Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	great_a	king_n	power_n	3,586	5	4.7722	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A07822	Salomon or A treatise declaring the state of the kingdome of Israel, as it was in the daies of Salomon Whereunto is annexed another treatise, of the Church: or more particularly, of the right constitution of a Church.	Morton, Thomas, of Berwick.	1596 (1596)	STC 18197.7; ESTC S112936	159,289	238

from the safety of the people of states and commonwealthes the ground square and end of all good pollicie carieth with it such a faire shew of equitie and necessitie that like vnto a violent streame it hath caried many headlong in heate to condemne and reiect vtterly these absolute Monarchies as tyrannicall and barbarous kindes of gouernment pernitious to men yea altogether vnlawful and vnmeete for the Church of God But we ought not to suffer our selues to be deceiued by any appearance or pretence whatsoeuer or in respect of any inconueniences although neuer so great to iudge that to be vnlawfull and prophane which God by establishing it in his Church hath shewed to be holy and lawfull But for the further resoluing of this question it is requisite that we againe put you in minde that we doe not heere speake eyther what ought to be the state of al kingdomes in this behalfe or that this is the best kinde of gouernment but only doe shew what was the state of this kingdome of Israell In the which it seemeth that the whole power of ruling the lande was giuen by God and by the people into the handes of the king without any exception whatsoeuer insomuch that the people did not reserue to themselues any power whereby they might lawfully resist his authoritie or oppose themselues to his proceedings although vnlawfull and vniust much lesse take from him the kingdome or to offer any manner of violence vnto his person For the authoritie of this king ouer his people was no lesse then is the authoritie of a father in his familie in respect of his children who if he doe iniuriously intreat any of them or not carefully keep his own goods or liue any way disorderly it is the duety of his children if not with silence to suffer it yet with great modesty to admonish him of it But if they should ioyne themselues together and offer any violence vnto him especially if they should throw him out of his house all men woulde count them rebellious and vngratious children But if they shoulde take his life from him they were to be esteemed notoriously wicked ye rather as monsters worthy to be abhorred of all men So it seemeth that the state of this kingdome was such as that no subiect of what place soeuer no not the whol people iointly could lawfully vse any violence against the kings person or proceedinges and that the king might although not lawfully in respect of the lawe of God of men or of nature yet safely and freely in respect of his subiectes doe whatsoeuer pleased him according as Iacob foretelleth Gen. 49.9 that Iuda the king of his brethren should be as the great Lion who when he laieth himselfe downe who shall raise him vppe or disquiet him The trueth heereof appeareth in the whole course of the story of the kings who praesuming vpon this whole and vndeuided authority did neuer feare or doubt to doe whatsoeuer they listed without asking leaue eyther at nobles elders or people Hence came that foolish and tyrannicall answer which Rehoboā made to the people threatning them 1. King 12.12 in this manner My least part shal be heauier then my fathers loynes whereby he meant that he would encrease those heauie burdens of tributes which his father had laide vpon them For but that he knewe verie well the state of his kingdome to be such as that he might both say and doe what he listed without controlement he had beene more then mad to make such an answere And hence it came that the idolatrous kinges did neuer sticke by their sole authoritie to set vp open idolatrie not once minding who would be offended therewith and likewise the continuall practise of the people doth declare that they did not violētly oppose thēselues to the doings eyther of the good or of the wicked kinges but suffered religion to stand and fall according to their pleasure Yea the dealing of God himselfe doth prooue the same who when he purposed to preserue Dauid against the fury of Saule would neuer suffer him to oppose Ceila or any other of Saules cit●es against him but made him fly first into the mountains and deserts and afterwardes out of the land to the Philistines Yea Dauid although he were appointed by the expresse worde of God to s●cceede Saule in the kingdome yet he was so farre from laying violent handes vpon him that as we reade 1. Sam. 24.6 his heart smote him that is his conscience did accuse him that he had behaued himselfe disloyally against the king in that he had offered violence to the kings garment because that was as a threatning of death vnto him and a greate disgrace Yea further we doe not reade that God did euer by any of his prophets stirre vp the people to maintaine his true wo●shippe by violence against the kinges or euer reproue them because they had suffered them to set vppe idolatrie which is an euident proofe of this point For if it had beene lawfull to resist in any case then surely in the maintenance of the true worshippe of God and of his glorie But heereof there is a great question made for although this king had power in ciuill matters to doe not onely right iustice without the helpe of any other power but also wrong without resistance shall we therefore giue vnto him this power in the cause of religion that he may deface the worshippe of God at his pleasure It may seeme much better that not onely kings should be throwen downe from their thrones but also that heauen and earth shoulde goe togither then that God should be dishonoured and detestable idolatrie erected We confesse that it is a most fearefull thing that the king of Israell who hath his authority from God should vse the same to dishonor God and thrust not only men out of their houses landes but also the great God of heauen earth out of his tēple and Church yea in trueth in some sort out of the world for God had tyed his visible Church to this land And therefore we answere that as it is vsually saide Si ius violandum regni causâ violandum so Si ius regni sit violandum religionis causa est violandum that if it be lawfull for the people of Israell for any cause to resist their lawfull king it is lawfull in the defence of the true religion and Gods glory But as hath beene said it seemeth that the state of this kingdome would not beare any resistance no not in this case much lesse in any other No man yea no company of men could for any offence committed by the king eyther against God or man the first or second table call him to account summon him to appeare in iudgement or vse any manner of violence eyther in word or deede against him Now we are to answere those thinges which may be obiected against this assertion Sect. VI. FIrst it may seeme agreeable to reason that

absolute power thinking that as that wine is most wholsome which is taken not in the full vigor and naturall strength but tempered and delayed with some colde liquor so that manarchie is most safe and acceptable the power whereof is moderated and yoked with some other power of positiue lawes or of parliamentes of the nobilitie or of the people whereby it may be restrained from iniurie iniustice and tyranny when it is needefull Thirdlye we answere that if we may as vnskilfull and ignorante men vse to doe iudge of the causes by the effectes and of counsels by the euent it should seeme that this people did not loose much by this bargaine for that the state of their common-wealth was much better vnder the gouernment of the kinges then before when as the administration of ciuil affaires was very dissolute and remisse yea often times wholly wanting for that the publike authoritie being as hath beene declared deuided amongest many to wit the iudge the high priest the elders the princes of the tribes and the people was eyther wholly or in p●rt neglected of all so that as it is written Iudg. 21.25 euery man did what him listed both in committing and also in redressing iniuries because there was no king in Israel but after that there was once a kinge made they neuer wanted gouernment yea they had it more strict and seuere then perhaps they desired Likewise for the other part of the gouernment which is in warlike affaires it is without question that their state was much bettered by this chaunge Before they were a common preie to the nations neere vnto them and so often subdued and captiuated eyght yeares to Chusan King of Syria Iudg. 3.7 to the King of Moab 18. to Iabin 20 yeares Iudg. 4.3 to the Madianites 7. yeares Iudg. 6.1 to the Ammonites 18. yeares Iudg. 10.8.9 to the Philistines 40. yeares Iudg. 13.2 that it might seeme true which many ages afterward was spoken of them that they were a nation borne to slauery but by their kings they were not onely freed from beeing so often subdued but also made conquerers and rulers of other nations The Iudges deliuered them from their enemies but their kings deliuered their enemies to them making them tributaries to the people before they were not pinched with heauie tributs so as afterwards by their kinges but they were much more often spoiled and their land cleane wasted by forraine inuasion before in the time of peace the common people did more abound with welth because they were free from publike burdens but the publike estate was verie meane when as it was at the best for the most part very beggerly and miserable vnder the kinges the commonalty was somewhat impouerished and yet they had as we say some thing for their money as namely a stately and glorious Monarchie which they did vehemently desire and whereof they were not a litle proud sumptuous palaces for their kings to dwel in and many faire buildinges for their princes and nobles especially in Ierusalem with all manner of prouision correspondent thereunto secondly they had a costly and famous temple wherein to worship God renowmed throughout the whole world for beautie and magnificencie Thirdly they had horses and chariots troupes of horsemen armies of common soldiers kept at the kinges or rather at the common expenses yea they had fensed and walled Cities and all such like force whereby to resist and subdue their enemies So we read 2. Chro. 1. that Salomon had a thousand and foure hundred chariots and twelue thousand horsmen yea he made siluer as plentifull as stones in Ierusalem and great summes of money were giuen to him for tribute of the kinges of Aegypt Syria and others there about and in one word they had a publike estate farre passing in glory any countrie of kingdome neare vnto them So that if it be as wise men doe thinke better to haue a hard gouernment then an anarchie and confusion to haue publike liberty from forraine power then popular licence from obedience of lawes to be pinched in their purses then to be slaine captiuated in their bodies wiues and children to suffer iniurie at home then slauerie abroad to maintaine their own naturall kinges then to enrich forraine nations to be priuately poore then publikely base to haue their Cities fenced then their houses t●immed and furnished Then this people was not so notoriously foolish in choosing this gouernment as diuers wise men haue thought Neyther had they a very euill penny-woorth tho they bought it with the price of their own liberty But we doe not take vpon vs to define any thing but leaue it to those who are seene and exercised in these matters Onely we say that the chiefe commoditie which they looked for by their king was safetie from their enemies abroad and execution of iustice at home as appeareth 1. Sam. 8.20 wherein they were not frustrate of their expectation Sect. IX THus we see that the power of the kingdom of Israell was wholly in the kings owne handes no other hauing part thereof In the next place we are to see how farre this power did stretch it selfe abroade The answere to this question is this that the power of this kinge did stretch it selfe as farre as the limittes of his kingdome or lande did so that there was not anie person or cause within the compasse of his dominions exempte from it For the persons of men there was no preheminence of office no nobilitie or royaltie of bloude no holinesse of calling or function neyther any other prerogatiue whatsoeuer that coulde giue vnto any man this priuiledge that he shoulde not be subiect to the iurisdiction and power of the king So Ioab was the grand-captayne in Israell placed in the highest office in the lande yea in such an office as doth vsually laugh at and contemne the power of the greatest princes such vnrulie spirites doth militarie licence breede in many men and so great a man as that Dauid durste not in the beginning of his raigne call him to account for murthering Abner but acknowledgeth that the sonnes of Seruiah were too harde for him as we may reade 2. Sam. 3.29 yet wee knowe that Salomon a peaceable kinge made him stoupe to his authoritie and lay downe his life at his feete Likewise Adonia was a man more noble in bloude then Kinge Salomon for he was his elder brother yet this royall prerogatiue coulde not saue his life and therefore he was put to death by the sentence of Salomon for aspyring nay for looking at or almost for thinking on the kingdome for the kinge perceiued by his asking of Abisage Kinge Dauids concubine that he still kept his firste minde But although both greate and noble men and all generallie which haue any place office or calling in the common-wealth be subiect to this authoritie yet it may seeme vnmeete that they who are endued with holy functions especially they who are placed in the highest authority in