an inferiour truth To view it then according to the propertie that is the elevation of this place we must understand and confesse a King to be a Father a Subject to be a Sonne and therefore Honour to be by Nature most due from the naturall Subject to the naturall King All Dominion of Man over Man is from God and the first of all was delivered by Generation Thus Adam had by the leasure of Birth a posterity of Subjects and as in Paradise though he was debarr'd one tree he was allow'd all the rest so afterwards though paradise was not admitted him for his Court he was allow'd all the world besides Then was a Family a Kingdome and Eldership Royalty except where God for sinne prevented the ordinary succession as in the speciall case of Cain who happily might have been Abels King had he not been his murderer He kill'd his Subject in reversion staining himselfe not only with his Brothers bloud but also with indiscretion and probably did not survive his Father who liv'd above nine hundred years The next derivation of Dominion if not in Time yet in congruity was by choice Royalty by Birth was the sweetest way of Majesty a King and a Father compounded into one being of a temper like unto God Justice and Mercy But a King by choyce even the first though by divine choyce was turn'd into a punishment Indeed the people chose the King but God the Man They would no longer be content with the invisible Monarchy of God and God dismis'd them to the palpable dominion of Saul And though Gods mercy made the next choyce in David a blessing yet by a greater blessing because a surer he left not Soveraignty to the perilous art of Election but to the safer Innocency of Birth The laft way that is the most remote from purer nature in deriving Royalty is by force a foraigne force raised by God's judgement as in the Assyrian against Israel which whiles it chastises the persons and destroys their vices comes like a Father though with a rod of Iron Terrour there sometimes is rather then ruine and whiles not properly ruine but correction the mercy that proclaimes a Father claimes likewise the obedience due to a Father Behold with diligence and content the justice of this debt behold the speciall moments of Fatherhood in Soveraignty which though a dazling eye may mistake to be glory and pleasure a more fixt discernes to be Care and Danger Royalty is a duty Towards man though not To him being a duty only to God who alone can command Kings to command but unto man 't is only a blessing flowing from that duty Would you see the parts of this blessing behold the partakers of it behold all that faithfully enjoy subjection Owe yee your food to the taske of the Husbandman and owe yee not Him to the royall providence which as truly orders Him as Hee his Acres whiles it neither permitts him to neglect them nor diminish them Does the Merchant more provide for you the softest rayment such as they weare in Kings houses then his Soveraigne provides for him Safety and Imployment What were the Indies without a Court The Merchant indeed is imployd There but Here the Merchandise The Physitian cannot preserve the Body if hee be not preserv'd The Politique Head is the Soveraigne Physitian of the Body Naturall What were the Lawyer nay the Law without the Law-maker And surely Land of Inheritance might without an Earth-qvake be reckon'd amongst our moveable goods were it not for a Supreme guardian If Children were without instruction might we sitly call them the issue of the body or rather the issue of the mind and which were News to the Philosopher adde them to the number of the perturbations Yet what were their Instructions and all their Rules without a supreame Rule And how could their instructers cherish so many tender minds if a more tender mind did not with wisdome and bounty tender them Thus is the Pelican ready to empty her own veins to fill her young ones as if her life consisted not in her bloud but in her Love Thus then is a Parent in joyd in a King the Subjects sasety being the effect of His Danger the Subjects pleasure being the work of his Care When Jacob in his journey and dreame saw Angells ascending and descending between Heaven and Earth he said when hee awak'd Surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not Shall any in this World of troubles have the blessing of Peace a Heaven on Earth and wee not think on it And should they not as Jacoh who did then erect a Pillar and poure oile on it should they not raise a like thankfull monument of Grace and Peace And as a Father must thus be acknowledged in a King so Nature and Gratitude must present a Sonne in a Subject a Sonne perfected into a Subject Does the Sonne receave a Naturall life The Subject enjoys a Civill one that 's but the matter this the Forme the Father but prepares 't is a King actuates Does a Sonne whiles a Sonne much differ from a Servant Maintenance he receives but in junctions for the use of it so that it is the matter rather of service then choyce But a Subject a little removed from his Fathers charge enjoyes his estate as the argument as much of his wisdome as of his subjection and so is no lesse Honoured then Imployed Does the Sonne learne Action from the Father yet all his activity is but in the Epicycle of a Family whereas a Subjects motion is in a larger Orbe Does a Sonne enjoy defence by a Father the joy can yet but equall the defence which being but like the petty danger ends rather in Quietnesse then in Triumph But the protection of Subjects being an act Royall of goodnesse is by the danger advanced in Love and Honour Yet is this more then commandment or desert And is not the first part of this duty the Priest's to teach it Nay should it not be also the ioy of a good subject to performe the part of a good subject And this duty chiefely is obedience a taske for the proportion as due by the divine will from the Subject to the King as by the Divine power from the Angells to God his owne prerogative flowing from his Selfe-Right of creating the world a Kings prerogative flowing from his derived right care of preserving the subject But as some of the Angells did scarce sooner receive then breake the Law of Obedience so some men by an vnhappy imitation of such Angells are more ready to slander the weight of their yoke then to beare it forgetting that even the most easy yoke may gaule onely by the struggling in it Yet such reluctance might peradventure be neglected if it disturb'd not the supreme Revenue Reputation that being as the bloud this as the soule Without the first there is no strength without the latter there is no life what is it then to
last made but the Appurtenances of Empires and more usually draind then defended What were the Greekes though once they flourished in Wealth and Wit Though they withstood the Persians Insolence yet were they subdued by the Roman Wisdome and quite enslaved by the Turkish Fury But were they not divided before they were destroyed Did not their Distractions unite their enimies to Art and Victory Let them remember the designe of Unity in the Conveniency of defence Let the Roman Provinces be a witnesse which though at first they did a little struggle for mistaken Liberty yet did not usually their subjection become their purchase Feare was before still at the doore and afterwards Safety their terrour a Potent enimy by a rare felicity being turnd to their defence Let them remember the blessings of our Canaan would they see Solomon's days in his Peace in his Wisdome can they behold it more eminently then in his Temple and his Fleete And may they not see here high degrees of such Devotion and Wisdome for God's glory and our Country's safety And is it not the first if not the greatest Act of Wisdome to preserve it selfe Let no Sonne then become so unwise so unhallowed so unnaturall as to â—â—t up the hand against his Father When Kings are likened unto God is it not occasionally as well for their justice as for their mercy They beare not the Sword in vaine And if God's wrath as his mercy should be a patterne for Kings had not all need to remember with what exaltation of phrase the Almighty has express'd the exaltation of his wrath If I whet my glittering Sword and my hand take hold on Judgement I will render vengeance to my adversaries and will reward them that hate mee I will make my arrows drunk with blood and my Sword shall devoure flesh But Oh let the softnesse of nature the justice of Duty the Promise of this Commandement which is the first Commandement with promise Ephes 6.2 bend the heart and knee of every Israëlite unto their Lord their Soveraigne Lord their Soveraigne Father That so they may enjoy the Commandement in the Promise by living long in the Land which the Lord their God has given them And let the Annointed of the Lord the Father of our Israel march with the thousands of his people and with the protection of our God Let him be clad with the whole armour of God Let his Loines be girt about with Truth having on the breast-plate of Righteousnesse Let his feet be shod with the preparation of the Ghospell of peace Let him take the shield of Faith wherewith to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Let him take the Helmet of Salvation and the Sword of God's Spirit Let him march clad with the prayers of his People and let all his enimies perish O Lord. But let thine Annointed returne in Safety in Peace in Honour to the Honour of thy Name and the Peace of this thy Israel Amen Amen Of Vnitie A SERMON Preached before KING CHARLES the FIRST At Christ-Church in Oxford on Whit-Sunday May 21. 1643. By BARTEN HOLYDAY D. D. Arch-deacon of Oxford and one of His Majesties Chaplaines OXFORD Printed by W. H. for S. Pocock 1661. Ephes 4.3 Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace NO Times have more then These Pretended the Unity of the Spirit no Times have more then these violated the unity of the Spirit Which Spirit as on this day vouchsafing to descend to us we may by the figure and neernesse not unhappily understand it and most happily keep it We may by the Art of this daies Miracle see this Spirit though a Spirit the vertue of it whiles the resemblance of it A Resemblance not presented to the mistake of Sleep or Phansie but to the Inquisition and Loyalty of the Fye Was not the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace when this blessed Spirit did abide in the Society of the Apostles And may not such a blessing win us to an endeavour and such an Endeavour advantage us to keep such a Blessing That therefore we may perfect This Taske and by this Our selves we may with as much Hope as Desire of successe behold this Vnity a better then that of the Soule and body a Unity of Spirits the Spirits of Men united by the Spirit of God We may behold this Spirit which though it informes not the Body informes the Soule not by Nature but by Holinesse We may behold this Peace whose perfection passes all understanding whose comfort yet is in part apprehended by the Sense Wee may behold this Bond which does not Gird though Encompasse us nay whiles it Binds us gives us perfect Freedome We may behold the blessing of keeping this blessing both being receiv'd from the Love and Instruction of this Spirit We may lastly behold this Endeavour a greater Wisdome then a Labour and be allwaies found either Rejoycing or Endeavouring to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace The Highest Vnity is Gods property Inferiour Unity is his work a work of wisdome being a Unity in a Multitude a work of goodnesse being the preservation of a Multitude Which blessing yet is more frequently found in the inferiour creatures then in Man through the defection of the Will from the Understanding as afterwards through the defection of both from God Which degree of Disunion being once made Unity which should have been a comfort to man became his Taske so that now he must endeavour to be what he should be and what he was at Unity as a Creature with the Creator and with the Creatures In which worke he may Learne Unity from the Creatures they being unto him alwaies instruction and sometimes shame so wisely preserving themselves into flocks and heards as if they would advance the Unity of Instinct above the Unity of Reason He may learne it from the Body whose severall parts unite and submit their services to the Safety and Majesty of the Head He may learne it from the first Integrity and Abilities of his own Soul whose severall powers of Motion Sense Appetite and Will were so united in their obedience to Reason that they seem'd to improve themselves from the servants into the Associats of it To attain which Unity as it is Happinesse so to Desire it is Wisdome the way to Happinesse And to attaine it Nature raises Families Families Citties Citties Kingdomes as Faith erects the Church and all these make up the World Take Unity then out of the World and it dissolves into a Chaös in which Nature it selfe can not find it selfe whiles it can find neither End nor Way Yet even this Chaös will be worse then the first there being in that the materialls of a World but in this the Ruines That was God's worke but This Man's Take Unity out of the Church and Religion becomes Schisme excluding Love and so leaving the Deity without a Sacrifice which since mans creation being relatives as
his People a Superiour Agent being Eas'd not suspended by an Inferiour no more than the Divine Presence is excluded from a Place by the Inferiour Presence and Imployment of an Angel Moses did not Loose his Authority to his Assistants but Imparted it The Sunne gives Light though he enables the Moone to Give Light and sometimes appears with it in the same Hemisphere the Moone-light being not Exstinguished though Exceeded Solomon when he gave Judgment about the doubtful Child did neither what was Unjust nor unjustly and show'd as True Wisdome though not as Rare in being the Judge as in the Manner of the Judgment When Jehosaphat set Judges in the Cities of Judah his Right was not Diminish'd but Diffus'd and if we look back upon the Kings of our Land we may by the easie prospective of an Antiquarie see them often sitting on the Throne of Judgment Indeed though not in respect of the Kind of the Pleas yet in respect of Judicature we may without Injury or Impropriety say that every Seat of Justice is the King's Bench. When therfore a King does by a Law strengthen the Sentence of a Judge does he disclaime his Power or rather Proclame his Integrity Whiles he binds himselfe to Judge according to Law does he bind himselfe from Judging Has not Nature made a Father the Judge of his Familie If then sometimes he makes a Sonne a Judge between troublesome Brethren does he thereby make himselfe not the Judge of the Familie A Deputation is rather a Proofe of superiour Right than a Destruction And therefore they observe not their own oversight that in effect would have us observe Royalty and Judicature to be Inconsistent as if Contrary when as sometimes as in a King they are not so much as Subordinate Is not God that is the King of the World the Judge of the World And is not a King of Humane Judges the Supreme Judge But will Absalom doe them Justice What needs Hee doe it Will not David do it Or is David's blood become not Royal because Vriah's was Innocent Or does Vriah's bloud cry louder in the eares of Israel than in the eares of the God of Israel Can his blood cry louder than to Heaven Or is David's Adultery rather Aggravated than Excus'd by his After Marriage Are his sins so Hellish that his Humiliation cannot Ascend High enough to fetch a Pardon for them Or shall the People make an Absalom and themselves His Judge whom God has made Theirs Or shall we suppose a New Devise to have been an Old Devise to Separate a King from his Person and so that Absalom intended to take away David but to Preserve the King by Exchange of David into Absalom A King indeed and his Person may be Distinguish'd according to Natural and Political respects but a King and his Person cannot be Divided Will ye heare in this point the judgment of very traytours who in this point may be happily just Judges though they seeme less fit Hear then the Judgment of those Great Ones that durst take-up Armes against our Second Edward Even They as our Statutes testifie made it treason in the Spencers to make this division And this their just Condemnation of such Doctrine has since the beginning of Our Great Council been by Publish'd command approv'd by our Great Council No Treason then Can though it Would be so Mathematical as to separate a King from his Person But yet would Absalom doe them Justice Might not some Ifraëlite that had not too unwarily voted himselfe to the folly of Treason and that had as much Observ'd as Attended him till his Expulsion and Persecution of his Father and by Ahitophel's shameless counsaile till his abusing of his Father's Concubines thus have argued himselfe into Safety and a Flight Shall we from Absalom expect the protection of our Goods who destroy'd Joab's with no less Boldness than Wrong and with as much Ingratitude as Boldness making a Proclamation in Fire of his Impudence and Revenge Shall we from Absalom expect the Protection of our Wives when as he has committed Incest more in Spight than Lust making his Father's Women the Ridle as well as the Subject of Treason and Filthiness which he so acted in the sight of all Isrël as if he would have all men believe that it were not a worke of Darkness Shall we from Absalom expect the protection of our Lives when as he betray'd the life of his Brother whose blood was the Joy though not the Wine of the Feast Shall we from Absalom expect the protection of our Fame when as he reviv'd the shame of his Father by Imitation when with a like Malice and Cunning he Forgot or Conceald his Father's Virtues Justice he may Pretend Intend it he cannot nay when he Pretended Best he intended Worst When he pretended a sheep-shearing t was not a Fleece but a Life he intended when he pretended a salutation of the Lip he Intended but Flattery the Treachery of the Lip when he pretended a Sacrifice at Hebron he Intended to offer-up a King and a Father Though then he pretend never so great so many so subtle Followers they rather Discover his Conspiracy than Disguise it Might not some Israëlite thus have made his Meditation his Safety and by Arming himselfe with Loyaltie sav'd himselfe though not from the Danger yet from the Guilt of an Armie of Rebels But will you see the Way and End of this Absalom and his Multitude which he scornes to Follow which he Leads to Evil. See his first Success his success in Counsalle slighting Ahithophel he does not only Loose him but Want him nor does Ahithophel only loose Absalom but himselfe He looses at once his Wisdome and his Life and he that in his life would not be Order'd by the Law was not order'd by it in his Death in which by the worst Curse of Death he was both the Malefactour and the Executioner See his next success his success in his March in which by Delay he was not so wicked as he would have been His Father though heavie with Greif yet made light by Feare did in his flight get respite of Distance and by distance Counsaile and by Counsaile Courage by which Collecting his Army as well as his Mind he Prepares for flight being not more dejected at his Ascent of Mount Olivet than he was rais'd in Spirit by the field of Ephraim There he was a Penitent heere a Warriour and so ready to fight that they would not Let him fight They only borrow his Spirit Letting his Body rest See then Absolom's last success his success in Battel Having rather Persecuted his Father than Followed him he overtakes two enimies David's Innocency and God's Justice That overthrew his Conscience This his Armie He joynes Battel an unnatural Union though in Blood A Son with a Father Sinne with Sanctity So fought the Devil with Saint Michael who prov'd as much the Superiour in Power as in Habitation Absalom's multitude became quickly not
call a King Defender of the faith if the meanes be withdrawen wherewith he should defend it A son owes helpe honour to his father is a subject lesse indebted to his King Hath not God himselfe included the duty of Love vnto them both vnder the same commandment vnder the same morall therefore vnder the same perpetuall Law Or is there any whose vnderstandanding is so vnnaturall to deny this truth If not why should there be any whose affections should be so vnnaturall as not to obey it Or shall we in an overplus-Charity mistake our selves into a perswasion that this duty has not only been Included but hitherto also hidden in the obedience to a Father To disadvantage a King then either in Estate or Honour is it not plainly unnaturall But shall any yet exceed that sonne of Noah who though he reveal'd yet never feign'd an infirmity of his Father Has any disloyally dared to feigne that Religion wavers they fouly mistake as commonly they doe that are more cuning in other mens lives then in their owne T is not Religion wavers but their Loyalty Has any feard that the purity of the Gospell is in hazard It is indeed when a professor of it shall staine his profession of it wich disobedience Can such blasphemie against Kings for so the Apostle calls it 2 Pet 2.10 be call'd obedience or rather a Tyranny over Kings Or shall we say the Heart 's a good subject when the Tongue 's a Rebell Obedience was anciently figur'd out by the Eare and so by the Greeks was instructively called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a submissive attention and this the Laytie especially from their science of Heraldry may remember to bee aptly implyed in the Helmet of a Squire which is fide-long as with the eare ready for his Commander whose armes he carried Nor is it only attention but also very considerate nature having taught that the scales of the eares are to be rectifyed by an even judgement But now obedience seems to have fallen from the eare to the tongue a member that does not more easily move then offend Yet does it proclaime that as every Traitor is a foole so a Traitor in words is a mad-man tommiting what is criminall and Revealing it The Tongue especially when it is brought as an offering to the Lord should be season'd according to the Leviticall command Lev. 2.3 In all thy offrings thou shalt offer Salt but many bring either none or too much nay that which was never commanded onely salt which is very fretting Besides they turne the softnesse of the tongue into the hardnesse of the teeth and may perswade us that the Philosophers speak without a figure when they tell us that a man has some dog-teeth in his head And as of the teeth some affirme by way of difference from other bones of the body that in the severall ages of mans life they grow wee may conclude it to be true especially of the dog-teeth But shall any one think this to be obedience and not account themselves free till they are factious If a Subject be a Sonne then ought he to be a staffe unto his Father wherewith not to strike but to sustaine him But some would deale with Princes as Adonibezec once did they would cut off their thumbs and great toes the principall strength of the hands and feet that so they might neither with comelinesse direct others nor with sufficiency sustaine Themselves But if these men would admit reason it might in point of Conscience bee demanded by what authority a private person can extend a personall correction beyond the persons and bounds of his owne perambulation And next may it not be asked or rather indeed may it be asked at all whose parishioner a King is with safety and Truth it may be answered that the charge of such instruction belongs not to these men who thus usurpe the performance of it Royalty is still in its own Peculiar The taske of private persons towards Kings is properly if not by speciall appointment not instruction but prayer Before hand then to censure the heart of a King which is in the hand of God and so unsearchable is by presumption to make themselves like the Divell whiles by pretended foreknowledge they would make themselves like God Are we thus bold with private mens purposes or would we have others so bold with ours How dare then any that are Subjects sit thus as judges over Princes Even Elihu's conscience could question Job 34.18 Is it fit to say to a King thou art wicked and to Princes yee are ungodly Indeed is not this to pull the Diadem from the Head and weare it upon some subject part of the body This was once done by the great Pompey but this which he accounted glory was by others accounted treason Might not such remember the terrour of a King in the Majesty of the Lyon which of all creatures has the sharpest teeth and the firmest nay and the firmest heart too more especially might not some remember the Lion rampant by which some Majesty is especially express'd in which posture that victorious creature is said to possesse his vigour being erect with mouth open and clawes extended as ready to teare the prey presenting thus not only terrour but conquest They might remember that not only the Lion rampant but rampant guardant not only courage but also watchfulnesse not only these but also the horne the strength of the Unicorne are the supporters and guardians of such united Majestie But belike these men venture to deale with their Soveraigne as grosse sinners deal with God whose mercy indeed is over all his works and shall their works be therefore the worse and deserve no mercy shall they strive to be as transcendent in their sin as he is in his forgivenesse surely they cannot but remember that though the rose a royall flower be of dainty touch yet if touch'd rudely it is deepely felt but with more speed then ease The Thistle too a royall flower though it has its downy top yet it wants not its defensive prickles and God grant that this our royall Carduus may be for ever Benedictus And would they would take notice of the vertues of this blessed Thistle which is so soveraigne a medicine against the giddinesse of the braine 't is this will settle it and make it as quiet as if it were mortified This it is that makes a good memory so that if a man forgets his duty this will prevent and supply the study or a statute-book This is it that restores hearing If the eare be grown dull to heare its duty this will save the art and whisper of a cane of trunke This is excellent against a Canker Malice it selfe cannot resist the power of its charity If the body be swollen with the treason of poyson this shall abate it to safety nay had one swallow'd an adder unlesse we shall discredit the Physician this shall dispossesse him and without the authority of