〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one whose will is his law and his children the children of disobedieÌ„ce are stiled by the holy Ghost The sons of Belial the sons of perdition Deus est sua cuique cupido Of all Idolaters he is the most incorrigible who makes his will his God Euery siune is so voluntary that it were no sinne if it were not voluntary Sinnes of infirmity are especially said to bee committed against God the Father whose especiall attribute is power sinnes of ignorance against God the Sonne whose especiall attribute is wisedome but sinnes of malice are sinnes against God the holy Ghost whose especiall attribute is loue T is ill to offend in the former t is fearefull with Saul and his people here to offend in the latter kind If therewere no wil saith holy Bernard there would be no hell Not but that if our will be subiect to Gods will it is in one respect the best of all the soules faculties it being the faculty by which we enioy all other good things Neuer sacrifice more acceptable to God then that of Christ to his Father non quod ego volo Not as I Math. 2â— 39. will but as thou wilt Whereas on the contrary nor witchcraft nor Idolatry could be more displeasing to God then Sauls Rebellâ—on insomuch as Gods Spirit forsooke him because he would not forsake his owne will Non obedire not to haue done the will of the Lord this might haue beene only a sinne of errour or infirmity but nolle obedire as it is here in this Text rebelliously to reiect his Word resist his Spirit and not to be so much as willing to doe his will such stubbornnesse and contumacy was as the iniquity of witchcraft and Idolatry So that now I am come to the very ayme of my text and could wish I had no occasion to proceed I would to God that Saul and his people were only guilty of this sinne but I feare too iustly that I haue beene all this while but telling our owne tale mutato nomine de nobis fabula I professe in verbo Sacerdotis that my conscience apprehends nothing so likely to prouoke yet Gods heauier Iudgements vpon this Land then our wilfulnes and disobedience our stubbornnesse and contumacy first against God in heauen secondly against his Deputy on earth For the first how often hath the Lord called vs by his Word how often by his Iudgements yet at what easie rates haue we sold our obedience to our good God Though Caesar permitted a man to breake his oath yet hee would haue it done for a kingdome Siluester the second as Platina reported gaue his soule to the diuell but it was for a Popedome Fearefull bargaines these Alas What profits it a man to winne the whole world and to lose his owne soule Yet see our contracts are more wickedly ridiculous We wretched wormes will disobey our God for the least interest of gaine the least wantonnesse of the flesh the least punctilio of honour the least atome of vanity for very vile and wretched things that vanish as smoake and if wee compare them either with the eternity of God in Heauen or with the incertainty of our life on earth things that are as if they were not at all yet for their sakes doe we become worse then Iudas himselfe for hee sold Christ but once and that for thirtie pieces of siluer we daily sell him thirty times and that scarce for the price of one piece We sinne because we will sinne for euery trifle swearing by his precious wounds abusing his gracious blessings being as bad as Pilate also crucifying againe the Lord Iesus to giue life vnto Barabbas a murtherer that is vnto our sinfull will that slayes our soules That will and heart of ours which we should giue vp to God our lust hath it or our ambition either new Wine hath Hosea 4. 1â— Matth. 6. 2â— taken it away or else where our Treasure is there is our heart also Would we but looke conscienciously into our selues we should finde that there are two willes in man the will of the flesh and the will of the spirit the one from our selues the other from God If we will follow that only which is our owne the will of the flesh we are meere Monothelites as bad as beasts themselues but if wee submit the will of the flesh to the will of the spirit Tunc erit vera pax hominis quando caro animo iudice regitur animus Deo praeside gubernatur Then is there perfection of happinesse in the soule of man when the flesh is gouern'd by the Spirit and the Spirit by God At which Christian perfection if wee will ayme when God commands we must not spare to slay our Agag to mortifie our neerest dearest sinnes Nay Obedire est obaudire so to captiuate our wils to God that we must heare him not only against our sinnes but against our selues too And that not only in prosperity but in aduersity also otherwise we shall be like a bow which will bend in the belly only but not in the backe In a word Obedience to God is a Royall Sacrifice The feare of the Lord is the glory of the King Though Kings Psal â— 10. haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the will of the subiects vnder them yet God hath the will of Kings vnder him Though Kings be Gods before men yet they are but men before God though Gods on earth yet but Gods of earth subiects to the God of Heauen God raiseth one King by the death of another to let vs know that the liuing King depends vpon the liuing God Though yee are the children of the most high yet yee shall die like men Psal 82. No foundation of a King so sure as obedience to him that made him King No Sacrifice so acceptable as for the King to lay downe his will at Gods Altar As nothing more hatefull in a subiect then rebellion to his King So nothing more dangerous in a King then rebellion to God but if the King trusts in the Psal 21. 7. mercy of the Lord he shall not slide For he giueth deliuerance to Kings and reskues Dauid his seruant Psal 144. â—â— from the hurtfull sword Nor doth the benefit of Royall obedience to God redound to the King alone the King by his righteousnesse Prou. 2â— â— maintaines the Countrey Foelix Respub in qua qui imperat timet Deum saith Iustin How long hath our owne happy experience demonstrated to vs That the Piety of the King is the preseruation of the Common-wealth Nor can we iustly forget the happinesse of this Day wherein our owne soules know that God hath enlarged vs the continuance of this vnualewable blessing a most Pious Sonne succeeding a most Religious Father T is not with vs where the King obeyes the Iesuite the Iesuite his Rector the Rector his Generall his Generall the Pope the Pope his owne Traditions aboue the
Oracles of God The King resolues with Dauid I will hearken what the Lord God will say vnto Psal 85. 8 mee To which end how constant is He in his priuate how frequent in His publick Deuotions how reuerend in His gestures how exemplary in His life Yee cannot count that flattery which our iust comfort and which the duty of the Day cals for If Regis ad exemplum be a good rule can the Kingdome find out a better Master to teach the Atheist Religion the glutton temperance the drunkard sobriety the prophaner sanctity the lasciuious chastity the Idolater Purity Insomuch as would the subiects well learne their Kings lesson we could not haue such cause to feare the wrath of God in the prosecution of his iudgements vpon vs since the Obedience and Piety of this our holy Guardian stands like the good Angell like Moses in the gap to diuert Gods plagues from vs. Oh that therefore His example and the consideration of our owne good would mooue vs to expresse our thankfulnesse in our obedience to God first and chiefly Secondly and by a true rule of subordination to Gods Deputy our King To which we are not onely sweetly inuited by his goodnes but vndenyably obliged by the rule of Conscience for Kings are Gods Christs on earth as the Psalmist cals them They are neither from Pope nor people as some would haue it but hold in Capite immediately from God By me Kings raigne If with Israel thou reiectest Samuel Prouerbs 8. 15. 1 Samuel 8. 7. thou reiectest God himselfe I know there is a generation who thinke themselues bound by their holy profession to quit subiects from their obedience to authorise the deposition nay the murther of Kings with Pope Sixtus Quintus to iustify treasons and parricides as rare and memorable Acts. God forbid any such Zimries or Doegs should lurke within the tents of our Israel The Gospell cannot suffer vs to swell to this height of rebellion Yet that wee may not too much ouer-valew our selues giue mee leaue to wish I would there were none among vs who place their conscience too much in their will who are all for faith and the first table nothing for obedience and the second table I would there were none to tell vs that to obey our Prince is to betray our country none who stampe it as a maine brand vpon the Clergy That they preach obedience Well Christians let it be more practised I dare promise that it will be lesse preached Whence we that preach it haue our warrāt I am sure but in what Catechism these men learne their religion I know not From Rome they are ashamed to take it from Consciencious In Esay cap ◠Caluin they could not who tells vs that the performance of the second table is the true touch stone of hypocrites Much lesse from Iudicious Luther who profest in a point of Canonicall obedience Mallem obedire quà m miracula facere That he had rather obey then doe miracles And therefore these men who will doe nothing without Text might find Text enough for their obedience not onely in my Text here but in 1. Peter 2. Chapter where they are enioyned to obey for the Lords sake and for conscience sake in the 13. to the Romanes 2. where to disobey is damnation In the whole current of the old Testament where we find that for mans disobedience the pestilence hath deuoured them Fire from heauen hath consumed them The earth hath opened her mouth and swallowed them Filthy dreamers as holy Iude cals them who despise Dominion and speake euill Iude ◠1◠◠of Dignities woe vnto them for they haue perished in the gaine-saying of Core Raging waues of the sea foming out their owne shame to whom is reserued the blacknes of darkenes for euer It was the speech of a man renowned for wisedome in our age That if he were commanded to put forth to the sea in a ship that had neither mast nor tackling he would doe it And being asked what wisedome that were replied The wisedome must be in Him that hath power to command not in him that conscience bindes to obey Heare yet a wiser then he My Sonne feare God and Prou. 24. 3. the King and meddle not with them who are giuen to change for their calamity will rise suddainly and who knowes the ruine of them To conclude pretend these men what they will Sine obedientia quisque infidelis esse conuincitur S. Gregory had no faith in their faith who profest against obedience Nemo humanam potestatem contemnit nisi qui prius Diuinam contempsit No man hath learn'd to disobey his King but he had learn'd before to disobey his God Oh let vs all therefore take heed That while we flye from Idolatry we runne not into Rebellion Farre be it from vs to be found with Israel a disobedient and gain-saying people But as God with one hand hath as vpon this Day deriued to vs an Inualewable blessing a true Defender of the Faith and Protector of the Gospel a King resolued to pursue Amalek who hath so often laid in waite for Israel so let vs with another hand offer on the same Day the best of Sacrifices Obedience Obedience to God who hath blest vs with such a King Obedience to our King who is such an example of Obedience to God To conclude Let vs pray for our selues that wee may resist all sinne especially presumptuous sinne especially Rebellion The sinne paralell to Witchcraft and Idolatry And let vs pray for our King that wee long and constantly obeying Him and Hee long and constantly obeying God may liue and prosper in the fauour of God and the loue of his subiects to the confusion of our malicious aduersaries and to the glory of the Gospel This graunt O Thou eternall King of Kings God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whom eternall Trinity in Vnity be all Praise Power Glory c. AMEN FINIS
A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE KING CHARLES March 27. 1627. Being the Anniuersary of his MAIESTIES Inauguration BY ISACC BARGRAVE Doctor in Diuinity Then Chaplaine to his MAIESTIE in Attendance And DEANE of CANTERBVERY BY His MAIESTIES speciall Command LONDON Printed by Iohn Legatt for Peter Paxton and are to be sold at his shop at the Angell in Pauls Church-yard 1627. 1. Sam. 15. vers 23 Rebellion is as the sinne of Witch-craft and stubbornnesse as the wickednesse of Idolatry OVR all-wise God who made Order the measure of his creation placed man among the creatures here below as the chiefe Administrator of order Man was then planted as a tree by the riuers of waters Psal 1. 3. and had hee growne on in the order wherein hee was planted his leafe had not withered he had brought forth his fruit in his season and whatsoeuer he had done had prospered But alas disobedience and order could neuer long dwell together The worme of pride had no sooner corrupted the roote of mankinde but instantly this goodly tree lost both leaues and fruit too nay all the stemmes issuing from that corrupt stocke haue euer since prooued naturally fitter for infernall fuell then for the seruice of Gods Temple Man in his corrupt nature ioynes in this with the other creatures non vult domari If the wind be stayed in his course it will roote vp the strongest Oakes if the water in her motion shee will swell and ouerswell the bankes And though God himselfe be the Commander yet rather then men will want their will they will summon a whole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against him as in the 2. Psalme The Rulers taking counsell together and the people imagining a vaine thing against the Lord and against his Anointed saying Let vs breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from vs. Thus doth wretched man by endeauouring to cast off the lighter yoake of Gods Law pull vpon himselfe an heauier The law of his owne lust and will walking on thorow the paths of wilfull disobedience to vnauoidable destruction To cure which swelling sore as God holding his Scepter in heauen labours by all the meanes both of his mercies and iudgements to retract vs from that fatall way so he establisheth Scepters on earth as a ready meanes to helpe to reduce vs to the perfection of our first rule making the duty of the second Table a step to our duty of the first subduing our will to the will of man on earth that so he may the better subdue vs to his owne Will in heauen First as an inualuable blessing vpon a Land God giues vs a King and then as the power of that blessing he prescribes obedience to our King So that in reference to the God of order as we should esteeme no day happier then this whereon God hath blest vs with a true Successour of his Father a iust and pious King so can there be no sacrifice fitter for this happy I Dâ—y then the sacrifice of obedience both to God and to our King The breach of which duty to either in their degree being no lesse then as the sin of Witchcraft and as the wickednesse of Idolatry As faith is the cleerest glosse of the Gospell so obedience the best exposition of the Law better then the best of sacrifices the fat of Lambes as in the former verse Better because the wickedest man aliue may offer Sacrifice none can obey but the good Nay euen from good Abraham God refused the Sacrifice 〈◊〉 but accepted the obedience Whereas on the contrary disobedience to God and his Deputies though it proceed from weakenesse is a sinne But if it swell to stubbornnesse and rebellion it is a great sinne great as Idolatry which is the worst kinde of sinne great as Witch-craft which in blessed King IAMES his phrase is the worst kinde of Idolatry To the truth of which assertion that I may leade you thorow the path of methode I shall first view it generally and in Thesi as it may concerne all men High and low rich and poore one with another Then particularly and in Hypothesi as it strikes at the offendors in this Chapter Saul and his people In the generall we shall finde first in positiuo that rebellion is both a sinne and the cause of all sinne heare therefore and auoid it Secondly in comparatiuo that it is the foulest of sinnes euen as Witchcraft and Idolatry Bee pleased to hearken that you may hate it A subiect I confesse it is of such importance and authoritie that none so fit as Samuel himselfe to haue deliuered it Fitter had it beene for me with Aaron to haue stood below among the people but since with Moses I was summoned vp to the mount I would not fall within the censure of mine owne text Now to follow these steps as they are laid and so to make the passage more easie first in positiuo wee will consider the nature of rebellion in generall It is a common rule in Diuinity that in all the sonnes of decayed Adam that whatsoeuer is most naturall is to be suspected as most sinfull Now by nature wee are all as oxen vnpliable to the yoake Animam Regis quisque portat that which is the hope of the Iewes at the comming of their Messiah Euery mechanick would be a King no man would be a Subiect Man naturally hath such a will as cannot be subiect We are all borne the enemies of God and as the vnruly Rom 8 7. Iudges 19 22. sonnes of Belial Viri absque iugo like an vntamed heyfer we are euer kicking against our Maker Multi in Iesum pauci in Dominum many will willingly Ier. 31. heare of God as a Sauiour but if you propound him as a Commander their answer is ready our tongues are our owne who is Lord ouer vs Psalme 12. 4. Thus it fares with God and worse with his Deputy Est multis the saurus in lingua situs vt quaestui habeant Plaurus Paenul male loqui melioribus Though the earth swallowed vp Core and his complices yet too many of their generation remaine still men whose purity consists in parity whose conscience in disobedience Wherefore shall any men lift themselues vp aboue the Numb 16. 3. congregation of the Lord Well whence this fruite proceedes the roote will demonstrate Euen when God on the Mount had taken obedience for his text then did the Diuell diuert his people to Idolatry and rebellion Euen when Christ was giuing Iudas the blessed bread of saluation then did Satan perswade him to plot his Sauiours destruction Thus did both Law and Gospell beginne with opposition a plaine argument that it is the worke of the Diuell the Author of rebellion A truth which will yet reflect far more cleerly if you behold it in Comparatiuo whether you compare rebellion with the contrary vertue Obedience as in the verse before or with the paralell vices in the text witchcraft and Idolatry First by