case than under Nero. Q. 4. Why is this Exhortation to Kings and Judges Have not others need of Wisdom as well as they Answ Others are not excluded but these are mainly exhorted for six Reasons 1. Because they are under preatest Obligations to God 2. They are lyable to the greatest Temptations 3. They are in hazard of the greatest Snares 4. Because their Authority and Example good or bad has a great weight and influence if they be sound and wise they may do much service to God and as much disservice if not so 5. Because they need most Wisdom and ost conceit it yet great Men are not alwayes wise Job 32.9 6. Because Christ has but few Friends and Followers in that Categorie of Men 1 Cor. 1.76 Not many Noble c. They presume upon their own power and greatness and think 〈◊〉 below them to submit to him and they are in hazard to misken themselver and their Maker also Exod. 5.2 Pharaoh said Who is the Lord that â—hould obey him But he that would not know God by Moses instruction was made to know him by his own and his great Hosts Destruction Q. 5. What sort of Magistrats are there to be found Answ Some distinguish them in respect of these seven 1 In respect Jurisdiction some are Superiour who have none above them but God as Emperor King Dictator Senate or inserious who are appointed by the Superiour as are all inferiour Governours and Officers 2. In respect of Religion some are Believers as Joshua some â—fidels and so are either such as persecute Religion as Herod and Julian or tollerate it as a Trajan 3. In respect of Obâ—ects so ne are Togati Gown-men and Governours â—one are Aâ—â—â—ati Sword-men Martial Men. 4. In respect of business some Councillours some Senators some Judges 5. In respect of Office some are Law givers some are Law keepets as Justices and the like 6. In respect of Diunity some have Dignity and not Authority as such who enjoy the title of Dukes Earl Lords Knights or Gentlemen some have Dignity and Authority also as such of any of the former kind or the like as are likewise called to any Office of Rule and Government 7 They may be well distinguished in respect of Adjâ—â—cts some are by God's permission unlawful or bad Magistrats as having in repect of the manner attained their places by unlawful means or do exexercise their Authority with Cruelty or Partiality such an one was Saul these are a peoples Judgement some are by God's Approbation Lawful Just and good Magistrates who come by their power by lawful Election or succession and do exercise it well such an one was David these are a Peoples Mercy God shafted by Saul's cursed Race and choosed the sou of Jesse who made no greaâ—shew but a Man full of Spirit and a Manly Excellent Spirit and to the boot a Man according to Gods own heart 1 Sam 13.14 And we judge we have a King comes as near this Mark as any King of Scots we read of since ever there was one Moreover we read of three sores of Kings first Machiavels King who may be called a Tyrant 2ly The Papes King who may be called a Slave 2ly God's King who only deserves the Name First for Macâ—â—â—vel his King take these Five He duects him not to care how he come to a Kingdom so he may have it By muâ—h or Falshâ—od Right or Wrong Crast or Cruelty miskeâ—ning God and Providence he looks only to Fortune and fleshly Wisdom and commends to him the cruelty of the Lyon and craâ—t of the Fox 2ly For his disposition he forbids him to be Religious indeed but to seem so the shew of it is enough to do his Turn with Man whom he alone respects and that only to deceive him And although they who are near him know his Piety to be Feigned yet dare not reâ—â—st the common Opinion of People who count him Religious indeed He reckons Conscience and the fear of God care to please him and be approven of him as Cut throats of politick Designs and that which makes Effeminate and breaks Courage because it teaches Men to seek Heaven and contemn the Glory of the World he Leaves Religion to such as he counts base Spirits and Sets up Atheism and deep Hypocrisie in its place 3ly For Government he advises his Prince to have sufficient Witt of himself at least to think that he hath it To be jealous of all and keep close his Intentions from the best least his purposes be frustrat 4ly He directs them not to count his subjects Gods People but his own and that not as free Men but as Slaves 5ly For his end he advises him to keep his People in continual discord to expone their Concord a Conspiracy There is nothing so terrible to him as good correspondence in the mutual intelligence of their Affairs Like Nero he cares not they hate him so they fear him This is Machiavel's godless policy which he saw acted at the Court of Rome under Pope Alexander the sixth And thus directed Borgea his son this is called wisdom in the World but it is extreme madness for beside the sin which they regard not they procure their own ruine by such means as they chose for establishment Secondly For the Popes King or Slave he sets up and casts him down at pleasure he injoyns him to serve him absolutely in a blind Obedience and to maintain Idolatry and persecure the Truth who are most in these are his Greatest Darlings He keeps his Kings under Tutorie and suffers them not to Rule by Gods Word and the wholesome Laws of their Kingdoms but Thrusts on them his Breives and Commands by his Legats 3ly For Gods King He comes to the Throne in Gods Mercy both to himself and the People he is Religious in his Disposition acknowledges his advancement to be of God forgets not he is Gods Subject In Government learns Wisdom from other Mens folly and Labours to do Gods Work by Gods Wisdom making his Commands the Men of his Counsel He counts his People not Slaves but free Men even Gods people Who has first Right to them that his Power over them is not Absolute but Delegate for which he must be countable to God by all means seeks their wealth and peace craves their Hearts more than their Goods and reckons their Love his best guard under God The point of Doctrine I would insist on is this That it is the Interest of Magistrats Supreme and Subordinate to learn to be wise And it answers the Scope of these Words they should so endeavour wisely to Manage their eminent trust as they may be most Subservient to the Advancement of the Kingdom of Christ and be approven of him I shal observe this order first whence must they Learn this wisdom 2ly Wherein stands this wisdom Magistrats should Learn 3ly Why ought they to be thus wise 4ly Some application of all First Magistrats must Learn Wisdom from the
their Menacings and Boasts least they imbitter their Spirits and extinguish or weaken their Affections and become guilty of these sins which they being provoked commit by having that which is due denyed or things unjust in themselves Commanded or rigorous Commands of things in their own Nature indifferent joyned Or â—ave ighing with bitterness against them when there is no cause by inflicting punishment either unjustly where there is no fault or immoderatly unseasonably or basely where there is a Fault As Inferiours have their bounds which they may not pass but move in the Sphere of their Duty to Superiours so Superiours would mind that there is to Power on Earth so ablolute no not of Kings and Supreme Rulers but implyes Obligation through Vertue of Gods Ordinance Rom 13. on these invested with it to make Conscience of several Duties to Inferiours and Subjects and they are bound to advert not only to the Matter but to the manner of Performance that all Rigour and Oppression be avoided He Rules with most Comfort and Confidence who keeps most room in the Affections and they are likeliest to be the Men of the Promise to build the Old waste Places to raise up the Foundations of many Generations to be called the Repairers of the Breaches the Restorers of Paths to dwell in who loose the bands of Wickedness and un do the heavy burdens and let the Oppressed go free and breake every Yoke who ease people of â—ust Grievances and Impose not nor Continue what is forbidden and Condemned Isaiah 58.6 11. Thirdly it is not VVisdom for Magistrats to be too credulous but to try ere they Trust that they be not Influenced Imposed upon bad Impressions made Satan may borrow Peters Tongue to give bad Advice to his Master Matth. 16.22 A near Relation may whisper what is dangerous and prove a snare 2 Chron. 22.3 Ahaziah his mother counselled him to do wickedly Saul hearkned to false deceitful Slandering Dorg Psal 52. a great Persecutor of David who had done great services to Saul and taken great Ventures for him Kings would beware of all of such Complection who may involve them in Guilt and Danger and all Courtiers and Favourits of Princes would beware of any Tincture of such a Disposition Magistrats of all Degrees has need of two ears to hear both Parties and of discreet Ears to try the Truth of what is Related and the Design of the Relator Job 12.11 As the Mouth tastes Meat so the Ear tryes words None should except against this warning for the best of Men may be warned against the worst of Sins Luke 21.34 Christ warned his Disciples against these Sins that none could have jealoused their Disposition towards Gluttony and Drunkenness they appeared to ly far from the Temptation to these Yet all Men are Men and having Corruption are not without the reach of Temptation the best of Men and best of Kings have made slips Noah Lot David What I say to one says Christ I say to all watch Mark 13. close 4. It is not the wisdom of great Men to seek themselves or great things for themselves this is reproved in Baruch Jer. 45. and an old Complaint of the Apostle which may be renevved Phil. 2.21 All seek their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ it 's a Mark of Dishonour and a Brand of infamy in any especially in great Men to be Self-seekers who live wholly to themselves like the Grave wherein all that is gotten is buried and kept closs and nothing brought forth to publick Benefit on the Tombs of these it may be written such a man sought himself when he lived and losed himself when he died Self seeking dispirits a Man and makes him cold and cowardly in God's Cause This Self is the carnal corrupt part called Flesh that sways the whole Man Christ and this Self are contrary you cannot serve these two Masters this Self will make sinners say concerning the Word of Life The word that 's spoken to us in the Name of the Lord we will not do it but what proceeds out of our own Mouth Jer. 44.16 17. And concerning Christ we will not have this Man to Reign over us Luke 19.14 For the Lord's sake shake off its Government resist its Reasonings disobey its Commands refuse to follow its inclinations or to satisfie its Lâ—stings 5. It 's not a Magistrates Wisdom to prefer secular Affairs to the Lords they were reproved Haggai 1. Who dvvelt in Ceiled Houses when the Lords House lay waste This is Machiavelians Wisdom to simulate and make all Interests of Religion subservient to Secular and Civil Concerns this is the principle of that damned Antichristian Hierarchie This Wisdom is but Craft however it be plastered over Jeroboam who withdrew the people from the established worship of God pretended their â—ase and not only Tollerate but Established another way of Worship for which cause the Lord draws a black line on his fore-head oft stigmatizing him thus Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin 2 Kings 10.31 c. 6. A Magistrates wisdom stands not in pride and upliftedness of Spirit proud Pharaoh said who is the Lord Exod. 4.2 But the Lord laid his pride as he did Haman's Esther 7. The king of Assyrias Isaiah 10. Nebuchadneezar's Dan. 4. True wisdom humbleth and advanceth to Honour Prov. 15.33 Before honour is bumility It 's the ready way to honour both from God and Man to be humble and gains love and respect from both whereas pride procures hatred and contempt 1 Cor. 3.18 If any man among you seem to be wise in this World let him become a fool that he may be wise If any man would be wise to God wise to eternal Life and Salvation let him be content to be accounted a fool by the men of the world The proud man and the fool gets one name 1 Tim. 6.4 The original Word signifies smoak importing that the proud man has a tumour and is puft up with ill and noisome Air. 7. It is not the wisdom of Magistrats to overlook dangerous persons by a cruel indulgence one Achan spared may endanger the whole Camp of Israel Traitours to Kirk and State would be duely noticed I am not for Rigours Severity and Blood and would be far from saying what a Preacher in the South of Scotland said within these twelveyears preaching before the Justiciary Court of some that he called Phanaticks He desired the Lords to dye their scarlet robes in these Mens scarlet blood At which they themselves blush'd This I had from Persons of Credit Ear-witnesses some whereof are yet alive But sure Persons of a Dangerous Complexion to undermine the State would be incapacitate and put out of reach to hazard the Common-wealth If he were a Church-man an Abiathar he might be sent to Anathoth Q. But wherein stands the wisdom of Princes and Magistrats Ans 1. In having a good foresight and not to be stiff head-strong and willful in what
week Sick and Aged some Women with Child some Criple and many others taken up by the way out of other prisons and pricked up like beasts beside other hard usages in their journey to the Castle of Dunotter where about 168. Men and Women were thrust in one Vault and considering the necessities of Nature having scarcely room to stand What case they were in for some dayes â—â—dge ye Yea at their entry when scorched with thrist denyed water by the Souldiers without Money Many hardships they endured that it cost some of them their Lives And after a long times distress there were driven back to Lothian all save two or three tyed and flightered like Thieves and about eightie of them sent to America If there be any here who ever gave countenance or active concurrence to any of these forementioned sufferings I charge you upon your perril to repent and judge your selves that ye be not judged of the Lord. Some will possibly say as Isaiah 30.10 Minister preach some other things to us but as Micajah said we say what the Lord sayes that we must speak God be thanked we have not an Ahab to deal with But though it were so we behoved to speak our Masters Mind many a time we have preached and distribute the Childrens Bread with the perril of our Lives and theirs and would do so yet if called to it But God forbid that ever it come to that again among us but Lord send no worse Before that second word to Mâ—gistrats and People joyntly Add to what goes before That the consideration of the hundreth part of our Sufferings makes many Judicious who will not approve what others have met with wonder it was no worse considering what was the Spring and Fountain whence these deep and bitter waters did flow and upon whose account and by whose Instigation But far shall it be from Uâ— to entertain thoughts of such Barbarities inhumanirles and Antichristian Usages as We have been Treated with to urge the making or Execution of such severe Laws but rather Compassionat the Miserable 2ly I would say another word to Magistrats and People jointly prove your wisdom by the Fâ—â—its of it and I give you a Proof in the Aposties words which you may think upâ—â— James 3.17 The Wisdom that is from above is first Pure then Peacable Gentle and easie to be intreated jull of Mercy and good Fruits without Partiality and without Hypâ—â—risie I intended to have pressed on the People their dutifull respects to Magistrats Supreme and Subordinat upon the Apostles prounds 1 Pet 2.13.14 c. First for the Lords sake and that Honour and Majestie Christ stamps on them 2ly Because they are in the Lords room to do his work in Punishing ill doers and rewarding these that do well If this Power be abused they must answer to him 3ly Because this is the will of Christ and the way so stop the Mouths of foolish Men. 4ly This is our Libertie and would not be used as a cloak of Licentiousness we owe to them first reverence and that in our Minds not to Curâ—e him in our thoughts Eccles 10 20. In our Words not to rail against him Acts 23 5. The Authoritie of Magistrats is very tender in our gestures the Woman of Tekoah stoops to the ground 2 Sam 14 4. 2ly We owe obedience in the Lord from which Church-Men are not exeemed 1 Pet 2.13 Rom. 13 1. If they Command what is cross to the Lords mind we must serve them with Peters answer we ought to obey God rather than Man Acts 5 29. 3ly We owe them Fidelity both to their persoâ—s and Authority 4ly We owe them aid and help first by saithfull counsel and advice when called for and discovery of secret Enemies and plots 2. By our Estates paving custom Rom 13 7. 3ly By our persons assisting them both against Countrey Rebels and Forraign enemies and when called for to venture our Lives for them in peace and war 2 Sam 21.17 23.16 4ly By our prayers 2 Tim. 2 2. 1 Because they neither stand nor fall to themselves Magistrats especially Soveraigns are the pillara of a Kingdom Let me smite King Saul but once said Abishal and the kingdom shall be thine and the victory thine 1 Sam. 26 8. So said Abithophel let me smite king David and all Israel shall be gathered to thee 2 Sâ—m 17.2 When Alexander died the Arâ—ie was but one Man less than before but yet it was compared by the Wise to the Câ—clops which had its only eye bored out Should we not pray for Magistrates especially the Supreme who carry not only about their own lives but the lives of thousands depends on their safety As it was said to the King Thou shalt not go forth with us any more to battle least thou qâ—ench the light of Israel for thou art worth ten thousand 2 Sam. 18.3 2 Sam. 21.17 We should be earnest to pray Magistrates may be Religious because of the power of their Example to good or evil their vices pass currant for vertues and becomes a fashion when the King of Shechem yeelded to Circumcision a painfull thing the whole City followed Be a Prince never so great for Command he Commands most by Example let not our King and Judges want our Prayers Let me press upon Magistrates that ye Studie Wisdom in God's Mattâ—â—s and Mâ—ns also both are required â—f they be Pious only in God's Matters and not otherwise prudent then are they fitter for the Cloyster than the Court if they be Prudent and Politick only and not Plous then are they fitter to be Kings of Babel where dwelâ— Confusion then of Jerusalem where God's Glory is be carefull that God be honoured in the Nation that abuses and Errours in Religion be reformed Promorers thereof and Seducers discountenanced and punished and that the Purity and Truth of Doctrine he promoted and maintained according to the Example of Godly Kings 2 Chron. 3.4 15 12 17 6. That the word be purely Preached that the good Things taught and established for the precious Oâ—dinances of Christ be defended by Law and done as he hath appoinâ—â—â— 2 Chron. 18 8.11 That the Wicked and Profanâ— be Discountenanced and Punished the wickedness of Subjects does great hurt to Gracious Kings and tends to the shortning of their dayes Then I would press Magistrates to studie a great insight in affairs that concerns Honesty and Equity David had a good Insight in Matters as an Angel of God seeing Good and Evil. â— Sam. 14. Solomon discerned which was the true Mother 1 Kings 3â— Magistrateâ— should provide that People lead a Peaceable and quit Life in all Godliness and Honesty 2 Tim. 2. Then I would press on Magistrates to â—â—udy a good Foresight of Dangers to protect the People prevent or wisely divert them They must endeavour to desend against all Enemies Saul had little Foresight when David sound him secure David had Hushaâ— in Absalom's Court. That Kings may be in better