jus est De jure Regni P. 15. ut imperium cui velit deferat He hath now many followers and it is a wonder to see how that these men who professe that they will banish all Popery root and branch are yet drawing in Popery by head and shoulders for I know no point of doctrine which can with better reason be termed Popery then that which had a Pope for the first author of it and which in it selfe is so false as being contrary unto the Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient Church and even contrary to the confession of many of the wisest amongst the Heathen for Homer tearmes Kings the sons and off-spring of Iupiter Anal. Lib. 3. so doth Callimachus and the wise Tacitus saith Principes imperium à Deo habent Therefore some Emperors did stamp't their Coine with an hand comming out of the Clouds holding a Crowne and setting it on their heads and accordingly did stile themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crowned by God And yet for all this the Iesuites and Puritanes pretend that the Scripture is for them because forsooth Deut. 17.15 the constitution of a King seemes to be left unto the People Constitues eum Regem super te thou shalt set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose So the choosing of the King is ascribed unto the people 1. Sam. 8.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye have chosen the like is Chap. 12.13 Behold the King whom ye have chosen The making of the King is ascribed unto the People 1. Sam. 11.15 And all the People went to Gilgall and there they made Saul King before the Lord. The anointing of the King is ascribed unto the People 2. Sam. 2.4 And the men of Iudah came to Hebron and there they anointed David King over the house of Iudah And Chap. 5.3 So all the Elders of Israell came to the King to Hebron and they anointed David King over Israel So it is said of Solomon 1. Chron. 29.22 And they made Solomon King the second time and anointed him unto the Lord. Of Rehoboam 1. Kings 12.1 All Israell were come to Sechem to make him King Of Ioash 2. Kings 11.12 That when Iehojada had shewed unto the Captaines and the Guard the Kings Sonne and put the Crowne upon him and given him the testimony that they made him King and anointid him Of Azariah 2. Kings 14.21 And all the People of Iudah took Azariah and made him King instead of his Father Amaziah Of Josiah when his Father Ammon was slaine 2. Kings 21.24 And the People of the Land made Iosiah his sonne King in his stead Of Iehoahaz 2. Kings 23.30 And the People of the Land took Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah and anointed him and made him King in his Fathers stead And yet for all this it is certaine that the constituting the choosing the making the anointing of the King did not properly belong unto the people For in that place Deut. 17.15 the choice of the King is plainly reserved unto God Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose And so God did choose Saul first as Samuell told them 1. Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath set a King over you God designed him unto Samuel commanded him to anoint him without the consent or privity of the People he caused the lot to fall upon him and therefore albeit it be said that the People went to Gilgall and there made Saul King yet we know that Saul was King before that chosen at Mizpech by the Lord as Samuel saith 1. Sam. 10.24 See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen he was there publiquely acknowledged and received with acclamations And all the People shouted and said God save the King ibid. The men also whose hearts God had touched went with him and gave him presents vers 26 27. He had also done the Office of a King raising Armes and fighting against their Enemies Chap. 11.4 So that that act of the People in Gilgall of making him King was onely a renewing of the Kingdome as Samuel tearmes it in the words going before Let us go to Gilgall and renew the Kingdome there vers 14. They did renew it by a solemne inauguration And when God had rejected Saul for his disobedience it is manifest that he onely did choose David and establish the Kingdome in his line no man did contribute any thing to his advancement for if Samuel might have had his will Eliab had been King and not David So God choose Solomon among all the Sons of David to succeed him as David tells us 1. Chron. 28.5 And of all my sonnes he hath chosen Solomon my sonne to sit upon the throne of the Kingdome and when David was upon his death bed and all the People together with Abiathar the High-Priest and Joab the Generall of the Army had set their eyes upon Adonijah to make him King David commanded Zadocke the Priest and Nathan the Prophet to anoint Solomon King 1. King 1.34 All the rest succeeded by the right of inheritance God having now setled the Crowne in his line insomuch that albeit it be said that all Israell went to Sechem to make Rehoboam King yet in the words immediately going before we read that Solomon slept with his Fathers and Rehoboam his sonne raigned in his stead 1. King 11.43 So that Rehoboam raigned before the People went to Sechem to make him King And therefore the constituting choosing making anointing of the King which is ascribed unto the People must be understood onely of their Solemne Declaration and acceptation of their King otherwise the Scripture shall be contrary unto it selfe which we may not in any wise admit That this is the true meaning of these phrases may further appeare because as the People are said to make Saul King so Samuel is said to make him King 1 Sam. 12.1 And Samuel said unto all Israel behold I have hearkened unto your voice in all that you said unto me and have made a King over you Now it is certain that Samuel did nothing but onely powred a box of oyle upon him by Gods direction yet for performing of that Ceremony he is said to make him King so the People for performing another part of the solemnity are said to make him King Again as the People are said to make the King so they are said to anoint him they anointed David in Hebron they anointed Solomon unto the Lord we know it never belonged unto the People to anoint that Office was ever performed by Priest or Prophet yet are the People said to anoint the King because they were present when he was anointed did concurre to make up the solemnity testifying their approbation of that act And as they are said to anoint the King so are they said to anoint the Priest 1 Chron. 29.22 They anointed Solomon unto the Lord to be the chiefe governour and Zadock to be
THE BLESSING OF IVDAH Explained and applied to the present times in a Sermon preached at S. MARIES OXFORD March 27. 1644. Being the Anniversary of His Majesties Inauguration to His Crowne Before some of the Lords and the Honourable Members of the House of Commons there assembled Wherein amongst other things is strongly proved that the King is immediately dependent from God and receiveth not His power from the people By HENRY LESLIE Bishop of Downe Published by Command of Authority And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the Priests saying Speak unto the Elders of Iudah saying Why are yee the last to bring the King backe to his house 2 SAM 19.11 OXFORD Printed by LEONARD LICHFIELD Printer to the Vniversity 1644. DEUT. 33.7 And this is the blessing of Iudah and he said heare Lord the voyce of Iudah and bring him vnto his People Let his hands be sufficient for him and be thou an help to him from his enemies THe first words of this Text containe the Title and stand as it were an Inscription written over the head of the Verse And this is the blessing of Iudah touching which blessing three things are expressed 1. Quis the Person blessing and that is Moses And he said 2. Cui the Person to whom the blessing is given is Iudah 3. Quid the blessing it selfe it is a Prayer unto God for Iudah consisting of foure Petitions the first is that God would heare the Prayer of Iudah Heare Lord the voyce of Iudah 2. That God would set Iudah as King over his People and establish a firme union betweene him and them And bring him unto his People 3. That he would grant him strength and wealth Let his hands be sufficient for him 4. That God would give him Victory in the day of Battle And be thou an helpe to him from his Enemies The Person who blesseth is Moses and he said even he who is mentioned in the first verse of this Chapter And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the Man of God blessed the Children of Israel before his death The Apostle saith without all contradiction the lesse is blessed of the greater Heb. 7.7 which is to be understood of that blessing which is ex authoritate for there is also a blessing ex Devotione wherewith an inferiour may blesse his Superiour a Subject doth blesse his Prince and man doth blesse God in hearty devotion But the blessing which is ex authoritate commeth alwayes from the greater And such was Moses his blessing a blessing with authority for he blesseth them in the name of the Lord beginning his blessing after this manner The Lord came from Sinai c. vers 2. He blesseth the Sonnes of Iacob in the name of the God of Iacob And he had good authority to blesse in Gods name if we doe but consider what he was Moses the man of God vers 1. The servant of the Lord Iosh 1.1 Gods chosen one Psal 106.23 Gods Secretary who spake with God face to face Exod. 33.11 and saw him who is invisible Heb. 11.27 Moses the leader of Gods People out of Aegypt and his Law-giver as it is vers 4. Moses commanded us a Law Moses a Prophet and the greatest amongst Prophets before Christ came Chap. 18.15 and not onely a Prophet but a King also as it is in the fifth verse He was a King in Iesurun In all these respects Moses had good right to blesse especially before his death it being the custome of the Patriarches to blesse their Children on their death-bed The Partie blessed is Iudah Iudah was the fourth sonne of Iacob unto whom by the forfeiture of Ruben the birth-right did descend and in whose posterity the Crowne was established according to the prophecie of Iacob Iudah Thou art he whom thy Brethren shall praise Thy Fathers Children shall bow downe before thee The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah Gen. 49.8 and 10. And God himselfe sayes Iudah is my Law-giver Psal 108.8 The like you have 1. Chron. 5.2 Judah prevailed above his Brethren and of him came the chiefe rulers So David acknowledgeth 1. Chron. 28.4 The Lord God of Israel chose me before all the house of my Father to be King over Israel for ever for he hath chosen Iudah to be the ruler And Psal 78.67 He refused the Tabernacle of Ioseph and chose not the Tribe of Ephraim But chose the Tribe of Iudah Iudah in all their Battells had the Vanguard by Gods own direction and was to go up first against the Enemy as you will find Num. 11.3 Chap. 10.14 Iudg. 1.2 Chap. 20.18 The first Iudge whom God raised to deliver the Children of Israel was Othoniel of the Tribe of Iudah Iud. 3.9 And the first King in whose line the Kingdome was established was of Iudah and when the ten Tribes made defection after Ieroboam there was none that followed the house of David but the Tribe of Judah onely 1. King 12.20 so that by Iudah here we shall understand the Kings Tribe his Familie and Person too for in the words following in my Text he is distinguished from his People introduc eum ad populum suum In the third place we come unto the blessing it selfe which is a prayer for Iudah and indeed we can blesse no other wayes but by praying God to blesse our Benedicere is bene-precari When God is said to blesse us his blessing is Operative making us blessed indeed when we are said to blesse God our blessing is Declarative pronouncing him to be blessed and when we blesse others our blessing is Optative wishing blessednesse unto them And yet this blessing of Moses is not onely a prayer but also a prophecy as was the blessing of Iacob Gen. 49.1 And Iacob called unto his sonnes and said gather your selves together that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last dayes So Moses here sheweth unto them those things which should befall them in the last dayes that which he prayes for unto Iudah he foretels shall happen unto him namely that God shall heare his voice bring him unto his people make his hands sufficient for him and helpe him against his enemies The first petition is Heare Lord the voice of Iudah that is the prayer of Iudah as the Chaldee Paraphrase translates it But shall Iudah need to pray Yes Iudah signifies Confession or Praise and there is no man hath more need to call upon God than Iudah hath for the strength of Iudah lyeth in his God In this short petition three things are implied 1. That Iudah shall be in distresse 2. That in his distresse he shall utter his voice and call upon God 3. That God shall heare his prayer First I say Iudah shall be in distresse for albeit he be exalted farre above the ranke of other men yet is he not exempted from the common condition of mortals Nebuchadnezzars Image may teach us that the feet of every Empire are of clay Dan. 2.33 that is very
of Christicide nay of Deicide And long before Tully said that in punishing Treason no Iudge can be too cruell We read of a great King who going in his Barge his Crowne fell into the water the Barge-man swumme after it and having recovered it Niceph. Greg. put it on his head onely that he might have the use of his hands to swimme unto the Barge the King gave him a Talent of silver for saving it but cut off his head for wearing it What then should be done to these Traitors who forceably usurp the Kings Crowne and all rights of Majesty they grant Commissions place and displace Officers have made them a new Seale possessed the Kings Revenues Castles Ships raised Armes pressed the Kings Subjects to fight against Himselfe given away a great part of the Land to Srangers to assist them and indeed they have done whatsoever belongeth unto the King to doe and a great deale more And they weare the Kings Crowne not as the Bargeman did to save it for him but to deprive him and his of it for ever These traiterous attempts contrived in Hell have brought such miserable Calamities upon our Kingdomes as would minister occasion and matter to write a new book of Lamentations for the Land is filled with blood and uncivill Warres the Church with Schisme confusion and prophanation of Gods worship the Cities with poverty and want every house with skrikes and lamentations for their dead the grave with bodies and hell with soules And all this since Judah was driven from his people by this most horrid groundlesse and unnaturall Rebellion I am not able to expresse in lively colours the horrible deformitie of this Rebellion that will require a better pen and the best will come short and want words to describe it Onely this I will say that all the Rebellions that ever were since the fall of Adam cannot match it And yet our Kings case in some sort is like unto Davids David was the best of Kings yet he found more thornes in his Crowne then Achab did for it pleased God that he might humble David and every way fit him for his service to traine him up in the Schoole of afflictions First 2. Sam. 15. his unnaturall sonne Absolom under the colour of a vow 2. Sam. 16. caused a great Rebellion against him then Shimei cursed and reviled him calling him a man of blood after this there fell out a difference betweene the men of Israell and the men of Iudah 2. Sam. 19. about the bringing of the King home to his house whereupon Sheba in whose heart Treason had long lurked took an opportunity to blow a Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Iesse 2. Sam. 20.1 Such hath been the lot of our most gracious Soveraigne first many unnaturall Absoloms in the Kingdome of Scotland pretending a vow which they called a Covenant with God but was indeed a Covenant against the Lord and against his Anointed raised great Forces against him when he was thus weakned many a wicked Shimei in this Kingdome reviled his government as impious and tyrannicall In the meane time there ariseth a difference amongst the Nobles and Commons touching the establishing of the Kingdome a thing called Militia but hath proved Malitia this gave the hint to many a Sheba first in Ireland and presently after in England and Scotland to blow the Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David nor Inheritance in the son of Iames. As God hath made His Majesty like David in suffering so may he make him like in overcomming David at last was victorious his end peaceable and glorious all his Enemies were put to shame and confusion Absolom was brought to his deserved end Shimei though reprived for a time yet his hoary head was brought downe to the grave with blood Sheba had his head throwen over the wall Even so let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but upon the Kings head let his Crowne flourish That the Kings Enemies be subdued and he brought back againe unto his house as David was and set upon his throne must be your speciall care Give me leave therefore to exhort you in the words of my Text heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People I told you before that this blessing is not onely a Prayer but also a Prophesie he foretells that God will heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People Now you must thinke that God ordinarily worketh by meanes and it is by you he will relieve Iudah and to that effect doth even at this time call for your helpe And therefore that which Moses powred out as a Prayer unto God give me leave to present as a Petition unto you who are the Princes of Iudah that you will be pleased now to heare the voyce of Iudah to bring him unto his People to make his hands sufficient for him and to help him against his Enemies And first heare the voyce of Iudah for now Iudah utters his voyce unto you crying as Moses did who is on the Lords side Exod. 32.26 let him come unto me Now it will be knowne whether you be the People of Iudah for as Christ discerned his Sheep by this marke Iohn 10.27 my Sheep heare my voyce so by this same marke may Iudah discerne his people And think it not strange that I should presume to exhort you unto this dutie for when David after his banishment was to returne he appointed the Priests to speake unto the People to bring him home and King David sent to Zadock and Abiathar the Priests 2. Sam. 19.11 saying speak unto the Elders of Iudah and say why are ye the last to bring the King back unto his house and when Zadock had thus spoken it is said Vers 14. he bowed the heart of all the men of Iudah even as the heart of one man I wish my speech could be so powerfull with you for never was there so great need of help to bring the King back unto his house as now in regard that at this time many of his People have rebelliously withdrawne themselves from him and risen up in Armes against him not like those two hundred men who followed Absolom in the simplicity of their hearts 2. Sam. 15.11 but like Sheba with malice and obstinate resolution against the King They refuse all offers of Peace made by our gracious Soveraigne whereof you are witnesses They demand as hard conditions of Peace from us as Nahash did from Iabesh-Gilead 1. Sam. 11.2 He would grant them no Peace but upon condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes These men will grant no Peace unto the King and Kingdome but upon that condition that they may be allowed to thrust out both our eyes the eye of Learning and the eye of Religion So that the King may say with David Psal 120.6 7. My soule
but onely the regall and therefore certainly he speakes particularly of Kings and stileth them the ordinance of God And yet I confesse that the equity of the Apostles reason doth bind us by analogie to be subject unto other Governours and to our spirituall rulers but onely Kings are there spoken of in the Text. This I desire may be observed because of a false principle that is laid and taken for granted namely that Government in generall is the Ordinance of God because the edict of nature for that men cannot live without society and no society can be safe or durable without Lawes and Lawes are improfitable without Magistrates but say they the determination of the government and the severall kinds of it whether by one or by few or by many is the invention of men so that Monarchy is no otherwise the ordinance of God then is Democracie and Aristocracie This is an unsure foundation which they lay for the Apostle speaking of Kings calls them the Ordinance of God 1. Pet. 2.13 and St Peter requires subjection unto them For the Lords sake and he knew of no other governours but such as were sent by the King and in that respect to be obeyed Yea in the whole volume of Gods Booke there is not one word to commend or that doth so much as favour either Aristocracie or Democracie Here if the time would permit me and if so large a discourse could be contained within the compasse of a Sermon I would prove unto you first that the government of Kings is Ductu naturae there being in all things a naturall propension unto the government of one Secondly that it is Exemplo Divino it being the government which God established over his owne People he being their King never derived the supreame power over them immediatly from himselfe unto many nor setled it in any body collective but still in the Person of one and more then one successively was never designed by God to be the Prince and Ruler of his People Thirdly that it is Institutione divinâ Almighty God did institute the government of one in the Creation of mankind for he made all mankind of one Hom. 34. in 1. ad Corin. 13. that there might be saith St Chrysostome not a Democracie but a Kingdome If God had created at first more men then one all these equally should have had rule over their posterity but he created onely one and in the Person of that one he fixed a Soveraignty not onely over the Beasts of the field but also over his Wife and Children which before his death grew unto a great number and prospered even into a Kingdome So that albeit Adam had continued in the State of innocency there should have been government order and superiority as there is amongst the Angells and this had been the government of one but if sinne had never entred into the world Democracie nor Aristocracie had never beene knowne it was sinne that gave occasion to these governments and it was the corruption of Monarchie that produced them in the world or rather the perverse and fickle disposition of the People who are impatient of subjection prone to change and desirous of innovation wherein they were stirred up too by the instigation of ambitious men who sought to raise fortunes unto themselves as they now doe by changing of the government That it is so may evidently appeare by this that we know the first originall of all Republickes the first founders of them in Greece and other parts where they were most ancient are recorded in histories But there is none of those histories can tell us who were the first Kings nor what was the very originall of Regall power The reason is this all popular governments came late within the memory and knowledge of ancient writers and their beginning could not but be observed it being an innovation and defection from the ancient and naturall way of government but the first Kings were long before there were any writers and it was not easie to observe the beginning of their power because it did naturally and insensibly flow from that power which was paternall The power of a Father by the increase of his Family his Children and Childrens Children multiplying and many servants being bought and borne unto him did grow unto the power of a King and that Ex vi juris naturae when Fatherly authority could not reach them in regard of their number and extent nor command them because of their unrulinesse it inlarged it selfe into a Kingly power and as by the law of nature they did at first obey him as a Father and Master of the Family so the People growing into a full body and perfect community that subjection was continued and they did obey him as a King I could further shew unto you that this government of Kings is of all other most ancient and universall that it is most perfect as carrying a resemblance of the government of the whole World by one God that it is best for order best for Peace best for strength best for stability and duration and finally best for facility of administration But I have pressed these things formerly in another place * In a Sermon before the King which hereafter may be published in a full Treatise and will not repeat them here but proceed unto the next point which is As the Office of Kings is from God so the advancement of men unto that Office is from him it is he who brings Iudah unto his people We are told thrice by Daniel in one Chapter That the Kingdomes be Gods Chap. 4. vers 24 25 32. and he giveth them to whomsoever he will And this is said to be Sententia vigilum sermo sanctorum So that they are neither holy nor well awake who hold the contrary The same Prophet Chap. 2.20 saith Blessed be the name of God for ever for wisedome and might are his he changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he giveth wisedome and knowledge he revealeth secret things Where the advancement of Kings is ascribed unto God no lesse then infinite wisdome power which are his Attributes incommunicable and it is made as proper unto God to set up Kings and remove Kings as it is to change the times and seasons to give wisedome and understanding and to reveale secret things which none but God onely can do To this purpose speak the rest of the Prophets I say saith The royall Diademe is in Gods hand Chap. 62.3 God sets it upon his head saith David Psal 21.3 Their Scepter is his and Gods rod is in their hand Exod. 17.9 Their Thrones be Gods Solomon sate upon the Throne of God 1. Chron. 29.23 They have their commission from God Ioh. 10.35 He called them gods unto whom the word of God came that is a commission from God the power which they exercise is Gods so our Saviour acknowledged to Pilate Ioh. 19.11 that Power