Spirit when he saith As the Lord liveth and as my Lord the King liveth surely in what place my Lord the King shall be whether in death or life even there also will thy Servant be 2 Sam. 15.21 And they that furnished David with Provisions especially Barzillai the Gileadite according to this Gent. Doctrine and indeed his whole Discourse of this Matter is meer Enthusiasm as if God did all things without means might have been wiser and saved Charges and committed the thing to God to determine as he thought fit But I am weary of lashing this Doctrine with which none but poor weak crazy Heads can be deceived or vile leud and Atheistical men because it teacheth such Nonsensical Disloyal Unchristian and Unnatural Behaviour towards our King and Country Voluptuous and Effeminate Epicures indeed by this Doctrine may sleep in a whole skin as we say but if they do not betray they will do no service to the Throne and Kingdom in time of Difficulty And as much as I think the late King was to blame I cannot but pity him if all his Adherents were of this Gent. Mind But let God be true and every Man a Liar Is there no distinction to be made between Lawful Kings and Usurqers or Tyrants in Title And again between Lawful Kings having Authority and ruling according to Law and Princes that have Authority but are Tyrants in Exercise and would subvert the Ancient Government and rule Arbitrarily Again he doth not distinguish between God's extraordinary and immediate and his ordinary and mediate Providence between what he doth by his Almighty Power immediately and what he doth mediately by Men as Instruments and these Instruments are Good or Bad. And here should be considered in what manner he works by good Instruments and in what manner by bad And tho' this Subject is difficult yet surely the Primitive Doctors and Fathers of the Church made distinction I have ever thought that all Government in Church and State stands most firm upon its own Foundation Let us have true Divinity and true Policy once more in England for God's sake Fourthly I must consider what he saith to the Williamites And here what he saith P. 35. is true We are satisfied and highly pleased with the present state of Affairs But I observe here that he fails in the usual Complement and Address of a Gent. He might if he had thought of it have honey'd the bow with us as we say in our Country and at his first Aggress given us thanks for assisting in our several Callings and Places to preserve our Religion and that Church of which this Gent. saith he is a Member and our Laws Liberties and Properties But oh this Passive Obedience I have a mind to say once more that I would have it rooted out of the world because this ingenious Gent. and verily in my heart I believe a good Christian hath forgotten the common courtesie of the Nation and falls foul upon us with some morosity He saith VVe have appeared very pertly against the Doctrine of Non-resistance and Passive Obedience Very pretty This Gent. in Conscience could neither resist nor assist and therefore tho' he is glad of the Deliverance yet he cannot thank the Deliverers Well but at least he might be silent and not speak evil of those who with a good Conscience could and thorough God's blessing did deliver him from that Bondage under which he â—â—â—ned If I were in the mire and the greatest Villain upon Earth helper me out so far I would be thankful to him and own his kindness as not to expose him when I am not bound in Conscience But this Gent. design is to put an End to this unseasonable Controversie p. 2. Very well Why then does he assert and defend Passive Obedience as the Glory of the Church of England and the Bulwark of all Religious Kings and States against the rage of mutinous and rebellious Spirits who pretend to fight for God's Truth against the Laws and Governments of their Countries P. 36. This foolish and sottish Charge would move a stone as we say Surely he had a mind to provoke us and quicken this Controversie almost buried in the Grave of Silence I could here fairly illustrate and make it probable that Passive Obedience hath been I will not say the Cause but the Occasion of the Ruin of two Kings and of a Civil War and of the Church of England once and almost the second time for what reasonable man indued with flesh and blood can indure this Church Tyranny that in any case whatsoever we must not resist Would to God this Gent. would have been quiet Does he think that we will be beat out of our Senses once more and that so soon after our eyes have been opened I will rebuke him in the words of Job cap. 27. verses 5 6 7 8. God forbid that I should justifie you till I die I will not remove my Integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go My heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Let my Enemies be as the wicked and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous For what is the hope of the Hypocrite tho' he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul I will stand by it there is no other way in Conscience to justifie our cause but by asserting defensive Arms in some Case But says this Gent. VVe had no disloyal Exhortations from the Press or Pulpit to perswade men to sight against their Prince nor had we any to perswade us to sight for Him but the thing was committed to God to determine as he thought fit P. 3. God a mercy Prejudice I Suppose our Reverend Fathers and Brethren can give an Account to the world of their own Behaviour without asserting God's Providence in this Gent. wild notion But for once I will write a Latin Sentence Turdus sibiâ—â—â—lum cacat Every man must Answer for himself I 'le blame no man that does not blame me But some Writings from the Press we had and from the hand of a Person who is now dignified in the Church if we are not all mistaken And he is highly approved of by His present Majesty and all the Clergy that are without Prejudice and honour real worth speak honourably of him As for our Gracious King the whole series of his Proceedings since He Landed on English Ground shews his most Excellent Virtues Justice Mercy Clemency Fortitude and Magnanimity And I am confident He can say what the Emperor Trajan said to a Tribune when he set him over the Praetorian Band delivering the Sword Vse this for me when I Command just things and against me when I Command unjust things And now with due Submission to my Governours in Church and State I come to the main Matter of Controversie First I assert That Defensive Arms are in some case Lawful and consequently that the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance is false This I
defect even so theirs if they be so framed according to that which the Law of reason teacheth Secondly Those Laws are investigable by Reason without help of Revelation supernatural and divine Finally in such sort they are investigable that the knowledge of them is general The World hath always been acquainted with them It is not agreed upon by one or two or a few but by all Which we may not so understand as if every particular man in the whole world did know and confess whatsoever the Law of Reason doth contain but this Law is such that being proposed no man can reject it as unreasonable and unjust Again there is nothing in it but any man having natural Perfection of Wit and ripeness of Judgment may by Labour and Travel find out And to conclude the general Principles thereof are such as it is not easie to find men ignorant of them Now the Primary right of Nature so called cannot be changed because it is written in the hearts of men as S. Paul testifies Hence it cannot be blotted out unless Nature be blotted out and Reason cease to be Reason No Pope saith a witty Author nor Prince nor Parliament nor People nor Angel nor Creature can absolve you from it This Law Tully doth not put on one Aspect at Rome and another face at Athens but looks upon all Nations and Persons with an impartial eye It shines upon all Ages and Times and Conditions with perpetual Light It is yesterday and to day the same for ever There is but one Lawgiver one Lord and Supream Judge of this Law God blessed for evermore Natural Right is that which a man knows and can execute without peculiar Institution And the Primary Right of Nature is that which to know and execute a man is carried by an in-bred impeius or motion whose Precepts are as it were born with us As for Example In natural Theology God is to be worshipped He will reward the good and punish the wicked In Oeconomicks our Parents are to be honoured In Politicks Defend thy self against force Hence are drawn these Conclusions First No man ought to hurt us when we are Innocent Secondly If any man indeavours to hurt us when we are innocent we may defend our selves Thirdly Neither God nor Man gives Authority to Governours to hurt the Innocent Fourthly If Governours hurt the Innocent they may defend themselves by the Law of Nature So that Rom. 13. is to be understood of Authority Power or Jurisdiction in it self according to the first Institution as also when it is lawfully laid upon any person For otherwise when it is either wrongfully taken or unjustly used it may be resisted in divers cases for then it is not Lawful Authority May Papists take up Arms with Royal Countenance and Privilege and Prerogative against Law and to destroy Law And may not Protestants take up Arms to defend their Laws Surely he must needs be full of Prejudice very malicious or very weak in his Judgment who cannot see the unreasonableness of the one and the reasonableness of the other All Nations in all Ages by the very Light of Nature have constantly defended themselves by force of Arms when their Princes have turned Tyrants and by their Instruments sought to spoil them of their Liberties Privileges and Estates What Nation ever denied Defensive Arms against the unjust Incroachments Invasions and Oppressions of their Princes to be Lawful In England the Barons Prelates and Commons took a Solemn Oath to maintain their Laws Liberties and Charter yea and to wage War against the King if he refused and to compel him to confirm their Charter in the year 1214. Likwise in King Henry the Third's days in the year 1258 and they threatned Death to all that resisted Again in the reign of King Edward the Second they confederated to live and die together for Justice and to their Power to destroy the Traitors of the Realm especially the two Spencer's All the Reformed Churches have taken Arms to defend themselves The Lutheran Churches against the Emperor Charles 5th and they were justified by Luther Melancthon and other Divines The Protestants in France defended themselves against the French King 1559. The Netherland Provinces against the Duke of Alva and the Spanish Tyranny And Queen Elizabeth King James the First and King Charles the First did countenance and aid all these Which any well minded man ought to presume they would not have done so constantly and deliberately if they had thought Defensive Arms had not been Lawful And Dr. Bilson who was a zealous Defender of our Church and Realm both against the Papists and against the Puritans in his Book of The True Difference between Christian Subjection and Vnchristian Rebellion Perused and allowed by Publick Authority P. 3. Page with me 279. saith I will not rashly pronounce all that resist to be Rebels The Case may fall out even in a Christian Kingdom where the People may plead their right against the Prince and not be charged with Rebellion If the Prince should go about to subject his Kingdom to a Foreign Realm or change the Form of the Commonwealth from Impery to Tyranny or neglect the Laws established by common consent of Prince and People to execute his own pleasure In these and other Cases which might be named if the Nobles and Commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed Liberty Regiment and Laws they may not well be counted Rebels Fifthly The Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance is the high way to bring in Popery and Arbitrary Power For if the King is a Papist and Zealous for the Propagation of his Religion the Jesuites who account Protestants damned Hereticks will never cease to stir up such a Prince to promote his own Principles and to discountenance those that resolutely adhere to the established Religion And what will Prayers and Tears signifie to such a Prince when his Prejudice or his erroneous Conscience or his Priests or his Desire of being Absolute or some such like Affections furiously carry him to promote the Catholick Cause as they call it Yea this Perswasion may tempt a just Prince other ways for all Kings have Flatterers to forget his Faith and Promise and to take such courses as will in the event ruin and subvert his Crown and Dignity I wish Experience did not confirm this Now to say We may and ought to deny Obedience to such Commands of the Prince as are unlawful by the Law of God as all grant yea by the established Laws of the Kingdom as few will deny This doth no way destroy Arbitrary Government but rather erect it Saith a Learned Author For Government is not said to be not Arbitrary because the Subjects may deny in word and so left to suffer For then the Turkish Government is not Arbitrary for when the Great Turk Commands his Subjects to do any thing if they will deny and suffer for their denial they may and do sometimes deny their Obedience If
an offensive way especially such a King who had his Call immediately from Heaven what farther Consequence that concerns our business in hand let any shew from this place that can And some say That David arose with a purpose to slay Saul but changed his Mind in the midst of his Proceedings But I think that David was but a private Person and so had no Authority It is plain that David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's Skirt v. 5. Some think his Conscience checked him for the thought of his heart to kill the King But still his Conscience never checked him for keeping men in Arms to defend himself from Saul's oppression for this he did many Years The Person of the King ought to be Sacred but our persons and lives also ought to be defended We may zealously defend our own Innocence Secondly The Subjects may be said to take up Arms as against the King's Command for their own Preservation so we affirm it That it is lawful for Subjects Conjunctively considered or when the Laws of the Country are generally violated and the Oppression is almost Epidemical to take up Arms for Self-preservation against the King's Commands And justifie their Cause by the Law of Nature and right Reason which is not only the Common Law of England but of all Nations For the Law of Nature as Alex. de Ales saith is in us without our Cooperation and of God's putting in and impression Thus having heard my Judgment and our present Cause defended pray have a little Patience to hear my Affection It is written Psal 2.11 Rejoyce with trembling First Let us rejoyce that God of his infinite goodness hath delivered us from our merciless Enemies from a Religion so false and from such foolish Counsellors as would have made us Slaves But Secondly Let it be with trembling when we consider First Our own sinfulness and unworthiness of so good and gracious a Providence Secondly When we consider the dismal Calamities that have befallen His Sacred Majesty through evil Counsellors Let us rejoyce that the snare is broken and we are delivered let us tremble to think of God's righteous Judgments O that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the calamities that have befallen this Nation and the Royal Family as the Prophet speaks Jer. 9.1 Our Religion teacheth us Love Goodness Mercy and Compassion Let us not rejoyce at the Calamities of our Enemies but at God's wonderful Mercy to us that our Religion our Laws our Liberties our Lives and our Posterity should be freed from the sink of all Mankind the Tyranny of Jesuits and blood-thirsty Papists Let us bewail our Sins the Cause of Afflictions Necessity nothing but Necessity to defend our selves and our Religion and our Posterity from Popery and Slavery forced us to this last Remedy I rejoyce that we are escaped I am sorry even for the trouble of our very Enemies Well then let us Sin no more lest a worse thing befall us It is true as the Prophet saith The whole head is sick and the whole heart faint From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrifying sores Isai 1.5 6. Sacred Majesty laid in the dust requires our Tears our Religion and our Laws revived require our joy Let us be grieved that the Crown is fallen from our Heads for we have sinned Let us rejoyce that God's Honour and Glory is manifested in the Salvation of his Church And as a Testimony of our Thankfulness to God First Let us be humble and lowly in heart ascribing all our Deliverances to God's gracious Providence over his Church Secondly Let us be merciful to others in their distress Let us lighten every burden and break every yoke Let us be patient towards all men and zealous of nothing more than good works and easie to be intreated in a good Matter Let us not oppress the Poor and Needy Let us ease Tender Consciences and perform our Vows made in our distress and do as we would be done by Let us be wise as Serpents and harmless as Doves Let us practice that Religion which we have defended with our utmost Zeal and Lives And this consists in Faith and Good Works Love and Peace Courtesie and Mercy that Glory may be to God in Heaven on Earth Peace and good Will towards Men. Thirdly Let us strive for Union among our selves A Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand Let us joyn against the common Enemy of our Faith and Religion Let us lay aside our Animosities and not strive for private Interest but for the Publick good Let us seek Peace and insue it as those who love life and may see good days Let us imitate David's Example not seeking private Revenge but the Peace of our Jerusalem and the Prosperity of our Sion that is the Happiness of Church and State Let us heap Coals of Fire on our Adversaries giving them what they denied to us the tenderest thing in the World except God's Glory even Liberty of Conscience It is true as Solomon saith He that winneth Souls is wise But this must be done by Arguments convincing the Judgment not by force and violence He that wins the Heart gains a sure Friend but he that forceth the outward man loseth with great disadvantage what he seemed to have gained when the Compulsion ceaseth Faction may be promoted by rigorous Execution of Laws but Religion never got footing but by Reason and Argument Not that I am against preserving true Religion by Civil Laws if any be so wicked as to invade the Rights of the Established Religion but I am against Persecution for Conscience sake We have all suffered for our Divisions Let this not be a price in the hand of a Fool as Solomon saith Prov. 17.16 to get wisdom seeing he hath no heart to it I hope God hath taught all Protestants by their Afflictions to lay hold of this present Opportunity to Unite else we are very mean Proficients in the School of Christ It is true very few or perhaps none of us here present this day before God have suffered in our Persons Estates or Livelihoods But if we are Christians we should have a Sympathy and Fellow-feeling with our Brethren in Affliction we should be grieved for the Afflictions of Joseph I mean for the Calamities Disgraces Reproaches and Imprisonment of our Fathers and Brethren of the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons who opposed Popish Innovations and Arbitrary Power And even we our selves were just at the Pits brink almost fallen but God who heard the Publican's Prayer hath been merciful to us Sinners If we are stubborn obstinate and will nothing relent God can yet consume us by sending an evil Spirit among us but I hope there is a Blessing behind for us and our Posterity If we are Atheists Neuters or Luke-warm like the Church of Laodicea neither hot nor cold if
Arbitrary power my Heart grew cold my Affection was lost and I could not as an English man nor a Christian nor a Priest who ought to teach Truth comply with such wicked and mischievous designs And I have ever since prayed or wished in my heart that God would send us a Deliverer He hath sent us a Deliverer And blessed be his holy Name And this discourse I may well call a justification of their present sacred Majesties and of the Proceedings of the Lords and Commons and all the People of the Land at this day And I hope that every good man who makes Conscience of his ways will not be backward to advance this publick design All that hate Popery and Slavery and have any love for true Religion will stand to this cause There is Loyalty to our Countrey and an Heathen could say It is sweet and comely to die for our Countrey And the true Protestant Religion by Law established is of unexpressible value To this purpose consider seriously and without prejudice the Distinction mentioned by Civilians and applied almost to our case by a great Scholar There is a difference between disposing of things by way of Donation and Sale and disposing things by way of Trust True those things which we dispose of by way of Donation and Sale are not afterwards in our power to recall as they were before the Donation and Sale As if a man gives his Land to Children or sells Land to his Neighbour it is not in the power of the Father or Neighbour to recall or dispose of the Land as before the Donation or Sale But if a thing be disposed of by way of Trust then if the Fiduciary or Trusted shall not discharge his Trust it is in the power at least of the Trusting to look to the matter himself As in case a Steward be trusted with a mans house And thus when any Governour is set up in a Land by the People they trust the Governour they do not give away Liberty or Right but trust them in the hands of the Governour who if abused that he do not perform his stewardly Trust as he should the People or Representative Body as an act of self-preservation I do not say as an act of Jurisdiction are to look to it Neither do they herein so reassume their Power as to take away any thing which they gave to the King but so as to act that power which they always had left in themselves as the power of self-preservation By the way observe I do not believe that the People have power of Jurisdiction for that properly connotates an Office which the People have not but they can never give away power to preserve themselves and they have power virtually to elect an Officer to rule and exercise all Jurisdiction And the end of the King's Trust being to look to the Kingdom tho' there be no such words expressed in the Covenant or Agreement between the King and his People that in case he shall not discharge his Trust then it shall be lawful for the State of the Kingdom by Arms to resist and to look to their own safety yet their safety being the end of this Trust and the reason of the Law is Law in reason that must be implied As for Nebuchadnezzar his impious Pride and Oppression and perhaps consequently the Magicians hatred and opposing of him brought him into a deep Melancholy and Distraction and so he was Abdicate And from this Example very Learned Divines and States-men infer the lawfulness of Abdicating a Prince for such Male-administration And I shall prove it thus What the wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have done by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it that is lawful and agreeable to the Will of God But the wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have deposed Kings by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it Therefore it is lawful and agreeable to the Will of God I suppose none will deny the Major because the Law of Nature is the unwritten Law of God and acknowledged by all Divines to be the most certain Rule of Life It is the Minor that I must establish which is The wisest and best men in all Ages and Kingdoms have deposed Kings by the Light of Nature and have been commended for it I need not here mention the Feats of Semiramis related by the Historian Justin and as he saith admired by all wise men of Babylon and honoured for her Prudence in Government and Valour not two hundred years after Noah's Flood Neither shall I speak of Sardanapalus King of Assyria mentioned by the same Justin an effeminate Prince deposed by Arbactus President over Media and his Associates for ill Government I will also omit the Monarchy of the Medes and Persians in which ye will sind that Darius was chosen by the neighing of his Horse and that the best Kings among them and their Posterity were not esteemed so sacred but for Mis-rule they might be deposed In the Grecian Monarchy which was the next all the World knows what strange changes happened After the death of Alexander the Great the Empire was divided according to Tumult or Prudence and several Dukes or Captains obeyed And this was divided into the Kingdoms of Egypt Syria and Macedonia All which by all wise and conscientious men of those days were required to obey their several Governors The next Monarchy was the Roman And as to the Roman it is evident by the Historian Livy c. that Tarquinius Superbus was justly deposed And all that opposed him were accounted Patriots and Defenders of their Countrey good men and true that would not see common Justice excluded and their native Countrey inslaved Brutus saith Livy b. 2. decad 1. deserved glory for expeâ—ling King Tarquinius Supcrbus They expelled wicked Rulers and Tyrants especially Nero and are commended in all Authors for it When the Head of Maximinus that tyrannical Emperor with his Sons were brought to Rome all ran to the Altars to thank the Gods And Balbinus Sacrificed Hecatombs for his deliverance commanding the same to be done through the Empire I do not hereby intend to justify all circumstances or all persons or all their actions But I bring these Instances to shew That by the Light of nature Government is alterable and that a Supream Prince may be deposed And Dr. Bilson Warden of Winchester confesseth in his book intituled The true difference between Christian Subjection and Unchristian Rebellion perused and allowed by publick Authority and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth There may fall Extremities when Princes are not able to guide themselves much less their Realms P. 3. p. 145. As if the right Heir to any Crown be a Natural fool or he that is invested in the Crown wax mad and runs beside himself In either of these two cases any Realm by publick consent and advice may chuse another As Childerick was deposed for a Fool and Pipin
to the King's pleasure and cruel Edict Thus the Primitive Christians chearfully laid down their Lives for the Name of Jesus and resisted not because the Laws of the Heathen Roman Empire as those of the Chaldeans before were against them This is called Abuse of Power in Kings and Governours And in this case Prayers and Tears are the Weapons of Christians and all upright men or flying from Persecution But where there is no Law there is no transgression Rom. 4.15 This is an universal Proposition mentioned by Paul If I defend my self against the Illegal Will or Lust of a Governour who hath received no such Authority from God nor Man it is neither transgression nor resisting of the Power Defin. 3. Obedience is a willing and hearty performance of the Commands of our Governours according to Law Defin. 4. Law the Rule of Obedience is a Sentence proceeding from the right Reason of the Commander And therefore no man must yield Active Obedience to Laws against the Law of Nature or against the written Law of God I go on to Axioms 1. The whole is to be preferred before any one part and the greater good before the less Therefore self-preservation is before the preservation of another because Charity begins at home And the whole Kingdom is to be preferred before the King himself when be who is the principal part stands in opposition to the good of the whole Axiom 2. All natural good may be desired and all natural evil may be avoided And here comes in the Rule of Justice and first Principle mentioned by our Saviour Mat. 7.12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you do you even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets And what you will not have done to you do not you do to another This is a clear and undeleble Principle a first and Alphabetical Notion as one speaks Therefore I may preserve my Liberty and Property and oppose those that would by violence and illegal preceedings invade them And here I shall offer four or five more Postulata 1. Our Saviour did not countenance Oppression nor taught no Doctrine in favour thereof 2. Nothing in Christian Religion contradicts natural Religion The reason is both are from God So that if Natural Religion allows Defence then Christian Religion forbids it not As for Mysteries of Faith they are said to be above but not against Reason 3. Our Saviour never designed to set down a Form of Government and Polity but taught Obedience to Lawful Authority Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar ' s. Polity was before the Law of Moses or the Law of Christ The Law of Moses commanded Moral and Ceremonial performances And as for Judicial Laws they bind us only as to the Equity as all acknowledge And the Law of Christ compleats fulfils or advances the Moral Law indeed and withal adds some Mysteries of Faith to be believed of all Christians But Christ and his Apostles leave Political Government as they found them in the world The Gospel say Theol. Wit is a Doctrine of a Spiritual and Eternal Kingdom in the hearts of men neither doth it externally overthrow Political Regiment but rather establish and confirm it Therefore it follows that the Gospel permits all Natural and Legal Defence agreeing with the Civil Laws The Gospel takes not away Polity or Political Laws 4. No People could be so sottish as to set Governours over them to undo them For safety happiness or well-being is the End of Government It is a self-evident Principle No man is bound to think well or speak well or do well to his Oppressors but may throw off their Yoke as soon as be can And so may a whole Kingdom likewise Again This is another self-evident Principle and needs no proof Trust not him with thy Life Goods and Posterity who hath once endeavoured to ruin thee I am confident few men would lend such a man Ten pounds upon his word A man cannot make any doubt of it but that it is most agreeable to reason and the common Interest of those in Society that they should be true to their Compacts Out of what Author as an ingenious Scholar questions can they shew us a Nation that ever did allow the breach of solemn Compacts The lowest inanimate beings have a power and propensity to their own welfare a blind tendency and inclination to their own Security And such a noble being as man is must needs have it in a more sublime and eminent manner A noble Author of our own tells us in his Book of Truth That he for his part takes them for the Catholick Church that are constant and faithful to first Principles that common Notions are the bottom and foundation upon which the Church is built Excuse our diffidence here great Sir The Church is built upon a surer and higher Rock upon a more Adamantine and precious Foundation yet thus much is acceptable and undeniable That whoever they are that by any Practice or Custom or Tradition or Tenet shall stop the passage of first Principles and sound Reason that flows from them they are in this farther from the Church than Indians or Americans while they are not only Antichristian but Unnatural 5. If any should consent to such unreasonable Conditions their Posterity could not be bound by their mistakes The Precepts of the Law of Nature are so potent and triumphant as he speaks as that some Acts which rebel against it become not only unlawful but void as both Schoolmen and Lawyers observe they are not only Irregularities but meer Nullities Because man wants power to make such Laws God gives no man Authority to contradict the Law of Nature which is his own Law and Commands nothing but what is reasonable so that what contradicts this must be unreasonable He that lays violent hands upon himself for wickedness committed tho' commanded by the Magistrate saith Wendelin Philos Mor. b. 1. c. 28. wrongs himself by executing that Command because the Command of such a Magistrate is unjust and against Natural Divine right therefore Obedience performed to it must be unjust And verily if a Kingdom may not defend it self by Force of Arms when grievously oppressed then this Absurdity will follow that we our Liberties Wives Children and Religion may be destroyed when Tyrants and evil Rulers please And all the Remedy is Lord have mercy upon us and our Children But surely this is against common Sense and Reason as I have shewed and God and Nature hath not placed Mankind in such circumstances If this be so then we are in worse case than the Heathens and all other Humane Commonwealths as an Enemy of ours saith which both before and after Christ have had means to deliver themselves from such Tyrants as were intolerable and evidently pernicious to Humane Society and the good of the People for whose peace and preservation they were created by Men or ordained by God This wicked Doctrine may put
have proved in a Sermon on 1 Sam. 23.12 Secondly That this Doctrine of Defensive Arms in some case was never censured by the Church of England till Innovation began to creep into the Church and Arbitrary Power into the State The Church of England hath always been so wise and moderate as to allow difference of Judgment in these Speculative Matters No man can Preach Obedience to Governours who are God's Ministers God's Vicegerents and called Gods too Zealously But to say that if we are never so innocent nor never so much oppressed we may not defend our selves is worse than to make us Gally-slaves and Asses of Burden Thirdly I never read any Church in the Christian World which did not justifie defensive Arms in some case and tho' I never read that any man called Passive Obedience an Antichristian Doctrine yet I say it is an Unnatural Doctrine I have read that the every renowned Luther the Author of the Reformation and the first Defender of the Protestant Cause against the Tyranny and Innovation of the Papists was called Tuba Rebellionis the Trumpeter of Rebellion And I remember not long since that divers Popish Officers in the Army Drank such a kind of Health is this Confusion to the Cornet and his Trampeters But God hath abated their Pride asswaged their Malice and confounded their Devices And He who was the first Confessor as I may say of our Church I mean the Right Reverend Father in God the Lord Bishop of London by his Constancy in the true Religion now shines like a Star of the first Magnitude in the Firmament of our Church We know that Elijah was called the Troubler of Israel St. Paul was called a mover of Sedition And the best men and most zealous for God's Truth in their several Ages have been revi'ed by Insolent Imperious and Devilish Spirits But what hath the Righteous done We have helped to save the Nation We have been Instruments under God to set a Protestant King and Queen over us who are so humble in their Greatness that they are greater in Goodness than in Place to whom we are obliged not only in Duty but in Gratitude for accepting the Rule over us For His Sacred Majesty hath the trouble but we have nothing but ease and quiet we sit under our own Vines that is enjoy all that is ours with great Security We have a Nursing Father and a Nursing Mother to our Church Is there or can there be a Murmurer in our Israel O foolish People and unwise O miserable Mortals that are never contented What can we wish what can God do more for us Those Protestants that are not pleased with the Government must go to Heaven for they will never be pleased on Earth if they are not now But after this rapture let us return to our Honest Gentleman He says P. 35. The Doctrine of Non-resistance hath been often proved the genuine Doctrine of the best Ages of the Church and that so fully and clearly that they who would not yield to the force of the Proof have not been able to deny the truth of it but have been forced to Pretend it was only Temporary and doth not oblige all Ages which is hardly sence Answ If any of our side say that it was only Temporary let them justifie it I cannot undertake their defence but I could never meet with any of those that say so I confess I have read this Objection before now And some Popish Author saith that it was Occasional which in this case is equivalent to Temporary but I believe what the Scripture saith in this case obligeth all Ages But then I deny That the Doctrine of Non-resistance hath been often proved the Genuine Doctrine of the best Ages of the Church This Gentleman knows That the Old Testament was given by Inspiration of God as well as the New And he knows I suppose that the Jews were under the same Covenant for Substance that we Christians are tho' not under the same Administration thereof They says Nazianzen were Christians in Work or Deed tho' not in Name Now we know that the Primitive Church of Christ was under Heathen Emperours and that the Civil State was never Christian But the Precepts Rules and Examples of Governours in Samuel Kings and Chronicles are Patterns for us in like case And here we say David's Example is plain and undeniable And this Gent. produces no Scripture but Romans the 13th which I have already considered and if occasion be offered have much more to say Object The Church is now in other Circumstances than she was then which is not true neither Answ I am sure it is true of the Church of England We do not liâ—â—encer Heathen Emperours neither are there any Laws against us but all are for us Our Religion is Established and is part of our Property as it were which no man can invade as I have said before and need not repeat It is confess'd that Christians under the Turk must submit to Death or Fly because the Laws of the Country are against them and Christ came not to alter Political Government But what is this to us where Governours and Governed are all Christians and make one Political as well as Ecclesiastical Body And what David did being causelesly and illegally wronged by Saul we may do in like case He hath some more Rhetorications and Amplifications but there is nothing new and all is already answered only I must take notice of one thing that he saith P. last It is certain the greatest part of the Nation did not Resist but refused to Assist This Notion he hugs dearly but I think I have shewed the weakness of it in all that justifie Passive Obedience As for others I blame them not There are degrees of Knowledge and degrees of Virtue and degrees of Zeal Some have Heroick Zeal which is not indispensably required of all And God knows what Circumstances many were in who wished well to the Cause And no Divine thinks that the Protestants in the West of Ireland are at this day bound to Publish their Thoughts with the hazard of their Lives But be it â—s it will I dare Poll with this Gentleman I am sure about us there were five to one to speak within compass Nay scarce a man that was not Zealous for the Prince of Orange but was branded and perhaps misrepresented But I confess Number great or small makes not a Cause Good or Evil yet in our Case it shews that most of the Lay-Members of the Church of England did not believe the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance But God forbid that I should justifie some of the things that were done in the Heat of the late Revolution as this Gent. speaks P. 36. Some were guilty of Irregularities which according to the strict Rules of the Gospel cannot be justified And O that God would give all that were Active in this Cause his Grace that they may be true Christians as well as
Destruction of them all Thus I have discreetly or indiscreetly rationally or not I must leave the indifferent Reader to judge but I am sure with greatest Satisfaction of my own Conscience laid open my heart to my Countrymen And I am ready to Answer this Gentleman or any of my Brethren in these Problems following First That the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous Church Secondly In some Case Defensive Arms are Lawful Thirdly In some Case it is Lawful to Abdicate a King Fourthly King William and Queen Mary by the free consent and Election of the People in Convention have as good a Title as ever any had Fifthly Neither Monarchy nor Episcopacy nor Presbytery nor any one Form of Government in Church or State is of Divine Right Antecedent to Law and Agreement Sixthly That if the Bishops and Fresbyterians could Unite in one National Church and Worship by a Comprehension it would be a blessed Agreement Seventhly That Liberty of Conscience for all Dissenting Protestants of what Sect soever with some Limitations and Restrictions as to Government yea Papists themselves in some Degree not Excepted is a piece of Prudence and harmless Policy at least if not of Christianity which commands universal Charity Lastly I think that I can shew that these Problems are not contrary to the Practice of this Church and State in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign whose Memory is for ever blessed among Protestants And if I could have the License of the Press I doubt not to make these things probable notwithstanding the Present Prejudices of many I have read that there was no Persecution for Religion in the Beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign and if I were worthy to advise there should be no Persecution for Religion in the beginning nor in the whole Reign of King William and Queen Marry that Glory may be to God on High as the Angels Song is on Earth Peace good will towards Men that Man may be at Peace with Man and all Men may be reconciled to God I hate Bigotism for an Opinion tho' I think every Man is bound in Conscience to lay down his life for his King and Country when God shall call him thereunto and earnestly contend for the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints against the Abominations of the Roman Synagogue As for Protestants they agree in the Main and tho' I approve of the Saying of a Learned Presbyter if Opinions make Saints or Saints make Opinions we shall quickly have more Opinions than Saints yet St. Paul says They that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please themselves Rom. 15.1 And I like Gamaliel's Councel as most seasonable for our times for this reason among others because it is a good natured thing and all mens Minds are so full of Prejudice that what one calls Saint another calls Devil Wherefore refrain from these men and let them alone for if this Counsel or this Work be of men it will come to nought But if it be of God ye cannot overthrow it lest haply ye be found even to fight against God Acts 5.38 39. I believe in my Conscience that the Church of England in her Liturgy and Ceremonies as by Law established is fairly defensible against all Antagonists But the Church her Self never thought them equal to God's Word or unalterable in some Exigents as the Right Reverend the Bishops and Great Men of our Church have with no less Prudence than Piety acknowledged in all times and more especially in their late Petition to King James wherein they say that they want not due tenderness towards Dissenters and that they shall willingly come to such a Temper as shall be thought fit when Matters come to be settled in Parliament and Convocation And this is all that ever I designed for the great End of Peace and Union among Protestants And now I have Cause to be angry with this Gent. for he hath heated me and set me on fire and that in Hell too But if he will Damn the Priests and Jesuits he may for me for they deserve the Curses of the Nation but if ever he Damns us again I think what I 'll do and I need not care if I tell him tho' I am a Reprobate and the worst of Reprobates a Rebel I will do what I can to save his Soul by reducing him to a more Charitable Opinion of the Friends of his King and Country and that he shall never produce Rom. 13. against us more tho' perhaps I may shame him in this world The Righteous is as bold as a Lion says Solomon Prov. 28.1 What Evil have we done Nay what Good for this Cause have we not done Was ever any Man before Damned for helping to Save his Country What does this Gent. mean I tell him again we have Cause to be Angry But I have read excellent advice of St. Paul Eph. 4.28 Be ye angry and Sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath Neither give place to the Devil v. 27. And therefore before I bid him God be with you Sir this Gent. and I will shake hands and be Friends for we are resolved that if we can hinder it the late King shall never return to England again Hear what he says to the Jacobites p. 24. If they admit all the dreadful Consequences that attend this relapse and yield up both Church and Nation to certain and inevitable ruin only that they may not be Damned for Perjury and Disobedience to a King that has left them when he might have stayed and now offereth to return and do what he then refused What shall we also Consent and Sacrifice our selves and our Posterity to the humour or scruples of these men Shall we suffer the English Church Liberties and the very People of England to be destroyed to gratifie two or three hundred Persons And it is a remarkable Speech if it be true which he saith he hath been told from good hands that one of our Bishops Bishop Ken said Tho' he could not satisfie his own Scruples yet he thought the English Nation fools if ever they suffered King James to return And Pag. 33. he saith It is now the same Sin to resist them that is King William and Queen Mary it was formerly to resist Him that is King James And we will Joyn our hearts in Prayer Cloath all their Majesties Enemies with shame O Lord but upon themselves and their Posterity may the Crown flourish for ever Ps 132.18 Long live King William and Queen Mary Deliciae humani Generis the Darlings of England and the Favourites of Heaven and may they late enter into Coelestial Joys Amen 1 Sam. 23.12 Then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up SAul was appointed by God anointed by the Prophet Samuel and chosen by the Children of Israel to be their King And in the beginning of his
there be Laws whereby a King is to rule which he shall command his Subjects to break and his Subjects are neither bound to obey nor suffer by him then his Government is not Arbitrary But if there be Laws made and he may inforce his Subjects either to keep them or break them and punish them at his pleasure that shall refuse and the whole Kingdom bound in Conscience to suffer whatsoever he shall inflict for not breaking those Laws then is his Government Arbitrary For Arbitrary Government is that whereby a Prince doth rule ex arbitrio which he doth when either there is no Law to rule by but his own Will or when he hath a Power to break those Laws at his will and to punish the Subject at his pleasure for not breaking them And in truth this latter is rather an Arbitrary Government than the former as it shews more Liberty in the will that it hath a Power to act when Reason perswades to the contrary than if there were no Reason disswading and else there should be no Arbitrary Government in the world For no State but hath some Laws whereby they rule and are ruled even the very Indians only here lies the Arbitrariness of a Government that notwithstanding the Law the Ruler may pro arbitrio force his Subjects according to his own pleasure In our present Case December 88. we may well consider these things First The Matter of Fact is evident That the King 's evil Counsellors Popish Priests and Jesuits have tyrannized over us and oppressed us in an high measure This is known to the whole Nation Secondly I believe in my Conscience that it is the most Heroick and Virtuous Action that Mortal Man can do to deliver poor Innocents from Tyranny and Oppression Thirdly The Prince of Orange under God hath been the great Instrument of our Deliverance from Popish Tyranny and Slavery Fourthly We ought to give Thanks to God first and then to his Servant our David the Captain of our Israel for saving us from our Enemies In short This Cause which I account God's Cause and the Cause of the whole Nation and the Prince of Orange now our most Gracious Soveraign whom I account God's Instrument have conquered my Heart and consequently shall have my Tongue my Pen the utmost of my Strength and Zeal Yea I hope through God's grace that I shall neither be ashamed nor afraid to lay down my life for the Protestant Religion and Interest and the Liberties Laws and Properties of my Native Country There are some Objections taken from Examples out of Scripture which seem to favour the contrary Opinion but I need not nor cannot consider them all and I perswade my self that they are obviated by what I have said And I am sure that he that confirms Truth by it confounds Error Yet I shall consider the main Objection See say many David's behaviour to Saul 1 Sam. 24. Ye know that King Saul persecuted David causelesly he sought his life for no reason David was a good and loyal Subject neither did Saul 's violence and persecution tempt him or prevail with him to change his Loyalty or forget his Duty David did but cut off the skirt of Saul 's Robe privily and his heart smote him for it And he said to his Men The Lord forbid that I should do this thing unto my Master the Lord 's Anointed to stretch forth my hand against him And he hindered his Servants from hurting Saul And when he called to Saul he said My Lord the King And when Saul looked behind him David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself He called him my Father which is a Title of reverence Insomuch that Saul his Enemy was melted into kind Expressions by his goodness and righteousness Read and consider the whole Chapter at your leisure David heaped Coals of fire on Saul 's head as the Apostles Phrase is not to burn consume or destroy him but to win him to a good Opinion both of his Innocence and Loyalty Hence they infer that the Supream Magistrate the King though he suffers his Subjects to be never so much oppressed is not to be resisted but we must submit with Patience commit our Cause to God by Prayer and make our Appeal to Heaven who judgeth righteously and suffer our Throats to be cut or flee away leave our Posterity to Slavery and so expect a Reward in Heaven for suffering I Answer The Subject as several Divines say may be considered two ways First Divisively Secondly Conjunctively The Subject considered Divisively hath always applied himself to Prayers and Tears the oppression being only Personal and perhaps without remedy Some Inconveniences and Grievances will be in the best Government and we must not think to have all that we desire or perhaps may really deserve in this world And therefore we ought to get Publick Spirits and hate Private Designs and Self interest when it would destroy the Publick Good Secondly The Subject may be considered Conjunctively And thus when the Oppression is General and Universal almost then the People must look to their own Preservation all Government being for the good of the whole Body Politick And in this case the safety of the People is the Highest Law All Government and all Laws suppose this as a Principle or Foundation Again The Subject is said to take up Arms against the King either First As against the King's Person and of this we do not speak Thus who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless Hence it may be inferred That private Assassination of a Prince is wicked and abominable Secret or open Murder of any Man much more of a Prince is an heinous Crime We are taught by this Example that the hand is not to be lift up against the Magistrate but still David defended himself by force of Arms. Some Expositors as I find in the Author of the Synopsis say That David had Power to kill Saul Power was given by these words v. 14. The men of David said unto him Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee Behold I will deliver thine Enemy into thine hand that thou maist do to him as shall seem good to thee He that is invaded may prevent the Invader as Lessius and S. Thomas teach Lavater No Subject or Private person saith a great Divine may invade a Tyrant without lawful Defence tho' he hath occasion as David could indeed kill Saul whom yet he dismissed because there was not extream Necessity I will not saith he put forth my hand against my Lord for he is the Lords Anointed v. 10. For God knows to draw Tyrants to Punishment either by the ordinary Power of every Kingdom or by any other miraculous way The Consequence saith another rational Divine that follows from hence is clearly this That no private man in his own Cause for so was David's then by his own Power may seize upon the Person of a King in
came to make him King And in Deut. 17.15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse One from among thy brethren shalt thou set King over thee The Election of a King is attributed to God but the Constitution to the People God's choice and the Peoples choice are consistent So God approved Saul and David and they were anointed by the Prophet Samuel and chosen by the People also In the Common-wealth Magistrates are called the Ordinance of Man or an Humane Creation 1 Pet. 2.13 Because tho' Magistracy in general be the Ordinance of God yet this or that special kind of Magistracy whether Monarchy Aristocracy c. is of man Governours covenant to defend the people as well as the people covenant to obey them and the Obligation of Conscience is consequent to this Agreement And our present Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary have as good a Title and we are bound in Conscience as willingly and heartily to honour and obey them according to the Law of God and our Country as ever we were to submit to any Prince 2. We must consider that all Government is for the safety and good of the Community We must eye as one saith in another case the end which always steers the Action among such as be Agents by counsel In all Combinations there is and will be some common end that end must have means to attain it to these means and rules each man must bind himself to attend and in case he doth not to submit to another to be directed and reformed or else to yield to the whole that he may be censured and removed therefrom For otherwise the End cannot be attained nor the Means attended with profit or any powerful success in reason For if each man may do what is good in his own eyes proceeding according to his own pleasure so that none may cross him or controul him by any power there must of necessity follow Distraction and Desolation of the whole when each man hath liberty to follow his own Imagination and humoursome devices and seeks his Particular but oppose one another and all prejudice the Publick Mutual subjection is as it were the sinews of Society by which it is sustained As for the Governour S. Paul saith plainly He is the Minister of God to thee for good Rom. 13.4 This is the End of Government That the People may be happy The Preservation of our Lives Liberties and Properties is the Reason of Rule and Subjection See the former Discourse Kings are not set over us to make us in a worse condition than we were by the Law of Nature which I am sure is the unwritten Law of God only written in the heart as S. Paul saith but that we may be safe and live without fear of wicked men who have extinguished the Light of Nature and Reason And like Brutes that have no understanding like Beasts of prey Lions and Wolves would devour the poor innocent man the good and righteous who lives according to his reason and conscience It concerns all Mankind with utmost zeal to preserve their Laws for otherwise the Sons of Belial will conspire and oppress the poor righteous man and they will make their Strength the Law of Justice as the Son of Sirach saith This I Will and this I Command and my Will shall stand for Reason This is the Voice of Proud Oppressors They make their Lusts their Law and their Will their Ruler But Reason the Candle of the Lord and Scripture the revealed Will of God inform us that Order and Dominion and Rule is not to make us slaves but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty 3. We must consider that there may be such Crimes as may forfeit the Crown and Throne and reduce all to first Principles Here it will be convenient to consider 1. What Crimes we suppose make a Forfeiture 2. To demonstrate that such Crimes forfeit the Crown 1. I shall consider what Crimes we suppose make a Forfeiture And this may be done for more plain understanding 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively Personal Crimes do not forfeit a Crown A bad Man morally may be a good King Politically Dominion is not founded in Grace tho' it is much to be desired as being their bounden Duty that Kings would live in the Fear of God However as a most zealous Divine on our side grants There is required in Subjects a Toleration of the spots blemishes or infirmities of Magistrates For the Magistrate hath a burthen no less laborious than dangerous under which he must necessarily often faint and endure Extremities so that sometimes he hath scarce place or time to breath And therefore it is no wonder if he be sometimes drawn away by Humane Affections as Pride Ambition Intemperance Pleasure Sloth Forgetfulness Security Anger Fury and Passions of like kind To which they are wont to be more obnoxious than others as they are urged with greater Troubles and Assaults Therefore then it is the Duty of Loyal Subjects patiently to bear those Infirmities as it is meet that Children should hide the blemishes of their Parents It is true a Prince ought to be just and judge as for God but a wicked Prince as Ahab must have Obedience and a good Obadiah may be his servant An habitual sinner whom God will judge and condemn may not be questioned by his Subjects David's Adultery and Murder of Vriah was not sufficient to depose him Such Crimes must be left to God's vengeance And private Oppressions are not Causes sufficient but here Prayers and Tears must take place and we must as our Saviour adviseth in Patience possess our Souls 2. Affirmatively Such Crimes as are Epidemical or Universal and are of great concern to the whole Body Politick to the whole Nation As invalidating Laws made for Publick Security endeavouring to subvert the Rights of the Subject Liberty and Property or subverting of the Religion by Law established whereby Thousands of poor Innocents must be ruined breach of Covenant Oath and Promise whereby Publick Faith is indangered and all Subjects with reason are made jealous And here pray imagine me in Vtopia and take it for a supposition If a Kingdom is in such danger whether they ought not to secure themselves I could wish it had consisted with Gods Providence that I had not lived in such unhappy days wherein a man that speaks truth is envied by his Neighbour Or I could wish that I had not such unlucky Stars as that I must necessarily go against my Conscience if I should justify or connive at the late Proceedings of the Court Faction and Jesuitical Society I was as true and faithful to the late King notwithstanding his Religion as long as he kept his Oath and Promise as any Subject in Reason Knowledge or Conscience could be But when I evidently perceived that the design was to Subject us to Rome and