they were confident they would not stir they would doe no hurt but beare and therefore they might doe what they list with them they needed not feare exasperating them they were taught obedience to Governors out of conscience and so they had them sure enough but the principles of the others would not bear too hard usage therefore they must be more fairely dealt withall I am confident if wee could have seene into many of their bosomes we should have found these reasonings in them It is true Puritans have beene taught obedience to Authority out of conscience and howsoever Princes may bee exasperated against Puritanicall Preachers as they call them yet they are as much beholding to them as to any people in their Kingdomes for bringing people out of conscience to obey Authority whereas others obey only upon necessities so serve Princes as they may serve themselves by them but in their teaching obedience to Authority they never taught obedience out of conscience to any mens bare wils How far obedience is due I have shewne before Wherefore although honest men are still bitterly inveighed against by the name of Brownists and Sectaries and Papists seldome or never mentioned yet we cannot thinke but they in their consciences are perswaded that they are not the dangerous men for resisting authority How is it possible for any man to thinke that a Brownist who onely differs from us in manner of Church discipline but agrees with us in Doctrine and Civil-Government yet that he may not be suffered to live in a Kingdom when a Papist may be embraced in a Bosome Surely the consciences of the meanest are as dear to them as the consciences of the greatest But it is said that a great part of the Army of the Parliaments are Anabaptists There is no great feare they can do much hurt if there be 40. Papists to oppose one Anabaptist But surely it is an unhappy mistake to say that there is any one Anabaptist in the Army but a mistake like many others For it is one of the tenets that Anabaptists stifly maintain that it is unlawfull to take up Armes upon any occasion and therefore they are never found to weare sword nor in their Ships to carry Canons for their own defence But doth not the King professe that he will maintain the Protestant Religion and governe onely by the Laws What need we trouble our selves then any farther The Answer to the Kings Professions and Protestations the Parliament hath already given it is far more fit for them to answer then that any particular should Onely this thing let me say I put it to every mans conscience to judge whether he can think that it is more likely for the King with those Cavaliers that are now about him and the aid of Papists comming in and called in unto him to maintain the Protestant Religion and Government by the Laws then the King together with his Parl. to maintaine the Protestant Religion and governe by the Laws Surely we must unreason our selves before we can think so But yet further perhaps some may say We doe not take that which is done to be done by both Houses of Parliament many of them are gone but few remaining 1. Some are gone but compare those who are gone with those that abide and you may easily see which way the stream of things would goe if those that stay and the Kingdome with them had not hearts to appeare for the maintaining what God and Nature and the Laws of the Kingdome have made their owne 2. There are not so many gone as are pretended if they were the greater part that disliked the others proceedings they might come and out-vote them and carry what they would against them 3. When I heare of such and such men going from the Parliament who ought to stay it puts me in mind of what I have read of Aeneas Sylvius before he was Pope himselfe he was of that judgement that a generall Counsel was above the Pope and some yet wondring why so many forsook the Counsel and would cleave to the Pope he gave this reason The Pope had Bishopricks and Deanaries and Prebendaries fat Benefices to bestow but the Counsel had no such things They saw which way preferment went and which way it was like to goe They have not seen Offices and great places of preferment bestowed by the Parliament 4. Suppose more were gone then yet are yet the Kingdome hath a Parliament in being untill both Houses have agreed to dissolve it and if so then either those that are gone or those that remain are the Parliament those who are gone dare not challenge it to themselves nor none for them They remember that the Prelats were too bold in nullifying what was done in Parliament because they were absent Those that stay then are the Houses of Parl. and if their determinations must not be valid because some of their Members be gone then we may cal into question all determinations of Parl. that ever have been before us for vvho knows hovv many vvere present or absent vvhen it vvas resolved upon the Question 5. If a Country should choose a Representative Body to elect a King over them and the choice being made by that Representative Body aftervvards the Country should refuse obedience upon that scruple that many vvere not present at that time the choice vvas made some did dislike it vvould not the King for all that account it Rebellion in such vvho upon such scruples should cast off their obedience But even in the Houses are not things carryed on in a Faction are they not led by a fevv 1. If there be this liberty to object against the highest Court of Judicature in a Kingdome vvhen can vve rest in any determinations that can be in any Civil Polity 2. What is this but to charge the vvhole Kingdome vvith folly to choose some unfaithfull and the Houses of Parliament simple that will be led by those that are unfaithfull 3. If any thing for the Kings prerogative were propounded by some and followed by others dare any accuse the proceedings to be factious Why then when any thing is propounded by some for the good of the Kingdome and followed by others should it come under such a censure 4. There was more danger of faction in the Prelates Convocations where the most of the Members were Bishops and their creatures in servile subjection to them There is no such danger in either Houses there is no such distance between the Members amongst themselves there is no such dependance of one upon the other 5. Faction cannot bee the act of a body that depends not upon another but in particular members of a body dividing themselves from it unwarrantably and turbulently seeking to get others to joyne against the body Heretofore the not submitting unto the illegall Canons and Decrees Injunctions Orders of every Prelat yea every paltry Commissaries court was accounted schisme
evils imminent nor rectifie these disorders extant but by power added to their authoritie although there be no such horrible things as the Doctor speaks of namely the Kings intentions to subvert Religion and our Laws and liberties if the King do but denie to assist in the delivering us from those dangers not upon groundlesse jealousies feared but upon certain proofs we know we are in and in the delivering up of such delinquents as justice must not our safety cannot suffer to escape there is cause enough to satisfie our consciences in the lawfulnesse of our taking up Arms. Yea our protestation and duty though we had never so protested binds us to maintain by all our strength the Parliament in this and in maintaining them we do not at all prejudice the King in any lawfull power of his This generall is enough to satisfie in what is said in the two last Sections As for particulars mentioned there many of them are answered alreadie in the former discourse others being matters of fact it is more easie for any one to answer that hath a mind to examine what passages have falne out To go through them particularly I shall leave to some who have more time to spare then I they are far more easie to answer then what was before but not so profitable and yet the answer would exasperate more they are Subjects more suteable for Lawyers and Statists to treat about then for Divines Wherefore where as in the conclusion of all the Doctor defires those who will run the Hazard of this resistance first to set their consciences before the tribunall of God and confider whether they will excuse them there when they have shed blood to say we supposed our Prince would change Religion overthrow liberties No Doctor We can comfortably and will freely and really set our conscience before Gods tribunall in this case but we will not make that our plea but we will stand thus before the Lord. Lord thou who art the searcher of our hearts and our Iudge thou knowest we aimed at no hurt to our King we desired to live in peace we according to our solemne vow and Protestation have only endeavoured to deliver our Kingdom Parliament from the rage of ungodly and violent bloody men to bring forth the wicked unto justice to preserve what thy Maiestie what the law of nature and the Law of the Land hath made our own If thou wilt please to call us to suffer for thy Name we hope we shall be readie but because thou tellest us that it is not the part of a Christian but of an Infidell not to provide for his family therefore we have not submitted our selves wives and children to the rage of these bloody men for the substance of what we have done it hath been in thy Name that we may be faithfull to the King Kingdom Parliament and to posteritie What failings thou hast seen in the managing of it Lord pardon to us for Christ his sake Thus we are willing to meet the Doctor at Gods Tribunall but he shall not lay our plea for us we fear he will have enough to do to answer for himself yea to answer for that Book he hath put forth in such a time as this For a Conclusion of all LEt none think that though we thus iustifie taking up Arms that therfore we are of those that delight in War God forbid Our souls desire after peace we pray for peace we would gladly lay down our lives if we know our own hearts for peace Lately my name was injuriously added to a printed paper wherein there was a Petition against Accommodations It sayes I went along with it whereas I knew nothing at all of it untill neere a week after it was delivered to the House Thus are we at the mercy of every malignant spirit if he can get a Printer to assist him to be rendred to the world as odious as he pleaseth As great an injury I suffered before though in another nature when a few pieces of a Sermon I preached to young men were gathered together and patched up with a deale of non-sense and additions of their owne as they pleased and then put out as mine Although we live amongst men set on fire yet God forbid but we should follow peace but it must be the peace of Jerusalem not the peace of Babylon And the truth is had the people knowne their liberties before it is very probable these warres would have been prevented This I am confident hath been the great encouraging fomenting argument for these warres If we goe in the name of the King none will dare to stir against us What will they take up Arms to resist their King Had they seen the weaknesse of this their Argument as it is applyed to this businesse in hand that bloud that hath been shed would have been prevented And if the people of the Land knew the Liberty that God and Nature and Law gives them there would soone be an end of these Warres but a few such Doctors as this is may helpe to prolong them by dividing the people and putting them into a maze comming in so plausible a way to informe Conscience whereas in truth he gives no bottome for Conscience to rest on but rather puts it to a stand or rather into a labyrinth There is a necessitie that in these times peoples Consciences should be further satisfied in their liberties in this case then formerly because the time is we hope at hand for the pulling down of Antichrist and we find by Scripture this work at first will be by the people Revel 18. 2. The Angel came down from heaven and cried mightily with a strong voice Babylon the great is falne is falne And vers 4. I heard another voice from heaven saying Come out of her my people ver 6. Reward you her as she hath rewarded you and so to the 9. ver her destruction is threatned Now ver 9. the Text sayes The Kings of the earth who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her shall bewaile her and lament for her saying Alas alas Ver. 11. And the Merchants of those things which were made rich by her shall stand weeping and wailing ver 15. All her Proctors and Commissaries and Chancellors that grew rich by her they shall lament No marvaile then though so many Proctors get together to seek for peace upon any terms Here you see Babylon must down and yet the Kings lament her fall Who then must pull her down but the people Not that the people can raise a War meerly for Religion but God will so order things that the Papists shall by their malice be put upon such plots and enterprises that they shall make themselves lyable to the justice of the Law so that Kings shall have no legall power to rescue them from it but inferiour Magistrates assisted by the people shall in a just way fall upon them even then when the Kings of the earth and their
The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts Opened in two SERMONS At MICHAELS Cornhill LONDON Vindicating the Commission from this Lord of Hosts to Subjects in some case to take up Arms. WITH A POST-SCRIPT Briefly Answering A LATE TREATISE BY HENRY FERNE D. D. BY JER BURROUGHES PSAL. 48. 8. As we have heard so have we seen in the City of the Lord of Hosts LONDON Printed for R. Dawlman 1643. To his Excellencie ROBERT Earle of Essex Viscount Hereford Baron Ferrars of Chartley Lord Bourchier and Lovaine one of His Majesties most Honourable Privie Counsel and General of the Army raised by the Parliament in defence of the true Protestant Religion His Majesties Person the Laws and Liberties of the Kingdom and the priviledges of Parliament THere is no man this day upon the face of the earth whom it more concernes to have this name of God The Lord of Hosts presented to him in the due lustre glory of it then your Excellencie whom the Lord hath not onely honoured to stand up even in the fore front to maintain his cause and the cause of his people but he hath even put upon you this his owne name he hath made you the Lord of his Hosts It is that which every Souldier may justly glory in that God himselfe seems to affect the glory of Arms when he causeth himselfe to be as it were sir-named THE LORD OF HOSTS The beams of this glorious name puts some lustre upon the meanest in an Army What a lustre then doth it put upon your Excellencie who stand so neare it Happy the time that ever you were borne to be made use of by God and his people in so noble and honourable a service as this We reade ZECH. 3. 3. of Joshua that great instrument of Reformation in the returne of JUDAH from her Captivity that he stood in filthy garments but the Angel spake to those who stood before him saying Take away the filthy garments from him and unto him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquity to passe from thee and I wil cloathe thee with change of rayment Those who stand up most eminent and forward in the cause of God and his people shal ever have some who wil seek to stain their glory by slanders and reproachfull names to put them into vile garments what viler garment can there be then the garment of Treason and Rebellion But the Angel stands by to take off these vile garments and to clense his servants even from this nominall iniquity he will put change of rayment upon them he will one day make it appeare that there were none so faithfull to God their King and Countrey as they The Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem saith the Text ver 2. wil rebuke them who thus stand up against his servants The Lord who hath set his heart to bring mercie to Jerusalem to his Church will certainly rebuke such as stand to resist the great instruments thereof Wherefore that which the Angel of the Lord protested to JOSHUA v. 6. I may in the name of the Lord with a little change protest unto your Excellencie Thus saith the Lord of Hosts if you will walke in my wayes and if you will keepe my charge then you shall have an eminencie in my house and I will give you places among these that stand by That is among the blessed Angels in the heavens If a cup of cold water shall not go without a reward surely then the venturing estate liberty limbes honour bloud life for the cause of Christ shall not goe without its reward Wherefore most noble Lord of our Hosts yea of the Hosts of God Goe on with true Heroicke magnanimity and prosper in the name of this glorious Lord of hosts The prayers of the Churches are for you the blessings of the Saints are upon you I beleeve never any Generall upon the earth hath been mentioned more in heaven then your Excellencie hath been and yet is in this cause That which is storyed of the Crosse appearing to CONSTANTINE with these words HOC VINCES I may with far more confidence apply to this name of God The Lord of hosts This I present unto your Excellence with this Motto Hoc vinces The name is in it selfe a box of sweet ointment give me leave to open it before your Excellencie that it may be fragrant indeed and adde quickning and strength To that true noble heroick spirit fit for great actions that God hath honoured you withall I here humbly present it opened and poured forth The blessing of it be upon you and those great things undertaken by you which is and shal be the prayer of Your Excellencies in all humble service and duty Jer. Burroughes To the Reader THe necessity of the time put me to preach upon this subject the City being in great feare of a great Army comming against it in the name of the King and the necessity of the subject for this time made me not unwilling to yeeld to the making my meditations upon this subject yet more publike Something I have enlarged especially in the argument of justifying the present taking up armes so much cryed down as if it were against the King to be by commission from the Lord of Hosts which is discussed page 27. and so on the satisfation of the consciences of men in this thing is of so great consequence in this time that every man is bound to afford what help hereunto he is able I should have had guilt lye grating upon mine own conscience if I had stifled what I might afford to the helping towards the satisfaction of others although therefore I am not ignorant but sensible enough that it is an argument wherein a man runs hazard enough yet whatsoever I suffer in it may I be usefull I have enough This I can say if I ever did or am like to publish any thing in the uprightnes of my heart aiming at the glory of God and thy good I blesse God I have comfort in this and in this whatsoever the issue be I shal rejoyce Certainly things had never come to that passe they are at if mens consciences had bin rightly informed in the liberties God hath given them The infusing contrary principles and making men beleeve that the subject must and would suffer any thing rather then rise up to maintaine his own right hath beene the cause of the bold adventures of many amongst us What I have said is breife comming to you as a Sermon it could not admit of larger discourse but if there be need it would not be very difficult to enlarge these things in another way Read for thy profit and I have my end Yours to serve for Christ Jer Burroughes IT is ordered this first day of December 1642. by the Committee of the House of Commons in Parliament concerning Printing That this Book entituled The glorious Name of God The Lord of Hosts be printed by Robert Dawlman appointed thereunto by M. Ieremy Burroughes the
by infusing this principle of the absolute power of Kings into their eares and the cares of the people but if the Papist sees he hath no hope to gaine the King or advantage by him then he turnes his tenets another way and sayes that for the promoting of the Catholique cause yea although Kings do governe by the Laws of their Kingdom yet because they are against the Catholique Religion Subjects may rise up against their King and kill him This doctrine of theirs we abhor wee say that if power be given to Kings by Law yea or to other Magistrates though it be against Religion we have no help but suffering or flying until we can be helped by a legall way but if when we have Laws for our Religion and liberty the King out of his own will or seduced by others shall in an illegal way seeke to deprive us of them now we may defend our selves and in this we resist not the Kingly authority but the wil of such a man And yet further if it be possible that we may give satisfaction in this thing the mistake whereof is so exceeding dangerous consider if the taking up Arms to defend Religion and liberties that we have by Law be treason or rebellion then all the reformed Churches are traytors and Rebels Have not the reformed Churches in Holland in France in Germany done this Did not Queene Elizabeth take the Holanders taking up Armes to defend their Religion and liberty against their King into her protection and assist them with money men Ammunition King James in his answer to Perron defends the Protestants in France for what they did He sayes Their civill wars was not taking up Arms against their King it was but standing upon their guard And did not our King Charles send aid to the Protestants in France defending their Religion and liberty against their King at the Isle of Ree and is not the Prince of Aurania whom we usually call the Prince of Orange the General to the Army of the States defending themselves against the K. of Spain whose Countries those once were Yea and hath not our King acknowledged our brethren the Scots his loyal Subjects and yet they did as much as we yea a great deale more they were indeed at first called Traitors and Rebels in the prayers the Prelates sent about and commanded to bee read in Churches but upon due consideration they were found and so styled loving and loyal Subjects and so in time we hope we shall But if we shall thus plead and stand for our liberties how can we expect the King should ever look upon us with any respect or confide in us wil it not set the Kings heart against us God forbid we should do any thing justly meriting the losse of His Majesties favour and his heart confiding in us The happines of a Kingdom is in Princes ruling as fathers and Subjects obeying out of love rather then meer necessity K. James so renowned for learning and deep understanding was fully of that minde that his brother the K. of France had no better Subjects in his Kingdome then the Protestants which yet stood up to defend their liberties by force of Armes His words in answer to Perron are these I dare promise to my selfe that my most honoured brother the King of France will beare in mind the great and faithfull service of those who in matter of Religion dissent from His Majesty as of the onely men that have preserved and saved the Crown for the King his Father of most glorious memory I am perswaded my brother of France will beleeve that his liege people pretended by the Lord Cardinall to be hereticks are nor half so bad as my Roman Catholike subjects who by secret practices undermine my life serve a forraigne Soveraigne are bound by the Maximes and rules published and maintained in favour of the Pope before this full and famous assembly of the Estates of Paris to hold me for no lawfull King are by his Lordship there taught and instructed that Pauls commandment concerning subjection to the higher powers adverse to their professed Religion is onely a provisionall precept framed to the times and watching for opportunity to shake off the yoke Surely then it is impossible but that His Majesties heart must needs confide in us although seeking to maintain our lawfull liberties rather then in any Papists whatsoever Yea yet further heare what K. James his thoughts were of the Protestants in France towards the latter end of his former Answer to Cardinall Perron he hath these words During the minority of K. Francis the second the Protestants of France were only a refuge succour to the Princes of bloud when they were kept from the Kings presence and by the over-powring power of their enemies were no better then plain driven and chased from the Court I meane the Grandfather of the King now raigning and the Grandfather of the Prince of Conde when they had no place of safe retreat besides in the whole Kingdome In regard of which worthy and honourable service it may seeme the French King hath reason to hold the Protestants in the princely Ark of his gracious remembrance Shall Protestants be kept in the Princely Ark of the gracious remembrance of a Popish King and shall Protestants be cast out of the heart of a Protestant King and that onely for defending their lawfull liberties in a just way God forbid Yet further heare the fidelity of Protestants to their Prince In all the heat of revolts and rebellions raised in the greatest part of the Kingdome by the Pope and the more part of the Clergie they stood to their King to beare up the Crown when tottering and ready to fall And at this day the King of France hath in pay betweene three and forescore thousand Protestant Souldiers for the defence of himselfe and his Dominions he maintains so many yeerly his chief Commanders being Protestants as confiding especially in Protestants for their fidelity and certainly so may our King doe he should finde none more faithfull to him and ready to venture their estates and lives in defence of him and his Legall power then the Parliament and those who adhere to them and this no question even those about His Majesty doe beleeve in their hearts whatsoever they say they otherwise would never venture to put His Majesty upon such wayes as might exasperate them so as they doe Was it ever knowne when Parliaments have been Papists and the Kingdome Papists that ever any dared venture to put Kings upon such things as might provoke such a Parliament and the people that then would adhere to them Certainly other manner of effects would have followed the provocation of them at such times Why was it that the Laws against Papists have been so remissely followed and not onely Law but Will against the Puritans have beene so hotly pursued but this they were afraid of papists that they would doe some mischiefe but for Puritans
lawfull service you serve under The Lord of Hosts but the more the service concerns his glory and the good of his Saints the more will God own it The very Chronicles or Records of the wars of the Church the Lord is pleased to have styled The Booke of the wars of the Lord Numbers 21. 14. The Name of the Lord is exceedingly much interessed in these wars You young ones who are willing to offer and venture your selves in this service you honour your selves betimes yea God and his people doe and will honour you God will remember the kindnesse of your youth You tender-hearted mothers bee not unwilling to give up your children the fruit of your wombes to this service but blesse God that ever ye bare any in your wombes to be of that use to stand up for God and his people as your children have an opportunity now to doe If as you heard when God hissed for the fly and for the bee they came much more doe you come when God calls and that aloud to come and help him against the mighty And when you are in the service seeing it is so honourable take heed you stain it not as others have done of whom it may be said as it was of the children of Ephraim Psal 78. 9. The children of Ephraim being armed turned back in the day of battel They kept not the covenant of God The covenant of a souldier is the Covenant of God Hence the oath that a souldier took when he came to his Captain the Romans called Sacramentum A brand of dishonour was upon Ephraim Judges 12. 4. Yee fugitives of Ephraim Let not such a Brand be upon any of you ye Fugitives of such a county of such a town your General the Lord of Hosts is worthy of all you can possibly do for him Plutarch tells of Scipio Africanus shewing a friend of his three hundred of his souldiers exercising their Armes neare the Sea where there was a high tower There is never a one of all these said he but if I bid him climbe up that steepe tower and from the top of it cast himself down into the sea but he will readily do it What will not you be ready to shew more respect to your General this Lord of Hosts then any heathen shall do to a Heathen General be willing to venture your lives for him this is your glory for he accounts it his If in this cause you should turn your backes upon your enemies with what face could you ever after look upon your friends Psal 69. 6. Let not them that waite for thee O Lord of Hosts be ashamed for my sake Take this Text with you into the Army and pray to God O Lord grant that I may so behave my selfe in this great businesse I have undertaken that none of those that waite on the Lord that have prayed for and now wayte for the salvation of God may be ashamed for my sake I have read of one Abaga a Tartarian that had this device to make cowards valiant he caused them that ran away from the battell ever after to weare womens clothes I do not say that there should be this brand of dishonour but one brand or other it is fit should be upon such as basely forsake such an honourable worke such an honourable cause as this is Thirdly If God be the Lord of Hosts hence there is no war to be undertaken but for God and according to Gods will it must bee by commission from this great General To goe into the field without him is dangerous but to go against him is desperate Ps 20. 5. In the Name of the Lord will we set up our banners But if any shall say We are afraid we goe not by the Commission of The Lord of Hosts because we goe against the King Doth God give Commission for Subjects to fight against the King For answer The sound of these words in the eares of men oh what an efficacie have they But when they are examined and applyed to this businesse the truth is there is nothing at all in them to any man that will be rationall For first It is not against the King it is defensive onely to defend our lawfull liberties our estates which we inherit as truly as the King inherits any thing he hath It is to defend our Religion which is our chiefe inheritance The law of Nature and Scripture teacheth us to defend our selves from violence and wrong God hath not put man and whole Kingdoms into a worse condition then brute creatures and yet they by an instinct of nature defend themselves against man that vvould hurt them and yet they vvere made for man but Kingdoms vvere not made for Kings but Kings rather for Kingdoms And the Scripture warrants this you know David gathered 600. souldiers together to defend himselfe against any injury Saul intended and indeavoured against him And when the children of Benjamin and Judah came to him to the hold 1 Chron. 12. 16 17 18. The spirit came upon Amasai and he said Peace be to thee and peace be unto thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee What David did in this kind was no other but what God helped him in 2. It is not against the King but for the King it is for the preservation of true Regall power in the King and his posteritie it is to rescue him out of the hands of evil men who are his greatest enemies The Scripture bids that the wicked should be taken from the throne of the King Who should take them away if he had a mind to doe it himselfe he need not suffer them to come to his throne but when he does suffer them to come there and abide there yet they must be taken away if a Representative kingdome hath not power to take them away who hath 3. That which is done is not done against the power of the King His power is that which the lawes of the land invests him withall The Scripture bids us be subject to the higher powers Rom. 13. 1. It doth not bid us to be subject to the wills of those who are in highest place If we be either actively or passively subject to the Lawes of that country wherein we live we fulfill the very letter of that Scripture that commands us to be subject to the highest powers Wherefore that which is now done is not against the King though it be against the personal command of the King yet it is not against the Legall power of the King when we speak of a King we mean such a man invested with a Regal power by the lawes constitutions of that country he is the King of Now if nothing be done against this power that the laws and constitutions of our country invests him with then nothing can be said to be done against the King People are much mistaken who do not distinguish between a man in authority and the authority of that man A man
that were few in number that went from one countrey to another them for whose sakes Kings were reproved he said that these anointed ones must not be touched though the Kings and people of the world thought them to be but ordinary ones yet God accounts them his anointed ones and will not have them touched but if Kings shall meddle with them to doe them any hurt he will reprove thē for their sakes You may see how God reproved that King Nebuchadnezar for their sakes Jer. 50. 17. This Nebuchadnezar hath broken their bones observe the expression This Nebuchadnezar he makes but a This of Nebuchadnezar a great King when he comes to reprove him for the sake of his anointed ones and mark further how the reproofe is when their inheritance is but touched Jer. 12. 17. Thus saith the Lord against all the evill neighbours that touch the inheritance c. Behold I will pluck them out of the Land If they do but touch my peoples inheritance I will pluck them out of the Land And Isa 10. 27. all this care of God over his people is laid upon their anointment The burden shall be taken off their shoulder and the yoake from their neck and the yoake shall be destroyed because of the anointing I suppose now every one that lookes into this Scripture Touch not mine anointed will see that it hath been grosly abused and made to speak rather the conceits of men then the meaning of the Holy Ghost But for futher satisfaction consider it is not peculiar to Kings to be anointed It is true they were anointed in the time of the Law but as they were anointed so Priests were anointed Prophets were anointed yea other Magistrates and Captaines of Gods people are called the anointed ones First for Priests Numb 3. 3. These are the names of the sons of Aaron the Priest that were anointed And you know the Prophet Elijah anointed Elisha And Zac. 4. 14. speaking of Zerubbabel and Joshua the text saies these are the anointed of the Lord now then if this meaning could be put upon the words that those which are Gods anointed must not be touched whatsoever they do then Priests and Prophets whatsoever they do must not be touched for they are as truely Gods anointed as Kings are yea Captaines and inferior Magistrates must not be touched because they are Gods anointed also The third thing is the difference between Kings anointing then as David and Solomon and others were and Kings anointing now Then God chose such himselfe by revealing from Heaven that they should be Kings it was the immediate choice of God and then they were upon this submitted to by the people but now the people first agree that such a one shall be King the Kingly power shall be in such a family successively and then God establisheth this choise or agreement There is a great difference between these two First Gods chusing and then the peoples establishing and this the peoples chusing and then Gods establishing There the Kingly power was not conferred by way of compact or covenant but with us it was and so is with others But what if the Kingdom be got by Conquest the right come in that way Those who plead thus for Kings know not what they do in making this plea For if there were no other right neither precedent nor consequent but meerly because such a one was the stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is the strongest at any time he hath right if a stronger then he comes he shall have the right This is no good Divinity nor Polity to plead thus that which subjects my conscience to such a one is the submission upon some compact covenant or agreement This may be when Kings are elective but what will you say concerning Kings that are hereditary Kings that inherit inherit no more then their fathers had and their fathers no more then those before them so that you must come at length to the root to the first who had this Kingly power invested upon him and by whom was he invested with this but by the people and what subjected the consciences of people to acknowledge this man or this family more then another man or another family but only the agreement that passed between this people and such a man or family But there is yet one Objection more out of Scripture We reade that Davids heart smote him but for cutting off the lap of Sauls garment because Saul was Gods Anointed The consequence that follows from hence is cleerly this That no private man in his own cause for so was David then by his own power may seize upon the person of a King in an offensive way especially such a King which had his call immediatly from heaven what further consequence that concerns our busines in hand let any shew from this place that can But is not this a Popish tenet that in case of Religion Subjects may rise up against their King Papists hold and practice against this and for this and beyond this as they see they may serve their own turns in their practises especially of late they have laboured to infuse into people yea and into Princes an opinion of their absolute power as conceiving it for the present most conducing to their ends who have preached up that all is the Kings that his wil is our Law that whatsoever he cōmands must be obeyed either by doing or suffering Prelates and prelatical men have infused this doctrine so that to question this was dangerous enough yea not to bee zealous in it was enough to have the brand of an Antimonarchical Puritan And the reason why the Popish party labours so much to cry up absolute and arbitrary Government in Kings is because their being but few they hope to gain some of them at least to them and then this absolute power shall be made use of for the extirpation of the truth and upholding Popery In gaining one King they gaine almost the whole Kingdome if this King may rule by his absolute power if once he be a Papist then this absolute power is the Popes absolute power it is the Prelates absolute power for if he useth it not as they please they can excommunicate him they can free their Subjects from their allegiance yea being by them excommunicated Marke what follows it is one of the Canons of Pope Urbans We take them not in any wise to be man slayers who in a certaine heate of Zeale towards the Catholique Church their mother shall happen to kill an excommunicated person This they teach and practice if they doe not gaine them to be full Papists yet if they can by popish matches or by any popish party in the Kingdom gain them to be inclinable any way to them or remisse in the profession of the truth they get a great advantage by this absolute power of the King the Prelats have upheld their tyrannicall power
earth With what infinite indignation must God needs look upon such vile wormes who dare resist such a glorious Majesty as he is God can but speak to any humour of thy body and it shall make thee lye roaring out in anguish and grievous torture thy life shall be more bitter then death unto thee This God may give commission to the next crumbe of bread and it shall choak thee and send thee down to hell God himselfe is against thee he walks contrary to thee in all his Attributes The swords point of his infinite Justice is at thine heart All the creatures of God stand ready armed against thee and would fly upon thee if God did but give out the word The Angels stand prepared Lord shall but one of us goe and cut off that wretch who dares presume to blaspheme thy name to lift up himselfe against thee As Abishai said to David 2 Sam. 16. 9. Why should this dead dog curse my Lord the King let me goe and take off his head The Ayre cryes Lord shall I conveigh infection into his body and poyson him The Water Shall I stop his breath The Fire shall I seize on him and burne him The earth Shall I open and swallow him up The beasts of the field Shall we run upon him and tear him Thy meat thy drink Shall we choak him or be bane to him Thou art in the midst of Gods Hosts compassed about on every side 1 Chron. 13. 14. When Judah looked back behold the battel was before and behind and they cryed unto the Lord. Look about thee oh distressed soule and see the Hosts of the Lord before thee and behind thee and cry to the Lord. Certainly there is no creature neere thee but thou hast cause to looke upon it with a shaking heart thou knowest not but that it may be thy ruine sent of God to cut thee off that thou mightest go to thine owne place Certainly it cannot be but ere long some creature or other will break in upon thee and be an executioner of Gods wrath upon thee if not prevented by thy repentance When God awakens a guilty conscience every creature is terrible to it the wrath of God is seene in the face of every creature Cain cryes out Every one that meets me will kill me Why Who was there in the world then to kill him not many besides his father and mother and yet every one will kill him especially if it be some extraordinary work of God in the heavens or seas or elsewhere as in extreame thunder stormes and tempests or the like how terrible is that to such a conscience as to Caligula and others The Prophet Elisha prayed to God to open the eyes of his servant to see Gods Hosts about him to deliver him from feare my prayer is that God would open thine eyes that thou mayst see Gods Hosts about thee that thou mayst feare if thy eyes were open it would be with thee as it was with those who came there against Elisha when their eyes were opened they saw themselves in the midst of Samaria in the midst of their enemies Certainly so long as God is thine enemy all creatures in heaven earth are thine enemies Wherefore consider how unable thou art to stand out against this glorious God lay down thy weapons of enmity cry out bitterly of thy desperate folly make it thy great work above all things in the world to make up thy peace with him God yet offers mercy to thee as Alexander did those he warred against while the Lamp burned If they staid untill it was out there was nothing but bloud expected The Lamp of thy life is stil burning come in that thy soule may live There is no standing out against this God he will have glory from thee in spight of thy heart FINIS A briefe Answer to Doctor Fernes Booke tending to resolve Conscience about the Subjects taking up of Arms. By JER BURROUGHES THere came to my hand a Book of D. Fern tending to resolve Conscience in the case of the Subjects taking up Armes I find it carryed on without giving any ill termes but in saw expressions sutable to a Treatise that concernes Conscience and the more likely to prevail with it Onely now and then some bitternes breakes forth I shall very briefly yet faithfully give you the strength of it Where he speakes right I will acknowledge it and where he mistakes I will fairly discusse and shew you whence the mistakes arise I confesse he hath great advantage in the subject because it is for the King 1. Because it is safer to plead for the King though a man mistakes but if there be a mistake in lessening the Kings right a man endangers his utter undoing 2. Truth about this argument hath alwayes been tenderly handled those who have pleaded for the King have with courage vented themselves to the utmost but others have been forced to be silent or else but even to whisper and speak halfe out lest they presently meet with not arguments but things of another nature to answer them In which regard the power of Kings hath been raised to the height and men have drunk in such opinions of absolute power in them as they have heard confidently affirmed practised and seen in Books and feeled by many taxations and censures but whatsoever might informe them hath layne in the darke not daring to appeare Therefore well might the D. call what now people begin to heare and enquire after a new doctrine it is an old truth but newly discovering it self The name of King hath taken such impression in the hearts of people that for a while they will be prejudiced against whatsoever may but sound of limiting his power or maintaining our right against it What there is in the Epistle that may prejudice any mans conscience will be answered in what follows Preamble to SECT I. SO many good people that are come to a sense of Religion and godlinesse are miserably carryed away by a strange implicite saith to beleeve whatsoever is said or done in the name of the Parliament c. to be infallibly true and just It seems those who have not a sense of Religion do not so easily beleeve the truth and justice of what is done in the name of the Parliament This is most certaine who are hardest to beleeve what the Parliament sayes but Papists and notorious blasphemers and prophane livers I condemne not all but compare the generality of the one side and of the other you shall finde an apparent difference in the lives of the one from the lives of the other Yea so it is now that if a man as heretofore were not prophane or loose at least or zealous for ceremonies he was accounted a Puritan so now a Round-head that is in their ordinary interpretation one for the Parliament If it be said This is because Religion is pretended on the Parliaments side So it is on the other with as loud a cry
as the Parliaments In such things where I must have regard to humane testimony to what part I see the most that have the sense of Religion to adhere that side I will be on except I see better grounds then yet the D. brings to draw me from it Prov. 2. 20. That thou mayst walk in the way of good men and keepe the paths of the righteous SECT 1. IN this Sect. these special things are considerable 1. What he grants 2. what we grant 3. What he sayes we grant He grants we may deny obedience to the King not onely in things unlawfull by the Law of God but by the established Laws of the Land It is well this is granted Heretofore we know this was the generall Tenet whatsoever was commanded by the King yea by any men in authority if but by a Prelate except it were against Gods Law we were bound to obey it any thing that was not sinne must be yeelded to and that for conscience sake The D. in this is ingenuous he confesseth that not onely Gods Law but mans Law limits Kings power This is a great case to many mens consciences to know so much And further if this be true that all those Scriptures that urge obedience to Kings and men in authority must be understood with this limitation that is if they command according to the Laws of God and according to the Laws of the countrey over which they are 1. He sayes In point of resistance we grant it must be in such a case where there are Omnes ordines regni consentientes an unanimous consent of the two Houses There is no determination that the greater part present of either House agrees upon but is as truly valid and legal as if there were an unanimous consent of them both It is so in all bodies where things are carried by vote 2. He sayes We yeeld it must be a meere defensive resistance If the King should send any to mischiefe us to say we must onely defend ourselves so as not to offend them is a contradiction as for the Kings person is it not the profession of the Parl. to defend it therefore we neede not dispute now about defending our selves against it 3. He sayes this likewise is granted that the Prince must first be bent to overthrow Religion Liberties and Laws and will not discharge his trust before there must be resistance By this he would insinuate that our Arms taken up are unlawfull because the King hath not declared himselfe thus What need we be put to meddle with any thing but this in the case in hand That a Kingdom seeing it self in imminent danger of enemies to infringe the liberties of it may stand-up to defend it selfe yea although they come forth against it in the name of the King This is our case and if the D. disputes against any thing but this he sights with his own shadow If this be case as certainly it is then a great part of the Doctors book is impertinent to the businesse of the Parliaments raising forces For forces may bee raised upon other grounds then the Kings being bent to overthrow Religion SECT II. THe strength of this Section and almost all the book is in that place of Rom. 13. and in this place I beleeve the D. will see or if he doth not others will that he is utterly mistaken in the sense of that place The Apostle sayes expresly Whosoever resists shall receive damnation But he doth not say expresly whosoever resists the highest men shall receive damnation but whosoever shall resist the power Let every one be subject not to the wills of the highest men but to the higher power there is a great deale of difference betweene these two The higher power that is that authority that God man hath put upon such a man it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that must be subjected to not resisted We professe against resisting power authority though abused If those who have power to make Laws shall make sinfull Laws and so give authority to any to force obedience we say here there must either be flying or passive obedience but if one that is in authority command out of his own will and not by Law I resist no power no authority at all if I neither actively nor passively obey no I do not so much as resist abused authority This may seeme strange at the first but if you thinke of it you will beleeve it The D. thinkes the answer to this place is onely from the limitation of the person or the cause of resisting as if we held that no particular men upon any cause but States may resist upon such and such causes whereas we doe not answer so but we distinguish betweene the man that hath the power and the power of that man and say although the power must not be resisted according to the letter and the sense of the Text yet the illegall will and wayes of the man may be resisted without the least offending against the Text. But we shall meete with this Scripture again and again and shall fellow it with answers accordingly He comes to examples as first the peoples rescuing of Jonathan from Saul He sayes the people were in Arms already and did but use a loving violence This example is onely brought to prove that Subjects may withstand illegal commands of Kings and no further and that it plainly proves onely he sayes it is a loving violence Well then it is a violence they resolve that the Kings command shall not be fulfilled yea though hee adds an oath to it It was indeede a loving violence to Jonathan so is all the violence that the Parliament offers a loving violence to the Kingdome yea and there is true love to the King too in it The King hath not yet sworn that he will have such things as the Parl. will not suffer so as to come to our cognisince but Saul swore that he would have such a thing done and yet the people would not suffer it to be done and yet you dare not blame them for this nay you commend them for it The second example is David resisting Saul the D. sayes It was to save his person from Cut-throats And is not our Army to save Parl people from Cut-throats 2. He sayes David did no act of hostility but only defended himselfe David had no authority over any that followed Saul for he was then a private man but our Parl. hath authority over Delinquents that follow the King 2. David was loath indeede to venture upon a pitcht battail or to exasperate Saul or his Subjects because his strength was weake 600. to a King therefore he flies up and downe and takes not every advantage that if it were possible he might gaine faâ—our in the eyes of Saul and his Subjects but if they had falne upon him and his power had beene equall to theirs
If it were lawfull to resist power abused it would open a way to people to overthrew powers duely administred 1. We do not say that power abused should be resisted but Will where there is no Power may be resisted 2. True there is danger in the peoples abusing their liberties and danger in Magistrates abusing their power He sayes he intends not to lay the least blemish upon the Parliament Yet in the Page before he sayes The Temper of the Parliament is dissolved and upon that saies the distractions in the Common-wealth shew the distempers and the danger of dissolution and what is the cause of it It would fill much paper to gather together the blemishes that this man casts upon the Parliament especially in his last page But that is not my work I would gladly have consciences resolved He proceeds to shew the difference between the Low-Countreys and us which no question is something but not so as can make what they have done lawfull and yet the Doctors tents right nor what we have done unlawfull He farther enlarges himself in discourse about the evils that accompany resisting of power Still we say power should not be resisted and where it is resisted sinfully yea where men in power are resisted any way there are like to follow sad consequences of affliction But what is all this for the satisfaction to conscience about the Lawfulnesse or unlawfulnesse of resisting men that have power in any case Then be comes to the oath of Supremacy and the Protestation The Answer to this depends upon what hath been said we swear onely to the Legall power we protest no further then the maintenance of that He saies conscience will look at that power he hath as the ordinance of God True what power he hath that is what the Laws give him we say is an ordinance of God But his abuse of power is a iudgement of God that we must cry to God against and a true informed conscience in that case will rather suffer then resist He still takes abuse of his power to be the doing whatsoever he please we denie that to be abuse of his power We say in that he doth not exercise his authorative power at all therefore he doth not abuse it If indeed some uniust Law should give him any power to do wrong the execution of this would be the abuse of his power and therein it is granted a true informed conscience would rather suffer then resist But in the other case when he doth what Law inables not to do all the arguments of the Doctor cannot so inform our consciences as to beleeve the State must rather suffer then resist Now the Doctor casts up his reckoning and thinks he finds it comes to thus much that he hath found Scripture and reason speak plainly against resisting He cries victorie to himself he tels himself what the issue of his own thoughts come to but he reckons without his Host his conquest is too hastie we are not of his mind I will onely observe one thing more in the conclusion of his Section If any shall be carried away with the name of a Parliament as Papists are with the name of the Church c. If the Church could do as much in matters of Religion as the Parliament can do in matters of the State the Papists were not so much to be blamed for being taken so much with the name of the Church as we are not for being taken so much with the name of the Parliament For 1. The Church cannot make new Articles of Faith or nullifie the old but the Parliament can make new Maximes to be accounted Law that were not before and undo what were before 2. The Church hath not a iudiciall power of interpreting the Law of God but the Parliament hath a iudiciall power of interpreting the Law of the State so as that is to be accounted Law which they interpret to be so I do not say that we are bound to beleeve that whatsoever interpretation they make was the scope and intention of that Law when it was first made But this I say that their interpretation must be accounted as much binding to us for obedience as the scope and intention of that Parliament that first made that Law Thus I have done with his Scriptures and the rationall part of his Book and I hope others will have done with it too If mens consciences be satisfied in the lawfulnesse of the thing it self Subiects taking up Arms against the will of the King His other part every one who understands how things are with us that is willing to be satisfied will be soon able to satisfie himself The substance of all that follows is suppose that Subiects may take up Arms yet whether there be sufficient cause for us to do it Toward the conclusion of the book the Dr. begins to be hot and somewhat bitter but I shall not here follow him in particulars but in the generall thus What the condition of our Kingdom is whether in danger or not What the condition of our Houses of Parliament whether they be safe or not whether their priviledges be broke or not Iudge you whether Doctor Ferne or all the Remonstrances and Declarations we have had from both Houses be able best to certifie us we have received information enough and seen and felt enough to make us beleeve that our Kingdom is in great danger but it may be the Doctor sits in his study like another Archimedis drawing his lines and the Swords must be about his eares before he will see or beleeve any danger to wards us The Doctor puts the case thus whether the conscience can be so perswaded that the King is such and so minded as that there may be sufficient cause to take up Arms against him in this he is as miserably mistaken as in all his other grounds from Scripture and his reasons if he thinks this be the controversie For 1. we take up no Arms against the King 2. Whatsoever the Kings mind be there is sufficient cause to take up Arms to defend our selves against others that seek our ruins We know of the plots of bringing the Armies in the North upon Parliament and City We know of the great preparations of Arms in forreign parts to send over hither and time hath discovered their further attempts although it hath indeed withall discovered they could not bring their attempts to their desired issue We know of many Delinquents that are fled from the Iustice of the Parliament which cannot be attached without force and if they may so scape as they do to what purpose doth a Parliament sit it will soon be made ridiculous in the eyes of the world We know what is done in the execution of the Commission of Array and that by force of Arms and all these things by those who are under the authority of the Houses of Parliament wherefore if they cannot prevent these