name Thou shalt be to Aaron as God said the Lord to Moses whom he had made a soueraigne Prince ouer his people And againe I haue made thee a God to Pharaoh and Moses calleth the soueraigne Iudges by the name of Gods saying thou shalt not rayle vpon the Gods for so it is in the originall and the Psalmist to the same purpose speakes thus God stādeth in the assembly of Gods he iudgeth among Gods and againe he brings in the great God speaking thus of his little Gods I haue said ye are Gods yee are all children of the most high Sect. 9. In that Kings are called Gods That the Kingly dignitie is immediately from God wee learne sixe notable lessons hereafter following The first that the kingly power is immediately of and from God and not of man as both Geneuians and Romanes most erroniously doe hold for none can make of a man a God on earth but God in heauen neither is it in the power of man to make one Gods seruant or minister but we must leaue it vnto God himselfe to choose and ordaine his owne seruants And truely if the King were ordained of man as he is for the good of man and therefore is by Saint Peter called an ordinance of man the Apostle Paul would neuer haue named him Gods seruant and minister but mans 1. Pet. 2.13 Rom. 13.4.1 Chron 29.23 The King sitteth in the Lords throne saith the holy Chronicler now it belongeth not vnto man to set another man in Gods seate but must let this alone for God himselfe to doe The throne is Gods and not mans Psal 21.3.1 Sam. 9.15 16 17 10 1 24 13 13 14 16 1 2. 1. King 3.7 10.9 1 Chr 29 29 2 Chro 2.11 Nehe 13 26. Dan. 4.14.23 Prouerbs 8.15.16 Wisd 6.1 2.3 Rom. 13.1 4. and he that sitteth in it is Gods minister and not mans yea he is of God called God for man cannot make a man God and therefore Kings are immediately from God and not from man an argument that all the Geneuians and Romanes in the world shall neuer be able to answer And therefore to shut vp this first lesson for in our worke of kingly controuersies we disputeit more largely and accurately three Kings Dauid Salomor Hiram one Queene of Sheba one Prince Nehemiah one high Priest Samuel one chiefe Prophet Daniel one principall Apostle Paul yea Gods Angel and God himselfe doe all of them anouch that kings are chosen of God nominated sent crowned created and set in Gods throne by God himselfe and not by man Sect. 9. The second lesson that wee learne here is that the kingly dignitie is of all other dignities absolutely the greatest and the diuinest That the kingly dignity is the diuinest and greatest of all other Reuel 2. 3. Psal 82.6 Dan. 3.26 6.20 Ioh. 15.14 15. and not the priestly as both Romane Geneuians do erroniously suppose For first as none can be greater in heauen then the God of heauen or so great so none in earth can be greater then he who is called of God to be a God on earth nor none can beso great Secondly as the highest stile that can bee giuen to any is giuen to Kings so a lower stile is giuen to Prelates and Priests for they are in the Scripture no where called Gods but well are they named Angels so that as the Angels in heauen are inferiour to the God of heauen so are the Angels on earth to wit the chiefe Priests and Prelates inferiour vnto the Gods on earth which are Soueraigne Princes thirdly Princes are called the children of the most high where as Church-men are instiled onely the seruants and friends of the most high Psal 21.3 1. Chron. 29.23 Fourthly God putteth a crowne of golde vpon the Kings head and he setteth him in his owne throne to sit there for God as God so that as the Apostle speaking of the inferioritie of the Angels of heauen beeing compared with Christ the annointed of the Lord saith vnto which of the Angels said he at any time Heb. 1.13.14 sit at my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footstoole are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation In like manner may it be said in this matter touching the inferioritie of the Angels on earth that is prelates beeing compared with the Lords Christ and annointed one the Soueraigne Prince vnto which of the Angels on earth for Prelates are called Angels in the Reuelation seauen or eight times said the Lord euer sit in my throne Reuel 1.20 2.1.8 12 18 3 1 7 14. as hee saith vnto Kings yea I haue sought much in reading and could neuer finde in old Testament or new in Scripture or Father Greeke or Latine that euer the Lord said immediately or mediately vnto the great Archangel himselfe that sitteth in S. Angel sit thou in my throne for no man taketh or at least should take this honor vnto himselfe but he that is called of God as was Dauid or Salomon What are the angels on earth else then but as ministring spirits sent forth by the Gods on earth 2. Chro. 17 7 8 9. Exod 32.21.22 Numb 12 11 1. King 1.33 34. 2 Chton 29 11. Exod. 5.1 4 20 1 6.8 20. 10 20. 9 8 10 3 11 10 12 1. Psal 77 20. 2 Chron 24 12 13 14 31 13. the Christian Ichosophats to teach in Iuda through al the Cities of their kingdomes to minister the holy Sacraments to them that shal be heires of Saluation to gouerne the Church Fiftly the high priest Aaron calleth the Soueraigne Prince Moses his Lord and Salomon a king is called Zadoks the high Priest Lord Ezekiah a king calleth the priests his sons which doth argue the superioritie and maiestie of kings for the Lord is superior to his seruant and the Sonne inferiour to his father Sixtly the Spirit of God euery where placeth Kings before the chiefe Priests Moses and Aaron the King and Iehoiada Ezekiab the King and Azariah the chiefe of the house of God and preferreth the Princely dignitie before the priestly where they meete in one and the same person Moses in Genesis Gen. 14 18 Heb. 7 1 Exod 19.6 1. Pet. 2.9 Reuel 1.6 4.10 and Saint Paul to the Hebrewes doe obserue this order in Melchisedech whome they name a King and a Priest The same Moses or rather the Lord himselfe calleth his people a kingdome of Priests or a royall Priesthoode as speaketh Saint Peter and Saint Iohn in the Reauelation hath these words and made vs Kings and Priests vnto God and the same words are vsed of the foure and twenty Elders Seuenth ly Psal 2 6 20 9 24 7 8 9 10 29 10 95 3 98 6 Esther 13 9 15 14 3 12. Reuel 1.5 15 3 17 14 19 16
of God giuen to Kings by God himselfe That kings are lawgiuers vnto their people is that Kings are Lawgiuers vnto their people that is to say that they haue power from God to decree and make lawes for the good gouernment of their kingdome and not onely that they are appointed for the custody exposition and execution of lawes made or to bee made by the people as some phanaticall spirits sprong from the Lemānian lake haue supposed The people are law-takers not law-makers and law-keepers not law-giuers for the law-giuing power is a diuine power and therefore belongeth to God or to him whom hee hath called by the name of God to make lawes for God and in his name for the good of the people And this doth appeare by diuers sound and infallible arguments drawne from Gods word First in that Moses gaue lawes and ciuill ordinances vnto his people of the Hebrewes wrote Exod. 18.15 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. deliuered and declared them and appointed inferiour Magistrates for the execution of them to wit the seuenty Elders whereby we see how that the execution of lawes appertaineth to the inferiour Magistrates not to the Soueraigne but that it is his part to make lawes to giue expound them like as it is the peoples part to take them and keepe them Secondly that Princes are law-giuers it doth appeare in that the Lord commaundeth the King to write vnto himselfe the law of God to keepe it with him and to reade therein all the dayes of his life Now to what end all this questionlesse that hee may learne there by to be like Moses euen a faithfull seruant of God in all his house Numb 12.7 Heb. 3.2.5 and ouer all his house and not onely that he might keepe Gods law the better in his owne person but also that he might deliuer the same to his people as Moses did Exod. 24.34 Deut. 17.18 19. Ioh. 10.34 35 to be obserued of them and that the lawes hee should make himselfe might bee conformable to Gods lawes for as God the King almighty is the Law-giuer of Kings so Kings whom God hath called Gods are the Law-giuers of their people Thirdly this doth appeare in that Salomon calleth Mans law the word of the mouth of the King and the Kings word like as the law of God euery where in the Scripture is called Gods word Eccl. 8.2 3 4. Psal 119.1 4 5 9 10 13 16 17. Exod. 24.28 and the ten commandements the ten words of Gods mouth I aduertise thee to take heed to the mouth of the King saith the Spirit of God by Salomon and to the word of the eath of God Where the word of the King is there is power and who shall say vnto him what doest thou Fourthly this doth appeare in that questionlesse the more diuine power doth belong vnto the Prince Psal 82.1 6. 1. Chron. 29.23 to whom God hath both giuen his owne diuine name and not to the people and hath set him in his owne throne Now to make a law is the most diuine thing that can be done of a man and therefore it appertaineth vnto the Prince that sitteth in Gods throne and not to the people that stand before the throne Fiftly the eternall wisedome saith By mee Kings raigne and Princes decree instice Prou. 8.15 16 By mee Princes rule and the Nobles and all the Iudges of the earth out of which place it is more then manifest that it belongeth to Kings and rulers to make decrees and lawes of iustice and to prescribe rules of vpright liuing vnto their Subiects Sixtly and lastly it is said of Kings in the Scripture and to their highest commendation that they haue made certaine good lawes and decrees for the glorie of God and the good of their people Dan. 3.29 6.25 26. thus Nebuchadnezzar King of Babel made a decree or law that euery people nation and language which should speake any blasphemie against the God of Shadrach Messach Abednego should be drawen in pieces and that their houses should bee made a iakes and Darius King of Medes and Persians made a law or decree that in all the dominion of his kingdome men should tremble and feare before the God of Daniel and by these sixe arguments it is more then euident that the Prince and hee principally hath an affirmatiue voyce and not onely a negatiue in the assembly of his estates The which thing we shall prooue likewise by politicall and philosophicall arguments in our Latine worke of Kingly controuersies Sect. 13. The fifth lesson that we learne That Kings are to be liberally and honourably mainfained Prou. 3.9 10. in that Kings are of God called Gods is this as we must honour God with our riches and the oblation of our hands according as Salomon exhorteth saying Honour the Lord with thy riches c so must we likewise honour them whom God hath called Gods to wit Soueraigne Princes whom when as wee honour with our riches in giuing them a portion thereof for their honourable prouision then we honour God himselfe with our riches as Salomon exhorteth all men to doe that would haue God to blesse them with abundance And truly if wee would be loath to let God want if hee were subiect to want in his owne person as man is then ought we likewise be loath to let the Prince want who representeth God and therefore is called God to teach vs that what we bestow vpon him wee offer vnto God and in whose person God oftentimes carrieth himselfe as one that wanteth and standeth in need of our helpe And if we would willingly cheerefully and without murmuring bestow vpon our most bountifull Father our goods in whole or in halfe then truly wee ought not to murmure or grudge to bestow vpon Princes whom God hath called by the name of the children of the most High a conuenient portion of the same Psal 82.6 at lest for their fathers sake So that the good Christian subiect when he seeth a King especially a Christian King and such a one as besides his diuine power is adorned with the diuine qualities and perfections of wisedome bounty iustice and mercy he ought to thinke with himselfe that he seeth God in mans likenesse and when such a King asketh subsidie or releefe at his subiects hands they ought to shew themselues as willing and ready thereunto as they should if God himselfe in mans likenesse were come downe amongst men to require a sacrifice or oblation at their hands And though it bee true that that Almighty God doth not stand in need of any thing we haue for he is alsufficient in himselfe yet wee must thinke that it is his pleasure to carrie himselfe oftentimes as one that doth need in the person of the Prince the Priest and the Poore And this hee doth to trie whether wee loue Almighty God and our neighbour better then our goods or no and to know by the effect
gouernment or for a Princes abusiue power as some moderne writers haue vnderstood it most grossely in that same place of Scripture whereupon the resolution of this question doth wholly depend a thing which I wish our diuines should well consider that they doe not runne into their errour 1. Sam. 8.9.10 11.21 13 14 15 16 17. in expounding those words of the Prophet Samuel But of this more in another worke In the meane time I would entreate all good subiects to beware of charging either now or hereafter their Prince with the odious aspersion of Exaction vnlesse they can show that he requireth and receiueth more of his people then the law of God doth allow him but that they would honour him with their best opinion not only of a iust and vpright Prince but euen of an indulgent and beneficent Father incase it shall be well and sufficiently prooued vnto them that he is so farre from the iniustice of requiring or taking from them any part of their own that hee euen releaseth and giueth them a part of his owne which is indulgencie bounty and beneficence and in a word that he is content for his louing subiects further ease to leuie much lesse then Gods law doth allow him for the maintenance of himselfe his chiefe officers in the Common-wealth and in the Court and of his other seruants at home or abroad in peace and in warre Sect. 14. The sixt and last lesson that we learne That kings are free from all manner of coercion censure in that Kings are called Gods is that Almighty God in giuing them this name euen his owne name hath exempted them from all manner of violence coercion or censure at their subiects and inferiours hands where as our Geneuites aswell as Iesuites and Caluinists aswell as Papists doe hold the contrary for both of them wil haue Soueraigne Princes subiect to coercion excommunication and depriuation a doctrine and opinion repugnant I dare say both to Theologie and Philosophie to Diuinitie and Humanitie as we shal God willing show at large other where For the present because in this worke we thought good for soliditie and breuities sake to employ only testimonies of Scripture and some reasons deriued from thence it shall suffice that we show and confute the impietie and absurditie yea the vnlearnednesse and stupiditie of this doctrine of Geneua and Rome by these 17 reasons after following The which if any Diuine can answere sufficiently and soundly or bring better reason for the contrary opinion I shall not be ashamed to change the opinion that I now hold and subscribe to theirs and freely confesse this of mine to bee as blockish and vnlearned as now I hold theirs to bee First God himselfe by his seruant Moses saith vnto euery Subiect Thou shalt not raile vpon the Gods Exod. 22 28. nor speake euill of the Ruler of thy people if it bee not lawfull to rayle vpon the Prince then must it bee as vnlawfull to rage or rise vp against him and if wee must beware of vehement words in his behalfe then much more of violent deeds and if the subiects must not speake euill of their Ruler or Soueraigne then they cannot excommunicate him for whosoeuer excommunicateth a Prince must needs speake the greatest euill of a Prince that can bee euen that hee is a most wicked man and fitter to bee Sathans slaue then Gods seruant Ecclesiast 10.20 To the same purpose appertaineth that other precept or prohibition of the Spirit of God by the mouth of Salomon proclaimed to subiects Curse not the Prince no not in thy thought if it be not lawfull to curse the King then is it not lawfull to excommunicate him 1 Chron. 29.23 Psal 21.3 let both Rome rage and Geneua iangle as much as they can to the contrary Secondly God hath set the King in his throne and set on his head with his owne hand a crowne of pure gold now who can say that it is fitting or comely that any man or order of men especially subiects and such as stand before the throne should offer violence to him that sitteth in the throne or put out the hand to thrust him out of the throne or to pull off the crowne that God hath put vpon his head Thirdly It is the most high saith the holy Angel and the Prophet Daniel Dan. 4.22.28.29 Prouerb 21.1 to King Nebuchadnezzar that beareth rule ouer the Kingdome of men and giueth it to whomsoeuer he will The Kings heart is in the hands of the Lord as the riuers of waters he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him saith Salomon and therefore the most high is the onely Ruler Curber Connerter and Scourger of Kings and men must not bee so bould as to take Gods proper office vpon them for in so doing they commit a greater offence against God then doth the greatest Tyrant that can be in plaguing and persecuting his people For no subiect one or moe ecclesiasticall or secular can meddle in such a matter as this without impeaching God of a notable imperfection for either they must thinke that God seeth not the wickednes of the tyrannous or idolatrous King which is to deny his diuine omniscience and absolute knowledge or if hee seeth it that he careth not for it which is to deny his diuine prouidence and to charge him with humane negligence or if he care for it that he is either vnable to reuenge it without the hand of the Kings owne subiect which is to deny his diuine omnipotency and to brand him with humane infirmity or else that he is vnwilling to reuenge it which is to charge him both with iniustice and want of mercy Whence it followeth that such subiects as would correct their Soueraigne doe both make God no God and make themselues God in a word such a subiect is Dauids foole Psal 53.1.2 Thess 2.4 that hath said in his heart there is no God except perhaps himselfe and so becommeth such an Antichristian Anti-god as exalteth himselfe both aboue Gods God on earth the King and aboue the God in heauen in taking his proper place and office vpon him No Iosh 6.8 10 11 12 cap. Iudg. 1.2.6 7 3 15 16 17 20 21 22 26 27 28 1. Sam. 13 15. 22 31 1. King 16 22. 2. King 16. 25. 2. Chron. 28. 33. Exod. 14 28 15 4. Dan. 4.22 28 29 30. 1. King 1 2 3 4 16 17 15 4 5. 2. Chron. 26 16 17 18 19 20 21. God needeth not the hand of any subiect to be reuenged on a wicked Prince for hee can stirre vp other Princes and people or forraine persons against him as we reade that hee did against these Kings of Iericho of Ai and of the Amorites against Adonibezek King of Canaan Eglon King of Meab Saul Ahab Ahaz Manasseth and Zedekias Kings of Iudah and Israel or he can make the wicked King as it were with his own
hand execute Gods vengeance vpō himself thus he suffered Saul to slay himselfe and Zimri to burne himselfe And as he wil not employ a Princes owne subiects in such a businesse so he needeth not to vse the hand and power of any person whatsoeuer for God can drowne the wicked Prince in the water or sea with Pharaoh or hee can strike him with madnesse with Nebuchadnezzar or hee can burst him or breake his necke with Ahazias or can strike him with leprosie like Vzziah or Azariah The very elements and beasts of the field are at his beck and bidding the beasts to deuoure the fire to burne the aire to infect the water to drowne and the earth to swallow vp such Princes as God will be auenged on yea he hath armies of painefull and shamefull diseases of wormes of mice and of lice to consume and vexe wicked Kings with Dan. 4 10 11 12 13 14 22 23 28 29 30. 5.6 7 24 25 26 27 28 2. Micha 6.9 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 28. And as the Angels of God which are his highest creatures smote Nebuchadnezzar with madnes droue him from amongst men to dwell with the beasts of the field and so depriued him of his kingdome for a time for those Noters and Geneuian Glossers are deceiued that doe thinke his owne subiects did depose him for tyrannie and as another Angel did write vpon the wall the sentence of King Belschazzars destruction so the wormes that are the Lords lowest creatures conspired to vexe the wicked tyrant Antiochus the cruell persecuter of the Iewes that he died miserably and both these creatures together the highest in heauen act 12.1 2 3 4 5 21 22 23 and the lowest on earth did at Gods appointment concurre to plague Herod the persecutor of the Christians who had vexed many of the faithfull killed Iames and imprisoned Peter for the Angel of the Lord smote him because he gaue not glory vnto God so that hee was eaten vp of wormes Thus we see how God getteth glory when he correcteth wicked Kings with his owne hands 1. Sam 13.9 10 11 12 13 14 15 1 2 3 8 9 10 11 16 17 22 23 19 20 22 23 26 28 cap. 1. King 16.30 31 32 17 18 19 20 21 22 cap 2. King 21 1 2 3 4.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 16 2. Chron. 33.1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. whereas he is robbed of his glorie by such subiects as dare take the rod as it were out of Gods hands and put it into their owne to scourge Kings with Fourthly the people of God vnder the old Testament did not imprison or depose their most wicked Princes such as were Saul Ahab and Manasses nor did the high Priests excommunicate them for their crueltie tyrannie apostasie and idolatrie persecution and seduction and therefore the people of God vnder the new Testament ought to doe the like in following the example of their pietie and patience in the behalfe of bad Princes otherwise Christians should come short of the Iewes in morall perfections which were absurd Fifthly the constitution and creation of Kings is of God and not not of man it is Gods hand only that can make a King according as he saith himselfe By me Kings raigne and as we haue prooued aboue in the first lesson and therefore the deposition of Kings Prouerb 8.15 and their coercion belongeth likewise to God and not to the Kings owne subiects for the power is equall in the one and the other And therefore wee see that the voice that deposed Nebuchadnezzer came from heauen Dan. 4.22 28 29. Thy kingdome is departed from thee like as the Angel and the Prophet doe both of them auouch that it is the most high that giueth the kingdome to whomsoeuer hee will Sixtly in the new Testament Christ and his appostles do oftentimes command subiects to giue vnto Kings but no where they bid take away or withhold any thing from Kings howsoeuer vnworthy neither tribute and liuing by detention nor libertie by incarceration nor Kingship by depriuation nor life by ciuil or rather vnciuill and sinnefull execution nor the benefits of the Church and kingdome of heauen by hellish excommunication Giue saith the King of Kings vnto Caesar the things which are Caesars like as he had commanded Peter his very prime Apostle to giue the Kings Receiuer poll money for them two Mat. 22 17 21 17 24 25 26 27 Mark 12 14 15 16 17. Mat. 10.1 2. 1. Pet. 2.17 Rom. 13 1 2 24. giue saith hee the twenty pence vnto them for me and thee and the same prime Apostle commandeth all subiects both spirituall and temporall persons euen as many as haue Soules for his fellow Saint Paul saith let euery soule besubiect to princes to feare God and honour the King Ergo subiects must not dishonour the King by coercion incarceration excommunication or depriuation Yea Saint Peters Successor himselfe if he hath any hath no power to dishonour the King whom God hath honoured with his crowne and throne let him be neuer so vnworthy in his conceite nor to expose him to the dishonour or danger of any of his subiects by his censure of excommunication or sentence of depriuation Our Sauiour bids giue to Kings Saint Peter gaue to Kings ' and bids giue them honour and so doth S. Paul saying Giue to all men their duty Rom. 13.7 tribute to whome yee owe tribute custome to whome cnstome feare to whome feare honour to whom yee owe houour And no where they bid take away any thing from Kings and therefore such men as take away from Kings their liuings libertie or life or the benefits of the Church Gods kingdome or their owne doe disobey God the father of Kings and obey the deuil the dishonourer debaser of kings Seuenthly wee doe not read in Gods word that euer a King was deliuered vnto Satan so that it wanteth example and as for precept the very formal words vsed in the institution of excommunication by our Lord do shew that it was neuer intended for Kings by the Spirit of God For besides they were not as yet within the bosome of the Church Mat. 18 15 16 17. by calling when it was ordained those words If thy brother trespasse against thee If thy brother hoare thee If thy brother heare thee not If thy brother refuse to heare the Church also do euidently and pregnantly euince that excommunication is a censure of an offending brother 1. Cor. 5.12 not of the father of the people And therefore the Apostle entreating of excommunication extendeth it no further then unto such a one as is called a brother If any that is called a brother saith he be a formcatour 2. Thess 3.13.14 15. or couetous or an idolater or a railer or a drunkard or an extortioner with such a one eate not neither companie together and againe And ye brethren be not wearie
in well doing if any man to wit beeing a brother obey not our sayings note him by a letter and haue no compante with him that he may be ashamed yet count him not as an enemie but admonish him as abrother And though it bee true that the beleeuing Soueraigne aswel as the Subiect is a brother in Christianitie and might well haue beene so called by our blessed Sauiour and his Apostle yet I say it doth not appeare that they vnderstood by the title of brother in those places but such as did then beleeue the Gospell who were all subiects for as yet there were no beleeuing Soueraignes yea both our Sauiours and the Apostles words doe euince that a King though hee bee a beleeuer and so a brother yet that he can not bee brought in amongst those excommunicable brothers because the excommunicated brother must be vnto the other brethren as an Heathen and a Publican as our Sauiour commandeth that is to say they must auoide his conuersation and decline his companie and flee his familiaritie as the Aposlle expoundeth it But so it is that subiects can not by any meanes shunne or abhorre the presence and conuersation of their Soueraigne both because of duty and because of necessitie As for duty the lawes of nature and of Scripture of reason and religion of Church State doe oblige subiects to doe their duty to their Soueraigne be he neuer so bad and therefore they must repaire vnto his presence and conuerse with him whensoeuer it pleaseth him to command And as for necessitie subiects can not choose but repaire to the Prince to haue iuslice and such other helpe as they sland in need of at his hands And therefore I say though both Rome and Geneua should ioyne their iarring and warring wits together yet they shall neuer bee able to solue or satisfie this argument Mat. 18.17 1. Cor. 5.5.9.11 2. Thess 3.14 1. Tim. 1.20 all excommunicated persons presence societie and companie is to be shunned as a Heathens a Publicanes or which is worse as a man 's deliuered to the Diuell But no Kings presence society and conuersation can bee shunned of their subiects for both duty and necessitie binde them to the contrary Ergo no Kings can be excommunicated or thus the effects of excommunication can not haue place in the person of a Prince as for example his presence and conuersation can not be declined of his subiects without both sinne and their great hurt and therefore the censure it selfe hath no place in Princes Ninthly the excommunication of an vniuersalitie or multitude as of a whole citie Body Common-wealth or kingdome is in the iudgement of all thought a thing vnlawfull and semblably the excommunication of the Soueraigne as he that representeth the whole Body of his kingdome must bee vnlawfull neither can the head be punished without the sensible hurt of the whole body Tenthly God is a God of order not of disorder or confusion 1. Cor. 14.33 as the Apostle speaketh and therefore hee hath not giuen the inferiours power to punish corporally or spiritually their superiours for this were most contrary to order consequently he hath not giuen subiects any power vpon their Soueraigne nor Priests any power to punish Princes for both people and priests be inferiours and their Soueraigne is their superiour they are as members of the body taken seuerally the commons as feete the Nobles as hands the Priests as eyes or they are as the bodie being taken coniunctly but the Soueraigne is as the head higher then all the other members and aboue the whole body and as the soule more diuine excellent and eminent then the whole body the subiects are as seruants the Soueraigne as the Master or Lord the people as the children and the Prince as their common father It is against good nature and order for the inferiour members to rise or rebell against the supreame member for the body to beate or breake the owne head and it is repugnant both to good nature and grace for children to stretch forth the hand to chastise or punish their father bee hee neuer so furious And as for the chiefē Priests and Prelates they are as Angels and Archangels indeed but the Soueraigne Prince is as the God of Angels and Archangels farre aboue their reach Eleuenthly if it belongeth not vnto one man or more men to beate punish iudge or condemne another mans seruant as the Apostle S. lames teacheth saying Who art thou that iudgest another man Iam. 4.12 Rom. 14.4 and the Apostle S. Paul likewise saying Who art thou that condemnest another mans seruant then it belongeth much lesse to one man or more to iudge punish excommunicate depose or condemne Gods chiefe seruant Rom 13 4. now the Prince is Gods seruant saith the same Aposlle and in the same Epistle to the Romanes and I wish that both Romanes and Geneuians would weigh those words better then they do and therefore who is hee that condemneth such a seruant as is not only another mans seruant but euen the best mans seruant to with Christs and his chiefe seruant yea Gods seruant He standeth or falleth to his owne master saith the Apostle and that is neither the Pope of Rome nor the master Minister of Geneua but God and Christ who will not haue his seruant subiect to the proud censure eitheir of the Romane Consistorie or of the Geneuian Presbyterie The Apostle would not presume to iudge them that are without the Church because they belonged to Gods iudgement in propriety what haue I to doe to iudge them also which are without saith he doe ye not iudge them that are within but God iudgeth them that are without and shall we thinke that he would haue presumed to iudge those that God hath placed aboue the Church I meane Christian Princes 1. Cor. 5.12.13 who though they be within the bosome of the Church as Christians yet are they without or aboue the reach of the hands of the Church as the nursing-fathers and heads of the Church on earth vnder Christ the Soueraigne King of the Church whose immediate seruants they are and therefore as his peculiars are subiect to nones iudgement but his only Twelfthly if seruants must be subiect to their masters with all feare and not only to the good and courteous but also to the froward as the Apostle Saint Peter teacheth 1. Pet. 2.13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23. then must subiects be loy all and dutifull to their Soueraigne and not only to the good but also to the euill for as the family is a little kingdome and the master of the family a little king and the sonnes and sernants of the family are the subiects of this little kingdome so is the kingdome a great family the King the great master of this great family and his subiects are the children and seruants of the same family Thirteenthly if the Angels of heauens Church from their heauenly seates
1 2 16 27 28 37 5 15 16 17 18 8 9 12 Act. 10.25 16.24 25 26 27 28 29 Gen 40.8 41 14 15 16 25 40 41 42 43 44 Dan. 2.28 29 30 36 48 49 5 29 6 1 2 3. Psal 45.9 13 16 was likewise a Prince Eli and Samuel Priests were Princes and Iudges and the Priests iudged of some ciuill causes together with the other temporall Iudges The chiefe Priests which taught the people of Iuda are called Princes whom King Iehesophat had appointed to be Iudges vnder him both in ecclessiastical and temporal causes as betweene blood and blood betweene law and precept statutes and iudgements Anna called Eli the the chiefe Priest her Lord the widdow of Zarepta the widdow of Bethel the Shunamite Gentlewoman Obadiah King Achabs steward the good Captaine sent by King Ahaziah Naeamen the King of Syrta his Generall Hazael one of the Princes of Benhadad King of Aram did all of them honour the chiefe Prophets of God Eliah and Elisha with the stile of Lords and bowed before them And so did Cornelius the Captaine and likewise the Iaylor to the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul to passe ouer that Ioseph a Patriarke and a Prophet of the Church was likewise a chiefe Prince vnder the King of Egypt euen the next vnto the King Daniel another chiefe Prophet of the Church was likewise a Prince and the next person to the King of Babel Nebuchadnezzar and his three fellowes Shadrach Messach and Abednego were made Gouernours ouer the Prouinces of Babel and the same Prophet Daniel was by King Belshazzar made the third Ruler in the kingdome and by King Darius the first and chiefe Ruler ouer the whole kingdome And the Prophet Dauid prophecying of the splendour and dignitie of the Fathers of the Church vnder the Gospel vseth these words In stead of thy Fathers shall thy Children be thou shalt make them Princes through all the earth meaning that of the Children of the Church there should be chosen such as should bee Fathers and Rulers of the Church as Arch-Bishops and Bishops which should bee honoured throughout the whole Christian world as Lords and Princes For the holy Prophet as hee describeth typically Christ as the King of the Catholike Church and none but he to be King and the Church as the Queene and Spouse of this King so doth be signifie vnto vs that the Princes of this King and kingdome are the Rulers and Gouernours of the Church aboue named which of the Children of the Church should bee made Fathers of the Church and should be honoured as Princes as hath binsaid And this prophesie is most cleerly accōplished and verified in the Church of England not of Geneua nor any Geneuian vnto whose Ministers God hath not graunted so much honour as they who haue vnhappily dishonoured and debased themselues in bringing in their Lay-elders to bee Church gouernours in stead of the Bishops I say they haue debased themselues most ridiculously because that they haue submitted themselues who should be as Fathers and Schoolemasters vnto their owne children and Schollers for by those Lay-elders they are elected they are iudged and censured in matters both of life and doctrine they are suspended or remooued from their ministerie and yet they are but meere Lay-men generally voide of learning as being for the most part tradesmen and artificers and some country gentlemen So that there is as great disorder in the Geneuian Church and as grosse absurditie as if the children should command their Fathers in the house or the Schollers correct their Masters in the Schoole or as if the Sheepe should pull the pastorall crooke out of their Sheepheards hand And though that our Geneuians do deriue their Lay-elders and Eldership from the Synedrie of the Iewes for I graunt them with all my heart that the chiefe perfections of the Iewish Church ought to bee found in the Christian Church which thing if they vnderstood well they should see their grosse errours yet I must tel them that they haue nothing like but the name For first the Iewish Elders were inferiour magistrates ordained primarily by the Soueraigne and chiefest magistrate Moses to assist him in matters of Iudgemēt Numbers 11.16 17 Ezr. 10.8 Luk. 22.66 Act. 5.27 wheras the Geneuiā are not Iudges or any such publike persons appointed by the Prince but priuate persons picked out of the Parish by the Preacher and some other with him Secondly the Iewish Elders iudged and censured the Laitie and therefore were called the Elders of the people wheras the Geneuiā presume to censure correct their Clergie Thirdly and lastly the Iewish Elders concurred with the Princes of the Priests as their assistants or officers in matters of iudgement and debate but the Geneuian haue no Princes of Priests Deut. 17.8.9.10.11 12,2 Chron. 19 8 9 10.11 Ezech. 44.4 or Prince-Church gouernours as Primates Archbishops or Bishops to giue assistance vnto whereby it doth appeare that the Iudges and Iustices of Peace in England are like those Elders of the Iewes especially the Iudges of Ecclesiasticall courts called by the names of Chancellour Commissary Deane of the Arches Officiall and the like and in no wise the Elders after the Geneuian forme Moreouer as the Ministers of the heauenly Church are called Priests so are the Ministers of the Church of England honoured Reuel 4.8 9 10.11 5 8 7 10 12 8 3 4 Heb. 13.15 Hos 14.3 with the same holy title and stile Those Angelicall Priests doe offer vp vnto God the spirituall sacrifice of prayer and praise and answerably thereunto our English Euangelicall Priests offer vnto God the like spirituall sacrifice as the Apostle prescribeth saying Let vs therefore by him offer the sacrifice of praise alwaies to God that is the fruite of the lippes which confesse his name Publike prayer and praise is a sacrifice and therfore the Minister that offereth it is a Priest neither could he blesse publikely the people except hee were a Priest for Church-benediction is a part of the Priests function nor yet Minister any of the two Sacraments in both which there is a spirituall sacrifice for by Baptisme our bodies and soules are offered vnto God by the hand of his Priest Rom. 12.1 Mat. 26.27.28 29 30. 28 19 Ioh. 6.32 33 41 51 Reue l. 2 17 a reasonable and liuing sacrifice and in the Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper he offereth vnto God in our name the spirituall sacrifice of thankesgiuing for giuing the substance of his blessed body both corporally for vs a bloodie sacrifice vpon the crosse and spiritually vnto vs in the Sacrament of bread wine and euen for feeding of vs in a my sticall and supernaturall manner with his flesh which is that hidden Manna of heauen Reuel 1.4 5 6 5.10 Heb. 7.15 17 21 24 26 28 8 1 2 3. promised in the Reuelation to those that ouercome To bee briefe the blessed Apostle
subdue Sathan c. Written for the information and satisfaction of many mens mindes touching so weighty a matter but especially for the furthering of the Church of Scotlands full conformitie with that of England BY IAMES MAXVVELL Master of Artes c. PSAL. 122. verse 6. Pray for the peace of Ierusalem let them prosper that loue thee LONDON Printed by IOHN LEGATT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1617. TO THE RIGHT REVEREND FATHERS IN GOD THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS HIS VERY GOOD LORDS AND OTHER LEARNED AND GRAVE PASTOVRS OF THE CHVRCH OF SCOTLAND IAMES MAXWELL WISHETH PEACE VNITIE AND CONCORD FROM THE GOD OF CONCORD AND PRINCE OF PEACE AND HVMBLY DEDICATETH FOR A TESTIMONIE OF HIS DVTY THIS PRESENT TREATISE OF CHRISTS DESCENDING INTO HELL A Demonstration of Christs Descending into Hell LIke as the dissensions and differences in matter of faith betwene Christian and Christian Greeke and Latine Papist and Protestant haue prooued the greatest scandall and offence to those that are without the bosome of the Church and the greatest hinderance of both Iewes and Gentiles conuersion vnto Christ that euer the hand of hell brought into the world or the diuell did deuise so the contentions and dissentions the diuisions and differences arising betweene Protestant and Protestant which haue a number of new denominations such as sorrow and shame will not so much as once suffer me to mention haue prooued questionlesse the greatest scandall of our reformed profession and the chiefest cause of many Papists auersenesse from Reformation And this may sufficiently appeare by their daily obiecting and hitting vs in the teeth with our diuisions and differences and telling vs that our Church is so farre denoide of Vnitie that euen the reformed subiects of one the same Soueraigne cannot be brought to an agreement in the matters and manner of Gods worship Witnesse say they there repugnant expositions vpon that article or particle of faith touching Christs descending into hell their discrepant doctrines touching the Princes ecclesiasticall power their generall auersenesse from Prelacie with their differences in matter of ceremonie Sacramentall Ministerie and Church-sernice And what other thing else say they can it be but a manifest token of a weake and ruinous Religion to say no worse when as the professours thereof Mat. 12.25 Mark 3.24.25 Luk. 11.17 can neither agree with other Christians nor yet with themselues according to that saying of our Sauiour Euery kingdome or house diuided against it selfe shall be brought to desolation For the preuenting of which euill and the remooning of which cursed scandall and cause of offence seeing that Almighty God hath raised vp our Soueraigne and endued him with a most diuine Spirit both for pregnancie and peaceablenesse far beyond all the other Princes of the earth yea and far beyond many professed diuines Isay 41 5 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 20 21 25. and that hee hath euen chosen our Iacob and taken him from the endes of the earth and called him before the chiefe thereof to speake with the Euangelicall Prophet Isay to be the chiefe instrument of so glorious a worke let vs in the consideration thereof both acknowledge the inestimablenesse of the blessing that Almightie God offereth vs by the hand of his seruant for Concord and Vnitie especially in the matters of God is an inestimable blessing vnto man and a thing most acceptable and agreable vnto God and let vs likewise acknowledge the fanourable prouidence of God towards vs disposing all things as for our greatest good so for our chiefe comfort and contentment in that he hath beene graciously pleased to picke out a King of the North to be the Bringer and Brocher of this blessing vnto vs according to that in the Prophet saying I haue raised vp from the North and he shall come Isay 41.25 from the East Sunne shall he call vpon my name and euen such a King of the North as hath loued vs so deerely as hee hath done and who would not for all the kingdomes of the world bring the Church of God or his owne natiue Country into any corrupt or dishonourable condition No I dare take it vpon my soule that it is his zeale and loue towards the glorie of God the honour and credite of our Country and the happie and more perfit constitution of our Church that hath set him a worke about so blessed a businesse as the working of a perfit agreement and full conformitie betweene the Churches of these two kingdomes For I suppose that no man is so far deuoide of comon sense but seeth sufficiētly how that both Pietie Policie Religion of Church and Reason of State doe require that Britaines which are the worshippers of one true God the seruants of one Sauiour the children of one Church and the subiects of one and the same Soueraigne should agree in all things belonging to Gods worship especially in all matters of faith such as is this present point of Christs descending into hell The which though all Christians doe professe to beleeue according to the letter yet we can not say that our verball or literall profession thereof is seconded with a solide consent in the meaning and sense For first the Papists vnderstand it of Christs descending in his soule to a certaine region or habitacle of hell called Limbus Patrum to deliuer the fathers an opinion voide of all good warrant for we shall make it more then apparant In our Latine disputation of the seate of soules both by Scripture and Doctors by authoritie and arguments that the soules of the beleeuing people vnder the law went not downe into any corner of hell for all that they can say to the contrary and though Zuinglius ioyne with them herein but to Paradise And as for our Protestant writers we see how some namely the Geneuians expound it of Christs suffering the sorrowes of hell in his soule before his death denying his descending in soule after death into hell to deliuer the faithfull from descending thither and to conquer and binde Sathan in his owne strongest holde though Mr. Caluin did not denie his foresaid locall descending after death but acknowledged it others expound it idly of Christs buriall others of his continuance in the graue vnder the power thereof for three daies others of his translating into the state of the dead and others most ridiculously haue deliuered that by the descending of Christs soule into hell is to bee vnderstood no other thing but the ascending thereof into heauen all which opinions are false fanaticall and friuolous and the doctrine of the Church of England and of some other reformed Protestants of Germanie is only orthodoxe and true to wit that our Sauiours soule beeing seuered from the Bodie which lay in the graue three daies went downe into the very loathsome dungeon of the damned for our sakes and not into any superiour Limbus Patrum as Papists do dreame partly to deliuer his elect children from descending thither and
of Geneua doth obscure and diminish the Maiestie thereof For who knoweth not but that it is a greater glorie for a King or Captaine to vanquish and conquer his enemie in his owne kingdome and to make his enemies owne pallace his prison then to doe it elsewhere Wherefore seeing our Sauiour atchieued the greatest and the most glorious conquest that euer was and triumphed the most magnificently Mat. 12.29 we must needs beleeue that he did it in Sathans the strong ones owne house castle and kingdome as it is in the Gospell and as the Church of England together with the Primitiue doth beleeue and teach and not that he did it out of hell or on the crosse as they iargon at Geneua X. Tenthly and lastly the veritie of the Church of Englands doctrine touching our Sauiours descending into hell may appeare by the contradictions oppositions and dissentions and fanaticall expositions of such as haue oppugned it or dissented from it some expounding those words hee descended into hell of our Sauiours buriall others of his detention in the graue and the most part of his suffering the paines and torments of hell in the garden and on the crosse some haue expounded it of his translating into the state of the dead and some haue beene so fanaticall as to say that his descending into hell meaneth no other matter but the ascending of his soule into heauen after death And as some of them haue most vnlearnedly and ridiculously vnderstood heauen by hell in the Creed and ascending by descending which is all one with the taking water for fire or God for the diuell so haue they as vnlearnedly and ridiculously construed diuers other places of Scripture In the sixteene Psalme by the Hebrew word NEPHESH Psal 16 10. Act. 2.27 and in the second of the Actes by the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which doe signifie the soule they vnderstand the body which is the contrary part and the other halfe of man a thing that no learning diuine or humane will suffer And though a man perhaps might excuse such a simple or single Ignoramus as this yet how can he excuse it when it is doubled for those Geneuians will haue the word soule to signifie the body and a dead body which in all learning diuine or humane signifieth alwaies a liuing substance and either the principall part which is the soule and that properly or else the whole person figuratiuely And as these admirable Metamorphosers of Geneua turne in one place hell into heauen and descending into ascending euen blacke into white and in another place Christs liuing soule they turne into his dead Body so doe they turne hell into the graue for the Hebrew word SHEOL and the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which doe properly and principally signifie hell as the learned in these languages doe well know and as we shall show particularly otherwhere by alleadging the testimonies of the best Hebricians and Grecians but especially when the word of Soule is thereunto annexed as it is in the sixteenth Psalme and in the second of the Actes they do translate Graue and not Hell which is not only the secondary and improper signification of those two words but also quite repugnant to those texts of Scripture wherein mention is made of the conditiō of Christs soule For though it be true that the said two words doe sometimes signifie the graue yet it is but secondarily and improperly and when the word of Body or flesh is ioyned thereunto but neuer when the word of Soule is annexed as it is in those two places of Scripture and because they see the absurditie that should insue of saying that Christs soule should be buried in a graue therefore for preuenting one absurditie they runne into another for as they turne hell into graue so doe they Christs liuing soule into his dead body the most blockish and stockish abusing of Scripture that euer was heard tell off yea more the most impious for in so doing they ioyne with the professed enemies of Christ both Iewes Arrian and Apollinarian Heretickes For first such Geneuian expositors ioyne with the Iewes who as Aepinus the Protestant Superintendent of Hamburge writeth vpon the sixteenth Psalme to ouerthrow the certainty of our faith concerning Christs descension into hell and his resurrection did by the word soule vnderstand life though it bee not so bad nor so farre fetcht as Bezas dead bodie and by the word hell they vnderstand graue as the Geneuians doe And next they ioyne and iumpe with the old Arrian and Apollinarian Heretickes which denied our Sauiours true humane soule and therefore vnderstood those Scriptures as the Geneuians doe and not as the orthodoxe fathers vnderstood them that out of those Scriptures refuted their fooleries as Athanasius Theodoretus Epiphanius Cyprianus Augustinus Fulgentius Hieronymus Ambrosius Philippus Presbyter Ruffinus Cassiodorus Euthymius Beda Petrus Chrysologus and others whom the Church of England doth follow all which shall be God-willing particularly prooued in our Latine worke And the Geneuians doe ioyne with the same Apollinarian heretickes in vnderstanding by the Spirit of Christ in the third chapter of the first Epistle of Saint Peter 1. Pet. 3.18.19 his Diuinitie or God-head and not his humane Spirit though the other halfe of his humanitie to wit his flesh bee there mentioned with it like as in the same text they turne Christs person into Noahs and Christs preaching in Spirit vnto dead mens spirits after his passion into Noahs preaching in body vnto liuing men many hundreth yeares before the passion and incarnation Where note how that contrary to all learning diuine and humane they expound the word Spirit of a liuing man and not of the soule of one deceased And in the same absurd manner they turne Christs wrastling vpon the crosse into triumphing and make him to sing his owne triumph before his full and absolute victorie Finally as in expounding the Gospel they turne the heart or middle of the earth into a Tombe Math. 12.40 27.60 which was not so much as within the foreskin if I may so speake of the earth so in expounding the Epistle they turne the lower or lowest parts of the earth Eph. 4.8.9 whereinto our Sauiours soule descended into the vpmost parts or surface of the earth where in body hee conuersed when hee was vpon earth So that they turning thus vpside downe both in Gospell and Epistle as they doe we haue as little cause to iumpe or ioyne with Geneua in this point as wee haue to runne with Rome for the finding out of their fanaticall Limbus Patrum And thus I haue by a ten-fold probation cleered the truth of the doctrine of the Church of England touching our Sauiours descending into hell and haue with all dispelled the cloudes and mistes both of Romane and Geneuian opinions For as it is most certaine that our Sauiours soule did after death descend into hell which our Geneuians doe most vnlearnedly and