THE Grand Question RESOLVED viz. A KING Having PROTESTED To Defend to the uttermost of his POWER The TRUE Protestant Religion WITH THE Rights and Liberties Of all his SUBJECTS But if they fearing that he will Violate this his PROTESTATION take up Arms to prevent it what may be Judged hereof LONDON Printed for R. Baldwin 1681. THE Grand Question RESOLVED QUEST A King having Protested to defend to the uttermost of his Power the true Protestant Religion with the Rights and Liberties of all his Subjects but if they fearing that he will violate this his Protestation take up Arms to prevent it what may be judged of this kind of Proceeding THIS Question being very weighty ought to be managed with much Caution and Candidness In order hereto it will be requisite to propound some Questions or Doubts which do naturally issue out of the propounded Question for rectifying and settling the Minds of all Christian Subjects Quest I. Is it not better in disputable Mysteries of State for the Subjects to commend the whole matter to God the Righteous Judge than to take up Arms against their King whom we are not to curse in our heart much less to fight against him with our hands II. God saith The Heart of the King is unsearchable how then can any man know whether or no a King will decline from his Oath And if so why should any Subject oppose him by raising of Arms because he feareth such a Declining III. God saith The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the Rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever it pleaseth him if then a King decline from his Protestation God if it please him can again reduce him to it Is it not then safer for Subjects to rely upon Gods Word and Providence than to take up Arms against their Soveraign IV. God gives this counsel I counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God Eccles 8.2 So far then we ought to obey the King as obliged by our Oaths which oblige us and that with relation to the fifth Commandment If then Arms be taken up against the King is there no violation of any Promise Vow or Oath and is there no Commandment of God rejected V. We hold this Assertion to be true Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae The Blood of the Martyrs is the Seed of the Church If then the Subjects perceive that their King breaketh his Oath were it not better for them to dye Martyrs and thus to spend theit Blood in the Cause of Religion than to spill it in a Civil War doth he offend that dyeth a Martyr VI. St. Paul teacheth us Whatsoever is not of Faith is sin When therefore Subjects wage Warre against their King those that are Ignorant or misinformed have no ground or Faith to build this their fighting upon who then shall answer for the Blood of these men if it be shed in such a Civil War Shall not they who should inform and do not or else misinform And how shall men thus slain and that dye in their sin be able to answer at that great day of Judgment whose suddenness of death was hereby occasioned VII Moral honesty teacheth Men to keep their Promises much more their deliberate solemn Oaths Christianity requireth the same yea though it be to the hurt of him that sweareth For these and the like Reasons every good Man who considerably observeth his Promise and Oath may be truly offended against all those who will not give credence to his promise nor yet to his Oath Can a King be well pleased when this hard lot befalleth him Will he like to be accounted a Liar upon a meer surmise without any proof VIII David's Heart smote him after he had cut off the Skirt of Saul 's Robe privily If Arms should be raised up against a King and his Life in danger to be cut off thereby would no Mans heart who had a hand in such a business be so tender as to smite him IX Christ commandeth Render to Caesar the things which are Caesars namely Toll Tribute Custom c. if then such things as these be detained from a King and withall an attempt made to beat him with his own We apons how is Christ's Commandment observed and obeyed Are the Arms which are Caesars to be rendred to Caesar to his destruction X. Christ saith Blessed are they that are persecuted for Righteousness sake And thus the Case standeth if a King forget his duty towards God and Man and doth cruelly persecute his Subjects are not such Subjects so persecuted for their firm adherence to a Righteous cause blessed in that they patiently endure it But where hath Christ taught us that they are blessed that persecute their King at any time XI Where the Word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him What dost thou Eccles 8.4 May not these Words rightly understood and wisely applyed to the Conscience perswade a Man to debate the matter and to expostulate with himself saying What dost thou before he presume to rectifie a King's Errours with the drawn Sword except it be with the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God For the King of Kings saith of an Earthly King who may say unto him What dost thou XII David asketh this Question concerning Saul who was a very wicked King Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lord 's Anointed and be guiltless If any Man might why not David who was causlesly and violently persecuted by Saul and who was also to succeed him in his Throne yet his Conscience taught him not to Right his own wrongs but he waited the good hour till God should be pleased either to turn his Heart or to end his Dayes Who believeth not that David was endued and extraordinarily guided by Gods Spirit as in other matters so in this particular behaviour towards Saul And who then will not resolve and pray as David did The Lord forbid saith he that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lords Anointed David prayed thus after Saul had violated that trust which his Subjects reposed in him XIII God directs us to two means of pacifying an angred Prince either by forbearance or by giving a soft Answer the Words are plain By long forbearing is a Prince perswaded and a soft Answer breaketh the Bone But when Arms are taken up where is forbearing And when the Sword is drawn what hope is there that a soft Answer will perswade XIV The Names which are given to Kings and Queens by God himself should be very much regarded by all good Men for they are called Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers yea gods Is it not unnatural to unsheath the Sword against Father or Mother Is it not impious to unsheath the Sword against him who is the Supreme of all Earthen gods Touch not mine Anointed saith God Almighty and will he allow his Subjects to fight against him who is the
Supreme Ruler and God's Vicegerent upon Earth XV. The wisest King being taught by the King of Kings teacheth thus The fear of a King is as the roaring of a Lyon whoso provoketh him to Anger sinneth against his own Soul If any Subjects take up Arms again their King are they not hereby likely to provoke him to great anger And hereby raise up a great Fear whereby to terrifie themselves And is it no sin thus to provoke a King XVI The King of Israel spake thus to Benhadad Let not him that girdeth on his Harness boast himself as he that putteth it off When Subjects raise War against their Prince it 's probable they are confident of Victory else why should they take them up And if they be thus Confident let them Remember what Ahab said to Benhadad and so much the more let them do this because many wise and Godly Learned Men affirm that Subjects ought not to take up Arms against their Sovereign and why should the Counsel of wise Men be utterly rejected as not fit to be our Counsellors XVII When King David purposed to march forth in Battel against his Rebellious Son Absalom his Loyal and Loving Subjects spake thus to him Thou shalt not go forth and why Because say they Thou art worth Ten thousand of us Would not David's Subjects willingly permit him to go forth to Battel and will any Subjects go to Battel against their King Was David worth Ten thousand of his Subjects and durst any go forth to Battel against him who if he should be slain and it is too probable in such a Case he may shall not a King's Blood cry as loud for Vengeance as the Blood of Thousands of Subjects XVIII Those that dare adventure to wage War against their Sovereign may be too ready to censure and perhaps to condemn all those that be not so forward in this action as themselves and if they thus censure and condemn what Answer can they frame to those Questions which God proposeth Who art thou that judgest another Mans Servant which I conceive may not be unaptly interpreted the Kings Loyal Subject to his own Master he standeth or falleth Why dost thou judge thy Brother Or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother We shall all stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ And then it will appear whether those that take up Arms against their Sovereign or those that refuse are in the right XIX Our Blessed Saviour was so desirous to shew all due respect unto Caesar that for the expressing thereof he wrought a miraculous work there being at his Command to Peter a Fish taken out of the Sea in whose mouth was found a piece of Money which he commanded to he given for Tribute And did our Saviour work so miraculously because he would not offend against Caesar and shall not all good Subjects rather chuse to suffer any indignity or loss than to omit or do any thing which damnifie their King And when Arms are taken up against him is he not damnified and dishonoured XX. There be three Commandments which God hath joined together and they are thus delivered to us My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them which are given to change And what is said in Scripture elsewhere A threefold Cord is not easily broken If then the true fear of God and of the King and therewith a settled Resolution not to meddle with them which are given to Change be all twisted together and treasured up in our hearts and if in our Lives we express a fruitful practice of them then is indeed evidenced our Sonship to God unto whom he giveth these three Commandments whereof if one be broken the other is also violated for he that feareth not God how doth he fear his King or abstain from them which are given to change He that feareth not the King how doth he fear God or take care to keep his Commandment namely to fear the King and not to meddle with them which are given to change Or he that is given to change how like is he to that God which changeth not or like to a good King which Ruleth by his Constant known Laws Therefore if Subjects rise up in Arms against their Liege Lord and King are they not likely to break one of these Commandments And if we fail in one Point of God's Commandments do we not thereby incur the guilt of breaking all XXI The Holy Ghost doth rectifie the Hearts and Practice of all Loyal Subjects towards their Kings saying Whosoever resisteth the power resisteth the Ordinance of God Rom. 13.2 And who was Emperor at that time when this Direction was given Was it not Claudius that Prophane Infidel and cruel Tyrant much more then should all Christian Subjects forbear to take up Arms against a Christian King who by reason that he is a Christian King is therefore much more to be honoured and obeyed than those wicked and profligate Emperours Claudius or Nero or Julian the Apostate and yet the Christian Souldiers who were more than the Heathenish would not resist him And why may we not believe that they were so temperate and obedient because they had learned and purposed by God's grace to practice that which followeth in the fifth Verse of the same Chapter Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but for Conscience sake They would not provoke a wicked Emperour to wrath and their own Conscience being instructed by God's Word taught them thus to do XXII By me Kings Reign saith God God himself not only setteth the Good but wicked Kings upon their Thrones It was God that gave the Scepter to wicked Saul and David would by no means molest him in his Government much less undertake to War against him in hope to wrest the Scepter out of his hand Is it Christian wisdom to fight against God's Ordinance For such Warriours in effect fight against God and if we enter the lists with God are not we like to lose the Victory XXIII After that King David had committed those two gross sins of Adultery and Murther observe in what manner he maketh his Confession before God for them Against thee thee only have I sinned Against thee only saith St. Ambrose because David was a King and was bound to no Law for a King as the same Author addeth and with him many Reverend Authors concur that a King is not bound over to Punishment by any Law but is set flee from them by his Sovereign Authority Therefore Nathan the Prophet admonisheth David to expiate his Sins before God Almighty by humble Repentance and lively Faith but he denounceth not the Law against him whereby to inflict on him the Legal punishment of an Adulterer and a Murderer herein he left the whole Matter to God's own disposement Whosoever then presume to fight against their King and by this affront do attempt no small punishment both of his Mind and Body are they perhaps the more forward
to make such an assault because they take themselves to be more Wise and Judicious than Ambrose But who dare compare himself with the Prophet Nathan XXIV If a wicked King should furiously rage against Christ's Church yet should the People of God Solace themselves exceedingly in this that Christ hath built it upon a Rock and they ought to believe that though it may be and often is much shaken yet it cannot be overthrown and that it may stand the more firmly must not the People of God perform their Duty and attend Christ's Commandments and withall firmly establish their Hearts upon the gracious promises therewith annexed and delivered in these words Ask and it shall be given you seeek and ye shall find Knock and it shall be opened to you Prayer is the Christian Armour which all distressed Subjects ought to put on and if they use it aright even he Gates of Hell shall not prevail against them The devout Jews thus Armed themselves when King Ahasuerus had granted forth a Decree for their utter overthrow They did not Mutiny much less take up the Sword to vindicate their Religion and Liberty and why should not all good Subjects in these dayes behave themselves as the Jews then did And so much the rather lest Christ's words prevail against them viz All they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword XXV A Divine Sentence saith Solomon is in the Lips of the King his Mouth transgresseth not in Judgement The Lord affordeth more than ordinary assistance and direction to Kings and therefore when Saul a very wicked King was by God's appointment to sway the Scepter we read God gave him another Heart even the Spirit of Government therefore should not all Loyal Subjects rather suspect themselves in an Errour than their King Not but that a King is but a Man and so subject to failure but being a Man in extraordinary place and appointment why may not he also obtain extraordinary aid and Direction from God And then why should Subjects take up the Sword to rectifie the Errour of their King XXVI The Wrath of a King as saith Gods Word is as Messengers of Death but a wise Man will pacifie it When Arms are taken up against a King doubtlesly hereby the Kings wrath is very much incensed and therefore should not all Subjects be more ready in shewing their wisdom in pacifying than in exasperating his wrath God grant the one and prevent the other in every Nation XXVII The Kings wrath is as the roaring of a Lyon but his favour is as the Dew upon the Grass Who will provoke a Lyon to roar and then come within the reach of his Chain Who will provoke their King to wrath by taking up Arms and presume they shall not come within the reach of his Verge If his favour be as dew upon the Grass will not his provoked wrath become as Fire among the Stubble And doth not every Subject rather desire to be refreshed with such a dew than to be consumed with a Fire of their own kindling XXVIII There be four things stately as in Prov. 30.29 30 31. and among them a King is truly Majestical against whom there is no rising up saith God and dare any true servant of God and true-hearted Subject do the contrary by rising up against their King And is not raising of Arms an arising against him If then Arms be thus raised how can any that are thus forward promise to themselves Victory over their King whom they presume to resist Or how can they dispence with their own Consciences seeing this is the express Word of God Against him there is no rising up XXIX Before any War by any People or Nations be attempted the Counsel which God giveth is to be accepted and embraced and God counselleth thus With good advice make War But where may such advice be taken Even where it is plainly and freely given in the Volumn of God's Book the Bible which some have and others may wrest to their own destruction Learned Councils have erred Adam in Paradise erred the Angels themselves grosly erred may not wise Men err and if such Men may err why not in the particular business of the Subjects rising in Arms against their Prince Let any that may hold that Position of it's lawfulness consider may not an Iron Rod if any Subjects take up Arms against their King rather bruise or harden than mollifie and make him better XXX In the Multitude of People is the Kings Honour but in the want of People is the Destruction of the Prince When Arms are raised by the Subjects to reduce or rather to enforce their King to do what they please is it not probable that the Multitude of his People and therewith his Honour shall be diminished And is not the want of People the destruction of the Prince God saith so experience also proveth it to be the destruction both of a King and of his Kingdom If then the Subjects truly love God their King and themselves is it not a matter of great concernment and worth their deepest consideration that by raising of Arms they may Dishonour God wrong their King and themselves to their own ruines XXXI God declareth what we may think of the beginning of Strife and what also we may judge is likely to be the issue thereof these words demonstrate it The beginning of Strife is as when one letteth out Water therefore leave off Contention before it be meddled with At the first appearance strife may be thought to be very small and as the Cloud which Elijah's Servant saw arising out of the Sea like a Mans hand yet that in a short time overspread the whole Heavens and abundance of Rain did ensue Abundance of trouble and of Blood-shed may ensue if but one or a few hands be first Actors in the raising of Arms and who can tell how far the Waters of Contention may hereupon flow Such bitter Waters as these may be called by the Names which Isaac gave to the Wells which his Servants digged one he called Esek contention another Sitnah hatred Is it not therefore godly Wisdom to embrace God's Counsel Leave off contention before it be meddled with And if it have been meddled with should not all good People pray instantly and heartily that a Well-Spring of Living Waters may be found out which may be called Rehoboth Room And that it may be said of this Nation now the Lord hath made room for us and we shall be fruitful in the Land by no means entring the Lists of Contention and strife but in well doing committing our concerns to God submitting with Patience to him as the Governour and disposer of all things XXXII The Apostle Saint James hath laid a sure Foundation for all Christian Souldiers to build upon if with a clear Conscience before God and Man they be able to answer to those Questions propounded From whence come Wars and Fightings among you Come they not hence even of your