such a superlative piece of Villany stir at least an honest mans Choler and provoke him to spit some of it in the Rebels face I hope things will not come to that pass yet but that we who then had not hands to rescue a good Kings blood may now be allowed the use of our Tongues to Revenge it and I trust in God our honest Posterity will think so too But I will charm my self as much as ' tiâ— possible and instead of breaking out into such declamatory speeches as this occasion does justly require I shall insist upon the natural Sense and Importance of my Text and with what brevity I can handle such truths as may be easily discover'd by any Eye that is not blood-shot or that doth not look asquint upon our Government In order hereunto we are to note 1. That by resistance here is meant in general all undutiful disobedient and contumacious behaviour and in particular all open forcible and violent Opposition 2. That by the Power in my Text is meant not only the Governours Authority but the Governour himself the Person of the Chief Magistrate who is vested with the Supreme Authority This is well to be observed because the Traytors of the late times proceeded upon a nice distinction between the Kings Natural and Politick capacity cheating the World into a belief that his Power was Lodged not in his Person but in the Two Houses of Parliament and that 't was not the Man in the Throne but the Regal Authority which was virtually in the People that was the thing sacred According to this sophistical pretence the King was against himself and such as stood for him were understood to Resist his Power in defending his Person So that in the upshot 't was his Majesty that was looked upon as the Traytor against the King and they who destroy'd him did not destroy their Soveraign but did only cut off Charles Stuart No the Rebellious Juncto at Westminster were in their own Language the Kings most dutiful and most Loyal Subjects even when they pull'd off his Crown when one damned Faction held him by the Hair and the other Godly Reprobates cut off his Head After this rate was not the Apostle a very Heterodox Malignant an ill Common-wealths-man in not dividing the Kings Authority from his Person but joyning both together For he calls the Person of Nero and other Princes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Supream or Highest Powers v. 1. And by his following discourse 't is plain that by the Power he doth mean the Person of the Magistrate that is in Chief the person that presideth over all the person that is the Head of a Nation For at the 3d. 4th and 6th Verses he calls him expresly the Ruler the Minister of God the man that beareth the Sword the Revenger pointing all along to the person himself that is to receive Tribute to the person that is Gods Substitute and Deputy to the person that is to praise them that do well and Execute wrath upon evil-doers Shall I take leave to give you a paraphrase upon my Text Why you shall have it not out of any single Commentator that may be lookt upon as an Arbitrary or Prerogative man or onePopishly affected but out of an honest Statute of this Realm which makes St. Paul's Divinity to be Law too the Act declares That it is not lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King and that the Position of taking Arms by the Kings Authority against his Person or against those that are commissionated by him is a Trayterous Position Nay there is another very significant word yet which commands every Subject to be an Abhorrer in this point for faith the Law it is a Traiterous position to be Abhorr'd The Text being thus opened there are three grand Truths which it offers to every mans conscience and which cannot but stare in that Rebels face whose conscience â—s not seared with an hot Iron though I think there are few Rebels in the Land whose consciences are not feared to a very Crust 1. That the Supreme Power or the Authority which is seated in the Kings Person is the Ordinance of God himself 2. That because the King is Gods own Minister ordained Supreme by his Commission no man must dare upon pain of Damnation to use any violence against him 3. That considering what Princes were who were the Supreme Powers in St. Pauls time it is by no means lawful to resist even wicked and Heathen Kings And when these truths are a little laid open Duty and Allegiance will further oblige us all to consider the sin of the Day 1. First That the Supreme Power or the Authority which is seated in the Kings Person is the Ordinance of God himself Whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God saith the Apostle And so this point passed all along uncontradicted through all Ages till some counted it 〈◊〉 greater virtue to be Politicians then to bâ— Honest I do not know one Christian Write for 1600 years together who ever denyeâ— that the Power of the Civil Magistrate is of Divine Institution though Jure Divino is now look't upon by some either Fanciful or Ill Men as a betraying of the Peoples Liberties and Rights And yet doth not the Apostle positively tell us that there is no power but of God v. 1. And to prevent a mistake for fear we should interpret this of Gods Permission only he tells us in the next breath that the Powers that be are Ordained of God And that is much more than Permission He hath permitted Oppressors and Usurpers Bradshaws Cromwels and such like Excrements of Nature But he never appointed or Ordained them as he doth every Lawful Prince No the Commission the Authority of a Lawful Prince is from above so that he is Homo à Deo secundus quicquid est à Deo consecutus Solo Deo minor as Tertullian and all Christians then believed a Man next unto God holding all his Regalities of God Inferior to God alone And indeed how could St. Paul call Kings the Ministers of God as he doth Thrice for failing in 2. Verses of this Chapter were not the Authority of Kings by Divine Right or Designation All the Apostles expressions are so clear so significant so full on the Kings behalf that I should be loth to see the Tythe of so much for a Chair-man in a Common-wealth or for a Parish Pope or for a Lay-Elder Nay did the Scriptures speak but the Hundredth part so much on their side what a Noise and Dust should we have about Jus Divinum then Many men do not understand what we mean when we say that this or that thing is de Jure Divino many dangerous and mischievous Errors have been occasioned through mens Ignorance in this particular Therefore for the right understanding of this matter we must know that a thing may be said to be Jure Divino either in a strict or
them to the most exquisite Torments saith Cornelius Tacitus For he Crucified some and others he Burned And as before he set Fire on Rome that he might please himself with the Resemblance of the Burning of Troy so after that he burnt Christians in huge Heaps and Piles that the light of the Fires might direct Passengers in dark Nights saith the Historian and not content with all this Cruelty many Christians he drest up in the Skins of Wild Beasts that they might be Torn in pieces by Dogs as the same Tacitus Relates further It was in the Reign of this Monster of Men that St. Paul liv'd by this Token that he caused that Apostle himself to be Beheaded and it was in the 2d Year of Nero as 't is probably conjectur'd by Baronius out of Origen that St. Paul wrote this Epistle to the Christians in and about the Imperial City And though St. Paul knew enough of the Man already and the Spirit of God foresaw a great deal more yet you see what was written touching Subjection even to him who was a shame to all Princes even this Let every Soul be subject to the Highest Powers for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are Ordained of God Whosoever therefore Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Against this that hath been spoken there is one popular objection which I must take notice of and it is this That where a Kingdom hath adopted the True Religion so that it is Establisht by publick Authority as God be Blessed it is in this Kingdom and the Laws of the Country are on its side there Resistance is not unlawful if a Prince doth indeavour the Destruction or Alteration of the True Faith In answer hereunto these things in short are to be considered 1. First that the true Religion was Establisht in the Jewish State by the Municipal Laws of that Nation and that by the Authority of God himself and yet though several Kings did attempt the introduction of Idolatry nay did actually introduce it the Jews Resisted not nevertheless and if they had Resisted such Resistance had been sinful notwithstanding 2. It is very hard and unjust that Princes Favours should be made use of against themselves that their Prerogatives should be prejudiced for their having received the Faith and for the Kindnesses they have shewed to the Church of Christ Because Constantine was a Zealous Protector of the true Religion it would have been highly Unreasonable should this have redounded to the Violation of the Imperial Dignity of his Son Constantius The Primitive Christians had the Laws of Constantine on their side And yet they did not think Resistance Lawful though the Son was an Enemy to that Faith of which the Father was the Defender 3. No Laws ought to be pleaded beyond their plain Design and Meaning Now the intent of our Laws is to secure our Religion against Schismaticks and Hereticks but not to Arm Subjects against their Prince For the same Laws which are the Stabiliment of the Church do manifestly and Roundly declare all Resistance to be unlawful and Treasonable and do Agnize the power of the Sword to be in the King and in the King only So that no Law is on our side as to matter of Resistance 4. Should our Laws be so bad as to allow of Resistance in some Cases yet this could be no Bar against the Laws of God which forbid Resistance in all Cases For it is not in the power of men to give us leave to Sin nor can any Humane Authority give us the liberty whether we will obey the Commands of Christ or no. I may not in any wise Hurt my Prince had I his own leave for it because the King of Kings hath commanded me under pain of his high displeasure to do the Contrary 5. Nay I will be bold to say in the last place that supposing Law-givers should be so Impolitick as under pain of Death to require and by a Formed Law to command us to Resist the Soveraign power it ought not in any wise to be done however For it is a standing Rule in Christianity that Authority is not to be obeyed in things that are Unlawful now Resistance is simply and in its own Nature Sinful and all Casuists will tell us that rei illicitae nulla est obligatio an Unlawful Command cannot bind unless it be to Sufferings such a command would be Null and Void of it self the matter of a Law somtimes taking off its Obligation when 't is contrary to the Laws of God and Nature and such would a Law for Resistance be should the Authority of the whole Kingdom consent to it I have done now with the Consideration of my Text and come at length to the day but am at a great loss how or where to begin or in what Language to express my Sense of that Superlative Villany Acted at this time which hath stain'd the Consciences of Rebels with Blood which hath dyed the Faces of all Christians with shame which hath brought upon all English Men a perpetual Reproach which was an astonishment to all Nations a blow to all Thrones a wound to the hearts of all Princes a Contumely to Heaven and such an horrid Affront to the great God that I am afraid whatsoever Judgments and Plagues we have laboured under since or do labour under still have fallen upon our Heads as the Returns of that Cry with which the Sacred Blood of the Lords Anointed his late Majesty went up to Heaven I pray God our Land may be once throughly cleansed from the Guilt of it The Blood of Christ can and nothing but Christs own blood can purge us And I am of the opinion that if the blood of any Prince or Martyr could be so valuable and precious as never to be atoned for in this World it would be that Royal that Sacred that Innocent blood which was so barbarously shed upon the Earth as at this time As often as I cast my thoughts upon the consideration of this most Horrid Fact I cannot but think on those Memorable words of David to the Amalekite upon the death of Saul Part of the whole Story we have in 2 Sam. 1. Saul indeed had killed himself with his own Sword at least had given himself his Deaths-wound This Amalekite took off the Crown from his Head and the Bracelet from his Arm and brought both unto David pretending that he had slain Saul Very probable it is that he hoped for some good reward at Davids Hands which has somtimes been the Traitors Fortune and he was the first I read of that counted King killing a Meritorious Act But instead of reaping his expected Booty he obtain'd not so much as a Paraâ—â— but receiv'd his Final and deserved Doom David stood amaz'd and astonisht at the Villany How wast thou not afraid saith he to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the Lords Anointed 2
of others who were Soveraigns within their Territories as well as himself Hence it is too that upon that â—ee Mr. Medâ—s â—iatrib in Gen. 10. Orderly dispersion of the Sons of Noah the whole Earth was by degrees divided into a great many Kingdoms so that of Noah Issue there were I know not how many Kings in a short time They were divided after their Tongues after their Families after their Generations in their several Nations and Countries as the Scripture often tells us Gen. 10. Thus all the Monarchies in the World were Founded not by Peoples chusing their Leaders and Governours but by Princes going out with their Respective Families and using a Soveraign Power over them pursuant to Gods Institution and Ordinance that the Head and Chief of a Family should have Dominion and Authority over the rest Hence also it was that we read of Twelve Princes out of the Loins of Ishmael and of several Dukes which Sprang out of the Loins of Esau For every Head of a Distinct Great Family was by the Divine appointment a King in his Nation and his Kingdom was of greater or less Extent as his Family was more or less Numerous And hence lastly it was that we Read of many Kingdoms in one Country as in Canaan for Instance because their Territories were according to their Numbers So that Antiently Principalities were but small till by the Union of many Great Families either by Conquest and Force or by Voluntary Submission Great Monarchies and Empires came to be Erected 4. And this brings me to the last Observable to prove the Jus Divinum of Kingly Power viz. The Universal practice of all Nations For nothing can be more plain than that Kingly Government was the only Government we know of in the whole World for some Thousand Years together The Greeks were under Monarchs all along till such a Frenzy possest some of them as hath possest some Bedlams among us to change their Old Government for a New nothing But their Madness did cost them very dear in the End they were Undone and Ruin'd by it as we should soon be by our Innovations In the most Antient Times there was no such thing as an Aristocratick or Democratick State And the Reason why the Jews would needs have a King though thy were under a Theocracy was because they would not be Singular therefore they would have a King to Judg them as all the Nations all other Nations had 1 Sam. 8. 5. Now Lex currit cum praxi the Universal Practice of the World is a strong argument to prove that there was some Antecedent Law which as they supposed did lay some Obligation upon them because people are not very forward to fall under Government of themselves supposing them to be in a State of Liberty Nor is it conceivable that all Men in the World should be of one mind or that one Form of Government should please all especially that Government which is in the hands of one Man We may as soon believe that all parts of the World did fall asleep at once and then all on a sudden did awake into so many Formed and Setled Monarchies By this time I hope it doth appear that there are stronger Reasons for the Doctrine of the Jus Divinum of Regal Power then that it should be lookt upon as a State Heresie of a Modern date and of dangerous Consequence The sutableness thereof to Humane necessities the Concurrence of Scripture-history which doth plainly Insinuate the Institution the Original the Usage of Monarchical Dominion together with the Suffrages of all Mankind who for a long Tract of Ages submitted unto it as if it were Entailed upon them from the beginning All this I say doth clearly argue as well the Truth as the Reason of this Proposition that the Kings power is Gods Ordinance Which serves also to baffle those Wild and groundless conceits which our Republican Spirits are so very fond of that there was once a State of Nature wherein all Mankind were Free under their own Power and at their own choice whether they would have Government or no Government and whether they would have this Form or another These and the like are no other then the Lewd and Idle conceits of Factious Brains For there never was such a State of Nature but in the Imagination of such Brainsick Men who have fancied a World in the Moon Whosoever has come out of the Womb hath been Born under Government nay under Kingly Government till Rebellion or Faction or the Love of Novelty altered the Natural and Regular course of affairs I do not blame Aristotle and other Old Infidels for not hitting well upon the True Original of Government considering they were not well acquainted with the Scriptures but spake for the most part by guess But I wonder at the confidence of Hobbs and other such Modern Politicians though in truth even they are for the most part Infidels too for talking so idly and unphilosophically as that Kings have their Authority by Compact and Covenant and the pleasure of the people so that they may Crown them or Un-king them as they think fit Doctrines which cost King Charles the 1st of Blessed Memory no less then his Crown and his Head too Whereas for many Ages after the Creation Regal Authority descended by Inheritance and as Nature gave a Man the Father-hood so the Authority which went along with it was Gods Donative people did no more chuse their Kings then Children do chuse their Fathers As for Common-wealths and Aristocracies and Elective States the World formerly was unacquainted with them nay the very Names of them were unknown No they are only so many Usurpations Degenerate and Bastard sorts of Government The Monarchical Form as it is far the best so 't is incomparably the Oldest and of Gods own Institution The rest are but Upstarts and Mushrooms of yesterday in comparison and I think 't is nothing but the necessities of some few places in the World that makes them either Tolerable or Lawful 2. I have done with the first point That the Kings Power is Gods Ordinance and it brings me to the 2d That because the King is Gods own Minister Ordained Supreme by his Commission no man must dare upon pain of Damnation to use any Violence against him they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For if God will Judg the Open and the Secret Actions of men according to the Gospel and reward every man according to his Works what less can the bold Rebeâ— expect then the Severities of Judgment that presumes in spight of all the Out-cries of Conscience to act that which is so contrary to the Ends of Government so Reproachful to the Gospel so repugnant to the Spirit of its Author and its Laws Did not Christ suffer for us leaving us an example that we should follow his steps 1 Pet. 2 21. Did not his Peaceable and Submissive deportment all along Teach us that all
A SERMON PREACHT On January 30th 1683. IN Westminster-Abby Before the REVEREND and HONOURABLE the KINGS JUDGES and Printed at their Request By Edw. Pelling Praebendary of Westminster and Chaplain to his Grace the Duke of Somerset Omnis quidem sub Rege ipse sub nulló sed tantùm sub Deo non est inferior sibi Subjectis non parem habet in Regno Bracton l 1. c. 8. A Deo Rex à Rege Lex LONDON Printed by H. Hills Jun. for William Abington next Door to the Wonder Tavern in Ludgate-Street 1684. To the Right Honourable Sir George Jefferyes Knt. and Bar. Lord Chief Justice of England and one of His Majesties Most Honourable Privy-Council My Lord I Do heartily wish that your Lordships desires had not been so Earnest and Pressing as they were to have this Discourse made Publick which I assure Your Lordship was not in the least by me designed to be sent abroad into the World Your Lordship knew those Obligations I lye under to Your Lordship as my Kind and Noble Friend and the Principle I go upon of submitting to Authority so that Your Lordship had me under a double tye both of Gratitude and Obedience I expect to bear a great many more hard Censures and Invectives for this though I have done no more then what I think was my bounden Duty to do But those things I have been so accustomed to hear that I am now Clamour-proof I had almost said that mine Ears are somewhat like a Traytors Conscience past all feeling But if I may have leave to express my Real thoughts I cannot but pitty Your Lordship and your Reverend Brethren for Causing this Sermon to be Printed because hereby you have made it your own and are Oblig'd in Honour to undertake for it and to be my Defendants if ever I should be Threatned to be brought upon my Knees or to hoâ—â— up my hand at the Bar for this as I have been threatned formerly for things of the like Nature And this I may think to be Security good enough But the mischief is that if ever thoâ—â— Canicular days should come again Your Lordships will be in greater Jeopardy then my self and then God help my Advocates as well 〈◊〉 Your Client Let times be as it shall please God It is my Lord your Honour that you are true to youâ— Duty and it is my satisfaction that I can in any thing Obey your Commands And I do it with the more readiness because it is observed how ready your Lordship and the rest of the Judges are to stand by the Interest of the Church and upon all Occasions publickly to Vindicate the Honour and Integrity of the Conformable and Loyal Clergy That the God of peace for whom you Judge will Vouchsafe to preserve you in your Great and Honourable Station and support your Courage and Bless your Labours in the Ministration of Justice and Eternally Reward your Faithfulness to the King to the Church and to the whole Nation is My Lord the hearty Prayer of Your Lordships most Obliged and Obedient Servant Edw. Pelling Rom. 13. 2. Whosoever therefore Resisteth the Power Resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that Resist shall receive to themselves Damnation WHen the Christian Religion began to be planted in the World there were four very Evil Men which in their turns Succeeded Augustus in the Roman Empire Tiberius Caligula Claudius and Nero the latter of whom was the Man that raised the first Persecution against Christians I do not know but the Providence of God might order it thus that all men might have the most early notices of their Duty to Princes and that together with the true Faith they might receive the necessary Doctrines of due Obedience and Subjection to their Lawful Governours whether good or bad It was under Tiberius that Christ the Great Bishop of all our Souls gave that Command of rendering to Caesar the things that were Caesar's Matth. 22. 21. It was under Claudius that St. Peter the Great Apostle of the Jews taught the dispersed Converts to submit themselves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supream or unto Governours sent by him c. 1 Pet. 2. And as 't is generally conceived it was under Nero that St. Paul the great Apostle of the Gentiles gave this so strict a charge Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers Because there is no Power but of God Had not this thing been a prime part of the Christian Religion we cannot conceive why such great care should have been taken to inform the whole World of it especially in times which afforded not any common encouragements thereunto Were it not a sad Truth that some will believe no more of the Scriptures then what serves their present Turn we might wonder how 't is possible for a Christian to be an Undutiful Subject For as that great Christian and Divine the Learned and Incomparable Dr. Hammond hath Of Resisting the Lawful Magistrate rightly observed In the New Testament especially in the Epistles of the Apostles which were all Written in time of the Reign of Wicked Heathen Bloody Adversaries of Christianity and can refer to none but those there is no one Christian Virtue or Article of Faith more clearly delivered more effectually inforced upon our Understandings and Affections to be acknowledged by the one and submitted to by the other then that of Obedience unto Kings So that it is not either Ignorance that can excuse or any allowable principle of Christianity that can encourage Resistance nor is it Zeal or Conscience that doth it though that has been pretended by some puling and ill natur'd Hypocrites but 't is either an haughty and unmanageable Spirit or an hankering after Spoyl or an Aking Tooth after Government or a Furious Rage for disappointments or Personal Spight or hopes of Revenge or the fear of Justice or a Restless Factious Humour or direct Devillishness and Atheism under the Bonnet of Religion some or all these things have ever been the true causes of those Riots which have been so Vexatious so Fatal to Soveraign Powers It being otherwise impossible that Men whose Consciences are so Enlightned by Gods own Word should be so Blind Wicked and Fool-hardy as to Rise up against their Prince at the manifest hazard of the Greatest and most Intolerable of all Evils For that is the Rebels portion if St. Paul may be credited That they who resist shall receive to themselves Damnation Yet I do not intend to declaim though the World might well bear with me and with all others should our mouths be full of the very Quintessence of bitterness especially when we reflect upon that most Horrid and Execrable Murder which was acted about this time upon the person of that Great Monarch and Martyr of whom the World was not worthy and perhaps will hardly ever see the like of him again It would be a pittiful and woful thing indeed should not