GOD THE KING AND THE COUNTREY United in the Justification of this Present Revolution Containing also Animadversions on Dr. William Sherlock's Book Intituled The Case of Allegiance Due to Soveraign Powers stated and resolved according to Scripture and Reason and the Principles of the Church of England By TIM WILSON M. A. and Rector of Great Mongeham in Kent Licensed Jan. 29. 1691. LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1691. To the Sacred Majesties of King William and Queen Mary by the Grace of God King and Queen of England Scotland France and Ireland Defenders of the Faith c. May it please Your Majesties THE Divine Providence that disposeth all things to the emolument and advantage of those that love God hath sent Your Majesties to be our Saviours and Deliverers from Popery and Slavery to the Joy of all sound Protestants not wholly sunk and buried in prejudice And we see the Prophecy of Isaiah fulfilled Kings shall be your Nursing Fathers and Queens your Nursing Mothers But the Government of Moses whom God sent into Egypt to deliver his people was not without some Murmurers and men of a revolting spirit who looked back towards Egypt Victorious David had that crafty Politician Achitophel his Adversary and Absolom who stole away the hearts of this people and Sheba a Mover of Sedition The Reign of Solomon had some who complained of Grievances and Oppressions tho' he honoured God by building a Magnificent Temple The most excellent Deborah tho' she had some that jeoparded their lives unto death with her yet she had others who for their Divisions caused great thoughts of heart It is my affection to the Protestant Cause and Your Majesties Government that moves me thus resolutely to rush into your Sacred Presence I am very sensible that false Principles will create Practices correspondent to them And therefore I have examined some new and strange Notions of Gods Providence and Humane Governments of late asserted by some Doctors To say That a Prince hath Gods Authority tho' he hath no Humane and Legal Right and that there is another Person who hath Legal Right is dismal to consider in the consequences thereof If this Poison creeps into the Church I tremble to reflect upon the Effects of it It is good for nothing but to produce Insincerity and to make men swear to live peaceably when they have War in their hearts I am confident of Your Majesties Protection for I have acted in this Affair with a full satisfaction of Conscience and the greatest Evidence of Reason And no History can exceed if parallel so great valour and courage mixed with so much grace and clemency as hath shined in King William This is to be like God who is Almighty and yet slow to wrath whose Power is irresistible and yet he delights in Mercy Go on and prosper most victorious Prince and may the God of Heaven bless you with success by Sea and Land against that proud and persecuting Monarch who hath been the Ruine of so many Innocent Protestants in his own Dominions May God give Your Majesties the Necks of your Enemies and may they all tast of Your Forgiveness and Bounty but never forsake Your first Friends who ran all hazards with Your Majesty I pray with Tertullian who saith We Christians pray for our Emperors 1. That they may have a long Life which contains Health Joy and Prosperity 2. A constant safe and secure Government 3. Faithful and Trusty Domestick Servants free from Treachery and secret Conspiracy 4. A strong and valiant Army 5. A faithful Senate Council or Parliament 6. Obedient Submissive and Loyal People 7. A quiet and peaceable Reign In a word whatsoever can be the desire of Caesar God inspire Your Majesties with heavenly Grace and Wisdom and sound Knowledge and good Vnderstanding to go in and out before this great People and moreover give you Victory and Peace and Length of Days and at last may Angels convey Your Souls into Abraham's bosom This is the constant prayer of Your Maiesties Most Humble most Loyal and most Devoted Subject and Servant Tim. Wilson The Apostle asserts in the 13th Chap. of the Epistle to the Romans That all Emperors Kings Princes and Governors receive their Power from God And that the Right of the Sword is delivered to the Magistrate by God And therefore all are obliged to be subject to the Higher Powers and not to resist And whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and shall receive damnation FOR the right understanding whereof I shall premise these Principles 1. All Dominion is Gods 2. God gives Dominion and Power to some persons over others 3. The Law of Nature which is the Divine Law unwritten is a Rule by which all Nations should walk 4. This Law of Nature teacheth all Inferiours to honour their Superiours and Subjects to pay Tribute honorary Gifts c. to their Kings 5. The same Law of Nature secures every mans Propriety so that there can be no Alienation without consent explicite or implicite There is saith Aristotle Rhet. b. 1. c. 13. as all divine by Nature a common just and unjust though there be no mutual communication nor compact 6. The holy Scriptures do not contradict the Law of Nature but inform mankind more plainly what is duty Lastly The sacred Historian Moses and other holy Writers leave Positive and Political Laws to be practised according to the Usage of several Countries I suppose as the known truth is that God Created Adam and Eve And Adam begat Cain and Abel Now what Land or what substance and goods Adam gave Abel he had Right to by the Law of Nature as well as what he got by his own industry and labour Neither could Adam or Cain take any of Abels Flock without sinning against God tho' there had been no Agreement between them For this Law was written in Adams heart Thou shalt not covet any thing that is thy Neighbours There is a Natural Right and there is a Civil Right Natural Right is by the Law of Nature Meum and Tuum were before there was any written Law Civil Right is that which the Municipal Laws of every Countrey gives And if good and consonant to Reason they are but confirmations or explications of the Law of Nature or conclusions drawn from it or securities of mens Lives Goods and Possessions from wicked men who would use no conscience We know saith St. Paul 1 Tim. 1.8 9 10. that the Law is good if a man use it lawfully knowing this that the Law is not made for a righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient c. Government as Government agreeth to Heathens Jews Turks and Christians all alike It is man as man who is the object thereof The Nature and Definition and Properties are the same The holy Scriptures intend not to teach us to be Politicians no more than to be Philosophers but to be Christians and
though the Dr. saith There is nothing like this any where else in Scripture which is gratis dictum yet other Learned Divines say that the Apostle means this 1 Pet. 2.13 14. When he saith Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether to the King as Supream Hence they collect and I think truly That the Donation of the Power is of God and the Designation of the Person or Limitation and Qualification of the Power is of Man tho' it is also the disposal of Providence I have said in another Discourse God and Man in these Acts are not opposite but subordinate God is the first Cause Man is the second Cause The Prince that receives Authority from Man receives it from God also tho' mediately by Man and is Gods Minister and a Ruler v. 3 4. The Dr. proceeds Then in order to the fulfilling of this precept it would be necessary for Subjects to exarmine the Titles of Princes and to that end to be well skill'd in History and the Laws of a Nation and to be able to judge between a pretended and real Right c. A. And surely it is not so difficult a thing to know who is our Prince as the Dr. would make it It is so easie that every Subject in England as far as ever I heard never doubted that the late King James was the lawful King of England c. And there needs no great skill in History and Law to know this And as for the Revolution when we are bound in Conscience to obey another King there needs no History to tell us what we have seen and heard And the Reverend Dr. will tell us when the Government is setled p. 9. Suppose the greatest uncertainty that you can suppose the Consciences of men would not be more perplexed than you have perplexed them at this day And therefore you need not have said Let any man judge in what perplexities this sense of the Apostles Precept would involve the Consciences of men The Dr. hath a great deal more to the same purpose and descants at large To which I answer in general That if St. Paul had taught us Politicks in Rom. 13. I should have thought it very strange Men must learn Politicks from the Laws of Reason and the common Prudence and Experience of Mankind Suppose the Great Turk in a Passion or upon a small Provocation should draw his Scymeter or Sword to kill some Eminent Nobleman of his Court and the Nobleman should defend his Life by force of Arms and by Skill or Strength should disarm his great Lord and Master and escape for his Life In this case I say Natural Religion and Conscience will justifie the Innocent Nobleman and will tell the Great Turk that he ought to give God thanks in such like words as David did when Abigail by her wisdom pacified his wrath 1 Sam. 25.32 Blessed be the Lord God who sent thee this day to meet me And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou who hast kept me this day from shedding blood I should never read the Scriptures nor any History or Law-book to tell me who is my King no more than I would to tell me who is my Father and Mother I like a Fool have all my days presumed without Book with my Fellow-subjects and with my Brethren and Sisters who is my King and who is my Father and Mother and have honoured and obeyed them according to the fifth Commandment Such reasoning is unworthy of the profound Judgment of Dr. Sherlock If the Dr. pleaseth I would desire him to write a Book to teach Children what are their Names and who are their God-fathers and God-mothers before we Catechize them any more For is it not a very hard thing to know all these things See how prejudice blinds the Eyes of pious and wise men I confess that when there is a competition for the Crown or when Imposture may be reasonably suspected or in the like extraordinary case then the Subjects may become Sceptics But then we have a Privy Council and a Parliament to examine judge and determine But otherwise I am persaded that there was not one of ten thousand that ever doubted whether King Charles the Second was the true Heir and rightful King or King James the Second But let us hear the Dr's Objection p. 24. If the choice and consent of the People makes a Prince then no man is a Subject but he who consents to be so For the major Vote cannot include my consent unless I please That is the Effect of Law and Compact or Force not of Nature If Subjects give their Prince Authority they may take it away again if they please There can be no Irresistible Authority derived from the People For if Authority be wholly derived from them who shall hinder them from taking it away when they see fit Vpon these Principles there can be no Hereditary Monarchy One Generation can only chuse for themselves their Posterity have as much right to chuse as they had A. The Dr. owns That if the Lineal Succession should fail then the People must chuse a Prince and this hinders not Hereditary Monarchy No more doth it in such an extraordinary case as our present case is And the Dr. himself saith p. 25. A Legal Entail is nothing more than the Authority of the People tho' here he saith Vpon these Principles there can be no Hereditary Monarchy Let him reconcile these The Parliament hath setled the Succession But saith the Dr. Every Subject must consent This is thought a mighty Goliath but I think it a poor weak Argument I have elsewhere shewed that the meek wise and ever-renowned Hooker foundeth all Government in Covenant so that I am not singular in the Church of England And surely it is not required in our Constitution that every individual person consent explicitly to Acts of Parliament but the major Vote includes all And there is nothing more common in the World either in Political or Sacred Affairs than for a Father or Guardian or God-father or Friend or Relation to engage for a Child See Deut. 29 10 11. If it were any other person I should be afraid would turn Anabaptist or at least a Puritan and write a Book against God-fathers In these Cases an Implicite Covenant is fully sufficient If the whole Kingdom consists of such who were Children to their Parents that Elected the Prince and agreed that the Kingdom should be Hereditary this in Conscience binds them Tho' they make no Personal and Vocal Expression of their Consent and Agreement as the Fathers did I imagine that upon second Thoughts the Dr. will have no mind to oppose this and therefore I say no more But the Dr. saith That if Subjects give their Prince Authority then they may take it away again if they please A. All Subjects are bound in Conscience to stand to their Covenant Agreement Promise and Oath And here whosoever resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation This is Rebellion supposing a Kingdom not universally oppressed And this secures the Prince as
they believe that a King who hath no Right to the Throne is not set up by God and invested with his Authority they will find That it must ultimately resolve it self into the Authority of the People to make Kings which it is unjust for God himself to over-rule and alter pace tanti viri by the Dr's leave I should say it is not Gods usual Method and ordinary Providence to over-rule and alter for a Legal Entail is nothing more than the Authority of the People And if the People have such an uncontroulable Authority in making Kings hold a little the People cannot do this when they have Covenanted ordinarily but in extream necessity I doubt they will challenge as much Authority to unmake them to But perhaps the Dr. will say This is Argumentum ad homines and I would not willingly misrepresent him As for his Answer to the Objection which I find p. 26. I know not what to make of it it is pure Enthusiasm I think I cannot measure it by any Rules of Reason 3. He grants very honestly p. 27. That when ever a People have a good King as surely say I King William and Queen Mary are a good King and Queen it is both their Duty and Interest to defend Him And if they be not misled by the Cunning and Artifice of ill Men they will certainly do so But if they have a very bad one that notoriously violates their Rights and breaks the Constitution upon which Himself stands and strikes at the dearest things they have their Religion Established by Law and their Properties I doubt the Case may be altered And tho' every Body will not speak it out yet most may say in their Hearts Let him go if he cannot defend Himself It is enough in Conscience patiently to bear so bad a Prince but a little too much to venture their Lives and Fortunes to keep him in the Throne to oppress them This is against Reason and Nature and I know no Law of God which requires it c. I wish with all my heart that this Consideration and other Arguments of the Dr's may prevail with the most Reverend Father in God the late Arch-Bishop and the Right Reverend the Bishops who have not taken the Oaths to their present Majesties I believe out of pure Conscience tho' erroneous and full of prejudice And I have often wondered that so many of the Clergy who but a little before did so violently oppose the Prince of Orange's proceedings out of the like conscientious prejudice as I believe did on a sudden take the Oaths This seems to me to shew that our Case wanted but a little consideration and men might easily lay aside their prejudices in so blessed and desirable a Change 4. The Dr. grants p. 28. That the Laws of God and Nature must take place of all Humane Positive Laws and Oaths Hence I infer that the Dr. cannot deny Self-preservation 5. He grants p. 29. That it is unreasonable to expound the Oath to such a sense as no man would have taken it in had it been expressed No no man in his wits would take it for the best Prince that ever swayed the Scepter Then such an Oath or Promise or Declaration could not intend to dedestroy Self-preservation Liberty and Property 6. The Dr. grants p. 30. We are not bound to defend the King against Law or when he subverts the Laws und Liberties and the Legal Established Religion of the Kingdom by Illegal Methods Or as he saith presently after by the exercise of an Illegal and Arbitrary Power 7. He saith p. 32. Certainly this was not the Intention of the Oath to fight for their King against their Countrey For an Oath to fight for the King doth not oblige us to fight against our Countrey which is as unnatural as to fight against our King 8. He owns the preservation of the whole Kingdom is before the Prince p. 33. in these words Tho' I have as great a Reverence for Princes as any man I do not think the Right and Interest of any Prince so considerable as the Safety and Preservation of the Nation and the Lives and Fortunes of all his Subjects I am sure we who are for Defensive Arms cannot say more than this 9. I leave the Teachers of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance to answer his Arguments p. 36. or else I hope they will take the Oaths I have spoken my thoughts of this matter As for Bishop Overals Convocation-Book I do not love many words I have spoken my mind 10. This seems very hard that when God hath actually delivered us we must refuse our deliverance p. 38. And I add it seems very hard that the Clergy who receive most benefit by this deliverance if in heart they love the Protestant Religion should not honour the Deliverers 11. The Dr. agrees to what Bishop Sanderson tells us That the End of Civil Government and of that Obedience which is due to it is the Safety and Tranquillity of Humane Societies and therefore whatever is necessary and useful to this End becomes our Duty for the End prescribes the Means Hence I infer the lawfulness of Defensive Arms in some case because Humane Societies under a Tyrannical Prince who Rules Arbitrarily cannot be safe I beseech the Dr. seriously to consider this and examine throughly whether it doth not necessarily follow And before I end this Section I must desire the Dr. to reconcile some of his Assertions He saith p. 4. The Church of England hath been very careful to instruct her Children in their duty to Princes to obey their Laws and submit to their Power and not to resist tho' very injuriously oppressed and those who renounce these Principles renounce the Doctrine of the Church of England But she hath withal taught That all Sovereign Princes receive their Power and Authority from God and therefore every Prince who is setled in the Throne is to be obeyed and reverenced as Gods Minister and not to be resisted c. And here I observe that the Dr. chargeth the Non-swearing Bishops as well as those who joyned with the Prince of Orange as rejecting the Doctrine of the Church of England Well let the Dr. and his Party be the only true Church of England-men if he can disprove what I have now and elsewhere said He grants That whosoever is setled in the Throne hath Gods Authority and must not be resisted But p. 25 26. in answering an Objection That this makes the Prince lose his Right by being notoriously injured c. he tells us The Providence of God removes Kings and sets up Kings but alters no Legal Rights nor forbids those who are dispossessed of them to recover their Right when they can c. and doth not divest the dispossessed Prince of his Legal Right and Claim nor forbid him to endeavour to recover his Throne nor forbid those who are under no Obligation to the Prince in Possession to assist the dispossessed Prince to recover his
which concern the Duty of Subjects and the Publick Good And as for the Instances in Scripture out of the Books of the Kings and Chronicles it is plain that there was a Covenant between the King and People And after the Deposing of Athaliah all the Congregation made a Covenant with the King in the House of God 2 Chron 23.3 And what doth a Covenant signifie if it may not be defended and justified If such a dead Dog as I am were worthy to admonish an English Monarch I would advise him to make Law the Rule of his Reign and shew his Prerogative in Acts of Bounty Mercy and Mitigation of the Rigour of some severe Laws And I would not tell him that it is Rebellion for an Innocent Subject to defend himself And yet I imagine that I am as great a Friend to Monarchy and to the Church of England as the greatest Passive-Obedience-Doctor is 4. We have the End of Government For the good of the whole Sodiety Power and Authority is ordained of God for the Happiness of Mankind By this we are legally secured against wicked Men in our Houses Possessions Lands and Estates in our Liberties and Properties and in whatsoever belongs to us as Members of a Civil Society Political Order is a just Disposition between King and Subject as well as between Subject and Subject God is the Author and Lover of Order and an Enemy of Disorder and Confusion And Government was constituted by the singular Wisdom and Providence of God for the good of his Creatures From hence I may deduce these Inferences 1. Hence the Power and Authority of Kings and Governours is clearly Divine They are constituted Rulers by God and are his Ministers And therefore Honour and Obedience is due to them for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 2. Hence it follows evidently That Princes and Governours ought to Rule in Gods fear and so perform their Office as Gods Vicegerents administring Justice impartially knowing whose Authority they have Hence Princes are called Pastors of the People and Fathers of the Countrey And should bear the Name of Gods and Children of the most High not only in Power but in Goodness 3. Hence it necessarily follows that all Subjects ought to reverence and honour their King and Governours with most humble Service Homage and Obedience in all things But of this more anon 2. I shall consider the several kinds The most common Distribution is into Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy The first kind or Form of Government is Monarchy I approve of this as best according to the saying of the most Famous Poet The Rule of many is not good Let there be one Ruler one King to whom God gives the Scepter He is King who hath Supream Power subject to none And a Monarch is either Absolute or Conditional And again either Elective or Successive Elective when in a Kingdom a Person of a new Family or of the same Family is chosen Successive when the next Heir Male and in some Kingdoms the Female is owned and proclaimed Thus the Kingdom of England is by Inheritance and Succession And our King never dies as we say But the King of England is not Absolute but Limited And hath Lords and Commons without whom he cannot make nor repeal Laws And we have Magna Charta unviolable And the Subjects great Felicity and no less the Kings Honour who Rules not over Slaves but Freemen 3. I shall shew the Latitude of Subjection It is a Civil Filial Fear of the King And excludes all things that tend to his Dishonour and includes all things that tend to his Honour It contains all Duties and Services required of Subjects to their Prince There is an universal Obedience next under and after God in all things Legal due to the King who Reigns by the Ordinance and Appointment of God Native Religion and true Christianity is the greatest Interest of Princes A good Conscience and pious Heart abhors Obmurmurations Factions Seditions Rebellions or whatsoever can be conceived to disturb the Souls subjection to the Higher Powers It is gross Hypocrisie to pretend to follow the Holy Jesus and not render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's I am sure that Christ and his Apostles taught Subjection to the Roman Emperor as the Ornament and Honour of their Religion This Subjection first forbids light and vain thoughts of the Kings Authority and Person 2. Uttering Wicked and Trayterous words speaking evil of him Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People Exod. 22.28 And curse not the King no not in thy Thought Eccles 10.20 And the Holy Ghost brands them with the odious name of filthy Dreamers who despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities St. Jude ver 8. In brief It excludes all retaining of his Dues Tribute Custom c. all Cheating him of his Revenue all Disobedience to his wholsom Laws all Contempt or Violation offered to his Sacred Person 2. Subjection includes or comprehends all Duties of a Christian Subject to his King For that which is in one place Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers is in another Fear the King and Honour the King And in the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother Here as by Father and Mother all Superiors are meant not only our Natural Parents but also our Political Father our Governours especially the Supream Magistrate the King As it is well explained in our Church-Catechism To Honour and Obey the King and all that are put in Authority under him Which also is the Interpretation of all sober Divines So by this word Honour all kinds of Duty and Services from all Inseriors to their Superiors respectively are comprised So to Honour as to Fear Love and Obey them c. This is expressed also by St. Peter Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well This is yet more fully and largely set down by St. Paul Rom. 13. Where this Doctrine is not only declared but pressed and confirmed by many strong and solid Reasons We must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake v. 5. If you make Conscience of your ways give the King his Due There is nothing more plain than this Chapter for Subjection to the King and Submission and respect to his Officers without murmuring and repining when according to Law they demand their Dues The humble Christian and obedient Subject who willingly submits to the Kings Laws may be assured that in that particular he pleaseth God and he always hath the Testimony and Satisfaction of a good Conscience But the stubborn and disobedient who will not render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's assuredly displeaseth God and can never quiet his Conscience but runs the hazard of a most ignominious esteem in
upon us with Respect when we pay him all Legal Obedience out of Conscience and venture our Lives and Fortunes in defence of his Crown and Dignity as well as of our Laws and Properties Why may not we hope for Preferment Honour and Commendation as well as those who never practise what they teach When I have lived to see their Senses too much for their singular Divinity But however we fare in this World I am of Opinion that a King should do Justice a Priest should teach Truth and a Souldier should Fight for a good Cause and leave the Success to God The Happiness of a Kingdom is in a Princes Ruling as a Father and Subjects obeying out of Love rather than meer necessity Obj. 2. This occasions Subjects to Rebel when they think fit To this I say besides what I have formerly written that the Doctrine of Non-Assistance which is now become common is as bad if not worse than our Doctrine of Resistance in some Case Now the Dr. owns the former p. 50. saying Thus far I think the Subjects may be very guiltless who do not drive the King away but only suffer him quietly to be driven away or to escape out of his Kingdom for this is no Rebellion no Resistance but only Non-assistance which may be very innocent For there are some Cases wherein Subjects are not bound to assist their Prince and if ever there were such a Case this is it I grant Non-Assistance and Resistance are not the same in all cases I grant we are not bound to assist our King in Illegal Commands But I should think that if we may not resist him in his Illegal and Arbitrary Commands we ought in Conscience to assist him in his Legal Commands especially in the preservation of his Person Crown and Dignity And I am sure that the late King would have called this a Seditious and Rebellious Doctrine as well as ours But thus the poor King was cheated And the Dr. may say as well as think in his heart p. 27. Let him go if he cannot defend himself Well I commend the Dr. in this case for Teaching Subjects to sleep in a whole skin But in troth I think it is more plain dealing and the King had better be told that in the same case they will not assist him they will resist that is in case of Universal Oppression I will suppose for once that David was against Defensive Arms and Resistance in any case and upon this supposition let us hear his Judgment and Resolution 1 Sam. 26.15 16. David said unto Abner Art not thou a valiant man and who is like unto thee in Israel Wherefore then hast thou not kept thy Lord the King for there came one of the people in to destroy the King thy Lord. This thing is not good that thou hast done As the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die because ye have not kept your Master the Lords Anointed Abner might have replied to David if he had been taught by the Dr. Sir the King is in pursuit of you when you are innocent and that illegally cruelly causlesly maliciously and therefore tho' I must not resist I may not assist nor see your innocent blood shed Take my Master Lord and King and do what you will with him Here I must desire the Dr. to reflect upon his Conscience in the fear of God And I dare appeal to the Judgment of any moderate conscientious and learned Papist or to the Judgment of any indifferent man in the World if our Doctrine be not as honest as this In this case Non-Assistance is as bad as Resistance for the Prince must certainly infallibly and inevitably fall into the hands of his Adversaries with this aggravation That those he trusted deceived him To this purpose we may consider that distinction of the Efficient Cause mentioned by the School-men It is either 1. Physical Or 2. Moral The Physical Cause is that which hath a real influx towards the Effect or that which truly and of it self contributes to the Being of the Effect The Moral Cause is that which tho' it doth not really operate in producing the Effect yet it is such in ordine Moris in order to Manners as they say as if it really conferred Being to the Effect and that because the Effect that follows is no less imputable to it than if it had produced the Effect by a real influx such are causes consulting commanding and not hindering when they ought to hinder But I have sufficiently lashed this Doctrine elsewhere As for the rest of the Book it is either what we grant or what hath been already answered or contains the Dr's Arguments to perswade the Clergy that have not taken the Oaths And I see no reason why the Arguments should not prevail with them if they will lay aside prejudice But I believe the Dr. may Preach Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance upon Rom. 13. long enough before he will gain one rational and considering man For the Male-administration of the late unhappy King and the Tyranny Pride and Insolence of the Jesuits instead of frighting them out of their senses have frighted the Commons of England into their senses that they will rather believe they merit Salvation if the Protestant Faith allowed it than that they are guilty of that Resistance which the Apostle saith shall receive Damnation for joyning with the Prince of Orange and his Confederates in this Revolution Wherefore I shall conclude with these three Propositions 1. In our Case Defensive Arms were lawful 2. King William and Queen Mary with their true Friends can be justified no other way 3. This Doctrine as I have explained it is neither contrary to the Church of England nor more prejudicial or dangerous to Monarchy than any other Principle as will appear I hope to any who will impartially consider what I have written in a Treatise called Conscience Satisfied in a Cordial and Loyal Submitting to the present Government of King William and Queen Mary and in another small Discourse in Answer to the History of Passive Obedience and in a Fast Sermon on Josh 5.13 Art thou for us or for our Adversaries And I think that the Thanksgiving-days and the Fasting-days and the Collects and Prayers read and the saying Amen by all the Members of every Congregation is a Justification of what hath been done in this Revolution unless men are gross Hypocrites and honour God with their mouths without their hearts And whatever some late Bishops and Governours of the Church have done I am sure the first Blessed Reformers honoured all Protestant Churches as Sisters and their Divines and Ministers as Brethren I know not why Luther and Calvin and Arminius tho' they differ in some Opinions should not all still be honoured as faithful Servants of Christ And here I shall produce a few of our Divines most famous who speak honourably of them as all men that hate Faction in the Church ought to do The Reverend Bishop Jewel Reply
Government under which he lives unless in urgent necessity But what if the King be given to Change Then meddle not with Him Keep the Fundamental Laws and Customs of your Countrey and the true Religion by Law Established We say saith a Learned Author that if Power be given to the King by Law yea or to other Magistrates tho' it be against Religion we have no help but suffering or flying till we can be helped by Legal ways But if when we have Laws for our Religion and Liberties the King out of his own will or seduced by others shall in an Illegal way seek to deprive us of them now we may defend our selves and in this we resist no Kingly Authority but the Will of such a Man Obj. Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People A. This Text commands Obedience to the King with all reverence in Heart Tongue and Action But what is this to innocent and lawful Defence Which St. Thomas and other Schoolmen call cum moderamine inculpatae tutela Obj. Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight A. The Confession of David saith a great Divine is to be taken comparatively He sinned against God alone by way of Excellence because he could be punished condemned and absolved by God alone But David sinned also against those who were meer Subjects as Bathsheba Vriah Joab and Nathan but not as a Tyrant violating the whole State of the Common-wealth but as a Sinner left to his Lust Furthermore no Man could judge of the Personal Fact of David except God alone which pertained not to the Subversion of the Common-wealth I say the sin of David was particular which was not destructive to the whole Common-wealth Besides David speedily recanted and repented of the evil The sense is saith Calvin cited by the Author of the Synopsis as if he should say I do not regard what Men think or speak if either they spare me or extenuate the wickedness by flattery or mitigate my grief with gentle Speeches yet it is more than enough to me that I perceive thee my Judge that Conscience draws me to thy Tribunal c. Other Expositors say I have sinned against thee only as a Judge and Avenger because I can fear punishment from thee only For Kings are free from the bonds of their offences saith St. Ambrose R. R. saith No Creature judgeth the King but the blessed God otherwise he would be King in Name not in Deed. G The Kings sin is not punishable Which is all true of the Personal Crimes of Princes or of such Oppressions as are speedily repented of Obj. Psal 82.6 I have said ye are Gods A. This is true saith one of Inferiour Magistrates as well as Superiors and yet none will say but the Inferior may be resisted Kings should imitate God in Wisdom in Justice in Mercy c and defend not oppress the Innocent To tell a King thus becomes a Priest much better than to delude him with an unaccountable and irresistible Power Obj. Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth A. By here denotes the Principal cause it doth not exclude the less Principal or Instrumental the Election of the People As Psal 18.29 By thee that is God I have run thro' a Troop or by thy help saith Synop. out of G. By me as King of Kings Kingdoms are constituted and Persons set over Kingdoms either are given or are deposed according to Dan. 2.21 4.25 31 32. and by me they are preserved c. Neither doth this forbid the People to defend themselves against a Tyrant or to Depose a Tyrant but rather acknowledgeth them Instruments This hinders not what St. Thomas saith 2.2 q. 10 art 10. Dominion and Prelacy were introduced by Humane Right Because God and Man both concur to Government God is the first Cause Man the second Whatsoever the second Cause doth saith Fortescue out of an ancient Author c. 3. the same doth the first Cause by an higher and more excellent way or mean Obj. Prov. 30.31 A King against whom there is no rising up And Eccles 8.4 Where the word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him What dost thou A. These Texts speak of a King Ruling according to the Customs and Laws of his Countrey or not of Tyrants and Oppressors Or at least they forbid not self-defence in case of Extremity I may honour the King and yet not suffer him to kill me when I am innocent and have served Him faithfully and when he ought by the Laws of God and Man to protect me Solomon Prov. 30.31 speaks of the glory and happiness of a potent and invincible Prince not of any Moral evil or unlawfulness in defending our selves against Illegal Courses Oppression and Tyranny of wicked Princes Again these Texts give a General Rule being wholly silent in casual exceptions as in case of extream Male-Administration The sacred Writers exclude not certain Pacts saith a grave Divine or Laws of Humane Creation or Constitution by which the King is put into that Super-eminency And the saying of Optatus Milevitanus is either to be taken of Emperors or Absolute Monarchs or verily of Him who restrains his Super-eminence within the Laws of Divine as well as Humane Constitution for then in truth There is none above the Emperor but God alone who made the Emperor Solomon saith what may be done not what may always be rightly done by a Prince For afterwards v. 9. he teacheth us that many abuse their Power to Tyranny There is a time wherein one Man ruleth over another to his own hurt Therefore he doth not give the Magistrate leave to do what he will For the Power of Man is limited by the Word of God and honest Laws Because it is written We must obey God rather than Man and give to Caesar the things that are Caesar 's and to God the things that are Gods The second verse is not to be understood otherwise I counsel thee to keep the Kings commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God As if he should say So obey the King as rather to obey God to whom we are all bound with greater Religion Obj. Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a Bird of the Air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter A. Solomon prohibits reviling or slighting the Kings person or speaking evil of the King either for natural or moral personal defects and vices And he cautions us against wrath for a little Oppression because a King may easily be revenged on us and ruine us But he forbids not self-defence in case of Universal Oppression If thou art wise and skilful despise not a young or a foolish King by mocking his Majesty by proud