case and what the perill of State when the King whom 〈◊〉 bonds would have bound as Oaths before had not his Paroll now did not who in treating for his Liberty plots our destruction let all that are impartiall judge if under restraint he acted against our lives and the life of the whole yet seceretly and subtilty upon the pretence of Peace of condescension what would he have done if at liberty who lived who dyed the same I hope this will satisfie men of unprejudiced minds he was a wise Statesman who said England is a strong body which can never dye unlesse it kills it self to dâ—vide among our selves will produce infallible ruine in folly and fury we may wound the Nation but it s beyond our Art or the skill of Angels and men to heal it such may the contusion be I could not in Honour in affection but own their persons whose caâ—se I plead who are the supports each of others Power and dignity the Crown and Glory of this Nation by whom next under God we injoy our Liberties our Tranquillities and in hope that thy duty to them will answer their affection to thee and that the unworthy Author not worthy to be numbred with the Saints and the least of all Gods mercies shall injoy one blessing hereby I include thee in an Epistle with them and conclude my self Thine in and for the Lord and his Service ENO GREY Vox Coeli Containing Maximes of Pious Policy RELIGION is the best reason of State the strongest pillar of a Common-wealth and must be the rule of all Government Divine and Civill the Word is the mensura mensurans There is the measure of a man which is Angelicall a Apostoll call a There is the number of a man which is Traditionall a Diabolicall a because it is besides or against that rule which is Theopneumaticall a If States rule by measure and not by â—mmber then do they order their wayes so as to please the Lord and thereupon may expect their enemies to be as peace with them Pure worship is the sanctuary of strength and Saints the strength of Governors In the deformation thereof the earth mournes a curse devoureth the Land The transgression therof being heavy upon the inhabitants by Sword Famine and Pestilence a In the Reformation of Religion from the very day it begins all curses are turned into blessings a how 〈◊〉 against Jerâ—boam a how Asa a Jehâ—sâ—phat a Hâ—â—â—kiah a and Josiah a upon the ground prospered Divine Histories manifest In the advance of Reformation Christian Magistrates should be the chiefest instruments being furnished with power from heaven with a foursold authority to that end 1. A Restrictive authority a power of restraint in things pertaining to the outward man a the word signifies a possession of restraint all great and grosse sins against nature against Gods Law the Magistrate must restrain what the sin and punishment of Ely was is not unknown a Whatsoever is apparently sinfull in the worship of God to provoke the eyes of his glory a is prejudiciall unto the externall Communion to the civill peace and to the peculiar liberties of Churches such offences the Magistrate may inhibit he must restrain a and without the exercise of this power all sin all misery all confusion would fall upon Churches upon 〈◊〉 inevitably a Parents a and Masters a have this power granted them of God Therefore Magistrates have it much more they a being the Fathers and Masters of all Families under their civill jurisdiction 2. A Vindictive authority a power to inflict civill censure or due punishment sutable to the violation of Gods Law in cases momentall and prejudiciall to the honour of heaven Thus Idolatry a sin against the first Table is to be punished by the Judge a aswell as Adultery a sinne against the second Table a thus also blasphemy a against God this also Sabbath breaking all these sins are to be punished by him a and without the exercise of this power the wrath of God cannot bee kept off Kingdoms or States This argument is â—â—ged by Nehemiah who telleth us that a meet externall and Politicall observation of the Sabbath doth prevent or divert the wrath of the God of heaven a The Magistrate hath the Civill sword committed unto him from heaven to punish and to be a terror to evill works All evills indifferently whether Morall or Theologicall Civill or Sacred which are grosse and apparent evills against the glory of God for so far as he is to encourage good he is to discourage evill but he is to encourage all and to be a terror to no good works And therefore so for is he to discourage all evil and to encourage â—o evil works 〈◊〉 a and Masters a have received this authority from Christ in their families he that 's over all families hath not lesse power then hee that is confined to one 3. A decretive or mandative authority a power of commanding civilly what God commands in matters of Religion appertaining to the outward man a The King of Nâ—â—iveâ— did not respectively command the duty of Fasting and Prayer as convenient and profitable leaving the people to their liberty of practice therein to obey or disobey that command which suited best with their own judgments or consciences but heâ— doth positively decree it and that as an absolute necessary meanes to turn away the wrath of God from that Kingdoms and therefore he bound them in obedience to that decree by the force of civil authority upon a sacred groundâ—so in matters of saith aswell as practice a the Magistrate may command what the Word commands either expressely or by clear inference and naturall deduction a An Act if it bee good in it self cannot be evill upon his order the nature of the thing is not altered upon his command neither is the obedience given thereto thereupon unwarrantable a nay rather those that obey the command of the King and Nobles are said to obey the word of the Lord those that disobey are branded as scorners of God and godlinesse Abrahâ—â—â—â— Prince amongst the people a aswell as a Father to his Children as a Master to his Servants is commended by God for imposing the force of a command upon his houshold to keep the way of the Lord a What should I speak of Ioshua a What of David a Ruler saith he whether in an occonomical or political State must rule not only in justice to men but in the fâ—ar of God and bee as the sun for refreshing light and life unto his family or Kingdome Ezra's hands were strengthned in the service of the Lord by the command of the King for which he blesseth the Lord and yet this King a Heathen Religion doth not at all diminish the Civill authority of Magistrates in causes sacred but rather strengthneth that authority by sanctifying the same defining the end the means and ordering the
use the exercise of â—haâ— power by and according unto the rule of the Word and to the honor of God only a â—â—der the Gospel Magistrates 〈◊〉 nursing fathers to take care that no saving administrations bâ— wanting to the people and what is destructive to their spirituall and eternall good rather then what is prejudiciall to their corporall or temporall The soul being of infinite value beyond the body they are to inhibite and restrain As fathers they are to encourage those which are obedient to the will of the Lord and those that are apparently rebellious and disobedient they are to censure Job was a King amongst his people a Father and a Master in his family and he left not his family to choose their own way to walk therein at their own liberty but he chose out their way for them and appointed the same unto them positively and determinately that they might walk therein a I might instance in Moses a Asâ— a Jehosapâ—at a Hezekiaâ— a Jâ—â—iaâ— a besides these forementioned If it be said these were types of Christ I answer that it is true in their persons rather then in their power for why they should be types in that power which is sacred rather then in that which is Civill some reason must be given or else both powers being then though typically equally inherent in them by this argument must now determine in Christs person and then no humane authority is to be improved under the Gospel to any end either sacred or eivil which is against all scripture reason and by this argument and such like produced all occonomicall rule must also end with politicall and if so the world would soon be involved in all prophanenesse and wickednesse And besides neither Job nor Moses nor Cyrus nor Artaxerxes nor Nehemiah were types of Christ yet these improved this civill authority in causes sacred and without sin 4. It is an Accumulative authority the power of a Magistrate is to strengthen and encourage Churches and the Saints the members thereof in their due Liberties powers and priviledges to the preservation of them in peace and order the end of all magistraticall authority a so far as any matters of Religion coming under cognizance of the Civill Magistrate as a publick officer of the State do further or hinder that peace so far the Magistrate may use his civill power and if matters of Religion be pertinaciously and tumultuously upheld to the disturbance of the publick peace he may censure such persons and acts in reference thereto and without the exercise of this power Churches would assoone decay as States That vast authority that some Sycophants against all reason and rule have attributed unto Magistrates hath much prejudiced their due power in the opinion of some whose affections are good but grounds weake wanting the serious and judicious consideration of these foure subsequent limitations the qualifications of that foure-fold forementioned Authority 1 This power is not absolute the Magistrate may not do quod libet nor quod expedit but quod licâ—t a he may not appoint what forme of Doctrine Worship and Government in Churches he pleases not what he judgeth to be sound and Orthodoxall nor what others advise him unto as regular nor may he dispence with any divine command nor can hee alter the nature of things to make that absolute which the Lord Christ hath left indifferent that lawfull which is scandalous that expedient which is lawfull neither must hee be obeyed in any such commands because contrary to divine authority the word only being his rule a the Apostles had no such power a therefore Magistrates much lesse Secondly this power is privative 't is not a power to infringe the Liberties of the Saints the due priviledges and power of Churches but rather a power to strengthen the immunities thereof he may not forbid any thing but what is forbidden by the word directly or by expresse consequence a Pray saith the Apostle that yoú may live under his government 1 In all godlinesse 2 In all honesty 3 In both peacably he doth not say pray that he may not meddle in matters of Religion and godlinesse that being sacrilegious usurpation but pray that in using this authority in things sacred as civill pious as just you may peaceably exercise all Acts of Religion under such a Magistrate that by his improvement of his authority against those that should disturb you in the profession and practise of Religion as well as of honesty you may live in godlinesse peaceably in all godlinesse in the highest degree as well as in all honesty 2. He doth not say pray that the Magistrate may not hinder you in a contrary practise to godlinesse if according to the light of your conscience no more then he sayes pray that he may not restraine you in any course of dishonesty though to your conscience a supposed case of honesty which cases may be incident sometimes to godly men for this were to pray that we may be left to all ungodlinesse and dishonesty if we understand the Scripture in the genuine sense thereof and do not wrest it unto our own destruction if we set not up an Idoll in our hearts and put the stumbling block of our iniquity before our face when we come to the word to require the will of the Lord therein Thirdly this power is not ecclesiasticall the Magistrate can force no Order or Ordinances upon Churches contrary to divine Order no person to become a Member of a Church who is unworthy no Church to do any Act against the will of Christ nor may he intermeddle in Church affairs to administer officially the word the seals or censures but he must leave Church Officers to discharge their duty therein as called thereunto by God and himselfe as a Member thereof must humbly submit thereunto in feare and reverence to the KING of Nations Fourthly This power is not wholly spiritual neither in respect of the object nor secondly in respect of the subject First Not in respect of the object The Magistrate cannot restrain or censure the inward lusts of the heart nor the corruption of the judgment When acts are externall doe infringe liberty doe violate the publick peace and become pernicious and destructive to others then do they fall under the civill jurisdiction of the Magistrate Such things as appertaine to the outward man such things only are within the cognizance of the civill Magistrate Secondly The Magistrate cannot constraine to the inward exercise of religion with spirit and power he cannot compell any man to belâ—eve or yet to repent that being the especiall gift of grace and worke of divine power The Magistrate as the King of Nineveh did may make use of his coercive authority to compell his subjects to the externall meanes of faith and repentance as to the hearing of the word by which such may be saved as are enemies to Christ and to their own soules
fear to condemn the righteous But the only question will be who shall be the Iudges For those Persons those acts evill in the opinion and sense of one are good and justifiable in the Reason and Rule of another both Divines and Lawyers One saith there is the greatest violation of Faith the deepest wound given in Religion by Parliament and Army in their late Acts as never the like was in any Age before us Another saith Offences are Passive as well as Active and taken when not given and the best men in their upright intentions and honest executions are most obnâ—xious to humane censure even to the censure of good men byaâ—sed by particular Interest That these Acts conduce to the most hopefull happy plantation of the Gospel in Parity and Liberty in this State to the most certain and perpetuall establishment of Righteousnesse and Iustice amongst us throughout all Generations now certainly the Jus Regni must be the umpire in this case which is the bond between King and Parliament betweâ— the Representative and the Represented To speak unto particulars objected For that of the change of Government by King Lords and Commons contrary to former Declarations the reason of every alteration is to be respected Parliaments are not bound up by their own Votes or Acts though others be they alter them upon reason those given are these 1 The treachery of the Peers in concurrence with the perfidious Scots if not acting with them yet abetting their Design in the last invasion 2 The great obctruction of Justice by their Negative Voice the last year when the Common-wealth was in hazard had not the Commons acted without the Lords we had been as Sodom and as Gomorrah ere this day the designs of that year so countenanced by them that the Grand Incendiaries should have been discharged with a veniall punishment had not the Army interposed But what call what warrant had the Army to intermeddle had not they the being from and shall they assume Authority over Parliaments The Army acts not in way of Authority but duty from necessity from charity If a servant in such a case should contend with his Master Reason will justifie Religion will defend that servant who to save his Masters adventured his own life But again the Army Officers by Law were the Vindices Regni raised by Parliament to defend our Laws and Liberties and above all the Supream Law the safety of the Nation as all know Now what the Parliament had declared of as just and safe the Army grounds upon and first they Remonstrate the State of affairs which taking no effects and the life of the State in perill if not speedily prevented for that case would admit of no delay in that time God and Nature inforced them to an act above yea against all Law as it did Hester to adventure into the Kings Presence although shee perished The Parliament had declared never to Treat with the King charging Him with the bloud of his Father collaterally the bloud of four Kingdomes besides England Scotland Ireland and the Rochellers in France his correspondence with the Pope compliance with Papists his Treachery Tyranny and Hypocrisie beyond al men that ever were so as no confidence could be reposed â—n him yet the Majority of the Commons Vote a Treaty with him to gratifie the treacherous and bloudy designes of Royalists who thereby only sought their revenge upon all active in and faithfull to this Parliament and Republick and in their hopes to carry on their Diabolicall plot as deep as hell they rage as if Satan had been let loose against all who had the Image of God shall I say nay but the face of civility that had not the Lord arose and this Army awakened wee had been swallowed up quick and that Treaty ended they Vote the Kings answers satisfactory and a good Basis or foundation for the establishment of Religion and Righteousnesse thereupon which before was declared non-satisfactory they resolve to set him upon his Throne in Honor Peace Freedom and safety who â—ad no remorse for England or Irelands blood nay who in the very time of this Treaty had plotted and contrived against his return to Westminster a second design in England paralleâ—â— to that of Ireland and this was that Armies whom God miraculously had armed with power and courage honour and successe a little before this was their necessity the Salvation of the State upon the Parliaments declension their former Declarations Principles and resolutions grounded upon reason and safety But they have destroyed the foundations have left no visible Power or Legall Authority remaining We must in all Laws look at the double sense the Grammâ—ticall and the Morall or equitable contained in the Preface to the Law where the equitable sense of the Law is maintained that Law is preserved and the same distinction may I observe in the constitution of Authorities there is the essential and there is the Integral State thereof As 〈◊〉 sâ—â— the great Counsel of the Kingdom is a Parliament without the Kings Presence because his power is virtually inherent there yet the iâ—â—egrall State thereof if his presence be wanting is defective but the essentiall 〈◊〉 even when such Integrall Parts are abolishâ— a man is still a man wanting an eye a hand a leg the Commons only stand in the neerest relation to the People being called by them representing of them acting for them and such is that present Authority now sitting at Westminster the only Sâ—pream and visible Authority of this Nation But in all these confusions and contrary motions have we not broken Covenant with God faith with men vâ—â—ing and promising before God to set the King upon his Throne tâ— preserve the Priviledges of Parliament Why the Majâ—rity of the House was reâ—â—rainâ—d pro tempore is formerly expressed and intimated For the breach of Covenant in these particulars objected we must know that future contingencies intervening a Covenant and the performance of that Covenant doe disoblige the conscience from duty or that penalty insuing a â—iolatioâ— in sâ—â—â— a case as if a man Covenants to take such a woman in marriage if this woman before the time of the Celebration of this Nuptiall be found unchaste and 〈◊〉 all Dâ—vines will tell â—s 〈◊〉 â—â—is 〈◊〉 iâ— not bâ—â—â—d in Conscience to perform his Covâ—â—â—â—t made with this â—â—man shee was bound in faithfulnesse to him as well as â—e in affectiâ—â— to her and although this condition was not exprest if that you reâ—ain faithful and conjugall in your affections to me â— will take you unto my wife yet was it necessarily implyed and the bond in this case without just offence to God or man is violated Vows Covenants Premises and oaths of things unlawfull impossible beyond 〈◊〉 power and Liberties and wherein such consequences 〈◊〉 happen as are forementioned in these cases Coâ—sâ—ience is dis-ingaged before God and man and what was our
of the House to prevent them without honor they being acquainted by certain intelligence with the endeavours of forain Princes the highest resolutions deepest designes secret motions subtill intentions military provisions and martiall preparations of domestick and forain enemies the cabinet-counsell of the enemy being opened to Sir Hen. Mildâ—â—â— when to no other beside him who made as wise as faithfull improvement of his intelgence to the good of the whole in apparent perill as any one man in this Republick 2. Concerning Fortitude Resolution and Courage without which the honor of the day and the goodnesse or beauty of the way is lost I shall add a word or two Statesmen under the Gospell have higher precepts better presidents stronger reasons to stand up and ingage for the defence of their liberties then Câ—riuâ— Sâ—ipio Cato among the Romans then Themistocles 〈◊〉 Aristiâ—â—es among the Athenians a Roman Laceâ—emâ—â—ian or Athâ—niâ—â— may be very zealous for civill liberties as wee read in 〈◊〉 in Cicero and other authors what Livius what 〈◊〉 and many others acted and suffered for the obtaining of their civill 〈◊〉 with what resolution courage they resisted those who opposed yea but proposed such rules or counselled to such 〈◊〉 as â—ended to the infringement thereof deposing some banishing others putting others to death and confiscating the goods of all such as they reputed enemies Christians under the Gospell have as much reason having power and opportunity to preserve what God and Nature hath invested them with and being lost to restore those rights aâ— their native birth right Let prophane Esau's under-value their freedoms Paul a Roman will defend his priviledges and valiant Shammah his field of of â—â—ntils who stands his ground when deserted by the people against an Army of the Philistims whom he conquers Joabs argument may put us upon higher Acts our liberties being superlative Be valiant saith he for our people and for the Cities of our God and let the Lord doe what iâ—. good in his owne sight Be valiant for the Lord and for his truth saith Jeremy When men have more valour for their civill then they have for divine liberties more resolution and courage in those causes which concerne themselves and the outward man then those which concerne the Lords honour their souls eternall welfare they act but at Heathens who did many heroick Acts but what singular thing doe yee the Acts of Christians should be performed with the greatest respect to God We will not lose civil immunities because the price of the bloud of our ancestors the inheritance of our fore-fathers Naboth would not therefore part with his vineyard no not to the King although he would have purchased it and given him to the full value thereof But Gospell liberties are transcendent to take from our children and posterities their glory yâ—a Gods glory to deprive them of that legacy and deed of gift bequeathed them by Christ in his last testament the price of his precious bloud is such sacriledge as there is no robbery like unto it under heaven and desperate is that State where all men are willing to captivate their souls for the freedome of their bodies to presse their consciences to death to save their goods The Apostle who perswadeth us to seek freedomâ— aâ— the hands of the Supreame Power doth also advise us so to use that liberty that it be not a cloak of malitiousness of pride of presumption of selfe-willednesse so to use it as not to abuse authority as not to pervert or inforce the supream power of a State to patronage our private and sinfull interests to own our violent attempts or unwarrantable engagements but to be as the servants of Christ for humility honour and affection towards all who have the Image of God upon them and in the feare of God to give the greatest civill respect to those in authority be they good be they bad Therefore the act of such who would diminish the divine authority of the Magistrate who endeavour to take that from him which God hath given him or would enforce him to give what is not his to give is so full of sinfull presumption and detestable usurpation that such cannot but feare to perish in the gaine-saying of Corah Also such who would perswade the Magistrate to part with his restrictive power in matters of religion invite him to give that sword given him by God into the hands of furious men who would destroy all government violate all bands both sacred and civill and with as much right and some will plead reason too who are against magistratical authority and would levell all into an equality these may desire his restrictive power in naturall and in civill acts yea with as much reason and right also they may abridge parents and masters of their restrictive authority over children and servants Hâ—â—â—esco referens as they may deprive the Magistrate of his To gaine our owne liberty with the losse of Christs argueth want of resolution for were such willing to subject their wills and consciences to Gods word to obedience to his divine Will aâ— well by suffering as by acting when called thereunto they would not transgresse the bounds to adventure upon such preposterous courses Because former Representatives presumed too much shall future assume nothing no not a power of restraint vâ—â—orum stupori qui non exhorrescunt True Resolution must be fetched from heaven through God we shall do valiantly that resolution which is accompanied with a dependance on our owne wisdome â—or strength is to rest upon an Arme of flesh is to make a lye our refuge To maintaine the strength of your resolution two considerations are worthy your observance 1 The consideration of the goodnesse of your â—â—use every cause is good so farre forth as God is engaged therein Arise O Lord saith the Prophet plead thine owne cause The more you engage for God the more you engage God unto you You know that text and how it is applyed by Rehobeam against Jeroboam we keep the charge of the Lord our God but yee have forsaken him God himself is with us â—ight ye not against him for ye shall not prosper Yee know how Hâ—zâ—kiah incouraged his Souldiers when they went forth against the Army of Senacherib be not afraid for all the multitude that is with him for there be moe with us with him is an arm of flesh but with us is the Lord our God to fight our battellâ— If the Lord be ingaged in a cause who dare appear against him to ingage therein without God procures but war and blood in Kingdomâ— lasting troubles continual miseries as we see in the cases of Asa Jehosapâ—at Josiaâ— good Kings yet for some small miscarriages for comparatively they were not great they procured unto themselves and to their Kingdoms wrath The particular acts of publick persons are prejudiciall to the publick State to the whole Nation and when the Lord hath any