the Faith of Blood to Justification We may not with Balaam desire to dye the death of the Kighteous and live Covetously Nâ—â—b but we must with David lead the life of the Righteous and dye Comfortably If we would dye in the Lord and receive the end of our Faith which is the Salvation of our Souls we must first Live in the Lord by laying the Foundation of Faith by doing the Act of Faith and by bringing forth the Fruit of Faith 1. Fundamentum autem Fidei quid But what is the Foundation of Faith Why it is Cognitio Dei nostri the Knowledge of God and of our selves The Knowledge of God the Father and our Fall He made us upright and we found out many inventions He made us in his Image and we defaced it The Knowledge of God the Son and our Redemption we were lost and He sought us we were sold and He bought us 1 Cor. were slaves and He enfranchised us The Knowledge of God the Holy Ghost and our Sanctification by Him Such we were Druâ—kards Revilers Fornicators c. But we are sanctified by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. This is the Foundation of Faith and it must be laid by Knowledge 2. The Act of Faith and it must be effected by Applying Actus autem Fidel quid And what is the Act of Faith Why it is Fiducia A perswasion that God the Father so loved me Joh. 3.16 that he gave his onely begotten Son for me A perswasion that God the Son so loved me That he came in the similitude of sinful flesh Rom. 8.3 and for sin condemned sin in the flesh A perswasion that God the Holy God so loved me that he hath baptized me into the death of Christ and hath thereby made me the Temple of Himself a Member of Christ and the Child of God In a word 1 Tim. 1.15 when I believe Though I am the greatest of all sinners yet Jesus Christ came into the world to save me 3. Fructus autem fidei quid And what is the Fruit of Faith Why it is Charitas Charity Charity to God by Prayer Charity to my self by Fasting and keeping my Body under Charity to the Poor by Almes These These are the precious Fruits that grow upon the precious Tree of Faith Faith believing in God thorow Jesus Christ by the Holy Ghost to be saved does therefore pray to God against sin and keeps the Body under from sin and gives Almes to the Poor And when we do this why then as Christ saies you shall know the Tree by his fruit we live in the Lord and therefore we shall dye in the Lord. The word of my Text is not Qui vivunt They which live but Qui exeunt They that dye in the Lord Nor did I say this to deviate from my Text but to tell you How you may fulfil the Text and dye in the Lord and no way for this but by living in the Lord for otherwise the Lord may be said to Dye in us we cannot be said to Dye in the Lord. Nor yet did I say this That the man that lives not in the Lord cannot dye in the Lord For God can fetch water out of the flinty Rock but to tell you That ordinarily Few dye in the Lord that do not first live in the Lord They that live in sin may dye in the Lord and such A course may speed But it is a dangerous and indiscreet pare to venture a Soul upon such an hazard This course is sure to speed ' They that live in the Lord do alwayes dye in the Lord. It is storied that the French ad judged certain ground to the Irish against the Scotch because Spyders Toads and such poysonous Creatures did presently dye if they were put there So you may be our own Judges and know to what Master you belong If siâ—ful lusts words and works dye when they come upon the Ground of your Souls you belong to the Lord He lives in you and you shall dye in him Once more Would you dye in the Lord Why then as St. Paul saâ—es Dye daily i. e. Master your Lusts Subdue your Wrath Humble your Pride Resist all Temptations v.g. more plainly Suppose Covetousness were now breeding in my heart and Money perswaded me to become another Judas to betray my Soul my Saviour my King my Countrey Yet remember I it is but a sad bargain I am about No profit to gain the whole world and loose mine own Soul And what I say of this sin I say of all sin Take them while they are but little ones Mat. even but Temptations and dash them against the stones Against the stones of Mortification and Repentance Obey the Precepts of God and resist sin Believe the Promises of God and relye on Christ and so you shall live in the Lord Continue in this Obedience to the Law Persevere in this Belief of the Gospel and though you do sometimes fall and God forgive us all for who falls not often yet Rise again by Repentance and at the Hour of your Death Then six your Faith upon the Mercies of God in the Merits of Jesus Christ and you shall Dye in the Lord And Dying so you shall be blessed Etiam sic dicit Spirius For so saith the Spirit It is my second General Pars 2. I called it the Witness to assure the Deposition to confirm the truth of the Proposition and I must tell you It is beyond all exception Etiam sic dicit Spiritus For so sayes the Spirit But of this I shall not need to speak much For I hope in Christ There is no Athist here to deny the Truth of God or of his Word No Schismatick or Heretick here I hope to deny this Book of Revelation though penned by St. John to have proceeded from the Spirit Not any Carnal or Private Spirit not any Giddy or worldly spirit but the Holy and Blessed Spirit and therefore I forbear to prosecute this Point and thank your Piety for saving me the pains Nor shall I dare to trespass upon your Patience Pars 3. in speaking much of my Third General This Depositaries Exposition of the Proposition And yet least I should injure your Expectation I shall venture upon a word or two If any one askes wherein are the Dead Blessed They that dye in the Lord wherein are they blessed Loe The Spirit makes answer and sayes They are blessed two wayes 1. In Relaxation They rest from their Labours 2. In Retribution Their Works follow them They are two Blessednesses and two such Blessednesses as this world cannot afford Ease and Glory both In this world If sometimes we have Rest in our Studies by Divine Contemplation yet there we have no Glory we are but poor Schollars still And if sometimes you have Glory in the Court by Royal admission yet there you have no Rest you are but Observing Courtiers still But in Heaven Both you and we shall have
In Corah the first in Absolon a second in Sheba a third in Bigthan a fourth Rebellious person It is much feared they all went from the sweet of Sin to the smart of Pain from the Darkness of Sin to the Darknesse of Hell I speak of Principals 2 Sam. not of Accessaries many of them go in the simplicity of their Hearts and for them I pray with my Saviour Father forgive them Luk. 23.34 but for the rest They that commit these sins wittingly wilfully malitiously to them I sear belongs the Epilogue of Rebells Damnation because their Prologue was Resisting the higher powers which is a wilfull Perjury in the breach of their Allegiance if St Paul speak Scripture when he said Rom. 13.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They that resist the higger powers shall receive to themselves damnation They may fear it and let them pray Acts 8.22 whom it concerns and Repent if perhaps God may forgive them And for our selves though we are not maliciously concerned in this sin yet because we are cowardly concerned in this sin I pray God Almighty deliver us from the punishment of it Pestilence Famine and Sword in this world and from damnation in the world to come and assure us thereof by an holy conformity of our lives to his Law all our dayes and by an holy perseverance in our obedience to himself and to his Annointed King Charles the Second whom God restore unto and establish in his Fathers Throne brough Jesus Christ Amen Amen Amen January 30. 1649. ACTS 3.15 The Prince of Life whom ye killed BUt that I know and am sensible of the occasion I would read the following words whom God raised from the dead and then I should tell you This Text were Janus like and looks two wayes Uisione reflexâ backwards upon Good-Fryday last Visione rectâ forwards upon Easter-day next As it looks backward it speaks nothing but Passion Ye have killed the Prince of Life and makes the Sermon Funeral As it looks forward it speaks nothing but Resurrection Whom God hath raised from the dead and makes the Sermon Nuptial But alass I am only for the Passive part of this verse and look upon these words positively and personally as they intend April 4. 1649 years since and Jesus Christ the Prince of Life whom ye then killed and I look upon these words again Relatively and yet personally again as they relate to January 30. 1648 and King Charles a Prince of life whom ye killed Well Look upon the words either waies either Litterally and possitively or Relatively and personally They will require Tears Tears being commonly the Followers if not the Friends of Funeralls and whatsoever the Followers do the Friends will weep And indeed whether to speak or weep my time out upon this Text I could willingly question since we in it commemorate the Exequie◠both of Jesus Christ and one very like him as ye heard the last year King Charles of Great Brittain and Ireland the first And can we follow these to the Grave without a Tear It was done upon Good-Fryday personally on Christ 1649. years since the first Good-Fryday that ever was and that day the streets below were hung with Blacks and the Heavens above with blackness For no Sun was seen in Jury for three hours but only the Sun of Righteousness whom the Darkness comprehended not That day both the Heaven above and the Earth beneath were astonished if not ashamed at the Apprehension condemnation and execution of Jesus Christ And shall not we follow the Son of Man Nay the Son of God to the grave with a Tear The Poet pointed out the Spectacle of sorrow when he said Hinc ille Lachrymae and wept when it may be he aimed at the Tombe certainly at the Tormentor But now that Spectacle of sorrow may question Undè haec lachrymarum indigentia whence proceeds this want of Sorrow whence this Drynesse Is it from Obedience to that command Weep not for me but then why do we not weep for our selves Is it not rather from the hardness of our hearts which dams up the moisture of our eys Can you see a King killed and not Weep Why behold Princeps trucidatus The King is killed Can you see a Good King killed and not weep Why behold Princeps vitae trucidatus The Prince the King of life is killed That King that Prince of life of whom we said Under his shade we should live in peace he is killed Can you see that Good King that Prince of Life whom your selves have killed and not weep Why behold Interemistis trucidastis vos Ye have killed the Prince of Life And upon these three parts I shall spin my Discourse Division 1. Quid What was done Killing 2. Quis Who was Killed Princeps vitae the Prince of life 3. Qui Who killed him Vos ye you and myself I begin with the first Quid What was done upon April 4. Good Fryday An. primo salutis nostrae In the first year of our redemption Killing upon Jan. 30. Anno 1648. salutis nostrae In the thousand six hundred forty eight year of our Redemption Killing 1. Had it been only Passus est He suffered It had been an hard word For it is an hard thing to suffer especially for great Persons such as Christ was and all Kings are If great Persons do great things it is no wonder Their very Genius does naturally incline them to it But to suffer yes any small thing for them is more then to do many great things Doing is good if it be well doing but suffering is hard though we suffer well for well doing yea though doing be sometimes hard labour yet suffering is harder of the twain yet Christ suffered so in the Creed he suffered under Pontius Pilate So in St. Peter 1 Pet. 2.21 Christ suffered for us 2. Had it been Mortuus est He Died It had been harder Add shame to Death and then it is harder yet For as I take it shame and Death are the hardest things that can be suffered nothing so precious to us as our Life unlesse it be our Reputation and nothing therefore so hard to suffer as the losse of both these Life and Reputation But Christ suffered both Death and shame both The Crosse cost him his Life and the shame of the Crosse bereft him of his Honour viz. with the Jewes He put his Shoulders to the Cross and endured it to the losse of his life Hebr. 12.2 He set his Feet upon the shame and despised it to the losse of his Honour Of the Philosophers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 five terribles Death is the most terrible and what Christian be he as strong as a man or weak as a women what will not He or she suffer in Physick or Chirurgery in Purging Vomiting Cutting or Cauterizing so that they may not suffer Death But Death many a man may suffer and desire it too Simeon did Luk. 2.29 Domine nunc
both both Natural fear and Filial fear But when they stand in competition and my obeying the King will dishonour God and my fearing the King will displease God where sin is the subject of a Tyrants command and Gods Law must thereby be transgressed Act. Then I am at the Apostles resolution Whether it be fit to obey God or man judge ye I am then at King Davids blessed man I fear God and therefore I fear not any evil tydings This will appear more evident if we look into the diverse acceptions of Auditus malus Evil tydings and what is the true construction of evill tydings 1. It signifies sometimes Calumnies Contumelies Checks Taunts and Reproaches wherewith they that fear the Lord are slaundered Thus gluttony blasphemy and sedition were objected to Christ And now his Servants and the late present Kings liege people are called I should have said miscalled Malignants Delinquents Papists evil Counsellours enemies of the Church troublers of the State Haec autem perferre difficile and this is a very heavy burthen to bear Generosis enim animis cruciatus corporis Plutarch quám jacturam famae facilius est perferre A noble mind had rather have his Body to be bruised then his credit blasted yet he that is truly noble et sola virtus vera Nobilitas the Noble Christian that feareth God is so far from being afraid at these evil tydings that he neither forsakes the Truth nor declines his Loyalty He is not afeard of the evil tydings 2. Sometimes evil tydings signifie Famam sinistram quam improbi culpâ suâ contrahunt that evil report which base people deservedly bring upon themselves Thus Shemei is called a Rayler thus Doeg is called an Accuser thus Absolon is called a Traytor thus Achitophel is called a Conspirator thus Corah Dathan and Abiram and all such as rise against the Lords Annointed their lawful King are called Rebells But they that fear God and such as are Loyal Subjects fear not such aspersions If they are cast upon them by evil Tongues they readily answer as St. Augustine did Petilian upon a like scandal I know no such thing by my self and I think I know my self better then he knows me but believe you which you please and judge as you please whether he that writes and fights against the King or he that writes and fights for the King be a Rebel a Delinquent a Malignant I am not afeard of these evil tydings 3. Sometimes evil tydings signifie dangers and Calamities Jobs messengers One tells us Our Cattel are plundered A second tells us Our houses are fired A third tells us Our Children are murthered A fourth tells us Our Soldiers are mutined Our Garrisons are betrayed Our Armies are disbanded and Free-quarier is denied Why yet Non succumbit justus non deficit He that fears God faints not fails not looses not his courage yea though he knows Death to be the Guerdon of his not yielding to a Conquerors pleasure he looks upon his Saviour and fears not him that kills the Body he looks upon King David and fears not â—ay evil tydings These times offer as fit a case as this Text requires King David pronounces the man blessed that feareth the Lord My fear of God is best evidenced unto me by my Obedience to my Parents for that is Gods Commandement my great Parent is the King He is Pater patriae and the higher power so St. Paul calls him The Supream power so St. Peter calls him Therefore I to be subject to him and not to resist him is St. Pauls inference Therefore I to honour him and to fear him is St. Peters inference But of late there were a pack of men met together against Charles I. the long liv'd Parliament so there are now against Charles II. the too long being Protector with his too long fitting Council of State who did and do call themselves a Power above the King who did command us who do command us to take their part against Charles I. then against Charles II. now who did and do threaten us with Sequestration of our Estates That 's Beggary with Registring our names in the black Book That 's Infamy with bringing us to the Barr of Justice of their Justice or more truly To the Barr of their Court of their high Injustice That 's Death We know If we did forsake Charles I. If we do forsake Charles II. and take part with them against the King we sin we resist If we resist we incur damnation The word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mr. Marshall did qualify and linify it by the construction of Judgement and that signifies the destruction of Soul and Body here and for ever Now here is the tryall If we did stand to the late and do to the present King and do our Duties If we were and are resolved as Ittai was 2 Sam. Wheresoever my Lord the King is whether in Life or Death there will thy servant also be Then we fear God and therefore fear no evil tydings But if we did go back to them that opposed and deposed and murthered the Father or if we do go back to them who resist and keep out and calumniate and hunt after the bloud of the Son let it be upon what consideration it may I shall leave my Wife and Children beggars else I shall be a Slave and Prisoner all the dayes of my life else I shall be han'gd else And these pettire thoughts fright me out of my Duty I have then ruined my blessednesse I am not blessed I have lost my Evidence I am witnesse against my self I am afeard of evil tydings basely and slavishly afeard and therefore I fear not God Well fare that Heathen who was resolved for all Fortunes and will rise in Judgement against many very many cowardly Christians in England Non fulminantis magna Jovis manus Terrebit justum And again Etiamsi fractus illibatur Orbis Impavidum ferient ruinae Let the world totter turn round and fall I will not be afraid I will fear God But a Heathen is not fit to be our Schoolmaster look we upon the Primitive Christians and amongst them well fare old Hilarion who being in the hands and power of his Persecutors and by them demanded Antimeret If he were not afeard of those evil tydings they brought him For they came to strip and plunder him To which he returned an Answer as full of gallantry as mirth Nudus latrones non timet An empty Ship fears not a Pyrate A naked man fears not a Theif They then thâ—eaten him with Terribilium terribilissimâ— the Hyperbole of evil tydings sed occidemus te we will put thee to most exquisite torments and in the end will kill thee Non times mortem Art thou not afeard of death and he returns as great a Hyperbole of gallantry Non timeo mortem quia paratus sum mori No I fear not death because I fear God and am therefore prepared to
these several Countries or that whole world of men leave to make choise of their own Commander He could have done this by his power For his power had no bounds but he did not so So his Wisdom did mannage his power he made many Angels by his Power but in his wisdom he made but one Man And would you see a Reason of that I dare not pry into this Cabinet yet I shall shew you the outside of it God found not Heaven it self free from Mutiny amongst a multitude of Inhabitants and therefore to take off all colour to contention to with hold all pretext of disobedience to Soveraignty He made but one man one and no more thereby teaching us That the power of a King over his Subjects is as Natural as the power of a Father over his Childe That as Naturally there can be but one Father of one Child so Polittically there should be but one King over one people and all this to tell us That not only the King should have as great and pious a care over his Subjects as a Father hath of his children but also that the Power of Monarchy is from God and not from the People and so to be acknowledged by the People That 's the Duty of a King the Duty of a people He to use his power paternally and they to render their subjection Filially sic fuit ab initio Thus it was from the beginning And this is acknowledged by Aristotle himself Lib. 1. cap. 8. Polit. who was led only by Nature and saw as far into the Lawes of Nature as ever man did At first saith he Regal power belonged to the Father of the Family and he gives this Reason for it Because in the Infancy of the world the Fathers were so Grandevous and lived so long that each Father begate such a Numerous posterity as might People a whole Countrey Gen. 4.17 so we read That Cain built a City Certainly it was for his own Colony and that Colony certainly was his Natural generation and so he was at once as well their King as their Father and his Regal power over them as his Subjects was no lesse from God then his Paternall power over them as his Children And Justine though he did not see so well nor so far into Nature as Aristotle did yet he saw so far as to acknowledge so much saying Principio rerum gentium Nationumque imperium penes Reges erat The Rule of Nations of all Nations was in the hands of Kings from the beginning and the People had no more right to chuse their Kings then to chuse their Fathers because the Kingly Right pertained to the Father of the Family Therefore in the beginning if we believe these two lights of Nature Kings are of God not of the People sic fuit ab initio Thus it was from the beginning But hath not Moses since given a Bill of Divorce Hath it been so ever since and in all places It is a spacious and large demand and I shall as I am able for the present resolve it though briefly yet plainly Nor here will I tyre your Ears with the four steps or Ascents to Royalty viz. 1. Of Inheritance 2. Of Donation 3. Of Election In which only the People can claim some colour for chusing the person but not for bestowing the Power or at most for Administration of the power but not for Foundation of the power it self 4. Of Conquest Nor yet with the three Originals of Kingdoms 1. Natural which may also be called Civil 2. Violent which you may rather call Martial 3. Mixt of both In which last though the People had somewhat to do yet not any Absolute power and in the two former nothing at all God only therein is the Authour and Institutour Nor here will I tell you How Melchesedech Abraham and the Patriarchs were Kings and saluted Patres Patriae Arist loco prae dicto the Fathers of their Countrey where they inhabited without any Efficiency so much as of Curtesy from the People because Regal Power belonged to the Pater-familias so descended by Right of Primogeniture to the Eldest Sonne according to that Natural Moral Positive Divine Law That the younger should be subject to the Elder Gen. 4.7 I look first upon Moses who first efected Municipal and Natural Lawes amongst the Jewes and was the first Catholick visible King of over the Jewes for the Sanhedrim was but Moses his Privy Council or as Deligated Judges because of the numerous multiplicity of businesses and he as good a man as he was and enabled and endued with extraordinary abilities and fully perswaded that he was the Instrument appointed by God to be Israels deliverer Exod. 2.12.14 yet because he sought his Commission from the People Acts 7.25 before he had received his Commission from God he was fain to expiate the errour of his self-led Zeal with Forty years exile in the Wildernesse Exod. 3.10 and then and not till then God called him not the People for their approbation but to Pharaoh And all this was as for some other ends so also for this in particular To tell the People That they have nothing to do that yet they had nothing to do in the appointment of a King but that God himself and he only is the Author and efficient of Monarchy And that by him he Moses ruled Israel Forty years after him God appointed Joshua and he ruled Israel Sixty years and after these two Worthies died then God appointed Judah then Othniel then Ehud then Shamgar then Deborah then Gedeon then Tolah then Jeptha then Sampson still God appointed called and authorized them not the People These I confesse were not Kings so properly and absolutely as the former were They were yet Loco Regum instead of Kings and chosen and called by God When after God left them to themselves and gave them no Kings and that Monster the Multitude took the Power into their own hands Oh what hideous births did they produce The Danites instead of Libertie the Subjects Liberty betook themselves to Licenciousnesse the Benjamites instead of Property the Subjects property Judg. 19 gave themselves to Rapes and Rapines and in a word The whole Jury of the Tribes gave themselves to Revenge and have given up no Bill to their Posterity Judg. 20. but Astonishment and enough of that to affright any people unlesse they have lost their sense with their Conscience their Reason with their Religion from affecting Anarchy or almost any kind of Government whereof God is not the Efficient and Immediate Author Well After this when God in mercy looked upon their misery and gave them a little refreshment in the succession of two Judges Heli and Samuel and they were a weary of this Government and would needs have a King to govern them as the Nations had why even then God did not give them leave to chuse one themselves but he himself appointed one
King Indeed in Bulk the Body is greater then the Head the People then the King but in Virtue in Power and Authority the Head excelleth the Body the King is above the Parliament For the Parliament by vertue of Representation is but the Body of the Kingdom whereas the King is the Head of that Body and the Representative of God himself and certainly He that represents God is above them that represents the People Thomas de Walsingham mentions a Letter written to the Bishop of Rome from the Parliament held at Lincolne in which Letter are these words Scimus Pater sanctissime et notorium est Anno 1301. a primâ institutione Regni Angliae quòd certum c. We know most holy Father it is manifest from the very beginning of the Kingdom of England as well in the times of the Brittains as of the Angles that the certain and direct Dominion hath belonged unto the King neither have the Kings of England by reason of the unbounded preheminence of the Royal Dignity and Custome observed in all Ages answered or ought to answer before any Judge Ecclesiastical or Civil Certainly the Paâ—liament is either an Ecclsiastical or Civil Judge or both Be it which it will or both if it wilâ— The King is above both because neither of them may call him to account He is of an unbounded preheminence and therefore by no means under the Peoples girâ—le Nec populus Acephalus says Fortescue corpus vocari meretur quia ut in Naturalibus Capite detruâ—cato Cap. 13. residuum non corpus sed Truncum appellamus sic in Politicis sine Capite communitas nullatenus corporatur A headless People or a People without a Head may not be called a Body because as in a Natural Body the Head being cut off the residue or remaining part is not called a Body but a Trunck or stump so in a Politick Body the Community or Representee if without a Head is not a Body Certainly then If the King makes the Community a Body and the Community without the King is not a Body the King is above the Community because the Head is above the Body He says Object I confesse and from him it is objected Ad â—tutelam legis subditorum ac eorum corporum et bonorum Rex erectus est et ad hanc potestatem a populo effluxam ipse habet A King is ordained for the defence of the Law of his Subjects for the defence of their Bodys and their Goods and hereunto he receiveth Power of his People and therefore says the Objector The King is accountable to his People and therefore the People is above the King But withal the Objector may know That in the same place the Author answers the Objection Answ by distinguishing of a King saying Rex hujusmods such a King i. e. A King meerly Politick or a King whose Government is meerly Policicall but the Government of England is as well Royal as Political Regnum Angliae in Dominium Politicum et Regale prorupit The Kingdom of England consists of a Regal and Politick Dominion Et in utroque tam Regali quam Politico Cap. 9. populo suo dominatur so are his words And the King of England is the Governour of his People as well by a Regal as by a Politick Dominion I add In reference to his Power he is a Regal King and Rex Naturalis a King by Birth In reference to his Duty he is a Politick King or Rex Nationalis a King by Law but in both a King and therefore above the People in both respects Nor is that any barr to the Kings Supremacy Object Fol. 56. which is alledged either out of Brrcton Rex sub lege est quia lex facit Regem The King is under the Law because the Law makes the King For though the King be under the Directing power of the Law as the Law is the Rule of Justice yet He is above the Corrective power of the Law as the Law is the Instrument of Justice Or out of Fleta Rex habet in popule regendo superiores De Iustic subst l. 1. c. 17. legem per quam factus est et curiam suam videlicet Comites et Barones The King hath Superiours in the governing of his People The Law by which he is made and his Council to wit his Earles and Barons For the Law doth not make the King Answ by giving him any thing that was not his own before but declaâ—ing his Right to what was his own before nor is the Counsel any other way above him then to direct and advise him In a word The Law declares and publishes the Kings right to the Crown The People admit the King to the Possession of his Right The Council advise him and direct him in the safest way of Governing his People and they are all but as Instruments and Servants to him and so He is above them all The King the Life the Head and Authority of all things that be done in the Realm of England Lib. 2. cap. 4 says Sr. Thomas Smith in his Common-wealth of England The King of England Summam et Supremam potestatem in omnes Regni ordines habet Cambd. Elis pag. 39. says Cambden hath the chief and Supream Power oveâ— all Orders and sorts of People in the Kingdom Supremam potestatem et merum Imperium apud nos habet nec in Imperij clientela est Brit. p. 132. nec investituram ab alio accepit nec praeter Deum Superiorem agnoscit says the same Cambden He hath Soveraign Power over us He is not under the Protection of the Roman Empire not doth he take investiture from any other nor doth he acknowledge any above him but God alone Certainly then the Distinction of Universis minor and Singulis major was not yet coyned For he that is under none but God is above all the People unless they be God And this is yet made as plain if not plainer by and in a Preface to a Statute in the Raign of Henry VIII 24. Hen. 8. cap. 12. where it is said By diverse sundry old Authenitque Histories and Chronicles it is manifestly declared and expressed that this Realm of England is an Empire and so hath been accepted in the world governed by one Supream Head and King having the Dignity and Royal Estate of the Imperial Crown of the same unto whom a Body Politick compact of all sorts and degrees of People divided in termes and by names of Spiritualty and Temporalty have been boundened and owen to bear next to God a Natural and humble obedience and thus afterwards This your Graces Realm recognizeth no Superiour under God 25. Hen. 8. but only your Grace The words are worth your marking We the Realme of England i. e. Surely the Subjects Conjunctim or Vniversalitas Angliae All the People whether Represented in Parliament or otherwise Owe the King a Natural Obedience i. e. by
kill why 2 a. 2 a. that my secundae secundae shall tell you and it tells you It is lawful for some men to kill in some Cases but it is not lawful for any man to murther in any Case Clamitat in Goelum vox sanguinis Murther is the first and loudest crying sin of the four and who dare say It is lawful to have a Scritch-owle in ones Conscience Diabolum habet Patrem The Devil is the Father of it as appears by that Increpation of Christ upon the Jewes when he told them They were of their Father the Devil who was a murtherer from the beginning Et quis occidit John 8.44 And who dares say It is lawful to be the Devils Son The Discoveries of it are many and wonderful commonly the Wound it self bleeds a fresh in the Presence of the Murtherer and in a manner cryes out for vengeance Apoc. How long Lord how long dost thou cease to be avenged Jacob would not part with God without a blessing I will not let thee go except thou blesse me Gen. 32.16 Murther will not part with God without a curse The voice of thy Brothers Bloâ—d cryeth out unto me from the ground Gen. 4.10 and now thou art cursed from the Earth Et quis occidet and who dares say It is lawful to deserve a â—urse Murther is most severely punished of all other sins Adams sin was not so severely punished as was Cains For the Earth yielded her strength to Adam upon his good hâ—sbandry but to Cain though he did till the Earth it did not Adam for all his sin had leave to eat his bread in the sweat of his face Gen. 3.18 but Cain was a vagabond Gen. 4.12 had neither leave nor leasure to eat his bread In a word Murther is a sin against Nature For Omnia appetunt esse Nature seeks her own preservation Murther deprives her of it It is a Beastly sin Ferina Rabies est sanguine et vulnere delectari None but Beasts delight in Bloud It seeks to annihilate God and to destroy his very Essence In the Image of God God made man and therefore he that kills man unlawfully does the best he can to kill God As Phydias painted the Image of Minerva and his own so cunningly together that be said whosoever should marr the Image of Minerva should marr the Image of Phydias and whosoever should marr the Image of Phydias should marr the Image of Minerva so hath God so place his Image in man that whatsoever defaceth his Image defaceth man and whosoever killeth man killeth his Image The Image of God I confesse is in the Soul tanquam in proprio objecto and that cannot be killed yet it is in the Body too you will not deny tanquam in Orgaâ—o and in the Blood tanquam in copula et per concomitantiam both which are destroyed by Murther And because the Soul depends upon the Sences and the Sences upon the Vital Spirits and the Vital Spirits are carried by the Blood Therefore he that taketh away the Bloud causeth the Vital Spirits to fail He that takes away the Vital Spirits causes the Sences to fail He that takes away the Sences causeth the Reasonable Faculty to fail and he that causeth that to fail destroyeth the Image of God so doth every Murtherer and so did Achab. Achab the Magistrate the King did better acquaint himself with θ to take away life against his Duty then with ζ to preserve life which was his Duty And that which adds â—o his sin he did not do it by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 interficiendo which a King may in some cases do but by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trucidando which a King may not do in any case No may â— might not Achab a King shed blood yea he might so he did it as he might and there are 4 grounds that make it lawful Si ex justâ— causâ If the occasion be just and the Crime so requires I instance in this particular whosoever shedeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed Gen. 9.6 not that every man may be his own Judg but in necessitate instanti as Moses tells us If a thief be breaking up a house in the dark and he be smitten that he dye In this case God requires not the shedding of blood for him Exod. 22.2 The same Rule holds in the defence of our lifes when it once comes to this push either kill or be killed else if there be not a Necessity an Absolute Necessity It is unlawful Nay though there be a Necessity an Absolute Necessity yet in some Cases it is not lawful I propose the Case of Duels Rebels Tyrants 1. Duels that for private Revenge shed the Blood of Peace in War 2. Rebells that for Publick Revenge shed the Blood of War in Peace 3. Tyraâ—ts that for publick or private Revenge shed the Blood of Innocence by turning Peace into War no pretence whatsoever can make shedding of Blood lawful in these cases To affect Magnanimity is Heroical and lawful but to forget Christianity is Diabolical and unlawful let Duellists remember Cain Gen. 4. Kill and Despair To affect Liberty is Generous and Lawful but to purchase it by disloyalty is odious unlawful Let Rebels remember Corah Absolon Num. 16.2 Sam. Rom. 13.1 Sheba Resist the Powers of God and receive damnation To settle Crowns becomes Kings and argues spirit but to do it by Cruelty and Injustice becomes not Kings and argues an evil spirit Let Tyrants remember Pharaoh Achab Heâ—od secure their Crowns by Blood and loose their Souls for ever The King himself sins if he kills sine justâ causâ It was King Achabs fault For what cause in Naboth that he should be killed Capiat qui capere potest And secondly Si sine ordinariâ potestate If his Power be not Good and Right and such Power is only in the Magistrate in the Supream Magistrate and such as are delegated from him None but the Supream hath the Sword borne before him No may he for all that Sword take away every mans life Rom. 13. The life of the Innocent he may not the life of Malefactors he may and must Solomon was not Reus homicidiâ— guilty of murther for shedding Adonijahs though his Brothers Blood because he was a Malefactor the worst of Malefactors a Rebel But Achab was guilty of Murther for shedding Naboths blood though his Subject because Naboth was Innocent and guilty of nothing that we read of but his Inheritance which made him a Delinquent and merited a sequestration and his goodness in not yielding to an Arbitrary Government which made him a Malignant and merited a Trucidation And thirdly Is he guilty of murther who kills sine justo ordine without true proceedings and herein was Achab guilty again Due proceedings I confesse he observed by way of Formality For the Court was erected and Naboth was Arraigned but Due proceeding there was not
for want of Reality For it was a new Court not a true Court of Justice that was erected Had the Execution issued without any Conviction it had been Judicium temerarium a Rash Judgment but because the Execution issued upon a Formal Conviction only it was Judicium hypocriticum a false Judgment and therefore doth this man of God Elijah from the God of man question him for it and charge him with it saying An occideris Hast thou killed i. e. Thou hast murtheredâ— And fourthly He was guilty of murther in killing Naboth Quia non ex recto animo for want of Regular intention For a King inflicting Death upon true proceeding a just Cause may yet be guilty of murther when he doth it rather Ex libidine irae Timoris Vindictae Avaritiae then ex amorâ— Justitiae more for Revenge for Anger for Fear for Convetousnesse then for Justice And three of these Vices were very eminently in Achab. 1. He desired Naboths Vine-yard There was his Covetousnesse 2. He was displeased with Naboth for denying his Vine-yard there was his Aâ—ger 3. And then He engrossed his Covetousnesse and reak'd his Anger by murthering of Naboth There was his Revegene And now Beloved Judge your selves who was the true Malignant Naboth that was murthered or Achab who murthered him But withal Judge again If the murthering of Naboth but a Subject made Achab a Malignant though a King whether then Naboth the Subject had not been a Malignant if he had murthered Achab the King though a bad King Certainly the Position holds more strongly A majore adminus then a minore admajus And if you add to the murther of Naboth the Plundring the sequestring and robbing of Naboth It is too evident That Achab was a very great Malignant Which is my tertia secundae 3 a. 2 ae and last Consideration in these words An etiam jure haereditaâ—io possèdisti Hast thou killed and also taken possession i. e. Thou hast killed and that was enough to make thee a Malignant but thou hast yet done more Thou hast also taken possession i. e. Thou hast robbed robbed not only the Father and the Husband but also the Wife and Children and this makes thee the greater Malignant The words are worth your marking For it is Jure haereditario possèdisti It is not Impetivisti Thou hast made an Invasion like a Thief but Thou hast taken Possession like an Heire and yet thou hast no right to it no Inheritable right A man may have a Title to what he doth not as yet Possessè and a man may wrongfully Possesse what he hath no Title to Naboth had a Title to his Vineyard It was saith he the Inheritance of my Fathers At length Achab possest it without any Title for ought I know I am sure without any lawful or just Title unlesse perhaps It were some new Law in that Apostate Kingdom That the Husband should succeed him whom the wife had murthered or the Son should succeed him whom the Father hath murthered or the Lievetenant should succeed him whom the General had murthered The General should succeed him whom the President had murthered And therefore doth the Prophet here increpate and chide him for it saying Hast thou killed and also taken possession Hast thou broken two Commandements at once the sixth by murther and the eighth by theft For theft or stealing is the taking away another mans Goods against his will whether it be by unlawful getting or by unjust detaining or as the Schoolmen speak In ablato or In deposito And Achab was guilty of every branch in this Definition of theft because he took away Naboths Vine-yard against his will by an unlawful Ablation and kept away Naboths Vine-yard by an unlawful Detention Nor was there any way to excuse his will or to ease his Conscience whatsoever Not the consent of the Absolute and Supreme Lord for the Egyptians could not complain of the Israelites for theft though they took away their Jewels and Ear-rings without their consent and against their will because God himself who was the Absoute and Supreme Lord both consented to it and commanded it and there it is very Emphatical in the Original where it is said Vaniat Zelu Eth Mizrajim They spoyled the Egyptians Exod. 12.36 q.d. They had as good right to those Jewels as Soldiers in a lawful War have to the spoyl of their enemies But here Naboth the Inferiour Lord consented not Nay he denied it and God the Superiour Lord disallowed it yes and condemned it and therfore sent his great Prophet Elijah with this Increpation Hast thou killed and also taken Possession Was it not enough for the to play the Murtheâ—er but thou must also play the Thief Nor Secondly had he any Necessity to excuse him in the supply of his wants For in Necessity Absolute necessity it is not Theft though a man take his Neighbours goods away against his consent because Division of goods was brought in after the Fall whereas before the Fall all things were common and the Second must give place to the First Institution in the Case of a Mans extream Necessity to save his life and therefore as before the Fall every man might take as much as would suffice him without wrong to another so in extream necessity a man may take as much of another mans goods as will supply his wants without the Owners consent and not be guilty of Theft This is implyed in the Law given by Moses which though it be in it self Judicial and Judaical yet the Morality of it belongs to and lyes upon us A man might go into his Neighbours Vine-yard and eat as many Grapes as he pleased and this he might do Jure charitatis by the Right of Charity but he might not carry any away with him because he had not Jus proprietatis any Right of propriety This is also exemplified in David 1 Sam. 21. who in his Necessity are the Shew-bread to satisfy his Hunger Mat. 12. and this is alleadged by Christ to justify his Disciples for pulling the Ears of Corne. By all which it appears That Christians may do the same But Achab had no excuse of Necessity and therefore no Jus charitatis to Naboths Vine-yard and Dominium unius rei penes plures in sâ—lidum jura non patiuntur say the Jurists The Law suffers not many to have the Absolute Dominion of one thing Much lesse had he Jus proprietatis in it because Naboths Plea of Inheritance to it was no way dissolved therefore was Achab guilty of theft as well as of Murther which made this great Prophet thus increpate him Hast thou killed also taken possession Nor thirdly had he any Prescription to excuse him in this Case For Praescriptio est adjectio Dominii per continuationem Possessionis a lege definiti Prescription is a long continuation of Possession which the Law presumeth equivalent to the tacite consent of the former Possessor says Modestenus and truly
Christ the Lord. The English Etymology speaks as much For it is therefore Gospel quasi Good-spel or the Charm of the Soul A Spell a Charm like Davids Harp or rather far better then it That drove the evil Spirit out of Saul only but This the Gospel drives the evil spirits of all our sins out of all our Souls A rare thing then it is and the rarer yet if you but consider whose Gospel it is It is sometimes called the Gospel of God as in the Epistle to the Romans because He is the Author of it Rom. 1.1 and sometimes it is called the Gospel of Christ as in the same Epistle Rom. 1.16 because he is the subject of it sometimes It is called the Gospel both of God Christ not only to distinguish it from Pharisaical Traditions which are but Doctrins devised by Men but also to tell us It is the only means whereby we may be saved For if Jesus be the only Name under Heaven in whom we may be saved then the Gospel of Christ is the only means under Heaven by which we may be saved Acts 4 For it is the Grace of God the only free Grace of God so free that we deserved it not that we sought it not that we desired it not No He was found of us when we sought him not Isa says the Prophet I indeed He found us when we were so far from seeking him that we ran away from him If he had not pursued us with an Adam ubi es we had never answered with a Deus ubi es tu Gen. 3. For it is the Truth of God the only promised Truth of God which He promised afore by the mouth of his holy Prophets which have been since the world began Luk. as you heard not long since in this place from a Reverend and Learned Gentleman for which if there were no more worth in him Dr. H. as there is much every manner of way he deserves Honour and Respect For it is the Counsel the chief Counsel of God whereby He predestinated us to be saved Eph. Luk. To be saved from our enemies and from the hands of all that hate us For it is the Power of God the only emphatically revealed Power of God for salvation unto every one that believeth to the Jew first Rem 1.17 and also to the Gentile And the grace of God the Free grace of God the Truth of God the promised Truth of God the Counsel of God the Eternall Counsel of God the Power of God the only revealed Power of God unto salvation who will not that lawfully may preach it who will who dares deny them to preach it but of that by and by In the mean time What is to preach It is not only Docere to Teach That may intend to make something known that was not known before by a new way of Illumination which might have proved happy to this Nation if it had not been Enthusiasted and made known now by a pretended Infusion but indeed a Devilish Illusion but it is Praedicare to Preach i.e. To inculcate matters pertaining to our salvation by an intended acquisition after the old way in which they that walk are safe if you will give credit to the Prophet A new way it was and dangerous which Dioclesian took when Sustulit Episcopos he took away Bishops the Persons of Bishops whether by the Hatchet or by the Halter by Fire and Faggot by Men or Beasts or by Beasts in the shape of Men. A newer way it was and more dangerous which Julian took when Sustulit Episcopatum when he took away Episcopacy and the very Office of Bishops as a needlesse thing whether by Sacriledge or for Avarice whether by prophanness or for wantonness having cloyed themselves with that Heavenly Manna or willing to glut themselves and fill their Purses with that Aurum Tholosanum and Heavenly Treasure Sure I am as Wise and Conscientious a Lord as this latter Age brought forth forbad his Posterity to reap the First Fruits E. Strafford Tythes or Holy ground for fear of an after-clap and sure I am as Wise and Pious a King as the Christian world ever had 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pag. 103. who said He had rather live on the Churches Almes than violently take the bread out of the Bishops and Ministers mouths And therefore it is the Newest and most dangerous way which some men since at this very time have cook O. C. with his Counsel when sustulerunt Clericatum They took away the Execution of their Function from the Clergy and musselled the mouths of all the Orthodox and Lawful Clergy of the Land Would you see what belongs to this New and Dangerous way of Dioclesians to this Newer and more Dangerous way of Julians to this Newest and most Dangerous way of Cromwell Take it in Three Curses Gods Curse a Kings Curse and an Ecclesiastical Curse 1. Gods Curse is set down by Moses thus Smite thorow the loins of them that rise against Levi Deut. 33.11 and of them that hate him that they may rise no more It is Gods Curse this and it is a fearful Curse a Curse for this life they dye suddenly or violently So did Dioclesian so did Julian and it is a Curse for the next life they dye Eternally without a great deal of Repentance which God Almighty send them whom it concerns 2. The Kings Curse is King Jua's Anno 725. Quisquis hujus meae munificentiae testamentum quovis deinceps tempore c. and it is as sad Curse for the sense of it is Sr. Henry Spel. Whosoever upon what cause or occasion soever shall rob the Church or Church-men of what was collated upon them by his Royal munificence let him be condemned with Judas to the Flame of Hell But my Zeal is not so hot and therefore I pray for them that are in this way guilty of Juda's sin God Almighty give them both Juda's Repentance to make Restitution and St. Peters Repentance to keep them from Confusion 3. The Ecclesiastical Curse is this as it is recorded by Rascall Tit. Excom By the Authority of Almighty God the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost we excommunicate accurse and from the benefits of our Holy Mother the Church we sequester all those that willingly and maliciously deprive or spoil the Church of her Rights and all those that by any craft or wiliness do violate break diminish or change the Church-liberties and free Customs contained in the Charter of the Common Liberties we also excommunicate c. This is the Ecclesiastical Curse and it is both a sad and fearful Curse But I am not for Cursing I am for Preaching the Gospel and therefore I pray and say God forgive them who have prohibited the Clergy the Lawful Clergy to Preach and dissolve that prohibition and till then whether it be fit to obey God or man judge ye since wo be to me
if I Preach not the Gospel I. It is my second Consideration Pars 2. The Duty performer me I wo be to me if I St. Paul personally and every lawfully ordained Minister successively St. Paul was chosen to it St. Paul was separated to it separate me Barnabas and Saul Act. 9.15 Act. 13.2 Rom. 1.1 1 Cor. 1. called them St. Paul was called and appointed to it and in this Epistle is the very same St. Paul called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ through the Will of God St. Paul himself nor none other of the Apostles durst Preach until they were called and being called they durst not but Preach They the Apostles in their Calling had something conferred upon them personally and peculiar to themselves and some other things which generally concern all their Successors viz. Bishops primarily and other Inferiour Priests and Pastors secondarily They the Apostles had an immediate Calling from Christ in Person Our Calling is though not of men yet by men Theirs neither of men nor by men They had an Universal Mission an unlimitted jurisdiction and an Infallible Assistance of the Spirit the gift of Tongues to speak several Languages and the gift of Miracles to do many supernatural works And all these were Extraordinary Priviledges and did not out-live their Persons were not entailed to their Successors But the Warrant of their Commission and the Work of their Commission generally and equally belongs to us with them None may usurp the charge of a Bishop or Inferiour Minister until a Necessity be laid upon them and when Necessity is laid upon them then wo be to him that lays it by and Preaches not or takes it off and will not suffer him to Preach But of that anone In the mean time I beseech you give me leave to commend unto you two Lessons of some if not great Importance and worthy of your Consideration and mine own First The Authour of all lawful Vocation to the Ministry Nota. is the Lord Christ Onely Christ I say Exclusively to all men not to the two other Persons in the glorious Trinity which all equally concur to this External Work God the Father placed in the Church Apostles Prophets Teachers c. 1 Cor. 12.28 Act. 13.2 Ghost commanded saying Separate me Paul and Barnabas for the Work whereunto I have called them and God the Holy Ghost it was that ordained the Bishop of Ephesus Act. 20.28 Indeed To whom else can it belong The Harvests Gods Mat. 9.38 Mat. 14 48 The Clergy are but Labourers and they may not go before they are called The Church is Gods House The Clergy are but Stewards in that House and no man may dare to take that Office before it be given him Secondly Nota 2. Ministers of the Gospel must have their Power and Placing from Heaven Nor is he now a Lawful Minister or Messenger from Heaven who is not sent and called by God and the Church St. Paul in my Text did not intrude himself into this Commission he did not assume this Holy Office until Christ laid upon him the necessity to Preach and little less than Antichristian is he that forbids such to Preach The Calling necessary to every Lawful Pastor at this day is twofold 1. One Inward from God 2. Another outward from the Church The Inward Calling is that whereby God â—eacheth the Heart of a man with an holy desire to consecrate himself to the Service of his House and enables him by his Grace to edifie his Church by Word and Work The Principal Evidences of this Calling are two 1. The Testimony of a mans own Conscience that he enters not into holy Orders for any Carnal or by-respects but onely or chiefly to honour God by his Labours And secondly a Competent measure of Learning and Piety of Zeal and Discretion of Wisdom and Elocution and such other gifts as are requisite to the discharge of so high an Office The Reason is plain Gods Sending and Gifting go still together He sends not to his People either Headless or Heartless Messengers but men of Science and Conscience and when He calls us he either finds us or makes us fit for his Service A Minister grosly ignorant or Scandalously prophane goes upon his own Errand God never sent him Christ never laid a Necessity upon him to Preach the Gospel How can they Preach except they be sent sayes the Apostle They must have Skill and Power Rom. 10.15 else they may not Preach without Skill cannot without Power they may not If they want these they are of them whom God complains of by his Prophet Jer. 23.21 I have not sent these Prophets and yet they run But God enters not nor entertains any Voluntiers into his Clerical Army and He is so far from accepting or appointing that Voluntary Service which they force upon him that He seldom punishes any sin more Severely or Exemplarily then this saucy if not Sacrilegious Intrusion Uzziah though a King 2 Chron. 26.18 2 Sam. 6.6 for putting hand to the Incense and usurping upon the Priests Office was suddenly smitten with Leprosie Uzzah was struck suddenly dead but for touching the Ark yes but for peeping into it 50000. Bethshemites died of the same disease It is an holy Function The Ministry is and therefore must have a holy Vocation Christ himself submitted to this Rule nor did he Preach until he was very solemnly ordained thereto by a voice from Heaven He took not this Office upon him until his Father called him Mat. 3. nor did the Apostles until Chris called them And this Inward Extraordinary Calling was enough for the Apostles but besides this Inward Calling from God which may settle ones Conscience we must have an External Calling from the Church and be installed or ordained by Publick Solemnity before we may adventure upon the Exercise of this holy Service Our Life and Learning must be gravely and duely examined The Church of God must approve us and the Hands of the Bishop must ordain us and aâ—mit us else we may not enter upon this holy charge If we do we can unlawfully we go unsafely and wo be to them that Preach so No man may take this honour unto himself Hebr. 5.4 but he that is called of God as was Aaron sayes the Apostle whosoever he be that thrusts himself into the Ministry and runs into this Office when the Lord hath not sent him as the Prophet speaks his own Conscience will one day accuse him and God at the last day will condemn him when he shall say to him Friend how camest thou in hither Who called thee into the Ministry He that enters in like a Fox by the Window of Craft and Subtilty as Absalon sought the Kingdom of hâ—s Faâ—her under the pretence of Justice and Humility may wâ—ll fear he shall dye like a Dog because he that câ—mes no◠〈◊〉 the door of lawful Admission is but a Thief and Râ—â—â—â—â— If thou wouldst
the Collick shackle me with the Gout Torment with the Stone Lay all Diseases upon me Physicians can name let me but live and I care not Or least any one should wrong the Text and make Cleombortus his hast dye before he should dye Preposterously and make away himself out of a Coâ—ceipt of being Blessed Or lastly least any one should make this Text an enemy to other Texts and say If the Dead are Blessed then none are Cursed Not Cain the Brother-Killer nor Judas the Saviour-killer nor Ravilliac the King-killer but all are saved The Period is not at Mortui Blessed are the dead but at In Domino Blessed are the Dead which dye in the Lord. To keep the Text from splitting upon any of these Rocks I shall shew you in this part of it 1. The Subject Mortui Who the Dead 2. The Object what Beati They are Blessed And 3. The Subject quallified and restrained which of the Dead are Blessed In Domino They that dye in the Lord they are blessed And yet because of the Order of these words I shall crave leave to speak 1. Of the Object Blessed and of it as it is here restrained to the next life to the Dead Blessed are the Dead And what is this Blessednesse 1 a. 1 ae Blessednesse Comp the Fruition of the Soveraigne Good no Compleat Blessednesse untill then And what this Soveraigne Good is these two Charecters tell us Optimum et Maximum The greatest thing and the Best thing 1. Optimum it must be The Best Else it will not sistere appetitum Give us content For enjoy a man what he can or will either Bona the gifts of Fortune Riches and such External Blessings or Meliora the gifts of the Mind Wisdom and such Internal Blessings yet the Mind is never content until it have Optimum the Best which is the Eternal Blessing 2. And as it must be Optimum the Best to give us content so it must be the Maximum the Greatest else it will not Implere appetitum and satisfie our Desire For enjoy a man what he will or can either Magna the great Chair of Priesthood or Majora the greater Throne of Majesty yet is the Desire never satisfied Unus Pellaeo juveni non sufficit Orbis Alexander wonted Elbow-room in a whole world until it have Maximum the Fruition of what is greatest The Positive is too low whether it be Bonum or Magnum Good or Great For the Good men would be Better and the Great men would be Greater The Yeoman a Gentleman to be Greater and the Priest a Bishop to be Better And yet then The Comparative is not high enough For be he Better then the Good or Greater than the Great yet we are not so Good or Great as we would be until we enjoy both Maximum and Optimum the Best and the Greatest The Best to content us and the Greatest to satisfie us And the Reason hereof is very plain plain in that plain and old Resemblance of the Mind or Heart of Man The Heart of Man is the Greatest Figure and the Heart of Man is the Best Figure For it is Triangular Now the Bona and the Magna The Good and the Great the Majora and the Meliora The Better and the Greater Gifts and Places are all but Globular and therefore Impossible that any of them being all Globular and Round should content and satisfie the Heart of Man which is altogether Triangular and three square Nothing can content that but what is hoth for Eminence and Circumference Triangular And so Nothing is but onely that which is Optimum Maximum The Best and the Greatest And now of whom may those two Attributes and Characters be predicated Who do enjoy Him in whom these two Characters meet Surely none below For there is none that doth good upon the Earth sayes the Psalmist no not one Some below are Comparatively good Saints in respect of Sinners Believers in respect of Infidels are good Good they but none Absolutely good None so good as to be Optimus but God nor none but Him is Maximus neither onely God is Almighty and All good He onely is Omnipotentia and Omnibmentia Omnipotence and Omnibonence He only is Almighty in Himself and over All He onely is All good in Himself and to All 1 Tim. 6.15 and therefore onely Blessed as the Apostle onely Blessedness which Blessedness till we enjoy we can never be or be truely said to be Blessed But against this there lye two Objections One on Gods part propter Essentiam for his Essence and one on our part propter Absentiam for our Absence On Gods part Object 1 the Octjection is framed thus God is Essentia simplex A simple Essence we are of a Compound Nature and therefore God because simple as He is cannot satisfie us because Compound as we are This is the Objection And thus I answer it God is simply good but so that He is also Manifoldly good Answ 1 Innos eminenter He is a Manifold Good to us In se simpliciter He is a simple Good in Himself That way He doth satisfie us though This way He doth not satisfie us and we are thereby Blessed On our part the Objection is framed thus Object 2 God is in Heaven we upon Earth and therefore we cannot see Him and therefore we cannot enjoy Him and therefore we are not Blessed And I answer this Objection thus Answ 2 It makes nothing against my Text for my Text speaks of the Dead and sayes The are Blessed and the Dead are not upon Earth where they cannot see God and live but in Heaven where they live because they see God and therefore they are Blessed because they see Him and enjoy Him who is both Optimus and Maximus All-mightiness and All-goodness But least any man living should think himself unblest because my Text ascribes Blessedness onely to the Dead I enlarge my Answer thus There is a Twofold presence of God 1. In his Scepter Ester and that is gracious like Ahashuerus's 2. In his Throne and that is glorious like King Solomons Gods Scepter is his Word Here we see Him darkly and but Darkly because we apprehend this Presence onely by Faith Gods Throne is his glory or his Kingdom or his Heaven of Heavens and There when we are and God Almighty once bring us thither we shall see Him clearly even Face to Face The Presence of Him in his Word though is be a Dark yet it is a True Sight of Him and the Pledge of a Clearer in Heaven For when we believe in God In God the Father Son and Holy Ghost we are then Blessed in the Church Militant because we have Peace of Conscience and are thereby assured That therefore we shall be Blessed in the Church Triumphant because we shall then and there have the Peace of God When we believe in God and consider in Him as our Maker of Nothing as our Redeemer from Sin as our Sanctifier against as
our Preserver from Sin and Danger from the Sin of Rebellion which was this Day acted to purpose and from the Danger of Rebels which for this Dayes Rebellion will ere long be executed on them to the purpose as our Judge according to the Clearness of our Hearts and Cleanness of our Hands we are then Blessed Spe in Regno Gratiae by Hope in the Kingdom of Grace because we have the Forgiveness of our sins and are thereby assured that therefore we shall be Blessed Re in Regno Gloriae by way of Possession in the Kingdom of Glory because then we hall have Everlasting Life And this is the upshot of all Blessedness And this Blessedness will not be had until we be Dead nor can it be had unless we Dye in the Lord. It is my next Consideration 2 a. 1 ae my Secunda Primae proposed thus Who are Blessed And disposed thus The Dead They are the Subject of this Object The Dead are Bessed and their Qualification is If they Dye in the Lord. By Dead here is not meant St. Pauls Dead which he speaks of to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.16 The wanton Widow who is Dead whiles she lives she is not Blessed because Dead but therefore Cursed because she is Dead whiles she lives For howsoever she drawes in the Life of Nature yet she never breaths out the Breath of Grace And this I prove by those three parts which are the best Indications of a Dead or Living Body The Pultse the Heart the Mouth If a mans Pultse beat If his Heart pants If his Mouth speaks or breaths we are sure he lives but if all these are silent and stir not we conclude He is Dead 1. Now for the Pultse of a wanton Widow the Pultse of her Soul her Conscience If it beat at all yet it beats unevenly and out of tune either too high by Desperation and Presumption or else too low by Security and Supiness And by this we know she is sick For the most part It beats not at all It gives no warning before It starts not at the temptation to sin It gives no Remembrance after It checks not at the Commission of sin and by this we conclude she is Dead And so her Heart too If that pants at all It is after sensual Pleasures and things forbidden like the Harlots in the Proverbs Come and let us take our fill of love Prov. Broken Cisterus that can hold no water It is not after the Fountain of living waters like Davids Come and let us go into the house of the Lord. Psal 3. And so her Mouth too That speaks not the Language of Canaan and such as becometh Saints but the Language of Ashdod and such as becometh Devils By which it appears she is Dead but not Blessed Nor by Dead here is meant those Dead which Christ speaks of Let the Dead bury the Dead i.e. The Deal in sin bury them that are Dead for sin As elsewhere He speaks to the Jews Yee shall dye in your sins And they that are so Dead Dead in their sins while they live or so Dye Dye in their sins when they leave this life They that give sin leave to reign in them while they are here and over them when they depart hence They that obey the commanding power of it now and sink under the Condemning Guilt of it then They are not Blessed though Dead but Cursed Cursed in their finishing of sin because that sin brings forth Death as St. James speaks i.e. Eternal Death Jam. 1. But by Dead here is meant not Universally All but Indefinitely Many Those that Dye in the Lord It is my next Consideration my Tertia Primae And here I shall shew you first What it is to dye in the Lord by way of Doctrine and Explication And secondly How we may dye in the Lord by way of Use and Application And first 3 a. 1 ae What it is to dye in the Lord Why To dye in the Lord or To dye in Christ or To dye in Faith for all these are Synonima is either To suffer Death for Christ like a Martyr or To end our life in firm Faith in Christ as a Confessor The Romanists contend earnestly for the Former and will have the Text to be understood of Martyrs onely and so they take In for Propter To dye In the Lord is To dye For the Lord. Now be it That the Martyrs are here Specially meant yet sure I am That they arc not here onely meant For I do not read Luk. 16. That Abraham was a Martyr yet I read That he was Blessed in Heaven with Glory nor do I read That the Thief upon the Cross died for Christ Luk. 23. yet I read That he was Blessed in Paradice with Christ He whosoever he be that doubts of the Martyrs Blessedness His that dyes for Christ is scarce worthy himself to have any part in Christ It is a thing so little doubted That Saint Augustine sayes Injuria est He does the Martyr wrong that prayes for him For by praying for him he doubts of his Salvation and Christ himself sayes He that looseth his life for my sake shall find it And certainly Mat. If he wrongs the Martyr that prayes for him then he that grieves for him wrongs him much more For he either doubts of his welfare or repines at his happiness To see Clouds in the Clergies face for the departing of our late most reverend Father in God William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury To see Furrowes in the faces of the remaining Greenvills Smiths or Boules To see water in the eyes of the surviving Cavendishes Lyndseies or Gardiners To hear Plaints from the Tongues of the being Bourcheris and Yeomans Tompkins and Challoners for the not being of their Fathers Sons Brothers Kindreds and Friends is equally to doubt of their being Martyrs and therefore Blessed as of our Enemies being Rebels and therefore Murtherers which for mine own part I no more doubt of either then of success in the End or mine own Salvation It hath been questioned I know by the Church-men of Rome Whether Souldiers may be Martyrs and their Reason is Quia bonum Reip. licet maximum inter bona humana non potest esse Causa Martyris sed solummodo Divinum Yet I know withal It is resolved by them again Quod bonum humanum officitur Divinum si referatur ad Deum est Causa Martyris Aq. 2.2 q. 124. Ar. 5. ad 3. a Subjects fighting and dying for their King or King fighting and dying for his Subjects did Fight and Dye for God they did it of late For of late Gods and the Churches and the Kings Cause consentred in one The King endeavoured to maintain that Religion and that publicly Service of God which Gods own right hand planted and his blessed Martyrs watered watered with their Blood and therefore blessed because they have so done Etiam dicit Spiritus so sayeth the Spirit blessed are
towards their Kings should first desire Pilate a Judge and having obtained leave upon their desire should add to their desire endeavour and to that endeavour the act and actuall Execution to kill him it is a monstrous Murther This If it be a monstrous Murther for Servants to kill their Master If it be a monstrous Murther for Sons to kill their Father If it be a monstrous Murther for a VVife to kill her Husband why look ye here are all Subjects which are but serci Domini Regis Servants to their Lord the King Subjects which if more then Servants are but Filij Patri Patriae Sons to the Father of the Country the Kings Subjects which if more then Sons are but sponsa Marito Gentis the Spouse to the Husband of the Country the King yet these Servants these Sons this VVife desire to kill and kill their Master their Father their Husband and that which makes this monstrous Murther more then and above measure monstrous they can find no cause of death in their Master in their Father in their Husband in their King which is all In the first of these the wondea I enquire 1. VVhy there was no cause of death in him 2. If there had been cause of death in him whether they might desire to have him killed In the second The monstrous Murther I enquire 1. VVhy they desired Pilate to kill him 2. VVhat end they had in killing him I begin with the first the wonder they found no cause of death in him Pars 1. The Jews had four sorts of death in use amongst themselves 1. Lapidatio Stoning 2. Combustio Burning 3. Decollatio Beheading 4. Suffocatio Strangling Other sorts of death in number six they borrowed from other Nations 1. Crux the death on the Cross 2. Damnatio ad bestias to dye by wilde Beasts 3. Serra dissectio cutting one in sunder with the Saw These three they borrowed from the Romans 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the VVheel 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 udgelling one to death 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Drowning one in the Sea They borrowed from the Greek and this they borrowed from the Greeks and Romans These severall sorts of death had their several causes of inflicting them I shall but name them 1. There were eighteen Causes for Stoning one to death 1. He that lieth with his own Mother 2. He that lieth with his Fathers VVife 3. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 4. He that lieth with a betrothed Maide 5. He that Coupleth with a Male 6. He that Coupleth with a Beast 7. The VVoman that lieth down to a Beast 8. The Blasphemer 9. He that worshippeth an Idol 10. He that offereth his Seed to Molech 11. He that hath a familiar spirit 12. The Wisord 13. The private intiser to Idolatry 14. The publique drawer to Idolatry 15. The VVitch 16. The prophaner of the Sabboth 17. He that Curseth his Father or his Mother 18. The Rebellious Son Now of none of these 18. did they accuse him but only of Prophaning the Sabbath and Blaspheming in calling himself the Son of God in neither of which they found no cause of Death in him For he disproved his profanation of the Sabbath by works of Charity and proved himself guiltless of Blaspheamy by his own constancy and by his Fathers Testimony His Father witnessed twice that he was his Son once at his Baptisme Mat. 3.15 Mat. 17.3 and againe at his Transfiguration at both which times a Voyce was heard from Heaven saying this is my beloved Son His own Constancy also quitted him since his first words and his last words when he died Luk. 23.34 Luk. 23.46 were Father forgive them and Father into thy hande I commend my Soul No cause therefore to stone him to death and as little cause could they find to burn him to death for none but 10. sorts were adjudged to burning 1. The Preists Daughter which committed Whordome 2. He that lieth with his own Daughter 3. He that lieth with his Daughters Daughter 4. He that lieth with his Sons Daughter 5. He that lieth with his Wives Daughter 6. He that lieth with his VVives Sons Daughter 7. He that lieth with his VVives Daughters Daughter 8. He that lieth with his Daughter in Law 9. He that lieth with the Mother of his Mother in Law 10. He that lieth with the Mother of his Father in Law None of these ten did they accuse him of at all and less cause did they find of death in him to be burnt to death And less cause they had to behead him for they beheaded only two sorts of Malefactors 1. The Murtherer 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel But of Murther they accused him not nor indeed could they since he rather chose a Crown of Thornes then to exchange that of Gold for one of Lead whose embased Flexibleness might be forced to comply and bend to the various Ps 33.20 and oft-contrary dictates of any Factions nor did they accuse him of stealing any Soul of Israel Ps 36.10 since he complained the difference in Religion was the only thing that troubled him Neither of these two did they accuse him of and less cause of death did they find in him to be beheaded And less cause yet had they to strangle him For they strangled but six sorts of Malefactors 1. He that smote his Father or his Mother 2. He that stole a Soul of Israel 3. An Elder which contradicted the Consistory 4. A false Prophet and he that prophesied in the name of an Idoll 5. He that lay with another mans Wife 6. He that abused the Body of a Preists Daughter Now none of these six was he accused of and therefore no cause did they or could they find in him of death to be strangled to death And for the other six punishments they borrowed from other Nations the Cross 1 The Saw 2. The Beasts 3. The Wheel 4. The Sea 5. The Cudgell 6. They found as little cause of death in him And if you aske why they could find no cause of death in him my prima seconde will tell you and it tells you thus 1. Becauses the Hearts of Kings are in the Hands of God and Christ was a King yet and He was God too and so had his Heart in his own hands therefore Impeccable because God cannot sin for if he could he were not God And for the King that my discourse in this Anniversary and Text aimes at though he were not Impeccable because a Man yet such a man he was that his most malitious Enemies could find no cause of death in him and therefore framed or caused Petitions to be made in the Names of the Soldery and common-people to cry out for Justice that he might be killed though they could find no cause of death in him Christ the King in my Text was free from all cause of death for no cause of death but Originally Corruptions or
Actuall Transgressions But Originally Corruption He was free from because He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary and Actuall Transgressions he was cleared of not only by the Verdict of St. Peter who tell us from the Holy Ghost He did not sin neither was any guile found in his lips 1 Peter but also by the sentence of Pilate himself who told the Jews who importuned to have him Crucified I have examined him but can find no faults in him And Charles the first King of England John Scotland France and Ireland for whose Commemoration and his 8 Anniversary I chose this Text though he was conceived in sin and questionless guilty of Actual transgressions yet not such Transgressions as made him worthy to be Killed and murthered by the ancient Laws of this Kingdom And that 's a wonder A wonder that King Charles I. should rather with Constantine cover other mens Errors and discover His own A wonder it is P. 146.4 that Charles I. would continue an Angel of Reformation when the Devil of Rebellion was up in Arms against him A wonder it is p. 207.1 that Charles I. would rather suffer himself and his to be destroyed then give way to alter a settled Orthodox Religion A wonder it is p. 186.3 that Charles I. would rather chuse the woe of Vae soli and Solitude then of Vae vobis Hypocritae and Hypocrisie A wonder it is p. 127.28 that Charles I. should chuse rather to be reckoned among the Misfortunate then in the black List of irre ligious and Sacrilegious Princes A Wonder it is p. 165.20 that Charles I. should seek to set up Christs spiritual Kingdom by pulling down his own Temporal Kingdom A Wonder it is p. 135.4 That Charles I. should rather ascribe the setling of Bishops to the wisdom and piety of the Apostle then to the favour of Princes or Ambition of Presbyters A Wonder it is that Charles I. should be so judicious to determine some mens Zeal for Bishops p. 141.8 Lands Houses Revenues set them on work to eat up Episcopacy Root and Branch A Wonder it is p. 103.10 that Charles I. should esteem it his greatest Title and chiefest Glory to be the Defender of the Church both in the true Faith and its just Fruitions and equally abhorr both Sacriledge and Apostacy A wonder it is p. 103.21 that Charles I. should rather chuse to live on the Churches Alms then violently to take the Bread out of Bishops and Ministers mouths A wonder it is p. 104.17 that Charles I. wounld not repair the Breaches of the State by the Ruins of the Church A wonder it is p. 103.6 that Charles I. should rather chuse Pharaohs Divinity and Joseph's true piety then to sell the Priests Lands A wonder it is that Charles I. should esteem the Church above the State and Gods Glory above his own p. 92.13 and the Salvation of his soul above the preservation of his Body Estate and Posterity And yet a greater woâ—der it is That in none of all these nor any thing else neither Judge nor Jury nor Rable could sind any cause in him King Charles I. But now suppose They had found cause of death in him 2a 1ae yet might they desire to have him killed That my 2a 1ae is to tell you and it tells you No It is not awsul for Subjects to desire to have their King killed though â—hey could find cause of Death in him No God forbid we should desire to have Christ the King killed since he came to he killed for us that we might not be killed A most unthankful part this would be and therefore most abominable to requite so much Mercy with so great Injury Yet so unthankful and so abominable were the Jewes They desired to have Christ killed and I would to God some Christians yes and all Christians were not so abominably unthankful But I must tell you so abominable and unthankful are we all that we daily wound him if we do not kill him yes that we daily wound him and kill him Wound him by our Miseries or kill him with our sins we renue his Agony by our consticts or his Passion by our Guilts We never suffer as Christians but He suffers with us we never sin as Beasts or Epicures but we kill him by those sins We have more need to say Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave his Son to be killed on Earth for a time that we might not be killed in Hell for ever and Blessed be God the Holy-ghost who did annoint Jesus to be our Christ and gave him Inauguration to his Crown of Thorns and Blessed though most bloody Function and blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself up to death that death might not swallow us up yes rather say we Blessed be the Holy Trinity then to desire that Christ should be killed And God forbid again That we should desire to have that King killed whom I in this Text aim at For it is against the Law against the Law of God against the Gospel of Christ and against the Law of men too 1. Against the Law of God Exod. 27.22 Thou shalt not speak evel of the Ruler of thy people says Moses much lesse mayst thou do evil to him Prov. for says Solomon Against the. King there is no rysing up but to desire his death to desire that he may be killed is both to speak evil of him and do evil to him 2. It is against the Gospel of Christ For Christ himself says Give to Caesar the thing that are Caesar and what things are Caesars St. Paul tells you when he says Be subject to him Give him Honour Rom. 13. Tribute Obedience Take not any thing from him and all this for Conscience sake which argues their little or no Conscience which desire to have him killed for in so doing they take all things from him and St. Peter puts it further home when he says next to Fear God Honour the King which shews and it it as if the Apostle had said They have little or no Fear of God that have so little Honour for their King as to dishonour him by desiring to have him killed or as the Royal Expositor hath it They cannot appear good Christians p. 165.20 that approve not themselves good Subjects Nor can it be safe for a King to tarry amongst those men who shake hands with their Allegiance p. 37.15 under pretence of laying faster hold on their Religion and certainly that is no Religion or a very bad one which allows it lawful for Subjects to desire to have their King Killed But I have spoken at full heretofore That no cause whatsoever in the King though Murther Witâ— hâ—raft Idolatry c. can authorise Subjects to Rebellion from the Law of God from the Gospel of Christ from the Judgement of all
the Primitive and later Orthodox Divines as To kill their King 3. And therefore I hasten to shew in the next place That such a desire to have the King killed is against the Law of Man and particularly against the Law of the men of this Nation even of those men who did Kill King Charles I. And that I may do it truly and according to the Law of this Nation I shall only repeat the words of Judge Jenkins who tells us His Oath as a Judge runs thus p. 174. 1. Well and truly to serve our Sovereign Lord the King and his People in that Office 2. To do right to all manner of People Poor and Rich after the Lawes and Usages of this Realm 3. Truly to Counsel the King and his Counsel to conceal and keep p. 174. 4. Not to suffer the hurt or disheriting of the King or that the Rights of the Crown be decreased by any means as far as he may let it 5. If he may not let it he shall make it clearly and expresly to be known to the King with his advice and Council 6. And that he shall do and purchase the Kings profit in all that he reasonably may as God him help and the Contents of Gods Book And after he tells us p. 175. That the House of Commons this Parliament some call'd it the Long Parliament gave in charge to Mr. Sollicitor St. Johns I think upon the Prosecution of the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford to declare the Law to be That Machination of War against the Laws or Kingdom is against the King They cannot be severed He tells us again p. 1676. That Mr Pym had in charge likewise upon the same Prosecution to Declare That the KING and his People are obliged one to another in the nearest relations He is a Father and the Childe in Law is called Pars Patres He is the Husband of the Common-wealth They have the same Interests they are inseperable in their condition be it good or evil He is the Head they are the Body there is such an Incorporation as cannot be dissolved without the destruction of both Once more p. 198. after this he tells 1. To Imprison the King is High Treason 2. To remove Counsellours from the KING by force is High Treason 3. To alter the Laws establisht in any part by force is High Treason 4. To usurp the Royal Power is High Treason 5. To alter the Religion establisht is High Treason 6. To raise rumours and give out words to alienate the Peoples affections from the King is High Treason 7. To sesse Souldiers upon the People of the Kingdom without their consent is High Treason 8. The execution of Paper Orders by Souldiers in a Military way is High Treason 9. To counterfeit the Great Seal is High Treason 10. Thâ— Commissions of Array is in force and no other 11. None can make Judges Justices Sheriffs c. but the King â—he King makes every Court 12. The Great Seal belongs to the Kings Custody or to whom he shall appoint and none other 13. Ordinances of one or both Houses are no Lawes to binde the people 14. No Priviledge of Parliament holds for Treason Felony or breach of the Peace 15. To Levy war against the Person of the King is High Treason 16. To impose unlawful Taxes to impose new Oaths is High Treason 17. It is a pernicious Doctrine to teach Subjects They may be discharged from the Oath of Allegiance Good God of what a complicated Treason then was that party of that PARLIAMENT Guilty who after they had taken up Armes against KING CHARLES I. did did then slaunder him did then Imprison him did then desire to have Him Kill'd and did then Actually Kill Him And so Committed a Murther a monstrous murther which is my second Generall Part Pars 2. And thus I discourse it Had they but desired to kill him they had committed a monstrous Murther For as to Lust after a Woman is Adultery in Christs Exposition of they Commandement Mat. 5. so to be Angry with a man to call him Fool or Raca is Murther in his Exposition of the sixth Commandement but they the Jews called Christ a Wine-bibber a Samaritan a Devil and at last desired to have him killed and thereby committed a monstâ—ous Murther King David tells us that the Lord aâ—horreth the blood-thirsty and deceitfull man Psal 5.6 and the deceitfull man as the best Expositors tell us is such a one as longeth after or desireth the blood of his Neighbour But they went further they did not only desire to have him killed but they actuaâ—y killed him Pilate indeed gave the sentence upon their importunity and they executed that sentence by their own Cruelty and so Murthered him in their heart by desire in their tongue by detraction and in their hand by Execution and so committed a monstrous Murther 1. Monstrous 1. as being against Nature Omnia appetunt esse Naturally all things love their being 2. Monstrous 2. as being against Reason Quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris Reasonably no man should do that to another which he would not another man should do to him 3. Monstrous as being Devilish He is a Muâ—therer from the beginning and the Author and Father of a Murther and who would be called a Malignant Joh. 44.8 or the Son of the Devill 4. Monstrous 4. as being Beastly Ferina rabies vulnere et sanguine laetari saies Seneca it is a savage Cruelty to delight in blood And yet if these Jews had thought that for this sin of Blood this monstrous Murther of Christ they should have been cursed upon earth and have been Vagabonds all the dayes of their life certaâ—nly they would never have committed so unnaturall so unreasonable so devilish so beastly a sin in defiring Christ to be killed by the Cross nor would the English have done the like by desiring Charles to be killed by the Hatchet But why did they desire Pilate to kill Christ and why did some others desire John Bradshaw to kill King Charles why that my prima secundae is to tell you and it tells you thus in one suppositive and in one Positive Quare 1. It may be the speak truth when they said to Pilate Joh. 18.31 It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death and some latter Jews tells us by name Moses Kots in Sanhedrin that all power of Capitall punishments was taken from them forty years before the destruction of their second Temple But this I dare not conceive For though power in Criminalls in the Generall was taken from them yet in this particular Pilate gave them power when he said Joh. 18.31 Take yea him and judge him according to your Law Nor could they object against this their Law could not condemn him if he had transgressed their Law because they confest they had a Law and by their Law he ought