man not instituted by man for it hath his beginning from God By me Kings raigne and Princes decree iustice by mee Princes rule and the nobles and all the Iudges of the earth Prou. 8. c. 15.16 ver Omni homini to every mā Ergo omni Tyranno therefore to every Tyrant saith Caietan we must obey good Princes willingly endure evill Tyrants patiently Omni to every one Non distinguendo inter Ethnicos fideles not distinguishing between Christians Infidels saith Catarinus S. Aug. giueth a reasō of both Nam qui regnum dedit Caesari De civ Dei l. 5. c. 21. dedit Mario qui Augusto Neroni qui Constantino Christiano Apostatae Iuliano He who gaue the Empire to Iulius Caesar gaue it also to Marius to Augustus and to Nero to Constantine the Christian and to Iulian the Apostated Infidell 3 The distribution of this obiect into his partes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The King as the superiour to other Inferiour Magistrates as his subordinat Lieu-tenants to Pharaoh and to Ioseph to Caesar and to Pilate to Moses and to his Sanadrim 4 The reason of our duty before enioyn'd Propter Dominum for the Lords sake Sic ordinantem so ordaining it All power is of God he that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Ro. 13 or Propter Dom for the Lords sake that is not outwardly only with eie service but inwardly also in the heart where the Lord seeth Or thirdly propter Dominum for the Lord huius exemplum ostendentem giving vs an example hereof in his own persō * Luk. 2.51 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here is the verie word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was subiect vnto them and hee saith to * Ioh. 19.11 Pilate Thou couldst haue no power at al against me except it were given thee from aboue Romani Caesaris potestatem Christus super se quoque fatetur fuisse ordinatā S. Be. Christ cōfesseth that the power of the Roman Emperor was over him to and an other where S. Be. Quid saecularitatē cōtēnitis Ad Hen. Sen. Arch. saecularior nemo Pilato cui Dominus adst◠tit iudicandus Why do yee contemne the secular powers No mā was more secular thē Pilate before whose barre our Lord stood to be iudged Or fourthly and lastly propter Dominum for the Lord that is In his quae ordinātur ad Dominū In those things which are in respect ordination to the Lord and then as before he taught Quibus debēt to whom they ought here he teacheth In quantum debent how farre forth they ought to obey viz In all things where the Lord is not preiudiced For if S. Aug. case be August de verb. dom 2. Mat. ser 6. Aliud Imperator aliud Deus the Emperour commādeth God countermandeth the same we haue our answere whether it be better to obey God or man iudge yee If Cesar say Solve tributum Ibib. pay thy tribute Esto mihi in obsequium yeeld me thy service and obedience We answere it is right we owe service we owe tribute we must obey but if he bid vs to bow the knee to Baal or to leaue a hoofe behinde vs in Egypt or not to name Iesus in our preaching and profession there we are forbidden saith he who forbiddeth A greater power Da veniam Imperator tu Carcerem ille gehennā O pardon Emperour thou threatnest but prison he threatneth Hell thou to kill the body for a time he to kill both body and soule for ever 5 The persons who must performe this duty Yee Be yee subiect c. Yee who are called at the 9. v. A chosen generation a royall Priesthoode an holie nation a people set at liberty and yet this Christian liberty no way exempting thē from subiection Libertas per Christum Cōcessa Aquinas est libertas spiritus caro adhuc remanet servituti obnoxia and there be for it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lib. 5. de Rom. pont cap. 3. Lordes after the flesh Eph. 6. and Bellarmine himselfe Non obest regibus Christi beneficiū The liberty of the Gospel benefit of grace by Christ do not preiudice kings in the right of their obediēce But be yee subiect 6 The end of al both command and subiection praemium poena rewarde and punishment Both the King his Iudges are sent of him that is of God for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that do well It would be too long to handle each severall part apart And I shoulde to much abuse your Honorable patience Marc. 12. Wherefore in imitation of him who contracted 10 words into 2 Deum proximum God and our neighbor the many books of the Old new Testament into 2. Ioh. 1.17 Mosen Christum Moses and Christ I reduce all vnto these two heads Lineam Lineam a line and a line praeceptum praeceptum a precept and a precept 1 The first praeceptum nostrum a precept for vs our duty the duty of the Subiect obedience Be yee subiect c. 2 The second praeceptum vestrum A precept for you R. H. The duty of the Magistrate care and conscience For the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that do well First of the first Our duty the duty of the subiect Obedience Be yee subiect That Christians are to be subiect in Gods ordinance vnto the Civill Magistrate is evident to every one that doth but obserue howe in the whole book of God al both the language actions of al the servants of God doe savour of very perfect obedience Daniell never spake vnto the king of Babylon but with tearmes of respect My Lord the dreame be to them that hate thee and the interpretation thereof to thy enimies and againe to Darius O king liue for ever the Iewes were commanded to pray for the life of Nabuchadnezar and for the life of his sonne Baltazar and the forme of praier is prescribed them ut aetas eorum aevo Coeli respondeat that their daies might bee vpon Earth as the daies of Heaven Baruc. And in the time of the gospell wee shall finde this Doctrine of obediēce to be cōsecrated in the persō of our Saviour Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire but mine eares hast thou opened The L. God hath opened mine eares and I was not rebellious He lived obediently As a sheep before his sheerer so opened he not his mouth he died obediently to Ne perderet obedientiam perdidit vitam hee lost his life that he might not loose his obedience And the Apostles that we may know them to be the disciples of this Master did ever teach this dutie of Obedience Put them in minde saith Paul to Titus Tit. 3. that they submit thēselues to powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very word of my Text and an otherwhere to the Rom. Rom. 13. Let every soule be
subiect vnto the Higher powers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same word againe These powers and higher powers were cruell mercilesse Tyrants which did vse or abuse rather their power no way more then in the Torment of Christians and yet Plautus Indigna digna habenda rex quae facit saith the Poet and Quomodo sterilitatem aut nimios imbres Caetera naturae mala sic Improbitatem DominantiuÌ„ Tacitus Saith the wise historian We heare of nothing but of subiection and obedieÌ„ce And if we search into the stories of after ages we shal finde that the Christians of the Primitiue Churche for aboue a thousande yeeres togither did professe and practise this doctrine of obedience In Apolog. Tertullian maketh it cleere in his time wee pray for the Emperour saith he that God would giue vnto him vitam prolixam Imperium securuÌ„ domum tutam exercitus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quictum quaecuÌ„que hominis Caesaris vota sunt A long life a happy raigne trusty servants valiant souldiers faithful Counsellers orderly subiects and the worlde quiet vnder him whatsoever else people or Prince could wish for And why did Christians thus pray for the prosperity of these Wolues Tygers think yee sciuÌ„t quis illis dederit Imperium O saith he Ibid. they know who hath giveÌ„ them their Empire sentiunt DeuÌ„ esse solum in cuius solius potestate sunt à quo suÌ„t secundi post queÌ„ primâ— ante omnes super omnes they are resolved that it is God alone in whose alone power Emperours are froÌ„ whoÌ„ they be the second and after whom the first and in another place you that thinke we care nothing for your Emperour Inspicite Dei voces Literas nostras looke vpon the oracles of our God the bookes of old and new Testament and scitote ex illis nobis esse praeceptum know yee that out of them wee are commanded to loue our enemies and to pray for our persecutours Et qui magis inimici et persequutores ChristianoruÌ„ quam de quoruÌ„ maiestate convenimur in crimen and for conclusion hee appealeth vnto their own experience consider your annales examine your records of iustice see and tell me vnde Cassij Nigri Albini Whence was Cassius Niger Albinus and their like De Romanis they were Infidels of your owne sure I am de non Christianis theâ— were no Christians Aug. in Ps 124. To goe a step lower to S. Aug. time hee wiâ— tell vs how the case stood even then Iulianuâ— exstitit infidelis imperator Iulian saith hee waâ— turn'd infidell Emperour milites Christiani seruiâ—runt Imperatori Infideli yet Christian souldier did serue vnder this infidell Emperour when he bad them sacrifice they indeed refused wheâ— he lead them forth to fight they obeyed Distinguebant Dominum aeternum à Domino temporalâ— tamen subditi erant propter Dominum aeternâ— etiam Domino temporali They did distinguisâ— the eternall God from mortall man yet theâ— were subiect to man for Gods sake Here is subiection propter Dominum the wordes in mâ— Text. To come yet somewhat lower to S. Berâ— time the doctrine of obedience was sound â—ven then In his 170 Epist to Lewis called thâ— Grosse king of France as wicked and prophanâ— and Tyrannical and infest a king to the Churcâ— as ever was in France a whole Cataloguâ— of whose obliquities wee haue in his 220 Epistle yet how doth hee write vnto him Sâ— totus orbis adversum me coniuraret vt quippâ— am molirer contra regiam maiestatem ego tameâ— Deum timerem ordinatum ab eoregem temeâ— offendere noÌ„ auderem nec enim ignoro vbi legerim Qui potestati resistit Dei ordinationi resistit If all the world should bandy against me egge me forward to some vndutifull attempt against the kings Maiestie I shoulde so feare God that I shoulde not dare to transgresse against the king his ordinaunce for I knowe where it is written He that resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God Here is againe obedience propter Dominum Let Theobald the Earle of Champagne Raoul the Earle of Vermandois lift vp their heele against there Soveraigne yet we of the Clergie will ever CoÌ„taine our selues within our duty to Gods ordinance Non imminuetur honor regis per nos 16. Hoc sentite de nobisâ— hoc sentite de nostris in the same Ep. ô thinke thus of Ber and all that are like Ber. I know what Bellarmin replieth if Christians did suffer and obey Tyrants and Arrians surelie it was * Lib. 5. de Rom. pont cap. 7 Quia deerant vires temporales Christianis because they wanted power enough to depose them an exception beloved directly contrarie to that which they themselues testifie of themselues For to begin where even now I did saith * Adde quod nec id licuit cum potestaâ— impiorum superior esset Bouch. Tertull. Si hostes agere vellemus if we would deal with you by revenge deesset nobis vis numeroruÌ„ * In Apol. copiaerum should wee want either number or strength Consider wel Externi sumus vestra omnia implevimus we are straÌ„gers vnto you men as it were of another world yet we haue filled all places of yours your Citties Ilands Castles borroughs meeting places Tents tribes baÌ„ds Palaces Senate and Court and all Nay it is an exception in his iudgement very absurd For saith he Cui bello non idonei non apti fuissimus etiam impares copijs qui tam libeÌ„tèr trucidamur What war are we not ready fit for though vnequal in power though vnequall in power suppose that who do so willingly suffer death Si non apud istam disciplinam magis occidi liceret quam occidere but that by this profession it is more lawful to be killed then to kil And S. Cyprian to Demetrianus the officer of a persecutinge Emperour Nemo nostrum adversus iniustam violeÌ„tiam quaÌ„vis nimius et copiosus sit noster populus vlciscitur none of vs doth revenge himselfe of your vniust violence though the number of our people be marveilous great marke I beseech you here is violence yea vniust violence * Copios pop power enough to resist nay * Nimius cop more theÌ„ enough to resist yet Nemo nostrum vlciscitur none of vs ever offered to revenge But the story of S. Ambrose will put all out of question He being summoned by Valentinian the Arrian Emperour to depart from his Churches to leaue them to the Arrians tels vs himselfe of himselfe that not to say any thing of Christ his holy Angels who ever pitch their tents about the Godly Maximus in the west and Theodosius the Orthodoxe Emperour in the East and all the people most of the souldiers were on his side In so much that the Emperor being sollicited by some in his
CAESARS PENNY OR A SERMON OF OBEDIENCE PROVING by the practise of all ages that all persons ought to be subiect to the King as to the Superiour PREACHED AT St MARIES in Oxford at the Assises the 24 of Iuly 1610. BY JOHN DVNSTER Master of Arts and Fellow of Magdal Colledge MATTH 22. V. 21. Date Caesari quae sunt Caesaris Deo quae sunt Dei AT OXFORD Printed by Ioseph Barnes 161â— TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHER IN GOD MY VERY GOOD LORD THE LORD BISHOP OF LONDON RIght Reverend at the first that I was intreated by Authority to this Sermon I intended it only to be filium horae the sonne of an houre â—o die as soone as my breath should exâ—ire but only so much of it as the holy â—host should quicken in their harts who â—eard me that day but scarse being out â—f the Pulpit I found to be true by expeâ—ence which a Ench. c. 15. Epictetus affirmeth to fal â—t in every businesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That every thing especially a Sermon â—th two handles some both Ho. and VVor. tooke it by the right eare accepted of it beyond its worth others bâ— the left eare haling it to a fartheâ— sense then God knoweth ever it was intended The maine scope was to cry dowâ— the Supremacy of Rome where by reasoâ— of those words To te King as to the Superâ—our in the order of my Text I was occasioned to say somewhat of the Immunâ—tie of Kings from al coactiue power of theiâ— subiects All that I said was not much euâ— no more then hath beene said beforâ— me b Can. totaÌ„ de poen dist 3. Solum principem soli Deo hâ—bere de peâ—cato reddere rationem and againe c Can. aliorum 9. q. 3 Soli coeâ— debere Innocentiae rationem A doctrine thinke neuer denied in print by any vntill d Vindiciae contra Tyrannos Brutus and e De Iure regni apud Scotos Buchanan and f De Iustâ abdicatione Hen. 3. Boâ—chier 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsing or abusing ratheâ— their malitious zeale to treasonable occasions did embase the mettall of thâ— Crowne and put the g Dan. 2. golden head â— the picture vnder its foot of clay subiected Kings to the mercie of their people That which I then spake was delivered â—n their words from whom I borrowed â—t and sure I am in their time held to be good and sound divinity and I cannot yet vnderstand the contrary but true necessary for these times also when if â—ever we haue occasion to preach over over againe that Text of Scripture h Ps 105.15 Touch â—ot mine Annointed and â—oe my Prophets no â—arme VVheÌ„ the sacred Maiestie of Kings â—s made so vulgar that many lesse tremble to cut the throat of their Soveraigne i Sam. 24. v. 6. then David to cut off the winge of Saules garment And when had not our Gracious Soueraigne both Regium Sacerdotalem animum as Leo hath it of good Theodosius Epist 17. ad Theod. semp Aug. Aarons rod and the pot of Manna would both bee snatched out of the Arke by prophane hands and peradventure the Arke it selfe be giuen vp into the hands of the Philistims The phrase is popular and easie applied to the auditory which then was mixt and I would haue that to commend a Sermon which doth commend an honest woman Ep. Ench. cap. 62. Modestia non forma VVhatsoeuer it is either for matter or manner I humbly offer it vnto your Lordships censure and if your L. shal encourage me I will step farther abroad Propert. Crescet ingenium sub tua iussa meum If otherwise it shall be my excuse that I haue ventred thus far only to giue satisfaction to the world and to beare true witnesse to mine owne innocency Serm. 1. in anniversario assuÌ„pt Eius ad Sum. pont Rom. culmen onus my prayer for your L. ever shal be the same of B. Leo for himselfe Qui ibi honoris est author ipse fiat administrationis adjutor det virtutem qui contulit dignitatem Your Lordships in all duty JOHN DVNSTER 1. PETER CHAP. 2. 13. Therefore submit your selues vnto all manner ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be vnto the King as vnto the Superiour 14. Or vnto Gouernours as vnto them which are sent of him for the punishment of evill doers for the praise of them that doe well WHEN these Catholique Christians dispersed Iewes or converted Gentiles to whom St. Peter addresseth this his Catholike Epistle were eagerly driven at by the secular Arme of Pagan Infidels it should seem vpon the wonted and colorable accusation of all Primitiue Christians Nos infamamur circa MaiestateÌ„ Imperij CoÌ„t Scap. saith Tertullian that they did deny obedience to the civill Magistrate as if they were the only Sonnes of Beliall men without yoak it were their language in the psalm Let vs breake their bondes asunder Ps 2. and cast their cords froÌ„ vs. as if Christ their Mr not Antichrist were that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that lawlesse transceÌ„deÌ„t maÌ„ 2. Thess 2. came into the world Non tollere peccata sed iura mundi not to take away the sinnes but the lawes and societies of the world a point so far mistaken of them that if ever nation it was the people of God take it Iewish or Christian whether you will that doted vpon Magistrates for they would rather haue non Deum then non regem no God theÌ„ no King at all They haue not cast thee away but they haue cast me away that I should not raigne ouer theÌ„ in that they said make vs a king to iudge vs like all nations 1. Sam. 8. when these Catholike Christians I say were greivously vpon a false grouÌ„d as you haue heard which to a bending and ingenuous nature is more greiuous persecuted our blessed Apostle S. Peter from his sea of Rome the westerne Babylon Hier. oecuÌ„ Beda as it is probable out of the last of this first Epistle writeth vnto them not to claime any right of Soueraigntie for himselfe he had learned from his Masters own mouth Luc. 22.25 Reges Gentium dominantur vos autem non sic but to perswade them in all humble obsequiousnesse to submit their necks vnder the yoak of Infidels and to offer their throats vnto the sword of the civill Magistrate in these words Therefore submit c. So that this parcell of holy Scripture may well bee called the Magistrats Scripture and Caesaris denarius Caesars penny for it hath every where his Image and superscription And in it I obserue these 6 partes 1 A duty enioin'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be yee subiect 2 The obiect of this duty to whom we must be subiect delivered at large omni humanae creaturae to all manner ordinance of man so called because it is proper to
Court to goe in person against the Bishop made answer * Lib. 5. ep 33. ad Marcellinam so rorem suam Si vobis iusserit Ambrosius vinctum me tradetis No saith hee for if Amb. hold but vp the finger you will betray me bound hand foot vnto him Yet what spirit did this otherwise stout and couragious prelate take vnto himselfe Vpon what tearmes for iustificatiō of Armes stood he with his Soveraigne * Ibid. Tradere Basilicam nō possum sed pugnare nō debeo rogamus Imperator non pugnamus * Oratio in Auxen◠dolere potero potero flere aduersus arma lachrymae meae arma sūt Talia enim munumēta sunt Sacerdotis aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere I cānot betray the Church and yet I may not fight we supplicate ô Emperour wee doe not carry Armes a shewer of Christall teares is all the buckler I oppose between me and your forces these are the munition of a Priest otherwise I neither can nor ought to resist You here al the resistance that this good Bishop did make and yet by the way this is that Bishoppe to whom Bristow doth so often paralell Pius 5 that insolēt Anathematizing Pope of Rome Tom. 2. Mot. 19. p. So that still you see Obedience to bee the doctrine of the Primitiue Church and we finde it too right Ho at the same time the contrary to be giuen for a marke of Reprobates and Heretickes Wee reade in S. Iudes Epistle of some desperately wicked ones * Vers 8. Dominationem spernunt they despise gouernment maiestatem blaspemant they blaspheame Maiestie there is a wo against thē too * Vers 11. Vae illis qui in cōtradictione Core And * Lib. 3. Optatus obserueth it as a point remarkable against Parmenian the Donatist that Donatus the Father and Author of that heresie was wont to say Quid est Imperatori cum Ecclesia What hath the Emperour to doe with Church Church-men And that he did revile in one of his letters the officers of the Empire writing thus to Gregorius the President Gregori macula senatus dedecus praefectorum caetera talia ô Gregory the staine of the Senate and disgrace of Presidents These all knewe very well the nature of Maiestie to be great that the stile of the holy Ghost did put Kings Emp. at the top of Iacobs ladder almost within heauen itself dixi Dij estis I haue said yee are Gods Dij incarnati Gods incarnate saith Luther and vs baser wormes at the foot * 1. Tim. 2. I beseech you Brethren that prayers and supplications be made for all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for Kings and all that bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in sublimitate in sublimitie And * Rom. 13. let every soule be subiect 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 againe in sublimity in my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alwaies in sublimity And it cannot bee but desperate and vnwarrantable presumption for any sonne of the earth to swell so bigge as to offer to bring into order if out of order these powers in sublimitie They are not coūtable to vs for their actions their enditement belongeth to a higher barre whatsoever they doe commit whether adultery or murther or idolatry or whatsoever else the Devill can suggest and wickednesse arm'd with authority exsecute it is their language and priviledg * David quia rexerat aliū non timeba◠Hier. tibi soli peccaui against thee against thee only haue I sinned * Sup. Imper. non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit Imp Opt. lib. 3. at the bar of heauen onely doe they stand for sentence no lawes either of their owne constitution or municipall fundamentall of their subiects for coactiue power can take hold of them I would bee loath to teach this transcendent liberty of Kings had not I warrant for it from Antiquitie S. Ambr. in his Apology for Dauid Liberi sunt reges à vinculis delictorum neque enim vllis ad poenam vocantur legibus tuti imperij potestate Princes are free from the bonds of their sins frō all obligation to humane punishmēt for sin they are not pleadable by any law being safegarded by the power of Empire And * Lib. 5. c. 17. Gregory Bishop of Towers to king Chilpericke a Bishop to a king Si quis de nobis o Rex iustitiae limites transcendere voluerit à te corripi potest si vero tu excesseris quis te corripiet Loquimur enim tibi sed si volueris audis si autem nolueris quis te damnabit nisi solus qui se pronunciauit esse iustitiam And * In ep ad Fred. Oen. praefixâ cron Otho Frisigensis to Fredericke Oenobarbe a Bishop likewise to an Emperour Cùm nulla inueniatur persona mundialis quae mundi legibus non subiaceat subiacendo nō coerceatur soli reges vtpote constituti supra leges divino examini reservati saeculi legibus non cohibentur whereas there is no person in the world which is not subiect vnto lawes by a subiection Coactiue only kings as being placed aboue the laws and reserved for Gods inquisition are not bridable by the lawes of this world Neither is this the holy water of the Court as some cal it which smels sweet in the nostrels of Ambitiō nor that Oleū peccatoris that precious balme in the Psalm which pestilent flatterers powre vpon the head of Maiesty but true divinity grounded vpon evident scriptures Elihu demandeth Iob. 34.18 Wilt thou say to the king * No rather quoth Calv. Ser. 132. in haec verba say Et bien Seigneur ceuxcy dominent en con nom il fault donc que nous leur soyons suiects thou art wicked Or to the Princes yee are vngodly It bootes not nay it fits not Seeing where the worde of a king is there is power and who shall say vnto him what dost thou * Eccl. 8.4 And is it so Right Hon Is it the Apostles precept Be yee subiect and vnto the king as vnto the Superiour How far wide then from this doctrine and practise are they who wil haue kings to bee subordinate to Ephori and Paedagogi to Vshers and Tutors Calvin Inst l. 4. c. 20. 31. to the publike Honorable assembly of the States of the Realme And yet I may not charge him too far in this point for he speaketh doubtfully and very cautelously Si qui nūc sint populares magistratus quâ fortè potestate fungūtur in singulis regnis tres ordines De Iure regni ap Scotos rerū Scot. l. 17. p. 560. And nō veto And pro officio intercedere Buchanan to Populus the beast with many heads the common people Rossaeus to Resp Christiana the christian common-weale the Masters of the Reformed Discipline to their Presbyterie and Senate Ecclesiasticall for so they stile a few Artizās