AN APPEALE TO THY Conscience As thou wilt answere it at the great and dreadfull Day OF Christ Iesus BEhold all yee that kindle a fire that compasse your selves about with sparkes walke in the light of â—our fire and in the sparkes that you have kindled This â—hall ye have of mine hand ye shall lie downe in sorrow â—say 50. 11. Printed in the Nineteenth Yeare of our Gracious Lord King Charles whom God grant long to raigne An Appeale to thy Conscience READER whosoever thou art I charge thee before God 2 Tim. 1. 4. 3. and the Lord Iesus Christ who shaâ—l judge the quick and the dead at that his appearing and in his Kingdome suffer wholsome doctrine and say aside the itching eares of these times that after their own lasts get them an heape of teachers Censure not before thou hast read it and be as free from faction as the Author of this Treatise is from Popâ—ry Socinianisme Arminianisme or any by relation whatsoever which might draw him into errour Spit our now the venom of envy and sedition if thou art impoysoned therewith it may be God may so worke by his holy spirit in thy heart that thou mayest acknowledge the truth and never suck in that venome again by repentance 3 Tim. â— 25. 26. mayest come to amendment out of the snare of the Devil of whom thou art taken prisoner till then to doe his will But thou O happy Christian who knowest these things and doest them be assured all the blessings are thine which God promiseth from Lev. 26. verse the third unto v. the 14. and take this exhortation from St. Iude that thou earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto thee be stedfast not carried about with every winde of doctrine as multitudes of corrupt men are in our daies who are raging waves of the Sea foaming out their owne shame murmurers complainers walking after their owne lusts having meâ—â— persons in admiration because of advantage mockers separating sensuall having not the spirit though they boast of nothing more Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh despise dominion and speake evil of dignities and by wresting the word of God do seek to maintaine their rebellioâ— schismes factions and their cursed speakings daily vented abroad in their pamphlets to the great dishonour of God the scandall of His Church and the infamy of our State And since the lawfulnesse of any action is the surest ground for hope of Gods blessing thereon which as the pretence runneth is To defend 〈◊〉 Protestant Religion and root out Popery and Idolatry to obtain the â—ust liberty of the subiect and â—o free them from slaâ—ery and oppression We 〈◊〉 â—herefore with all sincerity and plainenesse not handling the word of God deceitfully but by mâ—nifestation of the truâ—h commending our selves to evâ—ry mans câ—nscience 2 Cor. 4. 2. in the sight of God â—y no other foundation but what the Scriptures have confirmed which is That subjâ—cts may not take up aâ—mâ—s Agaiâ—st their lawfull Soveraign because He is wicked an uniust no though He be an Idolater and Oppressour The Reasons are First because it were an high prâ—sumption and impiety in us to limit that 1 Reason command which God doth not limit Now our obedience to Superiours is alwayes commanded without limitation For God doth not command us to obey our Rulers only whilst they are good buâ— indefinitely be they good be they bad Obey them that have the rule over you and submit your selves Heb. 13. 17. Honour the King 1 Pet. 2. 17. Speake not evill of the Ruler of thy people Exod. 22. 28. Thou must hold thy tongue much more thy hands And St. Paul did acknowledg that unawares he had offended against this precept in reviling Ananias though he was a most wicked High-priest Acts. 23. 2 3 4 5. Secondly we may not thinke evill of the King â—herefore much lesse may 2 Reason we take up armes against him Eccles 10. 20. Curse not the King no not in thy thought But who can reveale our thought Surely God only Psa 94. 11. Ier. 17 10. And rather then a meanes shall be wanting a bird of the aire shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall tell the matter Thirdly S. Paul saith Recompence to no man evill for evill Rom. 12. 3 Reason 19. If thou maiest to no man then certainely not to thy King unto whom thou canst not do a greater evill and indignity then to take up armes against him Fourthly That which peculiarly belongs unto the Lord thou oughtest 4 Reâ—son not without his authority to meddle with But taking up of armes peculiarly belongs unto the Lord. Deut. 32. 35 where the Lord sayth Vengeance is Mine and of all kind of temporall vengeance taking up of armes that is the sword is the greatest which made David to choose the pestilence to fall upon his land rather then the sword 2 Sam. 24. 13. 14. Fifthly Rom. 13. The Apostle argues the point expressely Let every soule none excluded be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power 5 Reason but of God if no power then the power of a wicked Prince is from God and the powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever threfore resisteth the power resistteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Here is a heavy penalty laid not the confiscation of thy goods nor the quartering of thy body but far worse the everlasting damnatioâ—â—â—th of soule and body in hell fire for ever Observe under what powers St. Paul lived and to whom he commandâ— this subjection even to those Idolatrous bloudy Emperours Claudiâ—s and Nero. Neither is St. Paul alone for St. Peter also joynes with him Submit your selves to every ordâ—nance of man for the Lords sake unto the King as supreame for so is the will of God 1 Pet. 2. 13 15. Sixthly Sâ—lomon counsels every wise man to keep the Kings Commandement 6 Reason and that in regard of the oath of God Eccles 8. 1. 2. Here the Covenant made by the people to obey the King is called the oath of God And who dare sin so far against his owne soule as to breake this oath of God by disobedience and rebellion Nor art thou Readâ—r frâ—e from this oath of God who hast taken the oathes of supremacy and Allegiance unto the King and hast so solemnly vowed to keep the late Protestation which includes them both But Solomon goes further and tells us The King doth whatsoever pleaseth him where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what doest thou Now by the common rule Quod quaestiones affirmativâ— resolverâ—ntur negativè the sense is That none may say unto the King what doest thou How none Thou wilt say may not his Iudges or if not they may not the Captaines of his Host oâ— if not they may not his Princes and Nobles or
God The Scriptures goe yet higher and tell thee that to oppose thy Soveraigne is to oppose the Lord himselfe Korah rebelling against Moses is said to rebell against the Lord Numb 27. 3. And the people in rejecting Samuel rejected the Lord that He should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8. 7. And not only opposing or resisting is against the Lord but also not to help thy Soveraigne is not to help the Lord. The inhabitants of Meros in not helping Deborah their Soveraigne Iudg. 4. 4. against Iabin King of Canaan are said not to help the Lord and are therefore by the Lord accursed ch 5. 23. Curse ye Meros said the Angel of the Lord Curse ye bitterly the Inhabitants thereof because they came not to the help of the Lord to the help of the Lord against the mighty If God hath said such a heavy such a fearefull curse on those who doe not assist their Soveraigne Oh! what a hideous and dreadfull vengeance does attend them who oppose and take up Armes against their Soveraigne Consider this ye that forget God lâ—st he tearo you in piece and there be none to deliver you Psa 50. 22. An Evasion But thou wilt answer That thou dost not take up Armes against the King but against His evill Counsellours The Reply To which I reply That this distinction of taking up Armes against evill Counsellours and not against the King is not to be admitted First because it is a late new invented distinction coyned on purpose to shadow over the ugly face of rebellion having no colour or ground either in the Scriptures or Fathers Whereas truth is ancient and the lip of truth shall be established for ever Prov. 12. 19. Secondly because it is a vaine distinction For to oppose and resist the Kings officers especially his Counsellors who are his chiefest and highest Officers is to oppose and resist the King himselfe because the power which they have is not from themselves but from the King who imparts it unto them And therefore David esteemed Nabals churlishnesse unto his servants and messengers as done unto himselfe and had destroyed Nabal and his family had not Abigail Nabals wife pacified him 1 Sam. 25. 10 14 22 23. So David accounted that which Joab did unto Abner and Amasa whom he slew as done unto him and commanded Salomon to slay Joab 1 Kin. 2. 5 6 31. So Vasthi refusing to come by the Chamberlaines who were by King Ahasuerus commanded to bring her is said not to have performed the Commandement of the King and to have done wrong unto the King for which offence she was put away Esther 1. 11 15 16 19. Hence it is that our Saviour saith unto his Disciples He that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Luke 10. 16. Thirdly because it is contrary to Gods Word 1 Pet. 13. 14 15. Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreame or unto Governours as unto thâ—m that are sent by him For so is the Will of God that with wel-doing you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men Now who are neerer the King then his Councellors and who can more properly be called Governors then then they who sit at the sterne guiding the Commonwealth But leâ—t thou shouldst thinke that S. Peter enjoyneth thy obedience onely unto good Governors such as doe right and execute justice he setteth down in the 19 20 21 verses This is thank worthy if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe suffering wrong fully For what glory is it if when ye be buffeted for your faults ye shall take it patiently but if when ye doe well and suffer for it ye take it patiently this is acceptable with God For even hereunto were ye called because Christ also suffered for us leaving us an example that ye should follow his steps Whereby it is plaine that S. Peter intended ouâ— submission even unto evill Magistrates evill Governours and consequently to evill Councellors And it is observable that S. Paul Rom. 13. 1. commandeth every soule to beâ— subject to the higher powers in the plurall number to teach us that we must be obedient not only to the highest powers to all powers which are above us But when he speakes of resisting he speakes in the singular number Whosoever resisteth the power to teach us that we may not resist any one power though it be in a member or inferiour Magistrate because it is derived from the King who is the head of all power and is ordained of God and therefore he that resisteth the power though it be subordinate resisteth the Ordinance of God Here you will say that what S. Paul calleth the Ordinance of God S. Peter A doubt in the place afore cited calleth the Ordinance of man therefore the Apostles seem not to agree This is easily resolved For S. Paul speaketh of the efficient cause and Resolved that is God who onely maketh the King and ordaineth all powers and so every power is the Ordinance of God But S. Peter speaketh of the finall cause and that is man for whose good peace and welfare all power is ordained and so every power is the Ordinance of man because it is by God vouchsafed for the profit of man Bucan Loc. com 49. § 16. And since there is no cause so bad but something is or may be said in excuse thereof I shall therefore Reader for the satisfaction of thy conscience being desirous to remove the least scruple set down by way of objection those two places of the Scriptures which are alleadged for the taking up of Armes against evill Counsellors and render unto each a respective answer though in truth the premisses and conclusion be at defiance The first Objection It is expressely commanded Prov. 25. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse therefore Subjects may take up Armes to remove evil Councellors from the King The Answer To which I answer That the command there given is not to the people nor to the Elders nor to any Councell or assembly but to the King himselfe whose duty it is to take away the wicked from before him And this is cleared First by comparing this place as Iunius and Tremellius doe with Prov. 20. 8. where it is plainly said A King that sitteth in the Throne of judgement scattereth away all evil with his eyes Secondly by Davids profession and practice Psal 101. 3 6 8. I wil set no wickâ—d thing before mine eyes Mine eyes shâ—ll be upon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwel with me I will early destroy all the wicked of the land Thirdly by the joynt consent of all Translators of the Bible who give this exposition of the words that it is not enough that the King be pure himself but that he put away others that be corrupted Therefore the person to whom
Seducer shall not excuse him who is seduced If the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the pit Matth. 15. 14. The soule that sinneth it shall die Ezek 18. 4. And remember S. Pauls curse Gal. 1. 8. Though we saith he or an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you then that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed The third Evasion But thou wilt say If Subjects may never resist then may the Prince governe according to his own will and pleasure and so may bring his Subjects into bondage slavery and all evils and inconveniences whatsoever which is contrary to nature and reason to admit The Answer If we may deny or reject a truth delivered in Gods Word because of evils and inconveniences which might hereby happen unto us then the whole frame of Divinity will be soon overturned We know That the doctrine of God eternall free and unchangeable decree of reprobation has brought many into the sin of despaire The doctrine that true repentance is never too late has led many into the sin of presumption The doctrine of assurance of salvation has bred in some a pâ—oud self-conceitednesse and contempt of their brethren The doctrine of justification by faith onely and not by workes has drawne many into a neglect of Almes-giving And what hath been may be yet we neither doe nor must reject the foresaid doctrines though indeed if we respect the evils and inconveniences they ought so much the rather to be rejected by how much the greater and more dangerous are the evils for these evils are spirituall and tend to the destruction both of soule and body for ever whereas the doctrine of not resisting the King can onely expose us if we offend God to evils temporall and momentany But O man who art thou that repliest against God shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus Rom. 9. 20. Has not God power over thine eternall estate to dispose thereof according to his will and dost thou gâ—udge him to dispose of thy temporall estate thy goods thy Lands thy life or what is most deare Wilt thou reject the Word of God because it seemes inconvenient to thee darest thou say the way of the Lord is not equall Ezek. 18. 25. God commands thy obedience unto thy Soveraigne though he be wicked and unjust and wilâ— thou plead dangers evils and inconveniences against Gods command Ohllet not arrogancy come out of thy mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge and by Him actions are weighed 1 Sam. 2. 3. Cease from thine own wisdome Prov. 23. 4. Advise not with nature For the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of GOD for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. Thou must deny thy selfe and take up thy crosse if thou wilt follow Christ Matth. 16. 24. And if thy reason cannot perswade thee yet let the reward invite thee For every one that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or Lands for my Names sake saith our Saviour shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting life Mat. 19. 29. Neverthelesse the King is not left at liberty to do what he pleaseth to make his will the rule of his actions No he is the Lords Shepheard and Isa 44. 28. the Lord hath appointed unto him his charge and duty When God set Ioshua over the Congregation Moses gave him a charge in their fight Num 27. 16 19. And of David it is said Psal 78. 70 71 72. He chose Davia his servant and tooke him from the sheepfolds from following the Ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob his people and Israel his inheritance So he fed them therefore the King ought to provide for and cherish his people acording to the integrity of his heart therefore the King ought to be faithfull to his people and guided them therefore the King ought to be carefull and vigilant over his people by the skilfulnesse therefore the King ought to counsell his people of his hand therefore the King ought to defend his people And when the Prophet Ahijah told Ieroboam that God would give ten Tribes of Israel unto him he withall tels him his duty and the conditions upon which God gave them If thou wilt hearken unto all that I the Lord command thee and wilt walkâ— in my waies and doe that is right in my sight to keep my Statutes and my Commandements as David my servant did then will I be with thee and build thee a sure house 1 Kings 11. 30 31 38. And at that time when the Lord chose Saul to be King Samuel told the people the manner of the Kingdom and wrote it in a booke 1 Sam. 10. 25. whereby it is evident that Saul might not rule as he listed for that God had prescribed the form or manner of the government or Kingdome And what that was you may read in Deut. 17. It shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law that is the Deuteronomy in a book out of that which is before the Priests and Levites And it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the daies of his life that he may learn to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren therefore the King ought not to insult and tyrannize over his people and that he turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his daies in his Kingdome he and his children in the midst of Israel If then the King shall desire the preservation of himselfe and the continuance of his Kingdome unto his posterity he must carefully observe the Commandement of the Lord and the execution of justice He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of God 2 Sam. 23. 3. It is an abomination to Kings to commit wickednesse for the Throne is established by righteousnesse Prov. 16. 12. The King by judgement establisheth the Land Prov. 22. 4. 'T is true the King is Gods vicegerent and therefore accountable to God onely for his actions Which David implied in confessing those his crying sins of murther and adultery to be only against God Against thee thee onely have I sinned Psal 51. 4. And even reason requireth that the members should not judge the head because they are under the head nor can they take away the head because thereby they cease to be members yet if Princes do seriously take it into consideration they shall finde little encouragement from hence to give way to their own lusts For besides the eternall vengeance of God which without repentance they shall most certainly feel after this life