Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
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A41032
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The fanatick in his colours, or, The rise, heighth, and fall of faction and rebellion, from 1648 unto 1661 with an appendix concerning allegiance, government and order / by T.F.
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T. F.
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1661
(1661)
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Wing F61; ESTC R7145
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34,435
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112
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for our good the good of peace protection justice Religion and the like we must obey for conscience unto the disobedient is a perpetuall hell v. 5 unto such as obey a continuall feast the powers then are ordained of God and there is no power but of God sive jubente sive sinente Aust either by Gods commission or permission the persons sometimes are intruders as in case of usurpation sometime abusers of their authority as when they tyrannize so that the potens the ruler is not Hos 8. 4. always of God they have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not and the manner of getting kingdoms is not alwayes of God Alexander the sixth obtain'd the Balaus in vita Alex. 6. Popedom by giving himself to the Devil Phocas by blood and Tileman in Rom. 13. sedition got his Empire Richard the third came to the Crown of England by butchering his Nephew Pol. Virg. hist Ang. l. 25. and others of the royall blood yet the power is ever of God By me Kings reign Prov. 8. 15. Thou couldst have no power saith Christ to Pilate except it had been given thee from above Joh. 19. 11. 2. Besides this honourable title of Gods they are call'd shields Hos 4. 18. her shields love to say Shields with shame give ye i. e. her Rulers love brihes Almighty God hath ordained higher Powers to defend his Church on earth as it were with a shield being scuta Christianorum the bucklers of Gods people as Fabius Maximus is call'd by Plutarch scutum Romanorum the target of the Romans Constantine Arcadius Theodosius John Frederick Duke of Soxony and many others have been shields to the Church of God A Tyrant is a butcher to his people but a good King is a buckler a defender he that rebelleth against his Soveraign hacketh and heweth as it were his own buckler of defence 3. The name Kings Rex à regendo from governing shews their duty and it is usuall among the Kings or Shepherds Prophets and poets for regere and pascere to signifie the same thing Homer Virgil and David put no difference betwixt reges and pastores Kings and Shepherds see more of this in Chap. 2. This was the end why they were made choyce of for common good and administration of Justice to be as watchfull over their people and as solicitous for their A publike and common Sheepherd good as a father of his children or a Shepherd of his sheep Princeps est pastor publicus communis 4. They are often term'd patres reipublicae fathers of their country the Sichemites call'd their King Abimelech which is as much as to Fathers say my father and Antiquity when it was willing to throw its greatest honour upon an Emperor it call'd him The father of the Commonwealth which was more then Caesar or Augustus Titus Vespasianus had the gentle and affectionate Epethite of Deliciae humani generis Justinian the Magnifique title of Pius Faelix inclytus victor ac triumphator Theodosius of Vestra aeternitas vestrum numen vestra clementia vestrum aeternitatis numen Valerian the elder 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of King of kings divers other Emperors of Optimus Maximus Divus and the like but that which they esteem'd their greatest honour was The publike and common father of the Commonwealth Plato stiles a King Pater familias a father of a family and Zenophon Bonus Princeps nihil differt à bono patre the onely difference is this that the one hath fewer the other more under his command In a word reigning or bearing rule is nothing else but a paternall government many a care attends on greatness Christ's Crown was all thorns no crown without some thorns If private persons should not What is expected from Kings mis-imploy their talents what shall we say of publike persons who are advanced to the Throne they are obliged to cause their vertues to appear and be more eminent in all good acts the rank they are in sufficiently shews what they ought to be and what manner of persons they ought to appear Peter Martyr Allegorizing on the seat of Solomon saith that the height the gold the Ivory of the seat must put the Magistrate in mind of his eminency purity and innocency The celestiall bodies raised on high above the rest as upon the fane or pinacle of this beautifull temple of the world have more splendor then all other bodies among the elementary bodies that which holdeth the highest place is most pure in the body of man the head is most eminent more adorn'd more animated all which are secret instructions from nature What is learned from their title of Gods that those who hold the highest dignities should shine forth in the greatest vertues and grace more particularly 1. To acknowlodge him more 1. Duty especially being oblig'd by a more particular tye then the generality of men all waters come from the Sea and returne thither so all all Power comes from God and should returne from them to God by homage 2. To be more humble gratefull and religious then others the higher a tree shoots up his branches towards Heaven the lower it sinks its root into the Earth its depth supports its hight and the hight would become its ruine were not the depth its firmest solidity if humility be not the foundation and support of greatness their hight of Pride will be their destruction and God will debase them as he did Nebuchadnezzar and others They who lay the foundation of their greatness in Atheisme and irreligion shall in the end see they build Towers of Babel and will leave markes of follyes in their confusions and of his wrath in his revenge and just punishment 3. They stand more in neede and therefore should be more earnest to God in Prayer for his illumination in their counsels of his conduct in their enterprises of his strength in their executions of his Providence in their various occurrents dangers and difficulties 4. As they stand in his place so they should walk in his path to be followers of him as dear children to be mercifull as he is mercifull to be holy as he is holy bountifull as he is bountifull just as he is just 1. In distributing justice impartially for Magistrates should have two hands one for mercy the other for justice habet praemium poenam ut apis habet mel aculeum he hath reward and punishment as the Bee hath honey and a sting Ye shall hear the small as well as the great Wrest not Dan. 1. 17. the Law nor respect any person Deut. Deut. 16. 9. 16. 9. The Scripture that should Lev. 19. 15. be the rule of all mens actions is Prov. 24. 23. full to this purpose The Thebans Job 29. 14. usually pourtrayed their Prince blind with ears and the Judges 1 Sam. 12. 8. assisting him in
Soveraign be blessed with a good Council gratious Soveraign be blessed with such a Council that will make Gods Law the stern to guide all their counsels the end the good of Church and State and their progress by continuall prayer to enlighten their hearts illuminate Bonum est consilium sed bonorum B. Lat. their understandings and dictate unto them what they are to do for there are so many contingencies in humane things that mans wisdom is not always sufficient to Alex. Sever. never determined any thing of moment without twelve or twenty Lawyers determine the best or hitt aright in Councils unless the Holy Ghost be intervenient interpose it self and assist in them for let them beat out their brains with plodding and plotting never so vigilant never so studious they shall err in their aim and shoot beside the Butt if he direct not the error of their counsel and wisdom When men lay their heads together A wicked Councel for the dishonour of God defacing of his Religion discountenancing Orthodox Ministers study Machavil more then the Gospel mind policy more then Gods worship when his fear lies at the threshold of their Council-house is to make themselves such Counsellours as Alecto called in Claudian Concilium deforme vocat glomerentur in unum innumerae pestes erebi These are not pillars props of No more such sweet God a Commonwealth but mischiefs and plagues which hell hath cast up from which Good Lord deliver this Land Charles the fifth used to Emp. Ch. 5. say that Princes should be served by men that were learned and vertuous as only fit for employment Alexander Severus made choyce of honest and vertuous Counsellors Aetas senecturis vitae immaculata displacing the vitious and unjust We will not with Fredericus Furius dispute their age not under thirty nor above sixty Certainly age is a great Master which doth graduate men in the knowledge of things it is the mother Young wits cannot weild weighy matters of Council in the ancient is wisdom and in much time prudence saith Job therefore some have thought that the shadow of an old man is better then the eloquence of a Seneca Baldus and others young But alas these sayings with which men delight themselves how ever they may seem rationall yet it must be considered that good counsell is not in our heads but in Gods hands who can bring all counsell to naught and make all devices of Princes of none effect this our eyes have lately seen and Gods immediate hand is to be admired The Saduces Herodians and Pharisees sectaries of diverse adverse factions all combin'd in one against God and his annointed Nimrod and Achitophel laid their heads together Herod and the Jews agreed but blessed be God who hath catcht them in their own craftiness and overthrown all their wicked Counsels insomuch that we must give him the glory and say It is thy hand thou Lord hast done it Psal 109. 27. CHAP. III. The Duty of Kings deduced from their severall names and how they are called Gods By Analogie Deputation Participation GOD is an invisible King the King is a visible God I have said ye are Gods Psal 82. 6. Gods in name not in nature By Analogie 1. By Analogie as God hath his seat of Judgement in Heaven so these their tribunalls and thrones on Earth Tanquam in hoc Deum imitantes as it were imitating God in this their Authority is without the controll of any save of the King of kings Regna à Deo Reges dari Theod. in Psal 82. They are Stewards of Gods appointment whom he judgeth fit to be employed and must onely to God give an account By deput 2. They are Gods by deputation in that they judge not for men but for the Lord 2 Chron. 19. 6. The Judgment is Gods saith Moses being his mouth to pronounce and his hands to execute it Appointed to this very end saith the Appostle to be the Ministers of God for good R. 13. 4. and the Revengers to execute wrath upon him that doth evill By participation 3 Gods by Participation God dealing with them as Kings with their children to whom they communicated some part of their Glory Participando sunt dii Aust. As Starrs participate their Light from the sun the primum Lucidum so these their Authority from the suprem majesty Being the Sourse and Fountaine from whence their Power proceedeth insomuch as all the descendants bear a certaine character and shew a kind of Lustre causing all men to acknowledege them authorizing them without further tryall of their sufficiency then this onely honour an heriditary title we read that Joseph Azarias pricked with 1 Mac. c. 5. an Envious emulation conceived a designe to gaine reputation as the Macabees did but faild and T was so lately in England were foyld for saith the text they were not of the race of them from whom the safety of Israel ought to come a bastard brood and not those instruments he design'd for Charles of the blood royall the common safety of Kingdoms nor of the Lyon Race and Family pickt out above all others He made choyse of that Family of Abraham to conserve the worship of his name that of Levi for the Priesthood and that of Judah for Vaine ambitious men why do you aspire the Crowne Aspire not then you Mushrooms whither will your Ambition lead you will you allways climb nevor forecast how to come down consider how glad your carkases would once have bin of a warme covering that are now richer then Lillyes more gorgeous then May Solomon in all his glory not arrayed like one of you resolving with Agripina Neroes mother let your sorrow be what it will so your Sons may succeede in your new honours But alas no Honour is durable that is purchast with villany nor any power lasting founded in Atheisme and irreligion your fall was forseene without consulting with Starrs and Planets Your acting so long of a pleasing Commedy might tell you there would follow a wofull tragedy God I say is the Fountaine of all Power let every Soule be subject to the higher Power Rom. 13. 1. for there is no Power but of God the powers that be are ordain'd of God Gualter in loc Not every Soule to shew that we must obey not onely outwardly but really and in truth ommis anima quoniam ex animo and the reason is drawn from the threefold good Ab honesto 1. Ab honesto which the Apostle shews A bonitate Ordinantis There is no power but of God Ordinationis The powers are ordained or ordered Ab utili 2. Ab utili to resist is evil Malum Culpae Whosoever resisteth resisteth the Ordinance of God Penae They that resist shall receive damnation Ab jucundo 3. Ab jucundo to submit is good because the Magistrate is the Minister of God