change his children nor they change their Father but a King may naturalize new subjects and subjects may also change their Soveraign Royalists will grant a State or Common-wealth way make a King and there is great reason sometimes that a Monarchy be turned into a Common-wealth but a Tyrant changes those that are under him expells the natives brings in forreigners and all good Patriots do pant for a Change of him every day 7. A Father hath no power of life death over his Children a King hath it over his subjects according to Law a Tyrant Usurps it over the innocent against Law. 8. A Father is not a Father by consent of his Childeren as a King is by consent of his subjects a Tyrant is neither a Father with it nor without it 9. A Father is not made by the Children as a King is by his subjects as was shewed a Tyrant is neither a Natural nor by compact but a self created power 10. A Father is not chosen conditionally upon compact as a King is by the free suffrages of the Community A Tyrant in this Differs from a King that he is not chosen and in Tyranny from a Father 11. Children wanting a Father cannot choose whom they will to be their Father as subjects wanting a King may choose whom they will and what form they please but though they can yet if they be rational they will never choose a Tyrant nor a Tyrannical form of Government 12. Children cannot restrict their Fathers power to what degrees they please as subjects may limit their Kings at their first erection but a Tyrant though he ought yet he will not be limited and if he might he should be restrained 13. Children cannot set bounds how long they will have their Fathers to continue Subjects may condescend upon the time in making Laws how long such an one shall be their Soveraign ad vitam or ad culpam according as the fundamental Law is made at first Tyrants ought every day to be repressed that they should not continue at all Yet giving and not granting that a King were to be ouned under the relation of a Father though every man be bound to oune mantain his Fathers parental Authority yet let the case be put that the Father turns a Robber murderer an avowed enemy to God and the country is his person Authority in that case to be ouned to the dishonour of God and hurt hazard of the country or ought he not rather to be delivered up even by the Son to Justice Much more then will it follow that a King who turns the more dangerous because the more powerfull Robber Legal Murderer and enemy to God the country cannot be ouned seeing the relation betwixt Father Son is stronger stricter as having another Original than can be betwixt King subjects and stands unremoved as long as he is Father though turning such they ought to contribute in moral duty to which their relative duty must cede that he should no more be a Father nor no more a living man when dead by Law. Secondly They cannot come under the herile or Masterly relation though Analogically also sometimes they are stiled so and subjects are called Servants by reason of their subjection and because it is the Office of Kings to command subjects to obey in this there is some Analogy But Kings cannot properly be ouned under this relation as Masters over either persons or goods of subjects far less Tyrans yea Kings assuming a Masterly power turn Tyrants Now that the Magistratical relation is not that of a Master is clear from many disparities absurdities whether we consider the state of hired Servants or Slaves For hired Servants the difference is vast betwixt them subjects 1. The hired Servant gets reward for his service by compact the subjects none but rather gives the Royal reward of Tribute to the King for his service the Tyrant exacts it to maintain his Tyranny 2. The hired Servant is maintained by his Master the subjects maintain the King the Tyrant Robbes it from them by force 3. The hired Servant bargains only for a time and then may leave him the subject cannot give up his Covenanted allegiance at that rate and for these reasons as the servant may his service a Tyrant wil make nor keep no such bargain 4. The hired Servant must have his Masters profit mainly before his eyes and his oun only secundarly but the Magistrates power is primarly ordinated to the publick good of the Community and only consequentially to the good of himself 5. The Master hath a greater power over the hired Servant to make give out Lawes to him which if they be Lawful he must obey than the King hath over the Nation to which he is not the sole Lawgiver as is shewed 6. The hired Servant his subjection is Mercenary servile but the subjects subjection is civil free voluntary liberal â—oving to a Lawful King. Again for Slaves the difference between them subjects is great 1. Slavery being against Nature rational people would never choose that life if they could help it but they gladly choose Government Governours 2. Slavery would make their condition worse then when they had no Government for Liberty is alwise preferable Neither could people have acted rationally in seting up Government if to be free of oppression of others they had given themselves up to slavery under a Master who may do what he pleases with them 3. All Slaves are either taken in war or bought with money or born in the house where their parents were slaves as Abraham Solomon had of that sort But subjects are neither captives nor bought nor born slaves 4. Slavery is not Natural but a penal fruit of sin and would never have been if sin had not been But Government is not so but Natural necessary 5. Slaves are not their Masters brethren subjects are the Kings brethren over whom he must not lift up himself Deut. 17. 20. 6. Masters might purchase and sell their slaves Abimelech took sheep men servants gave them unto Abraham Gen. 20. 14. Iacob had maid servants men servants Asses Gen. 30. 43. no otherwise than other goods Solomon got to himself servants and maidens servants born in his house Eccles. 2. 7. a King cannot do so with his subjects 7. Princes have not this power to make the people slaves neither from God nor from the people From God they have none but to feed and to lead them 2 Sam. 5. 2. to rule them so as to feed them 1 Chron. 11. 2. Psal. 78. 71 72. From the people they have no power to make slaves they can give none such 8. Slavery is a Curse It was Canaans Curse to be a servant of servants Gen. 9. 25. but to have Magistrats is a promised blessing Ier. 17. 27. 9. To be free of Slavery is a blessing as the redemption from Egypts bondage is every
where called and the year of redemption was a Iubile of joy so the freedom of release every seven years a great priviledge Ier 34. 9. but to be free of Government is a judgment Isai. 3. 4 5. it s threatened Israel shall abide without a King without a Prince Hos. 3. 4. In the Next place they cannot be ouned as Masters or Proprietors over the goods of the subjects thâ— in the case of necessity the King may make use of all goods in common for the good of the Kingdom For 1. The introduction of Kings cannot overturn natures foundation by the Law of Nature property was given to man Kings cannot rescind that 2. A man had goods ere ever there was a King a King was made only to preserve property therefore he cannot take it away 3. It cannot be supposed that rational people would choose a King at all if he had power to turn a greater Robber to preserve them from lesser Robberies oppressions would rational men give up themselves for a prey to one that they might be safe from becoming a prey to others 4. Then their case should be worse by erecting of Government if the Prince were proprietor of their goods for they had the property themselves before 5. Then Government should not be a blessing but a curse and the Magistrate could not be a Minister for good 6. Kingdoms then should be among bona fortunae the goods of fortune which the King might sell dispone as he pleased 7. His place then should not be a function but a possession 8. People could not then by their removes or otherwise change their Soveraigns 9. Then no man might dispose of his oun goods without the Kings consent by buying or selling or giving almes nay nor pay tribute for they cannot do these things except they have of their oun 10. This is the very Character of a Tyrant as described 1 Sam. 8. 11. he will take your sons c. Zeph. 3. 3. her Princes are roaring Lyons her Iudges are evening Wolves 11. All the threatenings rebukes of oppression condemn this Isai. 3. 14. 15. Ezek. 45. 9. Mic. 3. 2 3. Ahab condemned for taking Naboths vineyard 12. Pharaoh had not all the Land of Egypt till he bought it Gen. 42. 20. So the Land became Pharaohs not otherwise Yet giving and not granting that he were really a Master in all these respects Notwithstanding if he turn to pursue me for my life because of my fidelity to my Master his both will withdraw me from the service of the Supreme Universal Master I may Lawfully withdraw my self from his and disoune him for one when I cannot serve two Masters Sure he cannot be Master of the conscience Thirdly They cannot come under the conjugal relation though there may be some proportion between that and subjection to a Lawful Ruler because of the Mutual Covenant transacted betwixt them but the Tyrant Usurper cannot pretend to this who refuse all Covenants Yet hence it cannot be inferred that because the wife may not put away her husband Or renounce him as he may do her in the case of Adultery therefore the people cannot disoune the King in the case of the violation of the Royal Covenant For the Kings power is not at all properly a husbands power 1. The wife by nature is the weaker vessel but the Kingdom is not weaker than the King. 2. The wife is given as an help to the man but here the man is given as an help to the Common-wealth 3. The wife cannot limit the husbands power as subjects may limit their Soveraigns 4. The wife cannot prescribe the time of her continuing under him as subjects may do with their Soveraigns 5. The wife cannot change her husband as a Kingdom can do their Government 6. The husband hath not power of life death but the Soveraign hath it over Malefactors Yet giving and not granting his power were properly Marital if the case be put that the man do habitually break the Marriage Covenant or take another wife and turn also Cruel intollerable in compelling his oun wife to wickedness and put the case also that she should not get a Legal divorce procured who can doubt but she might disoune him and leave him for this case is excepted out of that Command 1 Cor. 7. 10. let not the wife depart from her husband meaning for mere difference in Religion or other lesser causes but Adulterie doth annual the Marriage relation See Pool Synopsis Critic in Locum So when a Prince breaks the Royal Covenant and turns Tyrant or without any Covenant committs a rape upon the Common-wealth that pretended relation may must be disouned Hence we see there is no relation can bring a King or Ruler under the object of the duty of the fifth Command except it be that of a fiduciary Patron or Trustee and Publick Servant for we cannot oune him properly either to be a Father or a Master or a husband Therefore what can remain but that he must be a fiduciary Servant Wherefore if he shall either treacherously break his trust or presumptously refuse to be entrusted upon terms conditions to secure be accountable for before God man Religion Liberty we cannot oune his usurped Authority That Metaphore which the learned Buchanan uses de Iure Regni of a Publick Politick Phisician is not a relation different from this of a fiduciary Servant when he elegantly represents him as entrusted with the preservation restauration of the health of the politick body and endued with shill experience of the Laws of his Craft If then he be orderly called unto this charge and qualified for it and discharges his duty faithfully he deserves and we are obliged to give him the deference of an honoured Physician But if he abuse his Calling and not observe the rules thereof and in stead of curing go about wilfully to kill the body he is entrusted with he is no more to be ouned for a Physician but for a Murderer 9. If we inquire further into the nature of this Relation between a King whose Authority is to be ouned and his subjects we can oune it only as it is Reciprocal in respect of Superiority Inferiority that is whereby in some respects the King is Superior to the people and in some respects the people is Superior to him The King is Superior Supreme as he is called 1 Pet. 2. 13. in respect of formal Soveraignty and executive Authority and Majestick Royal dignity resulting from the peoples devolving upon him that Power and constituting him in that relation over themselves whereby he is higher in place power than they and in respect of his Charge conduct is worth ten thousands of the people 2 Sam. 18. 3. and there is no formally regal Tribunal higher than his And though he be Minor universis yet he is Major singulis greater than any one or all the people distributively taken And
stoping the Career of their Murders in a time of real extreame necessity the matter of the action being unquestionably Lawful their ends intentions really good commendable there being also a deficiency of others to do the work and themselves in some probable Capacity for it See Ius Popul Cap. 20. Pag. 410. Neither can it be denyed but true zeal may sometimes incite people to such exploits for the preservation of Religion Liberty their oun lives and Brethren all like to be destroyed by the impunity of beasts of prey This will be found very consistent with a Gospel Spirit And though this Principle be asserted and also put in practice all persons notwithstanding thereof would have sufficient securitie for their life except such as hath really forefeited their lives by all Law of God man. Those that are led by Impulses may pretend the imitation of extraordinary examples and abuse them yet hence it will not follow that in no case these extraordinary Examples may be imitated Shall the examples of good Magistrats executing Justice on Idolaters Murderers be altogether unimitable because Tyrants abuse them in persecuting the innocent If this arguing were good it would make all vertuous Actions in the world unimitable for these may be abused by pretenders See Ius Popul ubi supra Pag. 412. But it cannot be charged upon the Sufferers upon this head that they had nothing to give as the reasons of their Actions but pretexts of Enthusiasmes 5. Thô a man be really so Criminal as thaâ— he deserves death by the Law of God man yet it may be murder to kill him if we do not certainly know it and can prove it and convict him of it upon Tryal for no man must be killed indictâ or incognitâ causâ Thus even Magistrats may Murder Murderers when they proceed against them without probation or cognition according to Law far more private persons Thus the Abiezrites would have murdered Gideon not only unjustly for his duty of throwing doun the Altar of Baal but illegally because they would had him brought out that he might die without any further Tryal Iudg. 6. 29 30. So likewise the Iewes that banded bound themselves under a curse to kill Paul before he was tried would have Murdered him not only unjustly for his duty but illegally before he was tried Act. 23. 12. But this doth not condemn the Actions of those Sufferers in maintaining the necessary execution of Judgement upon persons who are Notorious Murderers yea professing a trade and prosecuting habitually a tract of continued Murdering the people of the Lord. 6. Thô it should be certainly known and sufficiently proven that a man is a Murderer c. Yet it were Murder for an inferiour under a relation of subjection to him to kill him as long as that subjection were acknowledged for whensoever the common mutual right or relation either Natural Moral Civil or Religious to the prejudice or scandal of the Church or State or particular persons is broken by killing any person that is Murder thô the person killed deserve to die As if a Subject should kill an acknowled King a Son by Nature or in Law should kill his Natural or legal father a Servant should kill his Master breaking these relations while their right tye were acknowledged as some of them must still be acknowledged as long as the Correlates continue in being to wit that of a father is not broken by his becoming a Murderer and to the danger detriment scandal of the Church State That were properly Assassination for Assassines are they who being subject to others either out of their oun head for their oun ends or by command of their Superiours kill their Superiours or such as they command them to kill as Alstedius describes them Theolog. Cas. cap. 18. de homicid reg 55. Therefore David would not kill Saul because he acknowledged him to be the Lords Anointed to whom he was under a relation of subjection and because he was his Master and Father in Law And because it would have tended to the hurt of the Kingdom and involved it in Combustions Contentions about the succession and prejudged his oun right as well as to the scandal of the people of God thô Saul deserved otherwise to be capitally punished So Ishbosheth was killed by Baanah Rehab 2 Sam. 4. 7. So Iozachar Iehozabad who killed Ioash 2 King. 12. 21. were punished as Murderers chap. 14. 6. because they were his servants and did assassinate him to whom they were subject So the servants of Amon were punished by the people as Conspirators against their King Master 2 King. 21. 23 24. though Amon deserved to have been punished as well as Amaziah was Hence generally it is observed by some that thô right be given to equals or Superiours to bring their nearest relations to condign punishment when they turn entycers to Idolatry Deut. 13. 6. Yet no right or jus upon any cause or occasion whatsoever is given to inferiours as Children c. to punish their fathers See Pool Synop. Critie in Locum However it be this cannot condemn the taking off of Notorious Murderers by the hand of such as were no way subject nor related to them but as enemies who in extreame necessity executed righteous Judgement upon them without prejudice of the true necessary chief good of the Church Commonwealth or of any particular persons just right security as Napthali qualifies it Pag. 22. 23. Prior edit 7. Thô the matter of the Action were just and the Murderer such a person as we might punish without any breach of relative obligations or duties Yet the manner may aggravate it to some degree of Murder if it be done Secretly when it may be execute publickly or suddenly precipitantly when it may be done deliberately without rushing upon such an Action or hurrying the Murderer to eternity as this also might have had some weight with David not to murder Saul secretly suddenly in the Cave or when he was sleeping So Ishbosheth and Ioâ—sh and Amoa were murdered Or if it be done subtilly when it may be performed in more plain fair dealing or teacherously under colour of friendship or cruelly without regard to humanity and especially when the Actors are at peace with the person whose blood they shed as Ioab shed the blood of war in peace 1 King. 2. 5. in killing Abner Amasa so craftily cruelly and Absalom made his servants Assassinate Amnon 2 Sam 13. 28 29. But this cannot be charged upon them who executed righteous Judgement as publickly deliberately and calmely as the extraordinary exigence of pressing necessity in extremity of danger could allow upon notorious Murderers with whom they were in open and avowed terms of hostility 8. Thô the manner also be inculpable yet if the principle and motive of killing even those that deserve to die be out of malice hatred rage or revenge for private
England and generally hated of all who disdaining to wait upon the formall choise of any but after he had paved his passage to the Throne upon his Brothers blood did usurpe the Title without all Law. 5. The second thing necessary for the Legal Constitution of a King by the people is their Compact with him which must either be Express or Tacite Explicite or Implicite Two things are here to be proven that will furnish an Argument for disouning both the Brothers First That there must be a Conditionall reciprocally obliging Covenant between the Soveraign and the Subjects without which there is no such relation to be ouned Secondly That when this compact is broken in all or its chiefest conditions by the Soveraign the peoples obligation ceases The first I shall set doun in the words of a famous Author our Renouned Country man Buchanan in his Dialogue de Iure Regni apud Scotos Mutua igitur Regi cum Civibus est pactio c. There is then or there ought to be a Mutual compact between the King and his subjects c. That this is indispensibly necessary essential to make up the Relation of Soveraign Subjects may be proved both from the Light of Nature Revelation First it may appear from the Light of Natural reason 1. From the Rise of Government and the Interest people have in erecting it by consent choise at is shewed above If a King cannot be with out the peoples making then all the power he hath must either be by compact or gift If by compact then we have what we proposed And if by gift then if abused they may recall it or if they cannot recover it yet they may ought to hold their hand and give him no more that they may retain that is no more honour or respect which is in the honourer before the honoured get it Can it be imagined that a people acting rationally would give a power absolutely without restrictions to destroy all their oun rights Could they suppose this boundless Lawless Creature left at Liberty to Tyrannize would be a fit mean to procure the the ends of Government for this were to set up a rampant Tyrant to rule as he listeth which would make their condition a great deal worse then if they had no Ruler at all for then they might have more Liberty to see to their safety See Ius populi ch 6. pag. 96. 97. 2. This will be clear from the nature of that Authority which only a Soveraign can have over his Subjects which whatever be the Nature of it it cannot be absolute that is against Scripture Nature Common sense as shall be proven at more length That is to set up a Tyrant one who is free from all conditions a roaring Lyon a ranging Bear to destroy all if he pleases It must be granted by all that the Soveraign Authority is only fiduciarie entrusted by God the people with a great Charge A great Pledge is impauned committed to the Care Custody of the Magistrate which he must take special care of and not abuse or waste or alienate or sell for in that case Royalists themselves grant he may be deposed He is by Office a Patron of the Subjects Liberties and Keeper of the Law both of God Man the Keeper of both Tables Sure he hath no power over the Lawes of God but a Ministerial power he may not stop disable them as he pleases Of the same nature is it over all other Parts of his Charge He is rather a Tutor than an Inheritor proprietor of the Common-wealth and may not do with his pupils interest what he pleases In a word the Nature whole significancy of his power lyes in this that he is the Nations publick Servant both Objectively in that he is only for the good of the people and Representatively in that the people hath impauned in his hand all their power to do Royal Service The Scripture eaches this in giving him the Titles of Service as Watchman c. allowing him Royal wages for his Royal work Rom. 13. he is Gods Minister attending continually on this thing There is his work for this cause pay yow tribute also There is his wages maintinance He is called so in that transaction with Rehoboam The old men advised him to be a Servant unto the People then they should be his Servants 1 King. 12. 7. There was a conditional bargain proposed As to be a Servant or Tutor or Guardian upon Trust always implies Conditions Acconntableness to them that entrust them 3. It must needs be so otherwise great absurdities would follow Here would be a voluntary contracted Relation obliging as to relative duties to a man that ouwed none correlative to us and yet one whom we set over us It were strange if there were no Condition here and no other voluntarly suscepted Relations can be without this as between Man Wife Master Servant c. This would give him the disposal of us Ours as if both we and what we have were his oun as a mans goods are against which he does not sin whatever he do with them So this would make a King that could not sin against us being no ways obliged to us for he can no otherwise be obliged to us but upon Covenant conditions he may be obliged bound in duty to God otherwise but he cannot be bound to us otherwise And if he be not bound then he may do what he will he can do no wrong to us to whom he is no wayes bound This also is point blank against the Law of God which is the Second way to prove it by the Light of Revelation or Scripture 1. In thevery directions about making seting up of Kings the Lord shewes what conditions shall be required of them Deut. 17. 15. c. and in all directions for obeying them the qualifications they should have are rehearsed as Rom. 13. 3 4. Therefore none are to be set up but on these conditions and none are to be obeyed but such as have these qualifications 2. In His promises of the succession of Kings He secures their continuation only Conditionally to establish the Kingdom if they be constant to do His Commandments Judgements 1 Chron. 28. 7. There shall not fail a man to sit upon the Trone yet so that they take heed to their way to walk in Gods Law as David did 2 Chron. 6. 16. Now He was not otherwise to perform these promises but by the action suffrage of the people seting him up which He had appointed to be the way of calling Kings to Thrones if therefore the Lords promise be conditional the peoples actions also behoved to be suspended upon the same conditions 3. We have many express Covenants between Rulers Subjects in Scripture Iephthah was fetcht from the Land of Tob and made the head of the Gileadites by an explicite mutual stipulation wherein the Lord
therefore established in Davids family for Typical reasons that cannot be now alledged 12. We find in the disposal of Government among brethren this birth-order was not seldom inverted as when Iacoh was preferred before Esaw Iudah before all the elder sons of Iacob Ephraim before Manasseh Solomon before Adonijah Hence if this Gentleman now regnant have no better pretences than these now confuted we cannot recognosce his right to reign yea though this last were valid yet he cannot plead it it being expressly provided in our Laws against the succession of a Papist But there is one Grand Objection against all this The Jewes and other Nations are commanded to bring their necks under the yoke of the King of Babilon and to serve him and yet he had no other right to these Kingdom then the Lords Providential disposal because the Lord had given all these Lands into his hand Ier. 27. 6 7 12. Ans. 1. He was indeed an unjust Usurper and had no right but the Lord providential gifâ— which sometimes makes the tabernacles of Robbers prosper into whose hand God bringeth abundantly Iob. 12. 6. and gives Iacoh sometimes for a spoil and Israel to the Robbers Isai. 42. 24. and giveth power to the Beast to continue forty two Moneths and to have power over all kindreds tongues Nations Revel 13. 5 7. His Tyranny also was very great extensively in respect of his oppressions usurpations by Conquest but it was not so great intensively as our Robbers Spoilers may be charged with he was never such a Perverter of all the ends of Government nor a treachrous overturner of all Conditions he was never a Persecuter of the Iewish Religion he never oppressed them upon that account nor endeavoured its extirpation he never enacted such mischiefs by Law. The Lord only made use of him to bring about the holy ends of the Glory of His Justice Wisdom in which respect alone he is called His Servant as else where His â—od hammer having given him a charge against an Hypocritical Nation to trample them doun in His holy Providence and accordingly there was no resistence could prevail they must be trampled upon no help for it but no subjection was required acknowledging his Magistratical right by divine Ordinance but only a submissive stooping to the holy disposal of divine Providence no ouning was exacted either of the equity of that power or of fealtie to the administrator 2. This behoved to be a particular Command by Positive Revelation given at that time not binding to others in the like Condition which I refer to the judgment of the objectors put the case and make it run paralel If the King of England were in league with the King of France and breaking that league should provoke that aspiring Prince growing potent by many Conquests to discover his designs make preparations and give out threatenings for the Conquest of England all Brittain were the people of England bound to surrender themselves as Servants tributaries to him for 70 years or for ever under pain of destruction if they should not This were one of the most ridiculous inferences that ever was pleaded nay it would make all refusal of subjection to invaders unlawful 3. I will draw an Argument from this to confirm my Plea for these Commands of subjection to Babilon were not delivered until after the King of Iudah had surrendered to Nebuchadnezzar and entered into Covenant with him to be subject to him 2. King. 24. chap. in keeping which Covenant the Kingdom might have stood and after he had Rebelled against him and broken that Covenant when lo he had given his hand after which he could not prosper or escape or be delivered Ezek. 17. 14 15 18 2 Chron. 36. 13. Then the Commandment came that they should disoune their oune King Zedekiah now forefeiting his right by breach of Covenant and be subject to Nebuchadnezzar Whence I argue If people are commanded to disoune their Covenant-breaking Rulers and subject themselves to Conquerours then I have all I plead for But the former is true by the truth of this objection Ergo also the Latter There is a 2 Obj. from Rom. 13. 1. let every soul be subject to the higher powers the powers that be are ordained of God yet the Roman Emperour to which they were to be subject was an usurper Ans. 1. It cannot be proven that the Apostle intendeth here the Roman Emperour as the higher power There were at this time several Competitions for the Empire about which Christians might have their oun scruples whom to oune the Apostle does not determine their litigations nor interest himself in parties but gives the General Standart of Gods Ordinance they had to go by And the best Expositors of the place do alleâ—ge the question doubt of Christians then was not so much in whom the Supremacy was as whether Christians were at all bound to obey Civil power especially Pagan which the Apostle resolves in giving general directions to Christians to obey the ordinance of Magistracy conforme to its original and as it respects the end for which he had would set it up but no respect is there had to Tyrants 2. It cannot be proven that the Supreme power then in being was usurpative there being then a Supreme Senate which was a Lawful power nor that Nero was then an usurper who came in by choise consent and with the good liking of the people 3. The Text means of Lawful powers not unlawful force that are ordained of God by His Preceptive will not meerly by His Providential disposal and of consciencious subjection to Magistracy not to Tyranny describing characterizing the powers there by such qualifications as Tyrants Usurpers are not capable of But I mind to improve this Text more fully hereafter to prove the quite contrary to what is here objected 8. From the Right of Magistracy flowes the Magistratical Relation which is necessary to have a bottom before we can build the relative duties thereof This brings it under the fifth Commandment which is the Rule of all relative duties between Inferiours Superiours requiring honour to be given to Fathers Masters Husbands c. and to rightful Magistrates who are under such political relations as do infer the same duties and prohibiting not only the omission of these duties but also the committing of contrary sins which may be done not only by contrary acts as dishonouring rebelling against Fathers Magistrats c. but also by performing them to contrary objects as by giving the Fathers due to the Fathers opposite and the Magistrats due to Tyrants who are their opposites Certainly this Command prescribing honour doth regulate to whom it should be given And must be understood in a consistency with that duty and Character of one that hath a mind to be an inhabitant of the Lords holy Hill Psal. 15. 4. in whose eyes a vile person is contemned but he honoureth them that fear
the Lord. So that we sin against the fifth Command when we honour them that we are obliged to contemn by another Command Hence I argue If ouning or honouring of Tyrants be a breach of the fifth Command then we cannot oune their Authority But the former is true Ergo the latter I prove the Assumption A honouring the vile to whom no honour is due and who stand under no relation of Fathers as Fathers is a breach of the fifth Command But the ouning of Tyrants Authority is a honouring the vile to whom no honour is due and who stand under no relation of Fathers and is yet a honouring them as Fathers Ergo the ouning of Tyrants Authority is a breach of the fifth Command The Major is clear for if the honouring of these to whom no honour is due were not a breach of the fifth Command that precept conld neither be kept at all nor broken at all It could not be kept at all for either it must oblige us to honour all indefinitely as Fathers and other relations which cannot be or else it must leave us still in suspence ignorance who shall be the object of our honour and then it can never be kept or finally it must astrict our honouring to such definite relations to whom it is due then our transgression of that restriction shall be a breach of it Next if it were not so it could not be broken at all for if prostituting abusing honour be not a sin we cannot sin in the matter of honour at all for if the abuse of honour be not a sin then dishonour also is not a sin for that is but an abuse of the duty which is a sin as well as the omission of it And what should make the taking away of honour from the proper object to be sin and the giving it to a wrong object to be no sin Moreover if this Command do not restrict honour to the proper object we shall never know who is the object how shall we know who is our Father or what we owe to him if we may give another his due The Minor also is manifest for if Tyrants be vile then no honour is due to them according to that Psal. 15. 4. And yet it is a honouring them as Fathers if they be ouned as Magistrats for Magistrats are in a politick sense Fathers But certain it is that Tyrants are vile as the Epithets Characters they get in Scripture prove But because in contradiction to this it may be said though Fathers be never so wicked yet they are to be honoured because they are still Fathers And though Masters be never so vile and froward yet they are to be subjected unto 1 Pet. 2. 18-20 and so of other relations to whom honour is due by this Command therefore though Tyrants be never so vile they are to be ouned under these relations because they are the higher Powers in place of Eminency to whom the Apostle Paul commands to yeeld subjection Rom. 13. and Peter to give submission honour 1 Pet. 2. 13 17. Therefore it must be considered that as the relative duty of honouring the relations to whom it is due must not interfere with the moral duty of contemning the vile who are not under these relations So this general Moral of contemning the vile must not caâ—sate the obligation of relative duties but must be understood with a Consistency therewith without any prejudice to the duty it self We must contemn all the vile that are not under a relation to be honoured and these also that are in that relation in so far as they are vile But now Tyrants do not come under these Relations at all that are to be honoured by this Command As for the higher Powers that Paul speaks of Rom. 13. they are not those which are higher in foâ—ce but higher in Power not in potentia but in potestate not in a Celsitude of prevalency but in a precellency of dignity not in the pomp pride of their prosperity possession of the place but by the virtue value of their office being ordained of God not to be resisted the Ministers of God for good terrors to evil doers to whom honour is due those are not Tyrants but Magistrats Hence it is a word of the same root which is rendered Authority or an Authorized Power 1 Tim. 2. 2. And from the same word also comes that supreme to whom Peter commands subjection honour 1 Pet. 2. 13. Now these he speaks of have the Legal Constitution of the people being the ordinance of man to be subjected to for the Lords sake and who sends other inferior Magistrats for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well who are to be honoured as Kings or Lawful Magistrats this cannot be said of Tyrants But more particularly to evince that Tyrants Usurpers are not to be honoured according to this Command and that it is a breach of it so to do let us go through all these Relations of Superiority that come under the obligation of this Command and we shall find Tyrants Usurpers excluded out of all First they cannot come under the Parental relation We are indeed to esteem Kings as Fathers though not properly but by way of some Analogy because it is their office to care for the people and to be their Counsellers and to defend them as Fathers do for Children but Roaring Lyons Ranging Bears as wicked Rulers are Prov. 28. 15. cannot be Fathers But Kings cannot properly be ouned under this Relation far less Tyrants with whom the Analogy of Fathers cannot consist there being so many notable disparities betwixt Kings Fathers 1. A Father may be a Father to one Child but a King cannot be a King or Politick Father to one only but his Correlate must be a Community a Tyrant can be a Father to none at all in a Politick sense 2. A Father is a Father by Generation to all coming out of his loyns a King not so he doth not beget them nor doth their relation flow from that a Tyrant is a destroyer not a Procreator of people 3. A Father is the cause of the Natural being of his Children A King only of the Politick well being of his subjects but Tyrants are he cause of the ill being of both 4. A Father once a Father as long as his Children live retains still the relation thô he turn mad and never so wicked A King turning mad may be served as Nebuchadnezzar was at least all will grant in some cases the subjects may shake off thâ— King and if in any case it is when he turns Tyrant 5. A Fathers relation never ceases whither soeuer his Children go but subjects may change their relation to a King by coming under another King in another Kingdom a Tyrant will force all lovers of freedom to leave the Kingdom where he Domineers 6. A Fathers relation never changes he can neither
we cannot expect to have the Lord for a Sanctuary but for a stone of stumbling Isai. 8. 8. 12-14 No Peace obstructing the Gospel or Testimony or abstracting from the duty of the day No Peace tending to sinful security Ier. 8. 11. No Peace leading to slavish stupidity No Peace prompting to preposterous prudence in palliating sin or daubing defections with untempered morter No Peace inconsistent with Truth they must go together Zech. 1. 19. No Peace that may not be followed with Holiness Heb. 12. 14. But it must be so qualified that it be in the Lord in Truth in duty contributing for the good of the Church Psal. 122. 8 9. and the fruit of that Wisdom which is first Pure and then Peaceable Iam. 3. 17. Now all that know the Imposers of these Bonds will acknowledge that is not the Peace they are seeking 3. If we further enquire into their meaning of Living Peaceably and seek a determinate sense of it from their Acts Actings It is plain they mean such a Peaceable Living as gives obedience to their wicked Laws and is a Complyance to their established Courses And it must be such a Peaceable living as is opposite to their sense of Sedition Rebellion Schisme c. Which they interpret every seasonable duty to be And it must be such a Peaceable living as they were presumed not to have been observant of before and what ever it be must be opposite to that with which they were charged as turbulent and so contrary to all the duties of our Covenanted profession as going to meetings withdrawing from the Curats c. Which they interpret not to be Peacable living 4. This is contrary to our Covenants which oblige us to a constant contending with and opposition to them Yet all this is engaged into in the Oath of Abjuration which abjures all war against the King and all doing injury to them that serve him and consequently to Peace living Peaceably with them IV. Of Affinity to this were many other Bonds of Regularity frequently renewed generally imposed and that with unparalelled illegality rigour Sometimes by hosts of Savage Highlanders Sometimes by Circuit-Courts and by Heretors upon their Tenants and with such unheard of involvements that the Master or Heretor was obliged for himself his Wife Children Servants Tenants and all under him to live Orderly Which in some was more bluntly expressed in others more flatly explained that they should keep the Publick Ordinances that is hear the Curats and not go to any Seditious Conventicles so they called the Persecuted Meetings of the Lords people for the Worship of God and in others yet more impudently exacted that they should not harbour intertain or correspond with any that went to these Meetings but discover and assist to the apprehending of them There were several forms of them from time to time some longer some shorter but all of them first last were to the same sense scope And the most favourably worded had much wickedness in them for 1. They are Covenants of Order and coming under the same Rule with themselves which is nothing but their lusts Mischiefs framed into Law not according to the Rule of the Word of God but the iniquious Laws of men 2. They could not be taken in Truth Judgement Righteousness for either they were ambiguous or their plain sense obliged to manifest iniquities to conforme with all their enacted corruptions 3. They are clear breaches of Covenant which obliges to another Kind of Orderlyness and to follow other Rules and take none from them in the Matters of God. 4. They are impossible and absurd obliging Masters to bind for all under them that could neither lye in their power nor in their duty to restrain their Liberty in these Lawful things and to constrain compell their consciences to sin 5. They are unnatural cruel obliging the Takers to partake with them in their persecution of the Godly 6. They were engagments to hear Curats which is proved to be sin Head 1. throughout 7. They were engagments to withdraw from the Meetings of the Lords people proved to be duty Head 4. Yet the Oath of Abjuration is some way equivalent to this in that it obliges the Abjurers to renounce Disorderlyness in their sense and to do no harm to the timeserving Orderly Clergy or Laity serving prosecuting their wicked Orders V. Some other Bonds of that nature and Oaths frequently put to Suffering people when taken Prisoners did require peaceableness Orderlyness in this Style that they should either tacitely or expressly condemn Some Risings in Armes as at Pentland Bothwel c. to be Rebellion against the King and a sin against God engage never to rise in Armes against the King or any commissionate by him upon any pretence whatsoever The iniquity whereof is manifest for 1. This is a Covenant equivalent to a league Offensive Defensive with them obliging never to offend or oppose them not to defend nor rescue our Brethren against from their murdering violence 2. This could not be taken in Truth Judgement Righteousness for who can tell how far that may extend upon any pretence whatsoever this may oblige us to make a stupid surrender of our lives when the King turns so Tyrannical as to send his Cut-throats to demand them or Authorizes his bloody Papists to Massacre us them we must not resist upon this pretence 3. It is contrary to our Covenants that allow Resistance in some cases and oblige to assist defend all that enter under the bond thereof 5. This infers an ouning of the present Authority as the irresistible Ordinance of God and an obligation of living peaceably in subjection under it disproved above To which I shall adde a part of that forecited Letter of Mr Rutherfoords the 63. in number of the third part of his printed Letters which are a clear vindication of the principles practice of our consciencious Sufferers on this point There is a promise real purpose saith he to live peaceably under the Kings Authority But 1 yow do not so answer candidly imgenuously the mind of the Rulers who to your knowledge mean a far other thing by Authority than yow do for yow mean his just Authority his Authority in the Lord in the maintenance of true Religion as in the Covenant confession of faith is expressed from the Word of God they mean his supreme Authority absolute prerogative above Laws as their Acts clear and as their practice is for they refused to such as were unwilling to subscribe their bond to adde Authority in the Lord or just Lawful Authority or Authority as it is expressed in the Covenant but this draught of a petition yeelds the sense meaning to them which they crave 2 That Authority for which they contend is exclusive of the sworn Covenant So that except ye had said ye shall be subject to the Kings Authority in the Lord or
the Remnant that He may get a lodging among the afflicted poor people that trust in the Name of the Lord that they may feed Lie doun none make them afraid Zeph. 3. 12 13. that the poor of the flock that wait on Him may know that it is the Word of the Lord Zech. 11. 11. they will lay out themselves to strengthen their hands This is the Work of the publick spirited Lovers of the Gospel which hath been and yet is the great work of this our day to carry the Gospel and follow it and keep it up through the Land as the Standart of Christ against all opposition from mountain to hill when now Zion hath been Labouring to bring forth as a woman in travel and made to go forth out of the City and to dwell in the field Mic. 4. 10. Therefore seeing it is the publick Work of the day and all its followers must have such a publick spirit it followes that the Meetings to promote it must be as publick as is possible 4. The Interest priviledge of the Gospel to have it in freedom purty power plenty is the publick Concern of all the Lords people preferable to all other Interests and therefore more publickly peremptorly and zealously to be contended for than any other Interest whatsoever It is the Glory of the Land 1 Sam. 4. 21. without which Ichabod may be the name of every thing and every Land though never so pleasant will be but a dry parched Land where no water is in the esteem of them that have seen the Lords Glory power in the Sanctuary Psal. 63. 1. Where as its name is Hephzibah Beulah Isai. 62. 4. and Iehovah-Shammah Ezek. 48. ult where God is enjoyed in His Gospel Ordinances And the want reproach of the Solemn Assemblies is a matter of the saddest mourning to the Lords people Zeph. 3. 18. Therefore while the Ark abode in Kerjath-jearim the time was thought very Long and all the house of Israel Lamented after the Lord 1 Sam. 7. 2. then they heard of it at Ephratah and found it in the fields of the Wood Psal. 132. 6. But it hath been longer than twenty years in our fields of the Woods and therefore we should be Lamenting after it with greater concernedness especially remembering how we were priviledged with the Gospel which was somtimes publickly embraced countenanced by Authority and ensured to us by Laws Statutes Declarations Proclamations Oaths Vowes Covenant-engagments whereby the Land was dedicated devoted unto the Son of God whose Conquest it was And now are not all the people of God obliged to do what they can to hinder the recalling of this dedication and the giving up of the Land as an offering unto Satan Antichrist And how shall this be but by a publick Contending for this priviledge and a resolving they shall sooner bereave us of our hearts blood than of the Gospel in its freedom purity But this we cannot contend for publickly if our Meetings be not publick 5. The nature business of the Gospel Ministrie is such that it obliges them that exercise it to endeavour all publickness without which they cannot discharge the extent of their Instructions their very names titles do insinuate so much They are Witnesses for Christ and therefore their Testimony should be publick though their Lot oftentimes be to Witness in Sackcloth They are Heraulds and therefore they should Proclaim their Masters Will though their Lot be often to be a voice crying in the Wilderness as Iohn the Baptist was in his field Preachings They are Ambassadours and therefore they should maintain their Masters Majestie in the Publick port of His Ambassadours and be wholly taken up about their Soveraigns business They are Watchmen and therefore they should keep maintain their post their Masters hath placed them at Nay they are Lights Candles and therefore cannot be hid Math. 5. 14 15. The Commands Instructions given them infer the necâ—ssity of this They must cry aloud and not spare and left up their voice like a Trumpet and shew the Lords People their transgressions sins Isai. 58. 1. They are Watchmen upon Ierusalems walls which must not hold their peace day nor night nor keep silence nor give the Lord rest till He establish and till He make Ierusalem a praise in the earth Isai. 62. 6 7. They are Watchmen that must command all to hearken to the sound of the Trumpet Ier. 6. 17. They must be valiant for the Truth upon the earth Ier. 9. 3. They must say thus saith the Lord even to a rebellious Nation whether they will hear or forbear and not be afraid of them Ezek. 2. 5 6. They must cause the people to know their abominations Ezek. 16. 2. and the abominations of their Fathers Ezek. 20. 4. And what their Master tells them in darkness that they must speak in the Light and what they hear in the ear that they must Preach upon the house tops Math 10. 27. These things cannot be done in a Clandestine way And therefore now when there is so much necessity it is the duty of all faithful Ministers to be laying out themselves to the utmost in their Pastoral function for the suppreffing of all the evils of the time not withstanding of any prohibition to the contrary in the most publick manner according to the examples of all the faithful servants of the Lord both in the Old New Testaments Though it be most impiously Tyrannically interdicted yet the Laws of God stand unrepealed and therefore all who have a Trumpet a Mouth should set the Trumpet to their Mouth and sound a certain sound not in secret for that will not alarme the people but in in the most publick manner they can have access to And it is the duty of all to come hear obey their Warnings Witnessings command who will the contrary It was for mocking despising His Words misusing His Prophets that the wrath of the Lord arose against His people the Iewes until there was no remedy 2 Chron. 36 16. Therefore from all that is said it must be Concluded that Meetings for Gospel Ordinances must be as publick as can be And if so then that they should be in houses safety will not permit to us to go to the streets or Mercat places neither safety nor prudence will admit Therefore we must go to the fields with it cost what it will. 4. Seeing then there must be Meettngs publick Meetings And seeing we cannot and dare not in Conscience countenance the Curats Meetings we must hear oune embrace follow such faithful Ministers as are cloathed with Christ Commission Righteousness salvation and do keep the Words of the Lords patience and the Testimony of the Church of Scotland in particular This I think will not or dare not be denyed by any that oune the Authority of Christ which none can deny or instruct the contrary
but our Ministers that ventured their lives in preaching in the fields have had a certain seal to their Ministry is sealed sensibly in the conviction of many confession of moe That Christs Ministers Witnesses employed about the Great Gospel Message cloathed with His Authority under the obligation of His Commands lying upon them must preach the people must hear them not withstanding of all Laws to the contrary Divines grant that the Magistrate can no more suspend from the exercise than he can depose from the Office of the Ministry for the one is a degree unto the other See Apollon de jure Majest circa Sacra Part. 1. Pag. 334. c. Rutherf Due right of Presb. Pag. 430. c. For whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto men more than unto God the Consciences of the greatest enemies may be appealed unto Act. 4. 19. They must not cease wherever they have a Call Occasion to Teach Preach Iesus Christ Act. 5. ult Necessity is laid upon them yea wo unto them if they Preach not the Gospel 1 Cor. 9. 16. In all things they must approve themselves as the Ministers of God in much patience in afflictions in necessities c. by honour dishonour by evil report good report as deceivers and yet true as unknown yet well known 2 Cor. 6. 4 8 9. They must preach the Word be instant in season out of season reprove rebuke exhort with all long suffering doctrine 2 Tim. 4. 2. Dare any say then that a Magistrats or Tyrants Laws can exauctorate a Minister or silence him by his oun proper elicite acts as King or Tyrant or formally immediately Will Mischiefs framed into a Law warrant such iniquity or an act of a King of Clay rescind the Mandats of the King of Kings or exempt people from obedience due thereunto Or will the Bishops Canons who have no power from Christ or the Censures of them that stand condemned themselves by the Constitutions of the Church Acts of the General Assemblies have any weight in the case And yet these are all that can be alledged except odious invidious Calumnies the ordinary Lot of the most faithful against the present preachers in the fields which are sufficiently confuted in their late Informatory Vindication and need not here be touched Seeing therefore they have given up themselves unto Christ as His servants they must resolve to be employed for Him to the outmost of their power and must not think of laying up their Talent in a Napkin especially now when there is so great necessity when Defection is yet growing covered countenanced more more Division nothing abated but new oyl cast daylie into the flames of devouring Contentions the people generally drouned in the deluge of the times snares sins and like to be over whelmed in the inundation of black Poperie now coming in at the opened sluce of this wicked Toleration with the Congratulations of Addressing Ministers when now the Harvest is great and the Labourers are few Great then is the necessity and double must the woe be that abideth such Ministers as are silent at such a time And great inexcusable is the sin of the people if they do not come out and countenance faithful Ministers the Messengers of the Lord of hosts from whom they should seek the Law Mal. 2. 7. especially when there are so many that have palpably betrayed their Trust and so few that are faithful in the necessary Testimony of the day Seeing then faithful Ministers must preach people must hear where can they meet with conveniency safety freedom except either under the shelter of this wicked Toleration which they dare not do or else go to the fields 5. It must be obtained also that the Ministers have a right to Preach in this unfixed manner whereever they have a Call their relation now in this disturbed state of the Church being to be considered more extensively than in its settled condition For understanding which we must distinguish a three or four-fold relation that a Minister of the Gospel stands into First He is a Minister of Christ and Steward of the Mysteries of God 1 Cor. 4. 1. having his Commission from Christ as his Master And this relation he hath universally wherever he is Secondly he is a Minister of the Catholick Church though not a Catholick Minister of it which is his primary relation for that is the Church in which Ministers are set 1 Cor. 12. 28. and to which they are given Eph. 4. 11 12. Thirdly He is a Minister of the particular Church whereof he is a Member and so in Scotland a Minister is a Minister of the Church of Scotland and is obliged to lay out himself for the good of that Church Fourthly he is a Minister of the particular Congregation whereunto he hath a fixed relation in a constitute case of the Church This last is not essential to a Minister of Christ but is subservient to the former relations but when separated from such a relation or when it is impossible to be held he is still a Minister of Christ and His Call to preach the Gospel stands binds See M r Durhams Degression on this particular on Revel chap. 2. pag. 89. c. in quarto For thô he be not a Catholick Officer having an equal relation to all Churches as the Apostles were Nevertheless he may exerce Ministerial Acts Authoritatively upon occasions warrantably calling for the same in other Churches as Heraulds of one King having Authority to charge in His Name wherever it be especially in a broken state of the Church when all the restriction his Ministerial relation is capable of is only a tye call to officiate in the service of that Church whereof he is a Member and so he hath right to preach every where as he is called for the edification of that Church The reasons are 1. He hath power from Christ the Master of the whole Church and therefore wherever the Masters Authority is acknowledged the Servants Ministerial Authority cannot be denied at least in relation to that Church whereof he is a Member as well as a Minister 2. He hath Commission from Christ principally for the edification of Christs body as far as his Ministrie can reach according to the Second relation 3. His relation to the whole Church is principal that which is fixed to a part is only subordinate because it is a part of the whole 4. His Commission is indefinite to preach the Gospel which will sâ—it as well in one place as in another 5. The same great ends of the Churches greater good edification which warrands fixing of a Minister to a particular charge in the Churches peaceable state will warrand his officiating more largely in her disturbed state 6. Else it would follow that a faithful Minister standing in that relation to a disturbed destroyed Church and all his