therefore nemo insurgit no rising up corde in the Heart malum cogitando in thinking evill 2. Non Lingua no rising up with the Tongue 2. Non Lingua not in the Tongue maledicendo in speaking evill In that 21. v. of Saint Iudes Epistle it was contradictio the gainsaying of Core in which he and his Company perished If the defacing of the Kings Picture be Treason what think you is the disgracing the Kings Person veni maledic come and curse where God hath blessed is Balaam's Office to rayle and revile whom God hath humbled especially if a King is Shimei's practise neither sit for imitation neither fit for a Subject against his Soveraigne The King is the Father of his Country and as for the Naturall Father so for the Politicall maledictus qui vilipendit cursed is he that despiseth him yea and qui maledicit who speaketh evill of him Deut. 27.16 cursed and that with a mount Ebal's curse a curse to which many have formerly said Amen who now are in Arms against their Politicall Father the King Thus nemo insurgit no rising up Lingua with the Tongue maledicendo in speaking evill 3. Non manu not with the hand 3. Non Manu no rising up with the Hand malefaciendo in doing evill 1 Sam. 26.9 Who can stretch forth his Hand against the Lords Anoynted and be guiltlesse Quis Who can that is nullus no Man can This the triumphant Negative as one calls it a Negative with a Challenge We have some with Jacobs Voyce though Esav's hands who tell us they take up armes in the Kings Defence though this Defence be his greatest danger but I question whether if they had Davids opportunity they would have Davids resolution of not stretching out their hand against him Observe in David here not onely a ne perdas in the former part of the verse a giving of the blow but a ne Manum mittas in the latter a stirring of the Hand is forbidden Therefore as nemo insurgit no rising up corde in the Heart malum cogitando in thinking evill Lingua with the Tongue male dicendo in speaking evill so especially nemo insurgit no rising up Manu with the Hand malefaciendo in doing evill 2. quare the Reason why 2. Quare the Reason why there is no rising up 1. Taken from malum culpae the evill of Sinne. 2. Malum paena the evill of Punishment it is but borrowed of Saint Paul in Rom. 13. He that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God ther 's the malum culpae the evill of Sin and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation ther 's the malum paenae the evill of Punishment The former Argument is for the Godly who are moved cum timore Dei with the feare of God The latter is for the ungodly quos ut magis moveat saith Musculus whom that he might the more strongly move he comes upon them metu Judicii with the feare of Judgement 1. Then malum culpae the evill of Sinne. If a Rebell were askt his Name how well might he answer with the Man possessed with Devills that his name is Legion for they are many Rebellion being a Nest of Devills a Sinke of all Sinnes a Masse of all Impieties what Profanesse what Murders what Robberies what Whoredomes what Malice what Hatred what Mischiefe is it that you can name which is not heapt up in this Chaos of Confusion this one manyfold Sinne Rebellion Rebellion in the State is like an Impostume in the Body which breaking inwardly distempers and corrupts the whole and makes it's recovery desperate So that to redresse Disorders by dissorderly Commotions to compose Distractions by Rebellion is all one as if a Man should quench fire with pitch or cure old sores with new plagues Better therefore as our Church speaks in her Homily's against wilfull Rebellion undergo the worst of Governements then the worst of miseries Rebellion the Destruction of all Governement a right Apollyon bringing ruine upon all States so that as the Lacedemonians to cause their Chidren to loath drunkennes caused them to behold their Servants when they were drunke so that you may abominate Rebellion it is enough if you look upon those mens actions who are Rebells for then will this Reason appeare good that there is no rising vp against the King 2. Malum paenae the evill of punishment propter malum culpae for the evill of Sinne. 2. Malum paenae the evill of punishment why what is the punishment of a Rebell Death What death an ignominious death an untimely death a painfull death vt sentiat se mori as he in Seneca whether it be that of Bigtham and Teresh Esth 2.23 or that of Sheba 2. Sam. 20.22 or that of Baana and Rechab 2. Sam. 4.12 and to this adde that of the Psalmist Psal 109. his Lands and Estate are confiscate his Posterity disgrac't and begger'd his Name quite blotted out or if remembred he is damnatae memoriae a Man whose Memory doth stinke and is corrupted This Punishment is Temporall far short of that which is Eternall when he shall goe to his owne place where with the Arch-Rebell Satan he shall suffer the hottest flames in Hell who hath raysed so great a fire in the State Thus then nemo insurgit no rising up propter malum Paenae for the evill of Punishment I will end all in a few Words of Application Because Beloved I have not gravity enough to be the Speaker take it as spoken from the Ancient of dayes even God himselfe Prov. 24.21 Fili mi time Deum Regem My son fear thou God and the King and meddle not with them who are given to change for their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knowes the ruine of them both Here God seems to stand as a Father as a Judge as a Father his advice is loving My Son fear thou God and the King and meddle not with them who are given to change as a Judge his sentence is severe Their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knows the ruine of them both As we behave our selves we shall finde the benefit of his Councell or the penalty of his Sentence It 's added * Cajet vult hanc sententi am esseancipi tem posse quidem antecedentes sententias claudere consequentes etiam ordiri These things belong to the Wise to them who either are or would be accounted Wise such as are the Fathers of the State no shame for them to be Solomons Sons and to accept this Fatherly Councell which if they doe not though they will be Iudges themselues yet God a Iudge above them hath past their Sentence Give me leave to reveiw the Words by way of Paraphrase since they so much reflect upon the Text by way of Comment and may not unfitly conclude my Sâ—rmon by way of Application My Son â—ear thou God and the King Here a fit place for Davids quam bonum jucundum
of the Church to this purpose as the Kings of the Jews had a Copy of the Law so now our Kings the Book of holy Scriptures committed to them at their Inauguration That as the King of the Jews was Custos utriusque Tabulae the keeper of both the Tables so ours also Custos utriusque Testamenti the keeper of both the Testaments Secondly the Preserver of our Peace 2. The Preserver of our peace preventing by his Wisdome or suppressing by his Power all Insurrections at home and withstanding and repulsing all Invasions from abroad Ver. 23. Hence it is that in the 34 of Ezech. the King is called the Shepheard of his people the Shepheard as pascere to Feed them regere to Guide them so tueri too to defend them to defend one from the other and all from the Wolfe Ver. 20. one from another the Leane from the Fat the poore from his Oppressor and all from the Wolfe the Wolfe the Enemy without the Fold the Enemy without the Kingdome In that 1 Tim. 2.2 we are commanded to pray for Kings Why that we may live Heremon kai ' Esuchion Bion a peaceable and quiet Life Heremon Bion a peaceable Life free from Civill Dissentions and ' Esuchion too a quiet Life safe from Forraigne Invasions This then is the King also ad nos to us the preserver of our peace 3. The Protector of our Laws as the Sunne is the Fountaine of Light The protector of our Laws so the King the Fountaine of Justice the Magistrates in the State like the Starres in the Heavens the Starres borrow their lustre of Light from the Sunne and the Magistrates their power of Justice from the King the Rule of which Justice are the Laws So that if any Magistrates shall violate the Laws they eclipse the Kings Justice and cast dishonour upon his Throne Which Indignity to revenge he hath the Sword committed to him by God and is appointed Vindex malorum Rom. 13.4 to take vengeance on them that do evill and this protection of our Laws is the preservation of our peace and defence of Religion the glory of both This then is the King ad nos to us the Defendor of the Faith and to that end especially he hath Huperochen his Excellency the preserver of our peace and to that end especially he hath ' Exousian Power the Protector of our Laws and to that end especially he hath ' Archen Principality or Governement or put them altogether as in good Kings they are ne're asunder he hath Excellency Power Principality for the Defence of the Faith the preservation of the Peace and the protection of the Laws of his Kingdom That the King is in se in himselfe this he is ad nos to us Now on our part is due to the King a full maintenance of his Royall Estate a full Maintenance is due non donum sed debitum not a Gift but a Debt For this cause pay you Tribute also so Saint Paul Rom. 13.6 from which Tribute Aquinas Comment in Rom. 13. though Aquinas will have the Clergy exempted ex privilegio Principum by the priviledge granted them from Princes for indeed no Man can remit a Debt but he to whom the debt is owing yet he confesseth it hath equitatem quidem Naturalem truely a Naturall Equity for it is Equity indeed if we will have our Faith defended our Peace preserved and our Laws protected that then the Excellency Power and Principality of the King should be maintained To see a Man stand bare headed we account an ordinary and usuall Signe of Subjection and what is it think we then to see a State bare headed the Prince who is the head kept bare not onely denuded of his power and Aurhority but also of his meanes and maintenance But what is the Subject excluded may not he stand up in the defence of the Faith the preservation of the peace and the protection of the Laws Yes rise up he may but with his King not against him for against him there is no rising up But what if the King neglects nay seduced by his evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion may not the Subject then stand upon Religions guard and Defend the Faith even against the King himselfe Judg. 6. v. 31. Here I might answer as Joash did Let Baal pleade for himselfe let wicked Kings Patronize their owne Cause Thanks be to God we have no cause to complaine of our Kings wickednesse but of our own and so need not I pleade for evill Kings since God hath given us so good and gracious a King But because this is that which many pretend to countenance their unlawfull Armes I Answer That in case a King neglects nay seduced by evill Councellors opposeth the sincerity and truth of Religion the Subjects may not rise up against the King Vi Armis with Force and Arms but Precibus Lachrymis with Prayers and Teares the Weapons with which the ancient Christians overcame the cruelty of their Persecutors according to that of Saint Bernard Bernard Epist 221. Stabimas pugnahimus usque ad mortem si ita oportuerit We will stand to it and fight even unto Death if need be But how why heare the Father non scutis Gladiis not with Shields and Swords sed precibus fletibus ad Deum with Prayers and Teares unto God The Subject then may defend by Petition to the King and Prayers for the King By Petition I say to the King yet not as Caesars Captaine Petitioned the Roman Senate as Plutarch Relates it with his Hand upon the Pummell of his Sword that if they would not grant it that should give it And in case the King will not Grant not Reade not Receive a Petition then Vince serendo ouercome by suffering And if it be the Truth of the Gospell a Man stands for so that the goodnesse of the Cause will beare him out he must not refuse to undergoe goe Death it selfe and so obtaine a Crowne of Martyrdome to be a Martyr himselfe by Christian Patience not Martyr the State by Civill dissentions King Solomon was chosen by God to build the Temple because he was a King of Peace 1 Cron. 2. Sure then Beloved whatsoever Men may pretend God hath not chosen them to reforme the Church who are Men of War yea War against their King against a Solomon too War against a King of Peace To raise a Civill War is certainely to exalt Satans Kingdome and not Gods or the King every where as too sad experience tells us to settle vile Profanation no where to settle true Religion And if Petitions to the King will not prevaile we must use Prayers to God for Solomon tells us The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord not in the power of the People and he turneth it whethersoever he will He can move evill Princes to good in mercy to his People as he did Belshazzar and Darius as
in doing the evill they Command so nor may we rise up against them when they Command that which is evill And this is the Summe of Gods Truth and the Saints Practise in this case of Subjection to wicked Kings This to remove Prejudice and Misunderstanding now ad Rem 1. No Cause can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their King 1. No cause can justifie arms against the King We must know Satan deceives not more than when an Angell of Light and Rebellion prevailes not more than when it's pretence is Religion and Justice See that one Example of Absolon 2 Sam. 15. He steales away the Hearts of the People and how that Vers 6. First he possesseth them with an evill opinion of the King Vers 3. that he neglects the execution of Justice and then insinuates into them Vers 4. That if he were made Judge in the Land not yet seeming to ayme at the Crown he onely desires to be made a Judge in the Land them the times should be better If any Man had any suite or cause if he came unto him he would doe him Justice Vers 5. c. And then condescended to a winning Affability with the People he raiseth a most unnaturall Rebellion which he colours over not onely with the faire Pretence of executing Justice but also of preserving Religion and therefore he offers Sacrifice before the People And the better to countenance his Rebellion he makes use of Achitophell the great Councellor and others of the Nobles of Israel And if we look upon King David he good Man is put to as great straits as King Charles He is driven from the great City Jerusalem he is forc't to fly a farre off and glad that he can be furnisht with provision at Mahanaim at the bounty of his better Subjects And being at this distance he Assembles what Forces he can rayse and sends them out to suppresse the Rebellion of Absolon who as he brought upon the Kingdome the misery of a Civill War so upon himselfe the confusion of an unnaturall Sonne and a Rebellious Subject Here let me say to King Charles what Cushi said to King David since their case is not much unlike when he brought the News of the Victory 2 Sam. 18.32 Let the Enemies of my Lord the King and all that rise up to doe thee hurt be as that young Man is But that a pretended Cause how specious soever should justifie Arms against the King no Man will beleive Therefore I must goe a great way farther and draw the Cord much longer and make it appeare that no Cause how just soever truely and indeed can justifie the Subjects taking up Arms against their Soveraigne What cause more Religious than that of Religion What cause more Just than that of Justice it selfe Yet neither for the Profession of Religion nor for the execution of Justice may Subjects take up Arms against their King This is evident Ashur is the Rod of Gods anger yet must Israel be subject Nebuchadnezzar his scourge yet must Judah submit and be so farre from raising Arms against him that they must pray for his Peace Jer. 29.7 In that 1 Tim. 2.1 Prayers are commanded to be made for Governours who were they not Christians but Heathens In that 1 Pet. 2.13 Honour the King Who was that Constantine the good No but Nero the Cruell And sure where God Commands Prayers to be made for Kings Horour and Obedience to be given to Kings he takes away taking up Arms against Kings though such as Nebuchadnezzar such as Nero Idolatrous and Cruell Blessed are they saith our Saviour who suffer persecution for Righteousnesse sake for their's is the Kingdome of Heaven Math. 5.10 not Blessed are they who rayse Rebellion for Righteousnesse sake that theirs may be the Kingdomes of the Earth And againe Vers 44. Love your Enemies blesse them that curse you and pray for them which despightfully use you and persecute you and the reason is ut Filii sitis That ye may be the Children the Children of whom Filii hujus seculi Children of this World no Flesh and Blood cannot endure this they are for another Way a Way of Opposition a Way of Rebellion but Filii Patris vestri qui est in Caelis the Children of your Father which is in Heaven If then to love our Enemies to Blesse them that Curse us to doe good to them that here us and to Pray for them who despightfully use us and persecute us be Godly Spirituall and Heavenly then to have bitter Envyings and Strifes in the Heart to rayse Civill Dissention and Division in the State is Earthly Sensuall and Divellish as S. James speaks ch 3. v. 15. S. Peter in 1 Ep. c. 2. v. 18. He admonisheth Servants to be subject to their Masters with all Feare not only to the Good and Gentle Alla kai tois skoliois but also to the Froward so our English pravis the wicked so Beza duris hard or cruell so Tremelius And if Servants must obey wicked and cruell Masters then must Subjects obey Wicked and Cruell Kings for the same relation that the Servant hath to his Master the same hath the Subject to his King And Beza's note here concerning the Servant may not unfitly be applyed to the Subject That though his condition seem in this case very grievous yet his subjection shall be so much the more accoptable to God si voluntas ipsius plus valeat quam Dominorum injuriae If the good pleasure of his will more prevaile with them than the injury's of their Lords Again in Rom. 12.19 Dearely beloved saith Saint Paul avenge not your selves If we may not avenge our selves upon our Equalls much lesse upon our Superiours and least of all that is not at all on him who is Supreame Comment in locum Ergo affligemur inulti shall we then be tyrannized over without Revenge Musculus makes the Objection and gives the answer adjecta est saith he hujus gratia assertio illa ego rependam For this cause is that Assertion added I will repay saith the Lord and a fearefull thing it is to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10 11. and ideo horribilius Regibus therefore the more fearefull for Kings because they have him alone to be their Judge and quid credimus judicem illum si non ultorem as Tertullian speaks Wherefore doe we beleive him a Judge if not a Revenger As for Kings then God will punish them Autocheir with his own hand which David knew well when he answered Abishai moving yea inciting him to slay Saul or suffer Saul to be slaine with a Deus percusserit God shall smite him but as for himselfe he would not stretch out his hand against him 1 Sam. 2.6.10.11 I could heape up Texts of Scripture to confirme this Truth but this one sentence of my Text may suffice where we have it propriis terminis a thing now a dayes so
electum a Populo chosen by the People qui exaltavit etiam elegit by him he was chosen by whom he was exalted by him he was chosen out of the People by whom he was exalted above the People And as for King David so for all the Kings of his Race God hath a per me for them all and as for them so for all Kings else by lawfull Succession that is certum determinatum As for unlawfull Usurpation I leave that sub Judice as needing no Sentence at the present If then the King receives not his Power from the Common-wealth then cannot the Commonwealth either take away the Power from the King or exercise a Power and Command against the King Thus then if no Cause no Authority can justifie armes against the King whatsoever Cause Men pretend whatsoever Authority they produce Solomon stands up still for the King with his non est qui resistat ei there is not any that may resist him But here I must not passe neither without a stand The severall places of Scripture which yeeld either Precept or Example of Obedience to Kings though wicked there are those who evade the Force of them by applying them to private or Particular Men and so runnes indeed the whole Current of Antimonarchians And therefore say they the Magistrates under the King though singuli separatim each one severall be his inferiour yet Vniversi conjunctim all conjoyn'd are his Superiour By the way observe ut dicta factis deficientibus erubescant as Tertullian de Patientia speakes That their Writings may shame their Actions Their owne Tenet is That if the Magistrates be above the King they must be universi conjunctim all conjoyn'd not divided and so Note as that the lesse part prevaile over the greater Which perchance may be true as concerning a Duke of Venice as you have formerly had the Example or a Prince of Orange but most certainly not as concerning a King of England Therefore Beloved beware of those kind of Statesmen who following their Masters would first bring us to a low King and after that I feare a Low-Country too Buchanan a great Patron of this Faction tells us quasi ex Tripode with as much confidence as if it were an Oracle in Dialog de jure Reg. jus idem habere in Reges multitudinem quod illi in singulos e multitudine habent It is too poysonous to be Englished Thus sometimes the States sometimes the Multitude in these Mens opinions must supereminere be Supreame and not the King in Saint Peters But what shall we beleive Buchanan and the Presbytery or Saint Peter and others of the Apostles cui potius siguram vocis suae declarasset quam cui figuram gloriae suae revelavit saith Tertullian to whom should Christ have reveal'd his will rather than to whom he reveal'd his Glory namely Saint Peter and the rest I will not abuse your patience nor misusemy paines to enlarge a Confutation vel recitasse est confutasse to have recited them is to have confuted them Onely observe that the Practises of those in our times who oppose the King are falne besides the Foundation layd them by their Masters for if they look their Lesson over again they shall find that not a part or parcell of the Magistrates but universi conjunctim all conjoyn'd not aliqui e multitudine Note sed multitudinem not some Companies of the Multitude but the whole Multitude not unus aut alter de judicibus aut Principibus Regni one or two that is some few of the Judges or Nobles of the Kingdom but they are universi Regni ordines the whole States of the Kingdome who may either moderari coercere or punire Principem Thus as Job speaks c. 5. v. 13. God taketh the Wise ' En panourgia ' autwn saith the Septuagint in their subtle wilinesse and the councell of the froward is carryed headlong consilium reluctantium so Junius the councell of the Rebellious not devised with more folly than prosecuted with fury to their own destruction I will conclude this point then with that place in the Church Homilyes so full against wilfull Rebellion That certainly Satan intending to raise Rebellion in the People first thought it necessary to suppresse the Homilies from the People The Words are these Turne over and reade the Histories of all Nations look over the Cronicles of our own Country call to memory so many Rebellions of old time and some yet fresh in Memory and we shall finde That were the Multitudes of the Rebells never so huge and great the Captains never so Noble Politicke and Witty the pretences feigned never so good and holy yet the speedy overthrow of all Rebells of what Number State or Condition soever they were or what colour or cause soever they pretended is and ever hath been such that God thereby doth shew that he alloweth neither the dignity of any Person nor the Multitude of any People nor the weight of any cause as sufficient for the which the Subjects may move Rebellion against their Princes Thus far the Homily's of the Church And if thus no Cause no Authority against a wicked King Note much lesse can any Cause any Authority justifie Arms against a gracious King If Jeremy will have Subjection to Idolâ—trous Nebuchadnezzar if Christ to Heathen Caesar if Saint Paul to Persecuting Nero who shall deny it to pious King Charles If for any King then sure for our King Solomon's non est qui resistat ei stands good There is not any that may resist him Thus of the Words as denying rem factam the thing done and jus facti the lawfulnesse of doing the thing I will briefely runne over the rest 1. Quomodo the Manner how there is no rising up 1. Quomodo the manner how there is no rising up 1. Non Corde not in the Heart and first non corde no rising up in the Heart malum cogitando in thinking evill Rebellion is the rankest poyson the least drop whereof is deadly not onely the large quantum but the least Scruple is forbidden Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King in thy thought the very hatching of a Cockatribe Egge is poyson as well as the Viper the Intention of Treason is a Sinne of an high nature as well as the Action and if proved shall be equally punished Esth 2.22 it is said of Bigthan and Teresh that voluerunt insurgere not that they did rise up but that they would have risen up against Ahasuerus though but a voluerunt an intention onely without action yet treason for which they are adjudged to death Touch not mine Anoynted saith the Lord Ps 105.15 Noljte tangere not the hand onely to act but the Heart also to will is forbidden Not unfitly then for this Cause though for others too more fitly Kings are called Gods because of the divine Priviledge communicated to them from God that as against God so against the King sufficit cor the Heart is enough
much stood upon A King against whom there is no rising up If we desire Examples for further confirmation let us retire backe to former Ages and we are presently as Saint Paul speaks upon another occasion encompassed about with a cloud of Witnesses Heb. 12.1 Nephos martyrwn a cloud of Martyrs sealing and maintaining Gods Truth with their owne Blood not with the Blood of others Was not Saul a bloody Persecutor slaying Abimelech with fourscore and foure Priests in one Day upon the false accusation of Doeg was he not a Demoniacke possessed with an evill Spirit a cruell Tyrant seeking not onely the death of David but also of Jonathan his owne Sonne Yet when God had delivered him into Davids hands and Abishai looking upon him onely with a Souldiers Eye as his Enemy had been earnest to kill him yet saith David destroy him not for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anoynted and be guiltlesse 1 Sam. 26.9 The Lords Anoynted What Saul a Persecutor a Doemoniacke a Tyrant and yet Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted Note Here beloved let me give you a remarkeable Observation This Anoynting here doth not betoken any Spirituall Grace as elsewhere it doth in severall places of the Scriptures a mistake let me tell you which hath begotten many irreverent opinions concerning Kings Royall Unction gives a Just Title to the Crowne not divine Grace to sway the Scepter it gives Right to rule not to Rule rightly Though true it is it were much to be wish't that Grace in their Hearts were as fragrant as the oyle upon their Heads and that as they excell in Glory and Dignity so in Godlinesse and vertue But we see wicked Saul then as well as holy David is Christus Domini the Lords Anoynted he had as all wicked Kings have sanctitatem Vnctionis though not sanctitatem vitae an holy Calling though not an holy Life Yea the Lord ruleth in the Kingdom of Men and giveth it to whomsoever he will so the Prophet Daniel c. 4. v. 32. so that he may be Christus who is not Christianus as was Darius the Heathen Is 45.1 If then Kings are made Christi Domini the Lords Anoynted neither for Religion nor Vertue then certainly they may not be unmade for either Heresie or Vice according to that Divinity axiome dominium temporale non fundatur in gratia Salis determinat Comment in locum temporall Dominion or power of Rule is not founded upon Grace To all this accords that of Junius and Tremelius Vncto Jehovae say they the Anoynted of the Lord that is a Deo ad Regnum assumpto admitted by God to the Kingdome and what to have his Crown presently cast down to the ground and himselfe upon misdemeanour deposed from his Throne by the States by the multitude by the Collective body of the Kingdom as some would have it no a Deo ad Regnum assumpto ac proinde sancto munito ab omni injuria admitted by God to the Kingdom and therefore sacred and fortified from all Injury Note In that great defection under Jeroboam did there not live many holy Prophets in that hot Persecution under Nero did there not live many holy Apostles under that grand Apostacy of Julian did there not live many holy Fathers yet I will speak it ex animo let it appear that there was ever any one Prophet any one Apostle any one Father that stirred up sedition or moved the People to take up Arm 's though in their defence against their Soveraign and I will submit to their Censure who now oppose their King I think I could not expect more severe Iudges Run over the Acts of the Apostles and you shall find them in the Prison not in the Campe drawne before Magistrates not drawing Magistrates before them stoned but not stoning struck with the Sword but not striking with the Sword And in 2 Thes 1.4 We glory in you saith the Apostle in the churches of God for what for their Valour and Courage in defending the Gospell by force of Arms no but for their Patience and Faith in all their Persecutions and Tribulations for the Gospell Epist 42. Aske Saint Augustine that holy and Learned Father how Paganisme and Heresie was vanquisht and how the Truth of the Gospell was maintained and he will tell you non a repugnantibus sed a morientibus Christianis nor by Christians resisting but by Christians dying What thinke you now who are the best Christians they who take up the Crosse and follow Christ or they who take up Arms and resist their Soveraigne But some may say The former Christians did not take up Arms and a good reason why they had no Arms to take up or if they had they were so far Inferiour in number and Power that they durst not take them up But what think you of that which Tertullian tells us of in his Greek Fragments That when Plinius Secundus observed the numerous Company of Christians which suffered Martyrdome for the Faith of Christ tarachtheis tw plethei multitudine interremptorum permotus as Ruffinus Translates it Paraphrasticws astonished at the Multitude of them that were slaine he related to the Emperour quod innumera hominum millia quotidie obtruncarentur that innumerable thousands of Men were slaine dayly as the same Ruffinus tells us what so many thousands slaine quotidie too slaine every day how easie had it been having the Lord of Hosts on their side to have gathered themselves together in every Province and to have stood not onely for the Truth but also for their Lives and to have destroyed to have slaine and to have caused to perish all the Power of the People and of the Provinces that should have assaulted them as did the Jews yet not without Commission from Ahasuerus Esth 8.11 But we see the contrary affirm'd to their Faces with a Challenge in Nazianzens Oration 2. contra Julian In quos vestrum saith he populum exaestuantem contra vos infurgere solicitavimw quibus vitae periculum attulimus Against whom of you have we moved the Tumultuous People to rise up Which of you have we put in danger of his Life They had not so learned Christ They knew well The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force but what Violence of opposing no but of suffering What Force of arm 's no but of a godly life They knew well if God had intended the founding his Church the propagating his Truth by an Arme of Flesh by the Power of the Temporall Sword he who is kardiognwstes the searcher of the Heart is also kardiotreptes the mover of the Heart and so would have moved the Hearts of Kings rather then the hearts of the People he would have called the Wise the Mighty and the Noble rather than the foolish the base and the despised But that no flesh should glory in his presence and that Gods Strength might appeare in Mans Weakenesse he