of Horse and foot fortyfied Townes and Castles equipped ships and using the utmost of their endeavours hazarded their lives relations and fortunes and to render a full assurance of their loyalty to their Prince were not daunted with fire or sword nor discouraged with imprisonment banishment or any degree of the most tormenting crucruelties nay death in so just a cause leading and laying them in a bed of honour they feared neither the losse of limbs or lives in their service of their King and Country and when after many tedious years their forces subdued by excessive power or betrayed by cunning Treachery did fail the Kings party cherished loyalty in their hearts and though they were plundred unmercifully sequestred and decimated illegally and forced to slavish compositions and harased with cruel asperities and ignominies as bitter as death yet assoon as their Hair as Sampsons did begin to spring after so many sharp raisors and shavings and their strength began to come to them they were active in their designs and in their contrivances ever attempting some noble enterprise that might recover their King to his Throne and themselves to the liberty and priviledge of free born subjects some in their capacities attended his Majestie and the royal branches in their perigrination abroad others as laborious Bees toiled and worked if the day was fair and secure in their several stations or circuits of their interests in their own Countryes And upon occasion saluting or tasting the inclination of every flour they met with they make it their only business to convey the thyme and hony of true loyalty to the Royal Hive some are very active in their purses others turned the cock to the streams of other mens plenty others in their prayers some did use their most refined abilities to distract the Counsels of the many headed monster the long at last Rumping Parliament some noble spirits who dearly paid for their Testimony of Loyalty designed the death of the grand Imposture and Usurper Cromwel whose Son like an Ignis Fatuus quickly vanished some gave with daring ingenuity and occasion of great distraction in the Army and rais'd jealousies and distrust amongst the Officers and soldiers some for many years discreetly acted their parts and very prosperously amongst the Aldermen Common Councel and more Eminent stickling Citizens who being easily perswaded that Trade generally decayed that their ships were taken dayly by the men of war at sea and that a pinching Poverty was ready to seaze on them armed themselves privately and as some of the gallant Senators stoutly on several occasions told the Relicks of the long Parliament the Committy of Safety and Officers of the Army that The Treasure of the City was exhausted trade utterly lost and many thousand families impoverished So neither could nor would they advance any monies any further to maintain that disorderly and illegal rabble of Ianizaries and Soldiers who as they had a long time inter rupted the prosperity and commerce in the Citty and over the whole land So they now resolved to defend their Liberties Rights and Properties as carefully as their lives and being threatned with terrour and menaces of Plundering imprisonment and other hostile and horrid injuries by fire and sword they very gallantly replyed that they would unanimously stand on their guards to defend themselves maugre all opposition as they had prosperously in such cases of danger when they suspected a tumultuary rising of the rabble in the reigns of King Richard the third when he marched against Henry the seventh to the battaile at Bosworth-field as they had in King Henry the eights reign when he went to Bullen in France as they had equipaged themselves in Queen Elizabeths reign An. Dom. 1588. And according to several presidents of this kind for which services the City received solemn thanks from the Crown for their great care of themselves and the Royal City as it appears in their City records and transactions of their political affaires they then thus provoked thus disposed quickly resolved to hold fast their purses though they could neither their tongues nor their hands monyes the nerves of the monstruous body suddenly shrinking the Officers of the Army fell into distraction and the private souldiers wanting pay quickly began to raile and revile to kick and to cut and to scorne cashiere their Officers in a few dayes both became as odious as ridiculous to the generality of the people of the three Kingdomes who resolving to shake of their Iron yoke of vassalage comforted themselves in their hopefull possibilities And as lines running most naturally to the center began to fix their thoughts and hopes in their Soveraignes Restauration The hearts of men waxing warm with these desires and possibilities they began to talk freely and plainly that neither City nor Country could be happy until the King should be restored that the whole Land was in a sad confusion and horrid distress and the City and Common Councel discerning a happy conjunction of affection and assistance from all parts sent stout answers on several occasions to the tedious long Parliament to the Officers of the Army to Fleet wood and his Walling for dians at the Committee of safety that the City was for want of Trade and through the losse of many hundred ships so impoverished and reduced to such extremities that they neither could nor would advance any further summers of monyes These unexpecte Resolutions and assurances caused the Enemies of Monarchy First to shiver and splinter into distraction and then to fall into despaire and each Brother growing jealous of his Fellow Traitor guilt of horrid Crimes in securing their condition the better to avoide popular fury they think of addresses to the clemency of their Prince which in such high offences is ever the happiest refuge and Asylum whiles the simptomes of the new modeld Anarchy thus fully appeare And the frame of the monstrous and tottering Government was thus shaken many noble Hushaies and true Royallists The Duke of Albemarle the Earl of Bath took fast hold on these encouraging opportunities and most successfully proved most wise conducters of Affairs mightily tending to the Restauration of the King and with his Majesty The Lord Bishop of Hereford the recovery of our Religion liberties and laws which without his presence and protection seemed much like to a consumptive dying patient ready at the last gasp to give up the Ghost But whiles these unspotted Royallists for almost twenty years continuance in a confused Government and the outrages of a Civil war were constantly Active or Passive in their duty for the Crown Another party either conscious of their errour or convinced in their judgement or at least concerned in their respective interest shewed themselves like brothers of the half bloud to have a deep resentment of the great injuries perpetrated against an imperial Crown and to own their fellow subjects for Auxiliaries and Coadjutors in the publick concernment of their King and Country
prodigiously to destroy the roots and branches of the royal stemm and though it was hatcht and contriv'd by a cunning hypocritical Crocodile and his bloudy Sycophants Cromwel yet as if Heaven and Earth God and man did abhor such an odious oath and combination how suddenly did it please God that his arme of providence should appear and incline the hearts not only of his loyal subjects but even of those who had been bitter Enemies to the royal throne to endeavour and cooperate for his Majesties restauration And now all these Withes and new Cords being broken by a Samsonian strength and influence from true Soveraignty are untwisted and unravel'd to an odium and a scorn And the Parliament hath judiciously and nobly determined and damn'd the covenant the Engagement and the oath of Abjuration to be illegal factious and seditious papers and all rational subjects may securely acquiess in their judgement and determination u Malum quod juramus facere non debemus implâ—â—â— D. Ber. de perjur ser 32. If this Collyrium clear not the eyes of all Protesters Covenanters Engagers and abjurators nor all these reasons reduce the phanatically deluded to their fidelity and allegiance to their King let them beware least the judgement as well as the sins of detestable perjury follow or fall upon them This is a horrid crime which the Schoolmen lay open to the world in this dress that x Perjurium est mondacium juramento firmatum Aurey Thes Eccles lib. 4. dist 39. perjury is a ly confirm'd and ratified by an oath and this is a most fearful aggravation And it is St. Hieroms resolution y Ius jurandum tres habet comites veritatem judicium justitiam Hieron super Hieremi 22. q. 2. that no oath is lawful unless it be attended with three indispensable concomitants viz. Truth Iudgement and Righteousnesse and where all or any of these three faile an oath is perjury St. Austin is more strict claring plainly z Cum sit vel putat falsum esse tamen pro vero jurat D. Aug. de ver Apost ser 28. that he is perjured that sweareth voluntarily what he knoweth to be false with a deceitful design or if he perfectly know it not thinketh it to be false The Fathers make an out-cry and declaim severely against this crime and call it Bellua detestanda a most detestable beast and filthy sin The schoolmen seem yet more severe then the Fathers a Iurans rerum quod putat esse falsum vel jurans falsum quod putat esse verum est perjurus T. Aquin. 22. ae q. 98 1.3 Aquinas determins that he who sweareth the truth which he thinketh to be false or swearing that which is false thinketh it to be truth is a perjured person Where the sin is so notorious the infamy and obloquies so odious and the judgements of the Eternal revenger so terrible and dangerous against perjured persons how careful should subjects be to recover themselves to the duty of loyalty and thereby to repair their credit and to vindicate themselves from eternal plagues and infamy The clouds thus dispersed by the beams of truth and rational arguments It is most evident that those subjects who started from their allegiance loyalty can neither plead excuse or merit for their tergiversation Apostacy as to any unlawful oaths wherewith their soules were insnared or intangled they are by the supream laws of God the laws of men discharghed absolved from them unless hardned with obstinacy they will as 't is in the Greek proverb b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. malum malo meditatur sophocles Aeneas Platonicus ad sin unto sin force one nail with driving another and to perjury adde wilful impenitency but better things may be hoped from all subjects who as men look on themselves as born for rational society or as Christians professing the truths of sacred religion and not longer adhering to self opinion or seditious faction be perfectly converted to be true cordial royalists remembring the caution and counsel the late royal c Εικον Βασιλικε cont 19. pag. 174. Martyr gave not to pretend a reformation and to force a rebellion nor to hearken or give credit to those parasitick preachers who dared to call those Martyrs who dyed fighting against their King the laws their oathes and the religion established But sober Christians know that glorious title of Martyrs can with truth be applied to those who sincerely preferred Gods truth and their duty in all particulars before their lives and all that was dear to them in this world who where religiously sensible of those tyes to God the Church and the King which lay on their souls both for obedience and just assistance By this time apostatiz'd and deluded subjects their eyes being as well opened with sad experience as bright beames of reason and truth may cleerly see their errours and more securely avoid their dangers But least as those who behold their faces in a glass they may upon aremoval utterly forget their features or complexions It may not prove improper to set before us those pure Christals of Piety Wisdome Religion Honour and Government which the customes and laws of former ages have conveyed to this present generation engaging both the King and people to their respective dutyes whereby the soveraign and all his subjects are comprehended under â—â—mental obligationds d Fidelis sermo retinet locum sacramenti Iuramento non egit veritas D. Ber. Serm. 32. This difference and distinction only admitted that glorious Princes of the imperial Crown of England have in their royal grace and voluntary condescention accustomed themselves to solemn oathes at their coronation but the Kings subjects are obliged by oaths setled formed and confirmed by laws to exhibit and perform their homage Fealty allegiance and Fidelity to their Kings as Gods annointed and in these high priviledges and prerogatives the Kings of England seem to have a more legal tye and soveraignty over their subjects then either the Crown of France or Spain whose subjects are commanded in greater vassalage and as brighter and leading stars that sacred oathes obligations are here presented which pious Kings and Queens have accustomed to take at their coronation when they sealed to their sacred vows in the communion and sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ and then as better fitted have laid their hands on the blessed Evangelists bowing their heads have kissed the book the best eternal evidence of the affection of the heart and thus prepared they have usually received the Imperial Crown and Scepter with other Regalia and Emblems of royal Majestie from Gods altar as holding all their power and soveraignty from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords that God Angels and Men Heaven and Earth and the whole world and all ages to come may behold the pious integrity of Sacred Princes The Kings Oath at his Coronation L. Bishop of London
which like a violent torrent or overflowing inundation carrying all before it circled the Presbyterians in the same interest and as Iews Turks Pagans and Christians in a storm or tempest at Sea exercise their wits pour our their prayers imploy their hands to save the ship that after the storm all Passengers may arrive safe on shoar for so did Ionah with the Mariners Ionah 1.2 Act. 27.17 and St. Paul with the Souldiers So all parties of the three Kingdomes seeing the Royal Soveraign sailing with so prosperous a Gale and that the providence of Heaven had so ordered that the King inevitably should be restored they put on the loyal dress and if not to serve their King yet to preserve themselves appear on the suddain courtly converts and perfect royalists and as every good subject is obliged to rejoice at the Kings restauration to the Crown so is he to congratulate the conversion of his Enemies to those principles which cannot but confirm and justifie his resolutions to loyalty for ever But this latter or second sort of converted subjects come somwhat short of the excellency and worth of those nobler minds which were never stayned with Apostacy or defection from the crown and they are more deeply obliged to duty and fidelity to loyalty and gratitude to their Prince because they are not only secured by his clemencie and pardon but likewise have liberally tasted of his bounty and favours and though the royal party like the poor Israelites in AEgypt endured much bondage and yoaks hard task-masters trod clay and made brick and in the savage wildernesse of horrid confusion were pinched with cold and nakednesse and had there souls filled with scorn and reproach yet they are not envious at their reconciled Brethrens happinesse nor troubled that they have portions and dividents in the land of Canaan and share with them in the blessings of his Majesties restauration submissively recommending all such comfortable possibilities to the providence of God and to the goodness bounty wisdome and justice of their Prince who cannot but out of so many sad afflictions gain much knowledge and by such an universal experience of the humours and tempers of his subjects discern more clearly whom to employ or trust and whom to promote passe by or punish all this while there 's no pretence for excuse much less of merit in reconciled and converted Enemies First for excuse or apologies the most innocent can hardly plead any thing above a simplicity of their hearts as those silly sheep who hearkned too much to Absolons flattery and though liberty of conscience a through Reformation of Religion and the laws the hopes of more clear Gospel truths and a more exact and perfect way to Heaven and many such canting cunning and jugling pretences were as more pleasant baits whispered in the ear swelled from the Press and thundred cheatingly from the Pulpits yet the the late Royal Martyr in his prophetical spirit and golden pen found out the malice treason fraud malignity of those intoxicating and venemous delusions advising his dear Son the Prince with his own observation g Kings book Εικον Βασιλικε pag. 235. that the Devil of Rebellion doth commonly turn himself into an Angel of Reformation the old Serpent can pretend new lights when some mens consciences accuse them for sedition and faction they stop its mouth with the name and noise of Religion when Piety pleads for Peace and Patience they cry out zeal so the worst of men lurk under the pretensions of Reformation of Religion and auspicious beginnings have often the worst designs In the judgement and Counsel then of this sacred Orator there can be no excuse for traiterous errors and such disloyal deviations King Iames of ever blessed memory gave the like advice to Prince Henry his Son commanding him as a Father and a King Take heed therefore my Son to such Puritans very pests in the Church and Common-weale whom no deserts can oblige neither oathes nor promises binde breathing nothing but sedition and calumnies aspiring without measure K. Iames in the duty of a King p. 9. railing without reason and making their own imaginations without any warrant of the word the square of their consciences from these words the King raiseth his resentment of injured Majestie saying I protest before the great God and since I am here upon my testament it is no place for me to ly in that ye shall never find with any highland or border Thieves greater ingratitude and more lyes and vile perjuries then with these Phanatick spirits and suffer not the principles of them to brook your land if you like to sit at rest These two royal Princes had much judgement and wisdome great learning and experience The one tels the world that these virulent Phanaticks did persecute him before he was born being not at rest in his Royal mothers womb and the other having suffered many injuries in his life was sooner hurryed to an ignoble and untimely death As to excuses and apologies it was the ancient satanical devise which having first ruined Adam and Eve deluded them to extenuate their infidelity disobedience and crime with a second kind of errour pleading even before God himself as Adam h Gen. 3.12.13 Vnde tibi hoc accidit quis te in tantam induxit alterationem St. Chrys in Genes It was not I but the Woman and so Eve it was not I but the Serpent but an ingenuous confession is the best and surest remedy in the case of delinquency and Repentance proves the best cordial in such a fowl and loathsome dangerous disease it is not then a way to impunity or pardon to plead I was misguided or mistaken transported with zeal or catched by the ears by the insinuation of deluding Hypocrites these and such thin fig-leaves are not competent or comly veiles to cover or excuse sins of such a scarlet complexion nor jealousies and fears which have blown up some into tumultuous and rebellious resolutions an ingenious acknowledgment of crimes and errous committed with the promise and practise of loyalty and true obedience is a more exact and ready path to safety and satisfaction and as for apologies and excuses none may in the least degree pretend to them who have been such lavish prodigals of the King and Kingdomes bloud and Treasure and as there is no place for apologies or excuses so much less for merit or deserts for though many did grow weary of usurpation Tyranny and injuries towards their King and the loyal party or rather disappointed of those ends of power and command which they phancied and proposed to themselves began to totter and turn from those possibilities to which they had leaned so long yet by assed by a different faction and Interest they reflect on the Crown with a loyal aspect and in this second choice engage their persons and party and run many dangers and hazards of life and fortune to make themselves considerable and this service
Israelite was a person of honour and courage truly valiant 6 Temperance requisite in all royalists and therefore more proper for service of highest trust and as this bright shining virtue did shew it self in Hushai so temperance doubtlesse kept him company without whose influence understanding sence and reason or what can be thought honorable to a Prince will suddenly be drowned and overwhelmed in the stinking puddles of gluttony drunkennesse ryot luxury or detestable debaucheries Temperance and valour loves to keep company with justice And 't is very probable that this golden rule of doing right and giving to every man his due was a chief motive to King David to employ one of so just and righteous resolutions 7 Iustice and upright dealing who so dutifully paying his loyalty to his Prince as so cheerfully to hazard and adventure his life might possibly be more succesful in so near a concernment as the preserving of a King on his Throne and the appeasing and extinguishing of the flames of so formidable a treason These three fair Ladies are never without the society and counsel of Prudence 8 Prudence and in this perillous juncture she might be more highly useful because as Plato she is the cheifest guide that best adviseth humain actions q Prudentia sola praeit ducit ad recte faciendum Plato in menae Aristotle is more plain urging r Fieri non potest ut quisquam vere probus sine prudentia audiat Arist. hic that no man can be justly stiled good or honest who is not prudent as necessary to true Policy and Government as the line and plummet to the skilful Architect Å¿ Vt Architectis nullum epus recte processcrit sine libella I. Lips This as the rudder turnes the Ship and best steers the course when she is under saile the King experiencing a quick and lively spirit a great judgement and more solid understanding in his loyal subject the Archite resolved to make choice of his faithful abilities when his Crown and life and all that was soveraign and truly royal seemed to be in an ambiguous and dangerous state To all these the constancy the fidelity the secresie the extraordinary friendship passionate love and amity that King David had for Hushai or that Hushai had for the person and high calling of the King these happy experiences might rationally incline King Davids confidence 9 Constancy Fidelity Secresy are requisite in true loyalists to recommend and commissionate his faithful subject to manage and conduct this weighty business These are lively marks of true loyalists and well worthy and becoming the imitation of all who pretend to be loyal subjects yet this case of Hushai seems to be of a most remarkable and extraordinary quality both in respect of King David and in relation to Hushai First in regard of the King who surprised with a rebellion under a pretence of Religion and a vow to be performed at Hebron was forced to a suddain necessity to use his greatest Art and Policy to disperse and dissolve that growing traiterous cloud which began to spread and to look so formidable Thus a great Critick adventures to comment on the text t Non deserebant Davidem in tantis malis suae Artes sed ubi Leonina non proderat assumit vulpinam H. Grotius in 2 Sam. 1â— and saith David as a great commander and experienced general wanted neither wit nor arts and martial designs to crush in peices and counterplot Absolons ambitious aimes others conjecture that this extraordinary command and commission was given to Hushai from David as his King who having a soveraign power over all his subjects might exact obedience having a superlative Authority in so great a peril to circumstance his royal pleasure in this service as the King should please to judge fit for persons time and place and this seems very probable from the Prophet Samuel u 2 Sam. 15.33.34 Si veneris mecum eris mihi oneri who thus records the dialogue betwixt the King and Hushai If thou passest on with me thou shalt be a burden to me but if thou return into the City thou maist defeat the Counsel of Achitophel And Vatablus x Videsne tu valesne tu in concilio quod si vales concilio revertere plus enim mihi profueris redeundo quam manendo Vatablus in loc 2. Sam. 1â— seemeth to encline much to this purpose as if the King had reasoned y Nonne videns es nonne Propheta es si dominus responderit tibi redeundum in urbem redito Chal. Paraph. the case and debated with Hushai thus saying thou art a subject of great experience as sharp-sighted as an Eagle in popular commotions strong in judgement prudent in Counsels Eloquent and powerful in perswasion a Lion for courage and a Lamb for courtship civility and curtesie go thou into the City Hierusalem and if possible defeat Achitophels counsel there is a third conjecture which seems to carry with it the clearest truth and that is in this unexemplary command and service King David as a Prophet and the Lords annointed by a divine direction or infusion from above in this sea of troubles guided more especially by the dictates of Gods holy spirit found out this happy expedient to avoide his Enemies and to destroy their traiterous combinations this seem to be genuinly derived from the sacred history 2 Sam. 15.31 which relates that King David worshipping God fell to his prayers and said z 2 Sam. 15.34 Dixeris Absolom servus tuus sum Rex Patere me vivere O Lord I pray thee turn the counsel of Achitophel into foolishnesse and the King had no sooner ended his prayers and was come to the top of the mount where he worshipped God but Hushai came to meet him and the King as directed by the spirit of God immediately commandeth Hushai instructing him with the matter and a form of such words as seemed to be sutable only for such a service as he was employed in and as sent from Heaven to save a King from perishing and to preserve a Kingdome a Say Hushai unto Absolon I will be thy servant O King as I have been thy Fathers servant hitherto so will I now be thy servant also This commission was only sutable to such a soveraign Prince whose divine spirit was directed from above and it is very colligible from the context of this story that King David had for the transaction of this high concern wherein a King a Church and Kingdome were all in such eminent danger an extraordinary and prophetical spirit and that will plainly manifest itself when it is observed and scanned how Hushai comported himself in this royal trust wherein the King employed him which was so succesful that by Gods assistance it caused the ruine of the traitors and that high rebellion The Prophet mentions Hushai's insinuation into Absolons presence and into his Counsels wherein as he shewed