between Christian and worldly policie The one counsailes vs to make vp the breach of our sinnes by a sincere repentance the other to enlarge it with greater villany Binde not two sinner together for in one thou shalt not scape vnpunished saith the wisest of Kings But these Politicians holding themselues wiser than the wisest hold repentance base and perseuerance in sinne generous Nobler they suppose it to aduenture forward with danger than retire backe with shame as though they meant to shew themselues industriously resolute to sell their part in heauen and purchase their owne damnation But these we must leaue a while to their owne resolutions perhaps we shall find them againe with Achitophel hanging on the gallowes whose second and last counsaile offers it selfe in the next place to our examination 8 Hitherto hath Achitophels care bin to strengthen the faction both to secure himselfe and vnite the hearts of Israel more firmely to Absolon their leader His second Direction concernes the speeding of the execution Let me now choose out quoth Achitophel twelue thousand men and I will arise and pursue after Dauid this night and I will come vpon him while he is wearie and weake-handed and make him affraid and all the people which are with him shall flie and I will smite the King onely and I will bring back all the people vnto thee The man whom thou seekest is as if all returned So all the people shall be in peace In which politicke aduice of Achitophels three remarkeable circumstances offer themselues to our obseruation which by reason of the scantling of time and your wronged patience I shall be constrained rather to touch than handle In the first place his desire was to haue as well as his Head in the conspiracie so his Hand in the execution perhaps because hee hated Dauid hee was ambitious to shew himselfe the executioner of his owne reuenge and Dauids ruine perhaps out of vaine-glorie that he might seeme as able to act as wise to proiect a mischiefe perhaps out of an officious flattery to engage Absolons thankfulnesse by a doâ—…ble seruice But that which seemes to mee most probable was his extreame iealousie not daring to trust so young an experience with a matter of so great moment Absolons youth seemed perchance too shallow to entertaine the depth of his directions his bloud too neare to out-face the frowns of a fathers anger or the awe of filiall duety could not be supposed a fit actor in Dauids Tragedie The hardest Iron at the first touch of the Load stone is restored to its first temper and conceiues a Magneticke inclination And why might not Dauids fiery assault or gracious countenance in his rebellious sonne Absolon enforce nature to return vnto herselfe and kindle in him the sparkes of filiall duty and obedience Here may a man reade the state and condition of wicked poâ—…icie exposed to a thousand dangers and subiect to a thousand iâ—…alousies Well may such men as Damocles at Dionysius Table feed their hopes with the choisest dainties yet Gods fearfull iudgements as a sword pendulous ouer their heads is alwaies ready to threaten a destruction 'T is not then a good but an euill conscience which makes men cowards Onely hee who wants guilt wants feare and nothing but a cleare conscience can challenge true mother-hood in a couragious resolution The second point we obserue in Achitophels counsaile was a stratagem of Diuersion His quarrell was not against the people but Dauid his purpose to preserue the Kingdome but destroy the King and therefore thought it not so meete to hew out his passage to Dauids ouerthrowe through the bloud of the subiects as by the Kings forfeit to purchase them to Absolons obedience His first care was to strike at the roote it selfe well knowing the branches would fall of their owne accord and the peoples alleageance once dead in Dauid would soone quicken againe in Absolon The strength of Israel is shut vp in the Princes palace and the same power which conquers the one is soone master of the other This counsaile seemes to partake as well of good as bad with the death of one to redeem the life of many in the rigorous lawes of hostility seemes not a duety but a great courtesie But to sell a King to buy a kingdome and stake one Prince for many subiects is lesse than courtesie and more than cruelty Neither was this course affected by Achitophel to spare the liues of innocents or auoide a greater mischiefe but that he found it an easier way to conquer Dauid and reduce the people vnder the yoake of Absolons iurisdiction The good which politicians vse to pretend commonly swels in shew but shrinkes in substance as the Ocean they would seeme to flow in their kindnesses and embrace vs with twining armes as the waues the continent but seeking to lay hold on them we find them commonly to ebbe into nothing and snatch backe their owne with some aduantage If they chance to be authors of any good it serues only to flatter opinion and deceiue simplicity not that they loue good but that they may be the better armed to worke mischiefe To commit euill for a good end seemes to beare a better pretence before men than excuse before God but to suffer or act some good for an euill end is the height of mans wickednesse and the Diuels institution The third and last circumstance in this Achitophels counsaile was by a suddaine and vnexpected assault to take the best aduantage of his owne strength and Dauids weaknesse I will saith he suddenly fall on Dauid while he is wearie and weake-handed and the people shall flie To ioyne with mens misfortunes and adde to misery serues rather basenesse of the man than confidence of the cause and to second Gods afflictions with our owne reuenge is a marke of Gods instrument but the Diuels seruant The apprehension of an apt opportunity is of it selfe I confesse a matter indifferent as well to good as wicked policie Yet hasty and vnexpected actions commonly carry with them a greater suspicion of guilt than discretion as that which seekes to preuent a tryall and feares discouery Time the father of truth would questionlesse haue betrayed Absolons cause to common examination and reduced the discontented Commons to their first temper Dauid might haue giuen satisfaction allegeance haue reuiued in his subiects hearts Necessity which perhaps begat the effects of ill gouernment might haue vrged the causes and reason which at the first seemed to fawne on their discontent might afterwards be taught to correct her errors and suppresse their insolence All this Achitophel knew right wel and therfore chose rather to take aduantage of the peoples sudden passion than their maturer iudgements as one who had good cause to shunne a legall â—…ury where he could promise himselfe no other than losse in the fatall verdict Hitherto beloued haue we traced the foote-steps of our grand traytour Achitophel through all his politicke counsailes and
and no graine so meane in our estimation out of which in proportion he requires not a timely crop But where hee findes our industrie slacke in performance of this duty or our malice opposite to his profit he commonly workes his own ends out of our iniquities and what parts and endowments we abuse to sinne he iustly directs vnto reuenge 4 A third aduantage in Absolons person suggested to Achitophels obseruation was his faire carriage and popular plausibilitie A sweet and courteous deportment seasoned with moralitie and religion neuer wants deserued commendation as the surest character of an ingenuous disposition and the most powerfull seruant of honest policie For as in our most religious actions wee should study rather to profit than to please our auditors yet who neuer affects to please shall seldome haue the happinesse to profit So much more in ciuill affaires the best improuement is popular estimation and vertue though neuer so eminent shall scarce be reputed currant if not stampt by applause or crowned with common approbation Non te quaesiueris extra seemes rather an axiome of a speculatiue and retired Stoicke than a practicke Statist An vpright and honest man I confesse would rather find himselfe at home in his owne conscience than seeke himselfe abroade in other mens opinions as one whose first care ought to bee to forme himselfe to Gods will and his owne content his second to husband his meanes to mens applause yet comes this farre short to disproue an affable and kinde behauiour or countenance a harsh or Cynicall disposition Had no other affection than this possessed the soule of Absolon or in him presented it selfe to Achitophels obseruation discretion might haue pleaded in the behalfe of the former and honesty of the latter and neither haue wanted its deserued commendation the one perhaps might haue been thought ambitious to inherit as well the peoples loue as his fathers vertues the other to haue applauded his Princes happinesse in the peoples loue Neuerthelesse popularitie at the best is a fauour which wise and discreete subiects sooner winne than affect beginning vsually with the Princes ◅ealousie and ending with the owners ruine The defect might better become a subiect the excesse a King neither euer had those Athenian Ostracismes found place in Iustice had not popular greatnesse threatned the state with danger or dissolution How much more dangerous shall wee esteeme this popularity of Absolon springing from a rotten and corrupted heart managed by wicked meanes and directed to a treacherous conspiracie Three especiall stratagems were here put in practice which might well seeme fashioned in Achitophels forge For the sending of Absolon for Achitophel to Hebron excludes not a former consultation neither is it probable he would so far haue trusted him with his secret counsels had he not first found him inclining to his faction The first engine of his seditious purpose was his Glossing and fine complement both in words and gesture whereby hee was said to steale away the hearts of the people from his father Dauid he vsually stood in the palace gate hee obserued the appproach of suiters hee examined their particular grieuances enquired the place of their abode finally he kissed and embraced them O saith he that I were made Iudge in the Land that I might heare euery mans cause and do him Iustice What zealous subiect almost out of the seeming simplicitie of his words would not swell with expectation and become as prodigall in his hopes as the other in his promises The distance between Princes and priuate men makes vs often ouervalue courtesies and the indiscouery of such mens natures causeth diuers times their worst actions to carry the best construction but great promises are cōmonly seconded by smal or slow performances and an easie matter it is to be ouer prodigall on the score where we neuer intend a payment To boast wisely of our actions and sufficiences howsoeuer opposite to simple modestie or plaine-dealing honesty was neuer accounted a solaecisme in the iudgling art of humane policie But admit Absolon in this case had promised to himselfe as much as the people and suffered his confidence to spread her wings beyond his abilities yet serues this little to excuse his action from vnnaturall disobedience or masked treacherie It was the part of a shamelesse Cham to bee an industrious spectator of his fathers nakednesse of a rayling Rabshakeh or cursing Shimei to diuorce him from his Subiects hearts Nature would haue perswaded a gracious childe with Noahs two modest sons to haue lookt awry or gone backward no sooner to see ere hee could hide his fathers shame Allegeance might haue instructed a loyall Subiect to prize his Soueraignes credit before his owne and drowne his greatest honours in his Princes seruice But setting aside these neere and high relations of a Sonne to his father or a Subiect to his Prince the diuision and diuorce of friends to a generous temper euen amongst the Heathens themselues hath alwayes seemed a wicked reuenge or base ambition Honour seldome bestowes her fauours but on such as win them in open fielde and Heroicke spirits haue alwayes chosen rather dearely to buy than basely to steale a victorie To steale away the hearts of our friends sauours more of a fleering Parasite than a wise Politician and to seeke secret ambushes in case of open triall argues rather the weakenesse of our cause than the strength of our discretion Neuerthelesse this seemed a good ground for Absolon to set and Achitophel to worke on And little can true wisedome or Religion perswade in the Reare where wicked policie commands the Vant-guard A second stratageme put in practice by Absolon and perhaps plotted by Achitophel to augment his owne plausabilitie was publickely to slander his fathers gouernment with iniustice and oppression The same Art which taught him to flatter his inferiours instructed him the way to calumniat his superiours So neere are these two opposite vices knit together in a wicked cause See quoth Absolon after examination of each Sutour thy cause is iust and good but there is no man deputed of the king to heare thee Dauid began now to decline as well in strength as gouernment Age and Disease commonly grow together and where the master begins once to droope the seruants proue eyther carelesly negligent or lawlesly insolent These inconueniences perhaps admitted by Dauids Officers and obserued by Absolon rendred him obuious to exception Greatest places are commonly subiect to the greatest censures But when Almighty God was neuer wanting to Dauid I cannot imagine Dauid to bee much wanting vnto his people And although Strength and Valour the darlings of his youth began in him to faint yet Wisedome and Experience the children of his riper age stept in to vndertake his quarrell No otherwise then can we interpret this exception of Absolon against his Father than a malitious slander deuised for no other end than to make him odious and himselfe acceptable which hee by so much the more
aduancement Hee thought it ill siding with a doubtfull rebell or inconstant friend Absolon howsoeuer professedly hee had engaged himselfe to Treason might deceiue his opinion or faile his expectation His pretended discontent towards his father might for ought he knew bee onely personated to make triall of their allegeance or his resolution inconstant to forfeit them to danger Absolon though a Traytor was yet a Sonne Dauid though prouoked was yet a Father No Gordian knot was euer so cunningly knit by policie which nature cannot cut or time dissolue The priuiledge of youth or prerogatiue of a Sonne may make this action seeme rather a scape than a sin His faults how great soeuer will seeme rather Achitophels than his owne And that which Iustice in others will tearme Treason indulgence in him will interpret weakenesse Dauid may remit and Absolon reconcile what the one suffered and the other acted and then must Achitophel and his associates eyther stand at stake to maintaine their Masters action or hazzard their liues on the brittle confidence of the Kings mercy The breach of a sonnes disloyaltie may perchance bee peeced vp with filiall submission but Achitophels reuolt seemes to expect no issue but death or victory The middle way in policie is alwayes reiected as dangerous and the extreame requires the most desperate and extreame attempts Achitophel is not here wanting to himselfe Absolon must yet be engaged to a more Notorious action vncapable of forgiuenesse where in all Israel may reade his absolute reuolt and his Fathers greatest indignation Absolon must be known neither to regard or hope for his fathers reconcilement Dauids anger must bee thought inexorable as that which Iustice requires and the honour of a king commands If Absolon hope to wedde the Throne of Israel hee must first violate his Fathers Bed and to this his notorious act of treason let him further adde the sinne of incest Petty crimes are the effects of inferiour offenders Absolon must bee thought as great as himselfe as one who would play the King as well in his sins as his ambition Neither can this wickednesse bee safe or shamefull enough if secret Secrecie which in other matters commonly proues the mother of securitie is here reputed the nurse of danger and Guilt which vsually shunnes the light is here desirous of discouerie To sinne closely argues either feare or modestie neither of which can protect a rebell or beseeme a King Set up a Tent quoth Achitophel on the house toppe that all Israel may witnesse thy sinne and thy fathers shame and make the world at once both blush and wonder Let thy Brother Ammon sinne in a corner to decline censure Sinne thou in publicke to strike censure speechlesse and out-face the seuerest frownes of Iustice. Let Ammon commit incest with his Sister Go thou in vnto thy Fathers Concubines What was the weakenesse of lust in him ought to be the strength of thy aspiring greatnesse Thy greatest safety consists in thy greatest villany and the least blush seemes to betray thy cause to dissidence and danger Let Ruben trespasse with one of his Fathers wiues Go thou in vnto ten of thy Fathers Concubines that this thy fact at once may surmount both example and imitation Then the hands of all that are with thee shall be strong They shall speede no worse than Absolon and therefore ought to feare no more To fall with our Captaine seemes the least duty To rise with him the greatest honour and who but a Coward would feare to hazzard the life of a Subiect to make a King Great dangers and great honours beginne and end in the same circle Neyther is the path strowed with Violets and Roses but death and slaughter which leades to the tents of Victorie This was Achitophels first counsel as dangerous to decline as desperate to execute But desperate and extreame purposes are engaged to the like meanes and sincere honesty in the course of policie where she findes not her selfe admitted as the chiefe Mistresse will seldome proue a trusty seruant 7 Out of this counsell of Achitophel not onely plotted by himselfe but acted by Absolon will arise two especiall obseruations The first is the fulfilling of Gods iudgement and Nathans prophecie threatned before to Dauid for his sinning with Bathsheba and 〈◊〉 murder Behold saith God through the mouth of Nathan I will raise vp euill against thee out of thine owne house and will take thy Wiues before thine eyes and will giue them vnto thy neighbour and he shall lye with thy Wiues in the sight of the Sunne for thou diddest it secretly but I will doe this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne Such is the wisedome of Almighty God which can worke his owne good out of our wickednesse and make ourvniustest actions the instrumentall examples of his owne iustice Our very sinnes though false traytors to the owners proue trustie executioners of Gods iudgements and an easie matter it is for that wise disposer of all worldly actions to turne mans greatest shame into his greatest glory Secondly we may obserue it as a Maxime in worldly policie That a sinne can seldome secure it selfe but by addition of greater Where the house is swept and garnished and one Deuill is too little to enter seuen Deuils greater than himselfe are prest to giue a fresh assault For there is no way left for sinne to propagate its power but sinne nor can truth euer be entreated to aduenture her selfe as a pledge for falshood or stake her credit for a professed enemy Religious prouidence and worldly policie may I confesse sometimes runne together but seldome shake hands The path of the one as a strait line we finde alway as one and like it selfe of the other crooked and various and engaged to many difficulties If euer they chance to meete it is but as in a point and so soone part The further then we runne in this maze of worldly policie the further we estrange our selues from Pietie and the distance which at first seemed below the Seâ—…se will at length be found aboue the vnderstanding Euery ponderous substance as Naturalists obserue the more it descends the faster the motion No moment of space or time wherein we trauerse the way of wickednesse which addes not some weight to the massie burthen of our originall impietie and hastens not our passage to perdition One sinne seekes to secure it selfe by many and smaller crimes finde no safe protection but in the shelter of the greater Treason and vsurpation cannot support themselues but by the sword of Tyrannie Malice iâ—…uokes Reuenge to helpe her assisted with her seruants Murther and Detraction Ingratitude will soone breake into open defiance and neglect of Gods precepts is commonly seconded with Contempt at the least when all others withdraw their forces Impudence and Hypocrisie are sworne to backe their quarrell whereof the former can out-face the seuerest censure the latter blinde the eies of the strictest inquisition Who cannot here obserue a great distance