I shall shew that it was just to depose Nebuchadnezzar To this purpose we must consider 1. That all Government is a Trust 2. That all Government is for the safety and good of the Community 3. That there may be such crimes as may forfeit the Crown and Throne and reduce all to first Principles 1. We must consider that all Government is a Trust The Dominion of one man over another is by consent and is founded in Covenant All men are free by the Law of Nature to chuse what kind of Government they think most convenient And the Positive Law of God hath left this to their Election The Nomination of the person and the Limitation of the power is originally and radically in the Community Hence some Nations have Lords Dukes c. their supream Governours Some Nations have Kings by Election every Reign Others have Succession in one Family Some have Queens to rule over them others will not allow Women to reign Some are absolute Monarchs others are limited Some have Aristocratical others Democratical Government And almost all Nations vary in these Circumstances It is true Authority is from God There is no Power but of God saith St. Paul Rom. 13.1 And By me Kings reign and Princes decree Justice saith God by Solomon Prov. 8.15 But tho' the Donation of the Power is of God yet the Designation of the Person and the Limitation of the Power how much or how little or in what manner Mankind must be ruled and give Obedience and owe Submission is wholly by Positive Law and Agreement at the first Constitution or afterwards Thus we read 2 Sam. 5.3 All the Elders of Israel came to the King to Hebron and King David made a League with them in Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David King over Israel Here was an Assembly or Parliament who chose David King and covenanted with him God and Man are not opposite but subordinate in this case That which is of God saith a learned Divine may be of Man also For the second cause doth not exclude the first or contrarily Because the fruits and increase of the Earth are obtained by the care and labour of Man therefore are they not given of God So that as the Prophets and Apostles in old time were called immediately by God not by Men but other Pastors and Bishops of the Church being not immediately called by God but by men yet cease not to have their Vocation from God Because God ceaseth not to do what he doth by means As God designed Timothy Bishop not immediately as Paul but by the Imposition of the hands of Paul and the Presbytery So God in old time by an immediate call set Magistrates and some Kings upon the Throne as Moses Joshua the Judges David Jehu c. But he gave Power and doth not cease to give Power to others as to the seventy Elders by Man's counsel and means and that according to the Laws and received Customs of the People either by Election and the consent of the Senate as now the Roman Empire or by the Suffrages of the People as Consuls Governours of Cities either meerly or mixtly Democratical or by the will of the Souldiers as the old Empire of Rome or finally by Hereditary Succession as the Kings of France of Spain and of Great Britain c. and the Princes of the Empire For there is no Power but of God And certainly the Authority of one or a few in humane Consideration would not suffice to govern and contain so many in Duty and many times very cruel and evil Men unless there were something of the hand of God in it Therefore God himself is the proper and first Cause of Magistracy tho' Men are the next Cause The Prince is bound saith no mean Divine to look to the safety and welfare of the Kingdom as is agreed by all And therefore he is bound to it because he receives this Power originally I speak not in opposition to God but I say originally from the People themselves as appears by the Government of Judah and the Kings of Israel For Judg. 8.22 The men of Israel came to Gideon to make him their King It is true Gideon refused this offer saith Mr. Rogers in his Commentary with great resolution and wisdom telling them that the Lord should rule over them v. 23. His meaning was that the Order that God had set of Governing by such as had no continued Government should stand and not be perverted by or for him or his but contrarily to his Power he would hinder it And God reigned indeed in the Commonwealth of Israel which flourished in Gideon's time wherein the Elders were chosen by common consent some Ecclesiastical to give the meaning of the Law and others Civil and Temporal as men call it to rule the people thereby c. And if any War fell out the Lord himself stirred up Guides and Judges and they were not chosen I suppose he means only or in a usual course by Men as appears c. 1. v. 1. neither did their Children succeed them And thus the Lord both in Peace and War ruled over them and so Gideon meant that the Office of a Judge was no ordinary Magistracy such as the King is but a Temporary and Occasional much like to the Dictatorship of the Romans in respect of the use whereto it served tho' otherwise of divine Election immediately not by Men. And Judg. 9.6 They gathered together and made Abimelech their King And Judg. 11.8 9 10 11. the people covenanted with Jephtha and made him their King And as for Saul tho' he was designed by God for the Kingdom yet the people themselves chose the kind of their Government first when they said Give us a King to rule over us after the manner of the Nations After that God had anointed Saul it is said 1 Sam. 11.15 And all the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord in Gilgal And as for David tho' he was anointed King by Samuel yet we find that he continued subject unto Saul after that And 2 Sam. 2. He came to Hebron thither the men of Judah came and there they anointed David King over the House of Judah v. 4. After that he was thus anointed by Judah to be King over them yet he did not rule over Israel till the other Tribes also went out and made him King over them 1 Chro. 12.38 It is said That all these men of war came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David King over all Israel And as for Solomon tho' he was designed by God to the Kingdom yet it is said of him also 1 Chro. 29.22 That all the Congregation did eat and drink before the Lord and they made Solomon the Son of David King the second time and anointed him to the Lord to be Chief Governour Solomon being dead 2 Chro. 10.1 it is said of Rehoboam that he went to Shechem where all Israel
Redress Grievances when he thought it necessary if Abishai would kill King Saul he might for him he is not bound to assist It is God's Providence who pulls down one and sets up another Doth not God and Man abhor such Sophistry and Collusion Well fare Passive Obedience it deserves contempt and scorn and to be rooted out of the world if this be it And Good men will make it their business to ridicule and confute it P. 37. for this is one of the worst and most exploded Doctrins of the whole World P. 35. I am sorry he gives such advice as I cannot hearken to to speak modestly of it especially as he hath represented it P. the last And indeed Passive Obedience began to be ridicul'd and exploded by divers of the Clergy and Laity in my hearing some Months before we dreamed of the Prince of Orange's coming to deliver us from our cruel Task-masters the Jesuits and Evil Councellors being convinced of this Error and the many Mischiefs thereof by sence and experience the Mistriss of Fools according to the Proverb as this Gentleman saith P. 22. And now I dare say without transgressing that Rule of Christianity of not rendring railing for railing we are even with this Gentleman for calling us Rebels and inferring this absurd Consequence from our Doctrine That it is Lawful for every man to rebel against his Lawful Prince whenever he thinks it necessary Object But if Defensive Arms are Lawful who shall be Judge when we are oppressed Answ In our Case this Gentleman hath already determined for us that never any Nation was more oppressed And if any man will not stand to his Determination he must I think be wilfully blind However there is no Judge but right Reason for what hath God made us reasonable Creatures but to Judge between Good and Evil Why even of your selves judge ye not what is right is our Saviour's question Luk. 12.57 But indeed great and universal oppression is commonly a thing sensible of which our Senses may be Judges We who justifie Defensive Arms in some Case are as zealous for Government in General and for Monarchy and the English Government and for King William in particular as this Gent. For we have ventured Lives and Fortunes with Him which the Author confesses he hath not And at the rate that he Writes all the Subjects of England or Scotland who came over in Arms with King William are Rebels all that Joyned with Him all that Prayed for his Good Success all the Protestants who defended themselves in Ireland especially Mr. Walker and the London-Derry Protestants are all Damned Rebels because they were Subjects and ought not in any Case to resist the late King And is this the manner of Man O Lord God as he saith But let this Gent. know that the Innocent I mean the Legally Innocent may defend themselves by the Law of Nature and this is written in his and every mans heart And he saith P. 1. The contrary Doctrine was dangerous to the Prince of Orange at his first Landing And indeed if half the People had believed Passive Obedience as most of the Clergy taught and most of the Army seemed to believe He might have lost his Head by venturing to Save us But blessed be God Englishmen would not be frighted out of their senses by a causeless Curse from some weak Prophets or full of prejudice And how any man could declare too soon for the Prince of Orange his now Majesty and so forget his Duty as he saith P. 3. is a Mystery that I would have this Gent. unfold If his Cause was good and just as this Author acknowledgeth who could declare too soon for him Passive Obedience deserves to be rooted out of the World if for no other reason yet for this because it hath blinded this honest Gentleman that he cannot speak well of his best Friends I mean of those who have been Instruments of his Deliverance from that Infatuated Monarch as he writes under whose Government he dreads to live again I hope we have no Court-Parasites and Flatterers who follow the old Maxim Oblige your Enemies Neglect and slight your Friends Cursed be such Policy I confess I am for forgiving Enemies and encouraging the Penitent I hate Cruelty or Severity especially considering so many misled Souls as we have had in England May the King's Throne be Established in Righteousness and may Mercy and Truth preserve the King But let not those who have cheerfully spent their strength in this Cause be slighted or exposed to the Malice of their Enemies Object Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Christians did not resist the Heathen Roman Persecuting Emperors And this was true Doctrine in Tertullian's time Apol. 1. Cap. 37. as he quotes Pag. 10. If we Christians would become your publick and declared Enemies or secret Revengers of our own Wrongs should we want Force and Number to support it We exceed the Moors the Marcomans and the Parthians or any other one single Nation in the whole World we are but of Yesterday and yet we have filled all your Places your Cities your Islands Castles Corporations Councels Tribes Companies Palace Senate and Forum or Market-Place and we have left you nothing to Enjoy alone but your Temples Now we who so willingly lay down our Lives are we not thereby fitted and prepared do you think to manage any War tho' we were very much inferiour in Number if our Religion did not oblige us rather to suffer Death than to Inflict it We might without Arms or Resistance barely by disagreeing with you and the Envy of a Separation very much endanger and disquiet you for if so great a part of the Empire as we now make should break it self off from the rest and retire into any remote Corner of the World it would certainly confound your Dominions to lose so many Subjects be their quality what it will yea our very departure from you would be a severe Punishment the Desolation and Silence we should leave behind us would strike you with an Horror and Amazement as if the World were expiring you would be forced to seek for new Subjects to supply our places and perhaps we should leave you more Enemies than Subjects or Defenders This place hath been often cited to prove the Doctrine of Passive Obedience and in truth it is a Noble Testimony of the Faith and Patience of those Saints Answ The Laws of the Empire were against them Now Christ came not to destroy or alter Political Government but left it as he found it And he sent his Apostles to reform the world to turn men from darkness to light and from the Power of Satan unto God And accordingly their Weapons were not Carnal but Spiritual They did not like Mahomet and his Followers Conquer the World by force of Arms but did Convince and Convert Jews and Gentiles by working Miracles by the Sword of the Spirit by the Word of God and by Reason Disputation
true Protestants and their Souls Eternally happy I hope that God will accept of what was well done and Pardon our Infirmities thorough the Son of his Love Let us now come to the hardest Task and most unpleasing Subject The Power of Deposing Kings and disposing of their Kingdoms There are Learned Pious and Judicious Protestant Divines that are of this Opinion whose Arguments I imagine this Gentleman would be puzzled to Answer Our Convention if I mistake not did declare that the late King Abdicated the Kingdom broke his Original Contract and vacated the Throne and what is this but that he deposed himself Almost all Nobility Clergy and Commons were for a Regency without Scruple and what is that but a milder word for Deposing This was a Fig-leaf to hide the Nakedness of those who rashly had asserted the Divine Right of Monarchy and Passive Obedience and Non-resistance in any Case But I suppose the late King would not thank these Gentlemen for putting him into the state of a natural Fool a Madman or a Lunatick I confess those Noble Persons and Wise Lords and Great Councellors of State who did never believe Divine Right Antecedent to Agreement in Prudence might Vote for a Regency Because all Alteration in Government much more so great an Alteration is troublesom as shaking the very Foundations of the Building And all wise Men and Politicians never change but in extreme Necessity taking Solomon's Advice Meddle not with them that are given to Change But yet if a Nation be forced to take up Defensive Arms they must be Secured before they lay them down and if the King be so Perfidious as this Gent. represents him even at this time to the Irish Protestants p. 23. it would have been as he says in the same place Incorrigible folly to have trusted him and consequently in this Case it is my Opinion and Conscience that he was justly Deposed See Discourse on Dan. 5.20 And this Gentleman if he is consistent with himself about his Notions of God's Providence must needs say that it is not only God's Permission but Approbation tho' P. 35. he rails at it as from the Devil But I leave him to reconcile his own Sentences for to me they seem a contradiction I beg His Sacred Majesties Pardon upon my knees and I am sorry if I have Scandalized the great Councellors of State in revealing this Mystery But I am a Preacher of God's Word and I believe in my Conscience our present Cause can be justified no other way And seeing all was at stake as this Gent. confesses our Religion our Laws Liberty Property Wives Children and Posterity and whatsoever is done is God's Providence methinks this Gent. might pronounce us Innocent and not Damn us But however if he will Damn us we possibly may escape his hands for he is not God but a poor weak man And I could afford to give him another piece of my advice but I will let it alone for this time Let me add The Church of England being truly Loyal could not dream of such an extraordinary Case But blessed be God some were wise as Serpents tho' harmless as Doves Let me use the words of St. Paul Rom 9.1 I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Those Noble Patriots of the Protestant Religion and Liberties of their Country into whose Hearts God put it to invite the Prince of Orange over deserve this Motto And tho' we Canonize no Saints nor give Divine Worship to any but God yet I wish their Names were known that the Nation might Erect a Monument for them with this Inscription Hitherto hath the Lord helped us and these are the Names of those Great Souls who run the hazzard of being accursed by the Papists for us their Protestant Brethren O most Sage Politicians and most Heroick Christians tho' this Gentleman's Doctrine calls them Traitors and Rebels O brutish and ungrateful Prejudice what can any free Mind think of these Effects of Passive Obedience Had it been an uncircumcised Philistin a subtile Jesuit who had thus defyed the Armies of the Living God and called them Rebels it had been no wonder But for a Gent. a Subject to King William and Queen Mary a Protestant thus to dip his Pen in Gall and sadden the hearts of those who should fight the Lord's Battel in Ireland by calling them Rebels is a Riddle that I cannot unfold I dare say that the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop and the other Right Reverend Bishops who cannot satisfie their own Scruples which is their Calamity and our Grief tho' there is all the reason in the world that all should swear Allegiance to Their present Majesties and they cannot be helped do not censure us as Rebels who according to our Consciences have assisted the Prince of Orange in this Revolution When I reflect on this I am tempted to lay aside my former good opinion of this Gentleman and must say what Michael the Arch-Angel said when he contended with the Devil about the Body of Moses The Lord rebuke thee God give him repentance and a better mind for he seems like wicked Doeg and his Confederates that Enemy of David and false accuser of his Brethren of whom the Prophet saith Psal 140.3 They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Adders Poison is under their lips I have Studied these Controversies about Government in Church and State for some Years but more exactly upon the rising of the Disputes about the Bill of Exclusion I have always been Inquisitive and have striven to give a Reason of my Faith and to search to the Bottom that my Principles might be unmoveable and unblameable with Wise and Good men And what I have written by way of Assertion to use Dr. Fern's words Conclusion or General Rule is but a Sacrificing to Truth from a Conscience not simply devoted to man And I have always esteemed it the greatest Preferment to have Liberty to speak Truth I was not for the Bill of Exclusion because necessity of Change was not palpable to me but I was against it as an Act of Imprudence not an Act of Injustice as I then said if King Lords and Commons should think fit But as for Monmouth's Rebellion I abhor it at this day because the late King had Promised upon the word of a King that he would Protect us and Rule accordding to Law and he might have made himself and us happy notwithstanding his Religion and I do not remember that he had commanded any thing against Law at that time And I have been taught and teach others that Subjects must not be Jealous of their Prince and that Defensive Arms are Lawful only in Extreme Necessity And I verily believe that the late King designed not at the first what he Acted afterwards His Bosom Friend his Priests and his Jesuits like a pack of half-witted Knaves and Fools stirred him up to his own and the
Land of Judah Then David departed and came into the Forest of Hareth where were many secret places v. 5. And Abiathar the Priest who escaped Saul's cruelty fled to David and joyned with him v. 20 c. Which still justifies Self-defence in case of Oppression He had the Ephod in his hand Whether this were by chance as some Expositors say or by choice he light upon the High Priest's Ephod saith Mr. Trappe that had the Vrim and Thummim in it It was surely a sweet Providence of God for the comfort of his poor Servant David Hence God answered not Saul by Urim and Thummim 1 Sam. 28.8 For it was now with David not with Saul This Ephod thus brought saith one was more than if many thousand Souldiers had come to David After his departure from Keilah David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in the Mountains in the wilderness of Ziph and God still preserved him v. 14. of this Chapter of our Text. Ziph belonged to the Tribe of Judah and the Mountains of this Region were craggy and full of clefts of Rocks and therefore places of good shelter and defence Yea David's cause was so plain and good that Jonathan Saul's Son would not joyn with his Father agianst David but made a League with him v. 18. Again v. 29. David dwelt in strong holds at Engedi He would not trust Saul For he knew the disposition of Saul his inconstant mind and unbridled violence especially since an evil Spirit had troubled him Again 1 Sam. 24.2 Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats What need Saul have three thousand men if David did not defend himself And v. 22. David and his men gat them up into the hold He would not trust Saul who had so often promised and broke his word And verily in Matters of so great concernment Credulity argues great Folly Tr. Saul was faithless and David had no reason to believe him And 1 Chron. 12.8 the men of might and the men of war forsook Saul and joyned themselves to David The Tribe of Gad was near to Moab and in a desert place through which David wandred and therefore they joyned with him And v. 17. David went out to meet them and answered and said unto them If ye be come peaceably to me to help me my heart shall be knit to you but if ye be come to betray me to mine Enemies seeing there is no wrong in my hand the God of our Fathers look thereon and rebuke it Did not David tho' yet a Subject to Saul take up Arms and make forcible Resistance It is said expresly v. 18 19. Then David received them and made them Captains of bands And there fell some of Manasseh to David when he came with the Philistins against Saul to Battel And when ever Amasai uttered those words v. 18. whether before or after David had the Kingdom I need not dispute it is evident that they argue the goodness of David's cause The Spirit came upon Amasai who was chief of the Companies and he said Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse Peace Peace be unto thee and Peace be to thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee It was a Form of Salutation familiar with the Jews when they wished prosperity and good success to any person And the Ingemination shews their Zeal And the whole demonstrates that for the Innocent to defend themselves even by force of Arms is very pleasing to God Thus I have demonstrated that it may be deduced from this Text That it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the oppression and violence of their Kings I shall now enter upon the second Question Whether it may be deduced from any other Grounds I am for the Affirmative of this Question It may be deduced from Scripture or Reason That it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves c. And here it will be convenient to set down what is agreed upon on both sides First That all Governours in their several Dominions and Places are to be honoured according to their several Dignities and Titles with due homage and Allegiance of all their Subjects We must render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's Honour to whom Honour is due Fear to whom Fear Tribute to whom Tribute And this out of Conscience and for the Lord's sake who hath made them his Ministers Secondly It is a most hainous Sin a Crime of a deep dye by thought word or deed to derogate from the honour of our Governours or to indeavour to raise Factions and Discontents among their Subjects He that any way despiseth Dominion or speaketh evil of Dignities is a vile Transgressor Thirdly To resist Governours when they rule according to Law is to oppose God's own Ordinance And therefore Rebels ought to be most severely punished by Governours themselves and shall certainly indure God's wrath without Repentance and receive Damnation Fourthly Every Subject is bound by all good means to assist his Governours in the due Execution of Law and Justice and to hazard Life it self upon his Lawful Commands and to discover all Conspiracies Treasons or Violence offered or intended to be offered to his Person Fifthly Every Christian Subject living under the Government of a Prince of an idolatrous heathenish or false Religion is not therefore loosed from the Bond of his Allegiance But he must readily yield Active Obedience to all lawful Commands of his Governours and Passive Obedience so called that is He must quietly and meekly suffer when the Laws of his Governours Command that which is against the Laws of his God and his Saviour whom he ought to fear in the first place Sixthly Every Governour is bound in Conscience to defend and protect his Subjects in their lawful Rights and Liberties and not to Command any thing that God hath forbidden And if he doth oppress them by illegal Impositions or punish them for a good Conscience he is guilty before God and must expect the vengeance of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Seventhly Every Oppression or Corruption in Government is not presently sufficient to defend our selves by force But it must be such Oppression as tends to the Dissolution of the Government to the Destruction of Liberty to the Ruin of the Subjects or to the Change of Religion by Law Established And in this Case also Defensive Arms are not Lawful till Petitions and all other good means which may prevail with our Governours be used and yet fail of their end Thus as I conceive I have impartially represented both parts And I know no man of Worth Piety or Learning who will not easily assent to these Conclusions I shall now confirm my Opinion that it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the Oppression and Violence of their Kings First Because God never gave
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
and Argument But this is not our Case I will state the Case Suppose a whole Nation Christian and the true Religion fixed by Law so that it is our Birthright and Property as it were and we have a Legal and Civil Right or Human Right as well as a Divine to our Religion and yet this is evidently Invaded by Evil Councellors about the King and he is drawn to destroy Religion If this Gentleman can shew any Primitive Christian or ancient Father and Doctor of the Church who saith in this Case it is not Lawful to Defend our Religion Laws Liberties and Properties I yield the Cause Otherwise we grant all his Examples and Instances as nothing to our purpose They shew indeed the Peaceableness Meekness Humility Patience and Faith of those Primitive Christians their Zeal and Affection for the Happiness of the Empire and their Submission to the Government Laws and Usages of their Country and to their Superiours in their most rigorous Execution of them to the destruction of them and their Religion which is called the Abuse of Power and Legal Tyranny in which case we also own Passive Obedience Secondly I differ from this Gent. about Conquest He would have King William a Conqueror tho' He claims not by it And so tho he was none of them that did or durst have resisted or rebelled against King James yet after his Desertion he forsook him P. 13. Answ If the Prince of Orange had designed an Invasion and Conquest as this Gent. calls it both he and we had been bound in Conscience to Oppose him because there is a Loyalty to our Country as well as to our King And Invasion and Conquest are dismal things as well as shameful But blessed be God He came not as the Enemy of our Country but as our Friend as our Joshua our Saviour to deliver us from Popery and Slavery He ventured his Life to save us from Oppression not to Conquer us Besides if he conquered King James and this Gentleman He did not Conquer those that joyned with him which were by far the greatest part of the Nation I am sure in our County multitudes Subscribed the Association to stand by the Cause with their Lives and Fortunes not to Enslave themselves by Conquest And then it followed That they humbly desired the Prince of Orange to take the Government upon him and Circular Letters were issued out for a Convention and that Convention or Parliament Elected him King and the Princess Queen and He accepted it as a Trust and all Government is a Trust and founded in Covenant as I have elsewhere proved and then we honoured Him and prayed for Him as our King According to those Exhortations in Scripture which order us to Fear God and the King Prov. 24.21 to be subject to the higher Powers which are of God Rom. 13.1 and to pray for Kings and all in Authority that under them we may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all Godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. All which are as much now due to Their present Majesties as to any that ever sat on the Throne It is true by His Affection to our Nation and Zeal for our Religion and Liberties he conquered our Hearts and will for ever reign there and He merits our Lives and Fortunes but it is not for the Honour of our Nation to say He Conquered us And indeed 14000 Men cannot subdue England by force which is properly Conquest We received him as sent from God with hearts full of joy and with chearful countenances And were it not for that Doctrine of Passive Obedience in its vast extent with which many devout Christians and many Learned Pious and great Bishops and Doctors through prejudice were possessed I will not say infected the whole Nation had sounded with Songs of Triumph and our Churches and Pulpits with Praises and Hallelujahs as if we had had Heaven upon Earth So great was the Mercy of our God in delivering us and our Posterity from Popish Ignorance Error Superstition and Idolatry and restoring our Laws and Liberties For my own part I was transported with joy and I care not if all the world saith as some said in Hosea his time c. 9. v. 7. The Prophet is a Fool the spiritual Man is Mad. But surely in truth and reason they are Fools and Madmen that reject so great Deliverance and Salvation out of fondness to a silly Opinion There need no Eloquence if I could use it our great Fears and imminent Dangers are Oratory sufficient Popish Judges Popish Officers in the Army Popish Priests and Jesuits at Court Popish Heads of Colleges in the University Popish Justices of the Peace Mayors c. with the Dispensing Power might well affright us And tho' we perhaps might have spun out a slavish life without great Persecution yet our Children could expect nothing but French Dragoons and Torture or voluntary Exile if not the Marian days of Fire and Faggot But as for those who plead Conquest for the King they know not what they do in making this Plea as a Learned Man speaks For if there were no other right neither Precedent nor consequent but meerly because such an one was stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is strongest at any time he hath right and if a stronger than he comes he shall have right This is no good Divinity nor Policy to Plead thus That which subjects my Conscience to such an one is Submission upon some Compact Covenant or Agreement Besides this sort of Men by flattering Monarchs and deluding the People with crying out The King the King have wholly forgotten the very Heathens Lesson It is sweet and comely to Die for our Country that is our Laws Liberty Property c. I must confess Conquest makes way for Subjection as it did in Caesar over the Jews but I hope no man will say this is our case nor do they do their King or Country any Service who put the Controversie upon this Issue Thirdly I must consider what this Gentleman saith about God's Providence in disposing Kingdoms And here I must needs say that he is honest in the main but he hath not read and digested Divinity enough to handle this subject and therefore he is very confused And I will not arrogate so much to my self as to say I have sounded this depth which hath cost me some years study and yet I must admire for I am ignorant or unsatisfied about many things concerning God's Providence I will not at this time ingage in the Controversie between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants God's Providence and Man's free acting are not inconsistent that is certain How they concur is most mysterious and the Highest Point in School-Divinity And I may safely say that it is above my strength to cut asunder or my wit to untie this knot But it is mine and every mans Duty to do God's Will and submit to his Pleasure who doth whatsoever pleaseth him in
words of our Royal Martyr of ever Blessed Memory King Charles the First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 295. with me Gods wise Providence we know often permits many Events which his revealed Word the only clear safe and fixed Rule of good Actions and good Consciences in no sort approves Let not the meanest in understanding mistake me I am not for Election every Reign but for Succession just as it is in England But I say Election is the true Title of all Government originally and this is the Foundation of all the various Forms in the World Power is Gods but the Form as St. Peter saith is an Humane Creation Constitution or Ordinance I never loved to lye for God's Cause it needs it not nor daub with untempered Mortar God forbids it For my part if I did not in Conscience believe that the late King by his Male-administration deserved what he hath suffered not only from the hand of God but also from the hand of his Subjects and that in this Revolution they are innocent who defended themselves and the Laws of their Country against his Arbitrary Proceedings I should think my self bound by the Oath of Allegiance to pray for his Restauration But because he hath broken his Covenant Coronation Oath and Promise I am sure our part of the Bond and Covenant is cancelled also And that Kings were at first by Election I prove thus in the words of a great Divine not much altered What first invested such a Family with Regal Power more than another It must be either God from Heaven designing it as David or man appointing it or taken by Force there is no fourth It was not the first and to say the third is right is an extream wrong to the King If meer Force can give right then whosoever is most forcible hath right It must therefore be something else What can that be but the consent of the People in Parliament to such a Family which is in effect all one with Election you may give it what name you will But saith this Gentleman P. 28. The Primitive Church in the best times took the words of S. Paul in their plain and literal sense The Powers that are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. in Possession are ordained or ordered of God Rom. 13. They never formalize or make any Exception but Conquest Election Vsurpation were to them all alike if once the man was Established in the Throne Answ I will not here take occasion to consider what learned Criticks say about the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on which he seems to lay some stress but they say it signifies the True or Lawful Powers nor will I expatiate in Analyzing this Text tho' I have a Discourse upon this subject by me And I have read such Doctrine as this in some Oliverian Pamphlets in our late Anarchy and Confusion And if occasion be I can produce one which perhaps this Gent. hath seen and hath been corrupted by it or by some like it But sure he never read this Doctrine in any Book written by any Divine of the Church of England I have before distinguished between a Lawful and an Usurped Magistracy according to the best Divines of all Churches that ever I read insomuch that I wonder at this Gentleman who professeth himself of the Communion of the Church of England According to this Doctrine it is a poor weak thing to be a Martyr or to suffer for Loyalty to our King or Country Whereas it hath in all Ages not only among Christians but also among Heathens by the light of Nature been accounted a most Heroick Virtue to lay down our Lives for these If this Gent. had been alive and of years to advise no Subject should have suffered with King Charles the First if he had been their Counsel I am so angry that if I knew Thieves designed to rob this Gent. House I would not counsel one Neighbour to assist against these Rogues but would commit it to God to determine as he thought fit as his Cant is P. 3. which vergeth very near to Blasphemy And this very Phrase makes me think that this honest Gent. hath been misled by some Fanatick Book I cannot think that he ran into this Error wittingly and willingly and deliberately he is a good Christian surely because P. l. he speaks against those that despise all revealed Religion and that sort of Men who have their All in this world and pretend to nothing in the next and therefore I must in Charity believe he hath the Hope of a Christian but I cannot but explode his Doctrine O put'd Divinity Phy upon this gross Machiavelian and Hobbean Policy But to be serious seeing this Gent. hath advised us I will return kindness for kindness and for once be so free with him as to advise him Good Sir In the fear of God review that part of your Discourse which concerns God's Providence and the Government of Kingdoms and States and learn to distinguish between good and bad perhaps your second thoughts may be wiser Consult with some learned and conscientious Divine and see if he will tell you that in the Primitive times their Loyalty was one of their lesser Virtues upon which they never valued themselves as you say P. 3. You discourse in so loose and extravagant a manner that I must beg leave to enter my Dissent and Protest against this Dose of Opium And I never read so much Poison administred with a good design before in my life And if any applaud you for this Discourse I will pray with our Church in the Litany Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us for surely we are not in our senses God save King William and Queen Mary from such Defenders of their Right and Title If you will not be admonished to revoke this in my Opinion you deserve to speak plain English for by God's Providence and King William's Protection we Priests of the Church of England breathe in a free Air. I wish all of us could see our own happiness I hope in time mens Prejudices will be removed and through the Clemency of His most Gracious Majesty chearfully perform their Duty I say you deserve not only to be Excommunicated the Church of England but also the whole Church of God for this wicked Error But I hope our English Blood is still Noble and will count it their Honour and the Glory of their Religion to die for their King and Country when occasion is and God shall call them thereunto And this is true Church of England Loyalty and approved by all the Churches of God But at the rate that you talk if Corah Dathan and Abiram had had success it had been God's Providence and Approbation and so farewel Moses If Absalom had been prosperous and in Possession of the Throne right or wrong see to thy house David What need we commend the Fidelity of Ittai that loyal Heart that noble and constant
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
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
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
I go on to the second general part of the Text Nebuchadnezzars Correction and Judgment He was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him Here I shall shew these three things 1. By whom he was deposed 2. Why he was deposed 3. That it was just 1. By whom Nebuchadnezzar was deposed 1. By God 2. By his Subjects 1. He was deposed by God Tho' God is not the Author of the evil of sin yet he is the principal Efficient in the evil of punishment Now this was the punishment of the King for his Pride Oppression and Impiety And the Prophet tells Psal 75.6 7. Promotion cometh neither from the East nor from the West nor from the South But God is the Judge he putteth down one and setteth up another This the King acknowledgeth c. 4. v. 2 3. I thought it good to shew the signs and the wonders that the high God hath wrought towards me How great are his signs and how mighty are his wonders his Kingdom is everlasting and his Dominion is from generation to generation And v. 17. This matter is by the Decree of the Watchers and the Demand by the word of the holy ones The Watchers that is the Angels of God who are God's Instruments and Servants in punishing the evil and rewarding the good See v. 31 32. God who gives grace to the humble resists or fights against the proud This may comfort those that are oppressed God is the Avenger of all such I even I am he that comforteth you saith God by the Prophet Isa 51.12 13. Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the Son of man who shall be made as grass And forgettest the Lord thy Maker that hath stretched forth the Heavens and laid the foundations of the Earth And hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the Oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the Oppressor 2. Nebuchadnezzar was deposed by his own Subjects They shall drive thee from men c. 4. v. 25. And if any say this is spoken neutrally Thou shalt be driven yet still here is the person understood be it spoken neutrally or impersonally Some body must do it And v. 33. He was driven from men By whom I answer He was either driven out by Tumult as it often happens to Tyrants or by the Conspiracy of the Nobles and Commons or by his Son Evilmerodach who as the Hebrews report affected the Kingdom while his Father lived Some think that he had oppressed and tyrannically used the Chaldeans Magicians and Wise-men of his Kingdom because they could not tell his dream See c. 2. v. 5. where he threatens that they should be cut in pieces and their houses should be made as a dunghill This Tyranny over their Liberties Properties and Lives ingaged them to depose the King according to the Law of Nature And this leads me to the second Why he was deposed 1. Because he was in a deep Melancholy and so unable to rule 2. Because he was a Tyrant and Oppressor and so his Subjects would not trust him with their Liberties and Lives 1. He was in a deep Melancholy and so unable to Rule See c. 4. v. 33. He was driven from men and did eat grass as the Ox and his body was wet with the dew of Heaven till his hairs were grown like Eagles feathers and his nails like Birds claws The sense is that his hair beard and nails were very much grown out because there was no body to cut them and he himself did not think of cutting them loving the likeness of beasts thro' black Choler or Melancholy His heart was changed from mans and he had a beasts heart given to him v. 16. He was not truly transformed into a beast as I believe but because his imagination was corrupt and his reason eclipsed thro' this adust humor he seemed to himself a beast And the most learned Physicians speak of this kind of Melancholy And our own Experience may confirm it in some of our own Age that have been troubled with Hypochondriack Passions and Melancholy He remained a man truly but Humane Sense and Reason as to the Exercise was taken from him 2. He was deposed because he was a Tyrant and Oppressor and so his Subjects would not trust him with their Liberties and Lives His severe and cruel Edict against the Magicians and Wise-men was intolerable and they could not but resent it See c. 2. Nebuchadnezzar dreamed and forgat his dream and yet would imperiously and tyrannically force his Magicians to tell the dream and the interpretation They make humble supplication to the King and tell him that no Ruler ever asked such a thing of any Magician or Astrologer or Chaldean None but God could reveal such secrets But notwithstanding the King was angry and very furious and commanded to destroy them This cruelty as it is thought stuck in their minds they treasured it up in their hearts and as soon as opportunity served were glad to throw off his tyrannical Yoke The word Magician to tell you that by the way among the Persians and other Eastern Countries at first was used in a good sense for a wise and understanding man for a Philosopher who spends his days in contemplation and meditation These were Astronomers and Astrologers or Mathematicians who by the influence of Stars and calculating Nativities foretold many strange things And for my part I believe there is much Truth and Innocence in this Art at least I am far from condemning so many wise men of all Ages But as for Sorcerers Diviners c. they are deluders of the People full of Imposture and Superstition And this sort of Diabolick creatures were forbidden by Moses Law Levit. 19.31 Regard not them that have familiar Spirits neither seek after Wizards to be defiled by them And Deut. 18.10 11. There shall not be found among you any one that makes his Son or his Daughter to pass through the fire or that useth Divination or an Observer of times or an Inchanter or a Witch or a Charmer or a Consulter with familiar Spirits or a Wizard or a Necromancer But to return This Demand and Decree of the King in it self was unjust for man though most skilful and most wise Lap. cannot reveal secret dreams especially already past much less their signification But some who write of Oneirocriticks do own that great Conjectures may be made from some certain and unwonted dreams A learned Author saith That the Chief Priests of the Chaldeans were addicted to Astrology And you will easily believe that Priests do not love to be oppressed and murdered without cause This was saith Synop. out of Calvin a beastly rage of the King because he demanded that which was above the power of man and that which the Chaldeans never arrogated to themselves Yet this was a reward of their arrogance because they assumed to themselves more than was meet 3.
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
the Magistrate Power or Authority to tyranize and oppress Secondly Because Governours are appointed for the good of the People Thirdly Because this is a violation of the Law of Nature First Because God never gave the Magistrate Power or Authority to tyrannize and oppress So that to resist illegal Oppression is not to resist God's Ordinance but mans Usurpation not the King's Authority but his Lust Hence the Prophet Elisha defended himself 2 King 6.32 Elisha sat in his house and the Elders sat with him and the King sent a man from before him and ere the Messenger came to him he said to the Elders See ye how this Son of a Murderer hath sent to take away my head Look when the Messenger cometh shut the door and hold him fast at the door Is not the sound of his Masters feet behind him He calls him the Son of a Murderer because his Father Ahab had killed God's Prophets and he was like him in disposition But that which is to our purpose is that he resisted the King's Messenger he calls upon the Elders to assist him as knowing that God gives no Power to Princes to punish the Innocent And therefore they may defend themselves There is First Private defence Secondly Publick Private defence is proved by this Text. It is lawful against a sudden and illegal assault of a Messenger sent by the King If against a sudden as one saith why not against deliberated and plotted for they are worse This example of Elisha is brought to prove the lawfulness of using force against a King in using violence Prayers and Tears are very good means against tyranny but they are not the only means To kneel down and say Lord help us and not stretch forth an hand to help our sevles is not to trust God's Providence but to tempt God and to try whether he will work a Miracle for our safety It is Presumption and not Piety so to trust to a good Cause as not to use all lawful means to maintain it Here is forcible Opposition allowed against a Messenger Commissioned by the King The Elders are desired to seize him This act of Elisha was plainly contrary to the King's Command Secondly Because Governours are appointed for the good of the People He is the Minister of God to thee for good Rom. 13.4 But if thou dost that which is evil be afraid for he beareth not the sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute wrath upon him that doth evil He hath not Arbitrary Power but his Power is limited And this is the end of his Government even the welfare of the Kingdom Now if the Subversion of the Government be designed and the Destruction of the People aimed at by Evil Counsellors then the Law of God allows and the Law of Nature requires the People to defend themselves The Magistrate is the Minister of God He sustains the Person of God as a Legate as one glosses and as is the Lord so is the Minister But God doth not punish the good but praise them Therefore the end of Government is that we may live justly and quietly and that the Body Politick and Publick Honesty may be defended If these are violated in an high measure the People are not bound to stand still and have their Throats cut The Sword is to defend the good and punish the evil but if the Sword be used to the contrary then the People must defend themselves Finally The cause of the Institution of Magistracy is to defend and honour the Good This is the call that Magistrates have for they ought not to rule for their own sakes only but for the publick good And they are not possessors of an unbridled Power but with such as is for the safety of their Subjects Thirdly Because this is a Violation of the Law of Nature The Subject as several Authors speak may be said to take up Arms either First As an Act of Self-Preservation Or Secondly As an Act of Jurisdiction exercised towards his Prince The first way we say it is lawful The second way we contend not for it because Jurisdiction properly signifies Power of Office The Schools out of Aristotle saith Wendel Philos Mor. b. 1. c. 29. distinguish Natural and Civil right by the Properties He assigns three Properties of Natural right The first is taken from the Efficient For Natural right hath its Original and Authority from God who first put it into the Minds of men in the Creation and after the Fall also in some manner preserved it in the Posterity of the first Men. Hence it is called by Aristotle The first Right or the first thing that is Just The second is from the Force and Efficacy The Right of Nature is understood by all indued with a sound Mind and every where among all hath the same Force Hence it is immutable and cannot be abrogated The third is from the end The Right of Nature is chiefly referred to Honesty There are also three Properties of Civil and Legal Right taken from the same Arguments The first is from the Efficient Civil Right hath its rise and authority from men by whom it is constituted with common consent with probable Reasons taken from the Law of Nature or some Circumstances The second is from the Force and Efficacy This Right obliges no body before it is established and constituted but after it is established and confirmed it begins to oblige under pain of Transgression Hence it may be changed and abrogated The third is from the End It is chiefly referred to Profit tho' it presupposeth Honesty from Natural Right Here it will not be amiss to lay down a few Definitions and Rules for the more ease understanding what we mean by the Law of Nature First There is an Eternal Law which the Schoolman out of S. Aug. b. 6. Of Free Will describes thus The Eternal Law is the highest reason which we must always obey by which Evil Men deserve Misery and Good Men a good Life by which that which is Temporal is rightly made and rightly changed From this Eternal Law flows the Law of Nature And accordingly Aquinas tells us The Law of Nature is nothing but a Participation of the Eternal Law in the reasonable Creature And Grotius saith Culverwell describes it thus The Law of Nature is the Dictate of right Reason shewing that there is Moral filthiness or Moral necessity in some Act from the convenience or inconvenience or disagreement thereof with the reasonable Nature it self and consequently that such an Act is either forbidden or commanded by God himself the Author of Nature The Laws of Reason saith the ever-renowned Hooker Eccl. Pol. b. 1. Parag. 8 have these Marks to be known by First Such as keep them resemble most lively in their voluntary acts that very manner of working which Nature her self doth necessarily observe in the course of the whole World The works of Nature are behooveful beautiful without superfluity or