Kingdom and that it is your true and unfeigned purpose to amend your lives And this Covenant ye make in the presence of Almighty God the searcher of hearts with a true intention to perform the same as ye shall answer it at the Great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed most humbly beseeching the Lord to strengthen you by his holy Spirit to this end and to bless your desires and proceedings with success as may be deliverance and safety to his People and encouragement to other Christian Churches groaning under or in danger of the Yoke of Anti-Christian Tyranny to join in the same or like ASSOCIATION and Covenant to the Glory of God the Enlargement of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ and the Peace and Tranquility of Christian Kingdoms and Common-wealths So help you God NOW if any unbyassed and unprejudiced person will but compare these two Covenants together He may easily see and conclude that though the one be larger than the other yet That the Fanaticks took the Plat-form of their Covenant from the Bygot Papists Onely the Papists in their Covenant Swore to Maintain the Ancient Herarchy and to preserve not onely the King but also his Heirs and Issue Whereas the Fanaticks swore to extirpate All Hierarchy And although they swore to preserve the King yet they did not swear to preserve his Lawfull Heir ☞ and Issue for they do not make the least mention of them in their Covenant And it is to be noted farther That although the Fanaticks in their Covenant swore to Preserve and Defend the King's Person and Authority Yet they swore to maintain him onely in his Just Power and Greatness And they made themselves the Interpreters of what was the King's JVST Power and Greatness And farther The Fanaticks in their Covenant swore to Preserve and Defend the King's Person and Authority Onely in Subserviency to the Rights and Privileges of Parliaments and the Liberties of the People and Kingdom All which they in their Covenant put before the Preservation of the King his Person and Authority ☜ Whereas the Truth is this to wit That neither the Rights and Privileges of Parliaments nor the Liberties of the People can possibly be preserved and maintained Without the constant Preservation of the King his Person and Authority his Heirs and Successours in his and their full Rights and Royal Prerogatives For The King is the Life of the Kingdom He alone by his Prerogative gives Life and Being to Parliaments and with the Breath of his Mouth can and does Annihilate them at his pleasure He is the Spring and Fountain Head of all the Peoples Liberties they are all the Results and Effects of his Donations upon Condition of their Fealty and Loyalty to him For in England whatever Lands Immunities and Privileges the Subjects enjoy They hold all à Capite from the King and his Heirs And therefore to depose and destroy the King and his Heirs or to infringe their ancient Rights and Prerogatives is truly to destroy the Subjects just Title to their Liberties and Enfranchisements All which Liberties depend upon their Allegiance to the King and his Lawfull Heirs But we will deseant no farther on these Rebellious Engagements and Covenants either of Papists or of Fanaticks Onely we will take leave to add this scil That if according to * Beaufr c. ◠p. 52. Beaufrons the Protestants that is to say the Episcopal Men of the Church of England be as indeed they are like the Papists in all that is Good in the Papists Then we may on the other hand avouch for a Truth that the Fanaticks are like the Papists in all or most things which are †Ibid. p. 46 to p. 51. Bad in the Papists And therefore if Beaufrons would have us to love the Papists for what they are like unto us Then Reason tells us That we ought to Dissent from both Papists and Fanaticks in what they are contrary to us and ever to Abhor their Treasonable Practices of Covenanting against our Lawfull Princes and their Heirs upon pretence of Tyranny Idolatry want of Grace or the like for He that hateth Righteousness Job 34.17 18. shall and ought to Govern nor is it Lawfull to say unto a King Thou art Wicked nor unto Princes Ye are Vngodly CHAP. VII The chief Cause of Rebellion among Christians is a Belief of that false Position scil That Temporal Dominion is founded in Grace Maintained by the Papists and Fanaticks REbellion among Heathens and irreligious Men commonly arises from Pride and Ambition from * Jam. 4.1 Lust Envy and Malice from Discontents Oppression and Tyranny But Sedition and Rebellion among Religious Men who profess Christianity and pretend to tenderness of Conscience to Grace and Holiness ordinarily yea chiefly if not wholly arises from a persuasion and firm belief of that very false Doctrine and Position stifly maintained both by Papists and Fanaticks scil Dominium Temporale Fundatur in Gratia That Temporal Dominion is Founded in Grace And that onely the Godly ought to Reign and Govern upon Earth Before we proceed to disprove the asoresaid Position It will be necessary to inform the weaker sort of men what is generally meant by Grace to wit The Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost Such as 1. A Faith in Christ a Belief of the Christian Religion Without which Belief every Man is an Infidel 2. All Moral Vertues wrought in us by the Holy Ghost concurring with our own endeavours such as Sobriety Prudence Justice Love Meekness c. Sanctification and Holiness of Life and Manners Without which every Man is Morally wicked The Fanaticks both Classical Congregational and Anabaptists to doe them Right by Grace do commonly mean A Conversion unto God a firm Faith in Christ Sanctification and Holiness of Life and other Gifts and Graces of the Holy Ghost And farther By Grace they all mean A firm Belief of the Truth of their own several ways of Church-Government in opposition unto the Hierarchy And whoever is not of their Way and Persuasion is looked upon by them as no better than an Heathen and Publican or one Vngodly and wanting Grace And therefore if he that is not of their way and persuasion Be a King or Magistrate and will not come over to them and Declare that He has Grace and is in the number of the Godly if he will not doe so then He has no Right to Rule and Govern over them nor to impose Laws upon their Consciences but they may Lawfully Resist such a Prince or Magistrate And that because according to them All Temporal Dominion is founded in Grace The Papists in like manner by Grace mean not onely a Faith in Jesus Christ c. But also and primarily a firm Belief of the Pope's Supremacy and of the Church of Rome's Authority over all others in the Christian World And whoever denies the Pope's Supremacy or denies the particular Church of Rome to be the Onely Catholick
THE PREROGATIVE OF Primogeniture SHEWING That the Right of SVCCESSION TO AN Hereditary Crown DEPENDS Not upon Grace Religion c. But Onely upon Birth-Right and Primogeniture AND That the Chief Cause of all or most Rebellions in Christendom is a Fanatical Belief That Temporal Dominion is founded in Grace By DAVID JENNER B. D. Prebendary of Sarum and Rector of Great Warley in Essex LONDON Printed for J. Hindmarsh Bookseller to His Royal Highness at the Black Bull in Cornhill 1685. TO THE Most Royal and High-Born PRINCE JAMES DUKE of YORK AND ALBANY EARL of VLSTER LORD High Admiral of ENGLAND IRELAND And all Foreign Plantations Constable of Dover-Castle Lord Warden of the Cinque-Ports Governour of Portsmouth c. Most Royal Sir YOUR Unparallel'd Magnanimity and other Your most Eminent Vertues and Excellencies are so well known to the Christian World as that Envy it self cannot obscure them And whatever English Man does or shall hereafter audaciously presume to deny You his hearty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Euge is and ever will be unworthy any longer to be an Inhabitant of Great Britain Whose present Peace and Prosperity next unto Almighty God's Over-ruling Providence and unto Our most Gratious King 's Wise Conduct of Affairs is Owing unto Your Highness's Matchless Valour and Prudence The which You have most signally demonstrated in Vanquishing the King's and the Nation 's Enemies Abroad And in being highly instrumental in Suppressing them at Home So that if Fabius Maximus Deserved the Thanks of the whole Roman-Senate for his prudent Management of their Republick Concerns Then infinitely more has Your Royal Highness Merited not onely the Thanks of Our English Senate but over and above even Statues and Shrines of Gold Gratefully to be erected in perpetual Memory of Your most Glorious Atchievements But Ah ungratefull England That after Your most Illustrious Highness had Jeoparded Your Royal Person in many desperate and bloudy Battels at Sea and at Land onely for the Honour and Welfare of this Your Native Country whose Safety You oft times most Generously preferred before Your Own You should at last be so basely and so inhumanely requited As to have an Vnchristian and Unnatural Bill of Exclusion from Your Undoubted Birth-Right pass against You through the Prevalency of the Anti-Protestant and Factious Associatours in the late House of Commons who over-powering the Loyal Party in the said House Voted Sabbati 6. die Novembris 1680 and on Sabbati a day when surely those Fanatical Persons thought the Holy Jesus was again gone out of this World down into the Grave as to his Body and Descended into Hell as to his Soul doing Penance there for Mankind And so would not on a Saturday be present upon Earth to eye and behold their disloyal and disingenuous Actions and therefore They became Rampant and did what they pleased in spight of God and the King And being a Majority they Voted Nemine Contradicente Sabbati 26 die Martii 1681. Your Royal Highness's Exclusion from the Imperial Crown of England and Ireland c. Printed by the Order of Wi. Williams Speaker A Vote steep'd in so much Gall and Vinegar and attended with so much Disloyalty and Ingratitude As might justly have set All Your Noble and Heroick Passions on fire But God be praised In imitation of the Captain of our Salvation You have perfectly Conquered Your self Which personal Victory according to not onely the Stoical but also Christian Philosophy is more Memorable than All your other most Famous Conquests And Caesar like nay rather Jesu like You have forgot Nothing but to be Revengefull upon Your inveterate Enemies Which is Your Immortal Glory And one thing I most humbly suggest to Your Princely and most Christian Consideration as an undeniable Truth Scil. That Those Your Enemies who have or still do endeavour Your Royal Highness's Exclusion Contrary to the Divine and Natural Law of Your Birth-Right and Primogeniture neither were nor are Protestants nor any true Sons of the Church of England as now established by Law But they were and are onely a Company of Perjured Pseudo-Protestants Who under the specious pretence of being Vogued Protestants did and still do carry on their Diabolical Faction and Treasonable Association For in England onely He is a Protestant Beaufrons c. 1. who heartily believes and as heartily protests for and couragiously defends The King's Supremacy And who Christian-like Cordially declares for the Succession of the King 's Lawfull Heir according to Primogeniture whether He be Papist or Protestant whether Morally Good or Bad For This is the constant and professed Doctrine of the Apostolical-Protestant Church of England As I humbly conceive is sufficiently proved in the following Treatise The which does truly blush to approach Your Royal and most Illustrious Presence in its mean Dress and Country Garb. But forasmuch as it is the lively Draught of a most Loyal Heart towards His Majesty and of a most Faithfull and Devoted one towards Your Highness The Authour therefore most humbly begs Your Candid Acceptance of it Assuring Your Highness That He has no other Ambition in Publishing the same than where he lives to be instrumental in educating and instructing the People in the true Principles of Primitive Piety and Loyalty And whilst He lives be serviceable according to his Capacity unto God the King and the Church And to let the World know that He is Your Royal Highness 's Most Dutifull most Humble and Devoted Servant David Jenner THE CONTENTS CHAP. I. THE Necessity of Government Page 1. CHAP. II. Monarchy the best Form of Government p. 6. CHAP. III. That all Kings and their Lawfull Heirs ought by Right of Primogeniture to Reign and Govern Successively whether they be Morally Good or Bad whether Infidels or Christians Papists or Protestants p. 18. SECT I. The Proposition proved by Humane Authority of Heathens ibid. SECT II. The Proposition That Succession to the Throne ought to be by Primogeniture and not by Grace proved by Divine Authority p. 21. SECT III. The Proposition proved by the Vnalterable Law of Inheritance by Primogeniture p. 25. SECT IV. The Proposition proved by Reason and the Common Sentiments of Religion p. 37. The Bill of Exclusion of the Duke of York proved to be unlawfull and sinfull p. 38. Atheistical and Factious ibid. Opposite to the known Law of God p. 41. The Cause of perpetual Civil Wars and Sedition p. 42. The chief Pleas and Arguments for it Answered p. 43 44 c. CHAP. IV. That all Subjects ought Actively to obey their Lawfull Prince in all things which be not Positively against some known Law of God although their said Prince be an Heathen Idolater and Apostate or never so Morally vitious p. 56. SECT I. The Duty of Obedience to Superiours whetheh Morally Good or Bad proved by the Law of Nature an of Natural Reason p. 57. SECT II. The Duty of Obedience to Superiours whether Christians or Heathens Good or Bad proved by Authority of
Divine Reason and Scripture p. 67. SECT III. The Proposition That all Lawfull Kings whether Morally Good or Bad ought to be obeyed proved by the Authority and Pactice of honest Heathens p. 72. SECT IV. That all Lawfull Kings ought Actively to be obeyed in all things which are not against some positive Law of God although the said Kings be Heathens Idolaters and Apostates or never so vitious proved by the Authority and Practice of the Primitive Christians p. 82. SECT V. Modern Authours for Obedience to Princes Of two sorts 1. Some Conditionally as All Recusants p. 104. 2. Some Absolutely as All Protestants p. 110. CHAP. V. The Doctrine and Practice of Deposing Kings and of Excluding the Right Heir by Primogeniture from succeeding in the Throne for his want of Grace or for being an Heretick Idolater Tyrannical or Wicked is grounded 1. Vpon Popery p. 122. 2. Vpon Fanaticism p. 135. CHAP. VI. A Parallel or a brief and true Account of some Plots and Treasons of Papists and Fanaticks against the Kings and Queens of England since the Reformation and Abrenunciation of Popery p. 155. The Popish Bygot's Covenant p. 163. The Fanaticks Scotch and English Covenant p. 165. CHAP. VII The chief Cause of Rebellion among Christians is a Belief of that false Position to wit That Temporal Dominion is founded in Grace p. 172. SECT I. Arguments proving That Temporal Dominion is not founded in Grace p. 178. SECT II. The evil Effects and Consequences of this Position That Temporal Dominion is founded in Grace Are such as these I. CONVENTICLES p. 185. II. REBELLION p. 187 III. A Confirming Heathen Kings and Princes in their Infidelity and Denial of Christ p. 191. ERRATA PAg. 35. and many other places for onely reade only p. 105. l. 11. without the Pope's Laws r. without the Pope's leave p. 89. in Margin r. in Secessùs abdito p. 149. l. 7. or r. of p. 179. l. 17. r. or for Idolatry In the Epist Ded. ult p. l. 6. add to THE PREROGATIVE OF PRIMOGENITURE CHAP. I. The Necessity of Government GOvernment bears date with if not before the Creation and runs parallel with Time if not with Eternity And is in many respects more necessary than Life or Being it self For it is not necessary that any particular finite Beings should always Exist But it is absolutely necessary they should always be Governed whilst they do Exist The World although made for Man did and still can subsist well enough without him But not without his Obedience And therefore as Orpheus aptly named Harmony the Life of Musick so Plato not improperly styled Order and Government the Life of the Vniverse For Government tanquam Anima even as a Soul Animates all parts of the World with a Political Life and causes every Individual to answer the end of its Existency which is the Conservation of the Whole although it be with the loss of its own particular natural Life For in this Case the Publick Good is ever to be preferred before a Private And it is better not to be at all than not to be usefull Were it not for Government there would be neither Being nor Well-Being for every thing would take up Arms under pretence of Self-preservation and then the Conclusion can be nothing else but Confusion for according to the Jewish Proverb Grot. de Jur. Bell. l. 1. c. 4. Nisi potestas publica esset alter alterum vivum deglutiret c. Unless there were publick Government One would become a prey to the Other even as the (a) Genus beminum agreste sine legibus sine imperio liberum atque solutum c. ibid. Aborigines in the East and the Mohegians in the West Indies who having no Laws nor Government eat and devour one another alive And (b) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. St. Chrysostome writing on the Necessity and Benefit of Government informs us to the same purpose scil That where there is no Government there men soon lose the exercise of their Reason and become more savage and cruel than the irrational Brutes and not onely snarle and bite like Dogs but even devour each other like rapacious Birds and ravenous Beasts of prey And it is most certain that there never happened any Evil either in Heaven among the Angels or on Earth among Men but upon the Breach of Law and good Government The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate to Govern primarily and emphatically signifies to Bind and to Heal a wound by Binding it up tight and close after the manner of Chirurgeons And Codurcus applying the proper signification of the said word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unto Government tells his Reader Codurc in Job 34. v. 17 18. Quòd Imperium Jura Leges sint velut Vincula Reipublicae c. That Government Laws and Statutes are the sure Bands and Ligaments of the World in general and of every Kingdom in particular which knit and firmly tie all parts together and so prevent a Rupture for Sine imperio Magistratu solvuntur omnes Civilis Societatis Compages c. Without Government there can be no Civil Society but all things must unavoidably run into Anarchy and Confusion which certainly can please none of Mankind but onely Timon of Athens the Man-Hater and such who delight to sport and fish in troubled waters Kings and Governours are very appositely in Hebrew termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heads Because they as Heads do Govern and Order all the inferiour Members of the several Bodies-politick And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kings are like the great Jice and Beams of the Building or chief Corner-stones of the House which keep up and support the whole Fabrick and therefore are they most elegantly styled Clavi Reipublicae the main Pins and Studs of the Common-wealth All which sufficiently speaks the indispensable Necessity of Government in general And as to the Original or first Authour of Government it is no other than Almighty God the Supreme Monarch and Governour of the whole World visible and invisible Wherefore whoever Resists Government is truly said in Holy Writ to Resist God himself And he that will turn a perfect Libertine and would live without Government must turn a perfect Atheist and must live without God in the World CHAP. II. Monarchy the best Form of Government THE Moral Philosopher discoursing on the various sorts of Government gives the Precedency unto Monarchy as being Divino Imperio quà m simillima most like the Government of the All-wise God which is the first and the best of all Eupolemus in his Book de Judaeae Regibus makes (a) Deut. 33.5 Moses was King in Jesurun Maimon in Loc. Moses to be an absolute Monarch over the Jews and that he was accountable unto none for his Actions but onely unto God as the Sacred Scriptures in many instances do prove and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. and that he even Moses was the first of the Wise
Communion with the present Church of England For no Rebel whatever whilst he impenitently continues such is nor can be a Protestant For every wilfull and obstinate Rebel and Plotter against the King does indeed deny the King's Supremacy And whoever denies the King's Supremacy is No Protestant And therefore being No Protestant he ought not to be admitted into Communion and Fellowship with the Protestant Church of England untill such a person shall openly repent of his Anti-Protestant Disobedience to the Church's Canons and Orders and of his Rebellion and Treason against the King And as we humbly conceive those Divines and Ministers did not act Canonically though we believe Charitably in administring the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper unto Persons Condemned for High Treason in plotting the Murther of the King and of his Royal Highness without their publick Confession of that their heinous Sin and Treason Their not Confessing that their Guilt when clearly proved against them did apparently argue not onely their Malice but also the Continuance of their Malice to the very last Gasp against the King and the Duke And therefore to admit such unto the Sacrament was to harden them and others of their Party in their Wickedness and Malice against the King the Duke and the established Government in Church and State and was a palpable Breach of the Statute and of the Rubrick Which says That if any person be an open and notorious Evil Liver as surely are all Wilfull Rebels The Order for Administr of the Lord's Supper Pref. or have done any wrong to his Neighbour by Word and Deed as surely Traytors have done to the King their Neighbour by plotting his Death The Curate having knowledge thereof shall call him and advertise him that in any wise he presume not to come to the Lord's Table untill he have openly declared himself to have truly repented The same Order shall the Curate use with those betwixt whom he perceiveth Malice and Hatred to reign not suffering them to be partakers of the Lord's Table untill he know them to be Reconciled And if one party shall remain still in his Frowardness and Malice The Minister shall not admit him that is Obstinate CHAP. V. The Doctrine and Practice of Deposing Lawfull Kings and of Excluding the Right Heir by Primogeniture from Succeeding in the Throne for his want of Grace or for being an Heretick Idolater Tyrannical or Wicked is Grounded upon nothing but Popery and Fanaticism SECT I. This wicked Doctrine and Practice of Deposing and Murthering Kings and of Precluding their Lawfull Heirs for being Hereticks c. is grounded on Popery THE truth of the Assertion is so well known Dr. Lloyd's Serm. Nov. 5. 1679. as That there is no Kingdom in our Europaean paean World but the Pope hath given it away upon the Account of Religion No Countrey King James's Works p. 503. but he has made an Aceldama upon the account of Religion And many Kings hath he kill'd merely for Religion This we will confirm and prove by the Authority of the most Eminent and most Authentick of their own Writers Such as Thomas Aquinas who says (a) Nullo medo permittit Ecclesia quod Infideles acquirant Dominium super fideles vel qualitercunque eis praeficiantur in aliquo officio c. That Infidels or Vnbelieving Princes are not to be suffered to Govern and Reign over Believers And that if there be any such Infidels and unbelieving Princes (b) Potest tamen justè per sententiam vel ordinationem Ecclesiae auctoritatem Dei habentis tale jus Dominii vel praelationis tolli then the Church has Power and Authority to Depose and Remove them from their Government and the Church ought to doe it and that because (c) Quia Infideles merito sua infidelitatis merentur potestatem amittere super fideles c. Tho. Aquin. 22a quast 10. art 10. conclus p. 22. a King's Infidelity forfeits his Right of Dominion and Jurisdiction over Believers And by Infidelis and Infidel Aquinas plainly tells us that he means An Heretick For in his sense An Heretick (a) Haeresis est infidelitatis species ad cos pertinens qui fidem Christi professi sunt ejus dogmata corrumpunt c. ibid. quaest 11. art 1. conclus p. 23. is no Jew Turk or Pagan who absolutely denies Christ and Christianity But according to Aquinas An Heretick is a Christian that is one who professes that he Believes in Christ and hopes for Salvation onely by Him But he purloins perverts and corrupts the Doctrine of Christ Now such an Heretick whether Prince or Peasant is not to be tolerated but after the second Admonition he is to be Excommunicated and Delivered up to the Secular (b) Qui post secundam correptionem in suo errore obstinati permanent non modo Excommunicationis sententiae sed etiam Secularibus principibus exterminandi tradendi sunt per mortem à Mundo excludi meruerunt c. ibid. Powers to be put to Death and the Church does Command all other Foreign Princes to give their Assistence towards the Deposition and destroying such an Heretical Prince that so this lower World might the sooner be rid of him And that Aquinas in the forementioned places is to be understood of Heretical Kings as well as of their Subjects is evident in that his Argument runs chiefly against them who have Right to Govern jure humane But says he because they are turned Hereticks therefore jure Divino they ought not to Reign but to be not onely Excommunicated but also put to Death For Aquin 22 a. quaest 11. art 2. resp 3. Quicunque resistit Auctoritati Romanae Ecclesiae Haeresim incurrit quae quidem Auctoritas principaliter residet in Summo Pontifice c. Whoever Resists the Authority of the Church of Rome that is to say the Authority of the Pope and his Supremacy as do all Protestant Princes he is an Heretick and being an Heretick he ought to be destroyed and killed And although a King excommunicated should in the Popish sense repent and return to the Church of Rome yet he is to be admitted (a) Ideo ulterius redeuntes recipiuntur quidem ad poenitentiam non tamen ut liberentur à Sententia Mortis Aquia 22 a. qu. 11. art 4. conclus onely unto Penitence and not to be absolved from the sentence of Death passed upon him All Heretical Kings are by Aquinas accounted no other than Tyrants and therefore says he the People may Lawfully fight against them and be no ways guilty (a) Et ideo perturbatio Tyranni Regiminis non habet rationem Seditionis ibid. 22 a. qu. 42. art 2. 3 m. p. 80. of Sedition and Treason The Council of Trent Decreed all Emperours (b) Si quem Clericorum vel Laicorum quacunque is dignitate etiam Imperiali aut Regall praefulgeat in tantum malorum omnium Radix cupiditas occupaverit ut alicujus