name Thou shalt be to Aaron as God said the Lord to Moses whom he had made a soueraigne Prince ouer his people And againe I haue made thee a God to Pharaoh and Moses calleth the soueraigne Iudges by the name of Gods saying thou shalt not rayle vpon the Gods for so it is in the originall and the Psalmist to the same purpose speakes thus God stādeth in the assembly of Gods he iudgeth among Gods and againe he brings in the great God speaking thus of his little Gods I haue said ye are Gods yee are all children of the most high Sect. 9. In that Kings are called Gods That the Kingly dignitie is immediately from God wee learne sixe notable lessons hereafter following The first that the kingly power is immediately of and from God and not of man as both Geneuians and Romanes most erroniously doe hold for none can make of a man a God on earth but God in heauen neither is it in the power of man to make one Gods seruant or minister but we must leaue it vnto God himselfe to choose and ordaine his owne seruants And truely if the King were ordained of man as he is for the good of man and therefore is by Saint Peter called an ordinance of man the Apostle Paul would neuer haue named him Gods seruant and minister but mans 1. Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13.4.1 Chron 29.23 The King sitteth in the Lords throne saith the holy Chronicler now it belongeth not vnto man to set another man in Gods seate but must let this alone for God himselfe to doe The throne is Gods and not mans Psal 21.3.1 Sam. 9.15 16 17 10 1 24 13 13 14 16 1 2. 1. King 3.7 10.9 1 Chr 29 29 2 Chro 2.11 Nehe 13 26. Dan. 4.14.23 Prouerbs 8.15.16 Wisd 6.1 2.3 Rom. 13.1 4. and he that sitteth in it is Gods minister and not mans yea he is of God called God for man cannot make a man God and therefore Kings are immediately from God and not from man an argument that all the Geneuians and Romanes in the world shall neuer be able to answer And therefore to shut vp this first lesson for in our worke of kingly controuersies we disputeit more largely and accurately three Kings Dauid Salomor Hiram one Queene of Sheba one Prince Nehemiah one high Priest Samuel one chiefe Prophet Daniel one principall Apostle Paul yea Gods Angel and God himselfe doe all of them anouch that kings are chosen of God nominated sent crowned created and set in Gods throne by God himselfe and not by man Sect. 9. The second lesson that wee learne here is that the kingly dignitie is of all other dignities absolutely the greatest and the diuinest That the kingly dignity is the diuinest and greatest of all other Reuel 2. 3. Psal 82.6 Dan. 3.26 6.20 Ioh. 15.14 15. and not the priestly as both Romane Geneuians do erroniously suppose For first as none can be greater in heauen then the God of heauen or so great so none in earth can be greater then he who is called of God to be a God on earth nor none can beso great Secondly as the highest stile that can bee giuen to any is giuen to Kings so a lower stile is giuen to Prelates and Priests for they are in the Scripture no where called Gods but well are they named Angels so that as the Angels in heauen are inferiour to the God of heauen so are the Angels on earth to wit the chiefe Priests and Prelates inferiour vnto the Gods on earth which are Soueraigne Princes thirdly Princes are called the children of the most high where as Church-men are instiled onely the seruants and friends of the most high Psal 21.3 1. Chron. 29.23 Fourthly God putteth a crowne of golde vpon the Kings head and he setteth him in his owne throne to sit there for God as God so that as the Apostle speaking of the inferioritie of the Angels of heauen beeing compared with Christ the annointed of the Lord saith vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Heb. 1.13.14 sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation In like manner may it be said in this matter touching the inferioritie of the Angels on earth that is prelates beeing compared with the Lords Christ and annointed one the Soueraigne Prince vnto which of the Angels on earth for Prelates are called Angels in the Reuelation seauen or eight times said the Lord euer sit in my throne Reuel 1.20 2.1.8 12 18 3 1 7 14. as hee saith vnto Kings yea I haue sought much in reading and could neuer finde in old Testament or new in Scripture or Father Greeke or Latine that euer the Lord said immediately or mediately vnto the great Archangel himselfe that sitteth in S. Angel sit thou in my throne for no man taketh or at least should take this honor vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Dauid or Salomon What are the angels on earth else then but as ministring spirits sent forth by the Gods on earth 2. Chro. 17 7 8 9. Exod 32.21.22 Numb 12 11 1. King 1.33 34. 2 Chton 29 11. Exod. 5.1 4 20 1 6.8 20. 10 20. 9 8 10 3 11 10 12 1. Psal 77 20. 2 Chron 24 12 13 14 31 13. the Christian Ichosophats to teach in Iuda through al the Cities of their kingdomes to minister the holy Sacraments to them that shal be heires of Saluation to gouerne the Church Fiftly the high priest Aaron calleth the Soueraigne Prince Moses his Lord and Salomon a king is called Zadoks the high Priest Lord Ezekiah a king calleth the priests his sons which doth argue the superioritie and maiestie of kings for the Lord is superior to his seruant and the Sonne inferiour to his father Sixtly the Spirit of God euery where placeth Kings before the chiefe Priests Moses and Aaron the King and Iehoiada Ezekiab the King and Azariah the chiefe of the house of God and preferreth the Princely dignitie before the priestly where they meete in one and the same person Moses in Genesis Gen. 14 18 Heb. 7 1 Exod 19.6 1. Pet. 2.9 Reuel 1.6 4.10 and Saint Paul to the Hebrewes doe obserue this order in Melchisedech whome they name a King and a Priest The same Moses or rather the Lord himselfe calleth his people a kingdome of Priests or a royall Priesthoode as speaketh Saint Peter and Saint Iohn in the Reauelation hath these words and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God and the same words are vsed of the foure and twenty Elders Seuenth ly Psal 2 6 20 9 24 7 8 9 10 29 10 95 3 98 6 Esther 13 9 15 14 3 12. Reuel 1.5 15 3 17 14 19 16
of God giuen to Kings by God himselfe That kings are lawgiuers vnto their people is that Kings are Lawgiuers vnto their people that is to say that they haue power from God to decree and make lawes for the good gouernment of their kingdome and not onely that they are appointed for the custody exposition and execution of lawes made or to bee made by the people as some phanaticall spirits sprong from the Lemānian lake haue supposed The people are law-takers not law-makers and law-keepers not law-giuers for the law-giuing power is a diuine power and therefore belongeth to God or to him whom hee hath called by the name of God to make lawes for God and in his name for the good of the people And this doth appeare by diuers sound and infallible arguments drawne from Gods word First in that Moses gaue lawes and ciuill ordinances vnto his people of the Hebrewes wrote Exod. 18.15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. deliuered and declared them and appointed inferiour Magistrates for the execution of them to wit the seuenty Elders whereby we see how that the execution of lawes appertaineth to the inferiour Magistrates not to the Soueraigne but that it is his part to make lawes to giue expound them like as it is the peoples part to take them and keepe them Secondly that Princes are law-giuers it doth appeare in that the Lord commaundeth the King to write vnto himselfe the law of God to keepe it with him and to reade therein all the dayes of his life Now to what end all this questionlesse that hee may learne there by to be like Moses euen a faithfull seruant of God in all his house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.2.5 and ouer all his house and not onely that he might keepe Gods law the better in his owne person but also that he might deliuer the same to his people as Moses did Exod. 24.34 Deut. 17.18 19. Ioh. 10.34 35 to be obserued of them and that the lawes hee should make himselfe might bee conformable to Gods lawes for as God the King almighty is the Law-giuer of Kings so Kings whom God hath called Gods are the Law-giuers of their people Thirdly this doth appeare in that Salomon calleth Mans law the word of the mouth of the King and the Kings word like as the law of God euery where in the Scripture is called Gods word Eccl. 8.2 3 4. Psal 119.1 4 5 9 10 13 16 17. Exod. 24.28 and the ten commandements the ten words of Gods mouth I aduertise thee to take heed to the mouth of the King saith the Spirit of God by Salomon and to the word of the eath of God Where the word of the King is there is power and who shall say vnto him what doest thou Fourthly this doth appeare in that questionlesse the more diuine power doth belong vnto the Prince Psal 82.1 6. 1. Chron. 29.23 to whom God hath both giuen his owne diuine name and not to the people and hath set him in his owne throne Now to make a law is the most diuine thing that can be done of a man and therefore it appertaineth vnto the Prince that sitteth in Gods throne and not to the people that stand before the throne Fiftly the eternall wisedome saith By mee Kings raigne and Princes decree instice Prou. 8.15 16 By mee Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth out of which place it is more then manifest that it belongeth to Kings and rulers to make decrees and lawes of iustice and to prescribe rules of vpright liuing vnto their Subiects Sixtly and lastly it is said of Kings in the Scripture and to their highest commendation that they haue made certaine good lawes and decrees for the glorie of God and the good of their people Dan. 3.29 6.25 26. thus Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel made a decree or law that euery people nation and language which should speake any blasphemie against the God of Shadrach Messach Abednego should be drawen in pieces and that their houses should bee made a iakes and Darius King of Medes and Persians made a law or decree that in all the dominion of his kingdome men should tremble and feare before the God of Daniel and by these sixe arguments it is more then euident that the Prince and hee principally hath an affirmatiue voyce and not onely a negatiue in the assembly of his estates The which thing we shall prooue likewise by politicall and philosophicall arguments in our Latine worke of Kingly controuersies Sect. 13. The fifth lesson that we learne That Kings are to be liberally and honourably mainfained Prou. 3.9 10. in that Kings are of God called Gods is this as we must honour God with our riches and the oblation of our hands according as Salomon exhorteth saying Honour the Lord with thy riches c so must we likewise honour them whom God hath called Gods to wit Soueraigne Princes whom when as wee honour with our riches in giuing them a portion thereof for their honourable prouision then we honour God himselfe with our riches as Salomon exhorteth all men to doe that would haue God to blesse them with abundance And truly if wee would be loath to let God want if hee were subiect to want in his owne person as man is then ought we likewise be loath to let the Prince want who representeth God and therefore is called God to teach vs that what we bestow vpon him wee offer vnto God and in whose person God oftentimes carrieth himselfe as one that wanteth and standeth in need of our helpe And if we would willingly cheerefully and without murmuring bestow vpon our most bountifull Father our goods in whole or in halfe then truly wee ought not to murmure or grudge to bestow vpon Princes whom God hath called by the name of the children of the most High a conuenient portion of the same Psal 82.6 at lest for their fathers sake So that the good Christian subiect when he seeth a King especially a Christian King and such a one as besides his diuine power is adorned with the diuine qualities and perfections of wisedome bounty iustice and mercy he ought to thinke with himselfe that he seeth God in mans likenesse and when such a King asketh subsidie or releefe at his subiects hands they ought to shew themselues as willing and ready thereunto as they should if God himselfe in mans likenesse were come downe amongst men to require a sacrifice or oblation at their hands And though it bee true that that Almighty God doth not stand in need of any thing we haue for he is alsufficient in himselfe yet wee must thinke that it is his pleasure to carrie himselfe oftentimes as one that doth need in the person of the Prince the Priest and the Poore And this hee doth to trie whether wee loue Almighty God and our neighbour better then our goods or no and to know by the effect
if we haue as yet attained to this perfection as to giue vnto God all that we haue if he should require it at our hands for the man that will grudge to giue a part vnto Gods Image and chiefe Minister for his sake will neuer be willing to forsake all for Gods sake no hee would neuer bee willing to bestow his whole goods vpon God himselfe that will refuse or repine to giue a part vnto his cheife Minister And cōtrariwise the man that doth cheerefully bestow vpon the Prince in regard that hee is Gods Image Deputie and Minister For he is the Minister of God for thy wealth saith the Apostle and for this cause ye pay also tribute Rom 13.1 2 3 4 5 6. for they are Gods Ministers doth in so doing euidently show that hee loueth God better then his golde and goodnesse better then his goods and that he would make no difficultie to bestow most willingly 6all that he hath vpon God yea to forsake his whole goods for Gods sake But of this matter of the Princes maintenance I haue entreated elsewhere in another worke published some two or three yeares agoe called the Golden art or the right way of enriching dedicated to the two Royal cities of these two kingdomes but much more copiously in another worke of Kingly Controuersies not as yet finished where I doe discourse of the particular manner of the maintenance of Princes amongst Gods people both according to Scripture the Iudgement of diuines and Politicians and according to the seuerall customes of kingdomes And there I show 1. that the soueraigne Prince is not Lord of the whole goods of his subiects and that his right doth not extend ouer their whole faculties as some flatterers of Princes doe falsely and dangerously hold them in hand Secondly that the soueraigne Prince hath a right only to a certaine proportionable portion of the subiects goods Thirdly that as God and not man is the institutor author and ordainer of Kings so is he the appointer of their portion and the prescriber of their manner of maintenance for if God hath ordained and instituted Kings to bee his Ministers and Seruants for the gouernment of his people as we haue already showed that he hath then must it needs be true that the same God hath taken order for their maintenance And truly seeing that all wise and good masters doe prouide for their seruants and allow them meanes for their sustenance and maintenance it were a thing most vnbeseeming the wisedome and goodnes of God who is the Master of masters both for wisedome and goodnesse to thinke that he hath not as great care and taken at least as good order for the maintenance of his seruants namely of Kings as other men being masters haue taken and doe take for theirs God doth alwaies that which is most fitting and therefore hee hath designed and ordained the particular manner of the Princes maintenance for it is most fitting that the master should prescribe and appoint the quantitie of his owne seruants wages And it was so fit that God should do it that it was not fit nor expedient to referre the doing thereof vnto the will or discretion of man It was not fit that it should be remitted to the will of the Prince himselfe for he might perhaps require more then inough as for example the halfe third fourth or fifth part of the subiects goods neither was it fit that it should be referred to the discretion of the people for they lightly might allow the Prince lesse then inough and therefore God hath taken order for this thing himselfe and not left it for man to doe Rom. 14.4 For as the Apostle saith Who art thou that iudgest another mans seruant so may it bee well said in this matter who art thou that takest vpon thee to share out a portion or allowance for another mans seruant yea for Gods owne chiefe seruant doth not such an office properly belong vnto God Fourthly that God hath set downe the manner of the Princes maintenance and hath specified the quantitie of his portion in some place of his word and that hee hath done it in the fittest place that could bee for that purpose for except it were so it should not appeare when it is that a Prince playeth the Exactor for seeing that he hath a right vnto a certaine portion of his subiects goods as all doe grant how shall they know when it is that he craueth more then hee ought except there bee some law to determine his portion and to inhibite him to leuy any more then the quantitie thereof doth permit In one word Exaction in a Prince is the transgressing of Gods law and not the breaking of some humane statute or decree and therefore there must be a certaine speciall law in Gods word touching the quantitie of the Princes portion aswell as there is of the Priests the one beeing as important as the other and Princes beeing Gods Ministers and Seruants aswell as Priests and so consequently to bee maintained aswell as they Yea it behoued so much the more because that Soueraigne Princes or Kings are Gods Ministers in a higher more eminent and honourable degree and kinde then Priests are as hath beene before abundantly shewed So that it is not likely that the Spirit of God would haue omitted so important a point as this is being such as that without the certaine knowledge thereof neither can Soueraignes nor Subiects doe their dutie to one another For neither can they know when it is that the Soueraigne keepes himselfe within the bounds of equitie and moderation or contrariwise that he debordeth into oppression extortion or exaction neither yet when it is that the subiect offendeth by detention or diminution of his Soueraignes due Seeing then it was so necessarie for the quiet iust and vpright constitution of a kingdome amongst Gods people that the Kings portion should be specified aswell as the Priests we need not doubt but that the Spirit of God hath proposed the same some where in holy Scripture and euen in that place which was of all other the most conuenient for such a purpose and what place of Scripture so conuenient as that wherin the first institution of Kings amongst amongst Gods people is propounded and expounded The which place because some Geneuians and moderne diuine haue monstrously misconstered I shal refute their errour God-willing other where by 13 vnanswerable argumēts And amongst other probations we shal show it by the Hebrew Text the Chaldaick Thargums or Paraphrases the Greeke translation of the Septuagints the Latine translations of Hieronymus Pagninus Vatablus Munsterus Leo Montanus with the old English and namely that the word MISHPAT which is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greeke and in Latine Ius or Lex is alwaies taken in the Scripture and in no fewer then 210. places for the vpright iudgement of God and of the Kings and Iudges of the earth and no where for vniust and tyrannicall
gouernment or for a Princes abusiue power as some moderne writers haue vnderstood it most grossely in that same place of Scripture whereupon the resolution of this question doth wholly depend a thing which I wish our diuines should well consider that they doe not runne into their errour 1. Sam. 8.9.10 11.21 13 14 15 16 17. in expounding those words of the Prophet Samuel But of this more in another worke In the meane time I would entreate all good subiects to beware of charging either now or hereafter their Prince with the odious aspersion of Exaction vnlesse they can show that he requireth and receiueth more of his people then the law of God doth allow him but that they would honour him with their best opinion not only of a iust and vpright Prince but euen of an indulgent and beneficent Father incase it shall be well and sufficiently prooued vnto them that he is so farre from the iniustice of requiring or taking from them any part of their own that hee euen releaseth and giueth them a part of his owne which is indulgencie bounty and beneficence and in a word that he is content for his louing subiects further ease to leuie much lesse then Gods law doth allow him for the maintenance of himselfe his chiefe officers in the Common-wealth and in the Court and of his other seruants at home or abroad in peace and in warre Sect. 14. The sixt and last lesson that we learne That kings are free from all manner of coercion censure in that Kings are called Gods is that Almighty God in giuing them this name euen his owne name hath exempted them from all manner of violence coercion or censure at their subiects and inferiours hands where as our Geneuites aswell as Iesuites and Caluinists aswell as Papists doe hold the contrary for both of them wil haue Soueraigne Princes subiect to coercion excommunication and depriuation a doctrine and opinion repugnant I dare say both to Theologie and Philosophie to Diuinitie and Humanitie as we shal God willing show at large other where For the present because in this worke we thought good for soliditie and breuities sake to employ only testimonies of Scripture and some reasons deriued from thence it shall suffice that we show and confute the impietie and absurditie yea the vnlearnednesse and stupiditie of this doctrine of Geneua and Rome by these 17 reasons after following The which if any Diuine can answere sufficiently and soundly or bring better reason for the contrary opinion I shall not be ashamed to change the opinion that I now hold and subscribe to theirs and freely confesse this of mine to bee as blockish and vnlearned as now I hold theirs to bee First God himselfe by his seruant Moses saith vnto euery Subiect Thou shalt not raile vpon the Gods Exod. 22 28. nor speake euill of the Ruler of thy people if it bee not lawfull to rayle vpon the Prince then must it bee as vnlawfull to rage or rise vp against him and if wee must beware of vehement words in his behalfe then much more of violent deeds and if the subiects must not speake euill of their Ruler or Soueraigne then they cannot excommunicate him for whosoeuer excommunicateth a Prince must needs speake the greatest euill of a Prince that can bee euen that hee is a most wicked man and fitter to bee Sathans slaue then Gods seruant Ecclesiast 10.20 To the same purpose appertaineth that other precept or prohibition of the Spirit of God by the mouth of Salomon proclaimed to subiects Curse not the Prince no not in thy thought if it be not lawfull to curse the King then is it not lawfull to excommunicate him 1 Chron. 29.23 Psal 21.3 let both Rome rage and Geneua iangle as much as they can to the contrary Secondly God hath set the King in his throne and set on his head with his owne hand a crowne of pure gold now who can say that it is fitting or comely that any man or order of men especially subiects and such as stand before the throne should offer violence to him that sitteth in the throne or put out the hand to thrust him out of the throne or to pull off the crowne that God hath put vpon his head Thirdly It is the most high saith the holy Angel and the Prophet Daniel Dan. 4.22.28.29 Prouerb 21.1 to King Nebuchadnezzar that beareth rule ouer the Kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will The Kings heart is in the hands of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him saith Salomon and therefore the most high is the onely Ruler Curber Connerter and Scourger of Kings and men must not bee so bould as to take Gods proper office vpon them for in so doing they commit a greater offence against God then doth the greatest Tyrant that can be in plaguing and persecuting his people For no subiect one or moe ecclesiasticall or secular can meddle in such a matter as this without impeaching God of a notable imperfection for either they must thinke that God seeth not the wickednes of the tyrannous or idolatrous King which is to deny his diuine omniscience and absolute knowledge or if hee seeth it that he careth not for it which is to deny his diuine prouidence and to charge him with humane negligence or if he care for it that he is either vnable to reuenge it without the hand of the Kings owne subiect which is to deny his diuine omnipotency and to brand him with humane infirmity or else that he is vnwilling to reuenge it which is to charge him both with iniustice and want of mercy Whence it followeth that such subiects as would correct their Soueraigne doe both make God no God and make themselues God in a word such a subiect is Dauids foole Psal 53.1.2 Thess 2.4 that hath said in his heart there is no God except perhaps himselfe and so becommeth such an Antichristian Anti-god as exalteth himselfe both aboue Gods God on earth the King and aboue the God in heauen in taking his proper place and office vpon him No Iosh 6.8 10 11 12 cap. Iudg. 1.2.6 7 3 15 16 17 20 21 22 26 27 28 1. Sam. 13 15. 22 31 1. King 16 22. 2. King 16. 25. 2. Chron. 28. 33. Exod. 14 28 15 4. Dan. 4.22 28 29 30. 1. King 1 2 3 4 16 17 15 4 5. 2. Chron. 26 16 17 18 19 20 21. God needeth not the hand of any subiect to be reuenged on a wicked Prince for hee can stirre vp other Princes and people or forraine persons against him as we reade that hee did against these Kings of Iericho of Ai and of the Amorites against Adonibezek King of Canaan Eglon King of Meab Saul Ahab Ahaz Manasseth and Zedekias Kings of Iudah and Israel or he can make the wicked King as it were with his own