was given him from above but if he had received his power from the people Christ should have said De subter not De super The judgement which they execute is Gods saith Moses Deut. 1.17 and they iudge not for man but for the Lord that is in the Lords place saith Iehosaphat 2 Chron. 19.6 They are Gods Ministers even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 13.4 which is a name peculiar to Church-Officers so termed because they are Gods Deputies or Lieutenants upon earth appointed to procure not onely the temporall but also the eternall happinesse of the People by planting and preserving the true service of God This was acknowledged by Popes in ancient times for Pope Eleutherius writing to Lucius the first Christian King in Britaine termed him Gods Vicar within his Kingdome so did Pope Anastasius stile Anastasius Caesar but it is not my purpose at this time to speake of the Kings Power in Causes Ecclesiasticall but onely to prove that they are advanced by God and receive their power from him for which I have yet a cloud of witnesses to produce The making of a King is ascribed to God 1 Kings 3.7 And now O Lord my God saith Solomon thou hast made thy servant King instead of David my father The providing of a King is ascribed unto God 1 Sam. 16.1 For I have provided me a King The setting up of a King belongeth unto God for this Moses prayed before his death Numb 27.16 Let the Lord the God of the spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation where we shall do well to marke the stile which is given to God The God of the spirits of all flesh as he is the God of the spirits of all flesh that is of the soules of all men so is he the God who sets a man over the Congregation now God is the Authour of the soule of man immediately by creation and infusion albeit an humane act do intervene so is he the Authour of regall power immediately though some humane acts do intervene to the investing of the King with that power So God after Moses death set Ioshua over the Congregation and all that succeeded him in that charge Samuel said of Saul Behold the Lord hath set a king over you 1. Sam. 12.13 where he useth the same phrase which is used of Christ and of his kingdome Psal 2.6 I have set my king upon my holy hill of Sion We know that no man had a hand in constituting Christ King over his Church so the advancement of Saul was not from men but from God And least you should thinke that this was peculiar unto the Kings of the Iewes who were Gods owne People and he their King in a speciall manner I must shew unto you that all other Kings as well as they are advanced by God He anointed Hazael to be King over Syria 1 Kings 19.15 He gave unto Cyrus all the kingdomes of the earth as he himselfe confesseth 2. Chron. 36.23 Ezra 1.2 As God gave these kingdomes to Cyrus so before he had given them unto Nebuchadnezzar as the Lord himselfe testifieth Ier. 27.6 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar c. And Ezech. 29.19 Behold I will give the land of Aegypt unto Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar not knowing s◠〈◊〉 was â—â—â—ed to converse with beasts untill he 〈…〉 this lesson that he had received the kingdome dominion and power from God Dan. 4. Kings in Scripture are called Gods Kings and the Lord 's Anointed Christi Domini and Christi eius above twenty times but we no where reade Christi Populi nor Christi Pontificis to shew that they are dependent from none but from God onely and that stile is given unto Heathen Kings as well as to the Kings of Iudah as namely unto Cyrus Isay 45.1 Yea that all Kings are advanced by God and receive their power from him is fully declared by God in that message which he sent to the Kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyrus and Zidon by the hand of the messengers Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel thus shall yee say unto your Masters I have made the earth the man and the beast that are upon the ground by my great power and by my out-stretched arme and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me Ier. 27. vers 3 4 5. The son of Syrach speaketh universally of all Kings Ecclus. 17.17 In the division of the Nations of the whole earth he set a ruler over every People He saith nor that he set Rulers but a Ruler for God did not institute a Democracy nor Aristocracy but a Monarchy and it was not the People who set a Ruler over them but God set a Ruler over the People and this was universall over every People in the division of the Nations of the whole earth onely Israel is excepted whom God reserved to be under his own immediate command as it followeth in that Text But Israel is the Lords portion In a word it is God that giveth Kings that chooseth them that anoints them that adopts them that exalts them we have them all in the Psalme 89. And therefore Solomons wisedome exhorts Kings after this manner Chap. 6.1 Heare O yee Kings understand yee that be Iudges of the ends of the earth give eare you that rule the People for power is given you of the Lord and Soveraignty from the highest By all these testimonies which I have produced it will appeare that there is no truth more fully more clearly revealed in Scripture then this that Kings are from God receive their power from him and neither from the Pope nor from the People This was the Divinity of the Primitive Church for at least eight hundred yeares Tertullian saith In Apologetico Inde est imperator unde homo antequam imperator inde potestas illi unde spiritus And before him Irenaus Lib. 5. adver Haeres Cujus jussu homines nascuntur hujus jussu Reges constituuntur Now it is certaine that Kings as men are created by God receive their breath from him neither from the Pope nor from the People as by Gods appointment they are borne so by his appointment they raigne St Austin speaketh fully to this purpose in many places so doth St Gregorie and the rest of the Fathers Let this suffice that it was never heard of in the Church of Christ that the people had any power to dispose of the Kings Crowne before Pope Zacharie Eginhart in Princie histori when the French were resolved to dethrone Childericke and to set up Pipin in his place they sent to the Pope to be resolved touching the lawfulnesse of that act and he like a bad Divine gave them an advice to their owne mind that they might doe it for that the People have power to make him King who manageth the affaires of the Kingdome Such a Papall determination and a worse too is given by Buquanan Populo
jus est De jure Regni P. 15. ut imperium cui velit deferat He hath now many followers and it is a wonder to see how that these men who professe that they will banish all Popery root and branch are yet drawing in Popery by head and shoulders for I know no point of doctrine which can with better reason be termed Popery then that which had a Pope for the first author of it and which in it selfe is so false as being contrary unto the Scriptures to the doctrine of the ancient Church and even contrary to the confession of many of the wisest amongst the Heathen for Homer tearmes Kings the sons and off-spring of Iupiter Anal. Lib. 3. so doth Callimachus and the wise Tacitus saith Principes imperium à Deo habent Therefore some Emperors did stamp't their Coine with an hand comming out of the Clouds holding a Crowne and setting it on their heads and accordingly did stile themselves 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Crowned by God And yet for all this the Iesuites and Puritanes pretend that the Scripture is for them because forsooth Deut. 17.15 the constitution of a King seemes to be left unto the People Constitues eum Regem super te thou shalt set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose So the choosing of the King is ascribed unto the people 1. Sam. 8.18 And ye shall cry out in that day because of your King which ye have chosen the like is Chap. 12.13 Behold the King whom ye have chosen The making of the King is ascribed unto the People 1. Sam. 11.15 And all the People went to Gilgall and there they made Saul King before the Lord. The anointing of the King is ascribed unto the People 2. Sam. 2.4 And the men of Iudah came to Hebron and there they anointed David King over the house of Iudah And Chap. 5.3 So all the Elders of Israell came to the King to Hebron and they anointed David King over Israel So it is said of Solomon 1. Chron. 29.22 And they made Solomon King the second time and anointed him unto the Lord. Of Rehoboam 1. Kings 12.1 All Israell were come to Sechem to make him King Of Ioash 2. Kings 11.12 That when Iehojada had shewed unto the Captaines and the Guard the Kings Sonne and put the Crowne upon him and given him the testimony that they made him King and anointid him Of Azariah 2. Kings 14.21 And all the People of Iudah took Azariah and made him King instead of his Father Amaziah Of Josiah when his Father Ammon was slaine 2. Kings 21.24 And the People of the Land made Iosiah his sonne King in his stead Of Iehoahaz 2. Kings 23.30 And the People of the Land took Iehoahaz the sonne of Iosiah and anointed him and made him King in his Fathers stead And yet for all this it is certaine that the constituting the choosing the making the anointing of the King did not properly belong unto the people For in that place Deut. 17.15 the choice of the King is plainly reserved unto God Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose And so God did choose Saul first as Samuell told them 1. Sam. 12.13 The Lord hath set a King over you God designed him unto Samuel commanded him to anoint him without the consent or privity of the People he caused the lot to fall upon him and therefore albeit it be said that the People went to Gilgall and there made Saul King yet we know that Saul was King before that chosen at Mizpech by the Lord as Samuel saith 1. Sam. 10.24 See ye him whom the Lord hath chosen he was there publiquely acknowledged and received with acclamations And all the People shouted and said God save the King ibid. The men also whose hearts God had touched went with him and gave him presents vers 26 27. He had also done the Office of a King raising Armes and fighting against their Enemies Chap. 11.4 So that that act of the People in Gilgall of making him King was onely a renewing of the Kingdome as Samuel tearmes it in the words going before Let us go to Gilgall and renew the Kingdome there vers 14. They did renew it by a solemne inauguration And when God had rejected Saul for his disobedience it is manifest that he onely did choose David and establish the Kingdome in his line no man did contribute any thing to his advancement for if Samuel might have had his will Eliab had been King and not David So God choose Solomon among all the Sons of David to succeed him as David tells us 1. Chron. 28.5 And of all my sonnes he hath chosen Solomon my sonne to sit upon the throne of the Kingdome and when David was upon his death bed and all the People together with Abiathar the High-Priest and Joab the Generall of the Army had set their eyes upon Adonijah to make him King David commanded Zadocke the Priest and Nathan the Prophet to anoint Solomon King 1. King 1.34 All the rest succeeded by the right of inheritance God having now setled the Crowne in his line insomuch that albeit it be said that all Israell went to Sechem to make Rehoboam King yet in the words immediately going before we read that Solomon slept with his Fathers and Rehoboam his sonne raigned in his stead 1. King 11.43 So that Rehoboam raigned before the People went to Sechem to make him King And therefore the constituting choosing making anointing of the King which is ascribed unto the People must be understood onely of their Solemne Declaration and acceptation of their King otherwise the Scripture shall be contrary unto it selfe which we may not in any wise admit That this is the true meaning of these phrases may further appeare because as the People are said to make Saul King so Samuel is said to make him King 1 Sam. 12.1 And Samuel said unto all Israel behold I have hearkened unto your voice in all that you said unto me and have made a King over you Now it is certain that Samuel did nothing but onely powred a box of oyle upon him by Gods direction yet for performing of that Ceremony he is said to make him King so the People for performing another part of the solemnity are said to make him King Again as the People are said to make the King so they are said to anoint him they anointed David in Hebron they anointed Solomon unto the Lord we know it never belonged unto the People to anoint that Office was ever performed by Priest or Prophet yet are the People said to anoint the King because they were present when he was anointed did concurre to make up the solemnity testifying their approbation of that act And as they are said to anoint the King so are they said to anoint the Priest 1 Chron. 29.22 They anointed Solomon unto the Lord to be the chiefe governour and Zadock to be
and set it upon his head to shew that power is given him of the Lord and Soveraignty from the most High And so much all Kings doe professe stiling themselves in their Writs Dei Gratiâ but now Iesuits and Puritants will teach them to change their stile and for Dei Gratiâ to write Favore populi From all this that I have said I may safely conclude that Kings are from God receive their power from him onely and are no way dependant from the people Now if God give them their authority if it be God onely who puts them in Commission then it is onely God who can turne them out for in Law Institution and Destitution belong both to one are both done by the same power And therefore for people even the whole representative body of the Kingdome to take upon them to depose their King or to dispose of these things that are his is a sacrilegious usurping of Gods prerogative who onely is King of Kings and Lord of Lords he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings he only brings Iudah unto his people and he onely can take Iudah from his people And now to returne to my text you have yet heard but the first part of the meaning of these words bring him unto his People that is set him as King over his people In the next place I will shew you that the words will beare a further sense namely that if Iudah at any time be driven from his people it would please God to bring him backe unto them againe So Tremelius reads it Reduc eum ad populum Suum It was Davids case he was banished from his kingdome by his unnaturall Sonne Absolom for the treason was so great that he was forced to flye from Ierusalem with his familie and the Priests for the Priests did suffer in that Rebellion with their King as they doe at this day after a time God brought him back again in peace according to that trust which he put in God in his greatest distresse for when he commanded Zadock to carry back againe the Arke unto Ierusalem 2. Sam. 15.25 he said if I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me againe and shew me both it and his habitation In the last place to make up the full sense of the words I say Moses prayeth that God would establish a firme union betweene Iudah and his People this is indeed to bring the King unto his People and his People unto him wherein consists the safety and security of a Kingdome for unity is the perfection of all things Salust Concordiâ res parvae crescant discordiâ maximae dilabuntur without concord Peace cannot continue Warre cannot prosper In the naturall body the Spirit holds the members together if they be separated and divided one from another the Spirit cannot animate them as we are taught by Ezechiels vision of scattered bones which were to be revived first the bones came together every bone to his bone then the sinewes grew and knit them after the flesh and skin covered them Ezech. 37.7 9. and when they were thus united and not before he called for the Spirit from the foure winds to enter into them and give them life It is so in the body Politicke if the members be separated and divided amongst themselves and from their head there is little life in that Kingdome Math. 12.25 for every Kingdome divided against it selfe is brought to desolation and every City and house divided against it selfe shall not stand Unity is that which both makes and preserves a Citie for Civitas est civium vnitas Plaeto saith this is the strength of the Republicke Rempub. facit firmissimam Civium inter se concordia consensus Lib. 3. de repub Agesilaus being asked a reason why the Citie of Sparta was not walled about he pointed at the Citizens all in their armour and well agreeing among themselves Loe these be the walls of our Citie saith he Plut. in Apoph Lacon signifying thereby that Cities and Kingdomes are not safer by any walls and Bull-warkes then by the mutuall consent and concord of the Citizens The Psalmist commends Ierusalem for her unity Psal 122.3.4 Ierusalem is builded as a Citie that is compact together whither the Tribes go up the Tribes of the Lord. And therefore he exhorts us to pray for her Peace Pray for the Peace of Ierusalem they shall prosper that love thee Silurus taught his sons what great strength is in unity by delivering unto them a bundle of arrowes which no man was able to breake while they were fast bound up together but being taken asunder it was an easie matter to breake them one by one wherein he taught his sons by the light of nature that lesson which the Psalmist hath taught us by the Spirit of God Behold how good Psal 133.1 and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity c. And as it is in the body naturall and politicke So it is likewise in Christs mysticall body the Church Vnlesse there be an union of the members amongst themselves there can be no union of the members with the head The Church is not Babel but Ierusalem It is not a number of stragling sheepe but a Communion of Saints A flock united under one shepheard having but one Lord Ephes 4.5 Act. 4.32 one Faith one Baptisme one God and Father of all yea and but one heart too Thus were the Disciples prepared for the receiving of the holy Ghost They were all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 2.1 with one accord in one place And afterwards it is noted of the company of Beleevers that when they prayed Act. 4.24 Act. 8.6 Act. 2.46 they prayed altogether when they heard the word they heard altogether when they brake bread they did it altogether It was the legacie that Christ left in his last will to his Disciples Peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you Ioh. 14.27 not as the world giveth give I unto you But who so considers what little Peace is now amongst us may justly suspect that Christs will is not proved his legacie is not paid And indeed it is our owne fault who have driven Peace from us we were weary of our Peace and loathed it as the Israelites did their Manna so that it is no wonder we have lost it And yet it is certaine that unity is necessary for all societies especially unity betweene the King and his Subjects as being that which preserves Peace both in Church and Common-wealth And this union is from God It is he who brings Iudah unto his people and his people unto him for God is the author of Peace and lover of concord as the Church hath taught us to pray he maketh men to dwell together in one house to speake the same thing and to be all of one mind In such God doth delight Psal 76.2 For in Salem
shall consider of the collation of regall power and certainly that is from none but from God even where the Person of the King is designed by man for all power of Rule is Gods and none but he can give it he onely can say unto kings Ego dixi dit estis but if the People gave them their power then they might say Nos diximus dii estis Psal 82.6 and if they should say so I am sure it were no better than blasphemy It is therefore a damnable doctrine of the Iesuits taken up by the Puritans who out-stripe the Iesuits in all treasonable doctrines and practises that God gives the power of rule first unto the community and that this power is in the body of the people immediately as in its proper subject and that by them it is transferred unto the King yet so as they habitually retain it in themselves and in some cases may actually resume it They are the words of Bellarmine out of Navar and Almayn This is a fond imagination which hath no ground either in Scripture or in Nature There is no revelation to propound it as a doctrine to be believed for the Scripture teacheth us that Kings are from God receive their power from him there is not one word in all the Scripture that doth so much as imply that the power is first given unto the people and by them unto the King but the contrary may be easily concluded from holy Writ for if this Iesuiticall doctrine were true I do not see how God could say Per me Reges regnant he should rather have said A me per Populum Reges regnant for the particle per denotates the instrument and immediate cause neither do I see how the Apostle could say There is no power but of God which implies as much as that all power namely supreme power whereof onely he speakes is from God onely and if it be from God onely it is not from the People nor from God mediante Populo Paraeus was no good friend of Kings for that justly censured by this famous University yet he resolves that proposition after this manner into a double universall affirmation Non est potestas nisi à Deo id est omnis potestas est à solo Deo he stiles the King the Minister of God but if his power were immediately given him by the People he should rather be stiled Minister Populi as being their Minister immediately and Gods onely mediately Nor could Kings be said to judge in Gods place if the power whereby they judge be given them by the People and that onely in trust As this treasonable doctrine has no warrant in Scripture so neither hath it any ground in Nature for naturall reason doth onely dictate that it is of necessity that the multitude be ruled naturall reason doth convince and compell men to consent to be governed by some but there is nothing in Nature that doth prove that the People have this power in themselves but reason teacheth us the contrary for the power of life and death belongs unto Soveraignty by the Law of Nature and by Gods own institution Gen. 9.6 Who so shedeth mans blood by man shall his blood be shed now we know no man hath this power over himselfe Ostensio errosâ—f swar c. 3. S. 12. therefore the learned Spalatto saith well Populus est naturaliter regibilis non rectivus Nature inclines the People to be ruled not to rule the People were never invested with soveraigne power and therefore howsoever the King be sometimes chosen by them and alwayes inaugured by them yet his power his commission is not from them but from God for it is a maxime in the Law Nemo plus iuris in alium transferre potest quà m ipse habet The people cannot transferre unto the King that power which they never had Man did receive from God immediatly power and dominion over the beasts of the field and can we then imagine that the more noble command which a King hath over his Subjects should be given him any otherwise then from God immediately The Iesuites acknowledge that in a Democracy they who have the supreame power receive it immediatly from God and shall we not think that it is so also in a Monarchy If this Doctrine of the Iesuites were true then would it follow that Democracy is by the Law of nature Monarchy and Aristocracy only by positive humane Law so shall God be the author and institutor of that Government which by all wise men is acknowledged to be the worst and most imperfect That which misled the first authors of this opinion the Parisian Doctors was that they did not distinguish between the disignation of the Person and the collation of the Power but thought that the one act is included in the other and yet in the Ecclesiasticall power they can distinguish these two for they will acknowledge that the designation of a person to be a Bishop is by man and yet he receives his Episcopall power immediatly from God as Mathias did receive his Apostleship from God being propounded by the Disciples and chosen by lots Now there is no reason in the world but that they should acknowledge the same of the regall power that albeit the person who is to be King be designed by man yet he receives his power and Commission from God immediately And then the people do not so much apply the power unto the person as the person unto the power even as if a man should goe into a darke Cell and there amongst many looking-glasses choose one bring it out and set it before the light of the sunne whereby it becommeth resplendent that man cannot be said to apply the light of the sunne unto the glasse but to apply the glasse unto the light of the sunne even so when the people designes a person to be their King they cannot be said to apply the Regall Power unto the person but the person unto the power For they having designed the person God immediatly gives him the power This was signified by the anoynting of Kings for they were not anoynted by a Praetor nor by a Captain of the Army nor by an Officer of State who yet had been the fittest person to convey a power from the people unto the King but the King was alwaies anoynted by Priest or Prophet to shew that the power given by that anoynting was from God only for Priests are appoynted to Minister in things pertaining to God Again the Oyle wherewith they were anoynted was not bought from Merchants or Apothecaries but brought out of the sanctuary compounded by Gods own direction and therefore holy Oyle to signifie that the power given by that anoynting is sacred too such as the King did receive not from Millo a place of secular assemblies but from Mount Sion In all Christian Kingdomes it hath been a custome at the Coronation of a King to set the Crown upon the Altar and from thence to take it
of Christicide nay of Deicide And long before Tully said that in punishing Treason no Iudge can be too cruell We read of a great King who going in his Barge his Crowne fell into the water the Barge-man swumme after it and having recovered it Niceph. Greg. put it on his head onely that he might have the use of his hands to swimme unto the Barge the King gave him a Talent of silver for saving it but cut off his head for wearing it What then should be done to these Traitors who forceably usurp the Kings Crowne and all rights of Majesty they grant Commissions place and displace Officers have made them a new Seale possessed the Kings Revenues Castles Ships raised Armes pressed the Kings Subjects to fight against Himselfe given away a great part of the Land to Srangers to assist them and indeed they have done whatsoever belongeth unto the King to doe and a great deale more And they weare the Kings Crowne not as the Bargeman did to save it for him but to deprive him and his of it for ever These traiterous attempts contrived in Hell have brought such miserable Calamities upon our Kingdomes as would minister occasion and matter to write a new book of Lamentations for the Land is filled with blood and uncivill Warres the Church with Schisme confusion and prophanation of Gods worship the Cities with poverty and want every house with skrikes and lamentations for their dead the grave with bodies and hell with soules And all this since Judah was driven from his people by this most horrid groundlesse and unnaturall Rebellion I am not able to expresse in lively colours the horrible deformitie of this Rebellion that will require a better pen and the best will come short and want words to describe it Onely this I will say that all the Rebellions that ever were since the fall of Adam cannot match it And yet our Kings case in some sort is like unto Davids David was the best of Kings yet he found more thornes in his Crowne then Achab did for it pleased God that he might humble David and every way fit him for his service to traine him up in the Schoole of afflictions First 2. Sam. 15. his unnaturall sonne Absolom under the colour of a vow 2. Sam. 16. caused a great Rebellion against him then Shimei cursed and reviled him calling him a man of blood after this there fell out a difference betweene the men of Israell and the men of Iudah 2. Sam. 19. about the bringing of the King home to his house whereupon Sheba in whose heart Treason had long lurked took an opportunity to blow a Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David neither have we inheritance in the son of Iesse 2. Sam. 20.1 Such hath been the lot of our most gracious Soveraigne first many unnaturall Absoloms in the Kingdome of Scotland pretending a vow which they called a Covenant with God but was indeed a Covenant against the Lord and against his Anointed raised great Forces against him when he was thus weakned many a wicked Shimei in this Kingdome reviled his government as impious and tyrannicall In the meane time there ariseth a difference amongst the Nobles and Commons touching the establishing of the Kingdome a thing called Militia but hath proved Malitia this gave the hint to many a Sheba first in Ireland and presently after in England and Scotland to blow the Trumpet to Rebellion saying we have no part in David nor Inheritance in the son of Iames. As God hath made His Majesty like David in suffering so may he make him like in overcomming David at last was victorious his end peaceable and glorious all his Enemies were put to shame and confusion Absolom was brought to his deserved end Shimei though reprived for a time yet his hoary head was brought downe to the grave with blood Sheba had his head throwen over the wall Even so let all thine Enemies perish O Lord but upon the Kings head let his Crowne flourish That the Kings Enemies be subdued and he brought back againe unto his house as David was and set upon his throne must be your speciall care Give me leave therefore to exhort you in the words of my Text heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People I told you before that this blessing is not onely a Prayer but also a Prophesie he foretells that God will heare the voyce of Iudah and bring him unto his People Now you must thinke that God ordinarily worketh by meanes and it is by you he will relieve Iudah and to that effect doth even at this time call for your helpe And therefore that which Moses powred out as a Prayer unto God give me leave to present as a Petition unto you who are the Princes of Iudah that you will be pleased now to heare the voyce of Iudah to bring him unto his People to make his hands sufficient for him and to help him against his Enemies And first heare the voyce of Iudah for now Iudah utters his voyce unto you crying as Moses did who is on the Lords side Exod. 32.26 let him come unto me Now it will be knowne whether you be the People of Iudah for as Christ discerned his Sheep by this marke Iohn 10.27 my Sheep heare my voyce so by this same marke may Iudah discerne his people And think it not strange that I should presume to exhort you unto this dutie for when David after his banishment was to returne he appointed the Priests to speake unto the People to bring him home and King David sent to Zadock and Abiathar the Priests 2. Sam. 19.11 saying speak unto the Elders of Iudah and say why are ye the last to bring the King back unto his house and when Zadock had thus spoken it is said Vers 14. he bowed the heart of all the men of Iudah even as the heart of one man I wish my speech could be so powerfull with you for never was there so great need of help to bring the King back unto his house as now in regard that at this time many of his People have rebelliously withdrawne themselves from him and risen up in Armes against him not like those two hundred men who followed Absolom in the simplicity of their hearts 2. Sam. 15.11 but like Sheba with malice and obstinate resolution against the King They refuse all offers of Peace made by our gracious Soveraigne whereof you are witnesses They demand as hard conditions of Peace from us as Nahash did from Iabesh-Gilead 1. Sam. 11.2 He would grant them no Peace but upon condition that he might thrust out all their right eyes These men will grant no Peace unto the King and Kingdome but upon that condition that they may be allowed to thrust out both our eyes the eye of Learning and the eye of Religion So that the King may say with David Psal 120.6 7. My soule
hath long dwelt with him that hateth Peace I am for Peace but when I speake they are for Warre I can best compare them though it be hard to find any to match them in villanie with that Rebellious rout of the Iewes who called themselves Zelators they under colour of fighting for Religion and Libertie Rebelled against Caesar and when Vespasian Lievtenant Generall to Nero who was sent to suppresse them offered them all termes of Peace Ioseph de bell Iud. L. 4. C. 5. L. 7. by the mouth of Iosephus they would not heare of it Titus so much pittied them that he earnestly entreated them to accept of Peace and save themselves from destruction but they scorned him â—ailed at him and endeavoured from the walls to kill him yet that mild Prince seeing the number of their slaine did lift up his eyes to Heaven and say 'T is well knowne to thee O Lord of Heaven that I am not the cause of these evills for I desired to be at Peace with them oftner then once but the Seditious evermore would nothing but Warre Warre I am sure our King may make the like Protestation And that you may see in how many things our Rebells doe resemble them I will note some other passages out of the history They hated Peace so much that it was death to move for it yea they killed one onely for praying God to send Peace and concord amongst them Howsoever in their Rebellion they pretended the Lords Cause and that they fought for the Law and Religion of their God which the Romanes had no purpose to debarre them of yet there was no Religion in their hearts for they choosed for their Chieftaines the grand Captaines of wickednesse they committed cruelties and outrages of all sorts they invited to come unto them whosoever desired to be rid of his Master or desired to be revenged on him who had done him wrong or who could not abide to be ruled by any or who had shed blood or was in debt and danger of the Law or who was disposed to robbe steale murder and eate and drinke freely at other mens cost And is it not so now with our Zelots They had their lying Prophets who incouraged the People to stand out in Rebellion yet certainly neither so many nor so impudent as there are now at London They made one Pavi the sonne of Peniel a Carter as good as a Coach-man high-Priest for saies the story they held the Priesthood and service of God but as gaudie toyes The like esteeme have our Zelots of the Ministrie Liturgie and administration of the Sacraments They accused such as were rich to be friends to Caesar and to have an intent to betray the City to Vespasian and so to use the phrase of this age they pronounced them Malignants and plundered them of all their goods These goodly Zelators I had almost said Puritans at last set the Temple on fire as our Zelots have set the Church of God on fire and defaced many materiall Temples and brought utter ruine upon themselves with the death of a million of men Some of them escaped unto Alexandria and there causing commotions for recovering their liberty were apprehended to the number of six hundred whose obstinacy saies Iosephus was to be admired L. 7. de Bell. Iud. cap. 29. for they endured all the torments that could be devised rather then they would acknowledge Caesar to be their Lord. They were not they could not be more obstinate and spitefull against Caesar then are the Rebells now against their gratious and Native King and therefore the greater zeal courage and resolution will be required in you to bring the King back unto his house When David was to return after his flight from Absolom the people did strive who should be most forward to bring him back and the men of Israel did hotly expostulate with the men of Iudah 2. Sam 19.41 c. for preventing them in the honour of that service I wish the like forwardnesse in you that in this you strive to bring Iudah unto his people and in nothing else for if you should be divided in other things and every man have his own ends and severall waies there will be little hope of any good to be done I told you in the explication that to bring Iudah unto his people imports an union betweene him and his people and now I shall adde only this that where there is a fracture and a breach as there is now a great one there is no way to salve it and to bring Iudah back again unto his people except that you who adhere unto Iudah be united amongst your selves Consider therefore I beseech you that there is no strength in divided forces as Menenius Agrippa Liv. L. 1. sheweth in an oration to the people of Rome by a parable of the Members of a mans body disagreeing amongst themselves Consider likewise that it was division which gave the Romans advantage against the Ancient Brittons Nec enim aliud saith Tacitus adversus validissimas gentes pro nobis utilius quam In vit Agric quod in commune non consulunt rarus ad propulsandum commune periculum convent us ita dum singuli pugnant uniuersi vincuntur and specially consider how the enemies of Iudah in both Kingdomes are united amongst themselves united with the bond of an Oath or rather a Covenant of perjury So that I may say as it is in the Psalm Psal 2.2 3. The rulers take counsell together against the Lord and against his anoynted therefore against the Lord because against his anoynted Saying let us break their bands asunder What bands why all the bands of Allegiance The like we read Psal 83. They have taken craftie counsell against thy People and consulted against thy hidden ones they have consulted together with one consent they are confederate against thee The tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites of Moab and the Hagarens Geball and Ammon and Amalek the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre In Psa 140. Assur also is joyned with them Here is an unity in evill which St Hilary will not have called union but combination St Basil cals it Concors odium unity in hatred However I wish that in the poynt of agreement we may even follow their example albeit it be strange that any President of Peace should come from Schismaticks and that we may be as firmly united for Iudah as they are against him for there is most need of unity against united forces Put away therefore all divisive motions and look unto the Weal-publique and not every man to his own particular ends And truly such is my hope of you that you will deserve the commendation of the sonnes of Iudah Ezra 3.9 when they went about the rebuilding of the temple of whom it is said Et filij Iudah quasi vir unus that you will be like the children of Israel going against the Tribe of Benjamin for of them it is said And all the people arose as one man and againe Iudg. 20.8.11 So all the men of Israel arose against the City knit together as one man And that you will imitate the men of Iudah when Hezekiah appoynted the Passeover to be kept it is said 2. Chron. 30.12 Also in Iudah the hand of God was to give them one heart to do the commandment of the King I confesse that in this your forwardnesse hath prevented me and given me occasion to blesse God for you and I shall do it in the words of Deborah Praise the Lord for the avenging of Israel when the people willingly offered themselves Iudg. 5.2.9.2.9 My heart is towards the governours of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people It is said 1. Chron. 12.18 Then the spirit came upon Amasa and he said thine are we O David and on thy side thou sonne of Iesse Peace Peace be unto thee and to thy helpers for the Lord thy God helpeth thee Such a spirit God hath sent upon you and if you continue to be thus affected it will be an easie matter to bring Iudah unto his people Yea God Almighty helpeth him as he did David he hath begun to bring him unto his people and to let him upon his throne he hath made his enemies to fly before him As this day requireth from us a thankfull comemoration of his Majesties first Inauguration unto his Crown so God hath given us a fresh occasion to praise him on this day for that great victory which he hath lately given unto his Majesties Forces At Newarke against the Rebells This should be unto us an earnest that God in his own time will perfect that work which he hath begun and Give great deliverances unto the King Psal 18.51 Psa 1.32.1 Psa 134.11 and shew mercy unto his Anoynted In the mean time I shall pray That God would remember our David in all his Troubles that he would rescue him and deliver him out of the hands of strange children that his arme may strengthen him so that the sonne of wickednesse do not afflict him Psal 89.21 22 23. that he would beat down his foes before his face and plague them that hate him Psal 83.11 12 13. Make their Nobles like Oreb and like Zeob yea all their Princes as Zebah and as Zelmunah Who said let us take to our selves the houses of God in possession O my God make them like a wheele and as the stubble before the wind Make them like a wheele saith the Prophet you know a wheele is made to turne round so will God make all their devices turne Round in their Heads he will bring the Counsells of Achitophel to nothing and scatter the people that delight in War so that their sword shall be sheathed in their own sides 1. Sam. 2.10 But he will give strength unto his King and exalt the horne of his anoynted And unto his people he will yet give the blessing of Peace which Almighty God of his infinite mercy grant c. FINIS