then again the Kings answer which was supposed to be the hastening cause of that murther Let him repent and pray if God may possibly forgive him The fourth is to command sin For by this means they beget it they give it Seed and become the Fathers of it And for this Let the Long Lifed Parliament Lieutenant General Cromwell and others whom it concerns water their Bedds and wash their Couches every night with tears for fear they exchange their Evill Dayes into an Everlasting Night of Evill The fifth is to consent to it For by that means they own it and maintain it and become Adopted Fathers to it And for this Let the High Court of Justice President Bradshaw Whaley Pride and others that sat there and gave Vote to the most unjust sentence that was ever pronounced Pilates only excepted abhorr themselves in dust and ashes least their memories be abhorred by all good men on Earth and their Souls in Fire and Brimstone The sixth is to commend it For by this means they give it suck Dugg and become a Nurse to it And for this Let them who have presented Books to John Bradshaw and given him Eulogies for the greatest Vaelogy was ever spoke in England severing the Head of King Charles I. from his Body The seventh is To entertain and maintain the Actors of it For by this means they give it Shoulders they support it and become Protectors of it And for this Let him who hath made himself Protector with his Stately Counsel consult how they may avoid the curses of so many thousand innocent Widdows and Orphans whom they have made so that they might kill as the Jewes did the King of Life the King of England Charles the I. The Eighth is To keep Silence and to be mute at it when it is done For by that means they become Friends to it and give it Heart and Hand And for this Let him or them or both who have out-stript Dioclesian and Julian by mnzzleing the Mouths of all the Orthodox Clergy of England least they should declaim against it look to it and weep and groan if perhaps they may out-cry that cry which the Blood of CHARLES the I. makes to Heaven for vengeance The ninth and last is to partake of it For by that means they give it Arm and Face and become Benefactors to it And for this Let the present Soldiers whether Voluntiers or other whether before or since consider with themselves whether they be not guilty of the violent painful shameful murther of King Charles I. and presently forsake their Usurper and joyn to bring in the true Heyre of these Kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland King Charles II. whom as God hath hitherto miraculously preserved so may he make a Miracle of his mercy in restoring him to a Glorious Crown here and receiving him to a Crown of Glory hereafter thorow Jesus Christ Amen Anno Dom. 1650. PSALM 112.7 He is not afeard of any evil tydings For his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. ANd yet King David was no Stoick For this Psalm is an Exegesis or Exposition of the last verse of the former Psalm And that Psalm ends thus Timor Domini initium sapientiae The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom Ps 111.10 and this Psalm in answer to that begins thus Beatus qui timet Dominum Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord. Ps 112.1 Wisdom seeks Blessedness and by the Fear of God finds it and finds it in four degrees 1. In the Happiness of his Posterity His seed shall be mighty upon Earth Ver. 2 2. In the Happinesse of his Prosperity Wealth and Riches shall be in his house Ver. 3 Ver. 6 3. In the Happiness of his Stability He shall never be moved 4. In the Happiness of his Security He shall not he will not be afraid or He is not afraid of any evil tydings And this though the last is not the least degree of his Happiness his good Fear banisht his evil Fear He fears God and therefore he fears not any evil tydings And that he fears God he is assured of it too for his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. In which words you have observable these three Parts 1. Quis non timet Who feareth not Times Dominum He that feareth the Lord feareth not 2. Quid non timet What is it he feareth not Ab auditione malâ He feareth not any evil tydings 3. Quare non timet Why doth he not fear any evil tydings quia paratum est stabilitum est confirmatum est cor ejus confidens in Jehovâ because his heart is prepared because his heart is est ablished because it is confirmed and standeth fast believing in the Lord. I begin with the first He fearet not he shall not be afraid Pars 1. And this at first sight seems a strange commendation or a strange Prohibition Construe it as you please by the Present or Future tense Timor enim Domini est Janitor cordis et virtutis custos saith St. Hierome Fear of the Lord is the Guard Royal of the heart and keeps out forbidden lusts like unbidden Guests Fear is the Treasurer of Vertue keeps it in a close Cabinet like a precious Jewel least it should take Wings like Riches and fly away Fundamentum salutis says Tertullian Fear is the Foundation of Hope and like that house which is built upon a Rock let the Sea roar and the Rain fall and the winds blow It stands fast it is unshaken Tuta Armatura says St. Chrysostome Fear is a safe Armour whosoever puts it on hath such a Coat of Male as is Sword Pike Pistol and Canon proof Initium sapientiae Pro. says Solomon Fear is the beginning of Wisdom not a Student in the Accademy of Fear but is sure to commence Doctor of Wisdom Vita omnium operum says Melancton Fear is the vivacity of all our Actions whatsoever we do without Fear is dead in the very doing and Solomon gives the reason of it Officium enim est totius hominis Eccles 12. For this is the whole duty of man To fear God and keep his Commandements Religio Majestas Honor metu constant says Lactantius where Religion is neglected confusion enters nor can Religion subsist without Fear For what is not feared is contemned and what is contemned is not worshipped Religion Majesty Honour The Religion of God the Majesty of the King and the Honour of the Nobility are all preserved by Fear Take away Fear and take away all This Age this unhappy miserable Age gives us too sad feeling an example of it The Kingdom of England hath lost Religion The King of England hath lost his Majesty the Majesty of England hath lost his Head the Nobility of England have lost their Honour And all this because the Commons of England have lost their Fear the Fear of God St. Barnard advises most divinely Cúm adest Gratia time
Nature wherein he transgressed not and yet his excesse was not punished either by Sacerdotal Synod or by the secular Senate either by an Assembly of Levites or by an Army of Souldiers David for bad it twice in his life time and revenged it after his death and for no other reason but this Quia unctus Domini quia Christus Domini Because he was the Lords annointed Sauls unction was the cause of his immunity Quaero si Saulus non habebat Sacramenti sanctitatem Contr. Patil l. 2. c. 48. quid in eo David venerebatur says St. Augustine If Saul had not the holinesse of unction I wonder what it was that David reverenced in him David reverenced Saul for his holy unction Saul a bad King was Gods annointed though bad and it is to let you know That annointing doth not signifie any spiritual grace or vertue For then Saul had not been King and yet when he was at the worst he was still Gods annointed Nor secondly does Unction signifie Religion For then Cyrus a meer Heathen had not been King yet King he was and Gods annointed too Isa 45.1 Unction or annointing then signifying neither confirming in Religion nor conferring of any spiritual grace it must and will sâ—grisie that Dominion and Sovereignty which God gives that man whom He chooses out of the rest to be King whether he be good or bad either in the beginning of a Royal Race or in the Succession of a a Royal Birth And the Primogeniture of Sovereignty I must tell you is enough to prove one Gods annointed At first God made Kings and his annointed immediatly by himself so Moses Then Mediatly by Men so Joshua by Moses so Saul and David by Samuel and so Solomon by David and these were extraordinary waies The ordinary waies are by Succession or by the Sword For Elective Kings are rather Reguli then Reges Jud. 2 Reg. 24.1 Isa 45.1 and titular then reall Abimelech got it by the Sword so did Nebucadnezzar and so did Cyrus and still they were Gods annointed But this we durst not say to you if Gods word did not say so to us The surest was by Succession or Birth-right which belongs to the eldest Son and thus Rehoboam succeeded Solomon c. and they that so come to the Crown are Gods annointed and therefore may not be resisted deposed or murthered which is my second part and thus proposed Whether such a Person as the King and Gods annointed Part 2. though bad may be resisted deposed or murthered I answer it No and thus I undertake it And that you may clearly and to the full understand the truth of this I shall leave it to your choyce whether you will believe Papists and Puritans without the word of God or the Primitive Fathers and Doctors with the word of God The Jesuites of Rome tell us That Kings may be deposed by Popes The Puritans of Geneva tell us That Kings may be deposed by the People Both in some cases and the spawn of both the Independents have done it de facto in England without any Case or Cause at all will you hear them speak 1. Say they of Rome If the King be a Tyrant i. e. If instead of protecting the People he destroy them If instead of feeding the People he fleece them If instead of enriching his Subjects Bellar. de he impoverish them If instead of doing them Justice he be unjust unto them Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed Potest Papae 2. If the King usurp power in spiritual things i. e. If he call himself Defender of the Faith or under Christ the Head of the Church If he call a Council without leave of his Holinesse the Bishop of Rome If he shed the bloud of Priests by the Secular Power and Civil Sword If he alienate Monasteries Nunneries and other Demeasus of the Church Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed 3. If he be an Heretique i.e. If he be not of the Romish Faith and Religion If he favour it not If he promote it not Lib. 5. If he practise it not If he persecute the Professors of it If he enact and execute Penal Lawes against them Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed 4. If he be a Fool had I been the Cardinal instead of Fatuity I would have said If he be a Demoniack i. e. If he be possest with the Devil or an evil Spirit if he have compacted with the Devil If he be so sierce that no man may speak unto him If upon every or any light occasion he throw his Javeline to nail men to the wall Cap. 1. and draw his Sword to cut their Throats Let him be as lawfully he may be deposed These are ruled cases in Rome to legitimate that spurious Doctrine of King-deposing and King-killing and all these made good by those hell-hatcht Distinctions of Proprié Improprié of Directé of Simplciter secundam quid of Absolute in ordine ad spiritualiâ— by the Popes Absolute and Relative Authority And the same Doctrine of Sedition of Deposing of Regicide and King-killing Loc. Com. Theol. Loc. 77. p. 845. is as stifly but not so subtly maintained by the Puritans else hear them speak 1. Subditis si sit publica et manifesta savitia licet fieri supplices implorare anxilia ab alijs et suscipere eorum defensionem aliis Regibus licet saith Bucanus when Subjects suffer Publick manifest wrong they may lawfully become Suppliants unto Forreign Magistrates and implore their aid against their own Princes and other Kings ought to take upon them their Defence and Protection 2. Si legibus Dei Magistratus transgrediantur c. says Christopher Goodman If Magistrates transgress Gods Lawes themselves Tract de obed p. 119. and commend others to do the like they loose that honour and obedience which is otherwise due unto them and ought no more to be taken for Magistrates but to be examined and punished as private transgressors 3. Licuit says Eusebius Philadelphus from Edengburgh Dial 2. p. 57 It was as lawful for his Brethren of France to defend themselves from the Tyranny of Charles 9. King of France as for wayfaring-men to resist and repel Thieves and Wolves Nay saith he I am of opinion with the old people of Rome That of all good action the Murther of a Tyrant is most commendable 4. Oritur nobilis quaestie says Danaeus in his Christian Policy Lib. 3. c. 6. Here arises a noble question Whether it be lawful for Subjects to change and alter their Government Yea whether it may be done by godly men with a good Conscience Yes says he It may and his Reason is this Reges summique Magistratus Kings chief Magistrates are the Vassails of the Kingdom Common-wealths where they Rule and therefore may be dispossest and dejected when they attempt any thing against the Fundamental Lawes thereof and as it
dimittis Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart Philip. 1. so did St. Paul Cupio dissolvi I desire to be dissolved But yet did ever any man desire to be hanged I do not think Judas senior did who betrayed his Master nor Judas junior neither who condemned his Soveraign True They both hanged themselves but for all that I do not believe that either of them desired to be hanged If I must die let me die any Death rather then a shameful then an accursed Death and yet the Apostle doubles that word upon Christ Philip. 2.8 Christ suffered death mortem autem crucis yea the death of the crosse i. e. He suffered the most shameful and accursed of all deaths For as all Lifes are not equally comfortable so all Deaths are not equally miserable the Cottage is not like the Pallace for life nor is the Water like the Halter for Death The Jewes had four kindes of Death for Malefactors Sword Fire Stone and Towel the Towel was the easiest yet there was Dolor Pain in that the Sword was next yet there was sanguis Blood in that Fire was worse then the Sword for there was scandalum shame in that Stoning was worse then all three yet there was not maledictum a curse in that but crucifying was worse then all Four Colos 1.14 Act. 2.24 Gal. 5.11 Gal. 3.13 for it was Bloudy and therefore called the Blood of the Crosse For it was painful and therefore called the Pain of the Crosse For it was shameful and therefore called the shame of the Crosse For it was cursed and therefore called the curse of the Crosse To dye by Age no man is against It is a Natural Death a Debt we owe to Nature to die by War no Soldier is against It is an honourable Death so that they die pro Rege et Lege for their King Country but if against their King it is Rebellion and damnable to die for Religion no good Christian is against It is a glorioas Death the Death of Martyrs But to dye the Death of the Crosse violently untimely penally cursedly Oh this goes against the haire It strikes to the heart This Cursed it was That is without all question Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree Deut. 21.23 Galat. says St. Paul by way of Transcript from Moses's Original Untimely it was For he was now in the prime of his Age about thirty three years old not more by any ones account that I remember His Body most Active now and now his Soul most contemplative both most vigorous Violent it was For they nail'd him and stab'd him spikt His Hands Feet that he might neither shew a nimble pair of heels nor a valiant pair of Hands and last of all they pierced him thorow the Heart the very Fountain of Life least peradventure he might have recovered after three hours crucifixion Painful it was For it is a pain to prick a Vein a greater pain to boar the Hand and peirce the Heart yes a cruel pain it was the cruellest of pains and thence as I take it are Dolores acermi called cruciatus A pain it was when He bled in Gabbatha where they scourged him with Rods and Crown'd him with Thorns more painful it was in Golgotha where they printed his Hands and Feet with Nails and Spikes and peirced his Heart thorow with a Spear and the more long the more painful It is some ease if Gravis be Brevis but if it be Acuta too Oh then it is painful indeed Add but to this the Blood he lost in Gethsemane the Blood of his Soul and without all question you will confess that if this Text had run but in mortuus est He dyed It had been hard enough But Death may still be suffered a painful and shameful Death may but when cruelty and malice are joyned to the shame and Pain Oh then it is hard indeed Indeed hard it is to say whether cruelty or shame have the upper hand Saul chose rather to fall upon his own Sword 1 Sam. 31.4 then to die shamefully by the han's of the Philistines Well but what shame did Christ suffer or rather what shame did he not suffer 1. He suffered first the shame of the whip which was a punishment only for Slaves and Bond-men then amongst the Romans and for Vagrants and Wanderers now amongst the English so it was once answered by a Freeman when he was threatned with a whip Loris saith he Liber sum Whip me Do if you dare I am a Freeman Acts 16.37 and St. Paul himself intimates so much saying After they have beaten us openly uncondemned being Romans they have cast us into prison and now would they put us out privily and more expresly afterward Acts 22.25 Is it lawful for you to scourge one that is a Romane and not condemned 2. He suffered secondly the shame of contempt and disgraceful usage Herods white Sheet ct Pilates blew Livery were put upon him so St. Luke and St. John describe his Apparrel Herod with his men of war despised Jesus and mocked him and arrayed him in white Luk. 23.11 says St. Luke And the Souldiers Pilats Souldiers platted a Crown of Thorns and put it on his Head and they put on him a purple garment says St. John And then they hood-winkt him John 19.2 playd at blind-man-buff with him pull'd him by the hair and spet in his Face 3. He suffered thirdly the shame of despight and malice In the depth of his distresse they would not afford him a dragm of compassion but railed reviled scoft scorn'd derided him in his very prayers and in his extream thirst denied him that which was never denied to any but the damned in Hell John 19.36 A drop of Water and instead thereof offered him a Spunge dipt in Vinegar He suffered fourthly the shame of shames For to make the world believe His Death was an Act of Justice they add the Solemn formality of a new erected and never before heard of Court of pretended High Justice For they knew too well That no Legal Court of true Justice could take away his Life In a word Had it been Occidistis You have killed him though by Assasination It had not been so much because that Act would have workt all honest men to pitty his condition but it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Trucidastis you have impetuously without any judicial proceeding but that of pretence and formality and cruelly without any Relenting and Compassion saving that of Hypocrisie and Dissimulation killed him i. e. in plain English murthered him and if you will believe Mr. Beza and in this you may believe him though he was Dr. of the Chaire at Geneva Trucidare is more then Occidere For Occidere is but to Kill It implies neither shame nor cruelty but trucidare is guilty of both And therefore the Poet expressing the shame and cruelty and subtlety and malice and Revenge to boot which
dy Well fare St. Chrysostome who being threatned with banishment from the Empresse of a good name but bad condition Eudoxia Et vult me exulem Regina And will the Empresse banish me said he Agat Let her do it Domini est terra the Earth is the Lords and the fullnesse thereof Another bids him hide himself and save his life For the Empresse would sawe him secet Content says he let her sawe me I am not afeard to follow the Prophet Isaiah in his way to Heaven A third bids him shift aside For the Empresse would cast him into the Sea Immergat said he Content still let her drown me I doubt not to find as good a plank as Jonas did to preserve me from perishing in the waters A fourth adviseth him to secure himself For the Emperesse would cast him into a Furnace of fire Injiciat said he As she pleases I am not afeard of a fiery Chariot The three children will bear me company and the Son of God will drive the Coach so fast that the Flames shall neither scortch my Flesh not singe my cloaths A fifth bids him take Sanctuary For the Emperesse would throw him to the wilde Beasts Jaciat said he let her do it I make no question but the Angels will muzzle them for hurting me Yet a sixth perswaded him to convey himself away for a while that the Church of Christ might receive some further benefit by him else the Emperesse would have him stoned to death Fiat voluutas Dei said he Let Gods will be fullfilled and hers too I will use all lawful means for my preservation being persecuted in this City I will fly into another but with this resolution still I am not afeard to follow St. Stephen thorow a whole shower or Quary of stones into the Kingdom of Heaven If these Examples be procul at too far a distance for us to follow Look we then upon a late Noble Glenham who was more conquered by an empty dish then by an insulting and increasing Foe and yet was afeard of neither but left his Garrison with more honour then his Enemies possest it Look upon a valiant Fawcet who was more conquered by the mutiny of his unfaithful Slaves for they are not worthy the name of Soldiers that will mutiny then by his thundring Enemies and yet was afeard of neither but came off with more honour then he left behinde him Look upon a Loyal Compton who notwithstanding the improbability of relief and the continuation of an hard Siege and the multiplication of a cruel Enemy yet resolved not to be afeard of any evil tydings Look upon an undaunted Arundel who being Summon'd to deliver up the Remainder in the West and whether threatned or allured thereunto I know not because the Kings party was utterly defeated returned an Answer as full of Resolution as Religion as full of Courage as Christianity and such as became both a Souldier and a Christian I have lived untainted threescore seven years and I have not any minde to go a Rebel to my Grave Remember if you revolt you turn Rebells and if you dye in that Apostacy you dye Rebels and leave an Odium upon your Name and a curse upon your Estates Look we upon those Gentlemen but look we upon them with the Eyes of imitation who in the year 1646 when all Royall hopes were low enough and Rebellious Ambitions high enough came from Plimouth Excester what brought them so many weary steps when they might have lived quietly there or gone safely to â—heit own habitations but the Example of a Loyall Wagstaffe and the fear of being tempted unto a Rebellion and desire to live and dye in his late Majesties service Look we upon his late Majesty who notwithstanding so many Waves of the Sea and so much madness of the People in the losse of Shrewsbury Hereford in the losse of Bristol Bridgewater in the losse of Excester a brave Cavalry was yet so far from being afeard of those evil tydings that he doubted not to recover all or at least to requite all his and his loyaly Subjects miserys with the blessing of Peace and honourable Conditions And when all this fail'd by a Scotch treachery which surpassed that of Judases by two hundred thousand pounds bating but thirty pieces of Silver and by a breach of Faith and Trust in his Parliament and their Army why yet his admirable constancy and perseverance his yet unimitable piety and patience bid us look upon him again with Sighs and Tears that so good a King should have so bad Subjects to present him with so evil tydings as the dark hurrying of him from Holmby to Hampton from Hampton to the Isle of Wight from the Isle of Wight to Windsor from Windsor to St. Jameses from St. Jameses to White-Hall and there to a Decollation to a Beheading to the losse of his Life was not yet afeard He was not afeard of any evil tydings And now look we upon his present Majesty whom the late Majesty his Father desired might be rather Charles le boon then Charles le Grand and I doubt not nor need you but that he will be Charles le Grand because he is Charles le Boon in his Enterprize of this year advancing from Scotland as far as Worce ster into England where when he was betrayed by the Cowardise or Treachery of the Scots I know not which I am sure by the obstinacy and obduracy was yet preserved by a Miracle from the Bloody hands and hearts of those who pursued him as a Partridge and still perseveres in his Fathers steps without fearing any evil tydings expecting faithfuller hands fairer opportunities and better successes And better successe he will have by Gods providence sooner then by Humane reason I can hope within these six years For as Tychâ— Brachy said The year 1640 would be Totius Mundi insania erga Reges An universal madnesse of the World against Kings so will that year 1656 prove Totius Mundi benevolentia erga Reges An universal goodnesse of the world towards Kings Sooner by Gods providence he may be established in his Birth and Undoubted Rights without any worldly assistance but then by Gods providence and the worlds subservance He will be restored and my Divine reason for it is As his Father appeared the best of men in being his Subjects Martyr So will he appear the best of Kings in being his Subjects Master because his heart standeth fast and believeth in the Lord. It is my third and last Consideration Quare non timet ab auditu malo Why he that feareth God feareth not any evil tydings Pars. 3. Paratum est cor ejus or Confirmatum est cor ejus Read it which way you please His heart standeth fast believeth in the Lord or His heart is prepared to believe in the Lord. Sure I am the very Object Lord is enough to make our Heart stand fast and believe Were it but El There is
over them even Saul of whom Samuel here says See ye not him the King 1 Sam. 10. whom the Lord hath chosen It is still to tell us That God is the efficient of Monarchy and not the People And was it not God that afterward appointed David and after him Solomon and so of all the Kings both of the Jewes and of the Nations was God the efficient 2 Sam. 5. Prov. 8.15 if you will believe Solomons Per me for the Kings of the Jewes By me Kings Reign and Isaiahs Unctus Cyrus for the Nations Isa 43.1 where the Lord calls Cyrus his Annointed or that of Daniel for both Dan. 4 25. The most high ruleth in the Kingdom of men and gives it to whomsoever he will Mark it The Lord gives it not the people and the Lord gives it to whomsoever he will not to whomsoever the people will But soft I have here committed a great Errour and given an open way to a very fair Objection For some Monarchomachoi Objection some Anti-Royalists and Fighters against the King say People are the Author and efficient of Monarchy and they give Scripture for it 1 Reg. 12.20 The people sent and called Jeroboam unto the Congregation and they the People made him King over all Israel Yet now I think upon it again Resp this Errour of mine was not so great nor the Objection so strong but that I can fairly salve the one and easily solve the other and in Answer I confesse That the People did make Jeroboam King and that by God too But How by God and How by them Not by God Efficiente approving of it but only Permittente permitting of it and By them not Authoritate by any Authority they had acquired but Rebellione by Rebellion they had incurred Jeroboam was King indeed and indeed of the Peoples making but in Fact not in Right because not of Gods appointing further then by way of Permission God blest him not Immediatly by himself No Prophet of God annoinaed him nor was there any Ceremony used for and at his Inauguration more then a Rent Ahijah the Prophet rent a new garment in twelve pieces and bid Jeroboam take ten 1 Reg. 11.31 In all which God only punished Solomons sin but did not make Jeroboam King And what a heavy Judgment God intends that people whom he permits to chuse and make a King unto themselves the sad progresse of this Story will demonstrate and that was this in a word When they had made a King of their own why then they and their King would have a Religion of their own and to effect this They banish or silence or imprison all their old Priests and Orthodoâ—al Clergy as absolute impediments to their new intended government and by and by they take as much Anthority over God as before they took Liberty over their King and Jeroboam confesses himself to be but an Usurper though a King of the Peoples making 1 Reg. 12.27 saying This People will return unto their Lord if they do sacrifice in Jerusalem And indeed when they had made an Usurper their King their King and they made a Calfâ— their God and this sin of Idolatry stuck so close to their King and that sin of Rebellion stuck so close unto themselves that He is made an example to Sovereignty they to Subjects least if Kings do as he did and become Idolaters and worship another God or Subjects do as they did and set up another King then whom God hath placed over them the Kings become Castaways and the Subjects first Rebels and ever after Slaves You see This Objection hath done the Objector little good All that it says is God may give way to people to make an Usurper King but punishes them soundly for it and is still himself the Author of lawful Kings and the Efficient of true Monarchy And as it was in the daies of Moses so it was in the daies of Christ He would rather be without his own Right then receive it in a wrong way or from a wrong hand and therefore to let the People know That they had no power to conferr Crowns Joh. he would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would by no means accept of that Dignity when they the People would have made him King He likewise acknowledged Pilate though he were but a Deputy-King to have received his power De super from above Joh. 18. and St. Paul maintained the same Doctrine saying The Powers that be are ordained of God Rom. 13.1 Not doth the Reply any way foile this truth where St. Peter saith Replic 1. Pet. 2. That that is the Ordinance of man which St. Paul calls the Ordinance of God For the same Act is often times ascribed both as well to the one as the other sometimes to the Mediate Reasons and sometimes to the Immediate Agent so it is said 1 Sam. 11.15 1 Sam. 10.1 All the people went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King and yet in the Chapter afore it is said The Lord hath annointed thee to be Captain over his inheritance and the like is said of David They the people annointed David King over Israel and yet it is said again 2 Sam. 5.3 The Lord annointed Dauid King over Israel 2 Sam. 12.7 i. e. God as the Master of the Substance makes Kings and gives them their Regall power the Prophets as Masters of the Ceremonies powred on the Oyle and declared them Kings and the People as under-Officers received them into the Possession of that Right and admitted them to the Exercise of that Authority which God had given them Or you may take the Answer thus whereas St. Peter calls the Supream Power or Monarchy the Ordinance of Man there he speaks of the Final cause of Power q. d. Power the Supream power Kingship and Monarchy it self is ordained for the good peace and welfare of man not but that God is the Efficient Cause of this power as St. Paul speaks And Paraeus himself who was no great Royalist indeed no friend at all to Monarchy In Rom. 13. pag. 1327. tells us That the Authority of Kings is primarily the Ordinance of God and he answers this very Objection thus St. Peter saith he calls the Magistrate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An humane Creation or Ordination not causally as if it were invented by man or brought and begotten by the Will of man or as if man were the Author of it but this he speaks 1. Subjectively because it is executed by man And 2. Objectively because it is used about the Government of humane Society And 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Finally because God ordained it for the good and help of markinde And in the close he adds The wordused by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Creation ad Deum primum autorem nos rev ocat sheweth plainly That God is the first Author of it Hitherto then it
of the Kingdom and first here I shall examine what is meant by these words They despised him The meaning of this consists in three branches and they are these 1. They did Male-cogitare think evil of him in their hearts and so came within the compasse of Solomons prohibition Curse not the King in thy thought Eccle. 10.20 A thought of despising the King is Treason as well as a Word and a Word as well as an Action so says the Scripture of the Intention of Bigthan and Teresh Traytors they were and yet they never came to an Insurrexerunt or any Act of Treason Ester 2.21.23 but only to a Voluerunt an Intention they sought or they thought to lay hands upon King Ahasuerus and for this very thought of Treason they were hang'd And as the Law of God so the Law of this Kingdom doth construe a bare purpose against the King a despising thought of the King to be Treason and makes it deadly My prayer therefore is Convert them O God if they will not be Converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as have evil will against the King and do Male-cogitare despise him in their thoughts 2. They did Male-dicere despise the King with their tongues and speak evil of him saying How shall this man save us and this is the second Branch whereby the meaning of this word is explained They despised him i.e. they speak evil of the King and so came within the compasse of Moses's prohibition Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people Deut. 27.16 A Word against the King is Treason as well as a thought or Action Greater Treason then a thought and lesser Treason then an Action And they that Word it against the King if they be of the Clergy they are of Balaams Ordination Numb 23. because they Curse whom God hath blessed and he was killed with the Sword If they be of the Layety they are of Shimei's condition 2 Sam. 16.5 because they revile whom God hath annointed and he was put to death And of late by the Law of this Nation there stood one Pym condemned for saying He would if he could embrue his hands in the blood of King Charles the first and many more in good time may be condemned and executed for saying They will if they can embrue their hands in the blood of King Charles the Second My Prayer again therefore is Convert them O Lord if they will not be converted confound them O God and let them perish as many as speak evill of my Lord the King and do Male-dicere Despise Him with their Tongues 3 They did Male facere Despise the King with their Hands for they brought him no presents and so came within the compasse of King Davids prohibition 1 Sam. 26.9 Thou shalt not stretch forth thy hand against the Lords annointed I know King David there speaks by way of Interrogation Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Annointed and be guiltlesse but I know withal that Interrogative Quis Who can is a most triumphant Negative and says Nullus No man can and be guiltlesse or No man ought unless he will bring Guilt upon his own Soul Absolon did was hang'd 2 Sam. 10.9 Robert late Earl of Essex did against Elizabeth our late Queen of England and was beheaded and how many that were in the same Conspiracy were hang'd you may read in that Chronicle My prayer therefore is gain Convert them O Lord Convert them and return them to their Duty of Loyalty to thine Annointed If they will not be converted confound them O Lord confound them and as many as lift up their hands against or withdraw their hands from my Lord the King Amen You see what is meant by these words 1 a. 2 a. They despised him will you now see Why they despised him why it was Because they lookt upon him as a single man How shall this man save us Happily they thought him greater then any of themselves in particular but they thought themselves in a collective or Representative Body greater then him the King and this brings me to the unfolding of the second Question which is Whether the King be singulis major Question 2 greater then single persons but Universis minor lesse then collected Persons or the Body Representative I shall not need to speak of the first Branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Singulis major Greater then any single Person For it is not denied by any or if by any yet only by such who are more Beasts then Men and live more by Sense then by Reason or Religion or rather have lost both their Sense their Reason and their Religion The enquiry therefore here must be upon the other branch of this Question viz. Whether the King be Universis minor lesse then the Body Representative For this was the thing in agitation in this late wicked Age and affirmed by these wicked men the Children of Belial who did de facto murther King Charles I. of blessed memory and would have done as much upon King Charles II. if they could have fastened upon him at Worcester but God I trust hath preserved him for better times I must at first take leave to tell them That the Ground on which they build is false and meer Sophistry That the assumption and Inference which they build is weak and meer Fallacy For thus they argue The Fountain or Cause of a King is greater then the King but the People Representative is the Fountain and Casue of the King Therefore the People Representative is greater then the King And here I say The Ground is false the Assumption is untrue and the Inference therefore is so too 1. The Ground is taken from an old Axiome Quickquid efficit tale est ma gis tale whatsoever effects a thing is greater then the thing effected This though true Ante effectum productum before the effect produced yet it is often false Post effectus productionem after the production of the effect v. g. The Fountain was once bigger then the River but now the River is bigger then the Fountain A spark of fire was once more Fire then all the Wood in the Chimney but when the Wood becomes one Flame the Wood is more Fire then the Sparke You see the Ground is not ever true and sure I am the Assumption laid upon this Ground-work is never true viz. The People is the Fountain or Cause Efficient of the King For God as I have shewed you before and whether I referr you is the only Efficient of Monarchy Only I add thus much Were it so that the People did make the King yet it would not follow That therefore the People is greater then the King For this Axiome is true only in those Agents in whom the Quality by which they work is Inherent and from whom it cannot be separated But the People if they had Power to make the
the Law of Nature or the Divine Law not by Popular Pactions or Politick and National Agreements we are bound to obey the King and the Reason is Because the King is the Supream Head i. e properly Universorum of all the People and all this is not obscurely implyed but manifestly expressed and that not by single and yesterday Pamphlets but by sundry old Authentique Histories and Chronicles Would you have it yet plainer Look ye then upon the Oaths ye have taken in the presence of Almighty God The Oath of Allegiance The Oath of Supremacy and your own Parliamentary Protestation In each of these you have sworne to maintain the Kings Soveraignty in all Causes and over all Persons Ecclesiastical and Civil A Soveraignty he hath not onely over singular persons but over all persons and you have sworn to maintain it and as you endeavour it so God will help you But you may fear you may justly fear If you have un-Sworne that or Sworne against that which you have so Solemnly Sworne to maintaine That GOD will not onely not help you but wound you wound you while you live with the Infamy of Rebells and a tormenting Conscience Witnesse Alderman Hoyle Sr. Henry Phane Senior and some more and wound you when you are dead with the Eternity of Fire and all the Torments of Hell From both which Almighty God deliver you for his Son Jesus Christ his sake and from which that you may be delivered I pray God give you grace to acknowledge esteem King Charles II. to be Universis as well as Singulis Major Greater then and over all because They that think lesse of him do despise him and are therefore the Chilâ—ren of Belial as they are and shall be in future Chronicles who thought lesse of King Charles I. and therefore murthered him And so are they that bring him no presents which is my third Consideration and to be handled the next year In the mean time God in mercy c. Anno Dom. 1653. 1 SAM 10.27 They brought him no Presents WEE are by the Grace of God Pars. 3. met here again to remember a sad and mournful day That day on which the best King that ever England had was murthered I chan◠〈◊〉 my Text yet because I am yet to shew you the Privative cond tion of Rebels or Children of Belial from these words They â—â—ought him no Presents And I shaâ—l not spend much time in the Explication of these words Theâ— are obvious enough to the thinnest understanding and thâ—yiâ— end thus much These men these Children of Belial diâ—noâ— contribute to the maintenance of the King They did not â—yd im they did not assist him They ayded him not with Aâ—ms they assisted him not with mony They withheld his Vectiâ—li from him They brought him not his Customes his Crown-Reâ—enues his Subsidies and Poll-monies I shall therefore spend my ensuing Discourse in resolving that Question which doth almost Naturally arise from these last words viz. Whether it be lawful to bear Arms Quest. 3 or contribute for the maintenance of a War against the King This Text resolves it Negatively and says It is not lawful For they who brought the King no presents were therefore Sons of Belial and therefore much more are they the Sons of Belial who fight against or contribute to maintain a War against the King And this I shall endeavour to make good 1. Removendo by removing all Objections that I meet withal which colour this Opinion 2. Movenâ—o by commending to you some choise and pregnant places of Scripture which give the checkmate to this Opinion 3. Propendendo by explaining those places of Scripture by the practises of the Fathers 4. Proponendo by laying before your face some of those fearful Judgements which have befallen some men who have born Arms against their Kings as fearful Examples for them who contribute to the maintenance of such Wars And first for the Objections and the first of any validity I meet with is that of David's taking up Arms against King Saul Object 1 and it is argued thus 1 Sam. 22.1 2. 1 Sam. 24.18 David the Subject took up Arms against Saul the King and was not rebuked for it either by any Divines or Lawyers or States-men Many of his Fellow Subjects to the number of 600. took up Arms with him and very likely many more contributed to the maintenance of that Army nor yet were they reprehended either by any Rules of Divinity Law or Policy and Therefore Subjects may take up Arms and contribute to the maintenance of a Warre against a King if he be an Oppressour of their Properties Liberties or Religion And to this first colourable Objection Answer I Answer thus The Allegation is false For how can it possibly be imagined That David took up Arms against Saul when we find him continually flying from and never fighting with Saul Yea 1 Sam. 24.6 so far was he from fighting with him or taking up Arms against him that when God had delivered Saul into his hands two several times 1 Sam. 26.9 once in the Wildernesse of Engedi and once in the Hill of Hachilah David durst not himself nor would he suffer any man else to stretch forth his hand against King Saul and for this reason 1 Sam. 24.2 Because he was the Lords Annointed Certainly David neither raised nor entertained these 600 men to fight or encounter with or against Saul For what are 600 to so many thousand as Saul had at Command 1 Sam. 26.2 He never went without 3000 men after him David used these 600 only for Spies or Scouts that they might give him Intelligence where Sauls ambushments lay that so he might as is said the better avoid his fury ver 4 Certainly therefore David with his 600 mens is very unlearnedly urged as an Example of Disloyalty Nor will that Addition help it viz. That David was 40000 strong in the days of Saul and likely he would not lye still with that great Army 1 Chr. 1.12 No no They had no such foolish Oath in those Loyal daies as Never stir law It is fit let the King know himself It is high time King Saul were removed from his evil Counsellours Doeg and his fellows For first you cannot but know at least you cannot deny That these 40000 come not to David until Sauls death if you observe the story Ver. 22. For it is said expresly They came to David to help him until it was a great Host like the Host of God And these are the numbers of the Bands Ver. 23. that were ready Armed to the War and come to David to Hebron to turn the Kingdom of Saul unto him according to the Word of the Lord And what made these men come to David at this time It was Sauls death and they knew David was appointed by God to succeed him But secondly admit it for truth That David was 40000 strong in the daâ—es of Saul
of necessity note the Person and the Superiority of the Person that hath that Power conferred upon and given to him and such Power no Person in England hath but only the King of England His great Council may Jus dicere propose Lawes but He only can jus dare make Lawes They the Lords and Commons may give weight and Testimony to the Law but He only The King can give Force and Authority to the Law And therefore by Higher Power we English men must needs understand the King of England To whom the King every Soul i.e. All People in the Kingdom of England must be subject subject Actively If He commands not what is against Gods word Subject Passively if He do whether He do or do not we must be so far Subject as that we may not Resist For if we do we shall receive to our selves Damnation Not the Plundering of our Goods at Home not the hanging of our Bodies in the street or field but the Damnation the everlasting Damnation of our Souls and Bodies in Hell for ever Now search and examine your selves Art thou any where in the whole word of God commanded to bear Arms or to contribute to maintain a War against thy Lawful and Rightful King Art thou any where forbidden by the word of God to Assist thy King in his just Wars Nay Doeth not the word of God forbid thee That and command the This It does thou knowest it does and so I conclude this Proposition from the Scripture and say Therefore it is not lawful for any man to bear Arms or to contribute to the maintenance of a War against the King For no man may curse the King in his thoughts for no man may revile the King by his words For no man may resist the King with his Hands yea Therefore every man must assist the King with Arms and contribute to the maintetenance of a War for him with his Purse because they that do not are the Children of Belial The Children of Belial said How shall this man save us and they despised him and brought him no presents And this I shall endeavour to make good Thirdly 3. Fathers By the contemplation and conversation of the Fathers by their Practise and by their Opinion and that I may not tyre you or my self I shall give you but a Taste instead of a Feast and name you but Few instead of Many I begin with Justine Martyr Ad inquisitionem vestram Secund. Apolog ad Anto. Imp. p. 113. Christianos nos esse profitemur c. says he to Antoninus an Emperour bad enough At your Inquisition we Professe our selves to be Christians though we know Death to be the Guerdon and reward of our Profession Did we expect an Earthly Kingdom we would deny our Religion that escaping Death we might obtain our desires For the preservation of publick peace we Christians O Emperour yield you our help and assistance We Christians says Tertullian to Scapula the Vice-Roy are defamed for Seditious Persons against the Imperial Majesty Lib. ad Scap. but we were never yet found to be either Albinians Nigrians Cassians or any other sort of Traytors No we know the Emperour is ordained of God and therefore we love him we honour him we reverence him we pray for him and for the welfare of his whole Empire Una nox pauculis faculis c. says he In Apolog. in his Apologetical Defence of the Christians One short night with a few Fire-brands or Torches would work our deliverance and revenge our wrongs if it were lawful to requite evil with evil Vetat autem Deus ut aut ab igne humano vindicatur Divina secta aut doleat pati in quo probatur But God forbid that the Christian Religion should be revenged with humane fire or that Christians should grieve for suffering because in suffering they are refined and for suffering they are rewarded Apol. Atha ad Constant Holy Athanasius in the clearing of himself against the Accusation of the Arians to Constantius the Emperour thus expresses his own Duty and the Duty of all good Subjects I am not so mad neither have I forgotten the voice of God which says Curse not the King no not in thy heart and backbite not the Mighty in the secreets of thy Chamber for the Birds of the Aire shall tell it and the winged Fowle shall bewray thee It is not for any man to say otherwise then well of his Majesty in the opinion of this holy man and therefore certainly it is not for any man to do otherwise then well To bear Arms or to contribute to maintain War against the King Orat. 1. in Julian Nazianzene the Divine so termed for his Excellent Knowledge and profound Learning speaks to this purpose Repressus est Julianus Christianorum lachrymis quas multas multi profuderunt hoc unum adversus persecutorem medicamentum habentes Julian that great Apostata and persecutor of Christians was restrained by the Tears of Christians which many of them shed and powred forth aboundantly unto God nor had they any other remedy against the Persecutor because they knew it to be unlawful to use any other means then Sufferance or else they might having so much strength as they had have repelled their wrong with violence St. Ambrose being commanded to deliver up his Church in Millane to an Arian Bishop Contr. Aux Ep. 31 32 33. his people being very sorry for his departure he thus resolves and comforts both himself and them Quid turbamini Volens nunquam vos deesram Why are you troubled I will never willingly leave you Repugnare non novi dolere potero potero slere potero gemere adversus Arma Milites Gothos Lach rymae meae mea sunt Arma aliter nec debeo nec possum resistere If I be compelled I have no way to resist I can grieve and sorrow I can weep and sigh my Tears are my Weapons against Souldiers Armors Goths such is the Artillery and Ammunition of a Priest otherwise then with Tears I neither may nor must nor ought resist St. Chysostome in one Epistle tells us Ep. ad Tim. 2. That though Kings continue obstinate in Infidelity yet they must be prayed for they must not they may not be resisted The Apostle commands prayers supplications and intercessions to be made for all men especially for the King What he hath said in another you have heard before and thither I refer you St. Augustine is of the same opinion Julianus extitit Imperator Infidel is Julian was an unbelieving Emperour In Ps 124. he was an Apostata an Oppressor a Tyrant and Idolater yet the Christian Soldiers served this anbelieving Emperour They obeyed him in all things for Christ and when he commanded them any thing against Christ yet they resisted him not though they did not obey him Gregory the Great might if he would Ep. l. 7. Ep. 1. but would not though he could destroy the Lombards
French-men ever after in their ordinary sport when they were at Cards and pulled for a Traytor a sort in their Packs as Knaves are in ours would call for a Barnardino de Corte to his perpetual reproach Infamy with the shame whereof and the sting of a guilty Conscience the Rebel was so tormented that he languished continually until he dyed desperatly I have heard of a certain Commander who would often wish he might rot if ever he lift his Hand or drew his Sword against the King Notwithstanding he did both and God answered him in his wish For he rotted within and dyed this was at Worcester A certain Lord likewise I have heard of a Great Ring-leader in a Rebellion yet a great Pretender to Religion and in his Exercises of Devotion would often desire God If the course he took were not right if the cause he mannaged were not just that God would take him away suddainly God heard him and answered him For by the Shot of a Musket he was killed so suddainly that he had not so much time as to say God be merciful unto me and without any sign or symptome of Repentance dyed This was at Liechfield I need not remember you of Pausanias Ariobarzanes Rodolph Duke of Suevia Catcline of Rome Spencers Dudlys and many more of England Not one of them all nor any other Rebel that I have read of but if he lived he lived the scoâ—n of honest men and if he dyed he dyed the shame of his Friends the mirth of his enemies and the example of all God in the shameful and fearful punishments of them telling us That it is not lawful to bear Arms or contribute to maintain a War against the King They that did so against King Charles I. God Almighty look upon them in so much mercy that they may look up to him with so much Repentance that they may be forgiven and their Souls saved whatsoever becomes of their Bodyes and that no man none of us especially may do the like against King Charles II. with the Church I pray From all Sedition and privy conspiracy from all false Doctrine and Heresie from hardnesse of Heart and contempt of thy word and Commandement Good Lord deliver us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Amen Anno Dom. 1655. 1 REG. 21.19 Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession THat a Rich man that a Good man should be made first a Delinquent and then a Malignant is no news For the Fact can prescribe time out of mind even beyond the memory of Christianity Yet such a Fact may be suspected and called in question whether it be Legal or Illegal since it hath so bad a Founder as Achab and so great a Confounder as God For it was God that sent Elijah the Tishbite to meet Achab King of Israel V. 17.18 with this expostulation Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession But soft Is not this Text corrupted or mistaken for Achab killed not Naboth rather the False Witnesses that testified against him or the false Judges that condemned him or Jesabel that commanded both to be done and him to be stoned Truely they had their Guilt and Punishment yet as if they had been but Accessories Achab is pickt out for the Murtherer because without his Seal to the Letter his Covetousness after the Vineyard Naboth had not been markt out for a Delinquent nor put to death for a Malignant Nor had Achab received this Increpation from God by the hand of Elijah Hast thou killed and also gotten Possession In handling of which words I shall observe 1. Two Persons 2. Two things belonging to each Person The two Persons are 1. The true Malignant Achab. 2. The pretended Malignant Naboth 1. In the pretended Malignant I look upon the two Causes Why he was so pretended 1. He was a Rich man would not part with his Inheritance 2. He was a Good man would not yield to an Arbitrary Government 2. In the True Malignant I look upon the two Causes that so Branded him 1. His Murther Anoccideris Hast thou killed 2. His theft you may call it Plunder or sequestration Ac etiam jure haeriditario possidias and hast thou gotten Possession Of these God willing orderly and first of the first The pretended Malignant Naboth Naboth hath three Significations 1. It signifies Conspicuus visible and so he was a Delinquent and a malignant de Fronte for his honesty 2. It signifies Sessio stable and so he was a Delinquent and a Malignant de pede for his Constancy 3. It signifies Exclusio expelled and so he was a Delinquent and a Malignant de Facto and sequestred both from his livelihood and Life But for a man visibly honest whose Heart and thoughts you may read in his Face and Front without fraud or guile For a man unmoveably constant whose Perseveraâ—ce in honesty keeps company with his Life without halt or Apostacy For a man who will not part with the sincerity of his Intentions nor the Integrety of his Actions for the Frowns of Kings or fear of death For such a man to be made a Delinquent and under sequestration to be made a Malignant and put to Death me thinks is somewhat strange and Illegal It is strange indeed but indeed it is true too de Facto that he was served so though not true de merito that he deserved so It was Illegal too against Law and without president yes against old Lawes and former Presidents But a new Law may come forth by an Ordinance upon a day of Humiliation under a Privy Signet by the subtilty of Jesabel which signifies Covetousness as you may read in this Chapter Jesabel wrote Letters in Achabs name and Sealed them with his Seal and sent the Letters to the Elders and to the Nobles Ver. 8. that were in his City dwelling with Naboth And she wrote in the Letters saying Proclaim a Fast and set Naboth among the Chief of the People Ver. 9. And two wicked men before him Ver. 10. and let them witnesse against him saying Thou didst blasphem God and the King then carry him out and stone him that he may dy And the reason of all this is double 1. Because Naboth was a Rich man and would not part with his Inheritance which is my second Consideration and prima primae So you have it in the 2. and 3 verses Naboth had a Vineyard by the Kings Pallace Achab desires it for a Garden of Hearbs 1 a. 1 ae but he would not part with it because it was the Inheritance of his Fathers In Riches there is a Felicity and an Infelicity Happiness and misery both in Riches Happiness because Wealth gets a man esteem in the World Misery because it gets a man Envy in the World Happiness because it enables a man to do good in the Wâ—â—ld Misery because it tempts a man to do mischief in the World Happiness because a Man may make Friends by the Mammon of Iniquity
that his little Finger would be heavier in the Levies of Taxes for the payment of Soldiers to maintain his usurped Power and raysing up the basest and lowest of the People to be Priests and become their Teachers The English thought Ship-mony in King Charles his time to be a Tax unsufferable and therefore first set up Essex and found out an easy way of Excise and the First and Twentieth parts and a Bankrupt Publick Faith to maintain a Rebellious Army and when that would not do they then set up a New Modelled Army under the command of Fairfax with a lighter burthen of 60000 li. and 120000 li. the Moneth to reduce the King to obedience and then did Cromwell finely juggle him out and gave himself by deed of Gift the Protaectordom of England which he hath fairly safe-guarded by running it into a vast Debt and silencing the Orthodoxal Clergy for fear by their Preaching the people might be recovered of their madness and cherishes in their room an Anabaptistical Sect to keep them still in Bedlam But in the mean time they forget a Power which is in Heaven that will e're long laugh all these powers of Earth to scorn and establish Him whom by Succession he hath assigned to the Crowns of England Scotland and Ireland King Charles II. But till then Wo be to us if we preach says the Humane power Wo be to us if we preach not says the Divine power and So you see which power both by Reason and Religion we should rather obey And now 2. You may see which wo either Mans wo or Gods wo we should rather Fear 1. The wo which Man threatens us if we preach is the wo of imprisonment and the wo of banishment The wo of imprisonment for three Moneths the first time we preach The wo of imprisonment for six Moneths the second time we preach and he wo of banishment the third time we preach Now may not these woes be borne by us Certainly they may if we think upon Joseph in his Prison or the Jewes in their Banishment for Gods hand is not shorter now than it was then but He can preserve us as well in and deliver us as well out of prison as he did Joseph Nor is his ear heavier now than it was then but He can as well provide for us in and restore us from Exile as He did the Jewes and bring us back as well as them to re-build our Church and worship him with our former Reveverence Unity and Order 2. But the wo which God threatens us if we preach not is the Wo of the worst Goale Hell the Wo of the Banishment from Heaven and both these Eternal from which their is no Redemption and to bear which there is no Ability For who is able to dwell in those everlasting burnings Isa But then why do we not preach the Gospel Why Beloved It may be we do For the Pulpet doth not make a Sermon or if we do not It proceeds not from fear of either the Humane power or wo but because we believe God will be pleased more with our Obedience than Sacrifice Mistake me not I mean not Obedience to the Power which forbids us to preach but Obedience to the Providence which hath made our silence our punishment and also because we hope and pray that power which hath all things at his dispose to Restore King Charles the Second into the Throne of King Charles the First to Reign as he did Justly and Mercifully not to be Murthered as he was Barberously and Cruelly And then Wo be to us if we preach not the Gospel And as we believe and pray so be it unto us for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Anno Dom. 1656. APOCALYPS 14.13 Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth even so faith the Spirit They rest from their labours and their workes follow them THis Book is not Apocrypsis a Covering but Apocalipsis a Discovery and therefore may be lookt into Were it Apocrypsis a Concealment It were only for God For secret things belong only to God Deut. But being as it is Apocalypsis A Revealement or a Revelation It is for us and ours For things revealed belong to us and to our Children In this Book I confesse are Multa Mysteria Many Mysteryes and so not fit for vulgar eyes But in it too are Multae Hystoriae Many Historys and so fit for all Eyes The Mysterys indeed are for the Schools but the Histories may be for the Pulpit My Text hath not one jot of Mystery in it It is all an History a plain History for the understanding For who understands not That they which dye in the Lord are blessed It is a sweet History for the Affections For what more desired then Blessednesse And it is a short History for the Memory For it consists but of three parts and who remembers not three Those three parts are these 1. An Affirmation or a Proposition Beati abhoc tempore posthac amodo qui in Domino Domini causâ moriuntur Blessed henceforth are they which dye in the Lord or for the Lords Cause 2. A Witnesse or a Deposition to justifie the Truth of the Proposition Etiam dicit Spiritus Even so saith the Spirit 3. A Comment or Exposition Quoniam requiescunt a laboribus et opera eorum sequntur eos They rest from their labours and their works follow them The Proposition comforts us The Deposition assures us The Exposition enlightens it and us For if any man should say of the Proposition Blessed are the dead which dy in the Lord Durus hic Sermo This is an hard sentence who can understand it why here is a Glosse to expound it and explain it and the Glosse tells you They are doubly blessed 1. In Deliverance and Relaxation They rest from their labour Pars. 1. 2. In Reward and Retribution Their works follow them If the time confines me not I shall D. V. speak of each And 1. of the first Blessed are the dead which dye c. Blessednesse is a large word and comprises all those Mercies and Favours which appertain to this Life or the next so we read in the Psalms Blessed is the man that fears the Lord and that Blessednesse is as well Earthly as Heavenly His Seed shall be mighty upon Earth Wealth and Riches shall be in his house There it is earthly His Righteousnesse endures for ever Here it is Heavenly But the Blessedness in any Text is not of this extent It is not extended to the Living and therefore is not earthly It is restrained to the dead and therefore only Heavenly Blessed are the Dead saith my Text. And here again least any one should quarrel with the Text and say flatly It is false because of all Terribles Death is the most Terribles and therefore said Mecaenas Facito debilem Pede facito debilem manu vita dum superest bene est Lay what Pain you will upon me Sursingle me with
our Preserver from Sin and Danger from the Sin of Rebellion which was this Day acted to purpose and from the Danger of Rebels which for this Dayes Rebellion will ere long be executed on them to the purpose as our Judge according to the Clearness of our Hearts and Cleanness of our Hands we are then Blessed Spe in Regno Gratiae by Hope in the Kingdom of Grace because we have the Forgiveness of our sins and are thereby assured that therefore we shall be Blessed Re in Regno Gloriae by way of Possession in the Kingdom of Glory because then we hall have Everlasting Life And this is the upshot of all Blessedness And this Blessedness will not be had until we be Dead nor can it be had unless we Dye in the Lord. It is my next Consideration 2 a. 1 ae my Secunda Primae proposed thus Who are Blessed And disposed thus The Dead They are the Subject of this Object The Dead are Bessed and their Qualification is If they Dye in the Lord. By Dead here is not meant St. Pauls Dead which he speaks of to Timothy 1 Tim. 5.16 The wanton Widow who is Dead whiles she lives she is not Blessed because Dead but therefore Cursed because she is Dead whiles she lives For howsoever she drawes in the Life of Nature yet she never breaths out the Breath of Grace And this I prove by those three parts which are the best Indications of a Dead or Living Body The Pultse the Heart the Mouth If a mans Pultse beat If his Heart pants If his Mouth speaks or breaths we are sure he lives but if all these are silent and stir not we conclude He is Dead 1. Now for the Pultse of a wanton Widow the Pultse of her Soul her Conscience If it beat at all yet it beats unevenly and out of tune either too high by Desperation and Presumption or else too low by Security and Supiness And by this we know she is sick For the most part It beats not at all It gives no warning before It starts not at the temptation to sin It gives no Remembrance after It checks not at the Commission of sin and by this we conclude she is Dead And so her Heart too If that pants at all It is after sensual Pleasures and things forbidden like the Harlots in the Proverbs Come and let us take our fill of love Prov. Broken Cisterus that can hold no water It is not after the Fountain of living waters like Davids Come and let us go into the house of the Lord. Psal 3. And so her Mouth too That speaks not the Language of Canaan and such as becometh Saints but the Language of Ashdod and such as becometh Devils By which it appears she is Dead but not Blessed Nor by Dead here is meant those Dead which Christ speaks of Let the Dead bury the Dead i.e. The Deal in sin bury them that are Dead for sin As elsewhere He speaks to the Jews Yee shall dye in your sins And they that are so Dead Dead in their sins while they live or so Dye Dye in their sins when they leave this life They that give sin leave to reign in them while they are here and over them when they depart hence They that obey the commanding power of it now and sink under the Condemning Guilt of it then They are not Blessed though Dead but Cursed Cursed in their finishing of sin because that sin brings forth Death as St. James speaks i.e. Eternal Death Jam. 1. But by Dead here is meant not Universally All but Indefinitely Many Those that Dye in the Lord It is my next Consideration my Tertia Primae And here I shall shew you first What it is to dye in the Lord by way of Doctrine and Explication And secondly How we may dye in the Lord by way of Use and Application And first 3 a. 1 ae What it is to dye in the Lord Why To dye in the Lord or To dye in Christ or To dye in Faith for all these are Synonima is either To suffer Death for Christ like a Martyr or To end our life in firm Faith in Christ as a Confessor The Romanists contend earnestly for the Former and will have the Text to be understood of Martyrs onely and so they take In for Propter To dye In the Lord is To dye For the Lord. Now be it That the Martyrs are here Specially meant yet sure I am That they arc not here onely meant For I do not read Luk. 16. That Abraham was a Martyr yet I read That he was Blessed in Heaven with Glory nor do I read That the Thief upon the Cross died for Christ Luk. 23. yet I read That he was Blessed in Paradice with Christ He whosoever he be that doubts of the Martyrs Blessedness His that dyes for Christ is scarce worthy himself to have any part in Christ It is a thing so little doubted That Saint Augustine sayes Injuria est He does the Martyr wrong that prayes for him For by praying for him he doubts of his Salvation and Christ himself sayes He that looseth his life for my sake shall find it And certainly Mat. If he wrongs the Martyr that prayes for him then he that grieves for him wrongs him much more For he either doubts of his welfare or repines at his happiness To see Clouds in the Clergies face for the departing of our late most reverend Father in God William Laud Arch-bishop of Canterbury To see Furrowes in the faces of the remaining Greenvills Smiths or Boules To see water in the eyes of the surviving Cavendishes Lyndseies or Gardiners To hear Plaints from the Tongues of the being Bourcheris and Yeomans Tompkins and Challoners for the not being of their Fathers Sons Brothers Kindreds and Friends is equally to doubt of their being Martyrs and therefore Blessed as of our Enemies being Rebels and therefore Murtherers which for mine own part I no more doubt of either then of success in the End or mine own Salvation It hath been questioned I know by the Church-men of Rome Whether Souldiers may be Martyrs and their Reason is Quia bonum Reip. licet maximum inter bona humana non potest esse Causa Martyris sed solummodo Divinum Yet I know withal It is resolved by them again Quod bonum humanum officitur Divinum si referatur ad Deum est Causa Martyris Aq. 2.2 q. 124. Ar. 5. ad 3. a Subjects fighting and dying for their King or King fighting and dying for his Subjects did Fight and Dye for God they did it of late For of late Gods and the Churches and the Kings Cause consentred in one The King endeavoured to maintain that Religion and that publicly Service of God which Gods own right hand planted and his blessed Martyrs watered watered with their Blood and therefore blessed because they have so done Etiam dicit Spiritus so sayeth the Spirit blessed are
Actuall Transgressions But Originally Corruption He was free from because He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary and Actuall Transgressions he was cleared of not only by the Verdict of St. Peter who tell us from the Holy Ghost He did not sin neither was any guile found in his lips 1 Peter but also by the sentence of Pilate himself who told the Jews who importuned to have him Crucified I have examined him but can find no faults in him And Charles the first King of England John Scotland France and Ireland for whose Commemoration and his 8 Anniversary I chose this Text though he was conceived in sin and questionless guilty of Actual transgressions yet not such Transgressions as made him worthy to be Killed and murthered by the ancient Laws of this Kingdom And that 's a wonder A wonder that King Charles I. should rather with Constantine cover other mens Errors and discover His own A wonder it is P. 146.4 that Charles I. would continue an Angel of Reformation when the Devil of Rebellion was up in Arms against him A wonder it is p. 207.1 that Charles I. would rather suffer himself and his to be destroyed then give way to alter a settled Orthodox Religion A wonder it is p. 186.3 that Charles I. would rather chuse the woe of Vae soli and Solitude then of Vae vobis Hypocritae and Hypocrisie A wonder it is p. 127.28 that Charles I. should chuse rather to be reckoned among the Misfortunate then in the black List of irre ligious and Sacrilegious Princes A Wonder it is p. 165.20 that Charles I. should seek to set up Christs spiritual Kingdom by pulling down his own Temporal Kingdom A Wonder it is p. 135.4 That Charles I. should rather ascribe the setling of Bishops to the wisdom and piety of the Apostle then to the favour of Princes or Ambition of Presbyters A Wonder it is that Charles I. should be so judicious to determine some mens Zeal for Bishops p. 141.8 Lands Houses Revenues set them on work to eat up Episcopacy Root and Branch A Wonder it is p. 103.10 that Charles I. should esteem it his greatest Title and chiefest Glory to be the Defender of the Church both in the true Faith and its just Fruitions and equally abhorr both Sacriledge and Apostacy A wonder it is p. 103.21 that Charles I. should rather chuse to live on the Churches Alms then violently to take the Bread out of Bishops and Ministers mouths A wonder it is p. 104.17 that Charles I. wounld not repair the Breaches of the State by the Ruins of the Church A wonder it is p. 103.6 that Charles I. should rather chuse Pharaohs Divinity and Joseph's true piety then to sell the Priests Lands A wonder it is that Charles I. should esteem the Church above the State and Gods Glory above his own p. 92.13 and the Salvation of his soul above the preservation of his Body Estate and Posterity And yet a greater woâ—der it is That in none of all these nor any thing else neither Judge nor Jury nor Rable could sind any cause in him King Charles I. But now suppose They had found cause of death in him 2a 1ae yet might they desire to have him killed That my 2a 1ae is to tell you and it tells you No It is not awsul for Subjects to desire to have their King killed though â—hey could find cause of Death in him No God forbid we should desire to have Christ the King killed since he came to he killed for us that we might not be killed A most unthankful part this would be and therefore most abominable to requite so much Mercy with so great Injury Yet so unthankful and so abominable were the Jewes They desired to have Christ killed and I would to God some Christians yes and all Christians were not so abominably unthankful But I must tell you so abominable and unthankful are we all that we daily wound him if we do not kill him yes that we daily wound him and kill him Wound him by our Miseries or kill him with our sins we renue his Agony by our consticts or his Passion by our Guilts We never suffer as Christians but He suffers with us we never sin as Beasts or Epicures but we kill him by those sins We have more need to say Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave his Son to be killed on Earth for a time that we might not be killed in Hell for ever and Blessed be God the Holy-ghost who did annoint Jesus to be our Christ and gave him Inauguration to his Crown of Thorns and Blessed though most bloody Function and blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ who gave himself up to death that death might not swallow us up yes rather say we Blessed be the Holy Trinity then to desire that Christ should be killed And God forbid again That we should desire to have that King killed whom I in this Text aim at For it is against the Law against the Law of God against the Gospel of Christ and against the Law of men too 1. Against the Law of God Exod. 27.22 Thou shalt not speak evel of the Ruler of thy people says Moses much lesse mayst thou do evil to him Prov. for says Solomon Against the. King there is no rysing up but to desire his death to desire that he may be killed is both to speak evil of him and do evil to him 2. It is against the Gospel of Christ For Christ himself says Give to Caesar the thing that are Caesar and what things are Caesars St. Paul tells you when he says Be subject to him Give him Honour Rom. 13. Tribute Obedience Take not any thing from him and all this for Conscience sake which argues their little or no Conscience which desire to have him killed for in so doing they take all things from him and St. Peter puts it further home when he says next to Fear God Honour the King which shews and it it as if the Apostle had said They have little or no Fear of God that have so little Honour for their King as to dishonour him by desiring to have him killed or as the Royal Expositor hath it They cannot appear good Christians p. 165.20 that approve not themselves good Subjects Nor can it be safe for a King to tarry amongst those men who shake hands with their Allegiance p. 37.15 under pretence of laying faster hold on their Religion and certainly that is no Religion or a very bad one which allows it lawful for Subjects to desire to have their King Killed But I have spoken at full heretofore That no cause whatsoever in the King though Murther Witâ— hâ—raft Idolatry c. can authorise Subjects to Rebellion from the Law of God from the Gospel of Christ from the Judgement of all
the Primitive and later Orthodox Divines as To kill their King 3. And therefore I hasten to shew in the next place That such a desire to have the King killed is against the Law of Man and particularly against the Law of the men of this Nation even of those men who did Kill King Charles I. And that I may do it truly and according to the Law of this Nation I shall only repeat the words of Judge Jenkins who tells us His Oath as a Judge runs thus p. 174. 1. Well and truly to serve our Sovereign Lord the King and his People in that Office 2. To do right to all manner of People Poor and Rich after the Lawes and Usages of this Realm 3. Truly to Counsel the King and his Counsel to conceal and keep p. 174. 4. Not to suffer the hurt or disheriting of the King or that the Rights of the Crown be decreased by any means as far as he may let it 5. If he may not let it he shall make it clearly and expresly to be known to the King with his advice and Council 6. And that he shall do and purchase the Kings profit in all that he reasonably may as God him help and the Contents of Gods Book And after he tells us p. 175. That the House of Commons this Parliament some call'd it the Long Parliament gave in charge to Mr. Sollicitor St. Johns I think upon the Prosecution of the Bill of Attainder against the Earl of Strafford to declare the Law to be That Machination of War against the Laws or Kingdom is against the King They cannot be severed He tells us again p. 1676. That Mr Pym had in charge likewise upon the same Prosecution to Declare That the KING and his People are obliged one to another in the nearest relations He is a Father and the Childe in Law is called Pars Patres He is the Husband of the Common-wealth They have the same Interests they are inseperable in their condition be it good or evil He is the Head they are the Body there is such an Incorporation as cannot be dissolved without the destruction of both Once more p. 198. after this he tells 1. To Imprison the King is High Treason 2. To remove Counsellours from the KING by force is High Treason 3. To alter the Laws establisht in any part by force is High Treason 4. To usurp the Royal Power is High Treason 5. To alter the Religion establisht is High Treason 6. To raise rumours and give out words to alienate the Peoples affections from the King is High Treason 7. To sesse Souldiers upon the People of the Kingdom without their consent is High Treason 8. The execution of Paper Orders by Souldiers in a Military way is High Treason 9. To counterfeit the Great Seal is High Treason 10. Thâ— Commissions of Array is in force and no other 11. None can make Judges Justices Sheriffs c. but the King â—he King makes every Court 12. The Great Seal belongs to the Kings Custody or to whom he shall appoint and none other 13. Ordinances of one or both Houses are no Lawes to binde the people 14. No Priviledge of Parliament holds for Treason Felony or breach of the Peace 15. To Levy war against the Person of the King is High Treason 16. To impose unlawful Taxes to impose new Oaths is High Treason 17. It is a pernicious Doctrine to teach Subjects They may be discharged from the Oath of Allegiance Good God of what a complicated Treason then was that party of that PARLIAMENT Guilty who after they had taken up Armes against KING CHARLES I. did did then slaunder him did then Imprison him did then desire to have Him Kill'd and did then Actually Kill Him And so Committed a Murther a monstrous murther which is my second Generall Part Pars 2. And thus I discourse it Had they but desired to kill him they had committed a monstrous Murther For as to Lust after a Woman is Adultery in Christs Exposition of they Commandement Mat. 5. so to be Angry with a man to call him Fool or Raca is Murther in his Exposition of the sixth Commandement but they the Jews called Christ a Wine-bibber a Samaritan a Devil and at last desired to have him killed and thereby committed a monstâ—ous Murther King David tells us that the Lord aâ—horreth the blood-thirsty and deceitfull man Psal 5.6 and the deceitfull man as the best Expositors tell us is such a one as longeth after or desireth the blood of his Neighbour But they went further they did not only desire to have him killed but they actuaâ—y killed him Pilate indeed gave the sentence upon their importunity and they executed that sentence by their own Cruelty and so Murthered him in their heart by desire in their tongue by detraction and in their hand by Execution and so committed a monstrous Murther 1. Monstrous 1. as being against Nature Omnia appetunt esse Naturally all things love their being 2. Monstrous 2. as being against Reason Quod tibi non vis fieri alteri ne feceris Reasonably no man should do that to another which he would not another man should do to him 3. Monstrous as being Devilish He is a Muâ—therer from the beginning and the Author and Father of a Murther and who would be called a Malignant Joh. 44.8 or the Son of the Devill 4. Monstrous 4. as being Beastly Ferina rabies vulnere et sanguine laetari saies Seneca it is a savage Cruelty to delight in blood And yet if these Jews had thought that for this sin of Blood this monstrous Murther of Christ they should have been cursed upon earth and have been Vagabonds all the dayes of their life certaâ—nly they would never have committed so unnaturall so unreasonable so devilish so beastly a sin in defiring Christ to be killed by the Cross nor would the English have done the like by desiring Charles to be killed by the Hatchet But why did they desire Pilate to kill Christ and why did some others desire John Bradshaw to kill King Charles why that my prima secundae is to tell you and it tells you thus in one suppositive and in one Positive Quare 1. It may be the speak truth when they said to Pilate Joh. 18.31 It is not lawfull for us to put any man to death and some latter Jews tells us by name Moses Kots in Sanhedrin that all power of Capitall punishments was taken from them forty years before the destruction of their second Temple But this I dare not conceive For though power in Criminalls in the Generall was taken from them yet in this particular Pilate gave them power when he said Joh. 18.31 Take yea him and judge him according to your Law Nor could they object against this their Law could not condemn him if he had transgressed their Law because they confest they had a Law and by their Law he ought
to dye All that can excuse him in this is Joh. 19.7 the Holiness of that time made them say It was unlawfull because they held it unlawfull upon their daies of preparation to sit on life and death and Friday on which our Saviour was condemned was the preparation of their Sabbath But 2. My positive Quare is this They desired Pilate to put him to death because if they had let Christ alone all men would believe him et venient Romani the Romans will come and take away both their Place and Nation This was the causeless cry they made against Christ and the causeless end they pretended in desiring Pilate to kill him and here you may see how just the Judgment of God was We desire you Pilate to kill him for fear the Romans come upon us and destroy us and the killing of Christ was the cause that brought in the Romans upon them so justly did God punish them with that which they pretended most to fear I would the Application were not too visible 1. That gallant and wise Earl of Strafford must be beheaded because he plotted the Alteration of the Fundamentall Laws of this Kingdome and raising of the standing Army 2. The constant and learned Arch-Bishop of Canterbury must be beheaded because he plotted the Alteration of Religion and bringing Popery into this Church 3. King Charles the first that most Wise most pious most Learned Religious Defender of the Faith must be beheaded too because He listened to such evil Counsellors which God hath punish'd with an evil Counsell with the raising continuing of an Army against the Fundamental Lawes of this Kingdome with an Harvest of the Popes besides with the Gleanings of a Medley of many Sects and Schismes Anabaptists Independants Quakers Shakers Brownists the Mother Father of these and many more the Presbyterians to the utter undoing almost of the most glorious Church Christ ever had upon the Earth since the Apostolicall and Primitive time God Almighty in his good time send a Charles the second to restore Vigour to the Fundamentall Lawes Peace to the people and true Religion to the Church through Jesus Christ Amen But what end had the Jewes in killing Christ why that my seconda secondae and last disquisition must informe you and thus it doth it 1. It may be they had Jeroboams end to make Preists of the lowest of the people and it is observable that after they had killed Christ they never had nor to this day have a worthy man for their High Preist 2. It may be they had Jehu's end to make away all the Seed and Blood-Royall and it is observeable again that after they had killed Christ Herod the Son killed James also the Cozen-German of Christ and therefore of the Blood-Royal from David that so none of that Family might ever after inherit the Crown of Judea 3. Or it may be they had Omries end to erect new Statutes contrary to the old Statutes of a new Invention contrary to or diverse from thâ—se of Gods first Institution 4. Or it may be they had Je abels end that when Christ the King was killed they might without controule make honest loyall constant Consciencious men Delinquents and Malignants and plunder them of their â—states and take away their life 5. Or if they had none of these ends and I cannot positively say they had yet questionless their end was that in the Parable This is the Heire come let us kill him and the Inheritance shall be ours He being killed our Glosses and humane Traditions and Inventions shall go for Currant and all the world will be of our Religion and thereout shall we suck no small advantage And this end had some Judaized Scots and English in killing King Charles the first They desired the Deputy or Governour or President Bradshaw to kill him that the Possession of Crown and Soveraignty being of out his hands or podibility to recover them and his Heire and Issue banished he the President by name John Bradshaw might quietly and Conscientiously enjoy the Lord Cottingtons Estate and part of the Earl of St. Albons worth 4000. l. per ann Sr. Thomas Fairfax part of the Duke of Buckinghams Oliver Cromwell part of the said Dukes part of the Marquess of Worcesters with a great deal more who of late upon the third of September this year forfeited his usurped Protectorship with all his ill-gotten wealth and Honours and surrendred his Soul into the hands of God with this Manifesto of his Repentance O Lord how wilt thou deal with me O Lord what Judgements and Torments hast thou prepared for me I dare not say so let them and the Kings enemies perish O Lord and yet I do say How long O Lord how long will it be ere thou returnest King Charles II. with power to recover his Dominions and with Wisdom to settle Peace and Religion in these Kingdoms which we yet wait for patiently and do beg earnestly for his sake whom the Jewes killed Jesus Christ Amen Anno Dom. 1659. ROM 1.32 Who knowing the Judgement of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them MAny Inditements hath the Apostle brought in against the Gentiles in this Chapter from the 29. verse to this 32. Two and twenty as some have tallied them Others add this to the former and read them Three and twenty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Fornication the first 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wickedness was the second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covetousnesse was the third 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maliciousness was the fourth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Envy was the Fifth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Murther was the sixth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Debate was the seventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deceipt was the eighth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Malignity the ninth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Wnispering was the tenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Backbiting was the eleaventh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hating of God was the twelfth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Despitefulness was the thirteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pride was the 14th 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Boasting was the fifteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Invention of evil things was the sixteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Disobedience to Parents was the seventeenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without Understanding was the eighteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Covenant-breaking was the nineteenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Without Natural affection was the twentieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Implacability was the one and twentieth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Unmercifulness was the two and twentieth and this I take to be the last of his Inditement And this I have now read unto you howsoever some men account to be a three and twentyeth Inditement yet I take it to be an aggravation of and not an addition to the former Inditements and withal a preoccupation of all excuse For they might say That we have done as you have
Notwithstanding all the tentations of the Devil to perswade men like Diagoras Theodoras and others who made a profession of Atheisme to say there is no God yet upon better consideration they were compell'd to confess with one mouth as it were De nat Deer lib. 2. pag. 203. De leg lib. 1. pag. 313. That there is a God and Cicero that Eloquenâ—'st of Orators to the same purpose Omnibus innatum est quasi insculptum esse Deos De leg lib. 1. pag. 313. It is naturally engraven in the mindes of all men to beleive there is God and elsewhere Nulla gens neque tam immansneta nequetam fera barbara est quae etiamsi ignoret qualem habere Deum deceat tamen habendum sciat There is no people so feirce so uncivil so barbarous though they be ignorant what God to have yet they are perswaded they ought to have a God and with the Athenians rather then they will have none they will sacrifice Ignoto Deo to an unknown God and Cato tells us Act. 17.25 that God is a Spirit and therefore pura mente colendus to be worshiped with a pure mind De bello persio contra Gravos By the light of Nature Strabo justifies the second precept which is an Inhibition of Idolatry when he tells us The Persians in detestation of such impiety pull'd down and burnt the Images of the Grecians in their Temples and Cornelius Tacitas reports that the ancient Germanes held it very absurd to immure the incomprehensible Majesty of an Immeasurable God within private Walls and to paint the Invisible Godhead by any Humane shape And Plutarch tells us that Numa Pompilius the second King and first institutor of Religions Rites amongst the Romanes held it hainous to worship God in or by any Image 3. By the light of Nature Theophrasâ—us justifies the third precept which is a prohibition against Blasphemy when he tells us that Paricles was an irreligious fellow because he used Charmes thereby to invocate and abuse the name of God and Tullush Hostilius as we are told was struck dead because he Blasphemed the name of Jupiter 4. By the light of nature both Thomas Aquinas and Dr. Bird from the very Heathen justify the fourth Commandement which Commands the Sanctifying of the Sabboth when they both tell us that the Heathen had many Lawes to sever certain daies from their worldly affaires as to dedicate them to the service of God and deputed a certain time to refresh and feed their soul by their service to God and they did every day nourish and feed their bodies by food and sleep and howsoever they could not or did not hit upon the right day yet by the direction of meer naturall reason they acknowledged a day ought to be sequestred from common business and consecrated to God worship 5. By the light of Nature Menander justifies the fift Commandement which is to honour our Parents when he tells us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Have thy Parents in all honour 6. Romulus by the light of Nature justifies the sixt Commandement which forbids Murther when he accounted it of that execrable Nature with Parracide and devised such exquisite punnishments to be inflicted upon Homicides and all man-slayers that if Halicarnassus his report be true there was not a man slain within the Walls of Rome for above 600 years 7. By the light of Nature the very Peot justifies the seventh Commandement when he saies Nupta virum timeat rata sit custodia nupta Hoc decet hoc leges jusque pudorque jubent The Lawes Common Right and Honesty teach all men and women to live Chastly and to keep their Faith each one to another and so another by name Tibullus ah pereat didicit follerâ— siqua virum Let that Wife perish which deceives her Husband yes and that Husband which deceives his Wife and so the great Philosopher Non debet homo sanae mentis ad quamcunque mulierem mittere semen suum No man of a sound mind may defile his body with a strange Woman and Geraldus tells us that among the Spartans they were so chast that it was almost incredible that any Adulterer should be found amongst them 8. Cicero by the light of Nature justifies the eight Commandement which forbids theft or stealing when he saies Detrahere aliquid alteri To steal or take away from our Neighbour to increase our own wealth and decrease his Magis est contra Naturam quammors quam dolor quam caeter a quae possunt aut corpori accidore aut rebus externis it is worse then death and more against Nature then Greife or any other externall thing and Draco the Athenian Law-giver punisht Theft with Death 9. The Poet again by the sight of Nature justifies the ninth Commandement which forbids false-witness-bearing when he saies Non bene conducti vendunt perjuria testes they very much offend that sell or hire themselves to testifie any falshood and therefore such Lawes were made to hinder all false testimony that none should be a Witness in his own cause that none should be admitted to testifie against his Enemy that if any man should thrice bear false Witness and presume again to testifie any thing before a Judge he should be condemn'd to dye 10. By the sight of nature Sophocles justifies the tenth Commandement which forbids us to Covet another mans good when he saies This very affection is a most furious Commander and when Xerxes would have perswaded Leonides to this sin he answered if thou knewest what were honest thou would'st forbear to Cover what is another mans for my part I had rather dye then do it All these things the Gentiles know by the light of Nature only and yet for that the Apostle aggravates their sins because they know it and yet did it first by Fact Secondly by Witness Kom 2.15 for so in the next Chapter againe he saies Their Conscience bearing Witness and their thoughts accusing or excusing one another and elsewhere he saies God left not himself without Witness in that He did good and gave us raine from Heaven Act. 14.17 and fruitfull seasons and filling our hearts with food and gladness and this the very Heathens called Haeriditaria fama omnium mortalium the Inheretance of all men Take you and my self therefore heed of that Religion which grants dispensations for Murthers and marrages within degrees prohibited and makes them not only commendable but in some cases also meritorious yes worthy of Canonization too For it is a Transgression of the Law of God because of the Law of Nature both which the Apostle here makes all one And againe take you and my self heed how you or I lay the guilt of our sin or the paine of our Condemnation upon God let us not charge him with Cruelty but our selves with folly and impiety The Law of God teaches you and my self when we are idle in the Pismire to provide in Summer against Winter
to be sober in the Horse and drink no more then will do us good being Unchast or Lacivious in the Dove and know no woman but out own Wifes being Cruel or Unnaturall in the Storke and to maintain our Parents Children Freinds that if we do such things we are worthy of death Worthy of death of death temporal so Draco by the light of nature appointed Death for all great Transgressions but that is not all our Apostle here means but worthy of death eternal too and this the very Gentiles knew by assigning their Elisyan fields to some sinners and Hell or their Stygian Lake to other sorts of sinners Take you and I therefore heed of all sorts of sins and do with every sin as David did with his water which his Worthies brought him with hazzard of their lives powre it them on the ground and say God forbid we should commit these sins because if we do we are worthy of Death of Death Temporal and Death Eternal Especially take we heed that we delight not that we take not pleasure in that we applaud not them that do them For this is desperate impiety the hight of and the great aggravation of the Gentiles sin here used by this great Apostle which is my second consideretion They do not only do them Psal 2. Put also take pleasure in others for doing the same Some read it Consent so Lyranus Tolet and others and make the Aggravation lesse But Theophylact Paraeus Piscator and others read it Patrocinantur favour delight take pleasure in yes Applaudunt Applaud and defend them that do such things and so make the Aggravation greater either way It is bad enough Alexanders murthering of Clytus was not the lesse though Anaxarchus the Epicurian Phylosopher told him All was lawful that Princes did though Aristander the Stoical Philosopher told him it was Fate and Destiny Davids murthering Uriah was not the lesse though the Ammonite slew him 2 Sam. 12.9 because he commanded it Achitopels killing of Absolom was not the lesse because his Counsel brought him to his death 2 Sam. 16.21 Saul was not lesse guilty of St. Stephens death Act. 7.59 though the Jews stoned him Act. 22.20 because he consented to it Achab was not lesse guilty of Naboths death though some Sons of Belial bare false witness against him and others condemned him Reg. 21.13 and others stoned him because he authorized and countenanced it with his Seal Esau was not the lesse guilty of Jacobs destruction though Forreigners Obed. 11.12 carried him away captive because he did not rescue him All the Tribe of Benjamin was not guilty of the Concubines Death and Rape in the Act of it Jud. 19.22 Jud. 20.13.14 yet they were guilty of the sin because they sheltered the Actors and Doers of it The Modern or latter Jews were not the less guilty of the old Prophets death Mat. 23.34 though their Fathers and Grand-Fathers slew them because they were Heire as well of the Murthers as of their Fathers Nor were they less guilty of King Charles blessed King Charles the first his death who brought him to the Block though others chopt off his head because they then withstood it not nor ever since called any of them to account for doing of it Nor are you or my self the loss guilty of that sin which another man commits if lying in our power we do not hinder it if we do not reprove it if we counsell'd it if we consented to it if we commanded it if we concealed it if we entertain'd the Actors of it and gave them applause or took pleasure in them for doting of it I end this second part with Prayer O God we have much guilt of our own too much if thy mercy be not the greater suffer us not we beseech thee to partake of other mens sins or communicate in other mens guilt but give us Courage to hinder it Zeal to reprove it Power to forbid it Wisdome to dispraise it Anger to discountenance it Strength to resist it Hearts and Tongues to declaime against it The burthens of others miseries give us Charity to bear but the burthens of other mens sins give us piety to forbear and the burthen of our own sins do thou ease and the guilt of our own sins do thou forgive for his sake who hath borne that burthen and washt away that guilt by his pretious and invaluable blood Jesus Christ Amen And now I come to the last part I proposed That if the Apostle were now living Pars 3. he would certainly further aggravate this sin upon the English Christians then he did upon the Romane Gentiles who have out-stript and exceeded their doing these sins themselves and their delighting in those that do them by commanding all others and compelling many to do the same by 1. An Engagement 2. An Oath of Abjuration 3. A subscription of Opposition against the Common Enemy whom they at least some of them I am sure one of them with the Approbation if silence gives consent declared to be Charles Stewart whom we acknowledge to be Charles the second King of England Scotland and Ireland and for whose return we do and will pray with Power from above to recover his own Rights with mercy from above to forgive his Rebellions Subjects and with Wisdome from above to lettle this Church of God and his three Kingdomes in Peace and Truth untill the second comming of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen That Engagement with the Covenant was the first 1. Engagement and either of these bad enough since there is not one Engagement in the whole Book of God save those of the Rebels Corah and his Complices Absolom and his Conspirators Shaba and his Peufellowes nor is there one Covenant in that whole book but they were all given and taken by the Kings Authority not a Covenant amongst them all and they are but six in number imposed without much less against the Kings Authority and besides they were all meerly Religious Covenants not one Politick or state Covenant amongst the whole six Joshua 24.25 The first of which six was made by Joshua with the people The second was made by Jehojada the High Preist in behalf of the young King Joash with the people 2 Reg. 11.4 the sum of which Covenant was that the people should be true to God 2 Cron. 15.12 the King and the Church The third was made by King Asa with the people to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul The fourth was made by King Hazechiah with the people when they were in great distress for want of Religion and therefore said the King I have purposed to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel that he may turn his feirce wrath from us This was the Kings Covenant and Engagement with God for the people 2 Cron. 29.10 not theirs against him The
fift was made by Josia King of Israel with God that he and his People would walk after the Lord and keep his Commandements and his Testimonies and his Statutes with all his heart and his soul and that he would accomplish the words of the Covenant and he caused all the people to stand to it 2 Cron. 34.30 The sixt and last was requested by the people of the Captivity from Ezra who was then Instar locâ— Râ—gis in these words now therefore let us make a Covenant with our God to put away all our strange Wifes These are all the Covenants I have read of or can remember in the whole Bible and all these were made by and with the severall Kings Ezra 10.3 none without or against them But the English Engagement and Covenant was made without and against the King of England and howsoever those were commendable and extenuated the Israelites sins yet this must needs aggravate the English sins and condemne them who contrived it and took without much Repentance in themselves and more mercy in God and the King to which mercy God incline the heart of the King for Jesus Christ his sake Amen And 〈…〉 â—orse then the former for the former 〈◊〉 only engage against the Kings person 2. â—â—tion and the other part of it promised and pretended to fight for him in order to the preservation of Religion which might and did easily beguile many simple and well minded people but this same Oath of Abjuration was against the Kings Posterity not one of his Race or Name to raign over us any more nay against Lords of both sorts Ecclesiasticall and Temporall yes against the office of Episcopaâ—y so that we should not have had so much as a Skeleton of Monarchy nor a shape of any one of the Royal Tribes none of Benjamin or Nepthali none of Asher or Ephraim not a Duke Marquess Earl Lord or Barron nor any one of an Apostolicall Church not a successor of Aaron not a successor of St. Peterâ— St. Paul or any other of the Apostles some of the Tribe of Levi we might have had in a settell'd Presbytery to the loss of the English and gaine of the Romish Church And had not this been a greater Aggravation of our Countrymens sins in compelling some to be their Prosolites and ten times more the Children of Satan then themselves then a bare knowing and doing those sins with delighting in others that do the same comes short of compelling others to do those things which we know to be sin Delectation comes short of Compulsion and therefore once more I pray O thou Eternall and Mercifull God suffer not againe such Commanders to rule over us or if thou had'st not yet sufficiently punisht us for our former Malignity and Murther yet give us not over to obey such evill Commands that when thou makest Inquisition for blood for common blood for sacred blood or Noble blood for Royall blood our souls may be sprinkled with the saving and all sufficient blood of Jesus Christ 〈…〉 â—â—â—scription which these Master Murtherers required and would have compelled us to do under the specious pretence of against the Common Enemy but in truth with the horrid guilt of shutting out if possible for ever of King Charles the second whom God Almighty preserve to these three Kingdomes England Scotland and Ireland till in a good old age he be received into the Kingdome of Heaven for Jesus for Jesus for Jesus Christ his sake Amen Amen Amen FINIS