of my body which is every day threatned by Pursuivants to bee haled to Prison if Your Majesties Iustice and good Lawes doe not all the better safeguard mee But prison or not prison I heartily thanke my Lord Iesus Christ who hath accounted mee faithfull and called me forth to stand for his cause and to witnesse it before all the World by publishing my said Sermons in Print that thereby also I might cleere both the cause and my credit which they haue publikely before hearing branded with sedition All which I humbly commit to Your Majesties Royall Patronage as Who next under God are most interessed in the Cause Now the Lord Iesus Christ the King of Kings and Lord of Lords so unite and combine your heart unto Himselfe that You being guided by His Spirit of Wisedome and Vnderstanding of Councell and strength and of the feare of the Lord You may doe Valiantly and prosper in stopping the course of all Innovators and Backe-sliders into Popery that so with and under Christs Kingdome Yours may be established in Righteousnesse to You and your Royall Posteritie untill time shall be no more Which is the daily Prayer of Your Majesties dutifull Servant and Subject HENRY BVRTON FOR GOD AND THE KING PROVERBES 24. 21. 22. My sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both THis time is a time of sorrow and humiliation but this day a day of joy and festivity to bee celebrated in this our anniversary thankfull remembrance of a great and memorable deliverance as on this day 31. yeeres agoe So as this day falling in so sad a season is like a starie peeping and shining forth through the cloudes of a dolesome duskie night and by and by ready to be overclouded againe Such is our joy such is our sorrow this long that short this a summer and a winter plague that a widowes joy a blaze and away Yet sith God is pleased in the midst of judgement to remember Mercy there is no reason that this calamitous time should so farre dampe us as to deprive both us of our comfort and God of his glory this day Therefore wee may say with David Why art thou cast downe o my soule I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Or as Psal. 101. I will sing of Mercy and Iudgement And surely that joy is soundest which is seasoned with some sorrow As saith the Psalmist Serve the Lord with feare and rejoyce with trembling It 's good to be merry and wise as saith the Proverbe Sadnesse is as salt that seasoneth our mirth and preserues it from corruption Well blessed be God who in the midst of many sad dayes hath sent us this joyfull day to sing praise unto him for that mercy which hath made it a day of joy unto all good Christians and all good Subjects in this land Sutable therefore to the occasion of this day and season I have made choice of this Text It comprehends one of those wise Sentences Counsells or Proverbs which King Solomon a Preacher also inspired with the spirit of Wisedome from God hath left recorded for instruction of the Church of God in all ages If wee seeke to find the coherence or dependance of these words wee may quickly loose our selues and our labour For this Booke of the Proverbs is fitly compared to a bagg full of sweete and fragrant spices which shuff led and shaken together or taken single doe yeeld forth a most pleasant and comfortable odour Or to the Starres in the firmament each in itselfe glorious and independent of another yet all receive their light from the Sunne Like as Eccles. 12. 11. The words of the wise are as goads and as nayles fastened by the Masters of assemblies which are given from one Shepheard This one Shepheard is Christ the Sunne of Righteousnesse who inlightens all the Prophets Or heere are studds of silver in borders of gold Cant. 1. 11. Or apples of gold in pictures of silver Prov. 25. 11. And these things belong to the wise v. 23. The words recited containe three things in generall 1. an Exhortation 2. an Admonition 3. a reason of the admonition The Exhortation in these words My son feare thou the Lord and the King The admonition in these words And meddle not with them that are giuen to change the reason of the admonition in these words For their calamity shall arise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both In the Exhortation these particulars are considerable 1. The Person Exhorting and that is King Solomon instructing the people as from Gods owne mouth 2. The persons exhorted to wit all Gods people represented heere in the singular number under the name of one sonne and this by a neere bond of relation by a strong cord of affection distinguishing him from others and appropriating him as Gods owne peculiar My Sonne The duty exhorted unto is feare the object of this feare is twofold 1. The Lord. 2. The King In all which we are to observe three things 1. The order of this feare first the Lord and secondly the King 2. the connexion of these two as things inseparable in this duty of Feare Feare the LORD and the KING 3. The speciall property of this duty as peculiar to the child of God above all other Mysonne feare THOV the Lord and the King as if Solomon should have said My sonne how ever the sons of Belial the men of the world cast off all feare both of God and man yet feare THOV the Lord and the King This is the resolution of the Exhortation 2. In the Admonition wee are to note three things 1. The admonition it selfe meddle not 2. Who they be of whom Gods children are admonished namely such as are said here to be giuen to change 3. The antithesis or opposition betweene these changlings and them that truely feare God and the King 3. In the reason of the admonition annexed which is taken from the dangerous condition that these who are given to change are obnoxious unto wee observe 1. The matter of their danger in these words Calamity and ruine then the manner of their calamity and ruine set downe 1. In it's suddennesse and 2. in its certainty It shall rise suddenly and lastly the unexpected meanes of their ruine contrary to all outward appearance And who knoweth the ruine of them both That is though there be no outward appearance of ruine to these men but that all things prosper with them and seeme to be on their side yet their ruine shall be from both these as wee shall further open by and by Now having distributed the words into their severall parts and that without curiosity taking them as they lie naturally in the text come wee briefely to give you the sence of the words First My sonne a compellation frequent and familiar
FOR GOD and the KING THE SVMME OF TWO SERMONS Preached on the fifth of November last in St. MATTHEWES FRIDAY-STREETE 1636. By HENRY BVRTON Minister of GODS Word there and then 1. PET. 2. 17. Feare GOD. Honour the KING 2. TIM 4. 1 2 3. I charge thee before God and the Lord Iesus Christ who shall judge the quicke and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdome Preach the Word be instant in season out of season reproove rebuke exhort with all long suffering and doctrine For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine c. Bernard in Dedic Ecclae Ser. 3. Non miremini fratres si durius loqui videor Quia veritas neminem palpat Printed Anno Dom. 1636. TO THE KINGS MOST EXCELLENT MAIESTIE CHARLES BY THE GRACE OF GOD King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. SIR What the title in the front professeth FOR GOD AND THE KING the substance thereof was by me preached in two Sermons on the last fifth of November 1636. to teach my people obedience to both And for this I was by the divine providence directed to this Text Prov. 24. 21. 22. My Sonne feare thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall arise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both The Doctrines of which text as I thought the more necessary to be preached and pressed in these times of Apostacy and defection from the due obedience both of God and the King So I deemed that day the memoriall whereof should cause all loyall subjects for ever to detest all Innovations tending to reduce us to that Religion of Rome which plotted that matchlesse treason the most seasonable for this text as wherein our Solemne acknowledgement of our sacred thankes to God for our great deliverance the fruits whereof we injoy at this day under your Royall and happy government being a strong ingagement and inducement to every good duty both to God and the King might worke the more kindly effect in the hearers a word in season being as the Wiseman saith like Apples of gold in pictures of silver Now although the generall good acceptation of the word then preached whereby the peoples hearts were much affected being instructed and exhorted to sticke closse to God and the King in all manner of duties to each that none of those of whom my text admonisheth might worke a disvnion might have beene a sufficient motive of publishing those Sermons in print for the generall good of all your Majesties loving Subjects throughout this your Kingdome yet Lo a necessity it now layd upon mee For on December 3. after my house had beene searched by a Pursuivant Constables and Wardens of the Company of Stationers for a booke which I had not then and there the Pursuivant served me with Letters Missive from the High Commission to appeare on Twesday then next ensuing before Doctor Ducke at Chesewicke there to answer to Articles against me The Articles were all of them against my preaching and in speciall and by name against my Sermons on November 5. on Prov. 34. 21. 22. Therein was objected to me that I preached against sundry Innovations which indeed was one speciall point in my text as alterations in the booke for the fift of November alterations in the new Fast-booke contrary to your Majestes Proclamation which Orders the old Fast booke set forth by your Majesties authority to be reprinted and published alterations in the Booke of Common Prayer set forth by Act of Parliament a turning out of the Collect for the Queene and Royall Progeny these words Father of thine Elect and of their seed as if they would blot out your Majesty Qeene and Royall Progeny out of the number of Gods Elect and in the Epistle on Sunday before Faster for IN the name of Iesus is now put AT the name of Iesus c. alterations in setting up of Altars Images Crucifixes in bowing to the Altar in putting downe afternoone Sermons on the Lords dayes in sundry Diocesse in allowing no other Catechising but by bare Question and Answer out of the Booke without expounding of the maine Principles of Religion to the ignorant youth and people in reading of a second Service at the Altar in the upper end of the Chancell where in many great Churches the people cannot possibly heare not even in lesser Churches or indifferent without a stentorious voyce of the Minister together with sundry other things of the like nature some truely alledged which I am readie to maintaine against the Innovators and some falsely and maliciously perverted whereof I am readie to give your Majestie a true account And in the end of all the Articles I was charged to bring in a true copie of my Sermon The conclusion was a booke tendred to me to sweare to answer to those Articles Here at I startled admiring that these things should be charged upon me as crimes which both were truthes and pertinent to my text and necessarie to admonish my people of as leading them from the feare of God and of the King I also upon the suddaine apprehended that I could expect small iustice of those that were not only the countenancers but practisers yea and which is the highest degree of all iniquity open maintainers of such innovations and that in that very Court where they ought rather to bee severely Censured and Suppressed but that on the contrarie I should be there censured as a Delinquent for executing my Ministerie in speaking the trueth and reprooving of Sinne. And againe considering with my selfe that this cause was of a higher nature then to be so much as hazzarded upon the iudgement of these who were professed parties I presently reflected my thoughts upon your Sacred Majestie as not only worthie to take the cognizance of so waightie a cause and the best able both in respect of your Princelie wisdome and unpartiall iudgement to waigh it in a just ballance but also as the prime and principall person next unto God whose honour and welfarre it most neerelie concerneth and who next after God are ingaged in my text to inquire into So as my replie to Dr. Duke was Sir I humblie appeale to the Kings Majestie my Soveraigne and Patron as my judge in this cause and before whom I shall be both a Defendant and Complainant For I hold it not fit that they who are my adversaries should be my Iudges These were the verie words of my Appeale to Your Majestie as I remember Now thou my Gracious Soveraigne that which my profest adversaries in so just a cause did unjustlie and against the Law require of me namelie to bring them a copie of my Sermon that so they might at their pleasure take advantages by perverting of my words I doe here most freelie and faithfullie in all humblenesse present to Your Majestie yea and that with manie additions and inlargements like to Ieremies rowle
man but as it is indeed the Word of God When a sonne heares the counsell of his Father that is wise loving kind true and powerfull to make good what he saith it drawes on and commaunds attention Such a Father is God infinit inall his Attributes Secondly to heare as a son makes for fervent affection in loving imbracing and highly esteeming the Word of God The reason that many men doe not receive the Word of truth in the love of it is because they are none of his sons They are as Ahab they heare the truth at the Prophets mouth but they hate him and the truth As Christ said to the Iewes when they boasted that God was their Father and they were Abrahams children If God were your Father you would love me And if Abraham were your father you would doe his workes for hee rejoyced to see my day It is therefore a son-like affection that intertaines Gods Word with love whither hee checke or whither hee cherish whither hee threaten or comfort 3. To heare as a sonne is an inducement to frequent meditation of the Word heard As Prov. 7. 1. 2. 3. My sonne keepe my words and lay up my Commaundements with thee Keepe my Commaundements and live and my Law as the apple of thine eye Bind them upon thy singer write them upon the table of thine heart For the instructions of such a Father are so many Iewels As Prov. 1. 1. 9. an ornament of grace to thy head and chaines about thy necke yea a crowne of glory Prov. 4. 9. Now a man will alwayes bee minding his treasure where his Iewels bee Where the treasure is the heart will bee saith Christ. 4. To heare Gods Word as his sonne makes for diligent observation and obedience This is the true try all of Sons if they observe their Fathers commaundements If I be a Father saith God where is mine honor Our Fathers honor is our following of his counsells and obeying his Commaundements Vse 1. For tryall of our Son-ship by these former signes and markes by our reverend attention in hearing as to gods owne Word by our fervent love in intertaining his Word by our frequent meditation of it and by our diligent observation As Zach. 6. 15. 2. For instruction this is the maine duty of a Christian to bee most carefull of his behaviour and frame of spirit about the hearing of Gods Word And therefore Christ often admonisheth his disciples Take heed how ye heare and Take heed what ye heare For according to our hearing is our soule indueth with faith and seasoned with grace and illuminated with sound and saving knowledge of Christ and the whole course of our life regulated and framed 3. And lastly for reproofe and conviction those as no Sons of God but enemies and rebels that hate and despise Gods Word in the powerfull Ministry of it and doe with might and maine labour to oppose and oppresse it Such plainly shew themselves whence they come namely as those mysts and foggs from the bottomlesse pit which darken the cleare light of the Sun and Starres so doe these overclowd the beames of the Gospel that they cannot shine forth to the Church of God Or they are those froggs uncleane spirits out of the mouth of the Dragon and Beast and false Prophet whose croking cryeth downe the voyce of Gods Ministers and which doe corrupt the pure streames of the waters of life by their filthinesse In a word these are the limbs of the Beast even of Antichrist taking his very courses to beare and beat downe the hearing of the Word of God whereby men might bee saved like to the Iewes of whom the Apâ—stle sayth who both killed the Lord Iesus and their owne Prophets and have persecuted us and they please not God and are contrary to all men Forbidding us to speake to the Gentiles that they might be saved to fill up their sinnes aâ— way for the wrath is come upon them to the uttermost And surely the wrath hangs over the heads of these men which must needs sease upon them ere long if they speedily repent not whereof there is little hope But leave wee them and come we to the matter of the exhortation Feare thou the Lord c. Whence the point is 1. That it is the duty of every true Christian to feare the Lord and this with a filiall feare as is implyed in this word My sonne feare thou the Lord. This filiall feare is used in Scripture for the whole worship and service of God and comprehends in it all vertues and graces of Gods spirit As Eccles. 12. 13. Let us heare the end of all Feare God and keepe his Commaundements for this is the whole man that is the whole duty which God requireth of his children So Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt feare the Lord thy God and serve him and shalt sweare by his name And Esa. 29. 13. Their feare towards mee is taught by the precâ—pt of men that is the worship and service they performe unto me is taught by mans precepts Which is that â—aine worship whereof Christ convinceth the Pharises In vaine they worship me teaching for doctrines the Commanâ—ements of men And Acts 10. 35. In every nation hee that feareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him Thus by these places wee see how the true feare of the Lord is taken for the whole worship and service of God both internall and externall and so for every grace of Gods Spirit in us as faith hope love and the like Reasons of this point 1. Because the true feare of God is a fundamentall grace and respecteth all the Commaundements of God as the object of it As Psal. 112. 1. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he delighteth greatly in â—is Commaundements 2. Because where God is not truly worshipped there is no feare of God As in Esay 29. 13. This people draw neere me with their mouth and with their lips doe honour me but they have remooved their heart farre from me And the reasonis added Their feare towards me is taught by the precept of men 3. Because where other vertues be not the reason is because true feare is not Which argues that true feare of God is inseparably combined with other graces As Rom. 3. 10. 18. the Apostle reckoning up a bead-row of iniquities concludes with this reason There is no feare of God before their eyes So Mal. 3. 5. I will come neere to you to judgement and will bee a swift witnesse against the Sorcerers and against the adulteâ—ers and against false swearers and against those that oppresse the hireling in his wages the widow and the fatherlesse and that turne aside the stranger from his right Well what 's the ground of all this wickednesse It is there added And feare not me saith the Lord of Hoasts 4. Because holy feare is the seasoning and salt of every vertue and of the whole worship of God As Psal. 5. 7. In
thy fâ—are will I worship towards thy holy Temple So Psal. 2. 11. Serve the Lord in feare Which I say is such a feare as hath in it faith love affiance and other graces 5. Lastly wee are bound to performe all obedience to God in a holy feare by vertue of the Word of God as the rule and of the Covenant God hath made with us in his Word and we with him Gods Law is so the rule of our feare and obedience to God as it is death to feare or obey him otherwise then hee hath commaunded us in his Law Els it is rebellion not obedience will worship not service to God And this wee are bound to by mutuall Couenant 1. God binds himselfe to be our God and King by Covenant in his word as Exod. 20. Secondly wee bind our selves by a reciprocall Covenant as in our Baptisme to bee his Servants and to serve him as hee hath commaunded in his Law Vse of this point is first for reproofe and conviction of the whole Romane Synagogue as being altogether devoyd of the true feare of God and consequently is no true Church of Christ â—…one of the Kings Daughter none of his spowse Why For all her feare towards God is taught by the precept of men her service of God is a Masse of Idolatry and Superstition Will-worship of mans invention and therefore though they draw neere to God with their lipps yet their hearts are farre from him And so in vaine they worship him nay they worship the Devill and not God as the Apostle sheweth 1. Cor. 10. 20. For all Idolatry as that of the breaden god in the Masse is the worship of the Devill They will say they worship God in the Host So did the Pagans plead for themselues that they worshipped God in their Idols Yet saith the Apostle I say that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to Devills and not to God And God disclaimes all worship of Him that is not according to His Word and He abhorres such presumptuous worshippers as those that doe not feare him So as secondly heere are justly reprooved those men as wanting the true feare of God who in these dayes shew themselves Antichrists Factors both in teaching practising and pressing new Formes of worship Secundum usum Sarum and setting them up againe in Churches as Altar-worship Iesu-worship Image-worship Crosse-worship and the like A plaine evidence that these men what ever they most hypocritically pretend and would bee accounted as a new kind of Saints dropped downe out of the cloudes as most holy and devoute persons have no true feare of God in them Yea their hearts are far from God Their feare is more towards an Altar of their owne invention towards an Image and Crucifix towards the sound and sillables of Iesus then towards the Lord Christ. For did they truely feare Christ they would not as they doe so desperately and furiously persecute him in his faithfull Ministers and members and make havocke and turne upside-down the very glory of Christ's Kingdome in the Ministery of His Word and power of Religion and purity of his worship which they altogether trample under and defile with their Wolvish feete Therefore forasmuch as they set up and teach a false feare and worship of God in the Churches I saith the Lord will proceede to doe a marvellous worke among the people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisedome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid And v. 16. Surely your turning of things upside-downe shall bee esteemed at the Potters clay But of these more in their proper place A 2. 〈◊〉 â—s for instruction to teach us wherein the true filiall feare of God consisteth namely in the true worship and service of God internall and externall according to the exact forme and prescript of his Word Not to swerve one haires bredth from it Againe that true feare of God stnads in an universall obedience to all and every of his Commandements not onely those of the first Table but those of the second nor onely those of the second but those of the first So as Thirdly this may condemne two sorts of grosse Hypocrites 1. Those that seeme exact and punctuall in observing the Commandements of the second Table they are no Adulterers no Drunkards no inordinate livers they are not notorious offenders and what then Hereupon they applaud themselves and would be esteemed of the World good Christians and with the Pharisee thanke God that in these things they are not as other men Extortioners Vnjust c. They live peacably with their Neighbors they pay every man his owne and the like But what 's all this without the feare of God Where is their Piety and Love to God expressed in the duties of the first Table Are they willingly and grosly ignorant of the knowledge of God Doe they hate contemne neglect his words Doe they despise his faithfull Ministers Doe they speake evill of the Way and Profession of Godlinesse Doe they profane the Lords Sabbaths Yea doe they comply with Idolaters in their Altar-worship and Iesu-worship and the like and yet would they bee accounted good honest men Can they be honest and good men that are enemies of God and of the Profession yea and name of holinesse and of the power of Religion and of the true Saints and servants of Iesus Christ Can they be good Christians which are enemies to the Crosse of Christ whose end is damnation whose God is their belly and which minde earthly things On the other side there is another sort of Hypocrites who place all their Religion in the outward performances and duties of the first Table professe a great deale of Religion would seeme very devout but yet are like the Pharisees who under a colour of long prayers devoure Widowes houses Of these Hypocrites there are two sorts 1. Of them that are all for outward formality but their hypocrisie bewrayeth it selfe two wayes First in that though they seeme very devoute in frequenting the Church yet it is in a false way mingling mens devices of will-worship with Gods Ordinance in dividing the Lords day betweene God and the Devill allowing to God onely two houres of the day for his publike worship and the rest of the day to the lusts of men Secondly in that they place all the service of God in reading of long Prayers and thereby exclude Preaching as unnecessary And yet they make no bones of oppressing Gods people and the Kings good Subjects with burthens intollerable to bee borne The second sort is of them that will seeme Religious and to give God his due but make no conscience of giving to all men their due they will make no scruple of Lying of over-reaching in bargaining of living in some secret raigning lust of oppressing of defrawding and the like These are so much the more to be abhorred because by their meanes Religion and the name of
God is evill spoken of And such have beene and will bee in all ages Yet woe be to them that hereupon take occasion to cast an aspersion of reproach upon religion and all the sincere Professors thereof because of a few hypocriticall and false hearted Christians so called who have a forme of godlinesse but deny the power thereof There was among the twelve Apostles one Iudas a traytor a thiefe a notorious hypocrite were therefore all the rest so God forbid And yet is not this one of those subtile practises which Iesuites and their complices the Popes Factors here in England doe familiarly use taking all occasions by laying forth the examples of some faylings or perhaps some grosse sinne in one that is a Professor to brand the whole profession of Religion In so much as they take the paines and spend their time and witts in setting forth pamphlets yea some larger volumes as of that poore distracted man Ap-Evans who as they write should kill his Mother and Brother and all forsooth because they kneeled in receiving the holy Communion Now it is most evident to every sober and rationall man that this poore wretch was out of his witts else he had never done such an outragious act And yet what a hubbub is made hereof how must the Presse sweat with printing this tale of a mad man how must the Court and City and Countrey ring of it And to what end Namely to beware of these Puritans to hate all Puritans for Evans his sake Alas poore Puritans must they all fare the worse for one mad man Yet this is the charity of those that are profest enemies to true sanctity and sincerity And it matters not whither it be true or false it must be believed for truth though this of Evans was in another written copy offered to be licensed but rejected shewed to be quite contrary to the first relation And thus the accuser of the brethren wants not his agents to make advantage of the falls or faylings of some Professors not only to the branding of their persons but even of Religion it selfe and the whole profession of it As when some possessed and overcome with that malevolent humour of blacke melancholy through Satans prevailing over the weaker part doe make themselves away oh how is this exagitated and occasion taken thereby to exclame against Religion or some Puritan Preachers that by the doctrine of Predestination drive men to dispaire and therefore some strict order must bee taken for the suppressing of this Doctrine as dangerous and desperate which notwithstanding the 17. article of our Religion commends Saying The godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselves the working of the spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing up their minds to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall salvation to be inioyed through Christ as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God So the article which I note by the way But the conclusion is the men of the world will have Gods children or Professors of Religion either as the pure and perfect Angels without the least spot of sinfull infirmity or if they be at any time overtaken with humane frailty then they must be taken for blacke divels and their religion to come from hell But all good Christians and wise men of upright judgement will beware of this rocke not to bee Scandalized and fall fowle upon the Religion of Christ either for the hypocrisie of some false Professors or for the infirmity of those that bee sincere and upright in their way but are attended with faylings and humane frailty Concerning which the Apostle gives this good lesson Brethren if a man be overtaken in a fault yee which are spirituall restore such a one in the spirit of meeknesse Considering thine owne selfe least thou also be tempted And againe we that are strong ought to beare the infirmities of the weak and not to please our selves So much of this point That it is the duty of every true Christian thus to feare the Lord as hath beene sayd Againe as there is in Scripture a feare of obedience which feare comprehends the whole service of God and is the whole of a Christian man So there is also a feare of adherence whereby the soule cleaveth inseparably to God This feare is layd downe in Ier. 32. 40. v. I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turne away from them to doe them good but I will put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me This is the feare of adherency And this further sheweth how this feare is not without faith hope and charity as without which it cannot adhere unto God Now from this feare of adherency we learne That the true feare of God in his children preserves them from falling from God and his worship This is confirmed by the forenamed place in Ieremy And this is notably set forth Psal. 1â—2 Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord c. Surely he shall not be mooved for euer v. 6. hee shall not be afraid of evill tidings for his heart is fixed trusting in the Lord v. 7. This is a speciall property and character of the true child of God So 1. Iohn 2 19. speaking of Apostates They went out from us for they were not of us for had they beene of us they would no doubt have continued with us but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us Where wee note these particulars 1. All they that are of us to wit true believers doe no doubt continue in the Communion of Saints 2. They that for a time seeme to be of the number of Gods children and afterwards fall away it is a certaine signe that they were not indeed what they once seemed to be So 2. Iohn 9. Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God hee that abideth in the Doctrine of Christ hath both the Father and the Sonne And it is worth the nothing by the way what is added in the very next words If there come any unto you and bring you not this Doctrine receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed for hee that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evill deeds So that this is the doctrine of Christ namely the doctrine of adherency and perseverance of the Saints in grace as here in the grace of feare This doctrine might further be illustrated and confirmed by many reasons as 1. from the covenant of God I will make an everlasting Covenant with you that I will not turne away from you to doe you good Ier. 32. 40. This is that foundation of God that stands sure and
hath to Pauls and that the daughter may be somewhat like the mother Ezech. 16. 44. As is the mother so is the daughter though the table doe not stand end-wayes an as Altat but with the end to the wall Well yet a rayle must be made about it to infinuate into the peoples mindes an opinion of some extraordinary sanctity in the Table more then in other places of the Church as the Pew Pulpit or Font. Yet all this may seeme tolerable and without danger Well the like is done in other places But this growes further on in many places adorations practised to this new Altar-God yea pleaded for in pulpits and in printed books yea that in sundry Colledges in the Universities the seminaries and seed plotts of learning and Religion so farre pressed as the exemplary practises of those that bee the Heads or Superiors there may any way draw and induce the inferior Students to their imitation either through feare of displeasure or for hope of preferrement Which how perillous it is tending to corrupt the whole land with superstition and Idolatry every one may see Well now what 's the next Thus farre wee now see Popery like a thiefe stollen in upon us step by step when wee as men asleep in our beds suspected no danger And perhaps the next degree will bee the placing of their God-Almighty in the Host or Pix visibly and conspicuously upon the Altar and a Masse with the piping of the Organs chanted unto it as the Israelites did about their Calfe Exodus 32. Therefore doth it not concerne Gods Ministers and people too even from the highest to the lowest as one man to stand out against this creeping gangrene that having begun but in the least member never ceaseth creping till at length it hath prevailed over the principall parts so brought death to the whole body and this such a death as kills the soule and bringe us all backe againe under the most intollerable yoake and bondage of Satan and Antichrist from the which the Lord had so mightily and mercifully delivered us Thus much of the feare of the Lord. Come we now to the next point which is the feare of the King In which we are to observe 1. The kind of this feare 2. The order of it next to the feare of the Lord 3. The Connexion of it with the feare of the Lord being so combined that the one cannot stand without the other First then for the kind of this feare I told you in the opening of the text that it is a Civill feare differing from the feare of the Lord which is a religious feare and so a part of his worship and consequently incommunicable to any creature Yet so as I told you there is a similitude betweene this Civill feare to the King and that religious feare of the Lord. As 1. as the true feare of the Lord comprehends in it all duties and services due from us to God so the feare of the King contaynes all duties due from Subject to their King 2. as the feare of the Lord is a filiall feare so the feare of the King 3. As the feare of the Lord is a feare of adherency so the feare of the King Of these in order and of the points of instruction thence arising Every true Subject and every true servant of God ought to feare his King that is performe all duties and offices whatsoever due from a subject to his Prince For the opening hereof wee must know that the feare of the King containes all duties of a Christian Subject to his King For that which is sayd here Feare the Lord and feare the King is expressed by Peter thus Feare God Honour the King As in the fifth Commandement Honour thy Father and thy Mother Here as by Father and Mother all Superiors that stand in a bond of relation to inferiours as Parents Masters Magistrates Ministers and above all the chiefe Magistrate the Prince is meant so under this word honor all kindes of duty and service due from all inferiours to their Superiours respectively are comprized This is expressed also by Peter Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whither it be to the King as Supreme or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evill doâ—rs and for the prayse of them that doe well This is yet more fully and amply set downe by the Apostle Paul Rom. 13. Where this doctrine is not only prooved but pressed and confirmed by many strong reasons First the doctrine is propounded in the duty injoyned vers 1. Let every soule bee subject to the higher powers The Precept is universall to every creature not Pope nor Cardinall nor Prelate excepted All living under the Kings Dominion must bee subject to the King And the reasons are there rendred 1. Because those higher Powers are of God So as hee that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God Secondly the penalty upon rebells They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation Rebells shall not escape eyther the just hand of man or of God whose ordinance is resisted in resisting of the power Thirdly from the excellent office that the Powers doe beare which is to execute justice and judgement betweene Subjects For Rulers are not a terrour to good works but to the evill And as he rewards the evill with punishment so the good with prayse For wilt thou not be affrayd of the power Doe that which is good and thou shalt have prayse of the same For hee is the Minister of God to thee for good but if thou doe that which is evill bee affrayd for hee beareth not the sword in vaine for hee is the Minister of God a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evill Fourthly there is a necessity of this subjection vers 3. Wherefore ye must bee subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake So as if feare of wrath be not a bond strong enough yet conscience is which will dispense with no man For Gods ordinance bindes the Conscience Fifthly from the end of paying tribute vers 6. For for this cause pay yee tribute also For what cause That is for they are Gods Ministers attending continually upon this very thing That is for the execution of justice in punishing the evill in praysing and countenancing the good And hereupon the Apostle reinforceth his exhortation as an use of the point Render therefore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute is due custome to whom custome feare to whom feare honour to whom honour Againe to the former reasons expressed by the Apostle wee may adde one more answerable and correspondent to that fore-alledged of our obedience unto God for as I said in all things the feare of the King holds a resemblance with the feare of the Lord as being the most exact and perfect patterne of it even as God is the best patterne for a King and
meanes it was raked out of the Ashes I know not but this I am sure of that the republishing of it with some addition was the first remarkable worke which was done presently after the Lord of Canterbury tooke possession of his Grace-ship Which done his Grace was very zealous for the pressing of it to be read in all the Churches of his Province so as the vnwary and hasty reading of it hath caused the dignity of some to kisse the dust and the not reading of it hath cast some out of their livings by suspension yea and out of the Church too by Excommunication though blessed be God their dignity shineth the more gloriously So as the violent and furious pressing of it by the Prelates and their instruments hath proved a most pernicious snare to all the Ministers in England And though the Prelates with their Learned Doctors and heires apparent have pulled their wits broken their braines and sleep spent many precious howers and dayes and moneths in compiling and setting forth Treatises Histories Sermons and such like and all to ouerturne the fourth Commanndement with the Sanctification of the Sabbath day and so bring in Libertinisme and all profanesse into the Church thereby exposing our Religion to the reproch and scorne of the Papists themselves the learnedst of them confessing that their profanation of Holy-dayes caused their Catholick Religion to be Scorned of the very Turkes and hindred their Conversion so farre are we from all hope of converting Papist to our Religion by vsing the Liberty of our vaine and madde fooleries on the Lords Holy day which they detest on their Festivall dayes Yet all their sophistry decurtations of authorities wrestings wrangling windings contradictions vaine distinctions and bold asseverations will never be able to abide the test or yet the light when their drosse and false visard shall come to be puld off Againe besides the dishonour of God and of his word the violation of his holy Commaundement the precipice and downfall of the peoples soules into perdition and the reproch of our Religion and Ministry all which the publick reading of the Booke draweth after it the least whereof were cause sufficient to deterre stay Ministers from reading of it besides many other reasons there is one more and that of no small consequeÌ„ce which makes me treÌ„ble with the very thought of it namely that Ministers in reading this booke to the congregation should declare how the Iustices of Aâ—…s in their severall Circuits are commanded thâ—t no man to trouble or molest any in or for their lawfull recreation such as are there specified Alas then what shall Parents and Masters doe when their Sons or daughters and servants will abroade and take their liberty of Sports at least wise after evening prayer every Lords day and will stay out as long as they please when in the meane time their Parents or Masters being godly disposed would haue them to spend the time at home in the private duties of the day for the good of their soules Gladly would they restraine them but they may not dare not for feare of being brought before the Assises there to bee punished for their Sons or Servants offences And what 's the issue of this Doth it not ingender in youthes mindes too prone to run riot without a spurre contempt of their Parents or Masters being freed by the booke to follow their pastimes on the Lords-dayes after evening prayer so as they will attend upon no private family dutie either requisit for their soules or necessary about the house And though this liberty be dispensed only upon the Lords-dayes and their holy dayes yet it is sufficient to breed in them and traine them up to such a habit of contempt and so of a rebellious humour toward their Parents and Masters as they wil be ready to fly out upon all occasions they wil be contained within no bounds of their obedience Of this how many Masters do complaine but the Iustice that should bright them must for sooth punish those Masters if their servants complaine of restraint And among many other examples of youthâ—… Contempt and rebellion against their Masters and that upon the occasion of the Ministers reading of the said booke in the Congregation I will alledge one related to me in a letter by a reverend Minister of good credit so as no doubt is to be made of the truth of it In October last 1636. the said booke for Sports being publickly read by the minister one Master Hubberd of S. Stephens Parish upon the Lords day three Apprentises being present at the reading of it were so overjoyed at the Liberty dispensed in it as that they spent six shillings that same day at the Taverne concluded to run from their Masters hired horses on the Lords daye 3. weekes ensuing executed their plot rode away towards London were pursued overtaken and two of them brought home made this Confession O coÌ„sider this al ye my brethreÌ„ that have read the booke how many soules you have indangered if not destroyed hereby So as this is a trenching or rather a violent inroade upon the fifth Commandement which saith Honor thy Father and thy Mother c. Thus the reading of this booke to the Congregation teacheth them at once to breake two great Commandements in the Decalogue the last of the first Table and the first of the Second and so cutting in sunder the very sinewes not only of Religion but of all Civill Society at one blow And by this occasion what Ministers instructions Exhortations reprofes of youth in this kind will be of any authority with them when they teach them how to sanctify the Lords day according to his word how to feare God and to honour and obey their owne Parents and masters in the Lord as well upon the Lords dayes as upon other dayes Who then seeth not here a most dangerous overthrow of those two great Commaundements in the Law which are the very pillars both of Religion and of Civill Society and which be ing pulled downe the whole house must needs become a ruinous heape of all confusion And doth not this tend to the inuring and training up of all unbridled untaught and unseasoned youth by degrees to such a height of insolency as that upon some discontents or other occasions as Iesuites baites and seducements they are easily drawne to advance their rebellious lusts against those that bee higher in authority then their Masters and Parents which the Lord prevent Yet such like Souldiers trained up in such a licentiated disorderly campe as that of Venus or the Lady May in their sportfull intertainments are those like to prove who when they should fight for their King and Countrey will bee ready either to take their heeles as not knowing how to keepe ranke or because effeminate Sports and warlike encounters will not suite together Our Homily against wilfull Rebellion noteth how Rebels and Sabbath-breakers goe hand in hand together For there
that in the chiefe place Your Majestie may take a full account of the whole matter whereof nothing is concealed and so also as all Your loving and loyall Subjects may make good use of it Herein besides manie other things the reading whereof will not I hope be losse of time to Your Majestie I haue observed sundrie perillous innovations set on foot in this Your Kingdome worthie Your Majesties saddest consideration And to whom next unto God should I addresse my complaint herein but to Your Majestie whose honour I cannot but be most tenderlie sensible of so deeplie suffering in those Innovations herein mentioned For how frequentlie and Solemlie hath your Majestie made most Sacred Protestations to all Your loving Subjects that you would never suffer the least innovation to creep into Your Kingdome And here both for the comfort to us Your faithfull people and for the conviction and condemnation of our Innovators and for the refreshing of the memorie of Your Majesties Golden Sayings never to be forgotten as most honourable to Your Majestie let me set downe a few of them Your Majestie in Your Declaration to all Your loving Subjects of the causes that mooved You to dissolve the last Parliament published by Your Majesties Speciall command 1628. pag. 21. hath these words We call God to record before whom wee stand that it is and alwaies hath been our hearts desire to be found worthie of that title which we account the most glorious in al our Crowne DEFENDER OF THE FAITH neither shall wee ever give way to the authorising of anie thing whereby ante innovation may steale or creep into the Church but preserve that unitie of Doctrine and Discipline established in the time of Queene Elizabeth whereby the Church of England hath stood and florished ever since And in your Declaration prefixed to the Articles of Religion speaking of Ordinances and Constitutions in Convocation by Your Majesties leave and under Your Seale is added this Proviso Providing that none be made contrarie to the Lawes and Customes of the Land More might be added All which well considered how audacious yea how impious are our Innovatours how fearelesse of Your Majestie how regardlesse of Your Royall Honor that in their Innovations made such havocke commit such outrages and that upon the open theater New Rites and Ceremonies doe now not steale and creep into the Church but nudo capite are violently and furiously obtruded upon Ministers and people and that with suspension excommunication ejection out of house and home threatnings and thundrings to the refusers who dare not yeeld conformity unto them as being against both Law and Conscience and these your solemne declarations So as it seemeth these Innovators will put it to the triall whether their practises will more prevayle against your Majesties Solemne and Sacred Protestations to the contrarie which stand upon Record in aeternam rei memoriam that so they may as much as in them lyeth blast the beautie and glorie of Your Royall Name delivered in Annales to posteritie as if it should be said This King had no regard to sacred Vowes and solemne Protestations which God forbid it should ever enter into the thought of any of Your loving Subjects to suspect or whether your Majestie will looke moore narrowly into their desperate practises not suffering your self to be abused through credulitie of their blandishing flatteries and bainfull suggestions and Your people most intollerably oppressed under their lawlesse power will bee pleased upon others true reports true reports I say for who dare report falsely of them whom so few dare speake the truth against them they be so potent and vindicative to make a full Scrutiny and inquiry into their exorbitant and extravagant courses and thereupon to acquit Your honour in executing of Iustice upon the Delinquents I doe not charge any one particular person That honor is reserved to Your Majestie For as Salomon saith it is the honor of Kings to search out a matter And for me Your Majesties old and faithfull Servant while as Christ Minister a watchman of Israel yea a Sentinell perdu I discover both present and thereupon in my apprehension consequent dangers to my Soveraigne and his State and while as the poore sheep I appeale and complaine to my Shepherd oh never let my Shepherd either leave me in or deliver me into the power of the wolfe And while all along I plead for God and the King for Feare and Obedience and against Innovators the enemies of both oh let my God and my King protect their poore Servant against his adversaries the Innovators in my text Who if they quarrell these my charges I beseech Your Majestie lay Your charge upon them to make a full and cleare answer unto them What shall or can I say more Your Majesties wisedome can pierce deeper into this cause then my shallownesse is able to give intimation wherein you will easily discerne how deeply You are ingaged to close with God and Your good Subjects against all those Innovators the disturbers of the peace and distractors of the unitie of Your Kingdome so as thereby You shall become the most glorious Prince in Christendome formidable to Your enemies and amiable to all Your good Subjects whose hearts and affections being indecred hereby will become a richer Mine to Your Majestie then all the Westerne Indies to the King of Spaine And if my stile seeme sharper then usuall be pleased to impute it to my Zeale and Fidelitie for God and for Your Majestie when I am to encounter with those that he adversaries to both And if any word have dropped from my pen which malice may pervert and wrest to my prejudice I beseech Your Majestie to be my Iudge Your selfe and to consider as on the one side a weake man so on the other a Minister of Christ whose message hee durst not but faithfully discharge to his uttermost power and at his uttermost perill Nor must I looke to fare better then the Prophets of old who complained of those who made a man an offender for a word and laid a snare for him that reprooued in the gate Yea then Christ himselfe whom the Pharisees thought to intangle in his words Yet my comfort is that a Prince so gracious so righteous so religious shall be my Iudge And if my simplicitie shall be by my captious Adversaries found worthy of censure for a word misplaced or so I shall the more willinglie undergoe their censure so as they may haue their condigne punishment according to the Law for their most perrillous Innovations In fine my last comfort is and will be that in case they shall for the present beare me downe together with so Noble a cause as this is which yet I know will in time beate all us Adversaries downe sith it is Christs owne Cause I haue been a true witnesse of Christ and a faithfull subject of Your Majestie in thus freeing mine owne soule by discharging of my duety What ever become