written in the book of the Law to doe them Deut. 27.26 We must againe note that the Commandementâ— 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 hâ—e 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 moâ—all 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 Scripture and imitating the â—sraelites we will onely take some few drops of water out of the land of Edoâ— 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 aâ— though our intention were othâ—r 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 Ahashuerosh 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 â—seth 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 be 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. â—im 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 treadâ—th out the coâ—ne and the labourer iâ— worthy of his wages Luk. 10.7 And of all these foure duties which wee are to praâ—tise 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 unâ—o 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 â—eâ—d 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 then feare for he beareâ—h 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 resiâ—t 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 perverse 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 â—oâ— them before â—heir eyes the example of Core Dathan and Abâ—ram 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 Nadâ—â— and Abihu his owne Nephewes because they had not obeyed him were consumed with their fâ—llowes by fire that went out from the Altar Levit. 10.2 and his owne sister Marie for speaking undisâ—reetly of him was by the Lord infectâ—d wiâ—h lepâ—osie what shall wee say of Abishaâ— 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
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 and 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 heaâ—ts 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 usurpâ—tion then by election or by divine ordinance that they have takeâ— the rule and Empire over Kingdomes and they alledge for proofe of their saying that the first King that ever was in the world to wit Nimrod câ—me 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 iâ—juâ—tice 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 alledging that of Saint Peter 1. Epistle 2. Chap ver 13. Submit your selues unâ—o all manner of ordiâ—ance of man for the Lords sake whether it â—e unto the King as unto the Superior or unto Governours as unto them that are sent of him But these both ignorant malicious Loyolites and Anabaptists stop for the nonce their eares that they may not heare this lowd resounding voyce from heaven which convinceth them of malice and would recall them from 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 arâ— 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 thiâ—king to overcome and destroy the Armies of Israel that every one turned his sword against his fellow and so flewe one another the people of God being aâ— 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 â—hinking 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 ordiâ—ance 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 Kiâ—g 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 Law giver 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 foâ—ce 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 â—is 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 hâ— In the same booke God promiseth Daviâ— 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 thou 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
dayes and forty nights after which they came to the mountaine of Oreb the plâ—ce of his refuge and security This Iezabel is the devill and this Prophet may lively represent unto us our soule which of all sides is persecuted by this cruell and implacable enemie who flying his assaults if shee come to repose her selfe under the sharpe Iuniper of a truly holy and filiall feare Then without doubt the Angell of Divine consolations will bring him the bread of Love favour and mercy baked upon the coales of his affection and the good will and clemency of God which will then refresh and replenish our hearts and soules during all the pilgrimage of this our mortall life untill wee are arrived to the mountaine of Sion which is the centre of our desires the residence of our delights and the impregnable Fort and Castle of our felicities I finde Saint Augustines comparison to be very excellent and pretty upon Feare and Love and that we must passe thorow that before wee can arrive to this Hee sayes that feare is as a Needle and Love as the silke which it drawes after it The Needle is sharpe hard and piercing but the silke is soft faire and pleasing Feare is indeede a sharpe and distastfâ—ll passion but that which doth sweeten lenifie and cure his prickings it is love whâ—ch immediately followes it being fraughted with courtesie goodnesse and favour Wee must not therefore apprehend the small stings of Bees bâ—cause they afterwards promise to delight satiate us with their honey which distills and flowes from the rocke of our salvation And it is the Enigme of Sampson to the Philistims from the bitter came sweet from the rage and gall of the Lion issued sweet honey to delight and refresh Sampson If Iesus Christ the true Lyon of the tribe of Iuda had not endured for us the bitter and cruell death of the Crosse then wee had never tasted the excellent vertue of the honey of his resurrection Indeed to flesh and blood the Feare of God is as it were a kinde of gall and bitternesse because it daunts and out-braves his passionâ— and it still keepes him waking as we doe to wild birds thereby to tame him and to make him quiet 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 timoris est anchora câ—rdis The burthen which feare caries with it is the hearts anchor to prevent that it â—ee 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 pecâ—are 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 oâ— 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 aâ—d Honour the King Divine and altogether admirable words as beâ—ng 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 performaâ—ce 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 â—he other for we caâ—not displâ—ase 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 resistâ—th 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 sâ—ke and therefore pay ye tribute because they are the ministers of God ordainâ—d 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 entâ—r 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 Kingâ— 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 breakâ—s the least of thâ—se commandements Math. 5.19 Cursed is hee that shall not be permanâ—nt in all the things
â—salm 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 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 open the doores before him and the gates shall not be shut I will goe before thee and make the crâ—oked 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 sonneâ— 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 yâ—ake 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 and 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 dâ—dicated 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 Câ—sh 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 he armed 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 Crownes 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