Dictator And when Hannibal pressed the Romains Ad dictatorem dicendum remedium iamdiu desideratū ciuitas confugit The Citie went to the choosing and pronouncing of the Dictator which was the remedie they long expected Because as in an other place he writeth Dictatoris edictum pro numine semper obseruatum est The commaundement and proclamation of the Dictator was esteemed to be as the voyce of God there was no appealing from him Agedum dictatorem à quo prouecatio non est creemus Come sayd the Consull Appius let vs make a Dictator from whom it shall not be lawfull for any man to appeale Tantus erat Dictatoris terror apud hostes vt eo creato statim à moenibus discesserint So great was the terrour of the Dictator euen amongst the enemies that as sone as he was created they raised their siege and departed Wherby appeareth playnely that the ancient Romains as wel in warre as in peace founde this as a sure anchor holde against all seditions and dangers to enioy one such a Magistrate as from whom there should be no appeale and whose authoritie should possesse as it were the roome of God vpon the earth The Carians were once a wealthy and flourishing people but by seditions which came by the hauing of many heads gouernours they were brought to ruine and vtter desolation wherevpon there arose a prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multi duces disperdidere Cariam Too many Guydes vndid the countey Caria When many Souldiers were mutinous prudent Vlysses did represse them with these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multos imperitare malum est rex vnicus esto Tis not good too many to rule let onely be one King Which verse as Aemilius Probus doth testifie Dion did also vse when Heraclides began his faction Thirdly the gouernement of one Monarch doth seeme to resemble most liuely the image of Gods power maiestie For as in the firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres do as it were represent some image of the glory of the Eternall So the rule of Monarches in their seuerall kingdomes vpon earth doth call to our considerations the gouernment and high maiestie of the omnipotent God And most certainly at this time of the alteration of the estate of the Iewish common-wealth the wil and purpose of God is in his seruant king Dauid to erect an Image type of the kingdome of Christ But here may some say If the will of God were now in Dauid and his posteritie to set foorth a figure of the kingdom of Christ how can the Israelites be said to sinne so great a sinne in asking a king when they asked onely that which was determined in the purpose of God Why doeth the Lorde so punish their request in sending them so wicked a king as was Saul who besides his often and wilfull difobedience against the cōmandement of God did most cruelly murder the priests of God causing to bee slaine at one time fourescore and fiue which ware the linnen Ephod if in desiring a king their will did concurre with the will of God Yee are heere to obserue that the Israelites had no respect to the purpose of God but onely they shewed foorth the fruites of despairing and malcontented affections In the spoile of the goods of Iob the Caldeans and Sabeans had no regarde to the will and purpose of God which was most iust and holy to examine sharply one of his seruants and to make him a schoolemaster of patience to all posteritie their desire was onely iniuriously to enrich themselues with the spoyle of Iob. In the death of our sauiour Christ the high Priestes Scribes Pharises had no respect to the will of God which was most mercifull and iust by that all sufficient raunsome for sinne to saue all beleeuers their intent was onely to bee reuenged of him whom they hated with deadly malice Euen so these Israelites haue no desire here to obey the secret decree of God in the kingdome of Dauid and of his ofspring to set out a resemblance of the kingdome of Christ but onely their purpose is with a desperat discontentment to shake off the gouernment of their good iudges Samuel contrary to the reuealed wil of God which had before decreed that Whosoeuer was approued to be raised vp of God for their deliuerer he should afterward iudge Israel all the dayes of his life And therefore they worthily receiue a punishment of their obstinate disobedience against the expresse commandement of God And yet notwithstanding this historie doeth shew vs that the appointment of God was performed in Samuel who is said To haue iudged Israel all the dayes of his life Seuen and twentie yeeres and seuen moneths hee had iudged when Saul beganne to reigne Two yeeres was Saul king for although he liued aboue twelue yeeres after that hee was elected king yet forasmuch as in the second yeere hee was denounced to bee reiected of God his kingdome is named to be but of two yeres in continuance And during that time also y e authoritie of Samuel is not abolished for euen in these affaires against Nachash the Ammonite a punishment was in a publique Proclamation threatened against euery one which would not followe Saul and Samuel although in the Actes of the Apostles because the kingdome is the more excellent state of gouernment the whole fourtie yeeres be attributed to Saul as the greater power and maiestie swallowing vp the lesse As concerning the miraculous prouidence of God extended towardes the Israelites during the time that Samuel was their Iudge there neede no further testimonies but that onely place in the seuenth chapter of this booke wher it is sayd That the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel The Philistines were the deadliest and fiercest enemies that euer molested the Israelits Seeing then that God ouerthrew their cruellest mightiest enemies that not once or twice but euen al the dayes of Samuel what a wretched ingratitude was this that because a few aduersaries had gotten aduantage against one of their Cities they should therfor vnthankfully shake off that happie gouernment vnder which God had graunted them so many triumphant victories But what were the causes of this their vnkind froward desire of alteration First they would be liked to other nations rounde about them as they say Make vs a King to gouerne vs like all other nations And afterward againe We will be like all other Countries a King shall iudge vs and goe out before vs and fight our battayles Forraine gouernementes although they be in them selues most excellent as no doubt those were which were established vnder kings are not to be drawen as ensamples to other nations wherein another estate of gouernment hath alreadie taken place Wee cannot affirme that because this or that is nowe done in the common wealth of Geneua or because this or that
was once done in the Elderships and Councels of the Iewes therefore the same ought to bee done in other seniories and assemblies where there is not that Ius gladij that ciuill authoritie power which we see plainly was in them Their Synagogues had the ordering of ciuill punishments to condemne to bee scourged those whom they iudged to offend they could send out officers with swords and staues to apprehend Christ they could examine witnesses against him and binde him and deliuer him to Pilate And whereas when Pilate bade them take him and iudge him after their owne lawe they answered That it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death Chrysostome doeth one way expound it that it may well bee meant of that kinde of death which to aggrauate the shame they sought especially to haue executed on Christ For otherwise they had authoritie to stone to death as it may seeme that Steuen was condenmed by them because as the lawe was that the witnesses should cast the first stone so the witnesses in the stoning of Stephen doe orderly lay downe their clothes at the feete of Saul In the Chapter following their power doth extend to draw out men women and children and to thrust them into prison which authoritie Saul could put in execution at Damascus much more at the citie Hierusalem Tertullus their Oratour doeth acknowledge this before the gouernor Faelix when he sayth of Paul We tooke him would haue iudged him according to our law but that the chiefe captaine Lysias came vpon vs and with great violence tooke him out of our handes The ensamples of those which are chiefe gouernors in Aristocratie ought not to be drawen vnto them which are subiects vnder a Monarchie There is in euery dominion a supreame power which the Greeks do cal call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Maiestatem the Italians Signoria and we in England do name it by the French word Soueraintie Wheresoeuer that chiefe authoritie doth remayne whether it be in one or in many from thence must be deriued the ordering of all thinges both in Church and Common-wealth These Israelites here desire that they might haue a King to goe before them to fight their battayles Their request had not displeased God had there not been before an other forme of gouernment established amongst them for otherwise of a Monarchie that may well be sayd which S. Augustine doth write against Faustus the Manichee Ordo ille naturalis mortalium paci accommodatus hoc poscit vt suscipiendi belli auctoritas atque consilium sit penes principem exequendi autem iussa bellica ministerium milites debeant paci salutique communi The naturall order most fit for the peace of mankind doth require this that the authoritie and counsell of taking Warre in hand be in the power of the Prince and the dutie of executing the commaundementes of Warre is a thing that the Souldiers doe owe for the maynteinance of the peace of the Common-wealth And a litle after Vir iustus si forte sub rege etiam sacrilego militet rectè possit illo iubente bellare ciuicae pacis ordinem seruans cui quod iubetur vel non esse contra dei praeceptum certum est vel vtrum sit certum non est ita vt fortasse reum regem faciat iniquitas imperandi innocentem autem militem ostendat ordo seruiendi A iust man if he be a Souldier vnder his King being wicked may at his commaundement fight keeping the order of ciuill peace with his fellow subiectes when that which is commaunded is not directly against the word of God or whether it be or no it is not certainely knowne so that perhappes a sinne in commaunding may make the king guyltie and yet the order of obeying may declare the Souldier innocent When God ruled his people by Moses and Iosua they as Dukes and Magistrates disposed all thinges both in warre and peace in ordering both Church Common-wealth in causing the people to be circumcised in buylding Aulters and euery way gouerning the charge committed to them When afterwarde he raysed vp Iudges he endued them not onely with warlike vertue but that they might better also reforme abuses in the Church he gaue sometimes to the Women as vnto Debora sometimes to Men as vnto Samuel the spirit of prophecying When after he established Kinges the Scriptures do plentifully declare vnto vs what supremacie was graunted to them ouer all persons and in all causes as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill Dauid armed his people with the authoritie of the sworde against all their publike enemies he caused the Arke to be remooued from a priuate mans house he placed the orders of the Priestes and Leuites and had a principall care to finde out a seate for the Lordes seruice an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob Salomon deposed the wicked Priest Abiathar and placed Sadoc a better in his roome He established the orders of the Leuites and other officers and least any man shoulde thinke that Salomon did herein more then he might it is said by expresse wordes that this his charge of the Church was the commaundement of Dauid the man of God Asia armed his people against the enemies of Gods Church he made a decree that they should be slaine which would not seek and worship the Lord God of Israel hee deposed Maacha from her regencie because of her idolatrie Iehosaphat ordered the warres of the house of Iuda he sent foorth Elisham and Iehoram Priests to instruct the people he placed in authority the Priests and chiefe nobles for the iudgement of the cause of the Lord. Ezechias by lawfull warre withstood Sennacheribs vnlawfull oppressions He repayred the temple rooted out idolatrie and appointed the courses of the Priests and Leuites Iosias tooke order for the pulling downe of idolatrie and the execution of the priests of Baal Afterward when the Romanes had conquered Iurie for as much as there is no power but of God S. Peter doth also to them attribute this supremacie calling the king a chiefe and supreme gouernour and shewing also what manner of supremacie he hath to wit such a chiefe power as doeth extend it selfe generally to the punishment of euill doers and to the praise of them that doe well As largely then as goeth good or euill that is through the obseruation and breach of euery commaundement of either of the two tables throughout all nations that can bee either in the Church or commom wealth so farre goeth the supremacie of Princes in their dominions to shewe foorth their iustice in punishing their mercie in fauouring and their loue in rewarding Saint Paul speaketh as well of the Romane Emperours of his time as also of all other higher powers which are to ensue in any other age or place that they beare not the sworde for nought
THE DANGER OF Discontentment Intreated of in a Sermon preached at Crow-hurst in Surrey the ninth of Iuly 1598. By Simon Harward Imprinted at London by W.W. for R. Iohnes 1. Ian. 1599. TO THE RIGHT VVorshipfull M. Edmunde Bowyer Esquire and M. Iohn Bowyer his brother mercie and peace be multiplyed in Christ Iesus FOr as much as some yeeres since Right Worshipfull it pleased you so courteously to accept that Sermon which at your request I then published as concerning The fruites of our repentaunce towardes God Wherein Dauid Psal 1. doth place The chiefest blessednesse and felicitie of man I haue thought good to adde thereunto this Sermon which I made at the same Church where you and others Iustices Gentlemen were assembled on the ninth of Iuly last past vpon a part of the first Lesson by the order of our Church appoynted for that Sabboth as concerning that duetifull contentment of minde which as good subiects we owe all to our Prince and Countrey that as in the first we are put in remembrance of our duetie towards the Lord of Lords and Prince of Princes so in this other as well we which vttered and heard it as others into whose handes it shall come to be read may be admonished of those loyall affections which we ought continually to beare to our most gracious Soueraigne and our established Common-wealth As I am well assured that these affections are and haue alwayes bin throughly setled in your faythfull hartes so I doubt not but ye are also as fully desirous that by this slender labour and by all meanes possible others may be allured drawen to the like disposition Thus hoping that you will as louingly accept the reading and publishyng as you haue already done the hearing I commit this my short Discourse to your Worshippes and you and it to the blessing of the Almightie From Tondridge this .xij. of Iuly 1598. Your Worships assured in the Lord Simon Harward 1. Sam. 12.19 VVe haue added a vvickednesse to all our other sinnes in asking vs a King WHen Nachash the King of the Ammonites Right Worshipfull and beloued in Christ had now brought the inhabitantes of Iabesh Gilead into so greate distresse that onely vpon seauen dayes respite they were to yeelde vp their Citie into the enemies handes vpon a very hard condition which was that euery one of the Citizens should haue his right eye plucked out The people of Israel partly because they saw Samuel their Iudge to be olde and feeble and partly because they perceiued the sonnes of Samuel Ioel and Abiah though ruling in the place and stead of their Father yet not walking in the wayes and steps of their Father as dispayring to haue any ayde or deliuerance by their Iudges in which state of gouernment God had for many yeeres so happily preserued them They come with one consent to their Iudge and desire that they may haue a King Samuel when he had vsed many meanes and many forcible argumentes to disswade them from this their malcontented and dispayring minde and seeing euidently that no perswasions could take any place in their wilfull hartes doth now at the last call vpon the Lord in the time of Wheate-haruest for a sodaine and miraculous thunder and storme of raine that thereby as it were by an other voyce of God the people might be further certified both how greeuously they had offended and how for their offence the Lorde was highly displeased with them When the Israelites saw apparantly that Samuel had no sooner called vnto the Lord for that thunder and raine but that presently his request was heard and that in terrible manner in the sight and hearing of the whole people they were astonished and being wonderfully striken with sodaine feare They desire Samuel to pray to the Lord for them that they die not adding these wordes which now I haue read as a reason of their petition and a confession of their desart For say they we haue sinned besides all our other sinnes in asking vs a King What this offence was which the Prophet doth seeke so many wayes to lay open vnto them it shall the better appeare if we consider these two especiall obseruations First the mightie prouidence and infinite goodnesse of God extended towardes that people so many yeeres together during the tyme of the gouernment of the Iudges And secondly how small weake the occasions were for the which they desire to shake off that blessed gouernment as also on the other side what great and waighty causes they had to haue bin contented with that estate wherein God had so long and so miraculously protected them How long the people had liued deliuered defended and gouerned by Iudges S. Augustine doth record it in his .18 booke de Ciuitate Dei where he affirmeth that at that time wherein Rome was buylt which was by Romulus in the time of Iosias king of Iuda the Hebrewes had bin seauen hundred and eighteene yeeres in the land of Canaan whereof sayth he seauen twentie appertaine to Iosua three hundred twentie and nine to the Iudges and three hundred sixtie and two to the Kinges where he maketh three seuerall estates of Gouernment vnder which it pleased God that his people Israel should liue The first was vnder Dukes as in the dayes of Moses and Iosua The second was by Iudges which differed from Iosua for he was appoynted a gouernour in the time of prosperitie when Sehon the King of the Amorits and Ogge the King of Basan were ouerthrowne and vanquished but the Iudges were first inaugurated and inuested into their callinges in some great distresses by the affecting of some notable deliuerance Neither were they like the Dictators aduaunced amongst the Heathen for they were chosen by the voyces of men but these by the voyce of God him selfe They were chosen out of men of greatest accompt and best furnished for the vndergoing of such a charge but these were raysed vp miraculously out of the inferiour sort and lowest degrees of people and inabled extraordinarily by the gyftes and presence of the Almightie as it is sayd in the second Chapter of the Iudges The Lord raysed vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the handes of their oppressours And when the Lord did raise vp any Iudges the Lord as it is sayd there was with that Iudge and did deliuer the people out of the handes of the enemies all the dayes of that Iudges life There were also many differences betwixt them and the Kinges which folowed In the Kinges succession of blood tooke place in the Iudges it tooke no place The Kings had a greater authoritie in ruling and commaunding then the Iudges would chalenge The affayres hauing good successe against the Madianites the people offered to Gedeon that he should Reigne as king ouer them But Gedeon answered Neither will I reigne ouer you neyther shall my childe reigne ouer you but the Lord shall still raigne ouer you The Kinges were some of
but are the ministers of God to take vengeance of euill doers The second cause why these people desire to shake off the gouernment of Samuel was because his sonnes ruling in his steed did receiue bribes and peruert iudgement Samuel doeth in this twelfth Chapter expostulate this matter at large with them is cleared sufficiently in the conscience testimonie of them all The iniquities which his sonnes committed were not because he did not prescribe good wayes vnto them but because they did not walke in the wayes and steps of their father If a man haue but a small familie he shall yet be abused by some What then must wee thinke of those higher powers who haue so many vnder officers in so infinite places deriuing their authoritie from them Salomon when hee commaunded Ioab to bee put to death for those wilfull murders which hee had before committed saith that he did thē Patre suo Dauide inscio His father Dauid not knowing of it So herein Samuel his children and in all ages vnder Christian Princes many thinges are done by inferiour Magistrates which come not to the knowledge of superiour powers and whereof no fault is to be imputed to them seeing the offences proceede not of want of good and holsome lawes but for that there is not due obedience yeelded vnto them The thirde cause why they so greedily gape for alteration was because they distrusted in the power and prouidence of God They thought that the weakenesse of aged Samuel was not sufficient to deliuer them from the oppression of Nachash the Ammonite The punishment which God layde vpon their distrustfull forefathers might haue been a sufficient warning to them to haue shewed them the greeuousnesse and horror of this sinne When Moses had sent of euery Tribe one to view the land of Canaan amongst whom were Iosua of the tribe of Ephraim and Caleb of the tribe of Iuda at their returne many of them gaue great reportes of the power and strength of the Canaanites that they were mightie men like Giants and the sonnes of Enachim and that the Israelites were but as Grashoppers in respect of them The people began by and by to murmure dispayre and to prepare a returne into Aegypt Iosua and Caleb did what they could to encourage the people bidding them not to feare for say they they are but bread for vs the Shield is departed from them the Lord is on our side But the Israelites were so farre from receiuing comfort that they cried out one to an other to fling stones agaynst their comforters This distrusting minde did so highly displease God that they were cut off and destroyed with many feareful plagues so that of aboue sixe hundred thousande of them there came but two into the land of Promise The Lord had let that people see by sundry ensamples that there is no power so small but that hee is able sufficiently to strengthen it against the enemies of his trueth Abraham hauing but three hundred and eighteene men ouerthrewe the power of fiue Kings Samson with a iawe bone slew a thousand Sisera the captaine of the hoste of Iabin king of Canaan was of great strength he had .900 charets of yron yet was he slaine at the last by the hande of a silly woman And to Samuel though he were old yet y e Lord gaue him power to his dying day to subdue and keepe vnder the haughty Philistines By this cōtinual experience of y e power of God they might haue euidently seene that there is no strength so feeble but God can plentifully inable it for the fighting of the Lordes battayles and thereupon they should haue gathered courage and comfort not with such wretchlesse vnthankfulnesse started backe from the lyuing God What a most ingratefull part was this when Samuel had so long time propounded vnto them the heauenly trueth of God and for the space of aboue .xxvii. yeeres as a most carefull Magistrate defended them from all inuasions oppressions now in olde age to forsake him as weery of his gouernment to desire a King to be placed ouer them These Israelites do deale with Samuel as afterward the subiectes of Dauid did with their king at the time of the rebellion of Absolom Dauid had then reigned .xxx. yeeres therefore was about lx yeeres of age for he was about .xxx. yeeres olde at the death of Saul How his people did cary them selues in Absoloms conspiracie he declareth him selfe in his .3 Psalme wherin he complaineth that in that his time of neede he found many so to become his enemies that in most despitefull maner they obiected vnto him that there was no helpe for him in his God But these vnfaythful Subiectes were like vnto the Swallowes which tary with vs in the Spring and Sommer but in the colde of Winter doe wholly forsake vs they were like the Doues which sit vpon the house in fayre weather but if once a storme do come they are presently gone or rather they were like that currish kind of lazy Dogges that will fawne vpon their maisters by the fiers side but if they see him goe abrode in foule weather they are content to let him goe a lone or like vnto cursed Vipers seeing that as much as in them lyed they sought to rent the bowels of him of whom next vnder God they had their beeing their strength wealth and whatsoeuer they possessed The sinne of many in these our dayes is by manie degrees more haynous and detestable then was the offence of the Israelites in the dayes either of Dauid or of Samuel They desired an exchange of their gouernour but yet they desired to haue a King erected out of the middest of their brethren according to the law in Deutronomie Out of thy brethren shalt thou appoynt thy selfe a King thou mayst not set ouer thee a stranger which is not thy brother How greeuously then do they offende which desire to haue brought in vpon their Prince a forraine power y e power of a Priest of Rome How horrible is their sinne if there be any such monster in nature that do gape for the inuasion of a forreine Prince to weaken or abrogate that authoritie which right and blood and the law hath placed ouer them What measure we should looke for of Strangers the dealinges of the Spaniards in the Low-countries may be a sufficient warning vnto vs. Their Nobles haue been murdered their auncient inhabitants spoyled or dryuch to flie their natiue soyle Their famous and flourishyng Cities so oppressed and dispeopled that the grasse doth grow in those streetes which haue bin heretofore by wealthy Citizens and Marchants so notably frequented and replenished Naples may likewise serue for instruction herein where when the Spaniards preuayled they were presently most miserably plagued with many new taxes tributes whereof before they neuer had mention No man could haue a fire but he must