THE DREADFULNESS OF THE SIN OF Despising Dominion AND Speaking Evil of Dignities Represented in a SERMON Preached before the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor AND Court of Aldermen At the Guild-Hall Chappel July 30. 1682. By John Whitfeld A. M. sometimes of Jesus Colledge in Cambridge and now Rector of Bugbrook near Northampton LONDON Printed for Samuel Carr at the Kings Head at the West end of St. Pauls Church MDCLXXXII Moore Mayor Cur. Speciâ—… vent die Dominico xxx die Julii 1682. Annoque Regni Regis Caroli secundi Angl. c. xxx iiijto THis Court doth desire Mr. Whitfeld to Print his Sermon this day Preached at the Guild-Hall Chappel before the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of this City Wagstaffe To the Right Honourable Sir JOHN MOORE Kt. Lord Mayor of the City of London and to the Honourable Court of Aldermen his Brethren My Lord NExt to despising those Dominions the Vindication of which I have presum'd humbly to offer at in the Discourse aâ—…ext a demurr to your Honours Order for this impression of it would be a Crime of greatest magnitude which I could not contrive how to attone for I know too well mine own deficiencies to render my self and them obnoxious to the publick Censure of this critical Age but withal know as well who is Gods Representative in this Kingdom and the Kings in this Great and celebrated City where like a Wise Master-Builder you have laid such a Foundation that if your Successours shall make a Superstructure proportionable the Top stone will come to be advanced in glory to the best of Religions Kings and Churches in the World And thereby Monuments erected of just and Pious fame to your self and them more lasting than those of Brass and Marble more Glorious than the Re-erection of this splendid City Where the Foundations have been lately attempted to be destroyed in a sadder sense than ever Towards the prevention of which great Fatality what here I have with no other prospect than a truly conscientious one design'd I have also endeavour'd to make good by Scripture reason the best and most authentick which none will or can deny but those that have dar'd of later days to abjure both How propitious a reception this and its poor Compiler found with your Lordship I can never sufficiently own to the World with that gratitude and obedience which is due for those great and Everlasting Obligations you have deign'd to lay upon me having no better return to make than the best and most importunate of my Devotions That the Great God would graciously continue to assist you with that just and generous courage as well as conduct which you have given very ample proof of for carrying on the good Work you have begun that at last it may be consummate and your security reputation and satisfaction with it in that of our Most Gracious Soveraign and his truly sober stedfast Loyal Subjects in which Vote your Lordship may assure your self of the most cordial concurrence of all such more especially those of our Function and most peculiarly that of him who though the meanest yet cannot but be ambitious to be reputed My Lord Your Lordships most Obliged Devoted and obedient Servant John Whitfeld August 10. 1682. JUDE 8. Latter Part of the Verse Despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities IF ever the complexion of any Age and People in the World were drawn in Colours to the Life so certainly is that of them whom lately we have had too much of conversation with by our Apostle in the great Instances here given these two that are the grand Characteristicks of the Text A People that have dar'd the Divine as well as humane vengeance to the extremest height whom whole Theaters of God's severest Judgments cannot awaken to any serious sense of those sins which here the Apostle sets out so very tragical a Scene of The sin of the Apostate Angels Jude 6,7 of Sodom and Gomorrha and these one would think were great enough yet there is one that vies them both set off with the saddest and highest of all Emphases not only in doleful but very dismal accents 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostome upon another place What dreadful words he speaks when here he says Despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities Chrysost in 1 Cor. 11.29 These the Apostle clearly ranks with those This he represents as a very formidable thing and shews how its doom though it commences yet does not determine here but in a place more hideous in eternal fire This he renders as a sin so hugely full of horrour that nothing can be more And so St. Peter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Pet. 2.10 a sin that they we and all the World should tremble at where he has stigmatiz'd with as black Characters not only the same thing but done it in the self same words with our Apostle here from whom says Tirinus Tirinus in loc he took the Transcript of them being wrote six years before as he computes The word for Dominion here being the same with that of Government there which is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word appropriate to the Imperial Dignity and Dominion then well if now in so great veneration For despising indeed St. Peter uses another word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 setting their minds all their Prudentials Politicks against that Government those Dignities in the diminution and derision of them Saint Jude has 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies not only a rejection as Beza and others give it but annihilation of this Government making nothing of it as if thither they would if they could at last reduce it into nothing or which is worse a Democratical Chaos and confusion The other words which with both the Apostles are the same rise higher still to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the glories splendors or glorious Dignities which such so ingloriously blaspheme Dignities that is Princes says Beza upon the place Beza in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. Principes quantumvis augustâ Majestate praeditos and that with this addition Set off and illustrated with the Augustest Majesty These are those which he makes the Dignities and Dominions here and which he calls an Order constituted by God himself Ordinem ipsum à Deo constitutum so he ownes the Divine Right of Monarchy According to that of St. Peter and St. Paul 2 Pet. 2. Rom. 13. the Imperial Powers then in being as we shall see more clearly and fully in the Sequel These he cannot but grant to be of a Celestial Origine of Divine not humane Institution So far we have him with us And happy for him if here he could have held and been consistent with himself For he is presently off and will have Governments to be Senators a Collegue of Medley Magistrates Senatores sive aliorum Magistratuum Collegium in French Seignieur to bring in his beloved Lay-Elders within the Character of these Dominions
as well as Dominion 1 Sam. 15.24,25 the infinitely Wise and Holy God was pleas'd graciously to confer in the Original of Kingly Government in Israel upon Saul his own immediate Successour there And afterwards accumulate upon David Solomon and their Successours in that Kingdom 2 Sam. 5.10,11 1 Kings 3,4,5,6,7,8,9.10 2 Chron. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 Not knowing what that so much celebrated Preacher as well as King so frequently does reiterate by Gods own special inspiration Pro. 16.10.14.15 19.12 20.2.8 22.11 24.21.22 29.4 14.30.31 Against whom there is no rising up and whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul as to the Honour Favour Frowns and displeasure of a King in terms so highly much emphatical that nothing ever was or can be more Each of which he renders so greatly and incomparably considerable that nothing under Heaven can ever come in competition with them Eccles 8.2,4 I Counsel thee to keep the Kings Commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God whoso keepeth it shall feel no evil Where the word of a King is there is Power and who may so much as say to him What dost thou As if his very word were a Law so as to his commands And for his threatnings the Wrath of the King is as the Roaring of a Lyon carries terror and execution with it to make us the more conscientious to fear him in the one and obey him in the other and in neither to dare to disregard him in the least as we respect our welfare there or here This and infinitely more he gives in charge in such weighty words as do preponderate all that can possibly pretend against it and that in places more than can be enumerated Be pleased to take one for all as that which seems to have more peculiar affinity to the business of the Text. Where he gives that tremendous Prohibition Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King the word there signifies the same still with this here namely to blaspheme no not so much as in thy thoughts or Conscience the most closeted and retir'd corner of them thy very Bed-chamber where thou mayst suppose thy self most secret and withal secure See how he dares men to it at their highest peril for says he there a Bird of the Air that is the Winged Angels says the Holy Father Hieron in loc which in Zachary are said to take their flight over all the Earth Zach. 1.10,11 shall carry the voice and that which hath Wings which therefore they are so significantly pourtray'd with shall tell the matter They are ever ready to be upon the Wing to take their several circuits over all the World They hear when Treason and Sedition is but whisper'd in the closest and most cunningly contriv'd Cabal and give intelligence of it in the High Court of Heaven much more when it comes to be Printed to be Preach'd Mat. 10.27 to be vogued in altissimis in the high places of the streets and preach'd upon the house tops as our Saviour speaks not only creeps into the Press but mounts the Pulpit as of later days it did and God grant it may never never do so again They err not knowing the Scriptures of the Prophet as well as Preacher where God is graciously pleased by him to promise as the Peoples most peculiar Happiness and Priviledge Esa 49.23 as well as their Princes Honour and Prerogative That Kings should be their Nursing Fathers and Queens their Nursing Mothers to support them in their tender and indulgent their kind as well as potent and capacious Arms. 'T is He that hath made them and not themselves to be Patres Patriae National Fathers and they that make it their business so unnaturally as well as undutifully to expose them do but hereby expose themselves to that ignominious curse of the shameless Cham Gen. 9.24 for displaying their Fathers nakedness in that irreverent and indecent manner that their brutal Libels too barefac'd every where amongst us do And they also that mouth'd out a Sedition which is their own Liberty and Property at that tumultuous rate as they have lately done have but hereby offer'd themselves and theirs to the dint of Divine Vengeance Gen. 9.25 in the Letter of Canaan's Curse to be made Servant of Servants to him that so has superciliously stil'd himself when they will not be true and loyal Subjects to their only true and rightful Soveraign Not knowing that is not owning that of him who was more than a Prophet Mat. 22.19,20 Mark 12.16,17 Luk. 12.24,25 the great decision and determination he has made for himself and us in all succeeding ages of the World The lasting everlasting Precept as well as exemplar he has given for rendring to Caesar the things that are Caesar's as duly and exactly as carefully and conscientiously as to God the things that are Gods no difference that he who is God blessed for evermore has made between them When the Tribute-money was demanded of him Mat. 17.24 to v. 28. though he was a Prince and they that were his Attendants free because not strangers but Children of the Kingdom as himself assures us yet he stands not upon their Priviledge and his own Prerogative as most justly he might have done Though he was the legal Heir of that Kingdom by a lineal descent from David yet he would pay Tribute to the Roman Emperour and work a signal miracle designedly for doing of it rather than Caesar should not have his demand and that by arbitrary imposition as is most apparent They know not Rom. 13.7 or at least will not own that of the great Apostle Render therefore to all their dues Tribute to whom Tribute Custome to whom Custome Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour is due And if ever due to be sure it is so here where the Apostle does so importunately insist upon it as to that homage and subjection which is the debt of every single Soul not any one that is was shall or can ever be exempted And the Reason which there he renders for it is most irrefragable because they are the Higher or Superiour Powers as he expressly calls them Rom. 13.1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word I cannot easily quit i. e. such as have the superiority over all things and persons as it does most genuinely denote The Powers that were then are now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viz. the Regal and Imperial as before was hinted then and ever since in being which he assures us is immediately ordain'd of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the Monarchick Power and our submission to it a Divine Ordinance St. Peter is more express if any thing can be so 1 Pet. 2.13 when by him it is entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Creature Gods own Creation that of subjection to this very Power which there he does so particularly urge to the King in the first and highest place so both the