nature of a Polarchy although he constitute but two species thereof viz 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Rule and Government of the Nobles and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Rule and Government of the people The opposite privations whereof by his Doctrine are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yet he should have found Polarchy directly capable of that boundles multiplicity which himself makes the reciprocal property of an evil Monarchy of that simplicity which himself maks the reciprocal property of a good according to that Maxime of his own Eth. lib. 2. Ch. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now it is apparent there can be but one sort of Monarchie I mean in relation to the subject of power and supremacy which is the ground of variating the species of Policy But there may be as many sorts of Polarchies as there are People in a common-wealth For by the same Rule that Rome erected three sorts of Polarchy they might as Legally haue erected thirty thousand sorts For when they constituted two Consuls why might not they have constituted three or four or tenne or a hundred or indeed a hundred thousand and so in their Decemvirates and Triumvirates which were but meer devices without any grounds either in nature or Religion But though they do not set down any exact definition thereof yet I shall endeavour to describe the nature thereof by those properties and causes which are the principle ingredients of that unnatural composition thus Polarchy is a Politick Government invented by the Devill for the destruction of humane society by the Administration and exercise of the Supream Power and Authority of a multitude over the rest of the same society the disputable part of which description expressed in the former clause thereof I shall make good in the ensuing Chapter declaring the Divine Malediction incident to Polarchy CHAP. IV. Of the sixth Malediction Incident to Polarchy COncerning the Divine Maledictions Incident to this curse of Polarchy It is necessary by the rule of contraries that as the blessing of Monarchie doth participate of six several sanctions so that the curse of Polarchy should participate of six several Maledictions opposite to those sanctions 1. Cursed Institution 2. Cursed Prescription 3. Cursed Stipulation 4. Cursed Assimilation 5. Cursed Accomodation 6. Cursed Regulation The first Malediction incident to Polarchy is a Cursed Institution and Original I have often admired the grosse mistake of all those Authors which I have read upon this subject concerning both the time and manner of the Institution of Polarchies but especially of that learned and judicious Statist Sir * Common-wealth of England lib. 1. Cap. 13. and 14. Thomas Smith who makes all those three kinds
of Government which Aristotle termes the just and laudable sorts of Policy to be indifferent and Arbitrary as if they had all an equal ground both in Divinity and nature and that the sole preheminence amongst them were onely in precedency of time As if an Aristocracy had even naturally and of necessity succeeded a Monarchie in the second age of the Patriarks and Democracie upon the like grounds obtained the like honour amongst men of the third generation Whereas first concerning the difference of their Antiquity I am most assuredly confident that the learnedest Antiquarie in the world cannot produce any Authentick Record to evidence the Original of any Polarchy within the space of three thousand yeares after the first Institution of Monarchie by God in Paradise It is true indeed that God did Institute the Synedrion or great Counsel of seventy Elders in the time of Moses as also other particular orders of Magistracy in every Tribe and City consisting of different numbers of Elders but none of these were ordained with any intention to sway the scepter of the Kingdome or to exercise the supream Power and Authority of the Common-wealth but onely for Inferior Courts of justice a subordinate to that supream and Regal Honour and Power which God had designed for the Tribe of Judah And therefore from the time of their first Institution under Moses they were alwaies subject to such occasional Judges Rulers and Monarchs as God appointed to be supream Rulers and Governors over his people as Ioshua Othniel Ehud and the rest of the Judges Indeed the first face of any Government which looks like a Polarchy presents it self upon the death of Amaziah King of Judah who was murdered by a conspiracy of some of his Nobles in the fifteenth year of Jeroboam King of Israel which was about two hundred and fifty years after the first institution of a Regal Government in that Kingdome whose sonne Vzziah was not admitted to his just and rightful inheritance till the seven and twentieth year of the said Ieroboam During which time there was an Intermission of Regal Government in the Kingdome of Judah but who the Traytors were that withheld the King from his Right and usurped the Royal Power the holy Ghost doth not specify how ever it is not Improbable that those conspirators who slew his Father might according to the usual Policy of Traytors seek to secure themselves from the punishment due for their offence by their voluntary incurment of a more criminous guilt Onely thus much I am assured of that if this were the first Institution of a Polarchy the Devil was the Author of it for the foundation of it was laid in Rebellion Murder Usurpation which were never any of Gods works or if no Polarchy can pretend to so great Antiquity yet whensoever the first was erected I am sure it had neither other foundation nor other Author For every lawful Monarch which was the Ancient and Primitive Government in every Kingdom of the world was as Legally and justly possessed of his Crown as any Private Gentleman is of a Lordship descended from his Ancestors or otherwise made his by any just and warrantable course of Law And therefore as no Gentlemans Tenants can without manifest Injustice possesse themselves of their Landlords lawful inheritance upon any Allegation that he is a hard master or a deboist and lewd man or any the like pretence how true and just soever no more can any subjects having a greater obligation upon them of obedience to their King then any Tenants have to a Landlord upon the like Allegation depose their Soveraign and possesse themselves of the Supremacy and Royal Power without manifest guilt of Rebellion and Sacrilegious usurpation in the highest Degree And therefore all Polarchy must needs proceed from that old grand Rebel and Author of all mischief the Devil and whether he was not of councel with those Senators who erected the first Polarchy in Rome which was one of the most ancient in the world I shal desire the Reader to judge by one act of those Senators concerning the businesse of that pretended Reformation of Government for ex pede Herculem by their prudence justice and conscience expressed in this one you may judge of their grounds and reasons for other of their actions After these Reformers had banished Tarquinius superbus the Tyrant they found one Tarquinius a Noble-man in Rome who was a man of an exceeding upright and unblamable conversation whom those reforming politicians would not permit upon any intreaties or meanes that could be used to live in Rome although no man in the City could bring in any accusation against him but immediately banished him also because they judged him to be a man of a dangerous and Tyrannical name and therefore would not be perswaded that Tyranny was sufficiently extinguished whilst there was any man of that name living in Rome wherein they expressed as much justice as if because Iohn of styles had killed a man the King should hang all Iohns in England to prevent homicide 2. The second Malediction Incident to Polarchy is cursed prescription For we never find the curse of Polarchy received by any nation before Christs time but onely Heathens and Infidels to whom God never vouchsafed the understanding knowledge of divine Mysteries revealed in his word containing the Immediate outward meanes of salvation Nor after Christs time neither till of late yeares which Ecclesiastical Historians make the declining and languishing age and state of Christianity when Christian societies abounded with blasphemous Heresies in Doctrine Idolatrous Innovations in Discipline for the just punishment whereof God did send this curse of Polarchy amongst them so that some Christian societies have now of late through giddy fanatick humours by Heathenish presidents erected some sorts of Polarchies in their Common-wealths which yet are none of the most eminent 3. The third Malediction Incident to Polarchy is Cursed stipulation Christ himself menacing the Eradication and utter extirpation of every plant which his Heavenly Father hath not planted Mat. 15.13 And that Polarchy is one of these unnaturall and spurious plants declared in the cursed Institution thereof And though neither Polarchy in General nor any species thereof be once mentioned in the Scripture the reason whereof I formerly shewed yet are those cursed sins which are both the foundation and associates of all Polarchies in any Kingdome of eminency and Antiquity Stigmatized with many dreadful Menaces and Maledictions in several parts of Scripture especially Rebellion which is the constant foundation and prâ—p of every Ancient and Eminent Polarchy which the holy Ghost compares to witch-craft which is an utter renunciation of all Relation to God and obliging our selves by Covenant to be the children and servants of the Devil And what rewards can such men expect of their cursed vocation and profession but horror of conscience here to and horror of Hellish and everlasting torments hereafter 4. The fourth Malediction Incident to Polarchy
resolved to endure no Superior as Cesar was to admit of no equall And the Monarchie of Octavius Augustus by the overthrow of Anthonie a similer competitor what can any man imagine in probability to have proved the conclusion of those Polarchical differences but the utter ruine and desolation of that flourishing and renowned Common-wealth For if you read * Lib. 6. De Bell. Judaâ— Iosephus you shall find that the ruine and desolation of that famous nation of the Jewes was occasioned rather by the civil Intestine and bloody dissentions of the three factions in Jerusalem created by the Tritarchie of Simon Iohn and Eleazer then either by the valour or policy of the Romanes Ob. Solomon himself a King saith that where no Councel is the people fall but in the multitude of Councellours there is safety Prov. 11.14 Whereby it appeares that the security of the people is more or less according to the greater or lesser number of Councellors Now you know in a Monarchie the people are ruled by the wisdome and prudence of one man but in a Polarchy by the wisdome and prudence of a multitude Therefore salus populi is better provided for in a Polarchy And by consequence a Polarchy is the better Government Sol. There are two sorts of Councellours 1. Subordinate and obeying Councellours the approbation of whose Councels depend upon a superior Monarch and a multitude of these Councellours Solomon found by experience to be exceedingly conducent to the safety of the people and the honour of the King 2. Supream and ruling Councellours the results of whose Councels were sufficient for the constitution of a decree or Law without the approbation of any Superior Monarch And such Councellors as these Solomon had no experience nor thought of Now there are two reasons why the Councels of the former are to be preferred to the Councels of the latter sort of Councellors 1. Because those Councels which proceed from subjects have the advantage of two opposite dangers of each side one to guide their Councels in the safe way of Moderation between the Kings Prerogative and the Peoples safety and benefit First the danger of self-prejudice being equally interested with the People in the grievances and sufferings which proceed from the Tyranny of an unlimited or rather an unduly limited prerogative by Lawes which may tend to the oppressions of the subjects in their estates or persons not warrantable by any Law of God which obligeth the King in a Reciprocal bond of love to regard the peoples safety as wel as they are obliged to regard his honour And therefore no wise men wil administer any Councel of this nature which is destructive to themselves as wel as the people Secondly the danger both of the Kings displeasure and the frustration and rejection of their Councels if they should present any advice to the King which tended to his own dishonour or to disinable him for the protection of his people But the Councels which proceed from a multitude of Governours have neither of these bridles to guide them in an equal and moderate way For though their Councels be never so prejudicial to the Common-wealth yet they have no Superior whose displeasure they are afraid of And as for the sufferances and oppressions of the people it is the Basis and support of their greatnesse and Power Repl. Whatsoever the Councels be which are given to a King yet his Resolutions may be as exorbitant as the Results of these ruling Councelours For the oppressions and grievous impositions which are laid upon the people are his benefit as wel as they are the benefit of Ruling Councellors Sol. The case is much different For the Honour and Power of a King saith Solomon is in the multitude of his people and the wealth of a King in the prosperity and riches of his people because they have all an equal relation of subjection and friendship to the King But the Power and safety of the Supream Rulers is in the multitude of their factious friends and paucity of their adversaries of a contrary faction For as we formerly demonstrated from Christs own words and Maximes it is impossible but there must be some differences and divisions in every Polarchy which though they be smothered for a while either through fear of a common enemy or some other respects of common advantage yet wil burst out at length when the different care regard of the different Governours wil not be to see the people numerous or wealthy but their friends numerous and wealthy their enemies few miserable And the prevalency of malice makes alwayes this latter their greatest chiefest care so that by the several Governours of different factions the calamity and overthrow of the whole Commonwealth comes at last to be the chiefest and Universal care and endeavour in every Polarchy 2. The second reason why the Councels of a multitude of subjects are more conducible to the happinesse both of the King and people then the councels of a multitude of Rulers is because the Lawes which are compiled and framed by their councels are grounded upon the validity of their reasons and grounds which satisfie the Kings judgement though they proceed but from the single opinion and vote of one and one though the opinions and votes of four hundred others bee contradictory thereunto whereas the Lawes that are framed by the other Councels are grounded onely upon the multiplicity of votes although they be never so absurd and how absurd the votes of the Major part may be in a multitude yea even of the chief and principal amongst them the Scripture affords us plentiful testimony For in the case of the two Angels all the men of Sodome voted against one Lot Gen. 18. And six hundred thousand Israelites voted against one Moses for the Deifying of the golden Calf Ex. 32. Baal had four hundred and fifty votes to be the God of Israel when the Lord himself had only Elijah's 1 King 18. And Ahab obtained four hundred votes for his safe return from Ramoth-Gilead when onely Micajah did vote against it 1 Kin. 22. Nay did not all the Priests and Elders and multitudes of people vote Jesus Christ himself to be a grand Malignant and Delinquent even worthy of death Mat. 27. And therefore you see where the energy of a Law doth depend totally upon the multiplicity of votes how ordinary and frequent it is even for the most absurd Impieties and the most detestable injustice to attain the preheminence either through the simplicity or partiality of judgements which is never wanting in a Polarchy 6. The sixt and last Malediction Incident to Polarchy is cursed Regulation Every Polarchical action in the Polarchs who are Interested in the active part of Government being rebellious intrusive both in the Institution and management of a Polarchical Government in Relation to the lawful Monarch who is by them deposed from and deprived of his just and Legal inheritance and birth-right and factions
two former answers 2. They are guilty of most notorious Ingratitude and unthankfulness to God in despising his blessings and preferring those curses before them which are the badges of their sinn and of Gods wrath and vengeance for the same Just like the murmuring and ungrateful Israelites who whilst they were fed with bread from Heaven cryed out for returning to the fish garlick onyons and cucombers of Egypt Num. 11.5 2. Quaere Whether both Polarchs that is the Governours and Rulers in a Polarchy and Polarchists that is the subjects who live under such Rulers be joyntly and severally obliged in conscience to endeavour the Reducement of that Government to a Monarchie Sol. To frame a resolution to this question we must premise some distinctions of Polarchy For though all Polarchies in their proper constitution be mala poenae and curses for sinne yet do they admit of diverse qualifications in relation to their Institution and Original For some sorts are erected upon a more Legal and warrantable or rather indeed a less sinfull ground then others are The safer and more warrantable grounds are two 1. First Plantation where there are no Inhabitants nor former kind of Government but the Election and Resolution of any kind is free and Arbitrary to that society who consent for the population of the place and the Institution of a Policy without the dissent or prejudice of any other in Authority 2. Consent of the Monarch or Governour in Authority to chang that Government either in part as when any City Province or Kingdome under the command of some great King or Monarch doth obtaine either by composition or donation a freedome from all subjection unto the jurisdiction of that King and thereupon do conferre the Supream Power over that society upon moe then one or in whole as when both Monarch and subjects by joynt consent do change a Monarchie into a Polarchy In all which sorts of Polarchy both Polarchs and Polarchists are obliged in conscience to endeavour the reducement of that Government to a Monarchie by all lawful meanes But in this case all endeavours are not lawful For 1. First indeed all Polarchs which are interested in the active part of Government are obliged in conscience to endeavour this transmutation by any meanes which are conducent and effectuall thereunto because first their actions are not liable to the guilt of rebellion 2. They are Intrusted by the people who are their Electors to councel and act those things wherein they may best provide for the peace and safety of the people Notwithstanding happily those things which they resolve and councel sometimes may not arride the Major part of the ignorant multitude Ob. Every man is bound in conscience in the first place to regard his own honour and benefit and therefore these Governours cannot be obliged to endeavour this mutation thereby to devest themselves of the honour and benefit of such a Government out of a care to provide for the good and benefit of the people rather then of themselves Sol It must be in things lawful and warrantable that men must seek honour and benefit for no man ought in pursuance of those ends to make a vocation and calling of any thing which is in it self a curse and punishment as Polarchy is already demonstrated to be neither ought any man to endeavour a private good out of that which is a publique and National damage and mischief 2. The endeavours of all Polarchists who are Interested onely in the Passive part of Government For such a Reducement must be onely prayers to God and petitions to Superiors and such meanes as do not transgresse the rules of obedience For all Polarchists are equally engaged to the obedience of all those Polarchs as the subjects of a Monarch are to their King they all being Invested with a supremacy of Power in which respect they represent the Majesty of God and therefore all acts of resistance or dishonour to them are dishonourable to God damnable to the resisters Rom. 13.2 Now all such acts being Mala Culpae and Essentially evil And Polarchy which we seek to avoid being but Malum poenoe and accidentally evil nor the blessing of Monarchie which we seek to attain but accidentally good we ought not to endeavour the attaining of any such good or deliverance from any such evil by acting any thing which may be prejudicial to our neighbour or dishonourable to God For we may not do evil that good may come thereof Quaere But put the case that there happen a division and dissention between the Polarchs about this Reducement of such a Polarchy to a Monarchie some consenting to it others not Ought not the subjects in such a case to assist that party whose endeavours they judge to tend to the good of the Common wealth against those Governours who Impede and oppose it Sol. These divisions and dissentions are the very calamities which our Saviour himself affirmeth to be the Inseparable accidents and individual concomitants of Polarchy Mat. 6.24 But for the subjects assistance of such divided parties in a Polarchy whether the dissentions spring from that or any other occasion it is utterly unlawful and contrary to the commands of God For though both parties be our Superiours and we obliged to the obedience of both yet not to the active obedience of either party where both their Commands enjoyn a sinful action Now that assistance of one party cannot be free from the resistance and opposition of others who are invested with an equal Power and Authority over us and by consequence not free from sinne And therefore we may not assist in such a case by any other endeavours then our prayers nor is any way safe and free from sinne in such a case but a passive obedience to both by suffering with patience as from the hand of God whatsoever shal be inflicted upon us by either party amongst such divided Powers 2. The most unwarrantable and wicked grounds for the erection of a Polarchy are Rebellion and injustice when subjects revolt and renounce their alleigance to their lawful King and Monarch either in part by the rebellion and disloyalty of some particular City Province or Kingdome under his command or in whole by the violent deposition of the King or Monarch from his total Power and Authority and the absolute deprivation of him of all his Rights and Dominions In both which the case is the same Again a Polarchy which is thus erected may be considered three wayes 1. In order to those Polarchs and Polarchists who are the Original Authors thereof in all and every one of which that foundation is wicked and sinful proceeding from a transgression of a precept comprehended within the first Table of the Moral Law which is not capable of Legitimation by any pretence se defendi as I shall fully demonstrate in the eleventh Chapter of this Book from whence I conclude that all those Polarchs and Polarchists are joyntly and severally obliged to
imploy their utmost endeavours for the Reducement of that Polarchy to the Pristine Government by restitution of their Lawful Soveraign to his just Power and his proper Rights and Revenues The detaining of the latter being manifest injustice and the usurping of the former manifest Rebellion for suppressing whereof in regard as I said before and shall in the eleventh Chapter fully prove it is a sinne Immediately against the Honour of God every man ought to engage both his life and fortune 2. In order to those Polarchs and Polarchists who are the maintainers and managers of such a Polarchy during the life of that King or of any other of the Blood-Royal who by descent from him can make a just claim and title unto that Crown And all these are partakers of the same sinnes with their predecessors who were the Original Authors thereof and therefore equally obliged to the like reducement which the Authors themselves are 3. In order to those Polarchs Polarchists who are survivers to all the blood-Royal in whom the case comes to be the same with those which we formerly mentioned living under a Polarchy erected without opposition For where the Blood-Royal is absolutely extinct God doth thereby declare his wil concerning the deposition of that family from the Government as in the cases of Jeroboam and Ahab though it be effected by never so wicked instruments and the subjects thereby freed from all obligation of obedience to that family and obliged to such an obedience to the present Governours though Polarchs and such a Reducement of that to a Monarchy as may not render them guilty of any act of resistance or opposition to those Polarchical Governours For as he that is lame in his legs and feet which are gifts of nature may lawfully use crutches til it please God to restore him to his native perfection So must subjects be content to undergoe this curse and punishment of a Polarchy til it please God to restore them unto the blessing of Monarchie but we must not seek to regain it by rebellion or any sinful meanes for that is to forsake God and to runne to the Devil for help and deliverance from our griefes and afflictions CHAP. VI. Of the true ground and cause of that Supremacy from which all Monarchs do Derive their Titles to the Crown where first of the Title of popular Election IN Crowns as in all other nay much more then in any other possessions he that entreth not in by the door of Right and justice but climbeth up another way by an Illegal usurpation or intrusion is a Thief and a Robber and what Pious pretences soever he make for justification of his wickednesse of zeal and care for the peoples security in their persons from Tyrannical violence in their estates from Illegal invasions in their liberties from Arbitrary innovations yet certainly his intent is but to rob and to steal whereby to satisfie his own ambition and avarice as the constant event hath manifested in all usurping Traitors as Abimelech Absalom Baasha Zimri Omri and many others But whether it be lawful to compasse a Crown per fas aut nefas is not the point in question for all men who understand any thing in Religion and Christianity do acknowledge that no man ought to usurp the Crown or Regal Government but he who is Legally invested with that supremacy which creates a Right and Title thereunto But from whence the investiture of that supremacy is derived is the point in difference For the true stating and decision whereof we must observe in the first place that there is a two-fold ground and cause of this supremacy viz Principal and Instrumental 1. Principal and that is God by whom all Power is ordained Rom. 13.1 For he is the Universal principal and primary cause both efficient and final of all things sin only excepted Rom. 11. last 2. Instrumental which is the secondary meanes which God doth make use of for the Immediate collation of this supremacy upon any man whereby to entitle him to the Regal diademe and this again is two-fold viz Extraordinary and Ordinary 1 Extraordinary when God doth declare his will and pleasure concerning the advancement of any person to this Soveraign Power and preheminence by Extraordinary revelations and this again is two-fold viz Gratious and Vindicative 1. Gratious when the Lord doth thus declare his wil by Angel or Prophet or some such Extraordinary meanes for the advancement of a person to this honour for a blessing to his people by making him a Minister of favours and mercies as in Moses Ioshua David Solomon 2. Vindicative when Gods wil is so declared concerning the advancement of such a person whom he doth make the executioner of his curses and judgements for a punishment of their sinnes as in Jeroboam Jehu Salmaneser King of Assyria and Nebuchad-nezzer King of Babylon 2. Ordinary when God doth advance a man to this Regal dignity and honour by those ordinary wayes and meanes which are constant Rules for us to judge of whereby to acknowledge this soveraignty and yeeld our obedience this likewise is two-fold viz Gratious and Vindicative 1 Gratious when the soveraign Power is attained by those ordinary wayes and meanes which are approved and warranted by the word of God and the Rules of reason and equity 2. Vindicative when the same Power is attained by violence and Injustice and such cursed wayes and meanes as are Repugnant to the word of God and the Rules of justice and equity The dispute of the former would be arrogant and impious for the Extraordinary wayes of God are farre above our judgement and further above our Imitation For God never intended such for a president whereby to frame our actions but onely our submissions thereunto And therefore passing over them I shall insist onely upon those ordinary meanes which God hath ordained to be a Rule for our actions in this kind i. e. both for a ground of the Monarchs claim and Title to the soveraignty and also for the peoples submission and obedience to the person who is distinguished from and preheminenced above all others in that society by a lawful Right and Title to the same The ordinary meanes as you heard is two-fold viz Gratious and Vindicative 1 Gratious when the meanes are approved and warranted by the word of God concerning which there are two different opinions 1. The former which I confesse is attested by some Authors of eminency is that the Right of the Royal Investiture pertaineth to the people Whereof in this Chapter 2. The latter more truly doth impute it to Birth-right and Hereditary succession Whereof in the next Chapter The Arguments whereupon they ground the former opinion are partly Instantial partly Rational 1. The Instances alledged for the propugnation thereof are the Inaugurations of those Kings which the Scriptures mention to be made or anointed by the people as Saul concerning whom the Text saith that all the people of the land came to
Gilgal to make him King 1 Sam. 11.15 And David which all the men of Judah anointed King at Hebron 2 Sam. 2.4 And who afterwards was anointed King over Israel at Hebron by all the Tribes of Israel 2.5.3 And Solomon who was likewise anointed by the people 1 Chron. 29.22 And Jeroboam whom the people made King over Israel 1 Kings 12 20. And Vzziah whom the people of the land made King 2 Kin. 14.21 And Iehoahaz who though he was but the second sonne of Iosiah younger then Eliakim was made King by the people in his fathers stead 2 Chron. 23.20 And Christ whom the people intended to have made a King Ioh. 6. And it must needs be presupposed they had a power to do so otherwise their attempts had been ridiculous And to adde further weight to this Argument we find this act of the peoples in making and anointing of Kings to be mentioned sometimes with an expresse approbation thereof from God as upon Sauls Investiture 1 Sam. 11.14 And David received this honour from the people by the Lords expresse Command enjoyning David to go to Hebron there to be anointed King by the people 2 Sam. 2.2 And David himself called all the people to the anointing of King Solomon 1 Chron. 29. 2. The reason alledged for the ground of this opinion is that the honour and submission which Kings receive is Originally in the people for honor est in honorante non in honorato according to Aristotles principles and from them derived unto the King And therefore they do not conceive it just or reasonable that the people should be obliged to yeeld honour and submission and performe dutyes of obedience to any person but him whom themselves shall judge worthy of it And so attest their judgement of his worth by their election of him to be their King and Soveraign 3. To these we may adde Saint Peters testimony who termes Regality an Ordinance of men 1 Pet. 2.13 which were false if it did proceed from God and not from the people for then it were an ordinance of God and not of man And therefore though God be the Vniversal cause of Royal Power as he is of all things else yet the people must be the Immediate and particular cause Now from these gounds they deduce two damnable and detestable Inferences and Corollaries to justifie Rebellion and Dethronement of Kings 1. That though the King be Major singulis yet he is minor Vniversis and therefore that it is no Rebellion but duty in the people meaning the Major part to resist or depose the King where the people judge it necessary in relation to the defence of their own safety which according to their Doctrine is Suprema Lex 2. That the King doth receive and enjoy this honour onely by virtue of a stipulation or Covenant between himself and the people the sole ground whereof they conclude to be salus populi And therefore if the King doth violate this Covenant and break the trust reposed in him by the people by any acts which are destructive ad salutem populi whereof they presuppose the people to be the Judges that then the people are absolved from their Alleagance grounded upon that trust and Covenant and may lawfully provide for their own safety and welfare either by resistance deposition dethronement or any such meanes as themselves judge to be most conducent to their owne security Before I returne particular answers to these Instances and the reason alledged for the peoples right to confer this supremacy which doth preheminence the King above all others in the same society and is the ground of the Monarchs title to his Crown and the two damnable Inferences thence I will premise those grounds and reasons which enunciate the errour and absurdity of this opinion And thereupon frame answers to all that is or I suppose can be alledged for the support of that popular prerogative The Arguments declaring the errour and absurdity of this opinion are partly Instantial partly Rational The Instances of Scripture are of two sorts the first manifest the peoples disprobations not to be Authentick to Illegitimate the title of a lawful King or Monarch For the Books of Exodus and Numbers record ten several disprobations and murmurings of the people against Moses yet did not all these disannul Moses his Title For we see with what fearful judgements upon the people the Lord himself did Vindicate the same Exod. 32. Num. 12. and Ch. 14. and Ch. 16. And all the people of the land from Dan to Beersheba rejected David upon Absaloms conspiracy yet did not that nullifie Davids Right and title to the Crown for he was justly and truly King when he fled but with six hundred of his servants and the Lord did afterwards Vindicate his Right and title thereunto by a mighty destruction of his enemies 2 Sam. 18. Neither did the peoples disprobation of his just Power when the ten tribes forsook David and followed Sheba the sonne of Bichri unking David or Illegitimate his Right and title to the Kingdome of Israel For the Lord did quickly judge his cause by a suddaine vengeance upon that traitor 2 Sam. 20. The second sort of Instances manifest the peoples approbation and endeavours not to be Authentick or effectual to create a lawful title to the Crown for the golden Calf was honoured and received and proclaimed a God and guide in Moses stead by Aaron and all the Israelites Yet did not that popular election legitimate that Calfs power and title Exod. 32. Absalom was proclaimed King by all the thousands of Israel yet did not that act of the peoples legitimate Absaloms title to the Crown For the holy Ghost termeth it but a conspiracy when it was in the very height 2. Sam. 15.12 Sheba had ten Tribes for him when David had but one for him and yet was he never termed a King but a man of Belial 2 Sam. 20. Adonijah confesseth that although the faces of all Israel were set on him to make him King yet he never had any just Right or title to the Kingdome because the Lord had designed it for his Brother Solomon 1 Kings 2.15 2. The reasons evincing the errour and absurdity of this opinion are four 1. The first is taken from the nature of Monarchie to which this opinion is absolutely destructive For it is the very Essence of Monarchie that one man should enjoy the supremacy but if the supremacy be delegated to the King from the people and may be resumed by the people at pleasure upon their own judgements then the supremacy is absolutely and primarily in the people and but derivatively and secondarily in the King and by consequence all Government is virtually Democratical nay indeed every Government is properly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is generally acknowledged to be the worst kind of Government the end and conclusion whereof all Statists even the most zealous for Polarchy agree to be confusion and desolation 2. The second reason
is taken from the Relations which persons invested with Regal Honour have unto God by virtue whereof they are styled in Scripture the children of God Psa 82. Ministers and servants of God Rom. 13.4 Jer. 27.6 But we have no warrant or ground either in nature reason or Religion to priviledge the people to elect and appoint children or deputies and servants unto God or to consecrate a person for the person of the King is sacred And therefore the election of Kings cannot pertain unto the people For a sacred effect cannot proceed from a prophane cause The third reason is taken from the nature of the Kings office which is to judge the people for no Judge ought to receive any gift or benefit from those who are to be judged by him because all engagements occasion partiality in the judgements even of the wisest men Deut. 16.19 But he that receives a Crown receives a gift 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore no King ought to receive his Crown from the people nor be elected by them Nay and for this very reason Moses appointed all the officers who were to judge the people under him Deut. 1. And David those who were to judge them under him either in Ecclesiastical or civil affaires 1 Chron. 23. unto the 27. The fourth reason is taken from the peoples Incapacity unfitnesse to manage such a prerogative manifested by God himself in three particulars First in their Ignorance Secondly their Seditiousnesse Thirdly their Inconstancy 1. Their ignorance and want of judgement to discerne between good and evil and that also in this particular point of Government A manifest whereof is exhibited in Solomon who though he was an Idolater and so grievously peccant in his duty towards God yet doth receive an ample testimony from the holy Ghost of his justice and munificence towards his people which was the ground of that Panagyrick pronounced by the Queen of Sheba concerning Solomons Government In which particular he was also a Type of Christ And the object of the Jewes expectation til this very day concerning the Messias is the enjoyment of a happinesse under his Government Paralel to that of Solomons Yet were not the people in the dayes of Solomon contented with his Government but desired an alteration complaining of his Tyranny and oppression 1 Kin. 12.4 2. Their factiousnesse a constant effect and consequence of their Ignorance For there was never any pretence against a present Government and men in Authority so absurd and unjust which did not relish with and obtain support from the multitude Witnesse the conspiracy of Korah against Moses Numb 16. Of Absalom against David 2 Sam. 15. Of the High Priests and Rulers against our Saviour Christ Mat. 26. Of Thoudas and Judas against Cesar Acts 5. And indeed the innumerable and horrid mischiefes which ensued upon the peoples tumultes about the election of their Bishops which in the Primative times was for some reasons permitted to the people were the very cause for which the Emperour a. Novel Constit 123. Justinian translated that priviledge from the people to the Priests some few of the Citizens which afterwards for the like and some other reasons the Monarchs assume to themselves For he that reads b. In Epitaph Patris Nazianzene concerning the peoples absurdities about the election of Eusebius Bishop of Cesarea Or c. Lib. 1. Cap. 24. Eusebius concerning the peoples outrage about the election of a Bishop at Antioch which sea was eight yeares together vacant by reason the peoples differences could not be reconciled in all that space Or d. Lib. 2. Cap. 5. Euagrius concerning the horrible murders committed by the people of Alexandria about the election of a Bishop to that sea upon the deposition of Dioscorus Or e. Eccles Hist l. 2. C. 1◠Ruffinus concerning the bloody Intestine warres amongst the people of Rome about the election of Damascus where the places of prayer overflowed with the blood of men wil never Judge it safe nor convenient that any such prerogative as the election and constitution of Kings and Monarchs should pertaine to the people whose factions and distempers occasioned such horrid and barbarous mischiefs and murders about the elections onely but of their own Bishops 3. Their inconstancie an inseparable effect and consequence of the two former For God himself could never please the people long with any of his blessings though he gave them bread from Heaven yet their soules soon loathed it Numb 11.6 Though the Lord appointed the weakest man upon the earth for their Ruler and Judge yet they complained of his Tyranny Numb 16.3 And you see what great joy they expressed upon the desertion of Moses and the exaltation of the golden Calf which f. Loc. Com. Class 4. Ca. 20. Peter Martyr makes the ground of his result concerning the Illegality and Injustice of the placing such a Power in the people in the collation and arbitrary reassumption of this Supreamacy For saith he If any such Power were in the people the most just and gratious Kings could not be safe For though they Rule never so well yet they shall never long satisfie the people And now to compleat the confutation of this opinion concerning the peoples right unto and power in this Royal investiture I shal return an answer to the Arguments alledged for the propugnation thereof and to those damnable and execrable Inferences grounded thereupon 1. To these Instances of Scripture mentioning the peoples making and anointing of Kings I answer that these acts of the people were performed two wayes 1. Sometimes as acts of homage and duty by way of acknowledgement and testification of the Supreamacy already Legally confirmed upon the person to whom these dutyes are performed And such acts are expressed upon two several occasions 1. Where God did conferre this Supreamacy and Regal honour by any extraordinary wayes and means as in Saul David Solomon and Jeroboam 2 Where God used their meanes for the Vindication of the Kings just Title against an usurper As in Joas whom Jehoiada the Priest and the Captaines and people crowned and anointed King in the Temple restoring him to his just Rights which had been usurped by his Grand-Mother Athaliah 2 Kin. 11.12.13 And in Vzziah the son of Amaziah whom the people restored to his just Power which the conspirators who flew his Father had usurped And in both these cases the acts of the people are good and lawful and approved by God being declared to be the wil of God upon the former occasion extraordinarily upon the latter ordinarily 2. These acts of the people are sometimes acts of power and Authority collating this Supreamacy and Regal power upon some person who hath no other right or Title thereunto neither of Birth-right nor of Revelation from God As upon Absalom Adonijah Jehoahaz Judas Theudas and Barchozba who professed himself the Messiah and drew the people into rebellion against the Romane Emperor which occasioned those warres wherein
Jerusalem and the Jewes were destroyed And these acts of the people are sinful and rebellious and so declared by Gods judgements thereupon For wheresoever the Scriptures mention the constitution of a King after this manner you shal find that they likewise record not onely the frustrations of the peoples endeavours but also that they were frustrated by some heavy and suddaine judgements from God both upon the usurper whereby he was degraded from his undue honour and the people who presumed to conferre that honour upon him without a warrant from God and so by that meanes to obtrude a deputy upon God of their own and not of Gods election And you may further observe for satisfaction in this point that these acts of the peoples in a King and anointing of Kings are onely mentioned where some of these occasions happened that is where there was an Interruption of the ordinary meanes of conferring this Supreamacy by Birth-right and Hereditary succession either by the Interposition of Gods just Prerogative in the advancement of some person by extraordinary and Immediate Revelation or else by the usurpation of some who had no right or Title at all but force and violence either private of themselves and some few partners wherein God stirred up the people to Vindicate the Kings Right or publique of the people but where the Supreamacy and Soveraign Power with all the appendages descended by Birth-right there is no mention at all made of the people though the acts of duty and homage was as necessary to be performed to such Kings and were also actually performed to all who enjoyed the Crown by Hereditary succession as Abijah Asa Iehosaphat Iehoram and the rest to whom the people were no lesse subject and obedient then to those who were appointed by God but yet I say in those cases the peoples act of submission and homage are not expressed but presupposed as known acts of duty to those Kings who attained the Supreamacy by those ordinary and known meanes of Birth-right and Hereditary succession 2. To the reason alledged for the peoples Right to this Royal Investiture I answer that the honour and submission which the people exhibit to their King are not acts of favour to be conferred and disposed voluntarily at their own will and pleasure but acts of duty whereunto they are obliged by the Law of God And therefore must be performed to such as God esteems worthy of the honour to be his Deputies and not upon such as themselves judge worthy to be their Ruler For as it was not necessary that God should require our consent to make us so neither is it necessary that he should require our consent to govern us For though the Angels be Invested with a Supreamacy over men and men over natural Agents yet neither did the natural Agents elect or constitute men their Lords and superiors nor men the Angels And therefore that God who did constitute and ordain these degrees of superiority and subordination amongst the species of the Universe without their consent may by the same right and justice constitute the like degrees of distinction amongst the particulars of any species without any concurrent Act of theirs For you know the people are obliged to exhibit acts of honour and reverence to the Judge but it doth not therefore follow that the people make that man a Judge but he is made such by letters Patents from the King without asking any consent from the people 3. To S. Peters testimony I answer that the Apostles expression there doth relate partly unto the subject of soveraignty that is the King who in his natural capacity is properly a man and patrly to the object of Royal power which is the people upon whom that power is exercised In both which respects it may be properly termed an ordinance of man But it doth not at all relate unto the Originall and Efficient cause of that power which is God himself and neither King nor people 3. To that former inference that though the King be Major singulis yet he is minor Vniversis I answer that it is a distinction 1. Absurd and ridiculous in nature 2. Sencelesse and destructive in Policy 3. Groundlesse and damnable in Divinity 1. In Nature for a Kings Power must needs be the same with a Fathers in substance onely the Kings is more absolute and more obligatory as I shall shew hereafter both being grounded upon the same precept and exprest in the same words And can any believe that if a Father have thirteen sons seven of those mayby joynt consent renounce their Father and depose him from all Authority either over themselves or their other six brethren seize his estate and lock him up in a close rooms I believe if the observator the Author of this Corollarie should be so served by his own sonnes he would not commend them for dutyful children 2. In Policy It is sencelesse and destructive For if the Major part of the people be superior to the King then the Government is not Monarchicall but Democraticall and that also a Democracy of the basest sort For every species of Policy derives its denomination and nature from those who are Invested with the Supreamacy And that confusion and destruction is alwayes the conclusion of such a Government both experience and the generall consent of Polititians doth declare 3. In Divinity It is groundless and damnable being directly contrary to that express Rule which God himself hath prescribed in this case Exod. 23.2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evill nor speak in a cause to decline after many Where God plainly declares that the universality of the offenders cannot legitimate the fault as appeares also in the sinne of erecting the golden Calf Absaloms conspiracy and the forecited Instances For though it be a maxime in Policy that multitudo peccaâ—tium tellit peccatum i. e. poenam pecâ—ati It is as true a Maxime in Divinity that multitudo peccantium aggravat peccatum i. e. culpam the guilt of sinne and the more I seduce the more guilt I contract and though the multitude of partakers may secure me from punishment in foro Judicii humani yet I am sure to receive the just reward of that sin at Gods Tribunal from which the whole society both of men and Devils cannot secure me 4. To return a direct answer to the second Corollary we must distinguish the parts of that stipulation or Covenant which are three viz Materia Finis Forma 1. The matter of the Covenant is two-fold 1. Ex qua and that is the Lawes and Rules of justice 2. Circa quam and that is the people who are the objects of al Acts of justice grounded upon these Lawes 2. The end of that Covenant is two-fold 1. Principalis which is either primus and that is Gods glory or à primo-ortus and that is the Kings honour who is Gods Deputy 2. minus principalis and that is salus populi 3. The form of
the Covenant which is the obligatory part and as they truly alledged implyeth a mutual engagement of the parties therein concerned Now the parties Primarily and Originally concerned in this Covenant are two viz God upon the one party and the people upon the other party as Moses declareth when he reciteth that Original and general Covenant which is indeed the ground of all other particular Covenants Lev. 26. Deut. 28. And therefore Solomon maketh this Covenant a ground why people should obey the Kings Commandments not as the Kings but as Gods Commandment which he termeth the oath Eccles 8.4 is not so much between the King and people as between God and the people For the King is onely the Deputative party assigned by God and entrusted by him for the performance of this Covenant upon Gods part And therefore the Lord doth make the King gracious or Tyrannical to the people according to their own deserts and their regard to this Covenant upon their own part as Solomon declares Prov. 21.1 The Kings heart saith he is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turns it which way soever he will viz either for a vengeance or recompence to the people as the Lord himself judgeth of their merits And though the King may spare the wicked and persecute the Righteous even unto death as Pilate did our Saviour yet even in that the King doth but execute Gods decrees as the holy Ghost declareth concerning that unjust judgement of Pilates Acts 4.28 For Pilate did nothing but what God had determined before to be donne And therefore when the King passeth a judgement which we imagine to be unrighteous we must not look upon the Kings judgement and consider that it commeth from him and still refrain both our mouths and hearts from cursing the King Eccles 10.20 For when the King doth that which by the publique law is not warrantable and just he is not therein unjust to us but to himself For though he do not observe the Rule which God hath set for him to judge by and therefore must account to God for the breach of the trust received from him yet he cannot transgresse the Rule of Gods Eternal Decrees which God hath appointed us to be judged by According to which Law God by the Kings mouth and sentence doth punish even our most secret sinnes For every mans judgement is from the Lord and not from the Judge or Ruler Prov. 29.26 So that in a word the King may do male that s a wrong to himself for which he is accomptable to God but he cannot do malum that is any wrong to us by inflicting any thing upon us which is not just and according to our deserts from God whose place the King supplyes in judgement which is the ground of Solomons assertion that The Kings lips do pronounce Divine sentences and that his mouth transgresseth not in judgement Prov. 16.10 Now therefore upon these grounds of Solomons it is manifest that there is no sense why the people should claim any power over the King by vertue of this Covenant 1. Because he is not their Deputy but Gods and every man must account to him for his actions who doth constitute and depute him As when the King doth depute a Judge for any Province or City the people under his command have no power to question him for any act which they conceive unjust but either by petition to that Judge or else by their addresses to the King his Master whose trust all corrupt Judges do deceive and not the trust of the people For they never received any Power or Authority from the people but from the King And in like maner the people for redresse of their grievances from the kings oppressions must address themselves to the King by petition and if that prevail not then to God by prayer who is the Kings Lord and Master and from whom he receives his power and whose trust he breaks by acts of injustice which is ultimum Refugium as Samuel declares when he prophesieth of Sauls Tyranny whereby the people should be grievously oppressed as the Prophet foresheweth for redress whereof the people when the King would not hear them should cry unto the Lord. 1 Sam. 8.18 Other meanes of remedy then which the prophet Samuel did not dream of nor could not prescribe to the people to make use of and whereas if he had conceived resistance to be lawful he might soon have found out that way and have advised the people so to provide for their own security 2. Because the people never received injustice from the King if they look upon themselves for the judgement is the Lords who cannot do injustice nor break the Covenant upon his part although the minister or Deputy may fail and offend in the execution of his office in his own particular which is his own guilt As a Hangman that executes the just sentence of death upon a malefactor if in doing his office his intentions have not reference to the sentence of justice but the satisfaction of some private grudge or some covetous design or the like that officer is guilty of murder although the Malefactor receive from his hands nothing but his due deserts And thus much I hope may be sufficient to declare the errour and vanity of that opinion that the peoples consent and approbation are the ordinary and Instrumental meanes and causes of that supremacy and Soveraign power which doth preheminence the Monarch above all others within the same society and from whence he derives his title to the Regal Diademe I shall in the next place proceed to speak of the just efficacy and virtue of birth-right as to this purpose CHAP. VII Of the Title of Birth-right THE second opinion concerning the efficient cause and meanes of this Supremacy and Regal Dignity is that which Imputes it to Birth-right and Hereditary succession The efficacy whereof as to this purpose the Scriptures do set forth in five pâ—â—ticulars 1. In the prerogatives of the first-born who were hoâ—◠〈◊〉 by God with a double fanction 1. Ceremonial which did meerly Typical and common to man and beast Exod. 13 2◠〈◊〉 this sanction did not qualifie a man in relation to any temporal honour but prefigured onely the Spiritual prerogatives of Christ the first-born amongst many brethren 2. Natural which sanction did preheminence the first-born above all his brethren in honours and possessions as the Lord declared to Cain Gen. 4.7 And Isaac to Jacob who although he was younger then Esau yet obtained that prerogative by promise from God Gen. 25.23 Which by composition was confirmed from Esau himself Gen. 25.33 which was the ground and cause why those prerogatives of honour Soveraignty and possessions were confirmed unto him by his fathers blessing Gen. 27.28.29 And Jacob acknowledged the same honour and Supremacy to pertain unto Reuben his eldest sonne but because Reuben had forfeited that honour by defyling his fathers bed and Simeon and Levi the
of respect and reverence unto any person whose merits wee conceive to make a just title thereunto and this is that Honour whereof Aristotle's Maxime is to be understood that honor est in honorante non in honorate And this Honour is two-fold Fictitius Verus 1. Fictitious Honour is that which is grounded upon a meere pretence of some excellency worth and goodnesse in honorato the true ground thereof being indeed onely interest and selfe-respects in honorante which is properly Adulation and not Honour the affectation whereof was reproved by our Saviour John 5.44 and was the crime of the ambitious Pharisees who loved the praise of men more then the praise that cometh of God John 12.43 regarding the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 more then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shadow more then the substance 2. True and reall Honour is that which is grounded upon a reall perswasion of some excellency worth and goodnesse in honorato and is a result of Fundamentall Honour relating thereunto as the shadow doth unto the substance And this is twofold viz. Ethicus Politicus 1. Ethicall Honour is that which is grounded upon a perswasion of personall vertue in honorato either Intellectuall as wisdome knowledge prudence and the like or Morall as liberality temperance fortitude justice and the like 2. Politicall Honour is that which is ground upon a perswasion of those Royall excellencies in honorato which do supereminence him above all others in the same society And this againe is twofold viz. Primarius Secundarius 1. Primarie Honour is that which is grounded upon a perswasion and knowledge of Supremacie of power and authority in honorato And this is twofold viz. Activus Passivus 1. Active Honour is a willing endeavour to performe all his commands expressed in Ecclesiasticall or Civill Lawes and Statutes when wee conceive them to be just and honest and agreeable to the Law of God 2. Passive Honour is a voluntary submission to his Judiciarie decrees and censures for our non-performance of those Commands which we conceive to be dissonant to the Law of God 2. Secondarie Honour is the payment of Tribute Custome and the like contributions out of our estates for the maintenance and support of the Royalty and Magnificence of the Person invested with Royall power and dominion And thus much briefly of the nature and species of the principall end of Monarchy which is God and the Kings Honour It followes now that we should declare the nature and species of the lesse principall end which is Salus populi 2 Salus populi which is the lesse principall end of Monarchy though it be really distinct from the Kings Honour as the Relatum is from the Correlatum yet is an individuall Concomitant thereof and indeed a meere result and product of the same for salus populi can never be effected by any other meanes but those which in the first place doe effectuate and energate the Kings Honour whether we look upon the Monarchicall actons of King or Subjects both which are vers't about the same object and matter onely in a diverse manner For the King by reason of the Supremacy of his power and authority is interested onely in the active part of Government and therefore he acts for his owne honour and the peoples welfare by composing Lawes and Statutes wherein he commands things tending to the preservation of peace and unity in that society a principall ground of both the former ends The people are interessed onely in the Passive part of Government and therefore they act for the Kings Honour and their owne welfare by their obedience and submission to the Kings commands expressed in those Lawes and Statutes the violation whereof is a direct meanes of dishonour to God and the King and of ruine and destruction to the people For which cause Jeremy exhorted the captive Jewes in Babylon to pray for the peace and prosperity of that King because their owne peace and welfare depended upon his Jer. 29.7 And Paul also pressed Timothy and the Ephesians unto the practise of the same duty in behalfe of their Kings and Magistrates for the same reason 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Now though this salus populi being a result of the Kings Honour be capable of the same parts and divisions with the Kings Honour the fountaine thereof yet to avoid prolixity I shall referre the actuall specification of its parts unto the Readers Meditations it being no difficult matter to judge of the species of the Relatum by the divisions of the correlatum reprepresented in the premises And this briefe Analysis of God and the Kings honour and salus populi or the peoples welfare I hope may be sufficient for a generall survey of the nature and parts of the ends of Monarchie for a more full and perfect explication whereof I shall in the ensuing Chapter insist upon the resolution of a Quaere prescribing the due limitation of the Kings power CHAP. X. Of the due limitation of the Kings Power THe Quaere conducing to a plenary narration and exegesis of this point are both numerous and weighty one whereof I purpose to insist upon in this Chapter which I doe acknowledge was not the meanest inducement that gave life unto this present discourse of Monarchy the Solution whereof I suppose will present the Reader with a glimpse of some of those nationall crimes which have drawne upon us these nationall calamities a subject fitter for an entire Tract then a particular Chapter But my designe at present is rather to start then state this Question hoping a more learned and judicious Pen may supply the defects of mine by a more punctuall and satisfactorie discussion and determination of this point so profoundly mysterious both in Divinity and Policy Quaere What matters are within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance and what are res extra-regales and metapoliticall matters wherein the King cannot exercise either his Legislative or Judiciarie power without guilt of sacrilegious intrusion Sol. This Quaere consists of two parts the latter consequentiall of the former and both of them immediate expedients to enunciate the quality and extent of the Kings Commission from God the sole ground both of the Kings Power and the Subjects Obedience For though Kings be stiled Gods in Scripture Psal 82.6 and are indeed really so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in their Politicke capacity referring to their power over their Subjects yet wee all know that they are not so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. in their physicall capacity referring to their nature and essence for they shall dye like men Psal 82.7 And therefore the right understanding of the nature of the Kings Commission and Deputation from God I conceive to be a point of necessary concernment 1. For Subjects that they may more perfectly understand the just extent of this Commission and in what things God hath thereby delegated a Power unto Kings over Subjects for direction of their duty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 i. e. reddendi aesari quae sunt Caesaris 2. For Kings more especially that they may truely understand the due limitation of this Commission and in what things God hath reserved the power entire to himselfe and to conscience his highest and most immediate deputy and substitute for direction of the Kings duty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. reddendi Deo quae sunt Dei For as it is sacrilegious in Subjects to intrude upon the sacred Rights and Prerogatives of Kings and to act in any thing as Judges or Commanders without Commission from him so is it much more sacrilegious in Kings to intrude upon the more sacred Rights and Prerogatives of God and to act as Gods Lords and Masters over their Subjects in those matters whereunto their Commission from God doth not extend nor invest them with a right of power and dominion over their Subjects Now to give a direct answer to this Quaere it will be requisite to premise some distinctions concerning the object of Politicall Cognizance which is two-fold viz. Objectum per se Objectum per accidens 1. Objectum per se which is the direct and immediate Object of Politicall Cognizance consists in the Fundamentals and Essentials of Politick Government being such causes and matters wherein the King may lawfully exercise both his Legislative and Judiciarie power over all persons within his Dominions both Ecclesiasticall and Civill 2. Objectum per accidens which is the indirect and accidentall Object of Political Cognizance consists in the Contingentials of Politique Government being such causes and matters wherein the King may lawfully exercise both his Legislative and Judiciarie power over some persons of both sorts whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill but not over some of either sort although they be his native Subjects inhabiting within his owne Dominions The discussion of which two points manifesting what doth fall directly and what ex accidenti within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance will be a full and direct Solution of the former part of this Quaere from whence it will be easie to conclude what are extra-regalia and Metapoliticall matters The judgement whereof God hath reserved immediately to himselfe and conscience his immediate Deputy and Vicegerent in all humane affaires and wherein the King cannot exercise either his Legislative or Judiciarie power without guilt of sacrilegious intrusion which will be a direct and full answer to the latter part of this Quaere The point which our method presents unto our scrutiny in the first place is the Objectum per se of Politicall Cognizance which as we said consists in the Essentials and Fundamentals of Politick Government which are twofold viz. Nativa Praeternativa 1. The Native Fundamentals and Essentials of Politick Government are such causes and matters as were of Political Cognizance upon the first originall Institution of that Government when mans innate knowledge and native light of understanding was sufficient for the direction of his duty without the help of positive Lawes and Statutes and the native rectitude and inclination of mans will was sufficient to excite the performance of his duty without the help of any Judiciarie inducements either Compensatorie or Vindicative But for the more full and facile investigation and discovery of these Fundamentals and Essentials these two expedients are conducible 1. The consideration of the time when 2. Of the grounds whereupon Politick Government was first instituted by God 1. The time when Politick Government was first instituted was immediately upon mans first creation in the state of Innocency and under the old Covenant of Workes for Politick Government as we formerly manifested is a naturall blessing enabling man for the due performance of his naturall duties and grounded upon the fifth Commandement of the Morall Law prescribing honour to Parents which commenced upon mans first creation before Adams Apostasie by virtue of which law of Nature the Herauldrie of Sub Supra did then receive a being amongst men and Parents by virtue of that naturall law were invested with a power and dominion over their Children and Children obliged unto the duties of subjection and obedience to their Parents So that though Adams sinfull prevarication had never devested himselfe and his posterity of their native Prerogatives yet this graduall Herauldry of Sub Supra supereminencing Parents above their Children should have had its due and naturall influence upon mankind For even Christ himselfe although totally exempted from all manner of enormous guilt both actuall and originall yet was not exempted from this duty of subjection to his parents Luke 2.51 Whence it is manifest in the first place that the Native Fundamentals and Essentials are onely naturall duties consisting in the right use of those naturall blessings wherewith God did invest man upon his first creation before his Apostasie purposely to enable him for the exact and due performance of those duties which God required of him in the state of Innocency under the old Covenant of Workes And therefore as the duties which God did then require of man were partly Internall partly Externall so did he conferre upon man two sorts of naturall blessings correspondent unto these duties 1. Internall blessings which are bona animi or the blessings of the soule 2. Externall which are bona corporis fortunae the right use of which two sorts of naturall blessings is the very summe and substance of all the naturall duties expressed in the Decalogue or law of Nature which was the Rule of all humane actions before Adams Apostasie For the regulation of all Internall acts of the understanding and will which are the faculties of our soules was prescribed in the first and last precepts of that law of Nature And the regulation of all Externall actions concerning the body and those naturall creatures which God made for the use and service thereof was prescribed in the other eight And other duties then these were not at that time either knowne unto man or required of him by God so that no Politicall or Monarchicall power could possibly at that time be extended to any other matters but onely these naturall duties prescribed in the Decalogue A further restriction also of which power is prescribed in the second expedient conducing to the Investigation of the Native Essentials and Fundamentals of Politick Government which is the grounds whereupon it was instituted 2. The grounds of the institution of Politick Government are two viz. Primarie and Secondarie 1. The Primarie ground is the power of communicating a being and existence which indeed is the very ground whereupon the Holy Ghost doth demonstrate the Deity and prove the Lord alone to be God and to have the sole right of power and dominion over man because God alone doth communicate life and being and all things unto man Acts 17.24 For because it is he that made us and not we our selves therefore we must wholly devote our selves to his worship and service as his people and servants Psal
100.2 And the reason why the Holy Ghost prohibited the exhibition of any honour or reverence unto Idols is because they cannot give any being unto man nor frame any man in the womb Esay 44.24 so that the primarie and originall ground of Politick Government is the power to communicate a being and existence which power God delegated unto man immediately upon his first creation by that propagatorie benediction Crescite multiplicamini Gen. 1.28 From which fountaine did flow the other secondarie and immediate ground of Politick Government 2. The Secondarie ground is the graduall and distinctive Herauldry of Sub Supra above mentioned supereminencing one man above another For as God did ordaine parents to be his instruments in the communication of a being unto their children so did he likewise ordaine that children should be so farre forth subject and inferiour unto their parents from whom they doe derive their being as they doe depend upon their parents for the same For whereas God himselfe by way of creation did communicate unto Adam the entire being both of soule and body in both which respects Adam is stiled the sonne of God Luke 3. last so did he thereupon ordaine that Adam should be subject and obedient unto himselfe in all the actions and motions both of soule and body and whereas God did ordaine Adam and all his descendents to be Gods instruments by virtue of that propagatorie benediction in the communication of the corporeall part of being unto their children so did God likewise ordain the subjection and obedience of children unto their parents to be extended unto all the extrinsecall actions and motions of the body God reserving still the power and command over the intrinsecall acts of the soule of every man entire to himselfe because every soule doth still derive its being immediately from God and not from our parents Whence it is manifest in the second place that those Native Fundamentals and Essentials which are the proper and adaequate Object of Politicall Cognizance are only the Externall duties of the Morall law consisting in the right use of the Externall blessings of nature viz. bona corporis fortunae which are the onely blessings hereditarily descendable and communicable unto children from their parents For seeing all Politick Government is grounded upon paternall as a Policy is upon an Oeconomie which are not essentially but only circumstantially different both of them regulating the same duties and actions onely whereas an Oeconomy doth regulate the actions of one family a Policy doth regulate the actions of many families And seeing all paternall Government is grounded upon this Herauldry of Sub Supra established betweene Parents and Children by the fifth Commandement and this graduall and distinctive Herauldry upon the power to communicate a being and existence delegated unto parents by Gods propagatory benediction Gen. 1 28. which benediction reacheth onely the corporall and not the spirituall part of man It doth necessarily follow that no Politicall or Monarchicall power can be directly extended to any other matters but onely the corporeall and externall duties of the Morall Law Ob. If the communication of a being and existence were the ground of this Herauldry of Sub Supra then all children should be subject and inferiour unto their parents but Asa King of Judah was not subject to his grandmother Maacha but did depose her and yet was not reproved but commended for that act 2 Chron. 15.16 And so was Joash for the deposition of Athaliah his fathers mother 2 Chron. 23. and therefore the communication of a being cannot be the primarie ground either of that subordination or of the institution of Government Sol. All men as men and in their naturall capacity are inferiour and ought to be subject unto their parents but men as Kings and in their Politick capacity cannot be children unto any man nor have any father but God and therefore are stiled by the Holy Ghost the children of God Psal 82.6 I have said Ye are children of the most high and therefore in this sense they cannot be inferiour or subject unto any but God alone and so by consequence must be above their owne naturall parents in Rule Dominion and Power and in case of justice must not respect that naturall relation no more then Asa did respect it in his grandmother Maacha who in this Politick relation was not a Parent or Judge but a subject and child to her owne naturall grandchild and so was Athaliah to Joash And the Virgin Mary to her sonne Christ Jesus who rebuked his own mother when she presumed to command in matters above her sphere for a miraculous supply of the defect of wine Iohn 2 Woman what have I to do with thee He doth not here give her the stile of Mother but of Woman as if she had no relation of a parent and governour to him because that command or desire which she transmitted to him could not be performed by him as he was a man and her naturall sonne but onely as he was a God and so a spirituall father to his owne naturall mother And thus much briefly of the Native Fundamentals and Essentials of Politick Government the next point to be spoken of is the Preternative 2. The Preternative Fundamentals and Essentials of Politick Government are those matters which fell directly within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance upon the restitution of that Government when that blessing amongst others which are the ground and object thereof was renewed unto man by the mercy of God in Christ after Adams sinfull prevarication had devested both himselfe and his posterity of all those blessings wherewith God had inriched his created nature which blessings of nature were not renewed unto man in their native integrity and perfection but onely in such a measure as the wisdome of God saw most expedient to immind man of his owne infirmity and selfe-insufficiency whereby to occasion the application of himselfe to seeke for happinesse in the mercy of God in Christ and not in any naturall perfections worth or excellency of his owne For which purpose God was pleased to leave the understanding of man in statis suo restituto so much obnubilated that his naturall knowledge is not sufficient for direction of such naturall duties as are requisite to peace and unity the meanes to preserve humane society which is one of the ends of Politick Government which defect therefore in naturall knowledge God ordained to be supplied by the exercise of the Kings Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes for mans direction both in Ecclesiasticall and Civill affaires And for the same purpose did likewise leave the will of man so much depraved that his naturall inclination is not sufficient to excite him to the performance of such naturall duties as are requisite unto the preservation peace and unity of humane societies though hee did know and understand them but rather unto those opposite sins and transgressions which tend to the dissolution
the words of Solomon are to be understood onely of Kings in reference to the exercise of their power upon us which whether it be for good or hurt is still from God whose Deputies all Kings are and whose heart the Lord ruleth either for our benefit or prejudice Prov. 21.4 And therefore we may not thinke them evill or unjust to us for the Judgement is not theirs but Gods Prov. 26.29 who cannot be unjust And if we looke in Esay 3. you shall finde that God owneth all the grievous oppressions and violences which Tyrants exercise upon their Subjects for judgements and punishments sent upon that people or nation by his owne selfe and to demonstrate that all Kings act by his immediate direction he hath made the decrees and ordinances of Heathen Kings subservient to his glory and his peoples good not onely on accidenti by his providence but ex proposito in their owne purposes as is apparent in the decrees of Cyrus and Darius to build the Temple of God whom they knew not and of Nebuchadnezzar to honour his name all which three were meere Heathens The fourth and last Reason why this fift Commandement cannot be a Precept of the second Table is because it doth not enjoyne such a retaliation of love as every Commandement of the second Table doth for every Commandement of the second Table doth enjoyne our neighbour to returne the like respects and measure of love to us as we doe give to him but this fift Commandement doth not enjoyne our parents to honour and reverence us as we are bound thereby to honour and reverence them therefore it cannot be a Commandement of the second Table And if you doe observe it you shall finde this rule of Retaliation to be a perfect note of difference betweene the duties of the first and of the second Table for no duty of the first Table doth oblige God to returne the same respects to us which we are obliged to exhibite to him for wee are bound to worship him and love him above all and to expresse this love in every faculty both of soule and body but God is not obliged to worship us nor to love us after such a manner but our neighbour is obliged to returne the same measure of love to us which wee are bound to exhibite unto him either in his body goods or good name I confesse indeed that parents are engaged to performe duties to their children as well as children are to parents but those are onely such paternall duties of protection and provision as God himselfe is also obliged to performe unto his dutifull children by his Covenant for conferring blessings upon them when they truely honour him Deut. 28. and 29. for performance of the externall part of which Covenant God doth substitute Kings and parents as his instruments to convey these blessings unto Subjects and children but these duties are not so much as intimated in the fift Commandement but are enjoyned onely in that generall Covenant betweene God and his people who therefore doth make Kings and parents indulgent to subjects and children whereby to expresse his care for performance upon his part when Subjects and children are obedient unto God and his Deputies and thereby carefull to performe upon their part The Reasons concluding the Affirmative part that this fift Commandement is a Precept of the first Table are eight The first is grounded upon our Saviours answer to the young man Mat. 19.18 Marke 10.17 Luke 18.20 In all which places this Precept Honour thy father and thy mother is intended by Christ to enjoyne all the duties of the first Table of the Morall Law for God you know is often in Scripture stiled Father as in Mat. 6. wee finde him stiled Father twelve times but we never finde him stiled Neighbour in all the Scripture for to love God but in the same manner which wee are bound to love our neighbour that is like our selves were selfe Idolatry And besides our duty to God is oftentimes enjoyned in this very expression of Honour as 1 Sam. 2.30 where this word Honour importeth the whole duty of man towards God in which sense this word Honour is also used by our Saviour John 8.49 And therefore it is manifest seeing God is capable of the title of Father and that this expression of Honour may be properly extended to all the duties due unto God which are the duties of the first Table that this Precept of Honour thy father and mother may comprehend all the duties of the first Table and that it doth so in this place I doe prove thus Christ in his answer must needs mention all those duties which are necessary to salvation for else his rule were not perfect but the duties of the first Table are equally if not more necessary to life then the duties of the second Table and cannot be included in any other Precept which Christ reciteth in those Texts therefore all the duties of the first Table must necessarily be comprehended in this Precept Honour thy father and mother upon which premised grounds it doth necessarily follow that this fift Commandement is a Precept of the first Table For That Precept which comprehendeth all the duties of the first Table must needs be a Precept of the first Table but this very Precept comprehendeth all the duties of the first Table as the premises demonstrate ergo The second Reason is grounded upon the nature of God which is being and existence for in Exod. 3. he defineth himself by this expression I am and upon this ground both David Psal 1â—0 Isaiah Chap. 44. and Saint Paul Acts 17. proves the Lord alone to be God because no creature no not the Angels themselves are able to give a life or motion or being unto man but onely God whose essence life and being is and therefore communicable onely from him so that whatsoever hath a power to communicate a being doth supply the place of God but parents have a power to communicate a being unto their children ergo they relate unto their children as Gods and not as men and by consequence the duties performed by children unto parents must be duties of the first Table and so likewise the Precept which enjoynes them must be a Precept of the same Table The third Reason as likewise all the five following alledged by Saint Paul Rom. 13. for motives to perswade submission to higher Powers every one of which Reasons doe demonstrate Kings and Magistrates who are Politick parents to have the relation of Gods unto the people is taken from the Author of the Kings power and that is God Ver. 1. For there is no power but of God Though the men invested with that power be as unjust and wicked as Pilate whose power Christ himselfe acknowledged to flow from that sacred fountaine John 19.11 upon which ground the King in the exercise of his power is alwayes stiled the Minister of God Ver. 4. yea and oftentimes also a very God as Psal
82.6 And Moses is stiled Aarons God Exod. 4.16 And of these Gods Saint Paul meant when he affirmed many Gods to be in earth 1 Cor. 8.8 Now in regard the King doth represent the person of God he is to be honoured not according to what he is in himselfe and in his naturall capacity that is as a man but according to what the person is whom hee represents and that is God For you know the respects which we exhibite to the Mayor of a towne which happily may be a Cobler are not proportioned according to the worth and honour of that Cobler but according to the worth and honour of the King whom he represents and therefore within those limits where that Cobler doth represent this Majesty and exercise this power derived from the King he is in all respects preferred above all other men of what quality soever though Knights or Lords and therefore our duties to the King cannot relate to him in his naturall capacity as a man but in his Politick as he represents the person of God and by consequence this fift Commandement must be a Precept of the first Table Some Jewish Writers upon this very ground and reason do concurre in this opinion that this fift Commandement pertaineth to the first Table because Kings are stiled Gods Psal 82. and Ministers of God whereunto that learned and reverend Divine * In his Tract upon the Morall Law p. 105. Bishop Andrewes returneth this answer That not onely superiours but also inferiours are included in that Commandement which excludes it from the first Table But with reverence to his great learning and humble submission to better reason I cannot in this particular captivate my assent either to his answer opinion or reason for if that were sufficient to seclude the fift the same reason would exclude also the fourth Commandement out of the first Table because both son and daughter and maid and man-servant yea even oxe and asse also are therein expresly mentioned But that which distinguisheth the two Tables is the object of the duty to whom it is to be performed and not the subject who is to performe it And wee doe not finde that the duties of the fift Commandement are to be performed to any inferiours but onely to superiours And besides this judicious Divine himselfe who is deservedly honoured both for piety and knowledge although he dissent from this opinion and in his division of the Commandements doth make this fift Commandement a Precept of the second Table yet in that Argument which he alledgeth to perswade the sincerity of submission and obedience to Princes he proves it directly to be a Precept of the first It pleased God a In his exposition of the fift Commandement saith hee to give this Commandement roome before our goods yea before our life to shew that obedience to Princes must be preferred before either our estate or life Now if Princes must be dearer to us then our selves how can they have the relation of neighbours upon whom the law of God doth not enjoyne us to set any such estimate The fourth reason is taken from the nature of the sinne which is the breach and transgression of this Commandement which is a sinne immediately against God For he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Ver. 2. and therefore Rebellion against the Prince is termed a Rebellion against God as appeares Numb 14.2 3 4. where the Lord doth threaten the punishment of the peoples Rebellion upon the report of the ten spies not as a sinne against Moses but against himselfe And so likewise the Rebellion of Korah is tearmed a Rebellion not against Moses but against God Numb 27.3 And Christ saith those that despise his Messengers despise him Luke 11.16 And the Prodigall acknowledgeth his disobedience to his father to be a sinne first against heaven Luke 15. And Saint Paul saith that he that despised the Apostles despised not man but God 1 Thes 4.8 because their calling was Gods ordinance as also the Kings is And this was the ground of Gamaliels Argument whereby he disswaded the Councell from using violence to the Apostles because if their power were from God in fighting against the Apostles they should fight against God Acts 5. And therefore the transgression of this Commandement being a sinne properly against God as the immediate object this fift Commandement must needs be it Precept of the first Table The fift Reason is taken from the nature of the punishment due to the sinnes against this fift Commandement and that is damnation Rom. 13.2 which is Saint Pauls third motive to obedience for that punishment is generally due to all the sins against the first Table but not to all the sins against the second For by damnation here in this Text the Apostle must needs understand the punishment of temporall death which the Judiciall Law ordained to be inflicted for every trespasse against God and the offences against the law of the first Table which were judged not according to the dammage which ensued upon the offence like the offences against our neighbour where a man was to loose eye for eye tooth for tooth and the like but according to the quality of the person against whom they were committed for he that transgrest the fourth Commandement by gathering onely a few sticks was commanded to be stoned to death Levit. 24.15 And hee that blasphemed or cursed God was to die the death Numb 15.35 Now all transgressions against our parents were to be punished after the same manner and not according to the dammage which ensued for he that did smite his father or mother was to be put to death though no dammage ensued Exod. 21.15 Nay if he did but curse them he was to suffer death Ver. 17. which punishments were not due by the Law for any such offences against our neighbour but onely against God and sinnes of the first Table and therefore this fift Commandement must be a Precept of the first Table And the reason why I doe judge this damnation to be meant of a temporall punishment which is inflicted by the Magistrate and not of eternall which is inflicted by God is because in reference to Gods eternall punishments all sinnes are alike damnable and punishable with eternall damnation and so Saint Pauls reason should not be any motive more proper to perswade this duty then any other but in reference to temporall punishments inflicted by the Magistrate the sinnes onely against God and the first Table are made generally and universally capitall by the Law of Moses and the same were also made capitall by the lawes of other Nations for mens words against the King may render them guilty of treason and so of death which mens words against their neighbours doe not doe The sixt reason is grounded upon those acts which are said to be the duties of the King which are to revenge and recompence Ver. 3 4. which is Saint Pauls fourth motive to obedience
The Argument is this To whomsoever the power of vengeance and recompence pertaineth he is a God for God himselfe affirmeth those prerogatives to be peculiar to himselfe Deut. 22.35 36. But both these prerogatives pertaine unto the King as Saint Paul affirmeth in this Text ergo Kings are Gods and by consequence the fift Commandement which prescribeth our duty to them must be a Precept of the first Table The seventh Reason is grounded upon the nature of that obligation which the commands of Kings doe impose upon their Subjects which binde the conscience Ver. 5. which is Saint Pauls fift motive to obedience Wherefore ye must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Which reason Saint Peter alledgeth also to perswade this kind of submission to Kings 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves for the Lords sake because the submission is not to man but to God Ephes 6.7 whose Majesty and Authority the King doth represent and in the latter part of this second Chapter Saint Peter presseth this kind of submission for conscience sake and the Lords sake by Christs example who needed not to have submitted to Pilate or the Jewes for wrath for he was able to overthrow them all with a blast of the breath of his mouth as he did the officers John 18.6 and shall doe Antichrist at the last day 2 Thes 2. Or to have obtained twelve legions of Angels from his Father for that purpose Mat. 26.53 whereof one single Angell was able to destroy 185000. Assyrians in one night but yet to honour the Substitute and Deputy of his Father he submitted to their power knowing it was his Fathers will and that the judgement was not theirs but Gods Acts 4.28 which is the ground of Nazianzens advise 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We must submit to good Kings as to the Lord himselfe to bad Kings for the Lords sake Upon which grounds it is easie to prove the King to have the relation of a God to his subjects For he that can command the conscience is a God but the commands of the King doe oblige the conscience i. e. in licitis politicis whereunto his Commission doth extend and therefore in reference to all those matters the King is a God to his Subjects And by consequence this fift Commandement prescribing the Subjects duty must be a Precept of the first Table The eight and last Reason is taken from the nature of those acts whereby Subjects ought to expresse their obedience to Kings Ver. 6 7. which is Saint Pauls fixt motive to obedience which acts doe referre either unto the Kings power or else to his maintenance 1. The acts of obedience relating to power are Feare and Honour which are due onely to God Deut. 6.13 Mat. 4.10 Mal. 1.6 But Saint Paul commandeth us to performe these duties unto the King in this Text to which Solomon addeth another precept Prov. 24.21 My sonne feare God and the King And David likewise commanded the people to worship God and King Solomon 1 Chron. 29.20 so that God and the King are made a joynt object of these duties which are peculiar to God ergo the King must supply the place of God in reference to his Subjects and by consequence the fift Commandement must be a Precept of the first Table Ob. Christ forbids us to feare them that can kill the body onely but cannot kill the soule Mat. 10.28 but Kings can onely kill the body and not the soule ergo wee may not feare Kings Sol. That command of Christs is not Positive but Comparative as appeares in the Text and onely prohibits us to feare the King more then God Repl. Then when the Kings commands are contrary to Gods we may resist Sol. We may resist his commands but not his power for in those cases we must obey God by an active the King onely by a passive obedience for which wee have the president of the Apostles themselves Acts 4. and 5. who did refuse to obey the commands of the Rulers prohibiting them to preach in the name of Jesus but yet submitted to their power in yeelding themselves to be imprisoned and beaten according to the commands of the Rulers so that they obeyed both God and the Magistrate the first by doing the latter by suffering 2. The acts of obedience relating to the Kings maintenance are Tribute and Custome whereof I spoke at large in the ninth Chapter of this Booke in the point of Secondary Honour due to the King where I demonstrated these to be due to God onely Primarily and to the King onely Secondarily as he supplies the place of God in Ruling and Judging his people And therefore seeing we are to performe those acts of submission and obedience to the King whereof God himselfe is the proper and immediate object it followeth necessarily that the fift Commandement which prescribeth those acts must be a Commandement of the first Table Now upon these grounds it is easie to frame an answer to the three Arguments alledged for the preheminency of the peoples safety above the Kings Honour whereby to legitimate the resistance of Kings in order to the peoples safety To the first Argument taken from the Law of nature Answ 1 I answer that it is grounded upon a false supposition for the fift Commandement which is the ground of the Kings Honour is not a Precept of the second Table but of the first the duties whereof are grounded upon a love exceeding the love of our selves for the Law of God and Nature teacheth us to love God above our selves Deut. 5.6 Mat. 22.37 and therefore though the King be a man in his naturall capacity and therefore in that sense hath the relation of a neighbour yet in his Politick capacity in which sense onely he is the object of the duties of the fift Commandement he hath the relation of a God to us and not of a neighbour and therefore we ought to regard his Honour above our owne safety and rather to suffer the losse both of our estates friends and life then dishonour him To the second Argument grounded upon the instance of a Generall I answer Answ 2 that the case is farre different For I presume the Argument presupposeth that Generall to be trusted by the King for the safety and protection of that city and not for the destruction of it and that upon this supposition they doe resist him as a Traitor to his trust and in this case the resistance is lawfull because his Commission doth not extend to that act and he is onely a Magistrate so farre as his Commission doth authorize him But suppose the King should have judged that city to be destroyed and authorize that Generall to execute that judgement in this case it were absolutely unlawfull to resist and all acts of opposition in the city or souldiery being the Kings Subjects were absolute treason and rebellion because the Kings Commission from God doth extend absolutely both to our estates and persons nor doth he
breake Gods trust when he destroyes a city because as Solomon witnesseth Prov. 16. that judgement is Gods and the King is sent by God to destroy those cities for the Tyrannicall Prince is Gods servant for the execution of his judgements and hath his heart guided by God Prov. 21.1 as well as the good Prince is for the dispensation of Gods mercies And therefore to resist a Tyrannicall King is to resist God from whom that Tyrant doth derive his power as Christ testifieth of Pilates power John 19.11 which we may not doe to save either our lives or estates To the third Argument I answer Answ 3 that ten thousand instances are not sufficient to legitimate one act expresly prohibited by the Law of God for even the Holy Ghost himselfe doth record the failings of the most holy men and that in the most notorious manner as in Abrahams lie to the Egyptians Gen. 12. Davids Murder and Adultery Solomons Idolatry and Peters Perjury Yea and sometimes we finde their sins passed over without reproofe as in the Polygamie of Jacob David many of the Kings and others yet the silence of the Holy Ghost in passing by this sinne of Polygamie without reproofe did not make it lawfull But for the instances of resistance in David and Elijah they are all particularly answered by severall Authors who have writ of this subject Only the resistance and deposition of Rehoboam is legitimated by Gods expresse approbation but if you observe the Text you shall finde that approbation relates to Rehoboams punishment and losse of the tenne Tribes and not to the peoples act of resistance For saith the Lord this thing is from me that is the renting the ten Tribes from Rehoboam according to his owne words to Solomon 1 King 11.11 but for the peoples act of resistance it is termed a Rebellion 1 Kin. 12.19 For though the deposition of Rehoboam and exaltation of Jeroboam was good and just in it selfe in regard it was the decree of God and accordingly declared to be his will 1 Kin. 11.31 yet in regard the people had no warrant to execute that decree and in regard Jeroboam did not act in order to Gods decree looking upon the execution of that decree against Rehoboam but upon the satisfaction of his ambitious desires it was sinfull both in Jeroboam and the people And that this was Jeroboams end appeares plainly because he durst not trust God for the preservation of his Honour and Dignity although God had promised the perpetuation thereof in the same Chapter Ver. 38 as well as the donation but runne to the Devill for the security of his Crowne erecting two Calves for the people to worship lest if the people should goe up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord should not be able to continue their affections to him nor performe his promise Chap. 12.28 So that God did never approve the act of resistance against the King unlesse by those who had a particular warrant from himselfe as well for the manner as the matter as in Jehu's case 2 King 10.30 without which it is not lawfull for any man to endeavour his owne safety by any resistance or opposition of the Kings power or any other acts of dishonour to the King CHAP. XII What influence Oathes and Covenants ought to have upon the duties either of King or Subjects Quaere SUppose the King have consented to the making of Lawes destructive to his owne Honour which preferre the peoples Safety before it and have also obliged himselfe by Oath for the observance of those Lawes whether may the King breake that Oath and Rule contrary to those Laws for the support and vindication of his owne Honour Sol. This was the case of the Israelites with the Gibeonites with whom the Israelites made a Covenant Josh 9.15 contrary to a former expresse command from God Exod. 23.32 Cha. 34.12 Deut. 7.1 which Covenant therefore was not oney prejudiciall to the Israelites but also unlawfull in it selfe yet after it was confirmed with an Oath by the Israelites they might not breake it Josh 9.19 although it was gained by fraud and subtilty as appeares in the Text For when Saul did ignorantly out of zeale to the children of Israel and Judah imagining the former command of God to lay an higher obligation upon them then their own Oath so fraudulently procured breake that Covenant and destroy the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.1 2 3. the Lord revenged that perjurious act of Sauls upon the whole land of Israel by a constant famine yeare after yeare till the Honour of God was vindicated by the satisfaction of the Gibeonites in the bloud of seven of Sauls sonnes Ver. 9. And the Prophet David further resolves this case in expresse words Psal 15.5 Attesting Gods regard of that mans happinesse who doth regard Gods honour being thus engaged above all selfe-respects by performing what he hath sworne though it be to his owne hinderance and therefore the King may not breake a Law confirmed by an Oath although it be destructive to his owne Honour The reason whereof is Because Gods Honour by that Oath is made an hostage for the Kings fidelity and therefore the King is bound to regard the performance of that Law as he regards the Honour of Gods Name which must have the preheminence above his owne Honour Although all other Lawes not ratified with this high sanction may and ought to be revoked by the King if they be prejudiciall to his owne Honour for all such Lawes are supposed to be fraudulently procured like the grant of Mephibosheth's estate to Ziba 2 Sam. 16.1 for no man would willingly dishonour himself for that were against the Law of Nature and therefore may be revoked as that Law of Davids was by himselfe upon better information 2 Sam. 19.19 But a Law confirmed by Oath though fraudulently procured may not be revoked upon better information for that Joshua received concerning the Gibeonites Josh 9.16 yet all this must be understood of matters capable of this sanction that is such as are not destructive to the Honour of God formerly engaged by himselfe even from all eternity for Holinesse is the very Nature and Essence of God and all wicked Lawes which are opposite to this are destructive to his eternall Honour and therefore not capable of this sanction of an Oath for thereby Gods Honour is opposed to itselfe but where these two doe come in competition the lesse evill is to be made choice of we must rather breake our Oath though that be destructive to Gods temporary and adventitious Honour then act a wicked thing which is destructive to his essentiall and eternall Honour But in all matters of indifference which are capable of this sanction of an Oath that is the highest temporary sanction and therefore ought to be regarded above all former promises or resolutions of our owne although they be grounded upon a temporary command from God which is manifest in this case of the Gibeonites Quaere Seeing the Lawes preferring salus populi before the Kings Honour being confirmed by the Kings Oath doe oblige the King to act accordingly whether doe not they likewise priviledge the people to act things prejudiciall to the Kings Honour in order to their owne safety especially if the people have covenanted and sworne the same Lawes Sol. The acts of the King and the acts of the people in this case are of a farre different nature For the acts of the King in observance to those Lawes are onely prejudiciall to himselfe and his owne Honour and so are onely mala poenae and therefore capable of this sacramentall sanction from him But as for the acts of the people in this case they are destructive to the Honour both of God and the King which are sinnes prohibited in the fift Commandement which enjoynes us to regard their Honour above all selfe-respects as I have formerly declared and therefore all acts of the people either in the procurement or observance of such Lawes are mala culpae For it is a sacriledge of an high nature to violate and invade the sacred Power and Prerogative of Kings and therefore incapable of this sacramentall sanction from them For all Associations and Covenants against any of Gods Commandements are directly Covenants with Death and agreements with Hell and all the Oathes Vowes and Statutes made and framed thereupon are directly mischiefes framed by a Law and Obligations sealed to serve the Devill And whether it be safer for us to continue in the service of such a Master by acting according to such hellish Oathes and Covenants or to forsake his service by renouncing our sacriledge and giving Caesar his sacred right and due is not a case of any great difficulty to those who value God and salvation above the Devill and the damnation of their owne soules FINIS
Power And therefore to punish this Idolatrous trust of this people he gave them then a King of that Tribe which Jacobs prophesie did make Tyrannical viz of the Ravening Wolfe of Benjamin Gen. 49.27 To whom alone that prophesie of Samuel's relateth 1 Sam. 1.10 concerning the Tyranny of the King that should Reign over the people who desired a King for this Idolatrous and sinful end For neither David nor Solomon were such Tyrants 2. The second sanction whereof Monarchie doth participate is Divine prescription God himself continuing that Government to his Church and people from the very beginning of the world til their sinnes made them uncapable of any Policy and condemned them to perpetual captivity For Monarchie began in Adam and so continued in his posterity successively til the flood when Noa'hs Monarchie was reduced by the deluge to an Oeconomie And after the earth was again replenished by his three sons the Church by Noahs blessing was limited to Sem his posterity which Sem was king of Salem alias Jerusalem where he reigned til Jacob who was the twelfth from Sem was fifty yeares of age Jacob and all his posterity the twelve Patriarks and their wives and children went down into Egypt where they lived in bondage and slavery til God raised up Moses whom he made their Monarch Judge and Ruler by whose hand he delivered the Israelites from the bondage of Egypt And this Moses did Govern them for the space of fourty yeares in the wildernesse upon the death of Moses God ordained Joshua to succeed him in that Monarchical Regency Num. 27.18 By whose hand the Lord setled the Israelites in the land of Canaan within the space of seventeen yeers after the death of Moses From Joshua to Saul the Israelites were Governed onely by occasional Judges and Monarchs which God raised up for some special and particular deliverance In Saul God restored that formal Monarchie or Regal Government which the Church enjoyed in the dayes of Melchizedech which the Lord himself transferred from Saul and the Tribe of Benjamin unto David and the Tribe of Judah according to Jacobs prophesie Where the supremacy of Regal Power continued whilst God continued his favour unto that people til their sinne and Ingratitude made them unworthy and incapable of the great blessings and favour of Monarchical Government and brought upon them that heavy curse of Anarchy and want of a policy amongst themselves and made them slaves and captives under Monarchs and Kings of other Nations according to Moses his prophesie Deut. 29.28 which Anarchie was that very mark and Stigma of Gods wrath and vengeance whereby all Nations whither they should be led captives should know them to be a people abhorred and forsaken of God as Moses declareth in the latter part of that Chapter 3. The third sanction Incident to Monarchie is Divine Stipulation God himself honouring this blessing of Monarchie with many gratious pactions and promises to those who were partakers thereof as to David 2 Sam. 7. to Solomon 1 Kin. 3. yea even to wicked Saul 1 Sam. 12. and Idolatrous Ieroboam 1. Kin. 11. conditionally they did make a right use of this high and honourable calling whereunto they were advanced by God Which sanction is an infallible token of Gods approbation of that calling of Monarchie as a natural gift and blessing requisite to humane perfection for the Lord did never thus directly declare his approbation of any curse or privation of these blessings which was an effect of sinne nor of any calling which was directly grounded thereupon such as that Monkish mendicancie which is used in the Church of Rome For that Command of Christs to the young man in the Gospel was principally probatory and all Christs promises made either to him or his Disciples for Remuneration of their Piety who forsake all for his sake relate primarily properly to the love of Christ to such disvaluations and disertions of worldly and Natural gifts and blessings onely accidentally and in a secondary sense when they come in competition with Christ who is to be preferred above all other things whatsoever though they be as dear and precious to us as Brother or Sister or Father or Mother or even as our own eyes or our own lives Mat. 16.25 But I say such curses and privations of worldly and Natural gifts and blessings were never directly and positively honoured with the sanction of a Remunerative promise as Monarchie is in the prementioned Text. being in themselves properly a part of Jus Divinum Vindicativum 4. The fourth sanction whereof Monarchie doth participate is divine Assimilation Monarchie being a resemblance of the most exact Modell in Divinity Nature and Art 1. In Divinity or divine policy and that both creative and redemptive For first when God had framed the world and stored it with such a numerous variety of creatures God claimed the Prerogative of an Universal Monarch to himself alone consigning both Devils and men to everlasting torments for entertaining but a thought of competition with him in this his Monarchical honour 2. When he Redeemed the world and transferred the Government thereof unto his Sonne yet was the same policy stil retained nor did Christ ever admit of any competitor in his Government Phil. 2.10 11. 2. Monarchie is a resemblance of the most exact Model in Nature and that is man both in his numericall and specifical capacity First in his numerical capacity whereby I understand the frame of his own body termed by Philosophers Microcosmus by reason of the Analogie the body of man hath with the Universe in relation to order and Government For though it be composed of many parts of different qualities and which are subservient to the body in different offices yet it hath but one head for the guidance and direction of all unlesse it be in Monsters which are therefore justly termed Errours in Nature as all Polarchies are in Policy Secondly in his specifical capacity whereby I understand the multiplication of his seed and issue which is the continuation of his species which though never so numerous yet is but one man the Father of al even as a Monarch is one Ruler over many subjects I confesse indeed the unlawful various and insatiate desires of the Mother may be a meanes why the children of one family may have many Fathers And indeed the very like desires in a countrey which is our politick Mother I conceive to have been the very first ground for the erection of Polarchies by the constitution of many Supream heads and Fathers in one Common-wealth 3. Monarchie is a resemblance of the most exact Model in Art and of that Policy which is the Master-piece of the most Artificial Imitator and the most curious Artist in the world viz. the Devil And I confesse it is an Argument which hath no weak or mean influence upon my understanding and judgement to perswade the Divine Excellency of Monarchie that Satan doth make it the object of