to and intayled upon him in his own hands unclipped and unshaken for when the multitude shall be unbridled and the rights of the Kings are brandished in their hands we shall assuredly tast and I feare in too great a measure as experience now sheweth of those miserable evils which uncontrouled ignorance furious zeale false hypocrisie and the mercilesse cruelty of the giddy-headed people and discontented Peeres shall bring upon us and our Prince But to make it manifest unto the world what power and authority God hath granted unto Kings for the government of the Church and the preservation of his true religion we find them the worst men at all times and in all places that mislike their government The Kings that maintaine true religion make their Kingdoms happy and reject their authority and we see those Churches most happy and those Kingdomes most flourishing which God hath blessed with religious Kings as the State of the Church of Judaea makes it plaine when David Ezechias Josias and the other virtuous Kings restored the religion and purified that service which the idolatry of others their predecessours had corrupted and we know that as Moses * Exod. 14.31 Numb 12.7 8 Deut. 34.5 Josh 1.1 2. so Kings are called the servants of God in a more speciall manner then all others are that is not onely because they serve the Lord in the government of the Common wealth but especially because he vouchsafeth to use their service for the advancement of his Church and the honour of his sonne Christ here on earth or to distribute their duties more particularly we know the Lord expecteth The double service of all Christian Kings and so requireth a double service from every Christian King 1. The one common with all others to serve him as they are his creatures and Christians and therefore to serve him as all other Christians are bound to doe 2. The other proper and peculiar to them alone to serve him as they are Kings and Princes 1. As they are Christians In the first respect they are no more priviledged to offend then other men but they are tyed to the same obedience of Gods Lawes and are obliged to performe as many virtuous actions and to abstaine from all vices as well as any other of their Subjects and if they faile in either point they shall be called to the same account and shall be judged with the same severity as the meanest of their people and therefore Be wise O ye Kings Psal 2.10 be learned ye that are Judges of the earth Serve the Lord in feare and rejoyce unto him with reverence for with God there is no respect of persons Rom. 2.11 Psal 149.8 but if they doe offend he will binde Kings in fetters and their Nobles with linkes of iron and we dare not flatter you to give you the least liberty to neglect the strict service of the great God In the second respect 2. As they are Christian Kings and that is twofold the service of all Christian Kings and Princes hath as I told you before these two parts 1. To protect the true religion and to governe the Church of Christ 2. To preserve peace and to governe the Common-wealth For 1. It is true indeed that the Donatists of old 1. To protect the Church the grand fathers of our new Sectaries were wont to say Quid Imperatori cum Ecclesia what have we to doe with the Emperour Aug. cont lit petil l. 2. or what hath the Emperour to doe with the Church but to this Optatus answereth that Optat. Melivet lib. 3. Ille solito furore accensus in haec verba prorupit Donatus out of his accustomed madnesse burst forth into these mad termes Prima omnium in republ functionum est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist l. 7. c. 8. for it is a duty that lyeth upon all Princes because all both Christians and Pagans ought to be religious as I shewed to you before not onely to be devout but also to be the meanes to make all their Subjects so farre as they can to become devoted to Gods service as the practice of those Heathens that had no other guide of their actions then the light of nature doth make it plaine for Aristotle saith Aristot Polit. l. 3. c. 10. that Quae ad Deorum cultum pertinent commissa sunt regibus magistratibus those things that pertaine unto the worship of the gods are committed to the care of Kings and civill Magistrates and whatsoever their religion was as indeed it was but meere Superstition yet because Superstition and Religion hoc habent commune doe this in common Vt faciant animos humiles formidine divum Therefore to make men better the more humble and more dutifull the transgression thereof was deemed worthy to receive punishment among the Pagans and that punishment was appointed by them that had the principall authority to governe the Common-wealth The chiefâ— Mâ—gistrates of the Heathens had the charge of religion as the Athenian Magistrates condemned Socrates though he was a man wiser then themselves yet as they conceived very faulty for his irreligion and derision of their adored gods And Tiberius would set up Christ among the Roman gods though the act added no honour unto Christ without the authority and against the will of the Senate to shew that the care of religion belonged unto the Emperour or chiefe Magistrate and therefore as the Lord commanded the Kings of Israel to write a copie of his Law in a booke Deut. 17 18 19. and to take heed to all the words of that Law for to doe them that is not onely as a private person for so every man was not to write it but as King to reduce others to the obedience thereof so the examples of the best Kings both of Israel and Juda and of the best Christian Emperours doe make this plaine unto us Josh 24 23. for Ioshua caused all Israel to put away the strange gods that were among them The care of the good Kings of the Iewes to preserve the true religion and to incline their hearts unto the Lord God of Israel Manasses after his returne from Babylon tooke away the strange gods and the Idols out of the house of the Lord and cast them all out of the Citie and repaired the Altar of the Lord and commanded Iuda to serve the Lord God of Israel And what shall I say of David whose whole studie was to further the service of God and of Iehosaphat Asa Iosias Ezechias and others that were rare patternes for other Kings for the well government of Gods Church and in the time of the Gospell Quod non tollit praecepta legis sed perficit which takes not away the rules of nature nor the precepts of the Law but rather establisheth the one perfecteth the other because Christ came into the world non ut tolleret jura seculi sed ut
Sectaries to make the royall Dignity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a humane ordinance therefore I must goe before Herodotus and looke further then blinde Homer could see and from the first King that ever was I will truly lay downe the first institution and succession of Kings and how times have wrought by corruption the alteration of their right and diminution of their power which both God and nature had first granted unto them God the first King 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 1.17 Apoc. 19.16 And I hope no Basileu-mastix no hater of Kings nor opposer of the royall government can deny but that God himselfe was the first King that ever the world saw that was the King of ages before all worlds and the King of Kings ever since there were any created Kings The next King that I reade of was Adam whom Cedrenus stiles the Catholique Monarch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a mighty King of a large Territorie of great Dominion and of unquestionable right unto his Kingdome which was the whole world the earth the Seas and all that were therein For the great King of all Kings said unto him Be fruitfull and multiply and replenish the earth Gen. 1.28 and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the Sea Adam the first King of all men and over the fowle of the aire and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth Which is a very large Commission when dominare is more then regere and therefore his royalty is so plaine that none but wilfull ignorants will deny it to be divinum institutum a divine institution and affirme it as they doe to be humanum inventum a humane ordination when you know there were no men to chuse him and you see God himselfe doth appoint him Iohan. Beda de jure regum p. 4. and after the flood the Empire of Noah was divided betwixt his 3 sonnes Japhet raigned in Europe Sem in Asia and Cham in Africa Yet I must confesse the first Kingdome that is spoken of by that name is the Kingdome of Nimrod Gen. 10.9 who notwithstanding is not himselfe termed King but in the Scripture phrase a mighty hunter because he was not onely a great King but also a mighty Tyrant or oppressour of his people in all his Kingdome or as I rather conceive it because he was the first usurper that incroached upon his neighbours rights to inlarge his owne dominions and the first King that I finde by that name in the Scripture was Amraphell King of Shinar Gen. 14.1 with whom we finde 8 other Kings named in the same chapter But we are not to contest about words or to strive about the winde when the Scripture doth first give this name unto them the plaine truth is that which we are to enquire after and so it is manifest there were Kings ever since Adam and so named ever since Noahs floud for Melchizedech which in the judgement of Master Selden Broughton and others was Sem the eldest sonne of Noah though mine owne minde is set downe otherwise was King of Salem and Justin tells us that long before Ninus which was the sonne of Nimrod there were many other Kings as Vexores King of Aegypt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripides de Cyclop and Tanais King of Scythia and the like and as reason sheweth us that every one qui regit alios rex est so every master of a family that ruleth his owne houshold is a petite King as we commonly say to this very day every man is a King in his owne house and as their families were the greater so were they the greater Kings so Abraham had 300 and 18 servants Gen. 14.14 that were able men for the warre in his owne house and therefore the inhabitants of the Land tell him Princeps Dei es inter nos thou art a Prince of God that is a great ruler amongst us and yet the greatest of these rulers were rather reguli then reges Kings of some Cities or small Territories and of no large dominion Josh 12.14 as those 31 Kings which Joshua vanquished doth make it plaine Selden in his Titles of honour cap. 1. But Master Selden confesseth that civill societies beginning in particular families the heads thereof ruled as Kings and as the world increased or these Kings incroached upon their neighbours so their Kingdomes were inlarged Kings therefore they were and they were Kings from the beginning But how they came to be Kings or what right they had to that regall power from whence their authority is derived 1. Whether God ordained it or 2. Themselves assumed it or 3. The people conferred it upon them herein lyeth all the question The chiefest rights to Kingdomes either of three wayes To which I must briefly answer that the right of all Kings which have any right unto their Kingdomes is principally either 1. By birth or 2. By the sword or 3. By choice whereof The last is and may be just and good The second is so without question but The first is most just so best of all For 1. The best right wiâ—hout contradiction is by inheritance 1. The best right whereby the Patriarches and all the rest of the posterity of Adam injoyed their royalty was that which God hath appointed that is the right of primogeniture whereby the elder was by the law of nature to raigne and rule over the younger as God saith unto Cain though he was never so wicked an hypocrite Gen. 4.7 unto thee shall be the desire of thy brother and thou shalt rule over him though he was never so godly and syncere a server of God Gen. 25.31 which made Jacob so earnestly desirous to purchase the birth-right or the right of primogeniture from his brother And 2. The right by conquest is a just and a good right 2. When the rightfull Kings became with Nimrod to be unjust Tyrants then God that is not tyed to his Vicegerant any longer then he pleaseth but hath right and power Paramount to translate the rule and transferre the dominion of his people to whom he will Psal 89 44. So the Israelites enjoyed the kingdome of Canaan and David the territories of them that he subdued c. Esdras 1.2 Esay 45.1 2. Dan. 2. c. 4. hath oftentimes throwne downe the mighty from their seat and given away their crownes and kingdomes unto others that were more humble and meeke or some other way fitter to effect his divine purpose as he did the kingdome of Saul unto David and Belshazzar's unto Cyrus and this he doth most commonly by the power of the sword when the Conquerour shall make his strength to become the Law of justice and his ability to hold it to become his right of enjoying it for so he gave the Kingdomes of the earth to Cyrus Alexander Augustus and the like Kings and Emperours that had no â—â—her right to their Dominions but
the midst of thine enemies and some thinke that it were but just if our King though he be never so loath should now at last turne the leafe and follow the example of God himselfe who when his children regard not his grace and set at naught all his counsels will laugh at their calamity Prov. 1.16 17. and mocke when their destruction commeth as a whirle-winde and should make London as Hierusalem and as other the like rebellious Cities that the Lord in his just revenge of their iniquity hath suffered to be destroyed and to be made an heape of stones The wealth pride of the Citie of London have brought this misery and calamity upon all the Kingdome of England because the Londoners have shewed themselves in many things worse then the Jews and for rebellion have justified all the Cities of the world or if the King will not do this though I dare not say of them as Antoninus after he had heard the confession of a miserable covetous wretch said unto him Deus miscreatur tui si vult condonet tibi peccata tua quod non credo perducat te in vitam aeternam quod est impossibile yet seeing their sinnes are so intolerable among men and so abhominable in the sight of God it is much feared that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 2.5 after their hard hearts which cannot repent they will still proceed to heape upon themselves the heavy wrath of God till there be no remedy to preserve them from utter ruine and destruction though from my heart I wish them more grace and pray to Almighty God that Nullum sit in omine pondus Or if this cannot be that they may escape that damnation Rom. 13.2 which the Apostle threatneth to all them that resist this ordinance of God 6. 6. Prayers for the King The last but not the least part of that honour which is due to our King is our prayers to God for him and as the other duty was to be performed by the practice of all good Subjects Aâ—nâ—saeâ—â— c. 2. p. 38. so is this to be observed by the precept of the Apostle who though the Kings were Ethnicks and Tyrants yet commandeth us to pray for them and that you may know what manner of prayer the Christians made for their persecuting Kings Tertul. ad Scapâ—ta Marcus Aurelius Christianarum nalitum erationibus ad Dâ—â—m faâ—â—is â—â—bres vt â—â—eriam in expeditione Gâ—rmâ—ntâ—a â—â—pâ—travit Tertullian that lived under the Emperour Severus saith in the behalfe of all the Church Omnibus Imperatoribus precamur vitam prolixam imperium securum domum tutam exercuus fortes senatum fidelem populum probum orbem quietum quaecunque hominis Caesaris vota sunt and I feare me our Rebels pray for none of these things to a most Christian King Nam orare pro aliquo in exitium ejus machinari annon haec sunt sibi contraria for to pray for ones health and long life and to doe our best to worke his destruction Non bene conveniunt can never proceed from a true heart but as the uncharitable Papists prayed for the successe of the Gun-powder Plot which was a Treason sine exemplo quia crudelis sine modo saying Gentem auferto persidam Credentium de finibus Vt Christo preces debitas Persolvamus alacriter So the practice of these Rebels makes us believe their prayer is Regem auferto persidum Credentium de finibus * I am ashamed to set dowâ—e how the factious and malicious Preachâ—rs of the rebellious Cities either neglect to pray at all oâ— pray most seditiously and unchristianly for their owne Liege Lord and gracious King and therefore the curse of Iudas lights upon them that their prayer is turned into sinne which should make them pray that Iudas his end should not fall unto them c. But we that desire to follow the Apostles Precept considering the greatnesse of his cares and charge that he doth undergoe and the multitude of dangers that he is liable to will most heartily pray to God both in our Morning and our Evening Prayers both at our sitting and at our rising from our meat Vt vivat Rex exurgat Deus dissipentur inimici that God would give his Angels charge over him to preserve him in all his wayes that he dash not his foot against a stone that his enemies may be cloathed with shame and that he may flourish as the â—â—â—liâ— that he may raigne long and happily here and raigne for ever in Heaven this shall be my prayer for ever CHAP. XVIII The persons that ought to honour the King and the recapitulation of 21 wickednesses of the Rebels and the faction of the pretended Parliament 3. HAving seene the Person that is to be honoured 3. The persons that must honour the King and the honour that is due unto him we are now to consider in the last place who are to honour him included in this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour ye him which being unlimited and indefinite is equivalent to an universall and so S. Paul doth more plainly expresse it saying 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.1 Let every soule be subject to the higher powers which is an Hebrew ideome or Synecdochicall speech signifying the whole man the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being usually taken in Scripture pro toto composito for the whole man composed of body and soule as where it is said Gen. 46.26 27. Act. 2. that Jacob went downe into Egypt with 70 soules and S. Peter by one Sermon converted 3000 soules and the abstract word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is here taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew that our subjection obedience and honour which we are to ascribe unto our King must be not as hypocrites render it in shew from the teeth outward but really and indeed ex animo from our soules and the bottome of our hearts as Aquinas glosseth it and the concrete 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 added unto it makes it the more energeticall to shew that all mortall men none excepted are obliged to doe this honour and to yeeld this subjection unto their King for seeing every man both spirituall and temporall and every sex both man and woman and every degree of men young and old rich and poore one with another hath an immortall soule as well as a mortall body it must needs follow that all cujuscunque gradûs sexûs conditionis are obliged both in soule and body to honour and obey their King And yet it is strange to see how many men can exempt themselves and grant a dispensation unto their soules for the performance of this duty for the Pope will be freed The Pope and his Clergie would be freed from the subjection of Kings because he hath a power above all powers to depose Kings and to dispose of their Kingdomes at his pleasure and the Popish
unrighteousnesse Injustice destroyeth Kingdomes the same being as it was said of Carthage fuller of sinnes then of people as you see the Monarchy of the Assyrians was translated unto the Medes and Persians and the most famous republ of the Romanes was spoiled when forgetting their pristine honesty they became unjust Lucan l. 1. Mensuraque juris Vis erat And the law was measured by strength and he had the best right which was most powerfull and so the ancient nation of the Britons came to utter ruine and destruction propter avaritiam principum injustitiam judicum negligentiam episcoporum luxuriam populi saith Gildas Ezechiel â—3 11 and 18.32 And therefore God that desireth not the death of a sinner much lesse the ruine of any nation would have us to seeke for justice and to live uprightly one among another but as the sheepe that are without a shepheard wander where they list so as you read often in the booke of Judges when the people were without a King there was no justice amongst them but every man did that which was right in his owne eyes therefore to prevent oppressions and wrongs Judges 17.6 God out of his infinite love and favour unto mankind from the beginning of the world called and appointed Kings to be his vicegerents to judge the earth Dan. 2.21 37 1. Chron. 2 84 1. Sam. â—0 1 1. Reg. 19.15 Romans 13.4 Tertull. ad Scap. c. 2. Optat. cont Parmen l. 3. p. 8 5. Auson in monâ—syll Et id possumus quod iure possumuâ— Chrysost ad Pop. Antioch hom 2. Ambros apol pro Davide c. 4. c. 10. Aug. de civit l. 4. c. 33. Greg. epis l. 2 ep 110. Autor libelli cui inscriptio brevis narratio quomodo Hen. 4. c. Bellar. de laic c 5. Rhem. anno 1. Pet. 2.23 â— De la Cerda in Virgil. l. 11. p. 560. c. Herod l. 2. Plut. in vit Cicero 2. orat in Anton. Ovid Mei 6. Suet. de act c. â— and to see that the poore and the fatherlesse have right for besides many other places that might be alleadged the Spirit of God saith directly ego dixi Dii estis and by me Kings do reigne that is by my appointment by my direction and by my protection they doe and shall rule and reigne over my people as Tertull Optat. S Chrysost S. Ambrose S. Aug. S. Gregory and the rest of the most Orthodox fathers have ever taught and maintained and therefore this is not inventum humanum as the Puritanes have dreamed and the Popes flatterers have maintained but it is an ordination of God that we have Kings given unto us not to domineere and to satisfy their untamed wills and sensuall appetites but to administer justice and judgment unto their people and so to guide them to live in all peace and tranquillity for as Auson saith Qui rectè faciet non qui dominatur erit rex And therefore Plinius Secundus in his panegyricks saith ut faelicitatis est posse quantum velis sic magnitudinis est velle quantum possis bonitatis facere quantum justum as it is a great felicity to be able to doe what we will so it is a most heroicke resolution to will no more but what we should and to doe nothing but what is just Claudian saith to Honorius Nec tibi quid liceat sed quid fecisse decebit Occurrat mentemque domet respectus honesti and so Homer saith that Sarpedon preserved Licia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 through justice and fortitude whereupon the old Scholiast citeth the words of Aeschilus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that vertue and justice are ever coupled together and Dio Chrysost faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he is the best of men that is the most valiant and most just Orat. 2. and Herodian saith of Pertinax that he was both loved and feared of the Barbarians as well for the remembrance of his vertues in former battels as also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that wittingly or willingly he never did injustice to any man at time Plutarch ascribeth these vertues to Lucullus and to Paulus Aemilius Cicero saith the like of Pompey Ovid of Erictheus Suetonius of Octavius Augustus his father Virgil of Aeneas Krantius of Fronto King of the Danes and of our late King Iames of famous and ever blessed memory we may truly say Cui pudor justitiae soror Incorrupta fides nudaque veritas Quando ullum invenient parem Horat. l. 1 od 26. Neither need I blush to apply the same to our present King So you see how Justice exalteth a nation commends the doers of it and crownes them with all honour and as the Poet saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he that worketh justly shall have God himselfe for his Coadiutor But here you must observe that which indeed is most true 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He is not a iust man that doth no hurt but he that is able to do hurt Who rightly termed just and will not doe it that can be unjust and will not be for it is no great matter to see a poore man that hath no ability to doe no wrong but it is hard to use power right even in the meanest office and therefore this is that that is to be urged to be then most just when we have most power to offend which most properly doth belong to all Kings and Princes to put them in mind of their duties to what end God hath made them Kings for they are but base flatterers quibus omnia principum honesta atque inhonesta laudare mos est Tacit. annal l. 3. Plut. in Apotheg Eustach ad Iliad β. Salust in Orat. â—as cont Catil that will commend all the doings of Princes be they good or bad and which say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things are honest and just that Kings doe as that flattering Sycophant said to Antigonus or like those Chirodicai 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who thinke justice lieth not in the Lawes but in their hands because as Caesar saith in maxima fortuna minima licentia est the higher their places are the more righteous they ought to be and the lesse liberty of sinning is left unto them and that in respect 1. of God 2. of others 3. of themselves For 1. Where God hath conferred much honour Kings ought to be more just then all otherâ— in 3 respects there he expecteth much equity and the more goodnesse where he bestowed the more grace ideo deteriores estis quia meliores esse debetis and will men therefore be the more sinfull Luke 12.48 Salvian de Provid l. 4. because they ought to be the more righteous 2. All mens eyes are upon the Prince and as Seneca saith of the royall Pallace Perlucet omne regiae vitium domûs the houses of Kings are like glasses and every man may looke through them so their actions can no more be hid then
thee out of a land that flowed with milke and hony out of those houses that were filled with all manner of store into a land of misery into houses of sorrow that are filled with wailings lamentations and woes when we see the faithfull City is become an harlot our gold drosse and our happinesse turned to continuall heavinesse But as the Rutilians considering what fruit they should reape by that miserable warre wherein they were so farre ingaged cried out at last Scilicet ut Turno contingat regia conjux Viâ—gil Aeneid l. 12. Nos animae viles inhumata infletaque turba Sternamur campis we undoe our selves our wives and our children to gaine a wife for Turnus so our seduced men may say we ingage our selves to die like doggs that these rebells may live like kings who themselves sit at ease while others indure all woes and doe grow rich by making all the kingdome poore and therefore ô England quae tanta licentia ferri lugebit patria multos when as the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 3.13 evill men and seducers wax worse worse deceiving being deceived for God is not mocked but whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reape for Gal. 6.7 though we for our sins may justly suffer these and many other more miseries we doe confesse it yet the whole world may be assured that these rebells The Rebells sure to be destrâ—yed the generation of vipers being but the rod of Gods fury to correct the offences of his children such seeds of wickednesse as they sow Contemptrix superum savaque avidissima cadis violenta fuit scires è sanguine natam can produce none other harvest then ruine and destruction to all these usurping kings and traytors who thinke to please God by doing good service unto the Devill and to goe to Heaven for their good intention after they are carried into Hell for their horrid Rebellion God Almighty grant them more grace and our King more care to beware of them and when God doth grant him rest with David 2 Sam. 7.1 on every side round about him to restore his Bishops and Clergy to their pristine station that when these bramble rods are burnt and these rebels fallen the King and the Bishops may still stand like Moses and Aaron to guide and governe Gods people committed to their charge And thus I have shewed thee ô man some of the sacred rights of royall Majesty granted by God in his holy Scriptures practised by Kings from the beginning of the world yielded by all nations that had none other guide but the light of nature to direct them I have also shewed thee how the people greedy of liberty and licenciousnesse have like the true children of old Adam that could not long endure the sweet yoke of his Creator strived and strugled to withdraw their necks from that subjection which their condition required and their frowardnesse necessitated to be imposed upon them and thereby have either graciously gained such love and favour from many pious and most clement Princes as for the sweetning of their well merited subjection to grant them many immunities and priviledges or have most rebelliously incroached upon these rights of Kings wresting many liberties out of the hands of government and forcibly retaining them to their owne advantage sometimes to the overthrow of the royall Government as Junius Brutus and his associates did the Kings of Rome sometimes to the diminution of the dimidium if not more then halfe his right as the Ephori did to the Kings of Lacedemon but alwayes to the great prejudice of the King and the greater mischiefe to the Common-wealth because both reason and experience hath found it alwayes true that the regall government or Monarchicall State though it might sometimes happen to prove tyrannicall is farre more acceptable unto God as being his owne prime and proper ordinance most agreeable unto nature and more profitable unto all men then either the Aristocraticall or Popular government either hath or possibly can be for as it is most true that prastat sub malo principe esse quà m sub nullo it is better to live under an ill governour then where there is no government so praestat sub uno tyranno vivere quà m sub mille it is better to be under the command of one tyrant then of a thousand as we are now under these Rebells who being not faex Romuli the worst of the Nobility but faex populi the dreggs of the people indigent Mechanicks and their Wives captivated Citizens together with the rabble of seduced Sectaries have so disloyally incroached upon the rights of our King and so rebelliously usurped the same to the utter subversion both of Church and Kingdome if God himself who hath the hearts of all Kings in his hand and turneth the same wheresoever he pleaseth had not most graciously strengthned his Majesty with a most singular and heroick resolution assisted with perfect health from the beginning of their insurrection to this very day to the admiration of his enemies and the exceeding joy and comfort of his faithfull Subjects and with the best ayde and furtherance of his chiefest Nobility of all his learned and religious Clergy his grave and honest Lawyers and the truly worthy Gentry of his whole Kingdome to withstand their most treacherous impious barbarous and I know not how to expresse the wickednesse of their most horrid attempts so thou hast before thee life and death fire and water good and evill And therefore I hope that this will move us which have our eyes open to behold the great blessings and the many almost miraculous deliverances and favours of God unto his Majesty and to consider the most horrible destruction that this warre hath brought upon us to feare God and to honour our King to hate the Rebells and to love all loyall Subjects to doe our uttermost endeavour to quench this devouring flame and to that end with hand and heart and with our fortunes and with the hazard of our lives which as our Saviour saith shall be saved if they be lost to assist his Majesty to subdue these Rebels Luk. 9.24 to reduce the Kingdome to its pristine government and the Church to her former dignity that so we may have through the mercy of God peace and plenty love and unity faith and true religion and all other happinesse remaineing with us to the comfort of our King and the glory of our God through Jesus Christ our Lord To whom with his father and the holy spirit be all honour thanks prayse and dominion for ever and ever Amen Amen Iehovae liberatoni FINIS
the Citie that is placed upon an hill but their least and lightest acts are soone seene 3. Their places are as slippery as they are lofty when as one saith height it selfe maketh mens braines to swimme Seneca in Agamemn 2.1 nunquam solido stetit superba foelicitas and proud insolency never stood sure for any certaine space for as God hath made them gods so he can unmake them at his pleasure Aug. ho. 14. and as S. Augustine saith Quod contulit immerentibus tollit malè merentibus quod illo donante fit nostrum nobis superbientibus fit alienum what God hath freely bestowed upon you without desert he may justly take away from you for your evill deserts and what is ours through Gods gift may be made another mans through our owne pride and not onely so but as he hath heaped honours upon their heads that they might honour him so if they neglect him he can powre contempt upon Princes Job 12.21 and cast dirt in their faces and make them a very scorne to those that formerly they thought unworthy to eate with the dogs of their flocke and then Quanto gradus altior Job 30.1 â—anto casus gravior the higher they were exalted the more will be their griefe when they are dejected as it was with those Kings that being wont to be carried in their royall Charets were forced like horses to draw Sesostris Coach Quia mâ—serrimum est suisse felicem because it is a most wretched thing to have beene happy and not to be or as the Poet saith Ovidius Trist l. 3. Eleg. 4. Qui cadit in plano vix hoc tamen evenit unquam Sic cadit ut tactà surgere possit hâ—mo At miser Elpenor tecto dilapsus ab alto Occurrit regi flebilis umbra suâ— And therefore all Kings should be ever mindfull of the words of King David 2. Sam. 23.3 He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of God and all these things that I have set downe should move all Kings and Princes to set their mindes upon righteousnesse Psal 58.1 to judge the thing that is right and to live to raigne and rule according to the straight rule of the Law What should move all Kings to rule justly according to Lawes that so carrying them justly and worthily in their places the poore people may truly say of them Certè Deus est in illis they may well be called Gods because God is in them and if these things will not nor cannot move them to be as mindfull of their duty as well as they are mindfull of their excellency then let them remember what the Psalmist saith Psal 149.8 He will bind Kings with fetters and their Nobles with linkes of iron and let them meditate upon the words of King Solomon where he saith unto them all Heare O ye Kings and understand learne ye that be Judges of the ends of the earth give eare you that rule the people and glory in the multitude of Nations for power is given you of the Lord and soveraignty from the Highest who shall trie your workes and search out your counsels because being Ministers of his Kingdomes you have not judged aright nor kept the Law nor walked after the counsell of God horribly and speedily shall he come upon you for a sharpe judgement shall be to them that are in high places for mercy will soone pardon the meanest but mighty men shall be mightily tormented Sap. 6. usque ad vers 9. for he that is Lord over all shall feare no mans person neither shall he stand in awe of any mans greatnesse for he hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike but a sore tryall shall come upon the mighty Heb. 10.31 And the Apostle saith It is a fearefull thing to fall into the hands of the living God which things should make their eares to tingle and their hearts to tremble whensoever they step aside out of Gods Commandements And thus we set downe the charge of Kings and the strict account that they must render unto God how they have discharged the same whereby you see we flatter them not in their greatnesse but tell them as well what they should be as what they are and presse not onely obedience unto the people but also equity and justice unto the Prince that both doing their duty both may be happy CHAP. XV. Sheweth the honour due to the King 1. Feare 2. An high esteem of our King how highly the Heathens esteemed of their Kings the Marriage of obedience and authority the Rebellion of the Nobility how haynous 3. Obedience fourefold diverse kinds of Monarchs and how an absolute Monarch may limit himselfe 2 I Have shewed you the person that we are commanded to honour the King 2 The honour that is due to the King I am now to shew you the honour that is due unto him not only by the customes of all Nations but also by the Commandement of God himselfe Where first of all you must observe that the Apostle useth the same word here to expresse our duty to our King as the holy Ghost doth to expresse our duty to our father and mother for there it is said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and here S. Peter saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to shew indeed that the King urbi pater est urbique maritus is the common Father of us all and therefore is to have the same honour that is due to our father and mother The same that is due to our Father and Mother and I have fully shewed the particulars of that honour upon that fift commandement I will insist upon some few poynts in this place and as the ascent to Solomons throne was per sex gradus by sixe speciall steps so I will set you down six main branches of this honour that are typified in the six ensignes or emblems of Royall Majesty for 1 The Sword exacteth feare Six speciall branches of the honour due to the King and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth as much 2 The Crowne importeth honour because it is of pure gold 3 The Scepter requireth obedience because that ruleth us 4 The Throne deserves Tribute that his Royalty may be maintained 5 His Person meriteth defence because he is the Defender of us all 6 His charge calleth for our Prayers that he may be inabled to discharge it 1. Feare 1. Kings are called Gods and all the Royall Ensignes and Acts of Kings are ascribed to God as their Crown is of God whereupon they are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal 21.3 crowned of God their sword is of God Psal 18.39 Iudg. 7 17. Exod. 4.20.17.9 whereupon the Psalmist saith thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle their Scepter is the Scepter of God for so Moses rod which signifieth a Scepter as well as a rod is called the rod of God their throne is
Parliament they being the first of the three Estates of this Kingdome to take away not some but all the Kings rights out of his hands and to make him no King indeed to take away all our goods our liberties and our lives at their pleasure and then to assure the Devill they would be faithfull unto him Holland and Bedford show'd what trust is to be given them which were thus faithlesse unto God to sweare againe and make a solemne Covenant with Hell they would never repent them of their wickednesse but continue constant in his service till they have rooted out whom they deemed to be Malignants though the King who is wise as the Angell of God that hath the Kings heart in his hand and turneth it like the rivers of waters Proverb 21.1 where he pleaseth knoweth best what to doe as God directeth him yet for mine owne part No trust to be given to lyers and perjurers 2 Sam. 20.20 16. either in peace or warre I would never trust such faithlesse perjured creatures for a straw and seeing that to spare transcendent wickednesse is to increase wickednesse and to incourage others to the like Rebellion upon the like hope of pardon if they fayled of their intention if our great Metropolis of London partake not rather of the wise spirit of the men of Abel then of the obstinacy of the men of Gibeâ—h and deliver not unto the King the chiefe of those rebells that rose up against him I feare that Gods wrath will not be turned away Judg. 20. but his hand will be stretched out still untill he hath fulfilled his determined visitation upon this Land and consummated all with their deplorable destruction How the King desired the good of the Rebels even as he did those obstinate men of Gibeah and Benjamin for though the King beyond the clemency of a man and the expectation of any rebell hath most christianly laboured that they would accept of their pardon and save themselves and their posterity yet their wickednesse being so exceeding great beyond all that I can finde in any history rebellion it selfe being like the sinne of witchcraft the rebellion of Christians farre worse and a rebellion against a most christian pious Prince worst of all and such a rebellion ingendered by pride fostered by lyes augmented by perjury continued by cruelty refusing all clemencie The unspeakeable greatnesse of their sins despising all piety and contemning God their Saviour when they make him with reverence be it spoken which is so irreverently done by them the very pack-horse to beare all their wickednesse being a degree beyond all degrees of comparison hath so provoked the wrath of God against this Nation that I feare his justice will not suffer their hearts that can not repent to accept and imbrace their owne happinesse till they be purged with the floods of repentant teares or destroyed with the streames of Gods fearfull vengeance which I heartily beseech Almighty God may by the grace of Christ working true repentance in them for themselves and reducing them to the right way be averted from them And the best way that I conceive to avert it to appease Gods wrath and to turne away his judgements from us is Hâ—w we may recover the peace and prosper ty of this land to returne back the same way as we proceeded hitherto to make up the breaches of the Church to restore the Liturgie and the service of our God to its former purity to repeale that Act which is made to the prejudice of the Bishops and Servants of God that they may be reduced to their pristine dignity to recall all Ordinances that are made contrary to Law and derogatory to the Kings right and to be heartily sorry that these unjust Acts and Ordinances were ever done and more sorry that they were not sooner undone and then God will turne his face towards us he will heale the bleeding wounds of our land and he will powre downe his benefits upon us but till we doe these things I doe assure my selfe and I beleeve you shall find it that his wrath shall not be turned away but his hand will be stretched out still and still untill we either doe these things or be destroyed for not doing them Thus it is manifest to all the World that as it was often spoken by our sharpe and eagle sighted Soveraigne King Iames his speech made true by the Rebels King James of ever blessed memory no Bishop no King so now I hope the dull-eyd owle that lodgeth in the desart seeth it verifyed by this Parliament for they had no sooner got out the Bishops but presently they laid violent hands upon the Crowne seized upon the Kings Castles shut him out of all his Townes dispossest him of his owne houses tooke away all his ships detayned all his revenues vilified all his Declarations nullified his Proclamations How the Rebells have unkingd our King hindered his Commmissions imprisoned his faithfull Subjects killed his servants and at Edge-hill and Newbury did all that ever they could to take away his life and now by their last great ordinance for their counterfeit Seale they pronounce all honours pardons grants commissions and whatsoever els His Majestie passeth under his Seale to be invalid void and of none effect and if this be not to make King Charles no King I know not what it is to be a King so they have unkingd him sine strepitu and as the Prophet saith they have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not but whom have they made Kings even themselves who in one word Hos â— 4 doe and have now exercised all or most of the regall power and their Ordinances shall be as firme as any Statutes and what are they that have thus dis-robed King Charles and exalted themselves like the Pope as if they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What kings they would have to rule us the great Antichrist above all that are called Gods truly none other then king Pym king Say king Faction or to say the truth most truly and to call a spade a spade king perjurers king murderers king traytors * Which S. Peter never bade us honour and I am sorry that I should joyne so high an office so sacred a thing as King to such wicked persons as I have shewed them to be And what a royall exchange would the Rebells of this kingdome make just such as the Israelites made The Rebels brave exchange when they turned their glory into the similitude of a Calfe that eateth hay and sayd these be thy Gods ô Israel Psal 146.20 which brought thee out of the land of Aegypt for now after they have changed their lawfull King for unlawfull Tyrants Judg. 9.15 and taken Jothams bramble for the cedar of Lebanon the Devills instruments for Gods annointed they may justly say these be thy Kings ô Londoners ô Rebells that brought