their Cities their Jerusalem their Temple and carried the residue who were left alive Captives with him to Babylon And now behold then Nebuchadonozers good subjects will you hear what advice the Prophet Daniel gives them for all this Baruch 1.11 Pray you for the life of Nebuchadonozer King of Babylon and for the life of Balthazer his son that their days may be upon earth as the days of Heaven and the Lord will give us strength what to do to wage War against him and lighten our eyes what with new Revelations how they may be reveng'd O no that we may live under the shadow of Nebuchadonozer King of Babylon and under the shadow of Balthazer his son and that we may serve them many days and find favour in their sight truly shewing that a King is Alkum Prov. 30.31 one against whom there is no rising up that is not upon any pretences whatsoever there can be no pretences whatsoever more fair and specious then those of defending the Church and redressing the Common-wealth For the first if Religion be any thing pushed at think you that Rebellion will keep it up or that it ever stood in need of such hands when God refused to have his Temple built by David because he was a fighter of the Lords Battels think you that he will have his Church defended by fighters against the Lords Anointed to defend Religion by Rebellion were to defend it by means condemned by the same Religion we would desend anâ— to reform or redress the Common-wealth by Insurrection and Rebellion were to rectifie an errour with the greatest of all mischiefs no government worse than a Civil War and the worâ—â— Goâ—ernour is always better than the best Rebellion Rebellion is as the sin of witchcrâ—ft and stubborness is as Idolatry and how perilous a thing it is for the Feet to judge the Head the subjects to chose whaâ— government and Governours they will have to condemn what and whom they please to make what pretences and surmises they have a mind to this Kingdom by woful experience hath had sad resentments Imbecillities and weaknesses in Princes are on arguments for the chastisements deposing or murdering of Kings for then giddy heads will never want matter or pretences to cloak their Rebellion Shall Moses because Pharaoh was an oppressour of Gods people and had hardned his heart and would not let the Israelites depart therefore inflict punishments upon Pharaoh or so much as depart without his leave Though Moses could inflict punishments upon the whole Land yet his Commission never went so far as to touch Pharaoh in the least degree though swarms of Flies came into the house of Pharaoh and Frogs entred into the Kings chamber yet we read not that they seized on Pharaohs person there were Lice in all their Quarters saith the Psalmist and there became Lice in man and beast upon the smiting on the dust but none were smitten of the person of the King Boyls and blains were upon all the Egyptians and upon the Magicians so sore as they could not â—â—and in the presence of Pharaoh but they were not on Pharaoh that he could not stand himself Pharaoh his eldest son may die but Vivat Rex Pharaoh must not bâ— touch'd Did bsalom do well to conspire againâ—â— his Father though he defiled Vriahs bed and cloaked adultery with murther should the Priest Peers Prophets or People offer to depose Solomon because he had brought strange Wives into the Land and as strange Religion into the Church shall Elias entice Ahabs subjects to Rebellion because he suffered Jezabel to put Naboth to death and killed the Lords Prophets shall Peter take vengeance upon Herod because he put him in prison beheaded John the Baptist and killed James shall Reuben be no Patriarch because he was unstable as water shall Simeon and Levi lose their Patriarchal dignity because they were brethren in iniquity and instruments of cruelty because in their anger they slew a man and in their self-will digged down a wall shall Judah be deposeâ— from his rule and government for making a bargain with an Harlot upon the high way shall Issachar not be numbred amongst the other twelve because he was none of the wisest no reason they were Patriarchs as well as the rest which was the immediate government before Kings and indeed were princes themselves Princeps Dei es inter nos Gen. 28.6 Thou art a mighty Prince amongst us and thus much shall suffice and I hope sufficient to shew that no faults or pretences whatsoever can make it lawful to depose or so much as to touch the Lords Annointed CHAP. VII What is meant by touching the Lords Annointed or stretching forth the hand against the Lords Anointed NOt dare to touch the Lords Annointed is an awfull reverence and a supposed difference to be kept between every subject and his Soveraign espâ—cially in point of violence A Mother doubting the discretion of her Children and being to leave some curious looking glass in a place doth not comand her Children they should not break it but that they should not touch it knowing full well that if they have the liberty to meddle with it in the least degree they make break it before they are aware and destroy it when they think least of any such matter So God is very chary of his King wherein he beholds the representatioâ— of himself and â—nowing him to be but brittle and though the most refined Earth yet buâ— glass he commands his people that they should not touch his Anointed knowing that if they were permitted but to tamper with him in the least degree their rude hands may break it in pieces when they do but think to set it right A touch is but of one man though but with one of his fingers yet this must not be Nolite tangere it is not said ne tangere wherein only the act of touching is forbidden but Nolite tangere whereby the will is also prohibited how wary should we be in touching when the Lord is so cautious in his prohibition Now stretching forth the hand may signifie a combination of many into one confederacy the hand being a part of the body composed of five members one and all but this must not be a most unhappy instrument is that hand that turns it self into the bowels of its own body if the head break out by chance the hands must not presently be in the head clawing with invenomed nails the corruption there lest that itching desire turn into smart in the end lest when the peaceable day springing from on high shall happily visit you that now sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death we then see our bloody hands and this once happy kingdom the only pillow whereon peace had laid her head streamed like the Egyptian River all with blood In a word by touching the Lords Anointed or by stretching forth the hands against him is meant any kind of violence that is used against sacred Majesty
Throne of Gold and Ivory he should have six steppers to his Throne for the Gold and Ivory sake instead of having a foot-stool of Gold under his feet he should have much ado to keep a Crown of pure Gold upon his head instead of hands to stay his throne he should have hands enough to pull it down and cast it to the ground and instead of two and twelve Lyons fixed on cach side as a guard unto his Throne he should have found many Lyons without regard running up and down seeking how they might destroy him Lastly Kings are the Lords Anointed because they are Anointed with his own oyl Oleo sancto meo with my holy Oyl have I anointed him Psal. 89.20 It is not with any common or vulgar Oyl or Oyl that any lays claim to but himself but it is Oleo meo my oyl neither is it oyl that was fetch'd out of any common Shop or Warehouse but it is Oleo sancto with holy oyl oyl out of the Sanctuary And no question but this is a main reason if they would speak out why some have such an aking tooth at the Sanctuaries because they maintain in them oyl for the anointing of Kings but if the Alablaster box were broken the ointment would soon be lost If they could persuade the King out of the Church into the Barn they would soon pull a Reed out of the thatch to put into his hand instead of a Scepter or if they could get him to hear Sermons under a hedge there would not be materials wanting to make a Crown of thorns to plat it on his head Thus you see the reasons why Kings are called the Lords Anointed because the Lord hath appropriated them unto himself not in a common and general way but in a particular and exclusive manner my King my Kingdom my Crown my Scepter my Throne my Oyl where is there left any place for claim Pride may thrust down Angels out of Heaven and violence may crucifie the Son of God But all these things considered who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26.9 CHAP. V. Whether bad Kings be the Lords Anointed or not THey are for they are of the Lords sending and appointment as well as the good I will set an evil man to rule over them saith God and I gave them a King in mine anger Hosea 13.11 which King was Saul which Saul was a Tyrant which Tyrant was the Lords Anointeâ— when he was at the worst You cannot have two better witnesses then David and the Holy Ghost 1 Sam. 26. Cyrus was a Heathen Persian and one that knew not God yet for all that Haec dicit Dominus Cyro Christo meo Thus saith the Lord to Cyrus mine Anointed Esay 43.4 Nero was no good Emperour but a Monster of man-kind yet Saint Peter in whose days he wrote his Epistle commanded all Christians to submit to him 1 Pet. 2.13 Hasael whom the Lord fore-saw and fore-shewed unto his Prophet Elisha to be the destroyer of his people of Israel and one that should make them like the dust by thresâ—ing 2 Kings 13.7 one that will set their strong holds on fire slay their young men with the sword dash their children against the wall and rip up their women with child insomuch that it made the Prophet weep to foresee all the miseries that should happen 2 King 8.12 insomuch that it made Hasael himself when he was told thereof cry out is thy servant a Dogg that he should do all these things vers 13. yet for all this Goâ— will have him to be King and it be put to scourge his people the Lord hath shewed mâ— that thou shalt be King over Syria vers 13. Julian when from his Christianity he fell to flat Paganiâ—m yet this Anointing held no Christian ever sought no Preacher ever taught to touch him or resist him in the least degree for whilst the cruel and bloody Emperours were persecuting the poor Christians they were fitting their necks for the Yoke and teaching one another postures how they might stand fairest for the stroke of Death And this was not quia deerant vires because they could not help it for the greatest part of Julians Army and the most part of his Empire were Christians For saith Tertullian in his apologetical defence of the Christians of those times una nox pauculis faculis c. One night with a few firebrands will yield us sufficient revenge if we durst by reason of our Christian obligation and shews how they neither wanted forces or numbers and that neither the Moors or the Persians or any other Nation whatsoever were more mighty or more populous than they and how they filled all places Towns Cities Imperial Palaces Senates and Seats of Judgment and that they could do any thing in their revenge if it were any thing lawful but this Anointing was the thing that kept the swelling down and hindred the corrupt humours from gathering to a head And therefore it is not as Stephanus Junius Franciscus Hottomanus Georgius Buchananus Ficklerus â— Renecheruâ— with the rest of the pillars of the Puritan Anarchy do answer being graâ—el'd at the practice of the primitive Chriâ—tians anâ— those precepts of the holy Apostlâ— that the Church then as it were swathed in the bonds of weakness had not strength enough to make powerful resistance and therefore so the one taught and the other obeyed but if this doctrine were allowable then would inevitably follow these two gross absuâ—dities 1. That the pen of the holy Ghost which taught submission even to the worst of Kings was not directed according to the equity of the thing but the necessity of the times 2. That either the holy Ghost must turn Politician and become a timeserver or else the Church must lose the means of its being and substance Whereas we know the contrary so well that when Acies Ecclesiâ—e was so far from its bene ordinâ—ta that wâ—en all the Souldiers fled and the Life-guard â—outed the Lord of â—ost the General himself taken Prisoner yet then like the Sun looking biggest in lowest estate so the son of righteousness think ye not that I can pray unto my Father and he will send Legions of Angels and rathâ—r than Gods children shall be oppressed by a company of Egyptians if it be his pleasure to deliver them he can without the drawing of one Sword turn Rivers into blood produce an Army of Froggs to destroy them and rather than they should be necessitated for lack of means send swarms of Flies that may serve them in the stead of so many rescuing Angels and therefore it was not any necessity that the Church was or could be in that procured in the Apoâ—tlâ—s or the first Christians either that doctrine or that use it was not disability but duty not want of strength but a reverend regard of the Lords Anointed that wrought these effects in both Let the people be never so many and
together with other Merchandize Apes and Peacocks and the Traders begin to be too like their traffique Apes for manners and behaviour Peacocks for pride and rusling until the Apes grow to be so unhappy as to be brought to their chains and the Peacocks so vain-glorious as to loose their feathers and so I leave them both tasting the fruit of their own follies CHAP. XII The Objection of Jehu slaying his Master Joram Answered Objection THus saith the Lord God of Israel I have Anointed thee Jehu King over the people of the Lord even over Israel and thou shalt smiâ—e the house of Ahab thy Master that I may avenge the blood of all the servants of the Lord at the hands of Jezebel Ergo if a King be thus wicked we have Gods warrant for the deposing and putting such a one to death Answer But stay until you have this warrant and then we will allow it to be lawful for though every one is apt enough to be a Jehu in his own case yet every one is not a God-almighty we must not clap his Seal to our own â—arrants what God commands at one time we are not to make it our warrant to do the like at all times this is a prerogative of the Almighty no priviledg of a Subject God may command Abraham to slay his son but we must not go about to murther our children God may command the Israelites to spoil the Egyptians but we must not Rob and Cosen our nâ—ighbours Christ may give order for the taking away of another mans goods because the Lord hath need of it but we must not make necessity our pretence for Arbitrary power these acts of the Almighty are specially belonging unto him and we must have his special warrant before we go about any such thing But setting all such plea aside I utterly deny that either Jehu did or that God gave Jehu any such authority as to slay King Joram Jehu slew Joram but Jehu did not slay the King for Jehu by the Lords immediate appointment was King himself before ever he laid hand upon Joram Joram was but then a private man for in the verses going before it is set down how that Jehu was Anointed King how he was so proclaimed and accordingly how he took the state of a King upon him and executed the Office 2 Kings 12.13 before ever any mention is made of Jehu slaying Joram v. 14. therefore here is no regicidium as yet here is but plain man-slaughter and a lusty warrant for that too again we must not only take heed of unwarrantable actions but of false warrants the private spirit is no sufficient warrant to lay hold on such a publique Magistrate as there are false Magistrates so there is a false spirit for an erroneous spirit may as well conâ—emn a good Magistrate as a bad Magistrate may be condemned by a good spirit but there may be a higher mistake then all this and I wish it were not too common amongst us now adays to mistake the works of the flesh for the fruit of the spirit Let us compare them both together as the Apostle hath set them in order The works of the flesh Adultery Fornication Vncleanness Laciviousness Idolatry Witchcraft Hatred Variance Emulations Wrath Strife Seditions Heresies Envyings Murders Drunkenness Revellings The fruit of the Spirit Love Joy Peace Long suffering Gentleness Goodness Faith Meekness Temperance By which of these two was CHARLES the First 's Head cut off CHAP. XIII Of the Necessity and Excellency of Monarchy A Jove principium Let us begin with Heaven and behold its Monarchy in the unity of the blessed Trinity though there be three persons yet there must be but one God for the avoiding of that which we are fallen into a confounding of pâ—rsons and dividing of substance Descend lower and consider the Angels and you shall find one Arch-angel above the rest as the Angels Monarch Lower yet to those senseless and inanimate Rulers of the Day and Night the Sun and Moon and you shall not find or so much as the appearance of such a thing more Suns or Moons in the same firmament then one without a prodigy or portent of some dire and direful event Come down to the Regions and you shall find in the head of the highest Region a Prince of the air Come to the lowest and you shall find amongst the wingâ—d inhabitants thereof the Soveraign Eagle as the King of Birds Come amongst the Beasts of the field and the Lion will soon let you know that there is a King of Beasts Run into the Sea and their is a King of Fishes Descend into Hell and there is a Prince of Devils and shall only man be Independent Do we not observe the dâ—lving Labourer what pains he takes to joyn house to house and land to land till thâ—re be no more room for any competitor within his Dominions and when he hath wrought his petty dunghils into a mixen he thinks it Law and Reason that the place should not aâ—mit the Dominion of more Cocks then one this man dies a Monarch in his own thoughts and his son lives to inlarge his fathers Teritories but at last dies big with thoughts of a principality his son lays hold of all the advantages that may help him to the accomplishment of his hereditary desires Iuno Lucina fer opem obsecro he is a Prince Coelo timendum est Regna ne summa occupet qui vicit ima he must be an Emperour Divisum imperium cum Iove Caesar habet he must have all or none none but Iupiter must share with him Mundus non sufficit unâ—s when he hath all and when all is done the Empire after that it hath disimbogu'd anâ— incorporated into it self all the Kingdoms of the earth terminates in an everlasting Kingdom that shall never be destroyed quam primum appropinquaverit regnum Coelorum as soon as the Kingdom of Heaven shall be at hand and what 's all this but to shew us that not only nature but God himself who is the God of Nature affects Monarchy The further off any government is to Monarchy the worse it is the nearer the better the reason 's thus that Government which avoids most the occasion of differences must be most happy because most peaceable and peace only consiâ—ts in unity now where there are many Governours there must be differences where there are few there may be differences where there is but one there cannot The Romans when they shook off their Government by Kings and were distasted with their Government for their Governours sake tried all the contraverted Governments of the world of two by their Consuls of three by their Triumvirat of ten by their Decemviri of ten thousand by their Tribunes when they found that the farther off they departed from Monarchy the Center of all Government the more they lost themselves in the circumference of their own affairs they began a little to look back upon the Government from which