of religious worship so is He onlie Directour and Iudge of it Next Pastors are not Iudges but Indices or interpreters to point out that that God hath set downe in his Word Thirdlie Princes are neither Iudges nor â—ndices but Vindices or Promoters of true Religion They are neither the Rule nor exponers of it but Vrgers of men to doe according to the Rule proponed of God and exponed by faithfull Pastors Constantine the great made this distinction to Church-men God hath made you Bishops of the inward things of the Church but hee hath made mee Bishop of the outward things That is ye haue a calling to discerne betweene Truth and heresie in doctrine hurtfull or wholesome in worship or maners To preach the word minister the Sacraments and lead people in religious Worship to deale with the Inner Man and instruct the Conscience in the Truth But my place is to maintaine Religion in the Professors and their maintenance to deale with the outward Man and to see that my Subiects worship and obey God according to the Rule that hee hath given and yee point out of his Word All his businesse about the Councell of Nice was nothing but a Commentar of that distinction hee saw the Church poysoned with the Heresie of Arrius and rent with the Schisme that followed therevpon And not beeing able of himselfe to iudge and determine these questions hee conveened the most learned and godlie Church-men to whom that inquitie appertained and when they had determined the matter hee repressed the Heresie that they damned and maintained the Truth that they proponed So Theodosius the great curbed the Macedonians in the Councell of Constantinople Theodosius the younger the Nestorians by the Councell of Ephesus And Marcianus the Entychians by the Councell of Chalcedon And when the Nestorians raised vp their head againe Iustinian curbed both them and Pope Vigilius their Patrone both by a Councell and by his Edicts against their tria Capitula the summe and marrow of Nestorianisme Synods and Councels assembled in the Name of the Lord are as Counsels to Kings in matters of Religion and the Word of God is to rule both Princes and Synods So though David was a Prophet yet hee did nothing of himself in Gods house but with consent and advyse of Gad the Seer and of Nathan the Prophet for so was the Commandement of the Lord by his Prophets He had Gods command for the warrant of his Command And Iehoshaphat sent through the Cities of Iudah and they taught the People and had the Booke of the Law of the Lord with them This was their Directorie Concerning the extent of their power some Princes got wrong of others and some did wrong to themselues They got wrong most of the Pope who after hee affected Antichristian greatnesse closed vp Kings within civill affaires and counted them but profaine Laickes who had no intresse in matters Ecclesiasticke If they medled with Investitures of Benefices it was called Simonie and oppressing of the Ecclesiasticke libertie And the discharge of that duetie which God hath founded in their Thrones and Scepters was called the Henrician heresie and a fighting against God On the other part they bewitched Princes by the show of Canonizing This was a deepe policie by the hope of that baite to steale from Princes their authority as the best way to that Canonizing and to turne them Babes in this life vnder hope to bee Saintes after death It was too superstitious simplicitie for that hope to disgrace themselues and their places by surrendering their power to the Beast He knew that Princes were ambitious of honour and there was none greater than they had alreadie except it were to bee sancted Hee perswaded them that there was no way to that honour of sancting but by his Canonizing who had the Keyes of Heaven at his Girdle Therefore when Princes were tickled with that Ambition they cared not how baselie they prostitute themselues and their dignitie to him for that Imaginarie Advancement Or rather shall wee say that God in this politicke abusing of Princes was discovering a part of the Mysterie of iniquitie For about thâ—se times when Kings were made Sainctes the Popes were Monsters In the ninth and tenth Ages Ignorance reigned in the Church barbarous Crueltie in Popes everie one disgraced his Predecessour and abrogat his Ordinances then Princes abhorring that wickednesse were the more stirred vp to Pietie and so comparatiuelie they seemed to be Saincts in respect of these monstruous Popes It was the complaint of these times That it was easier to finde many Lay-men turne good than one religious man grow better And that it was a rare fowle on earth to find one ascend but a little aboue the degree that he hath taken in Religion The Chaire of Peter was some time broodie of Saincts but then it became so barren that it brought out none but Monsters and that justlie for the Popes loathed that Chaire and affected the Throne of Princes And holinesse beeing banished that Chaire found her place more in Princes than Popes This was Gods Iustice that since Popes would bee Kings that Kings should bee counted Saincts And yet both of them were but vsurpers for neither did God admit these Saincts in Heaven for intercessours whom the Popes thrust on him neither did hee allow the Popes kingdome which hee threw from Princes Againe some Princes wronged themselues concerning Religion that in Policie Superstition Neglect For Policie some of them harboured Religion in their Kingdomes but abused it politicklie to their owne ends They measured it by the persons of Preachers and seeing them in worldlie things the meanest of their estates did thinke as baselie of Religion it selfe so served themselues of it as the fairest colour to lustre their foulest purposes Iehu in shew was zelous for God but indeed all his zeale was to stablish the Crown of Israel in his own house So soone as hee obtained that end his zeale for God was quenched and he followed the idolatrie of Achab It was the Authoritie of Achabs house not their Idolatrie that made him zealous So Ieroboam followed the counsell of his owne heart in making two calues and sparing the peoples paines in going to Ierusalem But indeed he cared neither for Gods glorie nor the people but for stablishing his owne house Hee pulled the hearts of the People from God and from the house of David So Iulian when he thirsted for the Impyre he gaue vp his name among the Cleargie and frequented the Assemblies of Christians to mak him mor acceptable to people as Basile obiecteth vnto him So Mahomet made himselfe great by the colour of Religion though hee neither beleeved nor keeped these Precepts which he fained to bee of God and the Popes seeking a Monarchie haue vsed Religion for a cloake as Leo the tenth in his last words tolde
circle of the Subjects neerest to them It is a proofe of the Governement of their persons an Image of the ruling of their Estates If every house be a beginning and part of a citie and every beginning ought to bee referred to the owne end much more the Families of Princes which are not simplie parts but rather compends extracts of their Kingdomes People cannot alwayes see the person of their Kings but they may guesse at their disposition by the manners of their Court As is the Prince so is his Court because they seeke by his imitation to procure and keepe his favour and as the Court is so will the Countrie bee Such as his servants are such is hee counted For men can hardly thinke but they are such by his command or connivence or example If therefore they bee godly and righteous they win the hearts of people to the King But if they bee profaine and godlesse they procure his contempt This care ought not onely to be of his neerest Attendents but also of these whom he intrusteth with his affaires abroad If they minister Iustice defend the people exact no more than is due then the people ascryue all that goodnesse to the King commanding his Officers to handle his people tenderly But if they be violent and outragious the contrare followeth as if all that severity were commanded of the King A good king by doing good maketh his Subjects good is as eminet in example before them as in dignity aboue them The Roman Impyre had a great proofe of the force of their example both in their Court and people when in fiftie foure yeeres space it found fiue changes First DiocletiaÌ„ like his Predecessours was a Pagan Next Constantine turned himselfe the Impyre to Christianity 3. Constantius his sonne turned all Arrian 4. Iulian the Apostate went backe to Paganisme And fiftlie Iovinian following Constantines zeale brought them back againe to Christianitie So important is the example of Princes either in good or evill and so changeable are the people to follow them The Kings of Iudah were not vnâ—â—k Achaz an idolater Ezekiah a zealous worshipper of God Amon and Manasseh restorers of idolatrie Iosiah a destroyer of idolatrie c. And their Courts and Countries followed their steppes Constantius the father of Constantine tryed his Courteours wisely hee offered preferment to such as would worship Pagan gods and when some for feare and desire of honour did so others layed downe their honour rather than that they would quite Christ hâ—ereby hee saw the ground of his Courtiers hearts he degraded such as had forsaken Christ and said They would never bee true to him that were false to God but he honoured such as were readie to losse all for adhering to God he made them his Guard and Governours of his Kingdome saying That such men were to bee numbered as his speciall Friends and Familiars And Theodoricke the Goth an Arrian King had some like practise but with a more summar censure for when one of his Court willing to please him forsooke the faith of Christ and turned Arrian hee was so offended that hee killed him with his owne hand affirming that hee would not bee trusty to him that was a traytour to Christ. To close this point the fruite of Davids prayer is manifest in Solomons extraordinary wisedome and that both in speculation and practice For the first hee knew all mysteries and wrote of the nature of all things from the Cedar of Lebanon to the Hysope on the wall Beside his heavenly Doctrine in his Song whereof none of all the wise men of the earth could so much as dreame in his moralities in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes he passed them all Thogh they came long after him and had the benefite of his Writs by some two Greeke translations before the Septuagints yet they are no more to his wisedome than a aram of vnfined silver-vre to a talent of pure gold As for his practice his first tryall proved an excellent practicall gift It was a plea betwixt two Harlots both of them clamed the living Child no doubt with the like boldnes cursing execration the vsuall companions of passionat pleading Heere God offred a fit purpose to proue the truth of his promise to Solomon The question was not of civill things but naturall to finde out the mother of the living Childe and there was no witnesse but both parties alike peremptory in their alledgeance His wisedome leadeth him to find out the truth by naturall affection Hee layed this sure ground that the Mothers affection is tender and the bowels that bredde the Child would never agree to see him killed On the other part that the cruell affection agreeing to the division of the Childe was but a strange and stepmotherly affection On these grounds hee pronounceth That the living Babe shall bee cut in two It might seeme a cruell sentence to kill the Babe but some equitie in the just division but the truth was hee found the decision of the matter in the show of division and adiudged the living Babe to her who in a sparing affection choosed rather to want her Babe than the Babe should want his life Hee saw in the tender affection of the one the equity of her cause and in crueltie of the other the iniquity of her clame This was a proofe of deepe wisedome The people heard of it and were both glad of such a King because the wisedome of God was in him and yet feared him because they saw hee was such a one as could discover the secrets of their hearts and counter-mine their deeepest policies 3. The fruite of their Governement Of PEACE Vers. 3. The Mountaines shall bring foorth peace c. THis is the third thing he craveth the fruite of kinglie Governement in the blessing of peace whither we take the Mountaines hills figuratiuelie for the estate in generall or for the degrees of power in greater and lesser Princes c. all is to this end that Iustice well ministered brings peace to a Countrie for the mighty who are as mountaines when they shall see Iustice reigne in the King are stayed from oppressing the poore and become a shadow to them So Iustice is both the mother to bring foorth and a Nurce to foster peace Peace is the desired and sweete end of all blessings and prosperitie it selfe without it is but adversity All our labours are for Peace and Warres the wrake of mankind and brâ—ake of Peace are vndertaken tâ— purchase and keepe Peace And God the Authour of all hath contempered the variâ—tie and disâ—rds of creatures to bring them all to a purposed peace All men are of him he summeth them all vp in Governement and peace is the beautie of all This Peace may bee considered in foure sorts The first is Peace with God which commeth of a true Religion When men are led by the truth to belieue
worke Baronius called it Divinum consilium a divine counsell So bee like these troubles of Germanie are a divine counsell with them With this vsurpation over Princes hee intendeth mainlie the rooting out of Protestant Religion and for that end stirred vp both France and Austria against the Protestants which wee may perceiue in his Resolutions and practice His Resolution is with Innocent the third to destroy the rising trueth This hath ever beene in following Popes and fullie concluded in Trent The Cardinall of Lorraine reveales the Conclusion of Charles the ninth Philip the second and the Pope was ad exstirpandas Germaniae haereticos novam toto Imperio formam instituendam ex prescripto Pontificis and is confident that the Heretickes beeing assaulted both at home and abroad shall be killed as beastes by Dogges sent amongst them and no wayes esâ—hew the snares And againe seeing there is so great a confederacie and power against Hereticks both the Pope and Cardinals doe exspect shortlie so great a mischiefe on them as shall double the ioy for the Massacre of Paris As for the Germanes hee sayeth that nothing is to bee feared from these improvident beasts who know not their strength but shall perish before they perceiue their danger And againe That they are so imprudent and senselesse that they never minde to repell a common danger by common force but everie one labours to defend their owne privatlie And thereafter There they are so stupide that they know not their owne danger till they bee overthrowne This is the opinion of the Pope and his Cleargie of the Germanes which imboldneth them to abuse Germanie as they doe To effectuat this end they haue consederate the Emperour Pope Spaine Bavere and the holy League as they call it even as the Pagan Priests stirred vp the Emperours to persecution and contribute large money to their Armies So now doeth the Pope and his Cleargie in the persecution of Protestants Their wayes to worke this end are Policie periurie and oppression Their policie first they pretend civill causes to hide the other plot of persecution and yet the Emperour discoverth it in his Letter to the King of Spaine That their businesse concerned the conservation of the holie Faith and the standing of their House And it is manifest that long before the sturres of Boheme they were persecuting the Protestants in Westphalieâ—614 â—614 in Silesia 1614. and 161â— in some imperiall Cities as Ulme Aken Wesell 1614. in Donawerda 1617. in the Volteline Stiria and Bohemia it selfe 1618. And the Bohemian wars were occasioned by these persecutions when they were driven to that desperate state in Religion as to seeke the protection of some foreraine Prince Their second policie They divided the Protestants and drew a part of them on their side as Charles the fifth did at the Smalcaldicke war and they boast of it that the Protestants are so loose that many of them fight on the Papists side In all their meetings they pressed to draw the Lutherans from the Calvinists as they call them and vsed that speach Sicut Catholicus sic Lutheranus promifing as great quetnesse to the Lutheran as to the Papist that when they had broken vs by the Lutherans they might destroy them also Some of them contemned the D. of Saxe as a man of no Spirit but the most part feared him for his great power and therefore first â—ngaged him by the offer of Lusatia Next they held him on to bee Executor banni Imperialis And lastlie they fed him with the title of Vicarius Imperij All this was to guâ—l him as Charles the fifth did to Maurice his predecessor So their secret correspondence reveales that they studied by all meanes to please him that at least iâ— sâ—ow hee might bee satisfied Thirdlie in all meetings they ever treated of peace to make the Protestants carelesse And while they were busiest in warre they protested most they were seeking the publick peace and when Armies were gathered on both sides they fained a Cessation of Armes to make Protestants disband their forces which beeing done the Papists with their standing Armies seased on some Provinces as the Palatinate Lastlie as they confounded Religion and policie so in policie they confounded the quarrell of the house of Austria with the quarrell of the Impyre This was the rypenesse of a long plotted persecution for the Papists learned of Severus Canals the arte of Intelligence and myning Hee found them about the walls of Bizantium and brought their Copie in this Land to his Dyke betwixt Forth Clyde They went so alongst the roote of it that all Forts were advertised in an halfe houre what the enemie was doing and where hee assaulted So the Iesuites turned their vniversall intelligence whereof their rules giue a direction to worke mines in all the reformed Churches beyond Sea In France Boheme Silesia Moravia Uolteline Westphalie c. Princes were irritate People were miscontent the Papists fretted at the prosperitie of the Protestants and Protestants abridged of their owne wonted liberties in Religion and debarred from publicke imployments and defrauded of the course of Law c. Such a broyling disposition was like powder layed aboundantlie in mines that lacked nothing but firing In Boheme was their head-mine because of the electiue Kingdome and the exasperate minds of people for their crossing in Religion Thervnto the Iesuits layed the match of a new oppression to force the fire of defence They both sought and wrought this occasion of the Bohemianes the meeting of all their Provincials at Rome was to devise how to vse their opportunitie which they had long exspected So soone as Boheme fired their mines played in all places at once so that none could either helpe another as they were wont nor saue themselues Thus the Protestants were at one time everie where oppressed Secondlie their periurie is manifest For they come directlie against their promise confirmed by oath The Pacification of Passau was solemnelie ratified at Augsburg And the Emperour Rudolph and Mathias confirmed the liberties of Boheme by Letters reversall which in electiue Kingdomes are strong obligements of Princes and haue the force of mutuall contracts And Ferdinand the second by the like Letters declarations and Edicts confirmed the same But most solemnelie by his oath at his Coronation did sweare to maintaine both the Sacred and civill peace of the Impyre That hee would keepe the Electours Princes c. in their possessions dignities and rights That hee would keepe friendship and good correspondence in the Impyre and not bring strange forces in it That he would iniure or offer violence to no Elector nor Prince of the Impyre That hee would not proscriue any vnheard or without a cause That hee would not labour to turne the Imâ—yre hereditarie to his house And finallie that if hee did any thing beside or contraire to his Capitulation it should
Gods institution Man had his owne ends of vaine glorie Auarice Reuenge c. But as GOD was therein punishing sinne so also prouyding Order among men and therefore hee taketh with â—rincipalitie as his owne ordinance By mee Kings reigne and Princes decree Iustice. There bee sundrie wayes to come to a Kingdome The suffrages of people in Election Victories in Conquest Birth in Succession But GOD is the Authour of Magistracie who giues Kingdomes and transferres them at his pleasure That Kings are it is the diuine Law written in the hearts of men But that such or such a man is a King is by diuine â—rouidence They are the most eâ—inent and conspicuous Thinges in the World Their beginning course and end seeâ—es to some to be of Fortune And such as contemne that blind idole ascriue them to Fate an imaginary necessitie beside the will of GOD and Man but diuine Providence disposeth all humane Kingdomes Man by sinne hath drawne on manie Necessities but GOD hath appointed lawfull Callings as their Remeede and Supplie and if wee compare him to a Body they goe in foure sorts The first is of Callings absolutlie necessar for our Beeing as Husbandrie and Pasturage the two Legges whereon the great body of man standeth Wee are of the earth wee walke on it and liue by it and these two Callings draw the substance out of it in Fruites and Fleshes for our necessitie The profit of the Earth is for all The King himselfe is serued by the Field The second is of such Callings as beside Necessitie haue great Profit for our well beeing as Crafts and Merchants these are busie about the fruites of the former Callings the first perfecting them by Arte the other changing these fruits of Nature and Arte these are as the two Hands in this great Bodie The third is of such Callings as beside Necessitie and Profite haue also Ornament for our better Being These are as the Heart of this Bodie in liberall Sciences and Professions c. They frame and fashion the Soule which is the Man and make him a Man properlie The fourth is of such Callings as beside Necessitie Profite and Ornament are for human Perfection for our best Beeing in this life that is Principality Gouernement as the Head in the ciuill Body perfecting it with humane excellencie But the Pastorall calling answereth all these respects spirituallie GOD made all this plaine in the beginning First he gaue Adam a Being then appointed him Maintenance and a Law to lead his life And when hee fell his first businesse was tilling of the ground by Cain and pasturage by Abel as meanes to helpe the difficultie of maintenance that came by the curse layd vpon the â—arth for his sins Thereafter came the inuention of Mechanicke Trades to make vse of the fruites of these two simple Callings and Gouernement came in also in the owne degrees and periods Lastly when men were sensible of their miserie spirituall temporall and from that sense Seth called his son Enosh that is Miserable or Calamitous â—hen Religion was solemnlie exercised by in-calling on the Name of the Lord. They found such miserie as neither humane Inuention Industrie nor Gouernement could helpe therefore took them aboue all to the Religious worship of God that he wold mitigate the just curse by his supervenient Blessing and leade them to a better Paradyse than they had lost Three sorts of Gouernement were in Adam The Husbandlie gouernement ouer Eua his wyfe The fatherlie ouer his Children and the Princelie ouer all mankinde so long as hee liued The first was more a bond of loue with his Wife another himselfe The third was a sort of authoritie as a Superiour ouer inferiours And the second was mixed of Loue and Authoritie As mankind increased so GOD drew out the Lyne of principalitie in Families Townes and Countries c. which are both seuerall partes of Principalitie and Images of it to testifie that mankind cannot well subsist without Gouernement Euerie man carieth the image of it in himselfe hee hath a bodie of many parts and euerie part hath the owne temper and forme to bee a seate or instrument of some power in him The Soule likwise hath diuersitie of powers to vnderstand remember will c. And yet notwithstanding of this diuersitie they haue all such a respect vnto other that they submit themselues to a gouernement for the good of euery one seuerally and of the whole man in which respect wee may call Man A little Kingdome Gouernement then is of absolute necessitie without which neither House nor Citie nor Nation can stand no not the nature of things nor the world it selfe For what is a multitude of people without it but a liuelesse and confused masse They are not set to work in their seuerall callings neither haue they fruite of their labours neither vse nor enjoying of their fruites But Gouernement as a vigorous life quickeneth all giues a beautie to the bodie and a sort of abilitie to euerie particular member It is principallie in the head and from thence floweth to euerie member to enable it for its own office I need not to inlarge this point This Citie other places of this Kingdome that were sometimes quickened and warmed civillie by the presence of Kings are now in a languishing Widow-hood because of the farre distance of that warming Sunne Principalitie maketh a great relation in mankind It is the Head and such an Head as receiuing due respects from other Callings imployes it selfe againe to their good They sustaine it by their offices and labours and it recompenceth them with a mutuall sustaining in that it prouydeth for them both libertie to labour in their Callings and peace to enjoy the fruite of their labours without which the better their Lotte be the greater crosse if it bee pulled away by warre or oppression It is Gods Wisedome to rule man by Man and to set vp some of Mankind aboue the rest Thogh Kings be of the same kind by Nature yet their degree and Spirit make them seeme to be of another kind that the mutuall dueties of commanding obeying may be the more distinct And then to make them the more pleasant he hath bound these far distant degrees in the bond of one kind Kings command their Inferiours louinglie as their owne kind Inferiours obey Kings willinglie as their owne kind The communion of the kind distinguished by God in degrees keepes that Relation contentedlie The Head the Hands and the Feete differ in their places offices yet are all one flesh in one Bodie The Head commandeth them not rigorouslie neither doe they obey it grudginglie but all their Offices are done in loue to other The disposing of these places and degrees are absolutely in Gods hand and hee commands euery one to apply themselues to other according to their place This is the Finger of God to make
least notice of Gods will is sufficient to moue them to doe his will God communicateth his eternall Law to creatures according to their kind and capacitie Hee giveth to heavenly creatures a celestiall Law to adhere to him to reasonlesse creatures a naturall instinct to direct them in their course without either sense of his goodnesse or reflecting on him But to man renewed such a Law where of Reason is capable and Conscience sensible and that both in pietie and righteousnesse The first is all in respect to him the other to man Naturall men can exerce materiallie the workes of Iustice but not spirituallie because they haue no grace nor the bands of a true Religion to God Iustice and pietie of the olde Romans were but a forced curing of the contrare vices that their ambition and pride whereof they were sicke might rule in them Of Princes ruling of their owne Persons and of their Court. THis princely governement is not to bee restrained to the people alone but beginneth at the person of Princes goeth to their Families So David who conceived this Prayer wrote that Commentat on it that hee would sing of Iustice and of Iudgement not onelie exercised amongst his people but also in governing himselfe and his Familie For the first hee sayth I will behaue my selfe in the perfect way That is a good government that beginneth at himselfe Privat men are tolerablie called Kings when by Gods grace they command their own passions For whosoever subdues his owne bodie neither suffereth his Soule to bee troubled with passions while hee refraineth himselfe by a kinglie power is iustly called a King because hee can rule himselfe And if wee rule the earth even this our earthly bodie we are Kings of the earth But this is more in Princes who haue as much natiue corruption as privat men and more power to vtter it The wise ruling of themselues is necessar to moderat their great power The Heathen could say If thou wilt subiect others to thee subiect thy selfe to reason And the Impyre agreeth to none but to such as are better than any of their Subiects But the Divines spake more clearelie by Kings vnderstand these who direct the motions of their soule according to the will of God And they are good Kings who can proue themselues Governours of their Body And iustly they are called Princes who exerce ever a principalitie over their owne thoughts by sound Iudgement It is often seene that greatest power hath greatest righteousnesse joyned with it and that for the good of Princes and people If their passions were like their power they would soone ruine their state or persons or both but Pietie and Iustice ioyned to their power moderateth their passions and preserveth all as the King of the Bees hath a sting but never vseth it to revenge And where shall Iustice haue the owne worke if not in the heart of Kings It must first begin there else it cannot haue the worke on other Iustice distributeth dueties to each one and there must bee in a iust man a iust order that the minde bee subiect to God the body to the Soule and both to God If this bee not there is no righteousnesse in vs and so there cannot be an externall governing righteousnesse This is the glory of Kings when their power is accompanied and sweyed with Iustice in their owne persons when the living law liveth according to the written Law and authoritatiue Iustice becommeth exemplar Iustice their life by example insinuating that to people what the Law and authority commandeth them then Iustice is not so much a gift annexed to their power as a grace changing their persons An evill King is a servant to as many masters as hee hath vices but hee who commandeth his passions is a King indeede because hee ruleth himselfe and is neither taken captiue of sinne nor caried violentlie of vice Man that ruleth over beasts hath beastes within him anger barketh more fiercely than a Dog he that is speedie to wrongs is a Serpent and he that is set for revenge is a Viper Shall man haue Impyre over the outward beasts and leaue the inward beasts loose This is most necessary that rulers of men rule themselues least they fall in contempt For how can hee correct the manners of others who cannot correct his owne An evill man though hee reigne is a slaue to his passions The Kings example is a Law to his Subiects Their mindes are lift vp to his Eminencie and what hee doeth hee seemeth to command The peoples inclination to imitation is the greater because of the greatnesse of his person They passe the good or bad qualitie of the fact and take his greatnesse for a reason The faults of a King overwhelme a people and hee hurteth more by example than by the sinne it selfe And his good example is as forcible to make his people good If they bee godly chast temperate c. they draw many of their Subiects to God but if they bee profaine or dissolute c. they draw multititudes to Hell Pharaoh Herod Nero and such can tell what evill great power ioyned with great wickednesse can doe Therein Sathan exalted sinne when hee vented it by so great persons and disgraced Magistracie when he made it an instrument of monstruous sinnes But God had his good worke therein to teach vs what men clothed with power are in themselues and that principalitie without his Spirit is but a naked sword in a mad mans hand and what a blessing good Princes are who vse their power in such righteousnesse that the world must say They are as good men as they are great Kings This is the Priviledge of Christian Kings God giveth them a greater blessing than other Kings hee maketh them by grace Kings over themselues as well as over their Subiects as they giue Lawes to other so they take Lawes of God and vse their power as they may bee best countable to him they haue principality of authority as Kings and they reigne by grace over themselues as Christians There is no truely free King but a Christian King and such as is neither captivat by the corruption of Nature nor popish superstition but set at libertie by the Law of the Spirit of life in Iesus Christ. Such a King is an Image of God who governeth all in righteousnesse and wisedome and then hee shall most please the King of kings if restraining his power hee thinke that lesse is leasome to him than hee may The other taske of his governement is his Familie I will walke within mine house with a perfect heart I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes c. And in all that Psa. he setteth down the dyet of his house or court-governemēt a fit patern for Princes to follow The court of Kings is an abridgement of their Kingdomes and the
of horses on their head or wombe pressing out their Braines and Bowels are the vsuall comforte that fallen men can sinde Their death is violent in rage at their enemies and without comfort in soule or bodie from their friends A Romane Souldier spoyling his slaine enemie found that hee was his Brother and killed himselfe for griefe And what is all warre-fare but a killing of our Brethren Warres then are the last of all remeeds A wise Physitian goeth not at the first to cutting and burning but after all other cures haue failed So a wise Prince goeth not to warre till all peaceable treatings faile It is not vndertaken for it selfe but for peace and some in a tolerable peace haue made warre for a better peace As a man evill cured of a broken legge will breake it againe to haue it better cured This is the taske of a good King in peace to bee furnished for warre and in warre to aime at peace and if he must haue warres abroad to keepe loue and peace at home with his Subiects and amongst themselues True Religion in puritie peace the greatest care of Kings Subjects OF all that is spoken a generall duetie riseth both for Princes and people that if they would haue all these former blessings they striue carnestlie to maintaine a true Religion So Theodosius on his death-bed exhorted his Sonnes aboue all things to maintaine the true Faith And Iustine told the like to Tiberius his Successor It directeth Kings to bee Kings according to Gods heart and people to obey as the Lords people It tempereth authoritie in Princes and sweetneth Subiection to people The great power of Princes that might turne in tyrannie is made profitable for people the naturall antipathy that is in some people is mitigate and so Princes rule meekelie and people obey willinglie Thereby Kings are taught the forme of Governement from God who disposeth all things sweetely and powerfully and people submitteth themselues to his ordinance as to the will of their Father Kings see great meekenesse ioyned with great power in Christ who beeing the Lord of all made himselfe a servant to all and people see in him a willing subiection to Ioseph and Marie in the course of his education And both of them respect other not onelie as men but as Christians the Brethren of Christ and partakers of that same grace and glorie in Heaven Out will by nature is captivate to sinne and the fountaine of disobedience but beeing made free by grace it sweetelie inclineth that way that God directeth it God dwelleth in Kingdomes where true Religion is harboured by grace giveth an higher qualification to men as it maketh them true Christians in their Persons so their actions and offices are good service to God when they are done at his command and respect to his glorie Impyres haue their beginning growth hight and fall But they fall not as they rise They rise by small degrees but fall at once as by a precipice Belthazar in one night lost his life and his Kingdome and the Persian Monarchie fell to Alexander in one day But there is nothing more forcible to make a Kingdome immortall than Religion truelie practised thereby God dwelleth in a Land as their glorie and their Shield Kingdomes without true Religion are not so the old Monarchies of Assyria Greece c. and Republickes as Rome Sparta c are but bad paternes of Governement they went no further than Nature because they had none other guide And neither knew God in Christ nor sanctification by grace They had indeede a right to secure them from the chalenge of man but in the vse of it were almost as farre behind Christian Kingdomes as flock of Beastes are behind Pagan societies The Heathâ—n saw this farre that Religion is most necessar for Estate And some of them gloried that the Romanes came to their Monarchie not so much by power and craft as by their Religion But what they spake of their superstition we apply it to the truth for it is Religion and the feare of God that keepeth the Societies of men in order without which the life of man would bee filled with foolishnesse wickednesse and cruelâ—ie As true Religion bindeth Princes people together so doth it Kingdome with Kingdome The pride of Conquerours falleth not in a godly Prince all the foure Monarchies were founded by Pagans wheÌ„ the Roman Emperors turned Christian they left their conquering humour though they had power to conquer more Christ the Prince of Peace maketh such Kings as hee ruleth peaceable his Gospel is a Law of peace and his grace maketh men as Lambes to do as they would be done to â—hogh the beasts in the Ark keeped their naturall fiercenes vet God suspended it during their byding there and the Lyon the Lambe liued peaceablie together Nature and superstition bidde men vse their sword to conquer and destroy but the grace of Christ maketh them turne their Swords in Syths and their Speares in Mattockes Pagans and Mahumetans warre against other and both of them against Christians and amongst Christians the conquering humour is not in Protestant Princes but in Papists because their superstition mortifies not their corruption but giveth it full libertie Since the Catholike Kings became Iesuited as well in policie as in Religion they are the oppressours of Europe but when they turne to the truth they will lay downe that invading and encroaching humour and content them to rule their owne Subjects in peace But since poperie directeth them to oppresse other and for that end hath set vp the negociating and statizing order of the Iesuits it is not the Religion of the Lambe but the crueltiâ— of the Dragon France Austria Spaine haue their owne iealousies and encroachings on other and will keepe them so long as they are Popish But when they become reformed in the true Religion they will accord among themselues So true Religion is a bond of peace and maketh Kingdomes in the world like houses in a Citie who delight in a neighbourlie concord By all meanes therefore Princes and people would maintaine the true Religion and that without any mixture or libertie to professe a false Religion There is but one God and one true Religion expressed in Scripture and all false Religions and their mixtures with the Truth offend him Hee forbad Israel to till the ground with diverse sorts of Beasts or to sow it with diverse seedes or to make garments of linnen and wollen together and that not so much for these things in themselues as to tell that hee abhorred all mixture in Religion Therefore Constantine spake like himselfe I haue thought that most of all to bee proponed by mee that in the multitude of the holy Catholicke Church one Faith and sincere Charitie should bee keeped Politicks call this mixture an Accommodation or Toleration the Cassandrians call it a mitigation or condescending and