whom the Lord hath gratiously restored and that in the sight and presence of strangers that they may also learn to fear and to honour him It is true all that we can doe this way is but litle but if our myte be bestowed with a willing mind and a chearful heart it shall be as acceptable as a greater gift from these who is more able to give But I will not longer hold you up in the entrie let us next see how we are to perform this dayes work in Honouring our King The words read and the rest of this Verse are a conclusion of an Exhortaiton laid down in the 13. Verse Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whither to the King as Supreame or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him c. where the Apostle holds forth the duty of Subjects towards their Superiours and here again doth repeate the Substance of a Subjects duty to his Soveraign and withall doth commend to those to whom he wrote the description of an absolute Subject or Citizen in all his relations and tells them in a few words what would make a Christian living in humane Societies eminent for exactness of his behaviour for he in these words forms him in his cariage to all men to good men to God and to the King and so his charge enjoyns First courtesie to all men 2. Charity to Godly men 3. Piety to God 4. Loyalty to the King And of this last am I God willing to speak at this time Honour the King Before I fall upon the particular opening up of this Duty we may observe something from the Connexion of it with what goes before which is Observ That the Fear of God and the Honour of the King are very consistent the one of them does not hinder the other a man may be a very pious man and yet a very Loyal Subject see the Apostle doth immediatly joyn them together Fear God Honour the King So Solomon Prov. 24.21 My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change Our Saviour also Mat. 22.21 tells us that the doing of our duty to God doth not hinder the doing of our duty to the King for he in the matter of Tribute joyns both together Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things which are Gods He who hath commanded the one hath also commanded the other to wit God himself and his Commandments are most consistent Again how shall our Piety to God be manifested but by our Loyalty to the King Gods Vicegerent and Deputie here upon Earth And how can we indeed be Loyal to the King if we be not Pious towards God This is a thing impossible there may be indeed a shew of Loyalty and fair pretenses but still for our own ends we shall never look upon this as a matter of Conscience to submit our selves for the Lords sake which will only make a man fixt and resolute in this his duty come what may whereas wicked impious men let them pretend what they please to Loyaltie they have treacherous hearts within them which will when the occasion offers soon discover it self as wofull experience in our own times hath plentifully manifested But which is much to be wondred at that they who pretends to Piety should so much shew themselves disloyal as if to be Pious and Loyal were not at all consistent It was the glory somtime of the Primitive Christians to be most Loyal and faithful to their Kings and Emperours for which many of them was advanced to Places of great trust but in these latter times Christianity hath been disgraced and the glory of the Protestant Religion never before bespotted with this infamous note of disloyaltie hath been and is much impaired with those who are without and our Country and Country-men overloaded with disgraceful reproaches amongst the Nations I wish that now while the occasion is offered they may redeem their credit by some fair and manifest token of their Loyalie which in some measure may be equivalent to their former oversight and failings being led away with the fair shews and pretences of Religion and liberty which did directly lead them to a base slavery and almost to the loss of all Religion and to a destable Anarchy who was the first Plottets and Contrivers of this the Lord will in his own time find out when they shall perish in the gainsaing of Core I come now to speak to the Duty it self Honour the King In handling whereof I shall observe this order First I shall clear the words and remove some Objections which may here be moved 2. I shall shew you wherein the Honour of the King consists and how we are to honour him 3. Why we are to do this Where we shall see that this is not an arbitrary thing but an absolute and an express Duty lying upon us Lastly I shall apply this Doctrine according to our present state and condition For the First Honour the King the Vulgar Translation reads it reverence the King make him honourable Regem honorificate but in the Greek the word is one and the same in the beginning and ending of the Verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honour all men and honour the King Hereby is understood a particular and a special kind of honour which we are to give to the King not such an honour only as we are to give to all those amongst whom we live indifferently whither good or bad religious or prophane acquaintance or strangers shunning that which justly may give offence and doing that whereby we may gain them by our respectful speeches and behaviours shewing our selves alwaies meek and courteous yet never to justifie the Wicked nor to condemne the Rightous I say it is another kind of honour which we are to give to the King which is especially honor obsequii as you shall afterwards God willing hear But it may be here asked whom the Apostle means by the word King Such as understands the Epistle to be written to the Jews may perhaps conceave that the Kings that ruled by deputation in Judea should be meant such as was Herod and Agrippa But for as much as the Jews were scattered through the Provinces and those Provincial Jews were most in quiet and seeing also it is like that the Epistle was written to all Christians both Jews and Gentiles therefore by the King he meant Cesar And if so another doubt may arise greater then the former The Romans hated the name of a King and Cesar was an Emperour Now to this divers things are answered First That though the present Governour was an Emperour yet the Apostle knowing by some Divine instinct that the most Monarchies in the World in all Ages would rest in the title of King therefore he uses that title which may most concern the Elect in all Ages 2. Though amongst the Romans the title of King was not used yet the
Grecians in whose Language he did write did familiarly use the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we translate King 3. The Apostle might have respect to the signification of the word as unto a word which was most effectual to note the highest dignity amongst men for it notes him who is the stay and foundation of the People or Commonwealth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 id est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and though ambitious men sought new titles as higher yet the Apostle knew that this was most majestical and honourable whereas the tearme ef Emperour in the signification of it may agree to any subordinate rule who governs or commands over men 4. It may be that the Apostle knowing the hypocrisie of these Emperours who only disclaimed the name of Kings to avoid the hatred of the people and yet sought the full right of Kings so to destroy the liberty of the people giveth the name they sought in substance though not in tearm 5. The Apostle may name Kings to prevent Rebellion in the Subjects which either should fear such as affected the title or live under such as professed themselves to be Kings and so the meaning is that he would have them even to obey Kings how hateful soever naturally that kind of Government did seem unto them Lastly the Apostle maketh mention of Kings as the last kind of Government A Monarchy being in many respects the most excellent form of Government as coming neerest to the similitude of God who is not only one in Nature but one in Government also and is most agreeable to Nature which doth affect Unity as well in the body Politick as in the body Natural Thus of the Reason why the Apostle uses this tearm and whom he means by this word King For it is indefinitly set down and so it shews that this honour belongs to all Kings in the substance of it whither he be King of one City or many whither he be a Jew or Gentile a Christian or Pagan Heretical or Orthodoxal young or old vertuous or vitious Hence we may know how to resolve that doubt which may be propounded by some concerning the repetition of this Duty here commanded it was said before that we should submit our selves to the King as Supreame which is the same honour that is required of us in our Text Honour the King is not hier a Tautologie may some say I Answer not there is not a word in all Scripture set down in vain the reason hereof is the Apostle here is writing to Christians the Emperour under whom they lived was a Heathen and a Pagan profane and dissolute now least they should think that they were not bound to give that same due honour and obedience to them as to Christian Princes and Kings therefore the Apostle as is said doth again particularly make mention of this Duty whereby he shews that difference in Religion doth not make voyd the Kings lawful Authority as it is in the Confession of Faith we are to honour him though a Turk or Heathen as much as if he were one of the same Religion with us and one of the most sincere Professors of that Religion whose actions in every point were answerable to his Profession The words thus cleared and these doubts being removed holds forth unto us this Doctrine and Lesson which is and ought to be the Duty of this day and alwaies and that is briefly this Doct. That if we would be eminent for exactness in our disposition and continual cariage then must we studie and indeavour as Piety towards God so Loyalty towards the King we must I say as fear God so honour the King For the better clearing of this I shall first let you see wherein the honour of the King consists and how we are to honour him 2. Why we are to do this And lastly I shall apply For the first We are to honour the King these three wayes 1. In our hearts 2. In our words 3. In our works First I say we are to honour the King in our hearts which is to be manifested these two wayes First we must not curse the King no not in secret no not in our thoughts we must not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of our People Exod. 22.28 Which Law prohibeteth not only imprecations and seditious railings which is an Hellish impiety though it be never so secret but also all base and irreverend usage of the King in our thoughts and rather then Transgressours of this Law should goe unpunished Solomon tells us Eccles 10.20 that the birds of the air shall carry the voyce and that which hath wings shall utter the matter therefore curse not the King no not in thy thought 2. When the King commands any thing that seems to others or to us harsh inconvenient or doubtful we must honour the King by interpreting his Laws in the best sense If Love must not think evil but hope the best things of all men then much more of Kings It were greatly to be wished that this Note might enter into some mens breasts they would then be affraid to charge so much evil upon the Kings Ordinances not only when they might find a fairer sense but oftentimes expressly against the intent and meaning of the Ordinance How guilty have those among us who in this particular should have been directers and informers of others I leave to all men who knew any thing of the late proceedings with the King to judge I am sure a School-master did never more narrowly examine his Scholers Theame or Version to see what was right or wrong in it then the Letters and Declarations both of the late martyred King and of this have been searched and canvassed by these to whom they came here was a back-door and there was an evasion here was too great strictness there was too great liberty and still some one thing or another I dare say which was never intended hindered that there could be no right understanding such jelousies fears and suspisions never or seldom ends fair as we have well seen by woful experience Secondly as we must honour the King in our thoughts so also in our words First by reverend speeches to them and of them God hath engraven so large and fair a character of his Imperial Image in their Forheads sayes Augustine as must be sacred in the hearts of all and bind not their hands only but their tongues also to the good behaviour and that for ever Invectives and contumelious speeches against an equal or inferiour are ever odious but against a Prince intollerable Is it meet for a child to snap up his natural Parents although they should deserve a sharp reproof Doth not the Apostle forbid Servants so much as saucily to answer their Master again although provoked Saith he it is such as have good and gentle Masters Doubtless he saith it to such as are under froward and wicked Tyrants And is it fit then to say to a King thou art
wicked and to Princes ye are ungodly as Elihu said to Job Cap. 34.18 Princes may not before others be discovered to be so wicked as perhaps they be care must be had of their honour and fame saith Wise and Judicious Calvin in Job 34.18 what ever their conversation be their place requires it though their actions should not deserve it 2. We must honour the King in our words by a thankful acknowledgment of the good that is in them and we receive from them The Apostle writing to Timothy 1 Epist 2.2 setteth down the blessings which a People enjoyes by means of their good Kings which are three Peace Godliness and Honesty each of these is a great blessing First Peace if we respect deliverance from Enemies abroad is a great blessing therefore Arabia was called Foelix because the People lived in continual Peace and had their Towns unwalled how happy was the Government of Numa Pompilius when the Bees made their byves in the Souldiers Helmets â—hen men brake their Swords into Mattocks and their Spears into Plow shars but they prise the Olive-branch of Peace best who have had long experience of the scourge of Warr. Again Peace is a great blessing if we respect quiet from discords at home an intestine Warr in many respects is worse then a foraigne especially because it is betwixt Brethren and such Warr taro senecit ira fratrum acerbissima and therefore sacys Solomon Prov. 18.19 a Brother offended is harder to be won then a strong City and there contentions are like the bars of a Castle There is less hope of a composition here then if it were with strangers It was therefore good counsel which Joseph gave to his Brethren fall not out by the way and that Moses gave to the two Hebrews when they were at odds and he would have made them one again Sirs ye are Brethren why do ye wrong one to another Now this publick and private Peace we enjoy under good Kings and who doth enjoy it more then we under our own King We have been for many years whirled about with tumultuous broyles and covered with a deluge of Warr. Now the Dove hath found an Olve leaf and a resting place our Motto may be Aequova tuta filent and by whom have we this if not by next to God our King whose presence like the Sum at moon-day hath dissipated these dark and thick clouds which not long since darkened the whole Island of Britaine have we not then reason to Honour our King and that by a thankful acknowledgment that by him under God we enjoy this great quietness You merchants and Seamen and generally all of us who resids here must acknowledge our selves bound to honour our King it is scarse past twelve Moneths yet when you could not without great hazard of Pyrats and Capers pass to and fro about your business unless you had been beholden to Strangers and that at your own charge too for Convoyes Now there is none more free then you and I am sure if we will not acknowledge this as a benefit by demeaning your selves as good Subjects you will show your selves most unthankful and the very stones in the strees should cry out against you 2. The second benefit mentioned by the Apostle is Godliness A good Prince like Canutus before the Conquest makes Laws by Counsel of his Sages binding his Subjects to one Rule of Christian Religion he will have but one Christ one Creed one Religion one Faith one Baptism he will not have Diana and Paul's Preaching the Philistins Dagon and Gods Arke nor the Gospel and Popery to stand together nor will he light one candel â—o God and another to the Devil no composition no confusion of Religions as there was Languages at the building of Babel Have we not seen much of this since our Kings happy Restauration that damnable Tolleration once past in an Act hath received its deaths wounds Uniformity in the true Religion commanded and by that we have seen we have reason to expect that all shall be well and Popery as much discourted as the vvorst of the Fanaticks vvhich is the only fear novv Is it not manifest that our King hath begun his Reign well like another Josias passing Acts for the suppressing of Drunkenness and swearing and night walking the predominant sins of all Courts By which we may warrantably presume that as he increases in strength and power so the vigour and force of such Acts and many other as good shall be seen and felt to the danting and overturning of all those who presumptuously dare control them The third benefit is Honesty A good Prince hath a care that there be just and honest dealing betwixt man and man that he that hath much setting Honesty aside doth not tyrannize over him that hath little that doth not by fraud and violence holding that which is not his convert that which is anothers to his own use that People live not like beasts but Honestly and Uprightly one with another These three I say are great blessings which we enjoy under good Princes and the want of any of them is a great blemish in the Common-wealth Peace without Godlinesse is but Security and Godlinesse without Honesty is but Hypocrisie Honisty without Godlinesse is but Paganism and a glistring sin neither Godlinesse and Honesty without Peace can be well maintained Godlinesse is the sum of the first Table Honesty the sum of the second Peace a happy maner of enjoying both Thirdly we must honour the King in our vvords by praying to God for him I exhort therefore that first of all Prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men For Kings and all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. Certainly if we will consider the great and weighty charge of Kings how all depends upon them we will never refuse to pay them this honour if we would consider the great commoditie and profit which we enjoy under their happy and peaceable Government as you have now heard a part of it we could not but be earnest with God in their behaâ—â— that the Lord would give unto them the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding and of the fear of the Lord that they may know how to go out and in before us that Religion may flourish Vertue advanced and Vice may be curbed and punished this moved David Psalm 72.1.2 to pray thus in the behalf of his Son Solomon Give the King thy Judgments O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son He shall judge thy People with righteousness and thy poor with judgment And for this end also we must intreate God that he would remove far from him wicked base flatterers who seeks nothing but themselves that so his Throne may be established in Righteousness Prov. 25.5 fauning flatterie is an occupation fitter for a Dog then a Man and Princes have no Traitours like to flatterers if treacherie
against the Soul be more perilous then that against the body I am sure no sin in the Book of God hath more woes attending it then this Have we not then reason to honour the King this day by praying for him that he may be preserved from such assuredly so long as such are in power and place the Throne will be but in a tottering condition but let mercy and truth preserve the King for his Throne is upholden by mercy Prov. 20.28 and whosover will not thus pray for the King let his tongue cleave to the roofe of his mouth and let him be noted as one that will not Honour the King The third way how we must honour the King is in our Works and that first by a reverend gesture and cariage while before him in regard of this it was not lawful so much as to laugh in the Court of the Areopagits and the Roman Censurs disgraded a Burges for yaunig too wide in their presence and not only owe we this reverence in regard of an Oath but we are bound unto it by Nature in token of which God hath given to Kings three especial ensigns of honour a Crown of Gold a Scepter of Righteousness and a Sword of Vengence 2. We must honour the King in our works by paying Tributes and Customs for the necessarie maintenance of his Estate Render to all their dues sacys the Apostle Rom. 13.6 7. Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom to whom Custom is due this way as the Apostle sayes in the same place do we manifest our subjection to and honouring of them even by paying Tribute to them for they are Gods Ministers attending upon this very thing Therefore our Saviour rather then he should be deficient in this Duty he commanded a Fish to pay it Matth. 17.27 Christ doth not say speaking of this Tribute paying date as if it were a free voluntary gift but reddite quae sunt Caesaris Caesari It is a due and their proper good and therefore as one sayes upon these self-same words to withhold that which the Parliament grants or to value our selves at less then we are worth that so we may pay the less is no less then theft and these who goes about to deceive the Kings Customers and grudges at his necessary and lawfull impositions are theeves not such as are honourers of the King And how will this stand with that ordinary practice which as I am informed you have at your Washings as you call them I leave to your selves to judge I wish that there were no more of it it is base and I am sure contrary to every good Subjects Duty 3. Not only must we honour the King with our goods but in serving him with our lives for his defence the People will not have King David adventure himself in the Warr but put their lives in hazard to save him harmlesse The two Tribes Judah and Benjamin to shew their valour and fidelitie will fight against the other Tribes though their Brethren for Rhehoboam their King I read in the English History that King Henry the Second being at the siege of a certain Castle in Schropshire had been struck through with an Arrow had not a certain Noble-man put himself between the Arrow and the King and so received the Arrow with his own death VVhat shall we then say to these who are so far from hazarding their lives for the King that they will adventure their lives to make him away as Brutus and Cassius who slew Cesar in the Senate house but much more to be abhorred are these who under the colour of a Law will bring their King to a Scaffold as these most notorious and Treacherous Rigicids of late did an act which cannot be paralelled in any History either Sacred or profane since the beginning I am sure though this indeed did one way tend to the honour of the King that he was the Martyr of the People whose remembrance shall be alwaies famous fresh and odoriferous yet no other thing was intended by them but his great dishonour and by that fatal blow to put an end to all Kings for ever in BRITAINE and as they dealt with the Father so they resolved to deal with the Heir if ever he came in their hands but some of them did live to see themselves arraigned at his Barr and to receive the just reward of their for ever to be abhorred treachery and murther So let all such perish O Lord that others may henceforth fear to strech forth their hands against the Lords Anointed Lastly vve must honour the King by yeelding and submitting to their Ordinances preferring obedience to sacrifice or to the censures of any Man whatsoever the Kings vvill must be done aut à nobis an t de nobis either of us or upon us vvhen their Lavvs agrees vvith Gods Lavvs then must vve be Agents vvhen they are dissonant Patients The Conscience cannot be tyed by any Lavv of Man to do that vvhich in it self is sinful here vve acknovvledge no Superiour but God himself in such cases it is better to obey God then Men yet in not obeying the Ordinances and Commandments of the King though bad vve are to submit our selves to the punishment vvhich shall be laid upon us for our not obeying because the Lavvs of Men do bind the utter man properly It is more Christian to suffer thus then to raise Arms against the Magistrate upon any account though vve may have sufficient Forses and strength so to do As for things indifferent vvhich are commanded or things not clearly knovvn to us as bearing a double sense and ambignous vve must construct the Kings Commands in the best sense and albeit vve are to do nothing doubtingly yet it is better to give obedience beleeving that vvhich is commanded to be lavvfull then by supposing the contrary to refuse the Command for this certainly is a greater evil then possibly is imagined Suspision or doubting of the lavvfulnesse of things is no discharge for obedience vvhat confusion this hath brought into the Church and Commonvvealth our times doth afford instances enough If vve refuse to obey vvhen things unlavvfull and sinfull as being either against the Lavv of God the Lavv of Nature the fundamentall Lavvs of the Kingdom are commanded as vve alvvaies ought and should yet as I have said vve must submit our selves to the punishment vvhich shall be laid upon us bad Magistrates are tempters and vve must receive our tryals vvith patience VVe must look upon it as the just punishment of our iniquities and vve must vvillingly accept of the same Thus have you heard of the vvay and maner hovv vve are to Honour the King It follovvs next that I shevv you vvhy vve are to Honour the King vvhere you shall see that it is not an arbitrary thing but a Duty of an absolute necessity laid upon us This vvill appear in these seven or eight things vvhereby the excellencie of K ngs in regard of their outvvard
condition above all others may be seen First The Creation of Kings is from God they are a special sort of Men raised up in a peculiar manner to their places by God vvho pleads it as his glory that Kings reign by him Prov. 8. and Rom. 13.1 The Powers that be are ordained of God 2. God hath communicated to Kings the Image of his ovvn Majesty and printed in the natures of men a natural form of Kings as Vice-gerents to God himself 3. A Divine Sentence is in the mouth of the King as Solomon saith Prov. 16.10 their Judgment is Gods Judgment and God vvould have the People to believe that vvhat they say in Judgment God himself saith it 4. They take account of all other men but are countable to none but to God 5. They are the Original and Fountaine of all Honour from them all the Honour which any of the Subjects have flows and so do all Offices of Honour and Government in their Dominions 6. They are the Basis or the Foundation or Stay of all their Subjects who are maintained in Religion Justice and Peace by their means 7. God himself was a King and is delighted to rank himself amongst men of that degree and as he takes to himself the name of a King so Kings hath his Name again put upon them for their greater Honour I said ye are Gods Psalm 82.6 to wit Gods by Office for they are Gods Deputies and Vice-gerents here upon Earth Lastly They have a power above all other men therefore is that Rom. 13.1 Let every Soul be subject unto the Higher Powers the words imports that the King is Superiour to all he is Supreame as Peter calls him vers 13. of this Chapter the word signifies one that hath above the havings of other men and so the King hath more then all his Subjects not only in matter of mantenance but also in matter of Authority and Supremacy That the King is Supreame is so manifest that it needs no poof Princes therefore in the Old Testamant are called Heads of the Tribes or of the People to signifie that they were not only higher in place but had a Soveraigne and a Supreame Authority over all the People and therefore this Supremacy of Kings gives them Authority in all causes as well Ecclesiastical as Civil I do not say that the King by vertue of his Supremacy may determine of matters of Faith and Doctrine this is meerly Ecclesiastical and belongs only to Ecclesiastical Persons nor do I say that the King may set up a Ministry in the Church that for the substance of the calling was not institute by Christ from whom only all the Ministers of the Gospel have their mission as is clear from Ephes 4.11 12. Nor yet do I say that Kings by vertue of their Supremacy may take upon them to execute the Office of a Church Minister he may not Preach nor administer the Sacraments nor execute Church-Censurs This was the presumption of Uzzias and therefore was justly punished and far lesse hath he power to bring in Idolatrous Service into the Church as a part of Gods Worship and therefore was Jeroboam condemned for the Calves and Ahab for Baal and Ahaz for the Altar at Damascus and all the Kings for the High-places Neverthelesse it is evident that the Kings Authority may and ought to be extended in Spiritual things for the good of the Subject and therefore in respect of Religion they are said to be Nursing Fathers and Nursing Mothers The Apostle Rom. 13.5 sayes of the Magistrate he is the Minister of God for thy good Now the good of the Subject is not onely a Civil but a Spiritual good which is the greatest and therefore to be most sought for by the Prince Now then the Kings Authority and Supremacy in things Ecclesiastical may be so far extended First He may by his Laws enjoyn the Profession of the true Religion and the Confession of Faith according to the Word of God 2. He may provide according to his power that the Churches be furnished with able Ministers and that they likewise have power to call and ordain other Ministers to dispose or depose as may be most for the good of the Church 3. He may provide by his Laws that the Word of God may be sincerely and purely taught and the Sacraments rightly administred and the Censures of the Church executed according to the Word 4. He may forbid by his Laws and accordingly punish Blasphemies Heresies Idolatrie Sacriledge and the like 5. He may appoint and determine the Circumstances of Gods Worship which are not determined in the Word as he may appoint the time place and outward form of Prayer Administration of the Sacraments Fasting Alms or the like For in reference to the External Regiment of the Church the Supreame Gubernative Power is in the Supreame Magistrate These things must not be done tumultuously or confusedly but in order and that order the Magistrate may prescribe And as the Kings Authority and Supremacy is thus so far extended in Ecclesiastical thing so also over Ecclesiastical Persons Every Soul must be subject to the Higher Powers and therefore if Church-men have Souls they must be subject also We find that Princes have executed their Authoritie over Church-men Examples whereof we have in the Word as David appointed the Order and Offices of the Levites Solomon put down Abiather from the Priesthood Josias burned the very bones of the Priests upon the Altar and so purged the Temple and restored the Passover Christ himself was subject to the Authoritie of Princes and appeared at their Tribunal Paul was subject and appeared before the Magistrates and used their power when he appealed to Caesar For if Church-men be Citizens or Members of the Commonwealth then they must be subject to the Rulers and Laws of the Commonwealth To this also is the Doctrine of the purest times since the Apostles agreeable for Chrysostome upon Rom. 13. sayes that all Church-men yea Apostles Euangelists and Prophets must be subject to the Secular Power And Bernard reasons out of that place thus If every soul must be subject then yours also that are Church-men who hath excepted you from this all If any man goes about to except you he goes about to deceive you Thus then in regard of all these whereby the King Excellency eminently appears we are to honour him and whosoever will refuse this it is an evident token that the Devil who is the author of Confusion and the Prince of Darkness hath his chief residence and dwelling in him I come now in the last place to give the Uses of this Doctrine which I shall perform with as great brevity as may be Use 1. And first must we honour the King as you have heard then this serves to fetter the Romish Colt which kicks at Princes with his heel who will depose Kings and dispose of their Kingdoms as he thinks good and lifts up himself so high as that he may command over
the greatest Princes in Christendom so far is he from giving that honour which our Text requires Use 2. Again to be condemned are the Anabaptists and generally the whole body of the Fanaticks who liking best an Anarchy like untamed Horses also lifts up their heels against Government they will acknowledge no King but King Jesus but certainly if they did acknowledge him they would also acknowledge those who are sent of him for all the Powers that he are ordained of God As upon the one hand a Popular Government which they aime at is burdensome where in stead of one King many Kings are set up which is a great Judgment and hurts the Commonwealth as when many Master-Pilots desire to hold the Rudder they hinder one another and therefore that Commonwealth where many will rule unlesse it be subordinatly one under another is like Plinies Amphisbena a Serpent which had a head at each end of her body and while both strived which should be the Master-head the body was toyled miserably and at length torn and rent loathsomly So upon the other side no King is a Judgment for when there is no King every one would be a King one cause of great confusion and disorder as we to our sad experieence have seen of late when there was no King in our Israël and therefore it may be noted as a just wonder Prov. 30. that the Grass-hoppers have no King yet they go forth by bands for the body of the Commonwealth which wants a chief Ruler is like the body of Polyphemus without an eye and in such a State Men like Fishes dovour one another But let the Anabaptists and the rest of that confused rable say and pretend what they please against Kings and chief Governours yet we see that in all their Insurrections and Rebellions popular equality hath been alwaies burdensom unto them and therefore they have alwaies appointed one to be Head over the rest who like Beelzebub amonst the Devils guids and rules all as Cromwell that notable Imposture and Arch-Traitor did of late Use 3. Thirdly Must we Honour the King Then let every one of us inforce upon our own hearts an increase of care and Conscience in acknowledging the Honour and Right of Kings and a loyal and sincere observance and obedience to their Laws I think I need not use many motives to prove this remember what I have said and you shall find them motives sufficient I shall ad a few more 1. Honour the King for the Lords sake which imports both the cause and maner of it Kings are ordainded by God and who is so blind that may not see Gods miraculous hand in setting up our King and therefore for his sake who hath thus set him up honour and obey him 2. God hath commanded that we should Honour our King therefore do it for the respect of that Duty we owe unto God 3. God hath indued him with a Soveraignty and a great Majesty he hath subdued the People wonderfully under him and that without blood except of a few who have perished in the gainsaying of Core this Soveraignty and Majesty is Gods Image this hath made him a little God upon earth therefore Honour him 4. God hath been gratious to us in restoring our King therefore for the love we bear to him who hath laid upon us this Duty let us in requital of his goodness obey him in Honouring the King 5. Gods Glory will be much advanced and our Profession well spoken off if we will Honour our King and live as loyal and obedient Christians if not we dishonour God and brings great storms of wrath upon our selves by the fury of Princes 6. We must give an account to God for our cariage towards our King as well as for our behaviour towards the Lord himself let us therefore Honour our King Lastly Our King is bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh he is of the same Protestant Religion with us he hath been the greatest Sufferer of all his People this way every faithful Subject who has been a Sufferer in these times are interessed in the King but I adde he hath been a Sufferer by his own and for his own and shall we not then for all this Honour him Did he not stand immovable as a Rock against all temptations to draw him to Popery during his Exile and should we not Honour him for this Let us then indeavour by all means to give him all the Honour that is due unto him no more to rebel against him nor to assist by any meane no not by advice or counsel any of his Enemies but let us rather learn to submit our selves unto him and to obey him for that is the chiefest Honour we can give unto him 1. Let us obey him from the heart because God has an Interest in this Service 2. Let us obey him with fear because God will be an avenger of disobedience 3. Though our Obedience and Subjection should be to our loss or discredit or hurt any way yet for the Lords sake we should do it If we thus obey him we Honour him and by this means shall the Crown be long continued with him and we and our Posterity shall enjoy many good dayes under his happy Reign and Government which God grant Amen God save the King MIDDELBURGH Printed by Thomas Berry dwelling near the English Exchange 1663.