pag. 105. that a Ministers external call is not in ordination by them who have power upon trial of gifts but in having such a visible evidence of the call of Jesus Christ as in reason and charity doth obliege all men to receive the person so called as truly sent These with several other points tending to Libertinisme yea and to the abolishing of the sense of grossest sins in people are vented here as may be seen in the progress But our maine work shall be to shew the face of this mans way and how Anabaptistical-like it looks in some particular practices wherein the similitude will hold without much halting that if he will not be he healed others may be warned 1. The Sect of Anabaptists laboured much as the learned men that knew them and dealt with them declare to overthrow Magistracy in the places where they lived they represented the secular powers unto the people as the ungodly of the world instigating and stirring them up to pull them all down as the oppressors of their liberty in spirituals and civils They denied all authority to Magistrates in Church matters averring they ought not to medle in matters of Religion or Faith nor use any compulsion on men so much as to urge them to the use of the external meanes of Gods worship And upon the ground Luke 22. The Kings of the Nations c. it shall not be so amongst you which is pressed against Superiorities amongst Church-men They pleaded with no less plausibleness against superiority of Magistrates amongst and over Christians although when they came to some strength at Munster they would have their own King John of Leyden the Taylor 2. As they studied to overthrow the ordinance of Magistracy so also the other divine ordinance of Ministery these being as it were the two great lights the Sun and the Moon which God hath appointed to guid the world These masters of confusion would extinguish them both that they might vent their wares in the world for destroying not only humane Societies but the Souls of men In order to the ruine of the Ministery they declaimed most bitterly against all of that function that were not of their way as Hirelings Thieves and Wolves Ignorant-beasts Priests of Baal cursed Creatures Servants of Sathan and what ever else their invenomd hearts could prompt them to utter against Christs Ministers to work their disgrace amongst the people and so to defame them that they might be useless in the service of God Their great work was to exclude faithful Ministers from the esteem of Gods people that they might affect them only and that they might have ready accesse to poyson them with their perverse Doctrines and Dictates of sublime unconceivable non-sense set forth under the garb of a glancing novelty of words 3. They bent themselves to work division in the Church of God and to move people to forsake the assembling of themselves together in Church-meetings and to follow them to seek Christ in private Conventicles where they might with freedom enough open their hearts and debauch them into their way The Church meetings they reckoned no better of then as of droves and herds of hoggs confused mixtures unworthy the name of Churches and wherein no blessing was to be expected to the Ordinances 4. They were above all men arrogant and proud despisers of such as were not of their way as being men without God in the world reprobate and wicked denying to them even common civilities 5. When any of theirs were punished either for their errors or for fellony murther or rebellion they heavily lamented the removeal of the dear servants of God crying them up for Martyrs and complaining tragically that truth and godliness was oppressed and that men who would have all things done according to Gods word were not suffered to live in a persecuting world How neer this man with his complices doth approach to the manners of that odious Sect in these particulars may some way appear from this Libell and the Apology When the spirit that stirreth in these furious writings especially in Naphthali wherein the evil man waxeth worse and worse is considered how much confusion may be seen to be portended to Church and State if hearts be infected with the Doctrines therein held forth It is greatly to be wished and prayed for that the Lord may give his people such understanding that they be not ignorant of the wiles of Sathan who drives a deeper design against this poor Church and Land then the subversion of this or that exterior form of Church-Government The controversie rests not in matters touching a Bishop or a Presbytery which if mens passions or prejudices might permit may be for the advantage of the Gospel well consolidated by their mutual paying of due respects one to another the episcopal inspection not abrogating but strengthening the due right of Presbyters and Presbyters not despising that lawful inspection but all concurring together in a kindly mutual assistance and amicable conjunction for carrying on the real interests of Christs Kingdom without imperiousness on the one side and without froward disorderliness on the other But this polemical Presbyterian as he would seem to be though he and his brethren in evil have ruined that way of Presbytery long ago accounts such matters too low to stand upon The design his Libel runs upon is to open a gap to endlesse rebellions under whatsoever constitution of Church-Government And not only to bring all our Magistrates from the highest to the lowest under disgrace which is the next step to destruction and to make them a sacrifice to the fury of the wicked people but to ruine Kingly Authority and Magistracy the Ordinance of God and to dissolve humane Societies and Kingdoms as shall be seen and especially to ruine this Kingdom There is a great noise made it may be it is not causles and it were to be wished Rulers looked to it of the increase of Popery but truly when the spirit of such writings as this is considered it will be found there is cause to fear unless the wisdom and goodness of God and the prudence of the King and Governors under him prevent That as one way the Roman Antichrist may come in So some furious successor of John of Leyden under pretence of a Phineas-like spirit come in another way upon our Church and Land to lay it waste and to make it a field of confusion and blood the seeds of future miseries being too visibly sowen by this man and his complices whose mouths are full of Blasphemies as their hearts and hands are full of blood That this Libell and the like are not more quickly followed with meet animadversions is not to be marvelled at by any who knowes they are like the Pestilence that walks in darkness and that hardly do they come to the hands of any but such as are willing to be deceived by them being intended for the blinding of these not for the opening the eyes of others
man will have no Alledgiance due to him nor Obedience but in defence of Religion which it is like he will not defend if he be of a different perswasion in matters of Religion and so must his Authority be made void The contrary Thesis we must rest upon that although a supreme Magistrate defend not Religion yet Alledgiance and Fidelity is alwayes due to him and Obedience also in all things lawful It is the Lords way for keeping humane Societies from gross disorders to allow to such as are in supreme Power by lawful calling the honour due unto their place even although in the main things they pervert the ends of Government not glorifying God by advancing true Religion but dishonouring him by false Religion or seducing others to their evil way and persecuting them who follow not their unlawful commandments Yet where administrations of Justice in civil things are tolerably managed and civil Societies by Magistratical Authority kept in tolerable order that there be no general out-breakings in outragious oppressions God will have due respects payed to the places of Authority and persons therein installed and will reckon dreadfully with them for any perversions of the ends of Government in his own time Though Caesar give not God his due yet it is Christs mind that we give Caesar his due and his Apostles mind that he should be honoured not for his personal faults or abuse of his power but because he is invested with power from God which though he abuseth yet it remains the Ordinance of God And hereunto Mr. Calvin fully agrees lib. 4. instit cap. 20. S. 24 25. c. where at length he asserts That Alledgiance and Obedience in things lawful is due even to the worst of Princes and who do most manifestly pervert the ends of Government by private Subjects of which our question is now S 25. Si Dei verbum respicimus longius nos deducet viz. then to give alledgiance to good Princes ut non eorum modo principum imperio subditi simus qui probe qua debent fide munere suo erga nos defunguntur sed omnium qui quoquo modo rerum potiuntur etiamsi nihil minus praestent quam quod ex officio erat principum Again Omnes saith he speaking of evil Princes illa sancta Majestate sunt praediti qua legittimam potestatem instruxit Deus Again In homine deterrimo honoreque omni indignissimo penes quem modo sit publica potestas praeclara illa divina potestas residet quam Dominus justitiae judicii sui ministris verbo suo detulit proinde à subditis eadem reverentia dignatione habendus est quantum ad publicam obedientiam attinet qua optimum Regem si daretur habituri essent Again S. 27. he sayes of an evil King Assumptus est in Regiam Majestatem quam violare nefas est Again Nunquam in animum nobis seditiosae illae cogitationes veniant tractandum esse pro meritis Regem nec aequum esse ut subditos nos ei praestemus qui vicissim Regem nobis se non praestet Any may see that in the matter of Civil Government Mr. Calvin was of another and a better spirit than these men who inflame the people with their seditious Doctrine and tells them if the King do not his duty their alledgiance to him and obligation to his Government ceaseth and no alledgiance nor obedience due to him when he does not or does contrary to his duty But 2. As the Position in it self is most unchristian and irrational so the application of it to the case in these Times made by this Master of confusion is most unjust for not to speak of the first times of Reformation wherein he sayes that there was such perversion of the ends of Government as made the obligation of the injured Subjects thereto to cease Pag. 16. he repeats the same more fully Pag. 150. to justifie the late Insurrection against the King as if now there were such manifest and notorious perversion of the ends of Government that the band thereof is loosed and people are relapsed into their primaeve liberty to joyn in new Societies and Combinations as they see fit rejecting the old Now may not any see the desperate design of this Libeller and his like to dissipate and dissolve the immemorially settled frame of this Nation and Kingdom which through divine Providence hath in many generations subsisted under our lawful Soveraigns for the common benefit of the Subjects at home and to the honour and renown of the Nation abroad yea and to the glory of divine Providence which hath through many storms in several ages preserved us in this comfortable constitution But behold a foul gap is now opened to let in all confusion upon us and to dissipate and break us in pieces miserably if such wicked Doctrine take upon people God guard their hearts we hope sanctiores sunt aures corda auditorum quam linguae Doctorum as to this Now it is left to the arbitrement and lust of every party even lesser party of the people to break off the old union with the Nation to erect themselves into new Societies and Combinations as being now as free as if they had not been members of this Nation they are relapsed into their primaeve liberty and now every Paroch in Galloway is allowed to cantonize themselves into a free Re-publick or to become a little Kingdom of Ivetot or make Combinations and Heads of these Combinations as they see fit for they are liberate and loosed from the old Society and Government because the ends thereof are so manifestly perverted And wherein forsooth Doth not the true Protestant Religion as it is held forth in Scripture and was publickly confessed by our first Reformers which Confession is registred Parl. 1. K. James 6. through Gods mercy continue with us without variation from it in the least Doth not the Kings Majesty protect and advance this blessed Truth of the Saving Gospel and incourage and invite all according to his power to embrace it Is he not willing and desirous that the Laws be vigorously executed against Papists and all perverters of this sound Doctrine If there be deficiency in execution the blame lyes elsewhere then upon him Are Gods people or any people in the Land spoiled of their lawful civil Liberties What one thing hath he done without consent of the peoples Representatives in Parliament at which any may except as a grievance What burthen hath he laid upon their Estates but by Law of by their own consent in a necessary exigence What should be the great ground then of so horrid a dismembring of the body of this Common-wealth and secession from the civil Society and from subjection to the lawful Government thereof as this man teaches and would perswade What is that so fundamental perversion of the ends of Government that may to any minor party that pleases bear the Weight of a rational licence to
to them yet hath he not made his Providence the Rule of our actions to warrand us being private Persons to punish them but we must go to the Law and Testimony to seek the Rules of our actions And whatever action is not according to this there is no light in it it is but a work of darkness for all the fair colours men can set upon it albeit God visit the sins of Parents upon Children yet that gives no warrand to Children to offer violence to their Parents for their sins But yet the Libeller cannot so leave the matter but after many ranting and rambling words which it were a pain to ripe up nor is it our purpose minding onely to notice his abuses of Scripture and impertinent reasonings he comes at length to his great reserve pag. 30. and sayes If all these things do not satisfy as indeed they are soon pleased who will be satisfied by him he hath yet four or five particulars that will make all sure for his position which he hath been labouring to underprop viz. That any private persons may against all Magistrates and the great body of the Common-wealth take and use not only the self defending but vindicative punishing and reforming Sword And 1. he saith That the reason of delivering the Kingdom to the People and not to the King with the Law it self Deut. 17.14 no way contradicted or repealed by the manner of the Kingdom and in effect of Tyranny fore told by way of disswasive 1 Sam. 8.10 doth make much for his position But 1. the man utters here a gross untruth For God doth not in the Text deliver the Kingdom to the People and not to the King as he saith he doth only before hand instruct the People anent the right way of setting of a King over them when it should come to pass that they should do so and leaves in his Word instructions for the King that shouâ—d be set over them how to behave himself That the Kingdom is here delivered to the People to be managed by them as well as to the King or with reserve of Power to them to use violence upon and against the King if he should deviate from the rules there set down as this man contends is most false the People had not so much Power as to choose the person that was to be King God reserved this for himself 15. ver Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose neither ever did they choose a King but onely accepted of the Kings chosen and given them by God and designed to them by his extraordinary Embassadours as is clear first in Saul and after in David and his Family the chosen Royal Family Neither were the People to look on their Kings as their servants or vassals or creatures as such men use to write but as set over them Thou shalt set him over thee not under thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose neither had they power over the King but the King by Gods Ordinance had Power over them 2. Were it so that the Kingdom or the Power of managing it were delivered to the People which is most false yet this makes nothing to this Libellers position giving Power to any party of private Persons amongst People to punish all Magistrates and the major part of the people too if they be strong enough whatever was granted to the People here was granted to the body not to this or that party of private persons 3. It is very true the place 1 Sam. 8.10 and not 1 Sam. 10.10 as he mis-cites both this and the former Scripture neither contradicts nor repeales that Law Deut. 17.14 but agrees notably with it But it is false that onely the Tyranny of a King is there spoken of by way of meerly disswasive Moses and Samuel do very well agree together the one shews what a King should do ex officio and de jure the other what a King may do by the power he hath and yet not be obnoxious to punishment from Subjects The one shews what a good King should do the other what a People should suffer of an evil King without attempt of violence upon him The one sets forth Gods approbative Law and instructs Kings in their kingly duties the other sets down the permissive Law of the King shewing the reach of his Power if he should abuse it without punishment from man The doing of such things 1 Sam. 8.10 was in effect tyrannical not approven by God but if the King came to abuse his Power so far he had a permissive Law for him that it was not free to his Subjects to punish him As albeit the Lord approveth not Divorce or a mans putting away of his wife yet by a permissive Law husbands amongst Gods People had liberty Deut. 24.1 to put away their wives without being obnoxious to humane punishment for that cause albeit God reserved the punishment of the hard-hearted husbands to himself So the Lord gives no approbation to over-imperious or tyrannical facts of Princes yet if they abuse their Power he will reserve them unto dreadful punishments by his own hand but will not have the hands of their Subjects to be upon or against them As parents do evil in correcting their children for their pleasure Heb. 12.9 10. and have no moral approven power from God so to do yet it is a sort of right of parents that if they so do their children may not use violence upon them or rise to destroy them but be in a reverent subjection to them But this great Theologue tells us That it is only the manner of Tyranny that is here set down by Samuel And that meerly by way of disswasive to disswade them from seeking a King Ans 1. It is true the fact is the manner of Tyranny but the permissive power without punishment from Subjects is the just right of all Lawful Kings of whom as it may be said Nil paenas metuunt nulla quia lege tenentur So to them if they deboard and abuse their power it may be said Si genus humanum mortalia temnitis aâ—ma At sperate deos memores fandi atque nefandi 2. Let it be so that Samuel in setting forth the manner or Law of the King intended to disswade the people from insisting in their petition for a King yet that was not his only nor his main intention his main intention is to shew the People their duty under a Kings oppression though it was not his duty to oppresse them to shew them I say what they behoved to suffer under a King beyond measure imperious without resistance for he is not now teaching the King his duty This is clear for otherwise to what purpose should he have written the manner of the King in a Book and laid it up before the Lord after the King is set over them 1 Sam. 10.25 when there was no place for repentance no remedy no use of
ponit secures arbitrio popularis aurae no King is so absolute to rule as he lists we abhor quicquid libet licet he is subordinate unto God and his Will and he ought also to walk according to the particular good Laws he hath made with consent of his people Digna vox est Majestate regnantis se alligatum legibus principem fateri and we doubt not our King doth and will do so but he is so absolute that if he deviate which God avert he is not under co-active power of Subjects that they should have Law-claim against him and in their Courts of Nature and Necessity as this man loves to speak pronounce judgement upon him to destroy him A Crown was never given him never accepted by him on such horrid termes far less that by virtue of this supposed tacite Covenant any minor meer private party of the people might without and against the great body have liberty to pull not only the King but all Magistrates out of their seat punishing them and possessing themselves in their rooms which is the expresse doctrine of Naph out-stripping his Master Sequiturque patrem non passibus aequis 4. There are several wayes of conveighances of Kingdoms Where there is freedom of election of the particular person to reign there may possibly be expresse limiting conditions allowing a reserve of Power to some not meer subjects to coerce and reduce in order diviating Soveraignty As in the Empire of Germany and Kingdom of Poland or if there be any like whose Kings are not veri nominis Reges but personated Kings and Monarchs as a pâ—inted man is not a man there is some likeness to a Kingship and Monarchy and some power over others given for executing the Laws But the Supreme Majesty doth not wholly reside in these more then in the mock Kings of Sparta when they were under the tutory of the Ephori But in the conveighances of many Kingdoms and all properly called Monarchies there is neither tacit nor expressed Covenants impowering others to be Judges over the King which is the design these Covenants are pleaded for how many Kingdoms are and have been attained to by conquest in a just War which is a sufficient title and no the right of robbers as some call it albeit there be direct opposition so long as there is power and a tacit dissent when their power is gone yet the conquest coming by a lawful and well grounded War the dominion and the authority even over the unwilling and repining subjects is lawful though it may be made surer by their after consent to submit And if this purchased power be hereditarily transmitted the successors receives power from their Parents not from the people nor is there any shaddow of tacit or express Covenant in this matter if ye Rule well we shall obey you otherwise not 5. If we look to our own Kingdom of Scotland from the beginning there will be found no such Covenant on which the constitution of the same is founded There are four or five remarkable instances concerning this Kingdom to clear the matter 1. Look to the foundation thereof in Fergus the first 330. yeares before Christs birth Buchannan himself cannot say that he is admitted King upon conditions the subjects indeed by their oath confirmed the Kingdom to him and his posterity but no oath was required of him nor of any of his successors till King James the sixth his time of which we shall anon hear Of this Fergus the black Book of Pasley as I have heard from credible Reporters saith Fergusius se Regem fecit 2. Fergus the second the 40. King the great restorer of our Nation who began to Reign Anno. Chr. 404. did by his valour under the conduct of divine Providence and by the help of Strangers Danes and others with some small remainder of Scots recover the Kingdom after that the whole Nation was banished and no Scots-man might abide in Scotland under pain of death he was not beholden to the people for the Kingdom nor had it by paction with them 3. Kenneth the first the 50. King Anno Chr. 605. who destroyed the Picts and enlarged his Kingdom by the accession of theirs purchasing more and better Lands then he had before which he distributed to his subjects he held not this purchased Kingdom of them by contract or paction to be subject to them on whom he bestowed the Lands thereof The 4. is Robert Bruce the 97. King Anno Chr. 1036. Whom our Lawes of Regiam Majestatem c. calls Conquestor magnus he re-conquered the Kingdom when it was almost wholly alienated and subdued by the English and but little reserved The English held it for many years And the Nobility of Scotland first at Barwick then at St. Andrews in plain Parliament swore homage and obedience to the King of England Yet that Prince having a prosperous gale of divine Providence assisting his Valour recovered the Nation out of bondage And who will assert there were pactions between him and the people to bring him under their coactive judicial Power A fifth instance there is right memorable in our own times It is known our Nation was totally subdued by the English and continued so for the space of ten years The representatives of Shires and Cities and Towns combined into a Common-wealth-government and sent their Commissioners to the meeting thereof at London where the Kings interest was disclaimed yet in a wonderful way God brought him in again and finding us at his coming a fully conquered and subdued Nation restored us to our freedom from the bondage of Forraigners If any will say that it was upon his account the Nation was brought to the suffering of that bondage and that there did ly bands upon him as our sworn King to free us when he should be in capacity to do it It may be answered 1. It is known that when the fatal stroke that sunk us into bondage was given there was an express disowning of his right by publick Judicatories of the Land in the quarrel with the English Sectaries before Dumbar 2. Whatever engagements were upon him for the good of the Nation Yet if these mens principles were to be followed they could had no force on him to move him to labour our vindication into liberty for do not they teach that in the mutual Contract and Covenant betwixt King and People the People are loosed from their duty if the King fail in his frangenti fidem fides frangatur eidem And why then is not the King loosed if the people fail on their part It is known that although the Nobles and Body of the People were well enough affected to the King and cordially loved him when they were overpowered and could do nothing yet by their representatives he was disowned which in Law would be reckoned their own deed And if a sworn people desert and disclaim their King by their representatives may not the King also have the benefite of the
conditional Covenant and leave them as he found them in bondage to forreigners But such was his Majesties Graciousness and Wisdom as well as Conscience of duty that although the Nation had failed much to him he would not walk after the counsels of these men And we may all things consider'd assert that the people of Scotland do rather owe their liberty to him then he doth owe his Authority to them or by vertue of any Covenant with them But not to dwell too much on this as to any expresse Covenant enstating the People or any part thereof in a coactive judicial Power over our Princes to punish them in case of aberrations in Government from the foundation of our Kingdom of Scotland there is no such thing to be found Buchannan himself can never show that before King James the sixth his time any of our Kings at their installing did swear to or covenant with the people albeit the people have sworn homage to them none of them all before that time did swear covenant-wise at their reception of the Crown nor can it be evidenced that Loyalty was engaged to the King if they thought he ruled well and no otherwise Some of our Historians cited by Blackwood make mention of one of our Kings Gregory the Great who did reign Anno Chr. 876. who when he was crown'd did in his piety swear to defend the liberties of Christian Religion of the Church of all the Priests and Ministers of Religion and ordained that all his Successors Kings of Scotland should swear that oath at their entry to the Government Yet this is not mentioned by Buchannan least perhaps our Kings might think obligations do lye on them by that Law to maintain Popery far advanced in Gregories time But no other oath is mentioned till James the sixth his time when he was in the craddle his Regent Murray fram'd an oath to be sworn by him and his Successors recorded Parliament 1. King James the 6. but that oath never any did swear for him albeit at his Coronation in the moneth of July before that Act which was not made till the 15. of Decemb. after Anno 1567. the Earles of Mortoun and Hume did promise some such thing for the King as Buchannan sayes nor did he himself ever swear it when he came to be Major and from under the Tutory of Regents When he entred actually to reign and accepted the Regiment in his own person Anno 1577. being of the age of twelve years no man durst ever offer that oath to him nor when he came to be of full and perfect age Not but that it is in it self and rightly understood a good and godly oath but in regard of the evil Principles with which some Subjects were in that time poisoned as if such an Oath and Covenant gave a coactive right and power to Subjects over their Prince in all their apprehensions of his failing as now we are taught by men of the seditious stamp it was thought fit to wave the putting such an oath unto him at his entry to the actual Government he not having taken it before that the fancy of such a coactive Covenant which might breed evil humours in the Subjects might be removed Whither King Charles the first did swear that same oath recorded in the first Parliament of King James the sixth we cannot certainly say there is nothing left upon publick record of that matter at his Coronation but if he did so he was the first King of this Nation that received the Crown in way of Covenant with the people or swearing to them yet had he reigned eight years over us before that time and no man durst or in reason could say as now is printed that he was no King till he took the Coronation oath How this came to passe we know not but it is to be believed on good ground could that King once have thought that his taking of that oath although it be in it self godly and good should have been so far mistaken by his Subjects as that he should have been thought thereby to have submitted himself to their coactive and punitive power in every case wherein they or any party of them being meer private persons might think him deficient he would rather have endured any death then so to cast himself away at the pleasure of malecontented parties amongst the people taking advantage against him by that oath But it shall be avowed that that King of glorious memory did never shrink from the observance of that godly oath whatever the malice of his clamorous and embitter'd enemies represents to the contrary Neither hath his Majesty that now reigneth swerved from the observation of that oath hitherto and we are hopeful Gods grace shall preserve him hereafter from any such thing But the matter concerning this civil Covenant is not yet at an end for the Author of L. R. bends his wit to wrest the holy Scriptures to make this Covenant necessary yea for such ends as he designs viz. the coaction and punishing of the Prince and backs his wrested Scriptures with some sophistical reasonings Did we indeed find sufficient ground for such a Covenant or for such ends in holy Scriptures we should strike sail and no wait for ragged reasonings to cast dust in our eyes But when we look to Gods directions about setting up of Kings amongst his people and upon the doing of the thing suitably to these directions We professe in sincerity that we find nothing but that it was Gods mind that both King and People should do their mutual duties the one to the other but that there is any such Covenant impowering people to use force upon the King to throw him down punish or destroy him when they or any particular party of meer private persons apprehend the ends of Government to be perverted There is no mention of any such Covenant Deut. 17. where the manner of setting a King over them is prescribed there is no such thing done when Samuel by Gods appointment anoints and sets a King over the people nor is there any such thing found at the entry of any of the Kings of Gods people to their Government only there are two instances upon special and extraordinary occasions of such Covenants betwixt the King and People the import of neither of which is to state the people in coactive judicial Power over these Kings and which cannot by any Logick be drawn to be Patterns of necessary doing such a thing in all Kingdoms The first instance is of David 2 Sam. 5.3 1 Chr. 11.3 where though he had reigned seven years and a half in Hebron over the men of Judah without any such Covenant 2 Sam. 2.4 Israel and the rest of the Tribes having all that time resisted David and cleaved to Saul's Son as their King 2 Sam. 2.10 The King being killed and Abner the General they come to a submission to David and he being willing to entertain them enters in covenant with them in a
piece of holy policy meet for that time to gather together the scattered people of God who might be tempted otherwise to other courses they were now coming to be his Subjects who were not so before but were under another King and fit it was to give them security touching his good mind toward them they having so long stood it out in arms against him But the question is what was the nature the matter and import of that Covenant The Scripture sayes not it was such a Covenant as these men would have I shall rule you rightly if you obey me dutifully otherwise not upon the Kings part And upon the peoples part We shall obey you and be subject to you if ye rule us rightly otherwise we will not but use our co-active power upon you to dethrone and destroy you and punish you That there was any such conditional Covenant expressed or meant is far from the truth David neither minds to admit them to be his Subjects conditionally or to subject himself to their co-active power nor minde they to offer themselves to be his Subjects in such terms On the contrary it appeareth clearly in the Text that they recognosce his right of reigning over them is from God and that he was not subject to be removed by them see 2 Sam. 5.2 1 Chr. 11.2 3. They say The Lord said to thee thou shalt feed my people Israel and shalt be Captain or Ruler over them And it is added Therefore they came c. and anointed him King over Israel according to the Word of the Lord by Samuel They humbly declare him King whom God had constituted whom they could not lawfully reject and it is impious to think that they recognoscing Gods constitution of him yet should fancy a Paction or Covenant giving them co-active superiority over him to remove him when they thought meet though God had set him on the Throne by a special appointment All the Covenant that can be supposed here is upon the peoples part an engagement to humble subjection and homage And upon the Kings part a Covenant of indempnity for former oppositions to him wherein they had need to be comfortably secured or at most we shall not repugne if it be called a Covenant both of protection and right ruling of them yet so as not subjecting himself to their censures or co-action or that they should be his Subjects only upon that condition being otherwise free to fall upon him The Covenant may be to mutual duties and yet on neither side conditional but absolute each party oblieging themselves to their own duty absolutely but not on condition that the other party do their duty As if a man bind himself by oath to give me one hundred pounds and I bind my self again by oath to him to give him one hundred pounds without conditional provision that he pay me the money he promised me Albeit he should fail in his oath and not pay me yet must not I fail in mine but must pay him because my oath is separate from his and independent upon it and hath a separate obligation absolute which no failing of the other party to me can loose Indeed the case is otherwise when there is a reciprocal contract of things to be done by one party upon condition of some things to be done by the other as in Covenants of Peace between Nations there the breach of condition by one party looses the promise of the other which was only conditionally made But subjection is not engaged to Kings conditionally but absolutely albeit obedience to God be reserved when any active obedience contrary to him is called for Again for the other instance of the Covenant which Jehoiadah made between King Joash and the people 2 Chr. 13.2 3. 2 Kings 11.17 this was also made upon an extraordinary occasion for ordinarily we never hear of any such Covenants amongst Gods people and their Kings and extraordinaries cannot Found ordinary Rules Athaliah had murthered all the royal Seed 2 King 11. 2 Chr. 23. except Joash who was kept secret six years in the house of the Lord while the usurper possessed the Kingdom Now when the godly Priest Jehoiadah the Kings Tutor saw a fit time he ingaged the principal men in Covenant of fidelity to the King 2 King 11.4 and shewed them the Kings Son This was a necessary piece of holy Policy when the Usurper and her faction had so long strengthned themselves to engage the chief men to special fidelity to him And after that 12.17 He brought forth the Kings Son and put the Crown upon him and gave him the Testimony and they made him King and anointed him and they clapt their hands and said God save the King and Jehoiadah made a Covenant betwixt the Lord and the King and the people and that they should be the Lords people between the King also and the people Joash was then but seven years old and not in capacity to make a Covenant with the people but his godly Tutor did preside in that business But two things to our purpose are remarkable 1. That he is Crowned and made King before the Covenant is made as is clear in the Text which crosses our Antimonarchists who assert the King cannot be made King untill he make the Covenant with the people and that he gets the Crown and royal Authority Covenant-wise and conditionally whereas here he is made King antecedently to any Covenant as the Text clears it 2. That albeit the matter of King and peoples Covenant with God be expressed viz. That they should be the Lords people yet it is not told us what the tenor of the Covenant betwixt King and people was nor what the King or Jehoiadah Covenanted in his name the young King of seven years old what could he say in Covenanting Jehoiadah was only President in the matter Diodat seems to say well that in this place Jehoiadah made the people swear alledgiance and fidelity to the King as before he had made the Rulers do vers 4. and no more he took an oath of fidelity of them But how shall it be cleared that it was conditional and with a reserve of coactive and punitive Power over him as these men will have it But passing from this let it be so which cannot be asserted with warrand that all the Kings of Judah made such conditional Covenants with the people as is supposed yet will any judicious man force the particular customes of that Nation on all Nations that might be best for that Nation that was not simply best their customs without a Law of God bearing a standing reason cannot be obligatory on others least we judaize too much But the constant practice of all the Prophets and people of God in that Kingdom when their Kings were very wicked idolatrous and tyrannous speaks clearly that they never had such thoughts of a liberty by vertue of covenant to fall with violence on their Kings The Prophets of God never taught them
the Presbytery Otherwise what marvel is it that they be looked upon in the esteem of these who value them as involved in the guilty connivance and consent to all the vile things that issue from Napht. and his party And that this Libeller be looked upon as the common allowed Advocate of the Presbytery and who reads the Book will with some ground say crimine ab uno disce omnes Neither is it our design or will to grieve or give offence to the generation of the humble meek and self-denyed seekers of Gods face partakers with us of the same pretious faith and running to obtain the same prize of the inheritance with us however differing in judgement in some particulars nor shall we take them as partakers with this furious Author and his adherents For who can imagine that a meek people who hath the promise of Gods teaching should be so far transported as to take the circumstantials of Religion for the great and weighty matters of the Law and Gospel without which known and beloved none can come to God Who can think that an intelligent people should account that the concerns of Christs Kingdom and their own salvation doth lye with so much stresse upon this point that the weakest and most ignorant Minister shall have a potestative parity with the man of greatest Gifts Learning and Knowledge that the Minister weakest in his Prudentials should have equal Authority in mannaging the matters of Gods house with the wisest and one of the most noted prudence that the youngest rawest most unexperienced Minister should have as much power in ruling the house of God as the man fullest of years whose judgement is consolidated and ripened for Government and who hath for a long time given such documents of good and wise behaviour that makes him fitter to rule the younger sort then to be ruled by them Or who can see the prejudice to Christs Kingdom and pretious souls if such a worthy person as is described be intrusted with an inspection over other Brethren and Churches in a reasonable bounds not with a dominative or lordly power but paternal and fatherly not to do after his own arbitrement and as one unchallengeable in his actions but to be regulated by acts of the Church and Land and to be responsible to his Superiors in case of maleversation not to rule solly but with the consent and counsel of Presbyters Can this way be disrellished by sober Christians being so strongly pleaded by the light of sound reason making so much for the comliness and order of Christs Church being so suitable and correspondent to the antient Government of the Church of Israel where there were Priests and chief Priests and several ranks of Ministers an order which was neither typical nor temporal but hath a standing reason reaching us being so conform to the beginnings of Christs ordering the New-testament Ministry where there were Apostles above the seventy Disciples being so agreeable to the Apostles constitution of the Government of the Churches of the New Testament which was in an imparity of Power in Ministers as is luculently exemplified in the Power of Timothy and Titus who were no Evangelists nor ever accounted so by the Spirit of God And finally our ascended glorious Saviour having honoured persons invested with that precedency by Letters written by his Secretary John unto them Rev. 2.3 chap. wherein he shews the approbation of their office and power reproving their neglects yet honouring them with the stile of Angels to the Churches or his Messengers in special manner To the Angel of the Church of Ephesus c. which cannot without notable perversion of the Scripture be otherwise understood but of single persons presiding over Presbyters And this order Christs Church and dear Spouse having since that time retained in all places where Churches were constitute without exception in all times without interruption untill this last Age wherein through hatred of corruptions adhering thereto under Popery and because of the enimity of the popish Bishops to the Reformation some have utterly without any reason rejected the office it self Who can think that a Christian people will not readily follow the foot-steps of the flock in former generations Neither is there any intention to provoke any fearers of God who have been perhaps in an hour of tentation miscarried to irregular courses following too readily in the simplicity of their hearts cunning leaders who have had too much dominion over their faith these we judge worthy of greatest tenderness in dealing with them nor are we without hope that God who stills the noise of the seas the noise of the waves and the tumult of the people Ps 65. v. 7. will in time allay their animosities and rebuke the stormy wind and seas of their passions that they may be still and that he will bring them to consider their wayes wherein they have exceeded and give them to know how ill and bitter a thing it is to forsake their own mercies in the ordinances of God for the want or having of this or that form of external Government But these we aim at in this parallel with Anabaptists are the Naphtalian party i. e. the furious sort of these who under the conduct of this teacher and his like make sport of rebellions murders assassinations that have so hardened and harnessed their hearts as appears by their writings and deeds that they have become stout in a dedolent greediness to commit any wickedness which they account meet to serve their design as if their supposed good cause could legittimat the worst course who make no reckoning as their Doctor here professes of overturning Thrones making the Land drunk with the blood of the Inhabitants multiplying fatherlesse and widows in the midst thereof and introducing greatest confusions and calamities that may make all faces gather blackness and all to smite on the thigh crying alas for the day if so be they may upon the ruins of all erect the idol of pretended parity of Ministers which when they have set up the imperious agitators will as they have done formerly baffle if any offer be to level them to others and howsoever the weaker brethren must be entertained with fair words and noddified with notional disputes anent their parity with the best that they may think themselves somewhat yet how disdainfully was it and yet would be taken if these low shrubs should essay a practical parity with the tall Cedars in the Government of affairs Imparity was then without a title now it is with it and there is our change and great defection and surely that which hath been will be and there is no new thing under the Sun This furious Napht. coming in upon the back of the Apology as another invenomed Egg hatched be-like by one and the same Cockatrice the second justifying the rebellion to which the first did instigate and inflaming to more may let them who will not shut their own eyes see the mystery of Anabaptistical
insurrection all sorts of which he holds out as unlawful given even where obedience cannot be given and Page 319. persona invadens potest esse talis aliae etiam circumstantiae ut magis invasum deceat mortem ipsam pati quam tali desensione propulsare To these may be joyned moderate Papists Aestius Lib. 2. in Sententias cap. ult privato nâ—mini licet superiori etiam tyrannice imperanti resistere multo minus è medio tollere Tollet Lib. 5. de instruct sacerdotis cap. 6. non licet cuiquam se defendere a Judice vulnere vel pugna licet sit innocens Many moe might be cited But it may be evident that this Libellers doctrine of the lawfulness of private persons one or moe resisting the Magistrate violently with destroying him in self-defence far more taking on them a vindicative and punishing power of which in the following Chapter is against the common sense of Protestant Divines and of the founder Papists also Whatever may be said of moral or legal self-defence against the Soveraign by way of petition or plea in Court for safety of a mans person or Estate And whatever may be said of warding off and defensively putting back personal injurious assaults to the manifest and immediate peril of life without any colour of deserving of Reason of Law or judicial proceeding or of a Womans violent resisting attempts against the honour of her chastity dearer to her then life and tending to ensnare her also in sin against God whereof her non-resistance makes her formaly guilty And whatever may be done in the case of most habited not our and compleat tyranny against all appearance of Law manifestly tending to the destruction of the body of a people or greater part thereof by hostile furious actions or in the case of violent attempts of destruction of all known legal liberties and the beeing of Religion according to Law or in the case of vendition alienation of and giving a whole Kingdom to forrainers or strangers or some such like What ever I say in such horrid cases which for most part cannot befall a Prince in his natural and right wits a case wherein provision may be made that he hurt not himself nor his Dominions may be done comes not at all within the compasse of our question although most disingenuously the discontented and seditious do strive on all occasions to aggravate matters so that the case concerning them may seem co-incident with these or the like that so they may justifie their violence against the powers But the question is as hath been said whether when the Magistrate proceeds according to Law agreed unto by himself and the body of the Community suppose upon the matter it be Lex male posita or no right or just Law may any part of the people or meer private persons who think themselves in capacity so to do offer violence to the Magistrate or to his Ministers and Officers proceeding according to Law or if they ought to submit to punishment or else flee if they cannot obey the praeceptive part of the Law being bound up as they say in conscience As for private persons going out further to revenge wrongs done them on the Magistrate or punishing them that is to be spoken to hereafter But this now is the true state of the business at this time anent violent resistance of the Magistrates all of them from the highest to the lowest and of the whole body of the Nation by any minor part of private persons who apprehend themselves in capacity for that work It ought to be well considered and it may be easily perceived how Satan in these last and worst of times is mainly labouring to bring in confusion into humane Societies to raise scandals upon Religion and to tempt and provoke the Princes of the World to dislodge the Church of God out of their Dominions because of the seditious Principles and unquiet Practices of some Professors thereof though Religion is innocent as to these which tend to the dissolution of the State-government yea and also of all Church-government It is to be marked that when Lex Rex had in several places See Pag. 463. and Pag. 313. vented that Principle in reference to the Civil Government That no Man is bound in Conscience to subjection passive under unjust punishments inflicted by the Magistrate more then to active obedience unto unlawful Comands and that passive obedience under unjust Sentences comes under no Command of God Yea that it is a sin against Gods Command to be passively subject to an unjust Sentence And that it is an act of Grace and Vertue for a Man to resist the Magistrate violently when he does him wrong and a self-murther against the sixth Command not to resist when he offers to take the life without cause though not without Law pag. 314.322 When I say these Doctrines were broached in reference to the Common-wealth they were very quickly translated and applied to the Church by this man and his party who pleaded some years ago very strongly as they thought for non-submission unto and counteracting of all the Judicatories of the Presbyterial Government whensoever the persons injured thought the Sentence wrong and unlawful so that no excommunicate private person ought to submit to the Sentence of any or all the Judicatories if he thought the Sentence wrong and unlawful and no Minister should leave his Minstery but continue acting in it if he thought the Sentence of deposition given against him by any or all the Judicatories of the Church unjust And they cryed out if this might not be admitted for sound Doctrine that Presbytery was turned into Papacy and absolute Tyranny yea they proceeded further then the point of counteracting for the Agitators of the schimatical Party would take upon them to possesse the power of the most eminent Church-judicatories they being the far minor Part and did in that self-created capacity of Government over all others in this Church act excluding others who were the greater Part thinking that though they were the far lesser Part yet being the founder in their own judgement the Government and managing of it belonged unto them and not unto the corrupt plurality of Ministers who behoved all to bow before them And how well their Practices in the Church do homologate with their Practices as to the State proceeding from one and the same Principle we may now see For it is the way which they clearly own that every private person when and so long as they are able or are in probable capacity to act violently against the Magistrate ought to counter-act him violently when he thinks the Magistrate wrongs him for this must be referred to every Mans private discretive judgement as Naphtali tells us pag. 148. and nothing excuses from this violent resisting but quando desunt vires temporales No submission is to be expected from them by Magistrates when they Govern not according to their mind but when they cannot otherwise do nor any
exemption and impunity as to subjects of the person invested with Soveraignity and Majesty Gods law natures light and sound reason are all for this that the person or persons invested with soveraign Majesty having the Legislative-power the Jurisdictional-power the Coerecive and Punitive-power originally in himself must enjoy exemption and impunity as to subjects actings against them The contrary tenet overthrows the order of God and nature and precipitates humane Societies in a gulf of endlesse confusions 3. This hath been the constant sense of the generation of the righteous and the antient Christians and great lights of Gods Church whom none will call flatterers of Princes but such as have lost their fore-heads Tertul. apol contra gentes imperatores sunt in solius Dei potestate a quo sunt secundi post quem primi ante omnes Deos super omnes homines And a little after Majestatem Caesaris soli Deo subjicio So ad Scapulam Imperator omnibus major est dum solo deo est minor So Optat. contra Parmenian super imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit imperatorem And Jerom. epist ad Rusticum speaking of Davids words Ps 51. Against thee against thee onely have I sinned sayes he spake so quia Rex erat alium non timebat And Ambrose in Apol. Davidis cap. 4. 10. speaking of the same words sayes Rex utique erat nullis ipse legibus tenebatur he means as to fear punishment from man quia liberi sunt Reges a vinculis delictorum neque enim ullis ad paenam vocantur Legibus tuti Imperii potestate homini ergo non peccavit qui non tenebatur obnoxius There is no doubt but David was sensible both of the horrid injury he had done to Vriah the occasion of that Psalm and of the scandal he had given to Gods people in which sense he might be well said to sin against both But in this word against thee thee only have I sinned As he minds to acknowledge that God onely was conscious to his sin in committing it So also he shews that this above all touched his conscience that he had violated Gods Law and shews that he is touched with his terrors as his only Judge though as Diodat on the place sayes well as he was a King he was exempted from the punishment of man and not obnoxious to humane Tribunals And excellent Mr. Calvin in that 20. Ch. of the 4. Book of his institut S. 2 7. Assumptum in Regiam Majestatem violare nefas est nunquam nobis seditiosae istae cogitationes in mentem veniant tractandum esse pro meritis Regem S. 29 Personam sustinent voluntate Domini cui inviolabilem Majestatem ipse impressit insculpsit And if Princes be tyrannous nostrum non est hujusmodi malis mederi c. and so S. 31. fully to our purpose it is a wonder how many who pretend respect to Calvin as he is indeed most worthy of respect should dare to violate the Sacrosanct Maiesty of Kings if they will but read over that Chapter wherein he speaks most notably against the seditious Doctrines of our times as if he had been living in them 4. It is not denyed that the King is bound before God to rule his people according to the Law of God of reason and nature yea and to take his direction in Government from the rational Laws of the Kingdom which are deductions from or determinations of the Law of God reason and nature to particular circumstances agreed to by the consent and with the good liking of his people It is too grosse a saying Regi quicquid libet licet a good King will turn the word and say Regi quod licet supposing it expedient libet he will make use of good Laws as his instruments in governing the people and account it his honour and a thing greatly becoming his Majesty to do nothing contrary to Law in the ordinary course of his Government and not at all stray there-from but when great reason urges an equitable interpretation of the Law and respect to the end and aim of it when precise cleaving to the rigidity of the letter thereof might make summum jus summa injuria It is a royal thing for a King to live by the same good Laws which are given by him to the people and it is of efficicious influence upon them to move them to walk in their duties orderly Rex tenetur servare Leges si non ut Leges tamen ut rationes But if the supreme Power should deviat we maintain that as a sure truth which this man proudly and traiterously jeers at That impunity as from Subjects necessarily attends Soveraignity and supreme Majesty which hath this inseparable priviledge of exemption from violence by Subjects by the Law of God Reason and Nature whatever sort the Government be Monarchical or Polyarchical For no man can be judged or punished but by a Judge above him and the Supreme hath none such otherwise he were not Supreme To teach contrary to this is but to confound Gods Order and dissipate humane Societies by continual rebellions Yet this inviolableness of the sacred persons of Kings and supreme â—owers invested with Soveraign Authority from God thus asserted should be so far from licensing or incouraging them to do what they list that they have the greater cause to walk with holy fear within the boundaries of Gods Law and their own just Laws for the more immunity they have from mens violence which must be granted unless all things be turned into confusion the sadder punishments they shall have from God if they debord The sixth Chapter of the Book of Wisdom though it be Apocrypha is well worthy to be read by Kings and Potentates and to be trembled at for the matter is very agreeable to Gods Word The heaviest vengeances that are recorded in History sacred and profane have come upon flagitious and tyrannous Kings their exemption from mens hands reserves them to fall into the hands of the living God which is a fearful thing who besides the wrath that is to come sometimes calls for forreign scourges upon them sometimes suffers an evil spirit of rebellion to go out amongst their own Subjects who though they do wickedly in stretching forth their hands against the sacred head of the Lords Anointed yet it is ordinary for the great God to do the work of his holy Justice by wicked hands and when men are serving their own lusts and crossing his revealed will for which vengeance attends them yet they may be in these actions serving his Providence and his Justice against wicked Powers albeit they think not so nor comes it into their minds or hearts But Potentates should remember the word Potentes paâ—ce debent uti potestate sua ut semper eam retinere possint But the Libeller will have the memorable instance of the times whereof he now speaks Naph P. 30. of casting away the Carcases and
breaking the Scepters of Kings to be remembred and sayes such a thing had the approbation of divine Providence of his Word and of his People animated thereto by himself Albeit his speech be subdolous and double-faced leaving it doubtful of what times he speaks wherein this memorable instance of murthering Kings and dethroning them is to be found at the time of Reformation whereat he seems to hint no such thing was there yet it is too palpable he points at the horrid instance of the murther committed upon the sacred Person of our late King by the vile and desperate Sectaries the instance saith he of the times we now speak of is worthily recorded another instance in the times of first Reformation of such murther we know not But it is most falsly and wickedly said whether that particular be meant or not that Gods Providence or Gods Word approves the murthering or deposing of Princes or that he thereunto animates his people Gods Word never warranded any Subjects to take the Sword to destroy their Soveraigns or to adjudge them to death under any pretence they not being their Judges above them but under them and what Gods Word approves not his Providence doth not approve although he may and doth in his holy Providence permit many things to be which he approves not in his Word which is our rule and not his Providence And to say God animates his people to such horrid actions is blasphemy making God the author of sin he animates none to any thing that is against his Word the ordinary rule of our walking albeit extraordinarily he may stir up the spirits of some to actions not according to the ordinary rule as in the times of the Judges but they were sure of their warrand from him the like whereof none have ground to wait for now But God save the King from such people so animated as this man would have them he may call them the people of God that carry such murthering-hearts towards Princes but it is to be feared God will say to them Depart from me I know you not One of Naphtali's commended Pseudomartyrs the Apology labours to produce many instances of the Parliaments of Scotland punishing Princes for their enormities all which he sets forth as laudable and imitable presidents and examples Yet the most that all of them amounts to is nothing but the insurrection of Nobles Proceres as Buchannan calls them against the Kings and violent oppressions of such of them as have been flagitious and tyrannous such were several of them as it happens every where and was so in Judah where were more evil Kings then good by far But neither Buchannan nor this Apolog. can produce any one instance of our lawful Parliaments or Peoples taking on them in a judicial way in cold blood and under forms of process to punish or destroy their Kings howsoever evil Whatever insurrections have been wherein Kings have perished and not a few people also as oft-times the cure of Tyranny is worse to the people then Tyranny it self Minori cum periculo tyrannus toleratur quam ejicitur yet God hath since the foundation of our Kingdom to this day preserved our Parliaments and People from such a way against their Kings even when they were under Paganisme for some ages even when Popery did over-grow the Land choaking and darkening the light of the Gospel after it was come amongst us and when the Land was in many ages under much barbarity it never came in the hearts of Parliaments or People to sit as Judges on their Soveraigns in cold blood and advisedly with forms of Process to attempt their destruction however evil they were The more shame do they cast upon these who in the fair day-light of the Gospel endeavour to poison souls with such a Doctrine of devils or who instigate to or approve of such wayes against the Powers ordained by God But to pull out this Libeller and his Complices from the Sanctuary of the Word of God which he sayes does approve the destroying of Princes and makes void their exemption and impunity as to men their Subjects Let it be considered what colour there is for this horrid Tenet from the Word of God A little we must reflect upon his Magazine whence he borrowes all his stuffe printing that pretious matter that is there over and over again under different shapes L. R. quest 26. is bold to say That the Sanhedrim might and should have put David to death for the matter of Vriah For sayes he he sees no exception God makes in the Law of great or small but the murtherer should be put to death according to Gen. 9.6 Numb 35.30 31. and if men make difference be craves leave to say à facto ad jus non sequitur and though it be an humane politick constitution that the King be free of all coaction of Law because it conduceth for the peace of the Common-wealth Yet if we make it a matter of conscience I see no exception that God makes the persons of the Great must not be excepted Deut. 1.17 1 Chron. 19.6 7. Levit. 19.15 So also P. 348. and 428. and 238. And often elsewhere he will have the estates executing the moral Law as he calls it on the King and punishing him not only resisting him And why because he sayes most Thrasonically P. 460. I have unanswerably proved that the Kingdom is superior to the King and the people may be their own Judge in the Tribunal of necessity To which we say 1. What should he mean to make it conducible to the Peace of the Common-wealth that the King be free of the coaction of Law and yet not so if it be made a matter of Conscience Is the preservation of the Peace of the Common-wealth no matter of Conscience to him or Is not the constitution freeing the King from coaction of Law for that end warrandable 2. It is good that this Metaphysical Statist was no chief Priest or Levite or such a member of the Sanhedrim in Davids time for he would certainly have afforded a corrupt exposition of the Law in reference to the King that he might be cut off What sots or cold-rife senselesse men were the Priests and the Prophets of that time who did not instigate the Sanhedrim to execute the moral Law on David that wrath might be turned away from the Land this man could in his sublime speculations have instructed the Sanhedrim better in their duty and could have told them that albeit David was not bound to draw his Sword against himself yet the Judges under him should not accept his person because he was a great man he could have told them the Sanhedrim is above the King to punish him as well as another man for his sin and in point of Conscience and by Gods Law they were bound to do it 3. He utterly mistakes the meaning of the Word of God Gen. 9.6 as for the other Texts they clearly concern Magistrates only
by themselves And may as they see fit resume what power he hath for he is but their Servant and Vassal as he saith What can Protestant Princes expect but destructive doctrine from this hand and pen that hath written up Page 178. John Marian the Jesuite lib. 1. de Rege for one of his approved Authors as he calls them a reprobate Author amongst all good men is the man and his book commending regicide by any means is infamous in all Christendom however this man count of him as an approved Author and his spirit may be no lesse seen in that while he approves this man he hath set this mark on famous Bishop Andrews known in his time to be most adverse to Papists P. 423. Bishop Andrews saith he his name is a curse on the earth his writings prove him to be a popish Apostate What of his writings this man hath seen who can tell but all that the world hath seen of his writings prove him a great Antipopist and sound Protestant But to our purpose This civil Covenant 'twixt King and People is pleaded as that which is essential and fundamental to the constitution of all politick Societies and whereupon peoples both resisting the Prince and revenging themselves upon him is mainly grounded Yea Naph will have it to be a sufficient ground not only for the Proceres or Body of the people to proceed vindicatively against the King but in application to the Rebellion he intends to justifie for any private persons whatsoever if they be in probable capacity to do mischief without drawing mischief upon themselves and so out-stripes his master who gives not much to any private persons upon this account but to the States of the Land and inferior Magistrates with the Body of the people But as to the Covenant betwixt King and People both L. R. and Naph urge it as the ground for not only resisting but punishing Kings and all Magistrates when they account them Tyrants and will have a tacite virtual Covenant as valid for their ends as where it is express avowing it to be essentially fundamental in the constitution of all political Societies This brings to mind the folly of the man that would have all to be tyed in a Band that he had made aswell these who subscribed not as these who subscribed it But to be serious as to this matter we say 1. it is easily conceded that there is a mutual obligation betwixt Magistrates and Subjects to mutual duties which is indeed essential to the constitution of the politick Body but this obligation arises not from any tacite or express Covenant betwixt them but from the Ordinance and Will of God enjoining them these duties in such relations in that Society wherein they are combined 2. That obligation though it be mutual in the relations they are in yet it is not conditional there is a mutual obligation to mutual duties betwixt Parents and Children but it is not conditional nor is there such a Contract or Covenant that if Parents be undutiful Children should be loosed from their duty or upon the contrary but Children are bound to be subject to their Parents without any condition or pâ—ction on their part only in point of obedience active Gods will is to be preferred to theirs and nothing is to be done contrary to Gods Will for their pleasure otherwise the subjection is not conditional but absolute So also peoples obedience to Kings properly and truly so called is not conditional si meruerint nor is the duty of the King to them conditional si meruerint but each of them is absolutely bound to do duty in their own relations wherein they are one to another the obligation is absolute salva Deo obedientia Reverend Mr. Calvin speaks home to this purpose lib. 4. inst cap. 20. S. 29. preventing an objection against obeying wicked and tyrrannous Magistrates At mutuas inquies subditis suis vices debent praefecti Id jam confessus sum verum si ex eo statuis non nisi justis imperiis rependenda esse obsequia insulsus es rationator nam Viri Vxoribus Liberi Parentibus mutuis officiis astringuntur c. He sayes that albeit Parents discedant ab officio c. depart from their duty and exceedingly provoke their Children to wrath and Husbands use their Wives reproachfully whom they ought to entertain kindly yet improbis inofficiosis subjiciuntur Vxores Liberi And he adds there gravely that inferiors should not so much inquire into the duties of their superiors as every one should search what is their own duty and no think themselves disoblieged from their duty because the other bound to do duty to them is therein deficient this is Christian divinity indeed As the Magistrate is not to think the performance of his duty is dependent upon the condition of the Subjects doing their duty So neither are the Subjects of a lawful King to account themselves bound only conditionally to him if he do his duty 3. The fancy of a tacite virtual natural Covenant betwixt King and People as they use to call it equivalent to all ends that an explicite and express Covenant can have overthrows the distinction that all sound Protestant Divines and Polititians make betwixt a limited or pactional Prince and an absolute Prince or one who is integrae Majestatis who takes not his Kingdom upon conditions prescribed to him so as in case of failing he be subject to their censure or punishment Est alius principatus absolutus saith Rivet Ps 68. p. 420. Est etiam alius sub conditione pacti conventi temperatus to that same purpose Gerhard de Magistrat p. 935. wherein they agree with Calvin lib. 4 inst cap. 20. art 31. But now this man is bold to say There is no absolute King that such a King is contrary to the Word of God L. R. p. 107. and herein he deserting our Protestant Divines sides with Bellarm. recognit lib. de laicis where he saith Inter principem subditos est reciproca obligatio si non expressa tamen tacita ut Magistratus potest subditos ad obedientiam vi illius obligationis cogere ita subditi possunt à Magistratu deficere si capita illius foederis transgrediatur Whereupon and the like speeches Gerhard in the foresaid place speaking asserts Totam horum similium argumentorum structuram uno impetu dejicit Apostolus Omnis anima Rom. 13. c. and sayes that Barclay Cunerus Albericus Gentilis Arnisaeus solide refutarunt have refuted solidly the arguments of the Antimonarchists as they have done indeed But as to an absolute Prince albeit this Statist sayes he is contrary to the word of God it is most untrue For as our Laws which this man cares not to contradict allows our Kings to be absolute in express termes Jam. 1. Par. 18. an 1606. Act. 2. So the Scripture is not against an absolute Prince as our Laws and we understand him qui non sumit aut
and Parasits of Princes such flatterers of People to their own confusion and destruction should with their writings have such entertainment and countenance But yet it must be said that L. R. is far more tolerable then Naph for what he grants only to the body of the people or the inferior Rulers and Nobles with the people in acting against the King Napht. extends in favours of any party of meer private persons amongst the people against all Magistrates supreme and subordinate and affirms what the whole body with inferior Magistrates may do against a King deviating from his duty any small part of meer private persons if they have strength enough may by vertue of the Covenant do the same against all Magistrates supreme and subordinate not only as to resistance but as to revenge and punishing them A few notes shall be sufficient upon the former Doctrine and then the matter shall be at an end 1. Where a Covenant is made between a King and a People a King I say that is truly such a one it s granted that the Covenant on the Kings part binds him not only to God in relation to the people as the object of his duty but doth bind him to the people formally yet not so as if he be deficient in his duties they are enstated in a power above him to sit as his Judges or that they are loosed from all duty to him and free to do him violence If a Father swear to do his fatherly duty to his Child that makes not the Child his Superior to punish him if he fail when a Minister is admitted to teach a people he swears to them to be dutiful but they are not therefore made his Superiors to punish him if he fail It is a most false assertion that goes alongs that whole Book that a right is given by the covenant sworn to the inferiors and subjects in the politick Society to judge and punish their superiors in case of failing No man can lawfully be judged and punished whatever contract be by another then his lawful Judge that is above him in that Society whereof he is a part L R. Pag. 100.101 2. There is a very great difference between these who are in different political Societies when they break their Contracts or Covenants one with another and betwixt the head and body or members of one and that same civil Society God having allowed lawful Wars allows seeking of reparation or repelling of wrongs done by one Nation to another by force of the Sword when no rational means can bring the doers of the wrong to do right and there being no other remedy he himself the Lord of hosts and God of armies sits Judge and Moderator in that great business and in the use of War is appealed to as Judge there being no common Judge on earth to sit on the causes of these independent Nations But God having set and established in one particular and political Society or Nation his own Ordinance of Magistracy to which every soul must be subject and all subject to the Supreme he hath not put the punishing Sword in any hand but in the hand of the Magistrate his Sword-bearer Rom. 13. Nor hath allowed liberty to meer private persons to manage it against the supreme Magistrate no nor to inferior Magistrates as to him who in respect of the supreme Majesty are but private persons whatever they be toward their inferiors The Magistrates chiefly the Supreme are by their official power above the whole Nation and as absurd it is to say they are above the powers which God hath set over them as L R. p. 460. saith Thrasonically he hath proved unanswerably as to say that every Parish is above the Minister in an Ecclesiastical way though he have official power over them all or that every Lord in Scotland have their Tennents and Vassals above them a thing which the Nobles of Scotland had need to look to For certainly the Principles which lead to subject Kings to people lead clearly and by undoubted consequence to subject them to their Vassals and to all under them yea and all Masters to Servants and Parents to Children and to confound and invert the order of all humane Societies This truth we must cleave to that in one and that same civil Society where God hath appointed Rulers and ruled Subjects cannot without sacrilegious intrusion and contempt of God snatch the Sword out of the Magistrates hand to punish him with it though in some particulars he abuse it Neither can a War intended for this end by meer private persons be lawful against their head or heads nor can any forraign War be managed without a lawful Authority on the Part of the undertakers 3. It is a very false assertion That the people gave the Kingdom to David only conditionally if he did such and such duties to them and if not reserving power to dethrone him L. R. p. 97. God having set David upon his holy hill as his King and not only made him King by his Providence but express designment special command and word none on earth were left at liberty to undo what God would have done and appointed to be 4. It is very weakly reasoned L. R. p. 97. That because Gods people may humbly plead with himself upon the account of his own fidelity in promising or as this man sayes have action of Law and jus quoddam a bold enough expression against God to plead with him that therefore the Kings Covenant gives the people ground of civil action against him to coerce or punish him It had been better said that upon this ground they might humbly plead with him supplicat and reason with him as Gods Deputy bearing the impress of his Majesty and Soveraignty on earth But as God cannot otherwise be pleaded with upon account of his promise wherein he is bound not so much to us as to his own fidelity to evidence it reddit ille debita nulli debens and cannot be pleaded with by force or violence So his Deputies on earth on whom under himself he hath stamped inviolable Majesty whatever they be as Calvin writes in the place often cited are not to be pleaded with by strong hand and force howsoever in somethings they miscarry a thing not competent to the Majesty of God For he hath not in his Word given any commission to any of their Subjects to rise violently against them or use the punishing Sword upon them If this commission can be produced we have no more to say but Good is the Word of the Lord but till this be seen we shall cleave to Rom. 13. that makes the Magistrate the only Sword-bearer of God to avenge or punish however perhaps he hath his aberrations in using it If this man can shew a Superior on earth to use the Sword upon the Soveraign Magistrate people shall have fair liberty to plead their claim or law-suit as he calls it before him But who will judge it more
his Spirit with heroical motions to such acts as were not according to ordinary rules of procedure thence they would bring warrand for their irregularities and for going out of their line This vain Orator Naph p. 21 22 23 24 25. catches hold on the instance of Phineas Numb 25.7 8. executing justice upon an Israelitish Prince and will have that a precedent for any private persons such as lately did rise under colour of high pitches of zeal and fortitude whereto they are incited as he sayes by Gods Spirit to execute justice upon all the powers and people of the Land they being fallen in such a fearful apostatic as keeping the true protestant Religion to vary from them in the external ordering of the Ministry of the Church and embracing that way and order against which there is no command of Christ yea for the consonancy whereof to his word much and very much may be said and hath been And although he cannot but see the dreadful consequences of extracting a general rule for these times out of such an example yet though he turns himself Proteus-like into many shapes distinguishing about heroick and extraordinary motions denying Phineas act to be extraordinary but only heroical talking much of good intentions warrandableness of the work in it self deficiency of others in doing it and of Gods power to give rare heroick incitations c. he cannot by any thing he sayes put a sufficient bar against confusions under such pretexts but he opens a door he cannot close again And the result of all is to fasten the last insurrection upon the holy spirit of God to justifie their attempts against all Authorities in the Land and to assert they were no more to be condemned as Traitors then Phineas should be for his executing judgement seing they were led with the same spirit and had as good warrand as he And the design further is to inflame people again to the like courses under the like pretences for justifying the same When this mans discourse concerning Phineas fact and the exemplariness thereof and concerning pretended extraordinary or heroick incitations he talkes of was first looked upon men of any judgement consider'd that as the former bloody insurrections were endeavoured to be justified by him so he was laying down grounds for some merciless massacre or horrid assassinations on persons in power and others if any people might be found so deserted of God as to be serviceable to him in that wickedness for now no man can have security of his life if any private persons be allowed under Phineas cloak to come and cut the throats of all whom this man will point forth as black Apostats Such deeds must be fatherd upon the holy Spirit of God and his excitations to zeal which are held a sufficient calling though that so called zeal will prove no other but a corrupt lust proceeding from another spirit And we must forsooth when these men will have us so do own these irregularities as being from God and say He is employing the weak things and foolish of the world to confound the mighty and wise and must not condemn them as Vsurpers or Intruders although they be but meer private men more then we would have done Phineas in his fact Thus he What great Villanies have been under such pretences carried on in the world by persons taking their heroical motions and excitations of zeal for a sufficient calling to their irregular actions which is the direct Doctrine of this man the World knows well How the Munster madness was carried on under extraordinary shewes of zeal is known and how also God confounded that way The murthers of the two Kings Henries of France the third and fourth have been famous or infamous in this last age by the cruel hands of two Zelots inflamed by seditious Predicants and Jesuits they fell The assassinates actions were cryed up by such as set them on against these Neroes of the time as these Kings were called by them as actions most heroically zealous most Phineas like proceeding not from common vertue or grace sed à dono speciali Spiritus Sancti proh nefas And they taught that it was of God to excite these miscreants to cut the Basilick vein as they spake to prevent the State and Churches falling into a burning feaver And to come neerer home the remembrance of the Gun-powder Traitors who attempted at one blow to destroy King James and all his Family and Parliament is yet recent a deed which wanted nothing of the high commendation of an heroical and Phineas-like fact amongst the Zelots of the antichristian party but that it wanted successe which marred all Further in the time of Queen Elizabeth of England Anno 1591. Some male-contented Presbyterians being taken in the head with the same fancy of Heroical motions of zeal as a sufficient calling to attempt something beyond rule in the desolate and colapsed estate of the Church as they call'd it began first to question and propose it as a case of conscience If in such a case God might not give such high measures of zeal fortitude courage and rare excitations of his Spirit to meer private persons against oppressing powers which might be a sufficient call to attempt somewhat against Magistrates not suiting ordinarily rules and committing the event to God The men were Arthington Coppinger and Hacket the chief of the three as they were all marvelous zealous for the discipline So this third having debauched his estate surpassed in zeal this way perhaps looking for some reparation by it and was as the History tells us a man of highest pretences of the internal unction of spirituality and of pure zeal and one who could ex tempore pray to admiration The godly Ministers who were of their perswasion in matters of discipline for the most part disliked and disswaded them from their course albeit some too furious entertained and encouraged them After this they went to action Hackets two complices went to the most open and publick streets of the City of London declaring to them that Hacket who was to be found at his lodging in one Mr. Walkers in Cripple-gate was sent of God to represent Jesus Christ on earth with his fan in his hand to separate the pretious from the vile and to erect the holy discipline in all Europe they having a great concourse of people flocking about them declared themselves to be his extraordinary Prophets the one to preach vengeance to them who would not obey them the other to preach mercy to all who would obey them And in the great concourse of people they ceased not to cry repent repent O England and embrace the Gospel and opportunity of Reformation As for the Queen they cried she had fallen from her right to the Kingdom And that most of her Councellours were but betrayers of the Kingdom And all their doctrines they set forth with terrible imprecations against themselves if they spake not truth The Queen being at Greenwich and
hearing of the uproar at London sent two of her Councellors to see what the matter was the deceivers all three were apprehended and arraigned as stirring up sedition against the Queen and designing to destroy her to murther her Councellors and Bishops to bring in their new King and trans-form all things in Church and State to their own fancies Hacket the King was executed and dyed blaspheming Coppinger in a fury pining himself with hunger at last beat his own brains against the wall and dyed Arthington upon his repentance obtained mercy of the Queen Such abominable courses carried on under pretext of Heroick motions and rare excitations of the Spirit should make the fearers of God very cautelous against the Principles of this man which lead this way For he asserts There needs no standing upon an external call if men think they have this internal call to use the Sword for vengeance against Apostate Magistrates all and sundry such as he reckons they are in this time Napht. p. 24. Any party of private men may according to his mind rise up in a Phineas like fortitude against not only Princes but all the Primores Regni becoming Patrons of abominations to execute Judgement upon them Napht. p. 22. and to reform an Apostate Church their zeal c. is a sufficient call without further If such Doctrines passe for current and good coine and if our people be so principled it were better living under the great Turk where no man is to losse his life but by Law then in Scotland where all Magistrates and others shall be proclaimed lyable to the fury of any private persons who can pretend rare and Heroick excitations of the Spirit to zealous executing justice upon men whenever they thus animated think there is cause For this man proclaims these inward excitations as a sufficient call without any other external call But this man seing the mischief of his evil Doctrine though he is loath to part with it would gladly add some Salvo if he could for saith he p. 24. We held not such instances viz. as that of Phineas as regular Precedents for all times and persons universally That is well said but where is the caution that is put in against any that will pretend Heroical excitations by the Spirit as a sufficient call He hath opened a door but how will he close it again It is easie to raise the Devil but not so easie to lay him again the man would say something to satisfaction if he could set down certain rules to bar a heady people under a pretence of Phineas-like motions and excitations to arise upon every occasion to confound all But as he cannot do this so doth he not attempt it he cannot give any remedy against confusion in all cases having proclaimed this libertinisme to private persons upon pretence of Heroick excitations of zeal c. to rise up against all Powers above them for they are made Judges in their own private discretion when it is fit to fall in hand with such irregular practices And when it is that such Heroick excitations are upon their Spirits and when it is that matters are so far out of order that they cannot be amended without their violent interposing and pulling down of Powers all this is referred to private persons private discretion and if this mans party were posessed in Power upon their principles another party perhaps of Quakers Ranters c. could easily start up and plead their impulses from above to rectifie the corrupted and collapsed estate of affairs and to reform and punish offenders So there shall be no end of confusion when these are got into the saddle others shall met to them in that same measure erranti nullus terminus there shall be a progress to confusion in infinitum And never shall people when they mind changes want the pretexts of corruption in Rulers and in all besides themselves and will lay hold on any probable capacity which qualifies them for exercise of Justice against all not of their way And although they be not in probable capacity to take the fields or leavy Armies yet they will go so far in executing justice upon all Magistrates Phineas-like as upon patronisers p. 24. of abominations as he sayes all our Magistrates of all degrees are now for he tells us p. 18. They ought without doubt be suppressed by all meanes n. b. by all meanes if there be no probable capacity for armies a dag or a dagger a pistol or poisoned poinard a Spanish-fig or some secret applications may do the business with some great ones And any Heroick Saint may be in probable capacity for such matters these are amongst the generality of any means usable for suppressing Powers it is all one matter if Justice be execute and the evil removed whatever way it is all one as Phineas did it with his Javelin and God should be praised when justice is executed on adversaries an apostat Church such as now is reformed Of this no more shall be said But we are to pray that the life of our dread Soveraign may be bound up with the Lord his God in the bundle of Life and also that the same great and good God may be a shield and buckler to his servants who desire in honouring the King to fear him the King of Kings above all against the generation of men of blood and violence who bewray their ungodliness too much in daring to seek patrociny for villanous assassinations from the holy Scriptures of God But behold how the man wrings his wit to work out Napht. pag. 21 23 24 25. an Apologie for the seditions from Phineas example he tells us Phineas was but a private man that he had no extraordinary calling to execute judgement only he had heroical motions and zealous excitations to it and that God who is the same yesterday and to day and for ever and hath the residue and plenty of his Spirit to pour out upon meer private persons may by giving them such or the same Spirit of zeal magnaminity and courage sufficiently call them by his breathings upon them to execute justice on adversaries and to reform an apostate Church c. and when it is so we should not condemn but honour Gods instruments for if they did not step in to act impiety would quickly gaine an universal empire to the extermination of all goodness To all which we say 1. As to the person Phineas from whose actings Patrociny is â—ought for justifying the violence of private persons against the Magistrate and their usurping over him as Judges to punish him it is much doubted if he was a meer private person he was the high Priests son a chief Priest himself and afterward he became high Priest himself he was a singular person and a Prince in his tribe employed with other Princes by Gods people in great Embassages both in Peace and in War Numb 31.6 Josh 22.31.32 he was one of the great Council of the people of