Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	king_n	law_n	majesty_n	3,064	5	5.9700	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86678	The divine right of government: [brace] 1. naturall, and 2. politique. More particularly of monarchie; the onely legitimate and natural spece of politique government. VVherein the phansyed state-principles supereminencing salutem populi above the Kings honour: and legitimating the erection of polarchies, the popular elections of kings and magistrates, and the authoritative and compulsive establishment of a national conformity in evangelical and Christian dutyes, rites, and ceremonies, are manifested to be groundlesse absurdities both in policy and divinity. / By Mich: Hudson.	Hudson, Michael, 1605-1648.; Stent, Peter, fl. 1640-1667, engraver.	1647 (1647)	Wing H3261; Thomason E406_24; ESTC R201931	147,691	220

enormities as are destructive to peace and unity and by consequence to all Politick Association 2. The second spece of the Object of Politicall Cognizance is Objectum per accidens which is the indirect and mediate Object of Politick Government consisting in the Contingentials thereof being such causes and matters wherein the King may exercise both his Legislative and Judiciarie power over some persons both Ecclesiasticall and Civill but not over other some of either sort And these are those supernaturall and Evangelicall duties which were never knowne nor any way usefull upon the first institution of Politick Government under the old Covenant of Workes but were instituted afterward and made ordinances of the new Covenant of Grace not directly for helps of Politick Government but for the immediate meanes and helps to life and salvation by Christ and the advancement of his mysticall kingdome Such as were the Sacraments both of the Old and New Testament which were symbolicall ordinances instituted by God meerely as seales and confirmations of this new Covenant of Grace and also all Evangelicall formes of Worship Government and Discipline relating immediately unto Christ All which are supernaturall duties wherein the light of nature though it were restored to its native and pristine purity is no way conducent to guide or direct us without particular revelations of the Spirit of God declared either by Scripture or some other extraordinary and supernaturall meanes which duties therefore cannot be knowne to Heathens to which God never vouchsafed the benefit of such revelations nor be possibly capable of any legall sanctions from the most prudent and intelligent Legislator that ever sate at sterne in any Heathenish Common-wealth And yet though Heathens cannot be good Christians they may be good Kings as the Holy Ghost testifieth of Cyrus whose Government is much magnified Esay 45. although he understood nothing of these Evangelicall duties which relate to Christ the like Panegyricks are recorded not onely by the Heathenish but also by Christian Authors of the government of Solon of Athens Lycurgus of Lacedemon and Servius Tullius of Rome And this is further manifested by that judicious and rationall answer which Gallio the Romane Deputy returned to the complaints of the Jewes against Paul for preaching against the Jewish Ceremonies and the outward form of worship prescribed by Moses Acts 18.14 15. If it were a matter of wrong or injustice saith Gallio which importeth sins against the law of the second Table or of wicked lewdnesse which importeth sinnes against the law of the first Table of the Morall law then reason would O ye Jewes that I should bear with you But if it be a Question of your law looke ye to it for I will be no Judge of such matters Whence it is observable that though this wise Heathen was perswaded that it was a part of his office and duty to judge of offences against the law of nature whether they were transgressions of the first Table and so immediately against God or of the second Table and so immediately against our neighbour ye he did conclude from the principles of sound reason that the judgement of these Jewish Ceremonies which were not naturall but Evangelicall duties did not pertaine to his Office or Calling So that these Evangelicall duties cannot be directly and per se the Object of Politicall Cognizance or the subject of any positive Law or Statute generally obligatory unto all persons But yet these Evangelicall duties may and doe fall within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance indirectly and per accidens that is in such persons to whom God doth vouchsafe the benefit of these supernaturall revelations for in regard the service and worship of God ought to be the first and principall care of all Kings as well Heathen as Christian according to the Maxime of that * Arist pol. lib. 7 c. 8. knowing Heathen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Religion must be the foundation of all Policy being the most important businesse amongst the affaires of State cementing all societies and energating all lawes as Plutarch well observeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in regard also that they to whom God hath vouchsafed the knowledge of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties cannot with a safe conscience serve and worship God after any other manner but that which in their opinion is most consonant to his word and will therefore it is both lawfull and expedient for Kings to exercise both their Legislative power in composure of Lawes and Statutes for directing a laudable conformity amongst these persons in the religious observation and practise of these Evangelicall and supernaturall duties of the Religion and piety whereof they are already sufficiently perswaded and satisfied in their consciences and also their Judiciary power in punishing the contempt or neglect thereof because to such persons there is no medium betweene the practise of these duties and that wicked lewdnesse or profanenesse the restraint and reformation whereof Gallio did acknowledge to be directly a part of the duty of the Magistrates office and calling But for other persons who are not of the same perswasion concerning the Religion of these Evangelicall duties but beleeve the practise thereof to be superstitious and dishonourable to God and another forme of worship to be the onely acceptable service unto him in regard the practise of Evangelicall duties in such persons cannot proceed from faith and trust in God whereby they may expect a blessing from him upon their service and devotion but rather that curse and damnation which Saint Paul affirmeth to be the just merits of all acts of worship which are not of faith but either of doubtfulness or which is worse of perfect hypocrisie and dissimulation Rom. 14. last The enforcement of such a conformity by the Magistrate in Evangelicall worship and service in such persons contrary to their consciences must necessarily render him guilty not onely of their sinnes and thereby liable to that curse and damnation which is due to their hypocrisie and dissimulation whereof hee is in some sense the efficient cause but also of sacrilegious intrusion upon those sacred prerogatives which God hath reserved wholly unto himselfe that is the command and power over mens consciences over which he never appointed any lord or master besides himselfe as the expressions and exhortations both of our Saviour Mat. 23.8 9. and of Saint Paul 1 Cor. 8.6 doe purposely insinuate and whereunto the Kings Commission did never extend Whence it is manifest that Christian Kings may exercise their Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes to direct a conformity of Evangelicall worship and service in those persons unto whom God hath vouchsafed the true understanding thereof and thereby satisfied their consciences of the Legality and Religion thereof and also his Judiciarie power in rewarding the pious and due observance and punishing the impious contempt and neglect of such duties in the same persons But may not exercise either his Legislative or Judiciary

power to prescribe Laws for to enforce the practise of such duties upon other persons to whom God hath not vouchsafed that understanding knowledge concerning these duties But now for a further illustration of the premises and to frame a more direct full and satisfactory answer to the Quaere concerning the due limitation and extent of the Kings power I will here set downe a briefe Analysis of the whole duty of man the regulation whereof is the very designe of that Power and Dominion which God hath either delegated unto the King or reserved unto himselfe and conscience touching humane affaires And from thence demonstrate 1. Unto what duties the Kings power doth properly and directly extend so that he may lawfully exercise the same over all persons within his Dominions whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill for the regulation of such duties 2. Unto what duties the Kings Power doth extend onely indirectly and per accidens so that he may lawfully exercise his power over some persons within his Dominions of both sorts but not over other some of either sort for the regulation of those duties 3. Unto what duties the Kings Power doth no way extend neither derectly nor indirectly so that he may not exercise the same over any person within his Dominions whether Ecclesiasticall or Civill for the regulation of those duties The duty of man is twofold 1. Naturall which is the duty of man quà homo rationalis and is expressed in the law of nature divided by Christ Mat. 22. into two parts or tables 1. Containes the duty of man towards God and consists in a love exceeding all selfe-love Ver. 37. And this duty is twofold 1. Internall consisting in the service and worship of God by the inward acts of the soule i. e. of the understanding will and affections of man and in a due returne of the bona animi which God hath conferted upon man And this part of mans duty is prescribed in the first Commandement 2. Externall which consists in honouring God by outward actions and in a due returne of those hona corporis fortuna which God hath conferred upon man And this is twofold 1. Originall and Primarie which is that honour worship and service which both Moses Deut. 6.13 and Christ Mat. 4.10 ●mits solely unto God And is twofold 1. Private consisting in personall honour and worship of God which is twofold 1. Corporall consisting in the outward gestures of the body Prescribed Commandement 2. 2. Vocall consisting in reverent speeches praises of God Prescribed Commandement 3. 2. Publick consisting in the practise of these duties at solemne times and in solemne assemblies Prescribed Commandement 4. 2. Representative and Secondarie which is the honour worship and service due unto Parents Kings and Magistrates as Gods Deputies and Lieutenants Prescribed Commandement 5. which I shall fully demonstrate in the next Chapter to be a Precept of the former Table of the Morall Law and that Kings and Parents in that capacity as Kings and Parents doe relate unto their children and Subjects as Gods and not as Neighbour 2. Containes the duty of man towards his neighbour and consists in a love inferiour unto the love of our selves And is twofold 1. Externall which consists in the performance of externall offices of love and restraint of externall injuries to our neighbour 1. In his owne person Commandement 6. 2. In his second selfe Commandement 7. 3. In his god's Commandement 8. 4. In his good name Commandement 9. 2. Internall consisting in the inward inclination and desire to perform these duties and in the restraint of all inward motions to the sinnes prohibited in these precepts Commandement 10. 2. Evangelicall which is the duty of man quà homo Christianus And is expressed in the Gospel or Law of Christ Which duty is twofold 1. Meerly Evangelicall which consists in the right use of Evangelicall and supernaturall blessings conferred upon particular men for the advancement of the Gospell of Christ as the power of working miracles of prophecying and the like mentioned by Saint Paul 1 Cor. 12. 2. Mixtly Evangelicall which consists in the right use of those naturall blessings which enable men for the performance of the law of nature And therefore these mixtly Evangelicall duties are the same in substance as I shewed before with naturall duties and are differenced after the same manner and regulated by the same precepts of the Moral Law but the difference consists as to our present purpose in the Object and terminus ad quem whereunto these Evangelicall duties do referre which is Christ the Redeemer whereas naturall duties do relate unto God the Creatour both as their object and erd Now from these premises I shall returne a direct answer to the Quaere concerning the extent and limitation of Regall power in three briefe Theses or Corollaries shewing 1. What are omnimodò Regalia 2. What are partìm Regalia and partim extra-regalia 3. What are omnimodò extra-regalia Onely by the way I shall premise another briefe praecognitum to facilitate the understanding of these ensuing Corollaries Note viz. That in regard the opinions of Heathens Jewes and Christians doe generally concenter in the due extent and limitation of Regall power in order to the duties of the second Table my present discourse shall onely referre unto the duties of the first Table of the Morall Law for two reasons 1. Because the people are most subject to offend in these duties and that two wayes 1. Through errour because these duties do most transcend their naturall reason 2. Through zeale because they conceive these duties most neerly to concerne their eternall and spirituall happinesse and welfare 2. Because Kings and Magistrates are or at least wise ought to be most diligent in the reformation and punishment of offences which immediately concerne God and Religion because the promotion of Gods honour worship and service is the principall part of the office and calling of Kings and Magistrates the direction of whose precipitate zeale in this point is the absolute designe of this Chapter The first Thesis declaring what are omnimodò Regalia is this Thesis 1. All Externall duties prescribed in the foure last precepts of the first Table of the Morall Law are directly and properly of Politicall Cognizance so that the King may lawfully exercise his Legislative power in the composure of Lawes and Statutes for direction of honour worship and service both to God and himselfe and that concerning both publike and private acts of honour and worship whether of the body or of the tongue and here the disposall and ordering of our estates i. e. the bona fortunae as well as bona corporis must be presupposed to be directly of the same cognizance and to pertaine to the same power For Solomon commands to honour the Lord with our substance Prov. 3.9 and God ordained parents and Kings to be his instruments in the impartment of these outward blessings of fortune as well as the blessings of the

body unto their children and subjects and therefore it is lawfull for them to command in the one as well as the other in order to all outward duties And in whatsoever he may lawfully exercise his Legislative power in the same he may likewise exercise his Judiciary for that is the life of the Law which without execution is but a dead letter like a man without a soule I shall not need to insist upon the confirmation of this Corollarie because I presume the grounds already premised in the former part of this Chapter may be sufficient to warrant this conclusion And besides the profest designe of this Chapter is not so much the extent as the limitation of the Kings power in order to Evangelicall duties which are extra-regalia and Metapoliticall matters whereof wee shall speake in the two following Theses Thesis 2. The second Thesis which declares what are partì Regalia and partìm extra-regalia relates to matters of Evangelicall worship Government and Discipline which is this No Evangelicall ceremonies or formes of worship nor any Ecclesiasticall Government or Discipline which relateth unto Christ is directly and per se of Politicall Cognizance but onely indirectly and per accidens And therefore the King cannot lawfully enact any Lawes or Statutes concerning these matters which shall be generally obligatory unto all persons within his Dominions but onely unto such persons whom God hath enlightned by his spirit and thereby satisfied their consciences of the lawfulnesse and Religion of such Worship Government and Discipline The Reasons are two The first whereof is fully declared in the former part of this Chapter demonstrating all Ceremonies which relate unto Christ and are any wayes significative either of his person his offices or acts of mediation to be supernaturall matters and therefore such wherein the light of nature cannot be a sufficient guide so that they cannot be ranged amongst the Essentials but onely the Contingentials of Politick Government The second Reason is because conscience is the onely law and rule whereby the merits of these duties are to be judged as Saint Paul declareth Rom. 14. last where speaking of Evangelicall Priviledges and Ceremonies he enjoyneth the dictates of conscience to be observed under no lesse sanction then damnation to him that disobeyeth of which doctrine his owne practice concerning the Sacrament of Circumcision is a manifest confirmation for though he caused Timothy to be circumcised because of the Jewes who were perswaded that none who contemned that Ceremony were members of the true Church or fit for their association Acts 16.3 yet he would not permit Titus to be circumcised because the Grecians should be satisfied that he did not esteeme these Ceremonies so essentiall to life and salvation that they ought to be obtruded upon those whose consciences were not satisfied concerning the same Gal. 2.3 And you may observe Acts 15. that when the Apostles consulted of sending decrees concerning the observation of Ceremonies to the Gentiles upon whom the Jewes would have obtruded the observation of Circumcision as necessary to salvation they were carefull to enjoyne neither Circumcision nor any other Ceremony but such as those of the Religion whereof the Gentiles were formerly satisfied in their consciences And therefore if the Magistrate shall by any Law or Statute compell men to practise those Ceremonies or Formes of worship concerning the Religion and lawfulnesse whereof they are not satisfied in their consciences hee doth compell them to sinne and thereby render himselfe guilty of that damnation which Paul affirmeth to be the merits of all injuries done to the conscience Ob. All the godly Kings of Judah as David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat Joash Hezekiah and Josiah did impose the observation and practise of the Jewish sacraments and other Evangelicall formes of worship upon the whole nation of the Jewes and also punish the neglect thereof and therefore Kings may lawfully exercise their power in these matters over all subjects within their Dominions Sol. God had revealed and expresly enjoyned the use of these Sacraments and set Formes of Worship Government and Discipline unto the whole nation of the Jewes and therefore the Jewes were obliged thereunto not by the Lawes of the King but by the immediate law of God within whose cognizance both these Evangelicall ceremonies and conscience it selfe also the Judge of all these doth directly fall over which God onely and not the King is Judge so that when these Kings did exercise their Judiciary power concerning these Jewish rites it was onely in pursuance of the law of God which made these duties generally obligatory unto that Nation But it was not lawfull for those Kings to force the practice and observance of these duties upon any other people though they lived within their Dominions nor doe we finde in Scripture that any of these godly Kings did force the Gibeonites who were their subjects but no Israelites either to be circumcised or to eat the Passeover or observe any other Jewish Rites Onely indeed if any stranger became a Proselyte and so a professour of that Religion not by constraint but of their owne voluntary inclination and desire then it was lawfull for the Magistrate to force such to observe the Jewish Ceremonies Exod. 12.48 because then the neglect thereof was an act of profanenesse in such as well as in the Jewes which is directly of Politicall Cognizance and pertaines to the Magistrate both to judge and punish But in regard the inward satisfaction of conscience concerning these Evangelicall Formes of Worship Government and Discipline is that alone which doth naturalize these supernaturall duties and thereby quarter them in praedicamento Regalium and transforme them into matters of Politicall Cognizance And the inward dissatisfaction of conscience that which impedeth their naturalization and the removall of their quarters de praedicamento extra-regalium the proper sphere of all Metapoliticall matters which inward qualification of conscience is properly a point of faith and so a duty of the first Commandement of the Morall law for till we be so fully satisfied concerning the Religion of these Evangelicall Ceremonies and Formes of Worship that the practise thereof may proceed from faith neither can wee adventure upon the voluntary practise thereof or the Magistrate enforce the same upon us without the incurment of the guilt of damnation to both I shall therefore referre the more punctuall discussion of this point unto the next Thesis which concernes the omnimodò extra-regalia whereunto it doth more properly appertaine The third Thesis declares what are omnimodò extra-regalia Thesis 3. And this relates to Internall duties and matters of Evangelicall faith and doctrine which is this No internall duties prescribed in the first Commandement of the Morall Law doe either directly or indirectly fall within the sphere of Politicall cognizance so that the King cannot lawfully exercise either his Legislative or Judiciarie power in matters of faith and doctrine nor by any positive Lawes and Statutes determine what points shall

be Orthodox and what Hereticall neither may he under the sanction of any personall or pecuniarie mulct or penalty enjoyne his Subjects to professe and sweare such Creeds and Articles of Faith and Religion as those Lawes shall make Orthodox or by virtue of those Lawes punish any of his Subjects who out of conscience doe professe themselves of another different Faith and Religion The Reasons for confirmation hereof are three The first whereof appeares partly in the premises declaring no humane power or authority to extend unto the acts of the soule because the soule doth derive its being immediately from God himselfe and not from our parents Ob. Saint Paul exhorteth not every body but every soule to be subject to the higher powers Rom. 13.1 thereby importing the Kings power to extend unto the acts of the soule as well as the acts of the body so that not onely the Externall but also the Internall duties of the Morall Law must come within the sphere of Politicall Cognizance Sol. That exhortation of Pauls is not directed unto Kings but unto Subjects and therefore doth not relate unto the Kings power but unto the Subjects obedience For though the King cannot judge the acts of the soule or punish the thoughts of the heart how unjust impious or Atheisticall soever yet doth not that priviledge the Subjects to performe their acts of obedience out of hypocrisie and dissimulation and with eye-service as the Apostle speaketh Ephes 6.6 And not out of sincerity and singlenesse of heart for wrath and not for conscience sake The Reason is because this duty of obedience and subjection to Kings is not meerly a service to Kings but principally to God himselfe whose person the King doth represent who seeth and judgeth the secrets of our soules and measureth the merits of our duty not by our outward worke but by our inward faith and love And therefore though the Kings power cannot yet our obedience must be extended even to the acts of the soule that it may be an acceptable sacrifice to God as well as the King but this doth not authorize the King to exercise his power over the acts of the soule The second Reason is grounded upon Christs ordinance for the plantation and promulgation of the Gospell and faith of Christ Marke 16.15 Goe ye into all the world and preach the Gospell This is all the commission which the Apostles had and which other Ministers still have for the conversion of men to the Faith and Religion of Christ And yet they were sent to convert the Gentiles a people who neither understood or beleeved any thing at all either of Christ or Scripture or any principles of that Faith and Religion nor were any way inclined to seeke after such knowledge It 's true indeed that Christ endowed his Apostles with a power farre beyond the power of Magistrates for it was a power to worke miracles but that was not for the punishment or destruction of any but for the benefit and preservation of all such upon whom they were shewed which was a fit meanes to perswade and convince their understandings but wee never read that Christ did delegate any Legislative or Judiciarie power unto his Apostles to punish any mis-beleevers or enforce the profession of those truths and points of faith which they could not perswade nay indeed he peremptorily inhibited them the affectation of any such power Mat. 20.25 whereupon Saint Peter chargeth Presbyters not to demeane themselves in the execution of their office as lords over Gods heritage And yet it is the duty of Ministers and not of Magistrates to reforme errours in matters of Faith and Doctrine for we doe not read that ever Christ gave any rule or command to Kings or Magistrates to plant or propagate his Faith and Gospell and therefore in relation to these duties the Ministers and not the Magistrates are stiled Fathers because it is the duty and office of Ministers and not of Magistrates to beget men in Christ Jesus through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4.15 Ob. Esay prophecying of the flourishing estate of Christs Church among the Gentiles under the Gospell reciteth this for a speciall meanes of the encrease thereof that Kings shall be the nursing fathers and Queenes the nursing mothers of the Church in those dayes Esay 49.23 whose office it is by power to compell and not by preaching to perswade men to forsake the errour of their wayes And therefore Kings being fathers to the Church of Christ may execute the duties of their calling over the members thereof and by consequence may exercise both their Legislative and Judiciarie power in matters of Christian Faith and Doctrine which is that which constitutes men members of this Church and gives the nomen esse to a Christian quà talis Sol. The attribute which this Text giveth unto Kings doth admirably expresse the duty of Christian Kings towards their Subjects in reference to their Christian and spirituall vocation and profession For Kings are not here simply stiled fathers as in other places of Scripture which relate directly to their power and soveraignty over their Subjects but with the addition of this Epithet of Nursing they shall be saith the Text Nursing fathers now a Nurse you know doth not beget a child but onely protect and nourish it after it is both begotten and borne And such a power indeed a Christian King may and ought to exercise over his Subjects that is after they are begotten and borne children of the Faith and Church of Christ by the preaching of the Gospell he both may and ought to use his power to protect them from the wolvish enemies of Christs Church and to nourish them by gracious expresses of his Royall favour But I cannot finde any warrant for the King in that Text to enact any Lawes or Statutes to compell men of another Faith and Religion to become such as himselfe or to punish them that will not nor can I beleeve it to be any part of his commission or calling Repl. It may be replied against this first That such a liberty for every man to professe and beleeve what his owne phantasie doth suggest and judge Orthodox in such high and sacred mysteries will fill the Church with absurd and blasphemous errours and heresies and by consequence the Common-wealth with distractions and divisions For it is a probatum of daily experience that when the people are madded and instigated by mad Sheba's and Sectaries they will adventure upon any mischiefe sparing neither Scepter nor Mitre Ephod nor Diadom fancying the cause to be Gods and that themselves doe God good service when they rage against his Anointed and kill his Prophets with the sword in the furious pursuit of their fanaticke opinions And therefore there is a necessity that Kings should exercise their power to settle an Uniformity in matters of Faith and Doctrine because the peace and unity and preservation of the Common-wealth doth so directly depend thereupon Secondly The Primitive Church hath

Charles par la grace de Dieu Roy de la grande Bretaigne P. St●nt excudit THE DIVINE RIGHT OF GOVERNMENT 1. NATURALL AND 2. POLITIQUE More Particularly of Monarchie the onely Legitimate and Natural spece of Politique Government VVherein the Phansyed State-Principles Supereminencing salutem populi above the KINGS Honour And Legitimating the Erection of Polarchies The popular elections of Kings and Magistrates And the Authoritative and compulsive establishment of a National conformity in Evangelical and Christian dutyes Rites and Ceremonies Are manifested to be groundlesse Absurdities both in Policy and Divinity By MICH HUDSON 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 22.21 And Paul said I have lived in all good Conscience before God until this day Act. 23.1 But this I confesse unto thee that after the way which they call Heresie so worship I the God of my Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets And herein do I exercise my self to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence toward God Act. 24.14.16 Printed in the year 1647. To his most Sacred Majesty Charles by the grace of God King of Great BRITTAINE France and Ireland defendor of the Faith c. Most Gratious and dread Soveraign WHen I behold the prodigious preposture and confusion which reigneth in your Majesties Dominions where servants ride on horse-back and Princes walk on foot where subjects are clavered up into the Kings Throne and the King debased below the condition of a free-born subject me thinks the wisdome and goodnesse of God whose castigations of his children are his ordinary Heraulds to proclaime his Commands of Reformation doth by these sacrilegious usurpations upon your Majestyes Sacred Prerogatives which have produced these National calamities wherein your Majesty is the principal sufferer Intimate a National guilt of the like usurpation upon the more Sacred Prerogatives of God wherein your Majesty to whom God hath delegated the Supream Authority hath been in a Legal construction the principal actor and that God hath permitted your Majestyes subjects to possesse themselves of your Throne and act as Kings in those things whereunto no King did ever by any Commission Authorize a subject because Your Majesty hath formerly possessed your self of Gods Throne and acted as a God in those things whereunto God did never by any Commission Authorize a King Pardon I beseech Your Majesty my audacious and rude expressions extorted from my pen by the Nature of the matter charging the guilt upon Your most Sacred Majesty of a Crime whereof I dare be deposed Your Majesty was never any way conscious For the most Sacrilegious Champions of these times have experimented Your conscientious resolutions to be so compleatly postur'd in the Militia of Sanctity and Religion that neither their fiercest assaults nor subtillest temptations could ever make them accessory to the least thought of alienating those things which Your Majesty did believe to be made Sacred only by the Temporary dedication of men which is an obvious and evident Demonstration to the world how horrid and abominable the very thought of a Sacrilegious Intrusion would be to Your Majesty if rightly understood upon those Divine prerogatives which were made Sacred by Gods own institution from the foundation of the world And that therefore Your Majestyes Aberrations in this kind have been Circumstantiated with no lesse innocency of soul no lesse zeal to the glory of God the prosperity of his Church and the Spiritual welfare of his and Your people then the Resolutions of David were for building the Temple or of Uzzah for saving the Ark of God So that I cannot but expect these unexpected expressions to breed an amazement in Your Majesty for prevention whereof I shal in plain termes declare what I understand this Sacriledge to be And that is All usurpation of Power over conscience in the enactment of Lawes and Statutes for the Regulation thereof in matters which are not of Political cognisance And under the sanction of Personal or Pecuniary mulcts to enjoyn a National conformity in confession of Evangelical and Christian Faith and in Evangelical and Christian forms of worship Government and Discipline Which were neither dutyes nor indeed things in rerum Natura when Politique Government did first receive it's Institution from God and therefore cannot be directly of Politique cognizance nor any fundamentall or Essential part of the object of Politique Government as the tenth Chapter of the second Book doth more clearly manifest The design of which Chapter being the due limitation of the Kings Power in ordine ad extra Regalia Metapolitica And of the subsequent Chapter being the due extension of the subjects obedience in ordine ad Regalia Politica were the principal Inducements that gave life unto this present discourse and is indeed a service whereunto I do acknowledge my self able to bring more zeal and good affection then any other abilities yet I could not chuse but like Balaams Asse Imploy the utmost of my pore endeavours to secure both my Master and his subjects from the fierce wrath of that angry Angel which me thought I saw standing in the way with a drawne sword in his hand ready to take vengeance for both their sacrilegious exorbitances And thereupon resolved rather to hazard the crushing of my Masters foot against the wall of worldly reputation by an humble and dutiful representation of his errour which I knew to be committed in the Innocency of his soul then by an undutiful silence or palliation thereof to prompt or permit him quantum in me to gallop on into mischiefes in my apprehension destructive both to his temporal and Spiritual welfare Sr God is my record I do not plead this exemption of Conscience from the Iurisdiction of Regal Power for mine own sake out of any designe that I have thereout to suck the least advantage unto my self either by gaining a toleration to professe or act contrary to any Law Statute or Ecclesiastical Canon enjoyning a conformity in these Evangelical duties For I do acknowledge mine own conscience so fully satisfyed concerning the Orthodoxnesse of the Faith professed the Religion of the formes of worship practised the warrantablenesse of the Ecclesiastical Government established and the Comodiousnesse of the Ecclesiastical Discipline exercised in the Church of England as to my self and all others of my perswasion in the Reign of queen Elizabeth Your Royal Father and Your Sacred self til these late years of frenzie that mine own Conscience would witnesse all such designes in me to be designes for gaining a toleration not to be Conscientiously devout and pious but onely to be unconcionably profane licentious and Atheistical Or yet by engratiating my self with any of the Spurious Grandees of these times who now soare aloft in the highest Region of Pomp and Magnificence through a supportment from those feathers which they have with Sacrilegious hands pluck't from your Majesties wings And like ambitious Icarus have Artificially cemented and fastened the same unto