the building of his Temple by Solomon was to be Hierusalem and no where else to perform the commanded Publick Service of God under the punishment of cutting off that soul from his people that should do otherwise Yet the hour cometh and now is that is coming or beginning to come that the partition-Wall betwixt the Jews and the Gentiles shall be broken down and the bounds and borders of Gods Church and the true worshippers of God shall be inlarged and they may lawfully without offence worship God not only in Jury where God was only formerly known aright but also in all the Nations and in any Kingdom of the World so they worship him in spirit and in truth as they ought to do But here is not one syllable intimating that they should not or needed not to meet to serve God in the Publick Church but that whensoever and wheresoever in any Kingdom of the Earth they should gather themselves together in the Publick Church to worship God they should worship him in spirit and in truth otherwise their worship is to no purpose and will avail them nothing though they should do iâ— publickly in the Church This is the true meaning of our Saviours words 2. We have another sort of Sectaries that yield it requisite and convenient Obj. 2 for the Saints and servants of God to meet and gather themselves together for the Service of God and do acknowledg the great benefits that may accrew and be obtained in a Congregation rather than by any single person but they think there is no necessity of their meeting in a Material Church or a Steeple-house as they call it rather than in a house or a chamber or a barn or any other place where they shall appoint to meet because God hath made all places and there is no reall Sanctity in any one place more than in any other but the sanctity or holiness must be in the hearts of the men and not in the place which is not capable of any sanctity and therefore it is rather our superstition than Gods injunction to require and command men to come to such Material Churches as to the more sanctified places rather than to such private houses where these Saints do publickly meet to serve God To make a full Answer to this their Objection you must understand Sol. that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holy is derived from the privative particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth the Earth as if to be holy were nothing else but to be pure and clean and separated from all earthly touch And it is taken two wayes 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simply Holiness taken two wayes 1. Way 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In some respects And 1. Way God only is Holy and the Author of all Holiness and as the Blessed Virgin saith Holy is his Name And therefore those Seraphims which Esaias saw and those wonderous creatures which S. John saw did Esay 6. 3. Apoc. 4. 8. cry Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Hosts three times together which we do not read of any other Attribute of God And the Lord himself in that golden Plaâ—e that was to be on Aarons forehead caused these words to be ingraven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Holiness is of the Lord as Tremellius reads it or Sanctum Domino Holiness belongeth to the Lord as the Vulgar hath it 2. Way Many other things are stiled holy by communication of holiness 2. Way and receiving their holiness from this Fountain of Holiness And so 1. The Man Christ Jesus 2. The faithful Members of Christ 3. The Outward Professors of the Christian Religion 4. All things Dedicated and that have relation to God Service as Times Persons Places and Things are termed holy sanctitate relativa 1. The Man Christ is perfectly and singularly Holy as Beda saith And that 1. By reason of his Hypostatical union with the Godhead 2. By reason of the most perfect qualâ—ity of Holiness impressed by the Holy Ghost into his Humanity 2. The true Members of Christ are truly styled holy by reason of that holiness which the Holy Spirit of God worketh in them and they practise in their lives and conversations 3. All those that do outwardly profess the holy Religion of Jesus Christ are called Saints by the holy Apostles and so they are in respect of all Rom. 1. others that either do prophane abuse or neglect the same 4. All the things that are Consecrated by the prayers of the Bishop for the Service of God and those things that are Dedicated and given for the furtherance and maintenance of God's Worship as Lands Houses and the like are by a relative sanctity rightly termed holy things because they are separated and set apart as S. Paul saith of himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for holy uses to bring men to holiness to honour serve and worship God that is Holiness it self And in this respect we say that the very ground walls windows and timber of the Material Church that are set forth Dedicated and Consecrated for God's Service are holy things not by any inherent reall sanctity infused into them but by a relative holiness ascribed and appropriated unto them by their Dedication and Consecration for God's Worship which makes them more holy and so to be deemed than all other earthly things whatsoever And though I will not lose my time and waste my paper to shew the folly and vanity of that ridiculous deduction of the Confuter of Will. Apollonius Grallae pag 29. in the 29. page of his Grallae against secondary or dependent holiness yet I will justifie the holiness and religious reverence that we owe and should render unto all the Material Churches that are Consecrated for Divine-Service against all prophaners of them Independents and Fanaticks whatsoever And for the satisfaction of every good and sober man that is not drunk with a prejudicate conceit against God's House I shall desire him to look into 2 Chron. 3. 1. and chap. 6. where he may find the Consecration of God's House and the prayer that Solomon made at the Consecration of it and the benefits the manifold benefits that they should reap which served God in that House And if he reads over that Chapter at his leisure and read it often and then seriously consider it and withal remember that of this House and the like Consecrated places that are Dedicated for God's Worship the Lord himself saith My House shall be Esay 56. 7. Matth. 21. 1â— Jerem. 7. 10. Psal 132. 15. called the House of prayer for all people and our Saviour Christ confirmeth the same that the Church which is the Publick place or place of Publick Prayers is rightly called the House of God and the House which is called by his Name and of which he saith This shall be my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have a delight therein Will he not confess that Gods House
unto us in the two first verses here set down 2. The Replication of the Prophet is two fold 1. Affirmative and erronious or mistaken vers 3. 2. The Replication 2. Negative and right from the 3. vers to the 18. 3. The gratulation is in an humble acknowledgement and a grateful remembrance 3. The Gratulation of the fore-passed benefits of God with an earnest and hearty prayer put up to God for the continuance of his favour unto him from the 18. verse to the end of the Chapter And I shall here treat of no more than of the deliberation or the Prophets consideration what he intended to do touching which we are to observe these three things 1. The time which hath a twofold manifestation of it 1. When he sate in his house The 3. things observable in the deliberation 2. When he was safe from his enemies 2. The Persons deliberating and they are 2. 1. David the King 2. Nathan the Prophet 3. The matter deliberated and considered of betwixt the Prince and the Prophet and that was the meanness and baseness of the then House of God and therefore he would be at the cost and charges to make it beautiful and to erect him an House befitting the Majesty and greatness of God And this his good intention he justifieth and confirmeth the same to be both honest and good by the consequent of Congruity that it was fit it should be so in respect of a double comparison 1. Of himself with God 2. Of his Court with God's Ark. 1. I that am but a poor creature have an house to dwell in and God 1. Reason that is the Creator of all the World hath not an House to put his Ark in and for his servants to meet in to hear his Laws and to do him service 2. My Court is stately covered over with Cedars but the Ark of God 2. Reason is but very meanly and basely covered over with a Canopie of skins to shelter it from the wind and the weather And therefore conceiving this to be very preposterous and a far unbeseeming thing for him to be better provided for than his God he conferreth with the Prophet and tells him he intends to rectifie this obliquity and to build God an House more agreeable to his Majesty These are the parts and parcels of the Kings deliberation and conference with the Prophet and his Bishop Nathan And 1. For the time It is said when the King sate in his house and the Lord had 1 The time of this deliberation How Sitting Standing are commonly interpreted Ezech. 3. 24. 1 Cor. 10. 12. 2 Cor. â—â— 24. Ephes 6. 14. 1 Pet. 5. 12. Ps 135. 1 2. Ps 122. 2. 2 Reg. 3. 14. given him rest round about from all his enemies So you see 1. It was when the King sate in his house and these relative words sitting and standing are noted by Divines to have some difference of sense and acceptation As standing being commonly taken in good part and sitting in the evil and worser sense as in these places where standing is well spoken of The Spirit entred into me and set me upon my feet and he that thinketh he standeth let him take heed lest he fall and stand in the Lord as dear children and by faith ye stand and stand having your loynes girt about with truth and this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand and praise the Lord all ye his servants ye that stand in the courts of the Lords House and our feet shall stand in thy gates O Hierâ—salem and the Lord of Hosts liveth before whom I stand In all which quotations and the like the word standing hath reference unto good and is taken in the better sense and so to be interpreted And in these places and the like where the name of sitting runneth into obloquie and is attributed to iniquity Iniquity sitteth on a talent of lead and Princes sit and speak against me Zach 5. 7. Ps 119. Ps 1. and Blessed is the man that hath not sate in the seat of the scornful and the ungodly person sitteth lurking in the theevish corners of the streets and so in may other places it is interpreted in the worse sense But here the word sate in his house is of a milder meaning and of indifferent How the word sate is here taken acceptation and rather to be interpreted in the better sense as betokening the government of the King for so the King sate in his house signifieth that he sate in his Seat of Government and this sense hath been ancient and obvious in our reading as where the Poet saith Celsa sedet Aeolus arce King Aeolus sitteth in his high Tower and manageth his State-matters and in the Germane speech they say that to sit signifieth to reign as the Emperour sate that is reigned so many years And this is the moderne meaning of this phrase even amongst us for when we would shew how long any one hath exercised the Office and discharged the Place of a Bishop Judge or Prefect amongst us we are wont to say he sate in that place so long And to sit commonly signifieth to be in rest and quiet and is opposite to affairs and businesse As where it is said Shall your brethren go to battle and you sit still And where the Poet saith Sedeant spectentque Latini Let the Latines sit still and look on And in both these senses King David may be said to sit in his house without any great matter in which sense we understand the word though I rather take it in the later way because that 2. The next adjunct of the time is when the Lord had given him rest 2. When was the time that David had rest from all his enemies from all his enemies for this varieth little or nothing from the former when he sate in his house And therefore we may very well compose them and confound them together and put them to signifie the same thing But about this rest that is here spoken of the Expositors cannot all agree when it was whilest they do consider the many Battels that he fought after this conference that he had with Nathan and therefore though some take it for the peace he had at this present time yet others of a quicker sight do assign it after the second Victory he had against the Philistines when he was such an hammer so terrible to all the neighbour-Nations as that the very name of David and his doings made them afraid and glad to sue unto him for peace and to take bands of resolution with themselves to be of good behaviour towards him and never to provoke him any more And of this we read in 1 Chron. 14. 11. when the Philistines came up to Baal-Perazim and David smote them and said God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters and afterward when they spread themselves abroad in the
not say it must be precisely the tenth part of our goods and no more for as we may keep holy some other day besides the Seventh day so we miss not to keep the Seventh day So we may give more than the tenth for the Service of God if we please so we neglect not to give the tenth And as the Jews having a Commandment that they should not punish any Offender with any more than 40. stripes did not transgresse when for fear of misreckoning they never gave but 39 So when God commandeth us to give the tenth we do not break his Commandment when for fear of giving too little we give more than the tenth But 2. They do object That what neither Christ nor his Apostles have commanded Obj. 2 us to do we are no wayes obliged to do but neither Christ nor his Apostles have commanded us to pay Tythes for Christ biddeth his Apostles to teach the Nations and people to oâ—serve all things that he commanded Matth 28. 20. Act. 20. 27. them And S. Paul saith That he had shewed unto the people the whole counsel of God and yet in all Sermons of Christ and in all the Writings of the Apostles there is not any Precept given for the Christians to pay Tythes Therefore the Christians ought not to be compelled to pay Tythes To this I answer 1. That the payment of Tythes is a Prâ—cept imprinted Sol. 1 in our hearts by the Law of Nature and afterwards confirmed and expldined unto us by the Law of Moses and practised by many Nations of the Matth. 5. 17. Gentiles as I shewd to you before And our Saviour saith Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets that is to give liberty and to free men from the obedience and performance of either of these Laws that is the Law of Nature and the Moral Law as the 19. and 20. verses do shew the same most plainâ—y And when John Baptist would have hindred him to be baptizâ—d he telleth John That it behoved them not only himself but John also and so all others as well as John to fulfil all righteousnesse And how shall we fulfil all righteousnesse unless we render to Caesar what is Caesars and to God what is God's And as S. Paul saith To owe nothing to any man but to yield Honour to whom Honour belongeth Tribute to whom Tribute and so Tythes to whom the Tythes do belong 2. I say That Christ and his Apostles do plainly enough enjoyn us to Sol. 2 pay our Tythes for Christ reproving the preciseness of the Scribes and Pharisees in paying Tythes of Mint Anise and Cummin and neglecting the greater matters of the Law saith These things ye ought to have done and Matth. 23. 23. not to leave the other undone And if you say These words are to be restrained to that time wherein the Ceremonâ—al Law was in force and not to the times of the Christians I answer Not so but they are rather to be referred to the Christians than to the Jews for all Tyâ—hes being 〈◊〉 to Christ as he is our Eternal Priest as I have fully proved to you before Who should now have most right unto the Tythes the Preachers that are followers of Christ or the Scribes and Pharisees that rejected him But now when Christ and his Apostles preached the Scribes land Pharisees had all the Tythes in their own hands and would not suffer Christ and his Apostles to take them from them and therefore seeing they would neither believe and follow Christ nor yield the Tythes to them that preached the Gospel of 〈◊〉 it fell out by the just judgement of God that when Nero sent Fâ—lix to be the Governour of 〈◊〉 the Priests were deprived of their Tythes Josephus l. 20. c 13. and many of them perished with Familie as Josephâ—â— withesseth 3. I say That Christ by these words teaching them to observe â—ll things Sol. 3. And it was he thaâ— commanded all that they commanded whatsoever I commanded meaneth nor that they should only observe what he commanded and no more but that they should likewise observe what Moses and David and the rest of the Prophets yea and what the Scribes and Pharisees commanded them to do while they sate in Moses 〈◊〉 and whatsoever he commanded them to do besides all that was formerly commanded because he commanded a great deal more to make his people more perfect then ever was commanded before his 〈◊〉 for you heard it was said of old Thou shalâ— not commit Adultery but I say unto you Whosoever looketh oâ—â— women to lust 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath committed Adultery â— And Matth 5. 27. c. you heard it was said of old Thou shalt not forswear thy self but I say unto you Swear not at all So you heard it was said of old An eye for an â—â—◠〈◊〉 a tooth for a tooth â— but I say unto you 〈◊〉 evil And so you heard it was said of old Thou shall love thy neighbour and hate 〈◊〉 enemy but I say unto you Love your enemies and so forth And therefore the meaning of Christ's words in the 28th of S. Matthew and the â—oth verse is as I said That they should observe and do not only what was commanded them before but also whatsoever he and his Apostles by his Spirit commanded them besides as to believe in him and to follow him and so forth 4. I say That S. Paul in saying that as they which minister about holy things live of the things of the Temple and they that wait at the Alter are 1 Cor. 9. 13 14 partakers with the Altar even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel doth herein fully and plainly prove that the Tythes should be as duly and justly paid to the Ministers of the Gospel as they were to the Priests and Levites under the Law For by the Altar and they that wait at it the Priesthood is understood and by the fruits and profits of the Altar the Tythes and Oblations are plainly meant and then adding 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Even so that is in like manner or by the like means which 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth the Lord hath ordained that the Ministers of the Gospel should have all the fruits profits and benefits of the Altar which are the Tythes and Oblations as well and in like manner as the Priests of the Law have had them 3. They do object if we compel the Christians to pay Tythes we make Obj. 3 their yokes more grievous and their burden more intolerable than the burden of those Fathers that lived before the Law was given for that in the time of the first Patriarchâ— the Tythes were never demanded as a duty but Aoraham freely and not forcedly gave them to Mischisedec and Jacob conditionally and not absolutely made his vow to pay them unto God but we ought not to make the yoke and burden of our people
his blaphemous scriblings into the fire for having read his Pamphlet all over I sind that all his malice is against the Bâ—shops and the flood of poyson that he spitteth out of his mouth is to none other end then like Noahs deluge to drown their lands and none else For in page 23. he prosecuteth the point at large that Parochial Glebes that is the lands given to the Presbyterians that were the limbs of the false Prophet and setled in all the fattest livings of England far better then the poor Bishop-pricks must neither be sold nor alienated from them and their Churches by any means so that had the land of the Bishops been given to these prating Presbyterians it had been piacular to take it from them And though he writes much and quotes Authors to make men think that he is a Scholler yet this is the substance of his whole book divided into these two parts 1. Cathedral or Episcopal Lands are not of Divine right â— pag. 19. ad The whole sum and substance of Dr. Burges his book pag. 44. But Presbyterian or Parochial lands are of Divine right pag. 23. that therefore 2. It is no Sacriledge nor sin to purchase Cathedral and Episcopal lands à pag. 44. ad 58. But the Parochial lands and Presbyterian Glebes being of Divine right it must needs be Sacriledge And a very haynous sin to sell or alien their lands from them pag. 23. Now consider these things thus plainly and briefly set forth and tell me if any man that hath his eyes open will believe this blind fellow that like a mad man layeth about him to spit out all his malice against the Bishops When as the Scripture speaketh Malitia ejus excoecavit eum His envy and malice against the Bishops have made him stark blind But as S. Jerome thought Helvidius not worthy to be answered so I would answer all the extravagant passages of this Parochial Presbyter Burges were it not for fear to make him proud to think himself worthy to be answered by a Bishop when as in very deed I think not his book worthy to be looked on when as out of his own words and quotations without any other help I could easily answer and confute his whole book And so I have sufficiently shewed the haynousness of this sin And therefore let me advise all Sacrilegious persons to take heed how they dally with God and take up from such desperate and irreligious fellows a security to the inchantment of their souls in this so haynous and so horrible an impiety and to fill their houses and to inrich their children with those goods that were Sanctified for Gods service and are execrable unto them and do make them likewise execrable and all the whole Host of Israel the whole Church of God to be troubled as the execrable goods of Achan did And let not us that are Gods Ministers and are commanded to give you warning of your sins sub poena maledictionis as the Prophet sheweth after so many Sermons and Summons Tam Verbis quam Scriptis both in 〈◊〉 3. 18. words and writings find your hearts still obdurate and as hard as the nether Milstone lest we be forced in the bitterness of our souls to cry out with the Prophet In vacuum laboravimus we have spent our strength in vain and be so compelled with grieved spirits to send you to Gods judgment seat carbone not abiles atro marked by a black coal with this inscription upon your foreheads Noluerunt incantari They would not be charmed but made a mock of all that we said But I would have these greedy snatchers of those lands and houses that insteed of making their children happy will bring an inevitable curse upon themselves and their Posterity to weigh well what Fulgentius a Holy Bishop saith upon these words of John the Baptist Every tree that bringeth not Matth. 3. To which purpose S. August saith in like manner Si in ignem miâ—â—titur qui non dedit râ—m propropriam Vbi mittendus est qui invasit alienam Verâ— seipsum vili pendit qui prâ— re aliena animam suam perdit Aug ad Maced Ep. 54. forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire Si sterilitas in ignem mittitur rapacitas quid meretur si semper ardebit qui sua non dedit quid recipiet qui aliena tulit If sterility be thrown in the fire what shall become of rapacity and if he shall indure everlasting burning that would not give his own goods what punishment shall he receive that taketh away another mans goods and especially the goods of God And to weigh likewise what Rabanus Maurus another Holy man commenteth upon the words of Christ I was hungry and you gave me not to eat and amplying our doings saith Esurivi pauxillum panis quod restabat abstulisti Nudus fui vilem chlamidem vestem quam habui abripuisti Et unicam vineam habui tu illam diripuisti I was naked and that simple garment that I had you have taken from me and I had but one Ewe and one only Vineyard and like Ahab you have deprived me of it And what reward shall they have for these things I fear their doom will be too heavy if with Zacheus they make not Restitution of that which with Ahab they have most unjustly taken possession of for as S. Augustine truely saith Si res aliena propter quam peccatum est reddi potest non redditur poenitentia simulatur sed non agitur nam si veraciter agitur non dimittitur peccatum nisi restituatur oblatum id est cum restitui potest If that which we have taken away from another whereby we have sinned may be restored and is not the repentance is not done but dissembled because that if it be truly done the sin is remitted and the sin is never remitted unless that Aug. quo suprâ— Ep. 54. which is taken away be restored that is as I said when Restitution may be made But though it be an Axiom infallible not liable to controulment and a truth as clear as the Sun that Impropriations of Tythes and the alienation of Lands Houses and other things that were given to God and for the service of God ought not to be done nor cannot be injoyed as their own proper goods by any lay person be he Lord Knight or what you will contrary to the mind and will of the donors without committing that horrible sin of Sacriledge yet you must not so understand me as if I conceived How the tythes lands and houses of the Church may be let and set to lay-persons that Ministers might not set their Tythes or let their Lands and their Livings to any lay-person or that it must be generally understood that no commerce or bargain can be made of the goods and endowments of the Church because that as God is willing we should use those goods alwaies for our
to have their own wills them but whom themselves will choose and their choice cannot long satisfie their mindes but as the Jews received Christ into Jerusalem with the joyfull acclamation of Hosanna and yet the next day had the malicious cry of Crucifige so the least distaste makes them greedy of a new change such is the nature of the People But though I said before the election of our chiefe Governours may for many respects be approved of God among some States yet I hope by this that I have set down it is most apparent unto all men contrary to the tenet of our Anabaptisticall Sectaries that the hereditary succession of Kings to govern God's People is their indubitable right and the immediate prime principal Ordinance of God therefore it concerns every man as much as his soul is worth to examine seriously whether to fight against their own King be not to resist the Ordinance of God for which God threatneth no less punishment then damnation from which Machiavel cannot preserve us nor any policy of State procure a dispensation CHAP IV. Sheweth what we should not do and what we should do for the King the Rebels transgressing in all those how the Israelites honoured their persecuting King in Egypt how they behaved themselves under Artaxerxes Ahashuerus and under all their own Kings of Israel and how our Kings are of the like institution with the Kings of Israel proved in the chiefest respects at large and therefore to have the like honour and obedience AS every lawfull King is to be truly honoured in regard of God's Ordinance 2. All kings are to be honoured in respect of God's precept considered two wayes 1. What we should not do so likewise in respect of God's precept which commandeth us to honour the King and this duty is so often inculcated and so fully laid upon us in the holy Scripture that I scarce know any duty towards man so much pressed and so plainly expressed as this is 1. Negatively what we should not do to deprive him of his Honour 2. Affirmatively what we should do to manifest and magnifie this Honour towards him for 1. Our very thoughts words and works are imprisoned and chained up in the linkes of God's strictest prohibition that they should no wayes peeep forth to produce the least dishonour unto our King for 1. The Spirit of God by the mouth of the wisest of men commands us 1. To think no ill of the King Curse not the King no not in thy thought Eccles 10. 30. to think no ill of the King let the King be what he will the precept is without restriction you must think no ill that is you must not intend or purpose in your thoughts to do the least ill office or disparagement to the King that ruleth over you be the same King virtuous or vitious milde or cruell good or bad this is the sense of the Holy Ghost For as the childe with Cham shall become accursed if he doth but dishonour and despise his wicked father or his father in his wickedness whom in all duty he ought to reverence so the Subject shall be liable to Gods vengeance if his heaâ—t shall inâ—end the least ill to his most tyrannicall King 2. The same Spirit saith Thou shalt not revile the Gods that is the Judges of 2. To say no ill of the King Exod 22. 28. Act 23. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 3. To do no hurt to the King Psal 105. 15. 1 Sam. 24 4 5. the Land nor curse that is in â—aint Pauls phrase speak evill of the Ruler of the people and what can be more evill then to bely his Religion to traduce his Government and to make so faithfull a Christian King as faithless as a Cretan which is commonly broached by the Rebels and Preached by their seditious Teachers 3. The great Jehovah gives this peremptory charge to all Subjects saying Touch not mine Anointed which is the least indignity that may be and therefore Davids heart smote him when he did but cut off the lap of Sauls garment What then can be said for them that draw their swords and shoot their Cannons to take away the life of Gods Anointed which is the greatest mischiefe they can do I beleive no distinction can blinde the judgment of Almighty God but his revengefull hand will finde them out that so maliâ—iously transgress 2. What we should do to honour the King Eccles 8. 2. 1. To observe the kings commands his precepts and think by their subtilty to escape his punishments 2. The Scriptures do positively and plainly command us to shew all honour unto our King â—or 1. Solomon saith I counsell thee to keep the Kings commandment or as the phrase imports to observe the mouth of the King that is not onely his written law but also his verball commands and that in regard of the oath of God that is in respect of thy Religion or the solemne vow which thou madest at thine initiation and incorporation into Gods Church to obey all the precepts of God whereof this is one to honour and obey the King or else that oath of â—â— si religio tollitur nulla no bis cum coelo ratio est Lactant Inst l. 3. c. 10. allegiance and fidelity which thou hast sworn unto thy King in the presence and with the approbation of thy God which certainly will plague all perjurers and take revenge on them that take his name in vain which is the infallible and therefore most miserable condition of all the perjured Rebels of this Kingdom For if moral honesty teacheth us to keep our promises yea though it were to our own hindrance then much more should Christianity teach us to observe our deliberate and solemn oathes whose violation can bear none other fruit then the heavy censure of God's fearful indignation But when the prevalent faction took a solemn Oath and Protestation to defend all the Privileges of Parliament and the Rights of the Subjects and then presently forgetting their oath and forsaking their saith by throwing the Bishops out of the House of Peers which all men knew to be a singular Priviledge How the prevalent Faction of the Parliament forâ—wore themselves 2. To obey the kings commandements Josh 1. 18. * Quia in talibus non obedientes mortaliter peccanâ— nisi foreâ— illud quod praecipitur contra praeceptum Dei vel in sa lutis dispendium Angel summa verb. obedientia 3 To give the king no just cause of anger Prov. 2. 2. The Rebels have given him cause enough to be provoked 4. To speak reverently to the king and of the king Eccles 8. 4. and the House of Lords acknowledged to be the indubitable right of the Bishops and their doctrine being to dispence with all oaths for the furtherance of the cause it is no wonder they falsifie all oaths that they have made unto the King 2. The people said unto Joshua Whosoever rebelleth against thy commandment
and will not hearken to the words of thy mouth in all that thou commandest he shall be put to death surely this was an absolute government and though martial yet most excellent to keep the people within the bounds of their obedience for they knew that where rebellion is permitted there can be no good performance of any duty and it may be a good lesson for all the higher powers not to be too clement which is the incouragement of Rebels to most obstinate trayterous and rebellious Subjects who daring not to stir under rigid Tyrants do kick with their heeles against the most pious Princes and therefore my soul wisheth not out of any desire of bloud but from my love to peace that this rule were well observed Whosoever rebelleth against thy commandment he shall be put to death * 3. The wisest of all Kings but the King of Kings saith The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lion who so provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul And I believe that the taking up of Armes by the Subjects against their own King that never wronged them and the seeking to take away his life and the life of his most faithful servants is cause enough to provoke any King to anger if he be not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 too Stoically given to abandon all passions and that anger should be like the roaring of a Lion to them that would pull out the Lions eyes and take away the Lions life 4. The King of Heaven saith of these earthly Kings That where the word of a King is there is power and who may say unto him what dost thou And Elihu demands Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked or to Princes you are ungodly Truely if Elihu were now here he might hear many unfitter things said to our King by his own people and which is more strange by some Preachers for some of them have said but most maliciously and moâ—e falsely that he is a Papist he is the Traytor unwoâ—thy to reign unfit to live good God! do these men think God saith truth Where the word of a King is there is power that is to blast the conspiracies and to confound the spirits of all Rebels who shall one day finde it because the wrath of God at last will be awaked against Jerem. 27. 8. their treachery and to revenge their perjury by inabling the King to accomplish the same upon all that resist him as he promised to doe in the like case 5. The Israelites being in captivity under the King of Babylon were commanded 5. To pray for the king Ezra 6. 10. 1 Tim. 2. 1 2. to pray for the life of that Heathen King and for the life of his sons And Saint Paul exhorteth Timothy to make supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks for Kings and for all that are in authority and how do our men pray for our King in many Pulpits not at all and in some places for his oveâ—throw for the shortning of his life and the finishing of his dayes nullum sit in omine pondus and they give thanks indeed not for his good but for their own supposed good success against him thus they praevaricate and pervert the words of the Apostle to their own destruction when as the Prophet Psal 109. 6. saith Their prayers shall be turned into sin 6. To render all his dues unto him 6. Christ commandeth us to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesars that is as I shall more fully shew hereafter your inward duties of honour love reverence and the like and your outward debts tolls tribute custome c. and the Rebels render none unto him but take all from him and return His Arms to his destruction I might produce many other places and precepts of Holy Scripture to inforce this duty to honour the king but what will suffice him cui Roma parùm est Luke 16. 31. if they beleive not Moses neither will they believe if one should arise from the dead and if these things cannot move them then certainly all the world cannot remove them from their Wickedness Yet 3. Quia exempla movent plus quà m praecepta docent you shall finde this 3. All kings should be honoured by the example of all Nations 1 The Israelites 1 In Egypt Exod. 12 37. Exod. 1. 9. doctrine practised by the perpetual demeanour of all Nations For 1. If you looke upon the Children of Israel in the Land of Egypt it cannot be denyed but Pharaoh was a wicked king and exercised great cruelty and exceeding tyranny against Gods people yet Moses did not excite the Israelites to take arms against him though they were more in number being six hundred thousand men and abler for strength to make their party good then Pharoah was as the king himself confesseth but they contained themselves within the bounds of their Obedience and waited Gods leisure for their deliverance because they knew their patient suffering would more manifest their own piety and aggravate king Pharoah's obstinacy and especially magnify Gods glory then their undutiful rebelling could any ways illustrate the least of these 2. Davids demeanour towards Saul is most memorable for though as one 2. Under Saul The loyal Subjects belief p. 55. faith king Saul discovered in part the described manner of such a king as Samuel had foreshewed yet David and all his followers performed and observed the prescribed conditions that are approved by God in true Subjects never resisting never rebelling against his king though his king most unjustly persecuted him Samuel also when he had pronounced Sauls rejection yet did he 1 Sam. 15. never incite the people to Rebellion but wept and prayed for him and discharged all other duties which formerly he had shewed to be due unto him and Elias that had as good repute with the people and could as easily have stirred 3. Under Ahab up sedition as any of the seditious Preachers of this time yet did he never perswade the Subjects to withstand the illegal commands of a most wicked king 1 Reg. 21. 25. that as the Scripture testifieth had sold himself to work wickedness and became the more exceedingly sinful by the provocation of Jâ—zabel his most wicked wife and harlot but he honoured his Soveraignty and feared his Majesty when he fled away from his cruelty And because these are but particular presidents I will name you two observeable Two examples of the whole Nation under Heathen kings 1 Under Artaxerxes Ezra 1. 1. examples of the whole Nation 1. When Cyrus made a Decree and his Decree according to the Laws of the Medes and Persians should be unalterable that the Temple of Jerusalem should be re-edified and the adversaries of the Jews obtained a letter from Artaxerxes to prohibit them the people of God submitting themselves to the personal command of the king contrary to that unalterable Law of Cyrus pleaded neither the
Where the Puritans place the authority to maintain religion 1 In the Presbytery which have neither right to own it nor discretion to use it and that is either 1. A Consistory of Presbyters or 2. A Parliament of Lay men For 1. These new Adversaries of this Truth that would most impudently take away from Christian Princes the supreamo and immediate authority under Christ in all Ecclesiastical Callings and Causes will needs place the same in themselves and a Consistorian company of their own Faction a whole Volume would not contain their absurdities falsities and blasphemies that they have uttered about this point I will onely give you a taste of what some of the chief of them have belched forth against the Divine Truth of God's Word and the sacred Majesty of Kings Master Calvin a man otherwise of much worth and Calvin in Amos cap. 7. worthy to be honoured yet in this point transported with his own passion calleth those Blasphemers that did call King Henry the eight the supreme Head of this Church of England and Stapleton saith that he handled the King himself Stapl. cont Horn. l. 1. p. 22. with such villany and with so spiteful words as he never handled the Pope more spitefully and all for this Title of Supremacy in Church causes and in his fifty fourth Epistle to Myconius he termed them prophane spirits and mad men that perswaded the Magistrates of Geneva not to deâ—rive themselves of that authority which God hath given them Viretus is more virulent for he How Viretus would prove the temporal Pope as he calleth the King worse then the spiritual Pope resembleth them not to mad men as Calvin did but to white Devils because they stand in defence of the Kings authority and he saith they are false Christians though they cover themselves with the clâ—ke of the Gospel affirming that the putting of all authority and power into the Civil Magistrates hands and making them masters of the Church is nothing else but the changing of the Popedome from the Spiritual Pope into a Temporal Pope who as it is to be feared will prove worss and more tyrannous then the Spirituall Pope which he laboureth to confirme by these three reasons 1 Reason 1. Because the Spiritual Pope had not the Sword in his own hand to punish men with death but was fain to crave the aid of the Secular power which the Temporal Pope needs not do 2. Because the old spiritual Popes had some regard in their dealings of Councils 2 Reason Synods and ancient Canons but the new Secular Popes will do what they list without respect of any Eâ—clesiastical Order be it right or wrong 2 Reason 3. Because the Romish Popes were most commonly very learned but it happeneth oftentimes that the Regal Popes have neither learning nor knowledg in divine matters and yet these shall be they that shall command Ministers and and Preachers what they list and to make this assertion good he affirmeth that he saw in some places some Christian Princes under the title of Reformation to have in ten or twenty years usurped more tyranny over the Churches in their Dominions then ever the Pope and his adherents did in six hundred years All which reasons are but meere fopâ—eries blown up by the black Devil to blast the beauty of this truth for we speak not of the abuse of any Prince to Viretus his scandalous reasons answered justifie the same against any one but of his right that cannot be the cause of any wrong and it cannot be denyed but an illiterate Prince may prove a singular advancer of all learning as Bishop Wickham was no great Scholler yet was he a most excellent instrument to produce abundance of famous Clerks in this Church and the King ruleth his Church by those Laws which through his royal authority are made with the advice of his greatest Divines as hereafter I shall shew unto you yet these spurious and specious pretexts may serve like clouds to T. C. l. 2. p. 411. hide the light from the eyes of the simple So Cartwright also that was our English firebrand and his Disciples teach as Harding had done before that Kings and Princes do hold their Kingdoms and Dominions under Christ as he is the Son of God onely before all Worlds coequal with the Father and not as he is Mediator and Governour of the Church and therefore the Christian Kings have no more to do with the Church government then the Heathen Princes so Travers saith that the Heathen Princes being converted to the saith receive no more nor any further encrease of their power whereby they may deale in Church causes then they had before so the whole pack of the Disciplinarians are all of the same minde and do hold that all Kings as well Heathen as Christian receiving but one Commission and equal Authority immediately from God have no more to do with Church causes the one sort then the other And I am ashamed to set down the railing and the scurrilous speeches of Anthony Gilby Gilby in his admonition p. 69 Knox in his exhortation to the Nobility of Scotland fol. 77. against Hen. 8. and of Knox Whittingham and others against the truth of the King 's lawful right and authority in all Ecclesiastical causes For were it so as Cartwright Travers and the rest of that crew do avouch that Kings by being Christians receive no more authority over Christ his Church then they had before * Which is most false yet this will appear most evident to all understanding men that all Kings as well the Heathens as the Christians are in the first place to see that their people do religiously observe the worship of that God which they adore and therefore much more should Christian Princes have a care to preserve the religion of Jesus Christ For it cannot be denyed but that all Kings ought to preserve their Kingdoms The Gentilee Kings preâ—ervers of religion and all Kingdoms are preserved by the same means by which they were first established and tâ—â—y are established by obedience and good manners neither shall you finde any thing that can beget obedience and good manners but Lawes and Religion and Religion doth naturally beget obedience unto the Lawes therefore most of those Kings that gave Lawes were originally Priests and as Synes ep 126. Vide Arnis part 2. pag. 14. Ad magnas reipubl utilitates retinetur religio in civitatibus Cicero de divin l. 2. Synesius saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Priest and a Prince was all one with them when the Kings to preserve their Laws inviolable and to keep their people in obedience that they might be happy became Priests and exercised the duties of Religion offering sacrifices unto their Gods and discharging the other offices of the Priestly Function as our factious Priests could willingly take upon them the offices of the King or if some of them were not Priests
and the Idols out of the house of the Lord and cast them all out of the City and repaired the Altar of the Lord and commanded Juda to serve the Lord God of Israel And what shall I say of David whose whole study was to further the service of God and of Jehosaphat Asa Josias Ezeâ—h as and others that were rare patternes for other kings for the well government of Gods Church and in the time of the Gospel Quod non toâ—lit prâ—cepta legis sed perficit which takes not away the rules of nature nor the precepts of the Law but rather establisheth the one and perfecteth the other because Christ came into the world non ut tolleret jura saeculi sed ut deleret peccata mundi not to take away the rights of the Nations but to satisfie for the sins of the World the best Christian Emperours discharged the same duty reformed The care of the good Emperours topreserve the true religion Esay 49. 23. the Church abolished Idolatry punished Heresy and maintained Piety especially Constantine and Theodosius that were most pious Princes and of much virtues and became as the Prophet foretold us nursing fathers unto Gods Church for though they are most religious and best in their religion that are religious for conscience sake yet there is a fear from the hand of the Magistrate that is able to râ—strain those men from many outward evils whom neither conscience nor religion could make honest therefore God committed the principal care of his Church to the Prince and principal Magistrate And this is confirmed and throughly maintained by sundry notable men as who deâ—ended this truth The Papists unawares confess this truth Osorius de relig p. 21. Breâ—tius against Asoto Bishop Hâ—rne against Fâ—kenham Jewel against Harding and many other learned men that have written against such other Papists and Puritans Anabaptists and Brownists that have taken upon them to impugne it yea many of the Papists themselves at unawares do coâ—fess as much for Osorius saith Omne regis officium in religionis sanctissimae rationem conferendum mâ—nus ejus est beare rempâ—bl religione piâ—tate all the office of a King is to be conferred or imployed for the regard of the most holy Religion and his whole duty is to bless or make happy the Common-wealth with Religion and piety Quod enim est aliud reipublica principi munus assignatum quà m ut rempâ—bl florâ—ntem atque beatam faciat quod quidem nullo modo sine egregia piâ—tatis religionis sanctitate perficitur For though we confess with Ignatius that no man is equall to the Bishop in causes Ecclesiasticall no not the King himselfe that is in such things as belong to his office as Whitaker saith because he onely Whit. resp Camp p. 302. ought to see to holy things that is the instruction of the people the administration of the Sacraments the use of the keyes of the Kingdom of Heaven and the like matters of great weight and exceeding the Kings authority yet The Kings authority over Bishops 1 Chron 28. 13. 2 Chron. 29. 1 Reg. 2. 26. Kings are above Bishops in wealth honour power government and majesty and though they may not do any of the Episcopall duties yet they may and ought lawfully to admonish them of their duties and restrain them from evill and command them diligently to execute their office and if they neglect the same they ought to reprove and punish them as we read the good Kings of the Jewish Church and the godly Emperours * As Martian apud Binium l. 2. p. 178. Iustinian novel 10. tit 6. Theodos jun. Evagr. l. 1 c. 12. Basil in Council Constant 8. act 1. Binius tom 8. p. 880. Reason confirmeth that Kings should take care of religion of the Christian Church have ever done and the Bishops themselves in sundry Councils have acknowledged the same power and Authority to be due and of right belonging unto them as at Mentz Anno 814. and Anno 847. apud Binium tom 3. p. 462. 631. At Emerita in Portugall Anno 705. Bin. tom 2. p. 1183. and therefore it is an ill consequent to say Princes have no Authority to preach Ergo they have no authority to punish those that will not preach or that do preach false Doctrine This truth is likewise apparent not only by the the testimony of Scripture and Fathers but also by the evidence of plain reason because the prosperity of that Land which any King doth govern without a principal care of Religion decayeth and degenerateth into Wars Dearths Plagues and Pestilence and abundance of other miseries that are the lamentable effects and consequerces of the neglect of Religion and contempt of the Ministers of Gods Church which I beleive is no small cause of these great troubles which we now suffer because our God that taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his servants cannot endure Psal 35. 27. that either his service should be neglected or his servants abused CHAP VII Sheweth the three things necessary for all Kings that would preserve true Religion how the King may attain to the knowledge of things that pertain to Religion by his Bishops and Chaplains and the calling of Synods the unlawfulness of the new Synod the Kings power and authority to govern the Church and how both the old and new Disciplinarians and Sectaries rob the King of this power THerefore seeing this should be the greatest care that brings the greatest honour to a Christian Prince to promote the true Religion it is requisite that we should consider those things that are most necessary to a Christian King for the Religious performance of this duty And they are And these three must be inseperable in the Prince that maintaineth true Religion For 1. A will to performe it Three things necessary for a king to preserve the Church and the Religion 2. An understanding to go about it 3. A power to effect it 1. Our knowledge and our power without a willing minde doth want motion 2. Our will and power without knowledge shall never be able to move right And 3. Our will and knowledge without ability can never prevaile to produce any effect Therefore Kings and Princes ought to labour to be furnished with these three special graces The first is a good will to preserve the purity of Gods service not onely in 1. A willing minde to do it his House but also througout all his Kingdom and this as all other graces are must be acquired by our faithfull prayers and that in a more speciall manner for Kings and Princes then for any other and it is wrought in them by outward instruction and the often predication of God's Word and the inward inspiration of Gods Spirit The second is knowledge which is not much less necessary then the former 2. Understanding to know what is to be reformed and what to be retained because not to run right is