Church and pray our Adversaries to shew us where the Church is in Plenty and Honour where Aristocracy is the Government In Scripture it is prophecied Ecce Reges erunt nutritii tui That Kings shall be the Nurse-fathers of the Church there is no word to that sense for any Government besides Monarchy If they make use of this Argument to prefer Aristocracy or Democracy to Monarchy there reasoning is not sure and concludes not no more than when I reason thus a man may walk without Legs of bone and flesh for he may walk on wooden Legs if he hath lost his Natural Legs with the blow of a Canon or by a Gangrene or he may walk upon Crutches if he be a Cripple Ergo wooden legs and artificial or Crutches are better than the natural legs and feet man is born with In brief no Society can subsist without Government the best of Governments is Monarchy and People cannot be happy except the King and Monarchy be proportioned to that height of Power Honour and Wealth as He be able to secure Himself and Subjects from all Mischief Iniquity and Disorder and the Good Safety and Happiness of the Subject is naturally and necessarily involved in the sacred Right and Prerogative of the King That whosoever conceiveth that the Good of the People can subsist with lessening and weakening the Right of the King is as if he should imagine to see the Branches of a Tree bud flourish and bring forth Fruit when they are broken o◠from the root or to see a River of running living Water divided from the Source and Fountain of living Water or to apprehend that the Ray of the Sun can inlighten when it is separated from the Body of the Sun Let never a King imagine his Happiness can subsist or consist without the Happiness Peace and Plenty of his Subjects and let not us that are Subjects imagine that we can be happy or preserve our Right our Liberty our Property if we account not the Lords Anointed the breath of our Nostrils and value his Right His Prerogative at a higher rate than our Lives These are by God and Nature so involved mutually one in another that without destruction to both they cannot be put asunder CHAP. XVII A King is bound to be as eminent in Sanctity as He is excellent and high in Power THere be a great many more of these new State-devised Principles with which our Antimonarchical Sectaries intoxicate the Vulgar as that Protection and Subjection are of equal extent That a mixture and temperature of the three proper Species of Government is the best of Governments which if it be not rightly understood is a most dangerous Position and in the sense many conceive it it is not Temperamentum Regiminis but Turbamentum That Plus vident oculi quà m oculus That Rex est universis minor singulis major That the Charter of Nature intitles us to our defence against Kings That Rex est propter populum That a King at his Coronation sweareth and covenanteth with his Subjects which if he perform not he is punishable dethronable That in a Monarchy The Legislative Power i◠communicable to the Subject and is not radically in Sovereignty in one but in more That Quod omnes tangit ab omnibus tractari approbari debet and a great many more all which by Gods help we shall examine in the subsequent Questions as every one of them offereth it self in its own proper place We now come shortly to point at the great Charge of the King as we have before proved the Excellency of his Sacred Charge and Person What we have said of the Excellency of Kings that they are the derivatives of God from him by generation his first-born God's upon Earth c. If it be rightly weighted it will humble them in the presence of God in their own esteem and not suffer them to swell in Pride it tieth them to a proportionable Sanctity and eminency in Holiness and Integrity as far in degree above the Ordinary as they are exalted in State and Honour above the Sons of men Isocrates writing to Nicocles saith to him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sense is the same we have expressed already the higher in Honour they are tied to a higher perfection in Virtue Saint Austin saith well Tom. 8. enarrat in Psal. 137. Quantò sublimitas altior est tantò periculosior est Ideoque Reges quantò sunt in majori sublimitate terrenâ tanto magis humiliari Deo debent Kings as related to men are Gods in order to Almighty God they are frail and mortal men Psal. 82. 6. They are gods on Earth yet onely gods of the Earth and are no less if not more accountable to God than any other men whatsoever He trieth their works searcheth out their Counsels and if they judge not aright Horribly and speedily he will come upon them a sharp judgment shall be to them that are in High places Mercy will soon pardon the meanest but mighty men shall be mightily tormented Wisd. 6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. For he who is Lord over all shall fear no man's person neither shall he stand in awe of any man's Greatness for he hath made small and great and careth for all alike No Difference there is betwixt a Prince and a Peasant except only in this that as the Prince is higher than all so his Crime and Sin is above all and his Punishment will be proportioned to the like and answerable Height Princes being derived immediately from God and with that honour to be the first-born Children of God and Sons of the most high what Measure of Holiness what Degree of Righteousness is required in them so highly advanced They should be holy as their heavenly Father is holy They should be perfect as their Father in Heaven is perfect and this not only in their private Conversation as Christians but also in their publick Government as Fathers of the Kingdom and Nurse-fathers of the Church Nothing addeth more to the Disgrace of a wicked man than when we reflect upon him as descended from a noble and high Stem Solomon saith Prov. 16. 12. It is an Abomination for Kings to commit Wickedness and the fear of the Lord is the Glory of the King No Foundation of a King so sure as Obedience to him that made the King Nothing more dangerous in a King than Rebellion against God Happy are Kings when they resolve with David Psal. 85. 8. I will hearken what the Lord will say unto me But above all Kings are bound to advance Piety and that both in their private and publick Devotions and in their publick Government They ought to be more frequent in their private Devotions than any else and in the publick to be most reverent in their Gestures that their practice in Piety in Devotion in private in publick may be exemplary Regis ad exemplum totus componitur orbis This Duty they owe to God as professores
that His Constitution or the collation of Royal Power was from the People properly immediately and that because the words run in the Text Deut. 17. 14 15. that the People shall set him King over them and him only whom the Lord they God shall chuse Bellarmine saith just the same To remove this first shift we deny both the one and the other We deny first that it was a proper case for the Jews to have their Kings immediately constituted and appointed by God The Scripture is for us that all Kings all Sovereign Powers are immediately from God Prov. 8. 15. By me Kings reign saith a King and the wisest of Kings and a King who had good reason to say so for if the People had right to constitute or make a King it had not been King Solomon but King Adonijah Adonijah durst say to King Solomon's Mother Thou knowest that the Kingdome was mine and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign 1 Kin. 2. 15. Solomon saith not of himself singularly That he reigned by God but indefinitely universally By me Kings that is all Kings reign The first two words Per me By me contain in them the Donor the Author the Efficient the Constituent of Kings and Sovereignty Possibly you will say this By me is spoken of Wisdom it is true but that Wisdom is to be taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not for an Accident or Quality but for something subsistent personally And this Solomon's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chochmach in the sense of the most Learned both Ancient and Modern is St. Iohn's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ioh. 1. 1. Saint Iohn's Word Christ the Son of God the brightness of his Glory and the express image of his Person Heb. 1. 2. The Text demonstrateth it for his Wisdom by which Kings reign is that Wisdom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the right reading for the Original word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Kanan possedit nor will the Greek reading 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bring home the Arrains conclusion which the Lord possessed in the beginning of his way before his Works of old vers 22. Which was set up from everlasting from the beginning or ever the Earth was v. 3. The Wisdom by which Kings reign is the same that was created of all things Kings are from God the Father but by the Son as from the Father by the Son all Spiritual blessing in heavenly things come to us so the greatest of Temporal Blessings By him we have Kings the best Blessing here for without them neither Godliness nor Honesty 1 Tim. 2. 2. This Per is Christ's Preposition It is worth your notice taking that Solomon saith not By the People Kings reign had it been so you know who had been King and not Solomon Nor he saith not By the High-Priest Kings reign you know he was engaged in Adonijah's Treason no He saith not By Israel nor by Abiathar nor by Zadoc nor by David nor by Nathan Kings reign But there is a Per me which is exclusive of all and to whom onely it is proper and peculiar to make Kings and to make Kings reign Solomon excludes Pope and People State and Presbytery He vindicates the creation of Kings no less to Christ than the creation of things This â—er me by me imparts not a naked Permission as if Kings by importunity of People were given way to as some blasphemous mouths and Pens have said and written and that Monarchy of all Governments is the least acceptable to God and to People most inconvenient Ignorants or malicious or both they are who dare to say so Monarchy was the first Government God ordained in the World and is yet founded in paterno Why if it be otherwise was it promised to Ahraham as the highest pitch and reach of Temporal Blessings that Kings should come of him Why doth God Ezech. 16. upbraiding the multitude of the People reckon in the last place as the highest of his Favours Temporal That they prospered into a Kingdom Why doth St. Peter urge obedience to the King because that is the Will of God 2 Pet. 11. 15. Why doth St. Paul say that he is tibi in bonum for thy good and for my good and for the good of all Saint Paul's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Higher Power is nothing else but St. Peter's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King that is Supreme So Chrysostom Ambrose Haymo and others interpret it and the Government then when Saint Paul writ that Epistle was Monarchical They be a cursed brood who do maintain that this per me Reges regnant This By me Kings reign is a per me iratum by me in anger to punish a stiff-necked and rebellious People The Queen of Sheba knew it was per me propitium By me in Mercy and was better taught and sounder in this point of Divinity than the great Gamaliels amongst our Sectaries for she saith to Solomon Because the Lord thy God Loved Israel to establish them for ever therefore made he thee King over them to do judgment and justice 1 Chron. 9. 8. This per me implieth then that they are of Gods making and in mercy Kings are given to us This per me by me implieth Kings are God's and Christ's Derivatives and that God and Christ are their Institutives from God the Father by the Son their Commission their Power their Sovereignty for this cause St. Paul calleth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which word is very pregnant and signifieth an Ordinance by high Authority not revocable nor repealable In which sense it is usually read in classical Authors Sacred and Prophane So Sinesius useth the word in Epist. ad Theoph. So Aristotle in his Problems Sect. 28. 50. Lucilius Epigr. 2. So Appian in 2. and Plutarch in Marcello useth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for established Decrees of Sovereignty The word from which it is derived is so used Acts 28. Stephanus a Learned Graecian is of that mind that in this very place Rom. 13. 2. it signifieth so much The Emphasis of this per me is not yet fully explained That wonder of Piety and Learning Doctor Andrews Late Bishop of Winchester hath well observed that the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bi in me and yet beareth well in me and per me the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Beth signifying both So that the meaning is Kings are first in him and so come forth from him as that they are in him He parallels it a little with that passage in the Gospel My Father in me and I in him Christ in them as his Deputies They in Christ as their Author and Authoriser he by their Persons then by his Power The other two words of the Text Kings Reign contain in them the Charter the Donation Kings is in the number of many in the plural number Solomon although the wisest of men and Kings and King of Israel knew not this time what our new Doctors know that it was a priviledged
a worse an unlawful hand The Effects are more bitter the Charge is infinitely above all we or our Predecessors did complain of in many past Ages the pressures are intended and multiplied and total ruine to the Kingdom is threatned onely this difference is observable that where before with a less bountiful Duty Religion and Royalty Justice and Peace might have been maintained nothing could be obtained to strengthen Sovereignty but now we are become so lavish so prodigal we give twenty ten five parts of our Goods our Revenues spare not our Jewels our Ear-rings to make up a molten Calf so apt so prone is our corrupt Nature to a wicked course And whereas before we were like Rachel in the streets in our shops crying we are undone with Subsidies Monopolies c. saying with Micah we are robbed of our Silver which either we made or were to make our god now in pressures voluntarily undergone which infinitely transcend all pressures before seen or felt we are as speechless as the unworthy Servant in the Gospel In this we are not unlike to little children who when they fall of themselves and hurt themselves pitifully cry not at all but if any touch them and they fall wth little or no hurt they cry out bitterly You see then how easie it is upon this ground maintained by our Sectaries our Adversaries to disquiet State and Kingdom to unking Kings at pleasure And that it is so would to God the Lecture is read to us this time in the deplorable state of this Kingdom did not with much grief and sorrow make it appear to the least-seeing Eye and did not cry it aloud in the deafest Ear. That the best of Kings most pious and just in themselves and of sweetest temper are liable to these mischiefs this black day of ours confirmeth it by-gone Stories evidence it Was there ever a meeker a milder Governour upon Earth than Moses the meekest of men sensible of no injury done against himself zealous of wrongs done to God and quick enough when Aaron was wronged Was there ever a greater Treason hatched and set on foot against any than him Corah Dathan and Abiram with two hundred and fifty Princes of the Congregation lead the People to Sedition then to Rebellion telling him in his Face he and the Tribe of Levi took too much upon them God to vindicate Sacred Sovereignty did interpose by a miraculous way never heard of before that the Heads are swallowed up living in Body and Soul into Hell a fearful Example the first Rebellion we read of and so exemplarily punished that Optatus Bishop of Milevis writing against Parmenian observeth that the like is not to be found to be read again in Scripture To Moses add David not onely a man but a King according to God's heart and one as apt and inclinable to pardon offences committed against his Person that the like you find not except it be the Example we have this day before our Eyes yet what Treasons were intended acted and attempted against him Scripture doth plentifully record Zedekiah was not one of the worst Kings of Iudah yet was he so over-ruled or over-awed rather by his Lords and Councellours that he confesseth of himself The King was not he that could withstand them that he was forced to deliver up Ieremiah the Servant and Prophet of God into the hands of their Power and Malice Many more may be adduced Augustus the sweetest of Heathen and Roman Emperours Titus the love and delight of mankind were tossed and beaten with the same Tempests It is infallibly then certain that the best of Kings cannot be secured where this Tenet of our Adversaries is maintained especially when Divines do preach it as a Truth revealed from Heaven to aver that Rebellion is obedience nay a necessary Duty which God commandeth and Jurists and Lawyers hold it is consonant to Justice the established and practised Laws and Customs of the Land the Divine secureth their Consciences and the Jurist their Estates and Persons that they are put out of all fear of Evil here or in the Life to come They will find at last that those blind Guides with their People misled will fall in the ditch God have mercy upon the poor multitude who are deceived the Deceivers have need of great Repentance before they can have mercy with God or should find it with the King What a fearful thing it is to put Princes and the best of Princes most usually under this Tyranny that the People may lord over them needeth no other confirmation but to consider a multitude in its nature which is either the cruellest or tamest of Beasts Quod non audent singuli audent universi Livie telleth us that this is the natural temper and constitution of a multitude Vt serviat humiliter aut dominetur superbâ—â— Libertatem quae media est nec spernere modicè nec habere sciunt Et non fermè desunt irarum ministri indulgentes qui avidos atque intemperantes plebeiorum animos ad sanguinem caedes irritant We need not English it the Expression is full in what we have said In sum by these new-devised State-principles no Kingdom no State can be long in quiet in peace no Kings no Governours can be secured by these Maxims we may change Kings and Governours as often as Moons learn the Policy of the Goths and practise it too that if we be not successful in War or have not a plentiful Year or be troubled and infested with any Tempest more than ordinary all may be laid upon the misfortune demerit or mis-government of the King and he Ionas-like thrown into the Sea to appease the Tempest another enthroned to live and reign no longer than we please A goodly Tenure for a Kiug Another Argument I bring against this Paradox which is this by this Principle if it hold good all Title to a Kingdom by right of Conquest is made void for this cannot be said to be derived from the Community by contract and voluntary consent Notwithstanding Scripture is clear and full for the lawful Title of a Sovereign by Conquest Otherwise we must deny David's Title over Aram and other Neighbour conterraneous Kingdoms to Israel God by his Prophet Ieremy commanded submission subjection and obedience to Nebuchadnezzar and enjoyned them to pray for him and for Peace to his Government I hope none will deny his Right to be just and that by no other Title than Conquest Our Saviour did submit to Caesar's Government over the Iews paid Tribute and by his Ius Regale his Royal Prerogative of Coin proved Caesar's just Title that he silenced the Iews as much at that time miscarried that by their Native Liberty and God's special Favour they were not to submit to any stranger as we are now adayes upon our fancied Conceits The Jesuits will not deny that Conquest by War is Iustus modus acquirendi Imperium a right way to come by a Crown if the War be justly waged and
that Power and in no case no exigent had any Power over or above the Prince If what is said be not sufficient let us remember the Story of Valentinian the Emperour when by the Army he was declared Emperour they earnestly begged 〈◊〉 him to joyn Valens his Brother with him in the Empire His answer was ut me ad imperandum eligereti◠in vestra situm erat potestate O milites at postquam me elegistis quod petitis in meo est arbitrio non vestro Vobis tanquam subditis competit parere mihi quae agend◠sunt cogitare O Souldiers before you did make choic◠of me to be Emperour it was in your Power but the Choice being made that which you now desire is in my Power not in yours It is your part and Duty as Subjects to obey it is in my Power to determine upon what is fit for the Government If all we have said cannot work upon our new Statists to forsake their Errour we pray them to consider whether or not this ground laid will not authorize the Corporations and Shires upon male-administration of the Trust committed to their Commissioners in the House of Commons or upon Jealousies and Fears to resume and make void that Trust committed to them and warrant them in case of Defailance to do better for themselves and Country Sure I am Buchanan one of their greatest Authors holds that if a Parliament determine in a matter of Law it can establish nothing but a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a preparatory precognition and that the Influence of a legislative Power is not till it be approved and admitted by the Community The Observator fearing this Tenet of Buchana may make void the Orders of the House leaving here his Master and averreth That the Right of the Gentry and Commonalty is entirely in the Knights and Burgesses of the House of Commons and will have their Orders irrevocable A wonder it is that they are so favourable in their own case and so unjust and unequal in the Kings case for if it were granted which is most false that all Power in the King were by Trust devolved upon him from the People what is the Reason of the Difference that he shall not have that Right as entirely as irrevocable as the Commissioners of Counties and Corporations Reason pleadeth more for this in the King than them for otherwise neither Sovereignty nor the person of the Sovereign can be secured nor any act of Government certain but mutable at the pleasure of an erring and inconstant Multitude If any will seriously consider they will find that what they take from the King they give to their Feoffees of Trust to Tables to Parliaments These in case of Necessity have an arbitrary Power the Prince in no case can have it exercise it Those have the entire right of the Community devolved upon them and the people are totally divested of their native Right the King hath his only in a fiduciary way some part is habitually reserved that in some Cases the People may resume it may practise it So in their Church it is not lawful to a Clergy-man to meddle in secular Businesses Their Clergy if they be worthy of name may do meddle in all Treaties of Peace Councils of War in Commissions for reversing fundamental Laws of Church and State in other Kingdoms This their practise is Protestatio contra factum it giveth a Lye to their Profession I think verily in after ages it shall scarce be believed that amongst Christians and such as would be accounted the best of Christians such Paradoxes could be maintained and such monstrous Practises acted with such sacrilegious robbing of Prince and Priest of their sacred Right It is high time for Prince and Priest to strengthen one another and neither of them to think that by making the other à publici odii victima a Sacrifice to malignant Malice to preserve himself It is high time for the People to consider how by such Doctrine and Practises they are plunged in such a bottomless Gulf of Miseries of Calamities that none but dextera excelsi the right hand of the Lord can rescue can deliver them How an arbitrary tyrannical civil Power is put upon them and established in the wrong hand that they dare not pretend to Liberty of Person or propriety of Goods How such a Tyrannical Antichristian Hierarchy of some few Patriarchs Lords over their Consciences make them run into Rebellion and kill both Body and Soul If these things these most fearful of all Judgments cannot awake us it is like we are given over to destruction more for the Terrour and Example of others than that we can expect to see the Glory and Mercy of God return again upon this Church and State Lord of his mercy make us turn to him timely by Repentance that he may turn to us in mercy make his Face shine upon us that we may be saved To return to our purpose In fine Let us still give it to them that Sovereignty is in a King by Derivation from the People and the Conveyance is by Contract or Covenant But then I demand how can this Contract be made void It must be made void either by mutual consent or by a legal Sentence and Iudgment That a Contract may be made void mutuo contrahentium assensu by a mutual accord and consent of the Parties Contracters in Law it holds the ground is Quibus modis contrahitur contractus iisdem dissolvitur and the main thing and binding force in a Contract is the consent of both The refiling of one Party Contractor is not sufficient to void the Contract Necessarily then it is required that both King and People consent to make the Contract void whether a King may do this or not you shall hear more in the following questions The People alone cannot do it This contract as yet is not made void by Royal consent if it be you must make it appear authenticis Tabulis upon evident and written Records I confess e're I put you to these pains I desire you first to produce Tabulas contractûs this Contract which in Law must be evident and faithful and when you do it in any of his Majesties Kingdoms you shall have me to plead for your pretended Right Well then I hope you will not say you have his Majesties Royal Assent although good and wise men regrate that by real deeds out of zeal to Peace and more than fatherly indulgence he hath indulged to your Favours which lessen his Prerogative and which without intrusion upon his Sacred Right you cannot enjoy if Scripture be either the Law or Umpire to determine in this case Seeing I say His Majesties consent to void this Contract cannot be alledged or made appear and the Law determines that De non apparentibus non existentibus eadem ratio or Quod non apparet in jure non est you must have a legal Sentence A Legal Sentence cannot be had without a
fidei but they are bound to another as propugnatores fidei that is to see that the Purity of Faith and Worship be preserved with that Solemnity and Decency of sacred Places sacred Things sacred Persons sacred Gestures as God hath prescribed and the holy Catholick Church hath practised and allowed The Preservation of the sacred Right and Prerogative royal is that secureth and preserveth the Right and Liberty of the Subject and it is the maintaining and preserving of God's and holy Church's Right that preserveth Kings and their Crowns Happy is the King who with David can say Psal. 26. 8. Lord I have loved the Habitation of thy House and the place where thine Honour dwelleth upon this he may with David confidently pray vers 9. Gather not my Soul with Sinners nor my Life with bloody men If the King's delight be in the Sanctuary of the Lord although Trouble fall upon him yet Help will come to him out of the Sanctuary that will save both him and his Crown Psal. 20. The highest Honour the greatest Happiness that ever David attained to was to bring back again the Ark of God to leave a great Treasure for building of the Temple 1 Chron. 13. 15. 28. and to raise the Church and establish the Worship and Order in it's height of Perfection 1 Chron. 24. 25 26. when he finished this Work he rejoyced more than ever Then he said Psal. 84. 10. A day in thy Courts is better than a thousand elsewhere it was better be a door-keeper in the house of the Lord than to dwell in the Tents of Wickedness It was this that made God send to his King Deliverance out of his Troubles Psal. 18. vers ult It was this that established his House and Kingdom for ever it was this that crowned him with a Crown of pure Gold here and of immortal Glory in Heaven Kings at their Coronation offer their Crowns Scepters and Swords to God at his Altar and receive them from thence the one Ceremony signifieth that their Sovereignty cometh to them immediately from God the other signifieth that they offer all first for the Service of God It is a Vow or Dedication of themselves and their Power for the Advancement of Gods Glory To this add that this is solemnly sworn by them to maintain the Purity of the Faith and Worship and the Priviledges and Rights of holy Church and lastly all is sealed with the receiving of the Sacrament off the Altar What then can free Kings from these Ties And how fearful a thing is it for them to be principal Actors or accessary to bad Counsels and Courses to give up a Church or to wrong Christ and his Rights There be a great many that practise Machiavel's Politicks affirming Princes are no more tyed to Church and Religion than as both of them are subordinate and subservient to the politick Government and good Temporal These are truly Atheists who Ierobâ—am like care not at all for God nor Religion who abuse them to their own private ends they may for a short time flourish but in the end God will root out them and their Posterity and their Memory shall be had in Execration as Pilate is remembred in the Creed and Iudas recorded in the Gospel There be others who seem more moderate whose Counsels are no less pernicious because they seem to speak in a favourable and more specious way like to the Devil transforming himself into an Angel of Light these advise Kings to maintain a Worship an Order a Church but that it is not best to be too sumptuous and prodigal in the Maintenance or endowing the Church richly nor is it necessary punctually and precisely to adhere to all Gods Ordinances and in some cases say they a Prince at some Times at some Exigences may give way to the undoing of some Ordinances of God and Christ he may permit some of the Beauty and Solemnity of the Worship to be eclipsed devest the Church and Church-men of some Priviledges and Rights which by immemorial Possession they and their Pedecessors have enjoyed and to which besides Dedication and Consecration the Church is by all positive Civil Law and Right entituled no less if not more than Noblemen Gentlemen Corporations or any Subject or Subjects whatsoever These Counsels for a time may prevail and the Church may be a little for a little time suppressed and depressed but if God have Mercy in Store for that Kingdom it will not continue long These Achitophels tell Kings that if Moses's ten Commandments the Apostles twelve Articles of the Creed and the six Petitions of the Lord's Prayer be preserved it skilleth not for other things whether Bishop or no Bishop whether good Christians preach and do ministerial Acts or only men in sacred Orders authorised by Consecration and Imposition of hands whether any Solemnity in the publick Worship or not whether in sacred Church consecrated or in a private House or Barn whether Christ have a Patrimony or his Servants be allowed only a Competency at the Disoretion of Lay-men c. These Counsels and Courses if they be not repented forsaken and the Church righted will prove destructive to Kings to their Crowns to their Posterity and to their Authors and Abettors King Saul for ought we read did not restrain nor pollute the Worship he found nor took from their Priests what was their due but it is manifest he did neglect God and his Church his Worship and his Servants had less Esteem of God's Servants than of any of his Subjects besides and yet this is punished with the Forfeiture of Crown and Kingdom to him and his Posterity and God provideth a man a King according to his Heart to right the Church to order the Service aright which established his Kingdom and Crown for ever The Church was the Alpha and Omega of his Government he consecrated the beginning of his peaceable Reign with bringing home the Ark he spent the most of his Reign in ordering and establishing the Service of God with it's Solemnity and ended his Life and Reign exhorting Solomon to do the like to build the Temple and leaving by Legacy a great immense Treasure consecrated to this purpose If any will look upon these Counsellors he will find that they have a mighty Zeal and Care of their own Honour and Wealth how much they remit their Zeal towards God and his House they intend it as much for themselves and what concerneth their private they will not willingly dwell but in Houses of Cedar and can see the Ark of God within Curtains this maketh them that they can suffer the Church to be spoiled if by her Spoils they or theirs can be enriched Christians they cannot be whatsoever they profess they are in a contrary a contradictory way to Christ of him it was said The Zeal of thine House hath eaten me up of them it is verified that their Zeal hath eaten up the house of God If these men can enjoy their own make