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
to use the phrase of holy Writ for every matter pertaining to God and affairs of the King 1. Chro. 26. 32. See Chapters 23. 24 25. 27. Gen. 41. 33 34 41. Exod. 18. 25 26. 2 â—am 23. 23. 1 King 4 3. unto vers 20. 2 Chr. 17. 7 8. and Chap. 19. 5 8. and Chap. 25. 5. and Chap. 29. 21 25 27 30. and Chap. 31. 2. 5. 9. 11 Nehem. 5. 14 15. Hest 3. 1. and Chap. 6. 11. Dan. 2. 48 49. and Chap. 6. 1 2. By him all Armes and Fortifications are disposed and ordered 2 Sam. 8. 14. 1 K. 9. 15 17 18 19. 2 Chr. 8. 2. 3 4 5 6. chap. 14. 6 7. ch 17. 12 13 19. ch 26. 9. unto vers 16. ch 27. 3 4. ch 32 5 6 29. Neh. 7. 1 2 3. In a word all honour power and justice are in him and from him Whence it is manifest the King hath not his Realme nor Power by way of trust from his Subjects and therefore the Argument is drawne from a false Principle The eighth Objection If Subjects may never resist their Soveraigne then they must obey him in his unlawfull commands but this is contrary to Gods Word Prov. 4. 26 27. Amos 5 14. Rom. 12. 9. We ought rather to obey God then men Act. 5. 29. Therefore in unlawfull commands Subjects may resist The Answer To answer this Objection we must remember that there is a twofold obedience Active and Passive The Active obedience is to do what we are required which obedience we ought to yeeld to our Soveraigne when he commands that which is lawfull The Passive obedience is with meeknesse and constancy to beare the afflictions whereunto God hath appointed us 1 Thes 3. 3. Which obedience we ought to yeeld unto our Soveraigne when he commands that which is unlawfull Thus Shadrach Meshach and Abednego willingly submitted themselves unto Nebuchadnezzer to be cast into the fiery Furnace rather then to worship the golden Image Dan. 3. 17 18. And Daniel willingly submitted himselfe unto Darius to be cast into the Den of Lyous rather then to observe his idolatrous decree Dan. 6. 7 10. Of this obedience is that which our Saviour preached unto his Disciples in the Mount Matth. 5. 10 11 12. Blessed are they which are persecutâ—d for righteousnesse sake for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Rejoyce and be exceeding glad for great is your râ—ward in Heaven for so persecuted they the Prophets which were before you And Saint Peter exhorteth us unto the same 1 Pet. 4. 12 13 14 15 16. Beloved thinke it not strange concerning the fiery triall which is to try you as though some strange thing happened unto you but rejoyce in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye But let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thiefe or as an evill doer or as a busie body in other mens matters Yet if any man suffer as a Christian let him not be ashamed God therefore doth alwaies require thy obedience unto thy Prince If his commands be lawfull then thou must obey him actively by executing his will if unlawfull then thon must obey him passively by submitting thy selfe unto his punishment So that there can be no cause or colour for thy disobedience no ground for thy resistance unlesse thou wilt obey neither God nor man The Oâ—jections being fully answered this truth delivered in Gods Word remaines firme and unshaken That Subjects may not take up Armes against their lawfull Soveraigne because he is wicked and unjust no though he be an Idolater and Oppressour But tell me Reader if thou canst where the Scriptures allow thee to take up Armes against thy lawfull Soveraigne who is a meeke and patient See His Maj 〈…〉 answer to the 19. Propositions Moses a tender hearted David no Idolater but a strict and carefull maintainer of Gods true Religion and such a one whom his very adversaries acknowledge to be The Defender of the true ancient Catholike and Apostolicall faith In whom Gods graces are so eminent that though hellish spirits have and doe daily foame out their malice against him yet there is not one who hath or can taxe him with unchastity malice pride cruelty prophanenesse negligence of Gods service or any other notorious vice except his deniall of giving away his birth-right be a breach of his Royall duty as the auhour of the Soveraigne Antidote would faine perswade us to believe without proofe p. 9. Nor canst thou justly say he is an Oppressour for he hath not onely taken away all Monopolies Shipmoney and all other grievances from the people but he hath by publique Act damned them for ever And further to shew his justice and Princely clemency he hath in this Parliament passed many excellent and profitable Acts unto his people which if we knew when to be satisfied would yeeld in few yeeres more then an hundred sold recompence for all our damages But what Religion art thou of who carriest the Kings faults so long in thy mind with a desire of revenge Doest thou say in the Lords Prayer Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us and yet bearest thou a grudge towards thy Prince Christ our Saviour tells us Matth. 6. 15. If ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses And Saint Paul commands Let all bitternesse and wrath and anger and clamour and evill speaking be put away from you with all malice And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Ephes 4. 31 32. and yet wilt thou never cease thy wrath and evill speaking against thy King wilt thou never forgive him Thou owest unto God more then ten thousand Talents Matth. 18. 24. And be assured for Christ has said it God will not forgive thee that great sum if thou doest not from thy heart forgive thy brother especially thy King that petty debt which he oweth and those small trespasses which he hath done unto thee Oh consider weigh the cause seriously enter into thine owne heart Against whom dost thou rise up Whom dost thou oppose Is it not the Lords Anointed is he not thy Father thy Master thy Head thy Lord and Soveraigne Hast thou forgotten how for rebellion Korah and his company and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit and the Earth closed upon them Numb 16. 32 33. Was not traiterous Absolon hanged in an Oake thrust thorough the heart with three Darts while he was yet alive and afterwards cast into a pit 2 Sam. 18. 9 14 17. And shalt thou glory in thy rebellion against thy lawfull thy peaceable thy religious Prince and yet thinke to escape the judgements of
Sâ—lomon speakes in the text alleadged is the King The second Objection Phinehas his zeâ—le in slaying Zâ—mri and Cozbi was counted unto him for righteousnesse Psal 106. 30 31. and was rewarded by GOD with an everlasting Priesthood Num. 25. 8 13. Therfore to take up Armes against nay to slâ—y evill Councellors is lawfull The Answer Here is a conclusion drawn from premisses which are nothing at all pertinent thereunto For Zimri and Cozbi were no Counsellers unto Moses who was then Soveraigne Zimri being the son of Salâ— a Prince among the Simeonites and Cozbi the daughter of Zur of a chiefe house in Midian Num. 24. â—4 15. Neither can this act of Phinehas be made a pattern to all posterity For then it would follow that a Priest or Minister of Gods word finding a man and woman yea a Prince and Princesse in the act of whoredome may lawfully kill them But this is most repugnant to the Scriptures because no Divine may execute the materiall sword Wherefore this act of Phinehas was by the speciall instigation of Gods Spirit and not for our imitation Thus Reader thou seest the weaknesse of the objections and therefore canst not but conclude that this distinction of taking up Armes against evill Counsellours and not against the King is a new frivolous groundlesse distinction contrary to the Scriptures and a meere Cloake to hide the horrid and hatefull sin of â—ebellion from the eyes of the weaker Christians Take heed then lâ—st thou be hardned through the deceiâ—fulnesse of sin Heb. 3 13. Looke to thy end and remember that in the place where the tree falleth there shall it be Eccles 11. 3. Die for the Lord when God calleth thee unto it for his glory but be assured thou diest neither for nor in the Lord without Gods extraordinary mercy if thou cast away thy life in a cause which Gods word will not warrant By me saith Christ the power and wisedome of God 1 Cor. 1. 24. Princes rule and Nobles even all the Iudges of the earth Prov. 8. 16. If all Nobles and Judges then certainly all Counsellours though some may be evil And therefore to use the words of Gamaliel Acts 5. 38. 39. Refrain from these men and let them alone for if their counsell or their worke be of men it will come to nought but if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lâ—st happily ye be found even to fight against God The second Evasion But thou wilt tell me that thou takest up Armes in obedience to publique command and authority and therefore doest nothing but what is warrantable and lawfull The Answer 'T is true thy obedience to publique authority is lawful and necessary for God doth require it Tit. 3. 1. yet before thou yeeld thy active obedience thereunto be sure that â—oth the command and authority to which thou yeeldest and also the thing commanded authorized be agreeable to the Lawes of God and warrantable by the Lawes of the Land wherein thou livest For if the publique command be unlawfull then is thy obedience thereunto also unlawfull as the obedience of the men of Israel in going to their tents and forsaking of David their King at the command of traiterous Sheba was plaine rebellion 2 Sam. 20. 1 2. Or if the thing commanded be unlawfull then is thy obedience also unlawfull as those men sinned in casting the three Children into the fiery furnace at the commandement of Nebuchadaâ—zzar and for their wickednesse were slaine by the flame of the fire Dan. 3. 20 22. And indeed when the act is unlawfull the publique command and authority is so far from diminishing or lessening the offence that it doth exceedingly aggravate and increase it Ephraâ—m is oppressed saith Hosea 5. 11. and brokâ—n in judgement because he willingly walked after the Commandement to wit of Jeroboam Micah speaketh of Sâ—atutes of Omri cap. 6. 16. take heed how thou keepest them And there is a throne of iniquity which frameth mischief by a Law Psal 94 20. Wherefore adventure not thy talent thy life and therewithall thy salvation upon any authority or Ordinance of man without a due and full examination thereof between God and thy conscience applying all to the onely sure rule and touchstone of truth The Word of God Not oughtest thou to feare the danger of bringing the authority or commands of men unto this triall for thou hast a warrant from S. Paul so to do 1 Thes 5. 21. Prove all things hold fast that which is good And 1 Cor. 10. 15. he referreth himself to the Corinthians Iudge ye what I say And Act. 17. 10 11. The Bereans are accounted more Noble then those in Thessaloniâ—a in that they received the Word with all readinesse of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so as Paul preached If then the doctrine and commands of the Apostles who were filled with the Holy Ghost Act. 2. 4. were subject unto this examination how can the Lawes and commands of men now adaies be above it or in any wise freed from it So long as men are capable of errour so long are they subject unto examination And what man what Councell may not erre That Royall Statute and firm Decree though consulted of and presented to Darius by all the Presidents of the Kingdom the Governours and the Princes the Counsellors and the Captains was but a faction and conspiracy to take away the life of Daniel Dâ—n 6. 4 5 6 7. Did not the Apostles erre for a while in not beleeving the resurrection of Christ Luke 24 11. Did not Peter erre in withdrawing himself from the Gentiles through feare and joyning with the Jewes Galat. 2. 11 12. whole councels as well genâ—rall as Provinciall though consisting of none but learned Divines have been carried by a faction and erred in the very fundamentals of Divinity And why may not a Synod in these daies whereof some onely are pious learned and Orthodox erre in like manner Or an Assembly sprâ—nkled with Lawyers erre in a point of Law Here Tertullian Apologet. adversus Gentes c. 4. Si Lex rua erravit puto ab homine concepta â—st neque enim de caelo ruit Miramini hominem aut errare potuisse in lege condendâ aut resipuissâ— in reprobandá Nonne ipsius Lycurgi leges a Lacedemoniis emendatae If thy Law hath erred I suppose it was framed by man for it did not come down from Heaven Do you wonder that man could erre in making a Law or repent for rejecting a Law Were not the laws of Lycurgus himself corrected by the Lacedemonians Let us therefore search and try our waies Lam. 3. 40. Let us not pin our faith our life and salvation unto another mans elbow Gods word declares unto us manifestly that it is not lawfull for us to take up Armes against our Soveraigne and it will not availe us at the last day to say We did it by authority of man Every one shall beare his own burthen the