words of our Royal Martyr of ever Blessed Memory King Charles the First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 295. with me Gods wise Providence we know often permits many Events which his revealed Word the only clear safe and fixed Rule of good Actions and good Consciences in no sort approves Let not the meanest in understanding mistake me I am not for Election every Reign but for Succession just as it is in England But I say Election is the true Title of all Government originally and this is the Foundation of all the various Forms in the World Power is Gods but the Form as St. Peter saith is an Humane Creation Constitution or Ordinance I never loved to lye for God's Cause it needs it not nor daub with untempered Mortar God forbids it For my part if I did not in Conscience believe that the late King by his Male-administration deserved what he hath suffered not only from the hand of God but also from the hand of his Subjects and that in this Revolution they are innocent who defended themselves and the Laws of their Country against his Arbitrary Proceedings I should think my self bound by the Oath of Allegiance to pray for his Restauration But because he hath broken his Covenant Coronation Oath and Promise I am sure our part of the Bond and Covenant is cancelled also And that Kings were at first by Election I prove thus in the words of a great Divine not much altered What first invested such a Family with Regal Power more than another It must be either God from Heaven designing it as David or man appointing it or taken by Force there is no fourth It was not the first and to say the third is right is an extream wrong to the King If meer Force can give right then whosoever is most forcible hath right It must therefore be something else What can that be but the consent of the People in Parliament to such a Family which is in effect all one with Election you may give it what name you will But saith this Gentleman P. 28. The Primitive Church in the best times took the words of S. Paul in their plain and literal sense The Powers that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in Possession are ordained or ordered of God Rom. 13. They never formalize or make any Exception but Conquest Election Vsurpation were to them all alike if once the man was Established in the Throne Answ I will not here take occasion to consider what learned Criticks say about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which he seems to lay some stress but they say it signifies the True or Lawful Powers nor will I expatiate in Analyzing this Text tho' I have a Discourse upon this subject by me And I have read such Doctrine as this in some Oliverian Pamphlets in our late Anarchy and Confusion And if occasion be I can produce one which perhaps this Gent. hath seen and hath been corrupted by it or by some like it But sure he never read this Doctrine in any Book written by any Divine of the Church of England I have before distinguished between a Lawful and an Usurped Magistracy according to the best Divines of all Churches that ever I read insomuch that I wonder at this Gentleman who professeth himself of the Communion of the Church of England According to this Doctrine it is a poor weak thing to be a Martyr or to suffer for Loyalty to our King or Country Whereas it hath in all Ages not only among Christians but also among Heathens by the light of Nature been accounted a most Heroick Virtue to lay down our Lives for these If this Gent. had been alive and of years to advise no Subject should have suffered with King Charles the First if he had been their Counsel I am so angry that if I knew Thieves designed to rob this Gent. House I would not counsel one Neighbour to assist against these Rogues but would commit it to God to determine as he thought fit as his Cant is P. 3. which vergeth very near to Blasphemy And this very Phrase makes me think that this honest Gent. hath been misled by some Fanatick Book I cannot think that he ran into this Error wittingly and willingly and deliberately he is a good Christian surely because P. l. he speaks against those that despise all revealed Religion and that sort of Men who have their All in this world and pretend to nothing in the next and therefore I must in Charity believe he hath the Hope of a Christian but I cannot but explode his Doctrine O put'd Divinity Phy upon this gross Machiavelian and Hobbean Policy But to be serious seeing this Gent. hath advised us I will return kindness for kindness and for once be so free with him as to advise him Good Sir In the fear of God review that part of your Discourse which concerns God's Providence and the Government of Kingdoms and States and learn to distinguish between good and bad perhaps your second thoughts may be wiser Consult with some learned and conscientious Divine and see if he will tell you that in the Primitive times their Loyalty was one of their lesser Virtues upon which they never valued themselves as you say P. 3. You discourse in so loose and extravagant a manner that I must beg leave to enter my Dissent and Protest against this Dose of Opium And I never read so much Poison administred with a good design before in my life And if any applaud you for this Discourse I will pray with our Church in the Litany Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us for surely we are not in our senses God save King William and Queen Mary from such Defenders of their Right and Title If you will not be admonished to revoke this in my Opinion you deserve to speak plain English for by God's Providence and King William's Protection we Priests of the Church of England breathe in a free Air. I wish all of us could see our own happiness I hope in time mens Prejudices will be removed and through the Clemency of His most Gracious Majesty chearfully perform their Duty I say you deserve not only to be Excommunicated the Church of England but also the whole Church of God for this wicked Error But I hope our English Blood is still Noble and will count it their Honour and the Glory of their Religion to die for their King and Country when occasion is and God shall call them thereunto And this is true Church of England Loyalty and approved by all the Churches of God But at the rate that you talk if Corah Dathan and Abiram had had success it had been God's Providence and Approbation and so farewel Moses If Absalom had been prosperous and in Possession of the Throne right or wrong see to thy house David What need we commend the Fidelity of Ittai that loyal Heart that noble and constant
have proved in a Sermon on 1 Sam. 23.12 Secondly That this Doctrine of Defensive Arms in some case was never censured by the Church of England till Innovation began to creep into the Church and Arbitrary Power into the State The Church of England hath always been so wise and moderate as to allow difference of Judgment in these Speculative Matters No man can Preach Obedience to Governours who are God's Ministers God's Vicegerents and called Gods too Zealously But to say that if we are never so innocent nor never so much oppressed we may not defend our selves is worse than to make us Gally-slaves and Asses of Burden Thirdly I never read any Church in the Christian World which did not justifie defensive Arms in some case and tho' I never read that any man called Passive Obedience an Antichristian Doctrine yet I say it is an Unnatural Doctrine I have read that the every renowned Luther the Author of the Reformation and the first Defender of the Protestant Cause against the Tyranny and Innovation of the Papists was called Tuba Rebellionis the Trumpeter of Rebellion And I remember not long since that divers Popish Officers in the Army Drank such a kind of Health is this Confusion to the Cornet and his Trampeters But God hath abated their Pride asswaged their Malice and confounded their Devices And He who was the first Confessor as I may say of our Church I mean the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London by his Constancy in the true Religion now shines like a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of our Church We know that Elijah was called the Troubler of Israel St. Paul was called a mover of Sedition And the best men and most zealous for God's Truth in their several Ages have been revi'ed by Insolent Imperious and Devilish Spirits But what hath the Righteous done We have helped to save the Nation We have been Instruments under God to set a Protestant King and Queen over us who are so humble in their Greatness that they are greater in Goodness than in Place to whom we are obliged not only in Duty but in Gratitude for accepting the Rule over us For His Sacred Majesty hath the trouble but we have nothing but ease and quiet we sit under our own Vines that is enjoy all that is ours with great Security We have a Nursing Father and a Nursing Mother to our Church Is there or can there be a Murmurer in our Israel O foolish People and unwise O miserable Mortals that are never contented What can we wish what can God do more for us Those Protestants that are not pleased with the Government must go to Heaven for they will never be pleased on Earth if they are not now But after this rapture let us return to our Honest Gentleman He says P. 35. The Doctrine of Non-resistance hath been often proved the genuine Doctrine of the best Ages of the Church and that so fully and clearly that they who would not yield to the force of the Proof have not been able to deny the truth of it but have been forced to Pretend it was only Temporary and doth not oblige all Ages which is hardly sence Answ If any of our side say that it was only Temporary let them justifie it I cannot undertake their defence but I could never meet with any of those that say so I confess I have read this Objection before now And some Popish Author saith that it was Occasional which in this case is equivalent to Temporary but I believe what the Scripture saith in this case obligeth all Ages But then I deny That the Doctrine of Non-resistance hath been often proved the Genuine Doctrine of the best Ages of the Church This Gentleman knows That the Old Testament was given by Inspiration of God as well as the New And he knows I suppose that the Jews were under the same Covenant for Substance that we Christians are tho' not under the same Administration thereof They says Nazianzen were Christians in Work or Deed tho' not in Name Now we know that the Primitive Church of Christ was under Heathen Emperours and that the Civil State was never Christian But the Precepts Rules and Examples of Governours in Samuel Kings and Chronicles are Patterns for us in like case And here we say David's Example is plain and undeniable And this Gent. produces no Scripture but Romans the 13th which I have already considered and if occasion be offered have much more to say Object The Church is now in other Circumstances than she was then which is not true neither Answ I am sure it is true of the Church of England We do not liâ—â—encer Heathen Emperours neither are there any Laws against us but all are for us Our Religion is Established and is part of our Property as it were which no man can invade as I have said before and need not repeat It is confess'd that Christians under the Turk must submit to Death or Fly because the Laws of the Country are against them and Christ came not to alter Political Government But what is this to us where Governours and Governed are all Christians and make one Political as well as Ecclesiastical Body And what David did being causelesly and illegally wronged by Saul we may do in like case He hath some more Rhetorications and Amplifications but there is nothing new and all is already answered only I must take notice of one thing that he saith P. last It is certain the greatest part of the Nation did not Resist but refused to Assist This Notion he hugs dearly but I think I have shewed the weakness of it in all that justifie Passive Obedience As for others I blame them not There are degrees of Knowledge and degrees of Virtue and degrees of Zeal Some have Heroick Zeal which is not indispensably required of all And God knows what Circumstances many were in who wished well to the Cause And no Divine thinks that the Protestants in the West of Ireland are at this day bound to Publish their Thoughts with the hazard of their Lives But be it â—s it will I dare Poll with this Gentleman I am sure about us there were five to one to speak within compass Nay scarce a man that was not Zealous for the Prince of Orange but was branded and perhaps misrepresented But I confess Number great or small makes not a Cause Good or Evil yet in our Case it shews that most of the Lay-Members of the Church of England did not believe the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance But God forbid that I should justifie some of the things that were done in the Heat of the late Revolution as this Gent. speaks P. 36. Some were guilty of Irregularities which according to the strict Rules of the Gospel cannot be justified And O that God would give all that were Active in this Cause his Grace that they may be true Christians as well as
Conscience Satisfied IN A Cordial and Loyal Submitting to the Present GOVERNMENT of King WILLIAM AND Queen MARY In Three Discourses Justifying the Williamites against the Jacobites The first being Animadversions on a Book intituled The Doctrine of Non-Resistance or Passive Obedience no way concerned in the Controversies now depending between the Williamites and the Jacobites The second on 1 Sam. 23.30 Then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up The third on Dan. 5.20 But when his heart was lâ—fted up and his mind hardened in Pride he was deposed from his Throne and they took his glory from him By TIM WILSON Rector of Kingsnoth in Kent Licensed and Entred according to Order LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1690. To the Impartial Reader Reader THE Justification of my own Actions in this present Revolution ingages me and the love of Truth constrains me to this Task What I have done upon the strictest Examination of my own heart I have done with a pure Conscience and with just abhorrence of Popery and Slavery And I am ready to Answer all Objections that may be made against those Principles of Government and unmoveable Foundations which I have laid I assert nothing but what agrees with the Reason of Man with the Word of God and with the Practice of all Ages in like Exigents I give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and I also justifie the Liberty of my Native Countrey And this occasioned me to make Reflexions upon the Discourse of this Gentleman For my own part I desire to Fear God with the most Devout I Honour King William and Queen Mary with the foremost and I love the Liberty of an Englishman with my whole Soul I confess I was zealous against Reading the Declaration of the late King in Churches First Because it was Illegal and seem'd to me to own Arbitrary Government and the Dispensing Powers Secondly Because it evidently conduced to the Change of the establish'd Protestant Religion and the Introduction of Popery as the National Worship But I was then and am now for the Ease of Tender Consciences only I would have all done Orderly by the Legislative Power of the Nation that is by King Lords and Commons Now as for this Gentleman I have plainly shewn his Mistakes about Conquest about God's Providence about the Lawfulness of Defensive Arms c. I submit the whole to thee Christian Reader Lay aside Prejudice Consider exactly Judge impartially and God be with us all A Justification OF The VVilliamites I Cannot but greatly approve the Design of this Gentleman which seems to be the Glory of God in asserting his Providence about disposing Kingdoms the Honour of King William in making him a lawful Prince the Peace of the Nation in perswading the Jacobites to Submission the Preserving the Reputation of the Church of England in allaying the heats and animosities of the Williamites c. And I will not accuse him of luke-warmness in neither assisting nor resisting the late King because he that is not against us is on our side in some sense And this was the case of Hundreds in England who could not sound the depth of these Doctrines and did not trouble themselves about Passive Obedience And no doubt many will commend him for his Prudence and calm temper in standing by unconcerned and observing which side would have Success But if all Men had been as wise as this Gent. or as subtle I fear we should have been over-run by Popery and Arbitrary Power before this day For who should help us not this Gent. nor any of his Perswasion because he must in no case resist Who should then invite the Prince of Orange over and Promise him Assistance Let Fools and Rebels do that this Gent. hath more wit and is bound in Conscience to be Passive Prayers and Tears are his only Weapons And I make no doubt for truly I believe him to be a devout Man but he prayed to God for Deliverance But when the Deliverer came joyn with him who will be him he must not assist nor resist Now in all others cases Divines call this a Tempting of God But let us see particularly wherein we agree and wherein we differ First It is agreed That the Prince of Orange now our Gracious Soveraign had just Cause to make War upon James the Second P. 5. And if he had a just Cause I will not say to invade us or the injurious Prince as this Gent. saith but to right himself and come over and help us to right then surely our cause was just also and it could be no Sin but a Virtue to joyn with him against our Common Enemies Secondly It is agreed That this Prince was no Subject to King James nor to any other Prince and consequently was no Rebel P. 5. And if He could not have Right without Force He might lawfully compel him by force to do what He ought to have done without it but would not Thirdly The Author very sensibly and pathetically represents the Tyranny Oppression and Grievances of the Nation He saith P. 5. All Protestants grant the late King's design was certainly to Extirpate the Protestant Religion to Inslave and consequently to Extirpate the English Nation And P. 16. He Persecuted that Church he Promised and was bound to Protect and did not treat us like Englishmen but like Slaves And P. 18. It may suffice to say in general Never any of our Princes so openly attempted the Ruin of an Established Religion or by more Illegal Courses than He. Nor Law nor Oaths nor Promises nor Gratitude could restrain Him He broke thorough all the Barriers God and Man had put in his way and seemed resolved to ruin us or himself c. And Pag. 23. All his Solemn Promises were easily broken or rather never intended to be kept at the very time they were made and all those He hath since made have been violated in Ireland where only He had Power to keep or break his word c. Fourthly It is agreed That the Doctrine of the Lawfulness of defensive Arms is not proper at all seasons or may be an unseasonable Dispute P. 2. And that very great Caution must be used lest the People Rebel and it is a sign of a crazy Nation when the Fundamentals of Government must be laid open But yet if it be a truth in extreme Necessity it must be manifested to satisfie mens Consciences And this Gentleman confesses P. 1. That the Doctrine of Passive Obedience was indeed dangerous to them that is Their present Majesties when He first entered England because all that believed themselves bound by it were obliged not to take up Arms for Him against King James and so consequently it deprived Him of their Assistance and for this reason I
Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places However I beg leave of the Learned and Judicious to make a favourable Interpretation of my design upon this abstruse subject First It is certain and agreed upon by the Calvinists and Arminians that God is not Author of Sin He is the Author of the Evil of Punishment but not of the Evil of Sin Amos 3.6 Secondly God permits many things which he doth not approve as the Persecution of good men for righteousness sake Thirdly God in his Providence for the wickedness of a people or for their probation and trial may suffer his Church to fall into the hands of Tyrants and Oppressors and to be carried Captive or to be Exiles Fourthly Tho' such wicked Instruments as Tyrants sin greatly in their Pride Cruelty and Oppression of Gods own Inheritance yet in his Providence he may make use of them as Scourges and Rods to punish the wicked and chastise the good for their trial as the exercise of their Faith Patience Humility c. Fifthly God in his Providence may and sometimes doth create Deliverance for his People in an unexpected manner And we may well say of this great Deliverance of our Nation This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Psal 118.23 So much for God's Providence Now I must distinguish about Governours which this Gent. doth not Governours are either Lawful Princes or Usurpers First A lawful King is he who hath a true Title to the Throne either by Succession or Election Secondly An Usurper is he who hath gotten Possession but hath no right This latter is by God's Permission This Usurpers have for God suffers them to rule and some call this a Providential Right very incongruously For this gives no just Title and consequently there is no Subjection due The vilest person may have this in Judgment to a Nation as one speaks on purpose to try them that so by such unlawful Subjection that Nation may fill up the measure of their Iniquities and God may destroy both them and their Governours of which there are many dreadful Examples in History This Gent. is very confused He saith That the Primitive Christians never regarded the Right Title or the Claim of Princes and Emperors And by this seems to own Oliver Cromwel as well as any Lawful King And he makes no Distinction between a Lawful King and an Usurper I must confess the History of the Primitive Christians about Governours is very imperfect Because they minded Religion more than Political Government and an Heavenly Kingdom more than an Earthly But it will be very hard for this Gent. to prove That the Primitive Christians owned any Emperor that was not first own'd by the Senate and People of Rome In times of Confusion many things are suffered or indured which are not approved And when the Empire was in Distraction through Emulation of men aspiring to the Throne both the Christians and the Senate and the 〈…〉 might not know what to do in Prudence or what course to take as well as this Gentleman in our late Confusions and yet not be blame-worthy nor own an Usurper And it is a Case of Conscience of great concernment sometimes How far we may live quietly under an Usurper First No man is bound in Conscience to tell an Usurper that he is so no more than he is bound to tell a Thief upon the High-way that he is a Rogue Secondly Any man may with a good Conscience take upon him the Office of a Judge or any other Legal Trust or a Preacher of God's Word in time of Confusion under an Usurper provided he owns not his Authority nor Swears Allegiance as to a Lawful Prince Because Government must be and Good Laws may be put in Execution in any time of Confusion and somebody must do these things In short in my opinion a Conscientious man living under an Usurper may do whatsoever conduceth to Order Natural Right Publick Good and Justice and the Preservation of the true worship of God without owning his Authority But this I am sure is very unseasonable and I almost tremble to say this little about it at this time for fear of giving Scandal But I think my self able to prove against any man that King William and Queen Mary by the Election of the People in Convention have as true a Title as ever any Prince had And if this Gent. can prove what he saith P. 10. with all my heart be it done I must out of awful fear and reverence say nothing of it more I hope by God's grace I shall ever render fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Thirdly Every man is bound tho' not unseasonably rashly and furiously when there is no probability of good Success to indeavour that the right Governour be placed on the Throne As for instance when O. C. had possession all the true Sons of the Church of England and many of our Presbyterian Brethren to my knowledge never owned his Authority but were very zealous and heartily prayed for the Restauration of the King and Royal Family And they thought it their Duty when they could not actively serve and obey the King to suffer with him and lye at the Mercy of the Usurper till God should pardon the Sins of the Nation and send Deliverance Now as this Gentleman writes P. 13. Did God give the Empire of the World to Nero to Domitian to Julian the Apostate all Usurpers and some of them Murderers of their Predecessors nay to Marius who was the very Image of O. C. And hath he not since that done any thing of that Nature Did not he that gave the Kingdom of England to King James give it also to King William Here he seems to own O. C. as much as King William I hope he means not so and I will not positively charge him tho' I grievously suspect him Sure I am this is no Doctrine of the Church of England O. C. was permitted by God's Providence as a Scourge and Plague to this sinful and unworthy Nation both to Prince and People according to the third Premise And for the transgressions of a land many are the Princes thereof Prov. 28.2 But King William was sent to us by Divine Providence as a gracious Gift and the greatest Temporal Blessing that God could vouchsafe a poor distressed distracted Nation according to the fifth Premise And indeed to do this Gent. right I charitably presume that it is want of Distinction in Divinity not in his thoughts to compare O C. and King William For P. 12. he applieth Dan. 4.17 where God is said to set over Kingdoms the basest of men such as O. C. was Kings given to a sinful Nation in his wrath and sometimes as suddenly again taken away in his anger and at other times continued longer for the Trial of his People or the Chastisement of wicked men which is good Divinity I shall conclude this about God's Providence with the
Spirit when he saith As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth surely in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in death or life even there also will thy Servant be 2 Sam. 15.21 And they that furnished David with Provisions especially Barzillai the Gileadite according to this Gent. Doctrine and indeed his whole Discourse of this Matter is meer Enthusiasm as if God did all things without means might have been wiser and saved Charges and committed the thing to God to determine as he thought fit But I am weary of lashing this Doctrine with which none but poor weak crazy Heads can be deceived or vile leud and Atheistical men because it teacheth such Nonsensical Disloyal Unchristian and Unnatural Behaviour towards our King and Country Voluptuous and Effeminate Epicures indeed by this Doctrine may sleep in a whole skin as we say but if they do not betray they will do no service to the Throne and Kingdom in time of Difficulty And as much as I think the late King was to blame I cannot but pity him if all his Adherents were of this Gent. Mind But let God be true and every Man a Liar Is there no distinction to be made between Lawful Kings and Usurqers or Tyrants in Title And again between Lawful Kings having Authority and ruling according to Law and Princes that have Authority but are Tyrants in Exercise and would subvert the Ancient Government and rule Arbitrarily Again he doth not distinguish between God's extraordinary and immediate and his ordinary and mediate Providence between what he doth by his Almighty Power immediately and what he doth mediately by Men as Instruments and these Instruments are Good or Bad. And here should be considered in what manner he works by good Instruments and in what manner by bad And tho' this Subject is difficult yet surely the Primitive Doctors and Fathers of the Church made distinction I have ever thought that all Government in Church and State stands most firm upon its own Foundation Let us have true Divinity and true Policy once more in England for God's sake Fourthly I must consider what he saith to the Williamites And here what he saith P. 35. is true We are satisfied and highly pleased with the present state of Affairs But I observe here that he fails in the usual Complement and Address of a Gent. He might if he had thought of it have honey'd the bow with us as we say in our Country and at his first Aggress given us thanks for assisting in our several Callings and Places to preserve our Religion and that Church of which this Gent. saith he is a Member and our Laws Liberties and Properties But oh this Passive Obedience I have a mind to say once more that I would have it rooted out of the world because this ingenious Gent. and verily in my heart I believe a good Christian hath forgotten the common courtesie of the Nation and falls foul upon us with some morosity He saith VVe have appeared very pertly against the Doctrine of Non-resistance and Passive Obedience Very pretty This Gent. in Conscience could neither resist nor assist and therefore tho' he is glad of the Deliverance yet he cannot thank the Deliverers Well but at least he might be silent and not speak evil of those who with a good Conscience could and thorough God's blessing did deliver him from that Bondage under which he â—â—â—ned If I were in the mire and the greatest Villain upon Earth helper me out so far I would be thankful to him and own his kindness as not to expose him when I am not bound in Conscience But this Gent. design is to put an End to this unseasonable Controversie p. 2. Very well Why then does he assert and defend Passive Obedience as the Glory of the Church of England and the Bulwark of all Religious Kings and States against the rage of mutinous and rebellious Spirits who pretend to fight for God's Truth against the Laws and Governments of their Countries P. 36. This foolish and sottish Charge would move a stone as we say Surely he had a mind to provoke us and quicken this Controversie almost buried in the Grave of Silence I could here fairly illustrate and make it probable that Passive Obedience hath been I will not say the Cause but the Occasion of the Ruin of two Kings and of a Civil War and of the Church of England once and almost the second time for what reasonable man indued with flesh and blood can indure this Church Tyranny that in any case whatsoever we must not resist Would to God this Gent. would have been quiet Does he think that we will be beat out of our Senses once more and that so soon after our eyes have been opened I will rebuke him in the words of Job cap. 27. verses 5 6 7 8. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my Integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Let my Enemies be as the wicked and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous For what is the hope of the Hypocrite tho' he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul I will stand by it there is no other way in Conscience to justifie our cause but by asserting defensive Arms in some Case But says this Gent. VVe had no disloyal Exhortations from the Press or Pulpit to perswade men to sight against their Prince nor had we any to perswade us to sight for Him but the thing was committed to God to determine as he thought fit P. 3. God a mercy Prejudice I Suppose our Reverend Fathers and Brethren can give an Account to the world of their own Behaviour without asserting God's Providence in this Gent. wild notion But for once I will write a Latin Sentence Turdus sibiâ—â—â—lum cacat Every man must Answer for himself I 'le blame no man that does not blame me But some Writings from the Press we had and from the hand of a Person who is now dignified in the Church if we are not all mistaken And he is highly approved of by His present Majesty and all the Clergy that are without Prejudice and honour real worth speak honourably of him As for our Gracious King the whole series of his Proceedings since He Landed on English Ground shews his most Excellent Virtues Justice Mercy Clemency Fortitude and Magnanimity And I am confident He can say what the Emperor Trajan said to a Tribune when he set him over the Praetorian Band delivering the Sword Vse this for me when I Command just things and against me when I Command unjust things And now with due Submission to my Governours in Church and State I come to the main Matter of Controversie First I assert That Defensive Arms are in some case Lawful and consequently that the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance is false This I
Destruction of them all Thus I have discreetly or indiscreetly rationally or not I must leave the indifferent Reader to judge but I am sure with greatest Satisfaction of my own Conscience laid open my heart to my Countrymen And I am ready to Answer this Gentleman or any of my Brethren in these Problems following First That the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous Church Secondly In some Case Defensive Arms are Lawful Thirdly In some Case it is Lawful to Abdicate a King Fourthly King William and Queen Mary by the free consent and Election of the People in Convention have as good a Title as ever any had Fifthly Neither Monarchy nor Episcopacy nor Presbytery nor any one Form of Government in Church or State is of Divine Right Antecedent to Law and Agreement Sixthly That if the Bishops and Fresbyterians could Unite in one National Church and Worship by a Comprehension it would be a blessed Agreement Seventhly That Liberty of Conscience for all Dissenting Protestants of what Sect soever with some Limitations and Restrictions as to Government yea Papists themselves in some Degree not Excepted is a piece of Prudence and harmless Policy at least if not of Christianity which commands universal Charity Lastly I think that I can shew that these Problems are not contrary to the Practice of this Church and State in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign whose Memory is for ever blessed among Protestants And if I could have the License of the Press I doubt not to make these things probable notwithstanding the Present Prejudices of many I have read that there was no Persecution for Religion in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and if I were worthy to advise there should be no Persecution for Religion in the beginning nor in the whole Reign of King William and Queen Marry that Glory may be to God on High as the Angels Song is on Earth Peace good will towards Men that Man may be at Peace with Man and all Men may be reconciled to God I hate Bigotism for an Opinion tho' I think every Man is bound in Conscience to lay down his life for his King and Country when God shall call him thereunto and earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints against the Abominations of the Roman Synagogue As for Protestants they agree in the Main and tho' I approve of the Saying of a Learned Presbyter if Opinions make Saints or Saints make Opinions we shall quickly have more Opinions than Saints yet St. Paul says They that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves Rom. 15.1 And I like Gamaliel's Councel as most seasonable for our times for this reason among others because it is a good natured thing and all mens Minds are so full of Prejudice that what one calls Saint another calls Devil Wherefore refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of men it will come to nought But if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found even to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. I believe in my Conscience that the Church of England in her Liturgy and Ceremonies as by Law established is fairly defensible against all Antagonists But the Church her Self never thought them equal to God's Word or unalterable in some Exigents as the Right Reverend the Bishops and Great Men of our Church have with no less Prudence than Piety acknowledged in all times and more especially in their late Petition to King James wherein they say that they want not due tenderness towards Dissenters and that they shall willingly come to such a Temper as shall be thought fit when Matters come to be settled in Parliament and Convocation And this is all that ever I designed for the great End of Peace and Union among Protestants And now I have Cause to be angry with this Gent. for he hath heated me and set me on fire and that in Hell too But if he will Damn the Priests and Jesuits he may for me for they deserve the Curses of the Nation but if ever he Damns us again I think what I 'll do and I need not care if I tell him tho' I am a Reprobate and the worst of Reprobates a Rebel I will do what I can to save his Soul by reducing him to a more Charitable Opinion of the Friends of his King and Country and that he shall never produce Rom. 13. against us more tho' perhaps I may shame him in this world The Righteous is as bold as a Lion says Solomon Prov. 28.1 What Evil have we done Nay what Good for this Cause have we not done Was ever any Man before Damned for helping to Save his Country What does this Gent. mean I tell him again we have Cause to be Angry But I have read excellent advice of St. Paul Eph. 4.28 Be ye angry and Sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Neither give place to the Devil v. 27. And therefore before I bid him God be with you Sir this Gent. and I will shake hands and be Friends for we are resolved that if we can hinder it the late King shall never return to England again Hear what he says to the Jacobites p. 24. If they admit all the dreadful Consequences that attend this relapse and yield up both Church and Nation to certain and inevitable ruin only that they may not be Damned for Perjury and Disobedience to a King that has left them when he might have stayed and now offereth to return and do what he then refused What shall we also Consent and Sacrifice our selves and our Posterity to the humour or scruples of these men Shall we suffer the English Church Liberties and the very People of England to be destroyed to gratifie two or three hundred Persons And it is a remarkable Speech if it be true which he saith he hath been told from good hands that one of our Bishops Bishop Ken said Tho' he could not satisfie his own Scruples yet he thought the English Nation fools if ever they suffered King James to return And Pag. 33. he saith It is now the same Sin to resist them that is King William and Queen Mary it was formerly to resist Him that is King James And we will Joyn our hearts in Prayer Cloath all their Majesties Enemies with shame O Lord but upon themselves and their Posterity may the Crown flourish for ever Ps 132.18 Long live King William and Queen Mary Deliciae humani Generis the Darlings of England and the Favourites of Heaven and may they late enter into Coelestial Joys Amen 1 Sam. 23.12 Then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up SAul was appointed by God anointed by the Prophet Samuel and chosen by the Children of Israel to be their King And in the beginning of his
conclude if it be false as I have elsewhere demonstrated it ought to be extirpated out of the World Fifthly It is Agreed That they that believe Passive Obedience were not thereby bound to Assert the Misgovernment of James the Second Because tho' they are to justifie His Authority yet they must not His Crimes Sixthly As for Desertion I need not meddle with it be it as he saith P. 6. Let us now see wherein we differ First I have with some Impatience to use this Gentleman's words in the beginning read the Scandalous Reflections that He makes upon those who have of late opposed Passive Obedience and justified Defensive Arms in some Case without which we had been all Slaves His Design in this Discourse he says is to put an end as far as he can to this unseasonable Dispute P. 2. and yet he justifies Passive Obedience at a very high Rate as if a Man could not be a Son of the Church of England yea scarce a good Christian that denies it And he loads it with this Odium P. 2. They can be no Friends to Government in General nor to Him that is K. W. or His in Particular who are so Zealous to have the Doctrine of Nonresistance Extirpated out of the World And he charges us with this ridiculous Consequence That it is Lawful for every man to Rebel against his Lawful Prince whenever he thinks it necessary Answ This is a foul Aspersion We say the Cause must be real plain and evident And in this present Case supposing Defensive Arms lawful I desire no better Advocate or Orator to represent our Grievances than this Gent. See P. 5 8 16 18 23. And yet I suppose few Men accuse him of Irreverence to Crowned Heads as the Phrase is Tho' a man that opposes Passive Obedience would be invidiously declaimed against for half so much But we know that St. Paul speaking of the Emperor's Persecution calls him a Lion the most fierce and cruel of Beasts But at another time owning his Authority and in respect of that to use the words of a Learned and Eloquent Presbyter of my Acquaintance His Christianity allows him as high Complements to King Agrippa Acts 26.2 3. With great deference to his Authority and Knowledge nay and to his Honour and Goodness tho' a Heathen or little better and otherwise very obnoxious But because we are so often charged as if we did not give due Honour to Kings give me leave to illustrate our Case in no very long Speech Great Sir We are your Majesties most humble and most dutiful Servants and Subjects we look upon our selves as bound in Conscience to hazard our Lives and Fortunes in the Preservation of your Majesties Person Crown and Dignity and of our Religion Liberty and Property But we fear that Evil Counsellors move your Majesty against us and endeavour Innovations and our Ruin by Illegal Courses It is a great Grief and Sorrow of heart to us to see these Evils and in all Humility upon-our Knees we beseech your Majesty to Redress our Grievances But if your Majesty is resolved to persist in these mischievous Courses as we humbly conceive we believe we may with a good Conscience defend our selves and not offend God and his Laws The King perhaps may wax hot with anger and call us Factious Seditious Rebels and cast us into Prison c. Then comes another sort of the King's Subjects Dread Soveraign We your Majesties most faithful Subjects and Servants without any Reserve will stand by your Majesty against all Enemies whatsoever and we esteem it our bounden Duty Actively to obey all your Commands that are not contrary to the Word of God and our Religion and when they are Passively to submit to your Majesties Pleasure under our Oppressions and never to Resist The King trusts these Men is exceedingly pleased with their great Expressions of Loyalty Honours them makes them his Confidents takes them into his Councels rewards them with great Preferments in Church and State Not long after the King is in great Fear and Distress by reason of Enemies He sets forth a Proclamation to all his Loving Subjects to assist Him and Repel the Force of the Invader and his Rebellious Subjects who joyn with him They return this Answer Great Sir Our Lives are at your Majesties Service but we have many Grievances first to be redressed and we see your Majesty is resolved on these illegal Exorbitant Courses p. 8. and therefore we are not to be blamed tho' we withdraw from your Service And the best of the Primitive Christians would have done the same thing if it had been their Lot to have faln under such a Prince We deny that we your Majesties Subjects are bound to stand by you and fight for you p. 7. For your Majesty hath notoriously invaded and destroyed all our Civil and Religious Rights and Liberties and designed the Ruin and Destruction both of them and us and would give us no assurance we could rely on to do otherwise for the future And therefore if it be unlawful to Resist it is also as unlawful to Assist and Enable your Majesty to destroy the true Religion the English Liberties and Immunities nay the very Nation I dare swear if the late K. were made Judge He would say the first sort of Subjects were honest plain dealing true-hearted Men and if He had hearkened to their Counsel both He and His Subjects might have been happy But what He would say of the other sort of Subjects I cannot tell tho' I can shrewdly guess And Now I hope they will never tell us more of being irreverent to Crowned Heads Adam got Fig-leaves to hide his Nakedness and the Sons of Adam are too like him and love to hide their Sins rather than confess them But what a Juggle is this God forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed but if my Neighbour will tho' I have strength enough I will not oppose him I am not bound to assist the Lord 's Anointed for He will not call a Free and Legal Parliament and redress our Grievances P. 2. 6. and elsewhere If this be the Doctrine of Passive Obedience I dare say every wise Prince as soon as he understands it will root it out of his Dominions by not trusting such men If I resist I am damned if I assist our Religion and our Nation is ruined I never taught Active Obedience to the lawful Commands of the King if I did I have forgotten it tho' I taught Passive Obedience when he commanded illegally And therefore if Cut-throats with a barbarous Assassination will Murther the King I will stand by and see them and wash mine hands in Innocency when I have done because the King would not call a Free Parliament when I thought it necessary I perceive that tho' this Gentleman would not Subscribe the Association with David's Confederates and take up defensive Arms against Saul's Tyranny and Oppression yet if Saul would not
true Protestants and their Souls Eternally happy I hope that God will accept of what was well done and Pardon our Infirmities thorough the Son of his Love Let us now come to the hardest Task and most unpleasing Subject The Power of Deposing Kings and disposing of their Kingdoms There are Learned Pious and Judicious Protestant Divines that are of this Opinion whose Arguments I imagine this Gentleman would be puzzled to Answer Our Convention if I mistake not did declare that the late King Abdicated the Kingdom broke his Original Contract and vacated the Throne and what is this but that he deposed himself Almost all Nobility Clergy and Commons were for a Regency without Scruple and what is that but a milder word for Deposing This was a Fig-leaf to hide the Nakedness of those who rashly had asserted the Divine Right of Monarchy and Passive Obedience and Non-resistance in any Case But I suppose the late King would not thank these Gentlemen for putting him into the state of a natural Fool a Madman or a Lunatick I confess those Noble Persons and Wise Lords and Great Councellors of State who did never believe Divine Right Antecedent to Agreement in Prudence might Vote for a Regency Because all Alteration in Government much more so great an Alteration is troublesom as shaking the very Foundations of the Building And all wise Men and Politicians never change but in extreme Necessity taking Solomon's Advice Meddle not with them that are given to Change But yet if a Nation be forced to take up Defensive Arms they must be Secured before they lay them down and if the King be so Perfidious as this Gent. represents him even at this time to the Irish Protestants p. 23. it would have been as he says in the same place Incorrigible folly to have trusted him and consequently in this Case it is my Opinion and Conscience that he was justly Deposed See Discourse on Dan. 5.20 And this Gentleman if he is consistent with himself about his Notions of God's Providence must needs say that it is not only God's Permission but Approbation tho' P. 35. he rails at it as from the Devil But I leave him to reconcile his own Sentences for to me they seem a contradiction I beg His Sacred Majesties Pardon upon my knees and I am sorry if I have Scandalized the great Councellors of State in revealing this Mystery But I am a Preacher of God's Word and I believe in my Conscience our present Cause can be justified no other way And seeing all was at stake as this Gent. confesses our Religion our Laws Liberty Property Wives Children and Posterity and whatsoever is done is God's Providence methinks this Gent. might pronounce us Innocent and not Damn us But however if he will Damn us we possibly may escape his hands for he is not God but a poor weak man And I could afford to give him another piece of my advice but I will let it alone for this time Let me add The Church of England being truly Loyal could not dream of such an extraordinary Case But blessed be God some were wise as Serpents tho' harmless as Doves Let me use the words of St. Paul Rom 9.1 I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Those Noble Patriots of the Protestant Religion and Liberties of their Country into whose Hearts God put it to invite the Prince of Orange over deserve this Motto And tho' we Canonize no Saints nor give Divine Worship to any but God yet I wish their Names were known that the Nation might Erect a Monument for them with this Inscription Hitherto hath the Lord helped us and these are the Names of those Great Souls who run the hazzard of being accursed by the Papists for us their Protestant Brethren O most Sage Politicians and most Heroick Christians tho' this Gentleman's Doctrine calls them Traitors and Rebels O brutish and ungrateful Prejudice what can any free Mind think of these Effects of Passive Obedience Had it been an uncircumcised Philistin a subtile Jesuit who had thus defyed the Armies of the Living God and called them Rebels it had been no wonder But for a Gent. a Subject to King William and Queen Mary a Protestant thus to dip his Pen in Gall and sadden the hearts of those who should fight the Lord's Battel in Ireland by calling them Rebels is a Riddle that I cannot unfold I dare say that the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop and the other Right Reverend Bishops who cannot satisfie their own Scruples which is their Calamity and our Grief tho' there is all the reason in the world that all should swear Allegiance to Their present Majesties and they cannot be helped do not censure us as Rebels who according to our Consciences have assisted the Prince of Orange in this Revolution When I reflect on this I am tempted to lay aside my former good opinion of this Gentleman and must say what Michael the Arch-Angel said when he contended with the Devil about the Body of Moses The Lord rebuke thee God give him repentance and a better mind for he seems like wicked Doeg and his Confederates that Enemy of David and false accuser of his Brethren of whom the Prophet saith Psal 140.3 They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Adders Poison is under their lips I have Studied these Controversies about Government in Church and State for some Years but more exactly upon the rising of the Disputes about the Bill of Exclusion I have always been Inquisitive and have striven to give a Reason of my Faith and to search to the Bottom that my Principles might be unmoveable and unblameable with Wise and Good men And what I have written by way of Assertion to use Dr. Fern's words Conclusion or General Rule is but a Sacrificing to Truth from a Conscience not simply devoted to man And I have always esteemed it the greatest Preferment to have Liberty to speak Truth I was not for the Bill of Exclusion because necessity of Change was not palpable to me but I was against it as an Act of Imprudence not an Act of Injustice as I then said if King Lords and Commons should think fit But as for Monmouth's Rebellion I abhor it at this day because the late King had Promised upon the word of a King that he would Protect us and Rule accordding to Law and he might have made himself and us happy notwithstanding his Religion and I do not remember that he had commanded any thing against Law at that time And I have been taught and teach others that Subjects must not be Jealous of their Prince and that Defensive Arms are Lawful only in Extreme Necessity And I verily believe that the late King designed not at the first what he Acted afterwards His Bosom Friend his Priests and his Jesuits like a pack of half-witted Knaves and Fools stirred him up to his own and the