and docible and so to instruct and civilise him to the service of God It still shewes him the eminent dangers wherein shee will ingulph precipitate him in offending his God but still with an indulgent intent to prevent and hinder him from it Pondus timor is est anchora cordis The burthen which feare caries with it is the hearts anchor to prevent that it bee not reversed and overblowne by the waves nor of all sides split and shipwrack'd by the violence and impetuosity of tempestuous passions which without intermission assayle and beat upon it But the mercy of the Lord saith David is from generation to generation upon all those who feare him In a word and so to draw to the conclusion of this part of the Text the two principall pillars of Christian Doctrine and the two firme and vnremoveable foundations thereof is Feare and Love which are the two proper meanes to containe the godly and to retaine the wicked in the observation of Gods Commandements The wicked by Feare the godly by Love as the Poet speakes but morally in a Christian sense and language Oderunt peccare mali formidine Poenae Oderunt peccare boni virtutis amore The wicked abhorre to offend for feare of punishment and the Godly will not be drawne to sinne because of their love of vertue But here fearing least I should runne astray and so lose and ingulph my selfe in this great and vast Ocean of the feare of God it makes mee rowe abord thereby to gaine the desired shore and so to treat and discourse of the second part of the Text which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Honour the King The two noblest and most excellent offices which the Angels and blessed soules enjoy above in the triumphant Church are the vision of God and the ordinary action of glorifying and honouring God about the which they are eternally imployed and therefore the holy Ghost to fashion and dispose us here belowe in the militant Church to glorifie in time his sacred Majestie in heaven commandeth us in our text likewise to Honour the King as being the true Image and lively representation of that great King of glory of the Father of Eternitie of the mighty God of Hoasts Feare God saith hee and Honour the King Divine and altogether admirable words as being the summe and abridgement of all the duties which we ought to practise in this world both in body and soule both for the morall and spirituall life the performance whereof brings us to absolute perfection for if we feare God wee serve him and never offend him and in honouring the King besides the performance of our duty wee obey the Commaundement of God So these 2. commandements are so straightly link'd and joyned together that the breach of the one is the violation of the other for we cannot displease the King without offending God nor offend God without violating the Kings lawes Let us see what that chosen vessell saith in very earnest and pressing words Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject to the higher powers for there is no power but from God and all authority is given from the Lord which is the reason of the commandement followed presently with a threatning wherefore who so resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and therefore incurres condemnation for the Prince beares not the sword in vaine seeing he is the servant and minister of God to punish evill doers therfore must ye be subject not onely for feare but also for conscience sake and therefore pay ye tribute because they are the ministers of God ordained to that end Give then unto every one his due tribute to whom tribute custome to whom custome feare to whom feare and honour to whom honour Before we enter into an exact and particular exposition of the words of our Text wee will examine the consequence of this commaundement and as those who desire to know the sweetnesse and goodnesse of water ascend to fetch it from the spring that wee may esteeme the more the excellencie and greatnesse of this commandement we must observe that this ordinance is not made by men either to flatter Kings for feare of their soveraigne authority but that it is Gods owne ordinance dictated unto our Apostle by the holy Ghost Which brings great matter of consolation to those who with zeale undertake the execution of it knowing that God loves those that feare him and blesseth those that are obedient to him And contrarily it must greatly terrifie the disobedient when they remember the infallible threatnings and the irrevocable sentence pronounced by Gods owne sacred mouth saying Cursed is hee that breakes the least of these commandements Math. 5.19 Cursed is hee that shall not be permanent in all the things written in the book of the law to doe them Deut. 27.26 We must againe note that the Commandements of God are like the Sciences which are more or lesse esteemed according to the nobility and excellencie of their object for as that affection and charity which we owe to our neighbour without comparison gives place to that extreame and infinite love which wee owe to our God and heavenly Father so the honour we are to beare to all men in generall is so much inferiour to that we owe the King as his dignity is elevated above that of other men and therefore you see that as soone as our Apostle commandeth us to feare God hee addeth presently Honour the King Shewing by that order that the honour and service due to the King immediatly followes that which wee owe to God and therefore a great servant of God of our times expounding these words saith after Tertullian That in the performance of these two precepts the Christian makes himselfe perfect both for the religious and morall life for in fearing God hee walkes through the pathes of justice holinesse and innocencie which leades in the end to eternall felicity And in honouring the King he observes his lawes and by those meanes buildeth up for himselfe a delightfull rest and an incomparable felicity But because it is to undertake to sayle over a boundlesse and bottomlesse Ocean if we should goe about to alledge here all the places which we might cite out of the Fathers and many others let us hearken to the holy Ghost in the most common places of Scripturel and imitating the Israelites we will onely take some few drops of water out of the land of Edow and shew onely the springs afarre off we will passe over quickly like the dogge of the river Nilus least some Crocodile thirsting after our innocencie should open his stinking mouth to accuse us as though our intention were other then tending to the service and glory of God which is the onely centre unto the which all the lines of our intentions immediatly tend and ayme Wee very easily learne the definition or description of this word to Honour in the 6. Chap of Esther when Ahashuerâ—sh asked Haman what should be done unto the
man whom the King would honour Haman thinking the King spake so for him invented all the wayes and meanes hee could to enjoy and encrease this honour therefore he answered the King thus As for the man whom the King will honour let them bring for him royall apparell which the King useth to weare and the horse that the King rideth upon and that the crowne royall may be set upon his head and that one of the greatest Princes should goe before him and proclaime Thus shall it he done unto the man whom the King will honour In this ample description of Honour we note the definition of it to wit to give glory to doe homage to any one to seeke all the meanes that may be to advance his credit and encrease his reputation through all the world and thus that cursed Haman thought to be honoured But this word to Honour the King in that sense that our Apostle takes it is like to that honour mentioned in the first Commandement of the second table Honour thy Father and thy mother which signifieth in generall to serve reverence obey assist those whom wee honour and of that reverence obedience and assistance Saint Paul speaketh expresly 1. Tim. 5.17 The Elders that rule well are worthy of a double honour where observe and note that by the first honour hee understandeth a civill and common honour like that which is due to other honourable men but by the second honour hee understandeth a subvention and reward of his labours as it appeareth by the following words Thou shalt not musle the mouth of the Oxe that treadeth out the come and the labourer is worthy of his wages Luk. 10.7 And of all these foure duties which wee are to practise to honour the King is spoken at large 1. Sam. Chap. 8. When the Israelites did so earnestly desire him to give them a King hee doth lively set forth unto them how perfectly they must be subject to him how they must reverence him how they must obey him But because commonly among good corne there be tares or some other bad seed we will shew by expresse words of Scripture and by invincible reasons That hee that obeyeth not to the higher powers offendeth directly God himselfe who will destroy him Saint Paul Tit. 3.1 Put them in remembrance that they be subject to principalities and powers and that they be obedient and ready to every good worke And Rom. 13.4 The Prince is the Minister of of God for thy good but if thou doe evill the feare for he beareth not the sword for nought for he is the Minister of God to execute justice on him that doth evill therefore ye must bee subject not for feare onely but also for conscience sake wherefore those that resist the power resist the ordinance of God and those that resist this ordinance drawes on themselues condemnation But if these rules bee not strong enough to convert those preverse men at least let them be frighted by the fearefull judgements which fell on so many wicked men which aunciently rebelled against Moses their Prince Soveraigne who by Gods commaund had deliuered them from the hands of Pharao the cruellest of men and had led and conducted them with a wonderfull wisedome into the wildernesse let them set before their eyes the example of Core Dathan and Abiram who with two hundred and fifty Princes of the Israelites Numb 16.2 rebelled against their Prince but God avenger of their folly caused the earth to open her mouth and to swallow them up alive with their families Nadab and Abihu his owne Nephewes because they had not obeyed him were consumed with their fellowes by fire that went out from the Altar Levit. 10.2 and his owne sister Marie for speaking undiscreetly of him was by the Lord infected with leprosie what shall wee say of Abishai and Absalom against King David the History of whose destruction and confusion is so well knowne that wee neede not insist upon it But here are yet very expresse words Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not rayle upon the Iudges neither speake evill of the ruler of thy people And Acts 23. Thou shalt not speake ill of thy Prince of him that governeth thee But because these lawes and examples like waves of the Sea follow one another wee will insist on the consideration of the horror of this crime which cannot take place in a soule never so little endued with heavenly graces for that heart must be desperately wicked and that soule possessed with a thousand furies that suffereth the least thought of it to harbour in his will that soule I say must not onely be voyd of reason but worse then bruit beasts who without contradiction follow and obey their Kings The birds yeeld to the Eagle the fishes follow the Dolphin and the beasts are pliant and humble before the Lyon and should man that is made after Gods image be worse then all other living creatures This is to be neither man nor beast but the off-spring of those abominable spirits which rebelled in heaven against God and therefore received the punishment due to their foolish ambition in hell but wee will no longer stay out contemplation about these detestable men hoping that our age is not so unhappy as to be corrupted by them But we will now speake of the reward profit and recompence which those shall certainely receive that obey this commandement of God in honouring the King All the Interpreters of the law of God with one consent agree that the first commandement of the second table to wit Honour thy Father and thy Mother is to be understood of all them that have any power or dominion over us and chiefely of Kings and Princes to whom wee are subject and to whom wee owe both our lives and goods and besides that all the Fathers are of that opinion yet we also see it proved in the 13. Chap. to the Romanes where the Apostle teaching the faithfull all the lawes which they must observe hee runnes over all the Commandements of God and yet speakes not of this word Father because hee comprehendeth it sufficiently under that of King because the Father is King in his Family and the King is the Father of his people As for that objection that there is no mention made of a King in the Decalogue the reason is cleare and manifest first the Israelites had no neede of it because God did every day appeare visibly unto them spake to them at all times and wrought continually so many miracles among them that they could not be doubtfull of his presence secondly there is no mention made neither of Governour nor of Prince and yet it is unlikely that God had forgotten Moses who had delivered them before God wrote the Law with his owne finger on the mountaine of Sinai but the reason is that by the word Father God understandeth as well Kings and Princes as those that have begotten us all the curses made against the rebellious and disobedient
their ignorance Let us see if Salomon like them beleeved that Kingdomes fall by chance into the hands of men and that Kings are not expresly called and ordained of God to governe his people Now then saith he O yee Kings hearken learne ye that are Iudges of the earth heare yee that governe the nations for power is given unto you by the Lord and principality by the most high And as we have already observed Rom. 13. the Apostle resolveth so perfectly this question that it is impossible to say or adde any thing after him unlesse one bee resolved to sinne against the holy Ghost in resisting the knowne truth There is saith he no power but from God and those powers that are be ordained of God therefore who so resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God ye must be subject to the Prince not for wrath onely but also for conscience sake Rom. 13.5 And as God sent such blindnesse on the Philistims thinking to overcome and destroy the Armies of Israel that every one turned his sword against his fellow and so slewe one another the people of God being at the most but beholders of their deliverance Even so our adversaries having marshalled a squadron of reasons against us before we thought upon our owne defence to enter into combat with them have cut one anothers throat and have left us their Armes to make trophees for this our victorie for thinking to make a buckler for their defence of that place of S. Peter wher he exhorteth us to beare the yoake and to submit our selves unto all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King or Supreame 1. Pet. 2.13 This reason killeth them for if it be for the Lords sake that we must be subject it argueth that God liketh it delighteth in it and this order is by his command and speciall ordinance Although Nabuchadnezzer King of Babylon were one of the most wicked and impious men of the earth yet let us heare how the Prophet Daniel speaketh to him in the second Chapter of his Prophesies O King thou art the King of Kings for the God of heaven hath given thee a Kingdome power strength and glory But I would have these disturbers of the publique tranquillity these Adders swelled and suffocated with the venome of sedition and disorder tell me whether Moses the first Prince and Lawgiver of Israel the names change not the things for he was their King and Monarch since hee ruled them with an absolute power depending onely from God whether I say he entered by force by craft or by art into the government of the people and if it was not God himselfe that spake to him out of the middest of the burning bush and commanded him to goe deliver his people from the hands of Pharaoh Exod. 3.2 If Saul thought to adorne his head with a Crowne when hee sought about the fields the Asses of Kis his father if he made suit to Samuel to anoint him King over all Israel If David when he fed his flocke meditated how hee might change his Shepheards crooke into a regall Scepter If Solomon his sonne the King of wise men and the wisest of Kings hath deceived or corrupted the people to enter by the windowes or back gate into the kingly Pallace But rather is it not God himselfe who by his sacred mouth commanded Samuel in the 9. Chapter of his booke as soone as he had seene Saul that went to enquire of him about his Fathers Asses at the same time God said unto him This is the man of whom I spake unto thee he shall rule over my people And in the 16. Chapter of the same booke God commaunded him to goe to Bethlehem to anoint David whom hee chose among all his brethren the Lord saying unto him Arise and anoint him for this is he In the same booke God promiseth Davia to confirme his sonne upon his Throne And in the 1. of Kings Chap. 3. God appeared to Salomon in a dreame in Gabaon presently after his Coronation and said unto him Aske what then wilt that I give thee A sufficient testimonie that God was well pleased with his ascending to the Royall throne and Salomon asking of him onely wisedome to governe his people God said Because thou hast not asked of mee riches glory nor power I will give thee what thou askest me and other things besides Wee reade 2. Kings Chapter 9. that Heliseus sendeth one of the children of the Prophets to Iehu one of Ahabs Captaines to anoint him from the Lord King over Israel And Psal 75.7 To come to preferment is neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South but God is the Iudge he it is that humbleth and exalteth And Psalm 113.7 The Lord raiseth the needie out of the dust and lifteth up the poore out of the dung that hee may set him with the Princes even with the Princes of his people Wee might alledge many other examples and proofes out of Scripture but these are sufficient to proove our assertion It is an erronious and damnable opinion to hold that Kings come to the Crowne by fraud force or succession without the Divine providence and sacred decree for one haire of our head falleth not Luk. 12.74 without the providence of God much more a thing of so great a consequence as the establishing of a King over the Provinces of a Kingdome and over so many millions of men that are bound to sweare obedience to him I say not onely that his comming to the Crowne is ordered by Gods generall providence but moreover that it is his speciall intention and designe that made him ascend the Throne Let vs hearken to the wisedome of GOD Prov. Chapter 8. c. after wee shall see if it be fraud force or succession which are the causes and wayes by the which they ascend unto that dignity By me saith Christ true God coessentiall with his Father under the name of that wisedome Kings raigne and Princes decree justice By me Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth The Prophet Isaiah speaketh very pertinently and manifestly upon this subject Chap. 45.1 Thus saith the Lord unto Cyrus his anointed whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him therefore will I weaken the loynes of Kings and shut I will goe before thee and make the crooked wayes streight I will breake the brasen doores and burst the iron barres I girded thee though thou hast not knowne me The Prophet Ieremiah Chap. 27. speaketh so openly that hee alone is sufficient to stop those prophane and seditious mouthes Thus saith the Lord of Hostes I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babel my servant and all nations shall serue him and his sonne and his sonnes sonne and the nation and Kingdome which will not serue the same Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel and that put not their necke under the yoake
lids he seeth all his Kigdome he beholdeth all his subjects in a word hee hath eyes Eagles eyes which though soaring and flying in the highest clouds yet seeth clearely in the lowest places of the earth His eares are alwayes open to heare the cries and complaints of his subjects he delighteth in that pleasant harmony in that sweet consort and in those delightfull tones and Diapasons caused by the sweet union and concord of all his Provinces and Subjects Hee smelleth with an incredible content the delectable the delectable odours which embalme his spirits hee senteth with delight the perfumes proceeding from the vowes prayers and obedience which his faithfull subjects sweare to his service Hee tasteth what is good or evill what is sweet or bitter for the good and case of his people Hee himselfe feeleth hee sets his hand to the worke hee considereth what is hard and offensive to cut it off hee chooseth what is soft and easie to conserue it In a word the time would faile us sooner then our conceptions upon so royall a subject full of admirable considerations notwithstanding we will be contented onely with this As we see that all the members of the body take their nourishment and receive their sustenance by the mouth which sendeth the foode into the stomack as into a common storehouse thence to bee distributed according to every members neede from whence are first sent to the head by a very remarkable gratitude and acknowledgement the best and most subtill for the nourishment of the braine the seate of the understanding the spring of the senses and the cause of his subsistance so must the best and fairest of the Kingdome be reserved and dedicated to the Prince which is the head and first mover thereof The examples of it are yet now a dayes familiar that Kings and Princes give their particular possessions to their Subjects on condition of some yeerely acknowledgement which they are obliged to according to their agreement and conventions Againe there is no Kingdome in the world but hath beene sometimes conquered and consequently all the lands thereof are absolutely in the Conquerours hand to dispose of at his pleasure now it is the custome of a new and victorious Prince to bestowe them on whom he pleaseth alwayes reserving to himselfe some tribute or homage for it that the remembrance of his liberall favour may never be forgotten Againe we reade not that those which went to seeke new habitations did goe confusedly and disorderly and in equall authority but they went all under the colours and conduct of some chiefe which afterwards became the King and Prince of that land the which hee distributed according to the deserts or affection which hee bare to his souldiers So we reade Numb 34. Chapter that Eleazar and Ioshuah divided among the Israelites the land of Canaan which they had conquered by the sword and yet no mention is made that that valiant Captaine Ioshuah which had brought them into that land flowing with milk and honey reserved any portion thereof for his share for the which he had beene questionlesse blamed by the Israelites had they not sufficiently knowne that seeing hee had put them in possession of so large a territory they were at his command The Apostles had nothing and yet possessed all the riches of the faithfull of whom they were as Kings and Princes and therfore in signe of acknowledgement all the new Christians brought their goods to their feet Acts Chap. 5. for who would not despise all his wealth for love If a man should give all the substance of his house for love they would greatly contemne it saith Salomon Cantic 8.7 But what horrible ingratitude would that be in him that should doe otherwise seeing that paines care and unquietnesse follow commonly the Scepter and that there is no burthen so heavie as a Crowne and the reason hereof is manifest to wit that a private and particular man aymeth no further then to his houshold bufinesse but the King must embrace all the affaires of his Kingdome hee must care for all and provide for all which maketh Salust say That a great Empire is alwayes accompanied with great cares and troublesome labours and with much anxiety and vexation of minde Seleucus in Plutarke said That if men knew how troublesom a thing it is to governe a Kingdome they would scorne to reach and take up a Diadem from the ground this was the cause why Numa at the first refused the Kingdome offered unto him by the Romanes but in the end overcome by their importunity he accepted it with griefe saying That to raigne was greatly to serue the gods thinking to deserue much from them by taking upon him so heavie a burthen In a word let us say with Cassiodorus that Sub imperio boni principis omnium fortunae moresque proficiunt Vnder a good Princes government the goods of all encrease and their manners are augmented and enriched in civility Now as in a faire meadowe enamelled and beautified with a thousand different kindes of flowers one may finde Serpents Vipers and Toades which defile and infect by their mortall venome the rich and naturall Tapistry the beauty goodnesse and vertue of an infinite number of Simples and wholesome hearbs wherewith it is richly diapred So wee see to our griefe that in the bosome and middest of the fairest richest and most illustrious Kingdomes the corruption of the age aid the infection of vices are produced and propagated Some Ravens which goe about presaging and fore-telling their sinister and lamentable predictions who by their odious voyce to them at least that have good soules and generous hearts and affections cry out aloud That it is the facility weaknesse of men which hath brought in this ambition of mastering and governing the nations That it is more by usurpation then by election or by divine ordinance that they have taken the rule and Empire over Kingdomes and they alledge for proose of their saying that the first King that ever was in the world to wit Nimrod came to the Crowne by force and violence and not by the ordinance of God That all Empires for the most part were gotten by the sword by force of Armes by deceit by injustice by a foolish and desperate ambition that hath often covered the fields with slaughtered bodies and made them overflowe with blood when one Prince offended and angry with another sought to revenge himselfe with the lives of his miserable subjects That the establishing of Monarchs is simply humane alleging that of Saint Peter 1. Epistle 2. Chap. ver 13. Submit your selues unto all manner of ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be unto the King as unto the Superiour or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him But these both ignorant malicious Loyolites and Anabaptists stop for the nonce their cares that they may not heare this lowd resounding voyce from heaven which convinceth them of malice and would recall them from
of the King of Babel the same nation will I visite saith the Lord with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence therefore heare not your Prophets nor your Southsayers nor your dreamers nor your inchanters nor your Sorcerers which say unto you thus Ye shall not serue the King of Babel for they prophesie a lye unto you to cause you to goe farre from your land and that I should cast you out and you should perish but the nation that put their necks under the yoake of the King of Babel an serue him those will I let remaine still in their owne land saith the Lord and they shall occupie it and dwell therein Words worthy of a great and profound consideration and which totally desides and cuts off that question which we now have in hand for it is God himselfe that speaketh to his people that strictly chargeth them to obey the King of Babylon into whose hands he had delivered them and although hee was an Idolatrous and unfaithfull King yet they will obey him on paine of his curse and malediction what judgements what punishments should we much more cause to fall upon us if the least thought of rebellion or disobedience to the Lords anointed should enter into our mindes if we were not perfectly obedient to Kings who are good faithfull and zealous to further the glory of God if our hearts and our mouthes be not alwayes filled with prayers and vowes dedicated to their service But to the end that imitating Hercules wee may clense sweepe cleane this Augean stable wee will answere to that objection propounded touching Nimrod who hath been the first King of the earth who say they hath attained to the crowne by force and by violence words which we finde not in the Scripture but contrarily we read Genes 10.8 that Cush begat Nimrod who began to be mighty in the earth hee was a mighty Hunter before the Lord. These words will never oblige us to conclude that hee hath raised himselfe violently but wee may more truely expound the wordes Hee was mighty before the Lord that is he was lifted up to greatnesse by the most High hee walked in his wayes and followed his ordinances and when Moses saith that he began to be mighty in the earth he meaneth that hee was more feared then his predecessours who were also Kings Priests and soveraigne Princes of their families For after the generall deluge which overflowed the whole earth men lived commonly five or sixe hundred yeares and so one of his posterity might see aboue a hundred thousand persons over whom he was Prince and soveraigne Monarch because there was then no other forme of government in the earth so we reade Genes 23. Chap. that the Hittites of whom Abraham asked a Sepulchre to bury Sara these I say called him a Prince of God or a most excellent Prince which hee clearely manifested at the overthrow of the five Kings which had beaten the King of Sodome had pillaged the Towne and carried away his Nephew Lot prisoner for at the rumour of these sorrowfull newes hearmed three hundred and eighteene of his servants borne in his house and yet had no children Gen. 14. It is then in vaine to alledge that violence craft and hereditary succession are the onely meanes to attaine to Crowes for although some attaine to it by humane meanes and sometimes by dangerous wayes as Absalom who caused himselfe to be anointed King by expelling his Father as Abimelech by the death of 70 of his brethren upon the same stone yet for all these wayes to come to raigne are never brought to passe without a manifest fore-sight and providence of God permitting it sometimes to punish those peoples and sometimes for a punishment to the Kings that raigne over them yet whatsoever they be God commandeth us to obey and perfectly to honour them now cursed cursed be he that shall resist the will of God and that shall not obey his commaundements After we haue heard both Scripture and reason manifestly evincing the truth Let us now heare Saint Augustines opinion in this matter in his booke De civit Dei The cause saith he of the greatnesse of Empires is neither casuall nor fatall it commeth neither by chance nor by destinie By chance I understand saith he the things that happen we not being able to know the causes of them or that happen without any premeditated order of reason assisting their conception and birth By fatall things I understand as Pagans esteeme what happeneth without the will of God and men by the necessity of some particular order which opinion is greatly injurious to Gods divine providence but rather wee must certainely beleeve that Kingdomes are constituted and established simply and absolutely by the divine providence of God And in another place Let us not attribute the power of giving or disposing of an Empire but onely to the true God that giveth eternall happinesse in heaven to his children onely but for earthly Kingdomes he giveth them to good and bad as it seemeth good to him as it pleaseth him who is delighted in no unjust thing therefore this true and onely God that alwayes provideth mankinde both with ayde and counsell when he would and as long as he pleased hath given the governement and Empire to the people of Rome hee is the giver of all felicity that giveth earthly Kingdomes to whom hee pleaseth and yet alwayes with justice and reason though the meanes seeme to us oftentimes manifestly contrary to both I thinke we have employed too much time and too many good weapons to fight against this horrible monster and monstrous Hydra and therefore the shortest and surest way is to follow the example of that valiant Hercules and so to cut off this monster for hee that will not heare the Scripture so manifestly shewing unto us our duty to our Kings that so expresly commandeth us to yeeld unto them all obedience hee that stoppeth his eares to those sweet and most gracious invitations of reason and naturall inclination to honour and serue him whom the bounty and will of GOD hath established over us He who watcheth in labour to make us sleepe in rest Hee who sits on the throne to doe us right that to ease us beareth the burthen of all our affaires and in a word Hee whose minde is alwayes in trouble and anxiety to preserve the quietnesse of his people and to keepe off the invasion and tyrannie of Strangers those Subjects I say are worthy of all the misfortunes disasters and calamities which can happen through the privation of so good things But wee who by the grace of GOD are brought up in his Schoole that together with our mothers milke have sucked the honour service and obedience which wee owe to our Kings and Princes Let us not suffer those wicked and dangerous plagues to infect the purity of our hearts and let not the whitenesse of our soules be spotted and defiled by so blacke and