such persons firm to their Loyalty might be made evident by a multitude of Instances amongst our selves To apply this to our present occasion This day fell the best of Princes by the bloudy and barbarous hands of his own Subjects There were many Absaloms and Achitophels proud ambitious covetous subtle malicious wretches that conspired to shed his innocent Bloud and to this end stole the hearts of his beguiled Subjects and by plausible pretences decoy'd them into a Rebellion against their lawful and gracious Soveraign that so they might rob him both of his Crown and Life at once Unnatural Miscreants whom no reverence to his sacred Person no fear of that great God whose Vicegerent he was no sense of their own Duty nor shame of the World could restrain from the open impudent impious and villanous shedding his Royal and Sacred Bloud What Morsters were these that durst deal so barbarously with a King their own King who offered them all the pledges of his Love all possible security for their Lives Liberties Laws Religion or whatsoever was dear to or might abundantly satisfie all good and loyal Subjects * This the King grievously complains of in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I had formerly declared to sober and moderate minds how desirous I was to give all just content when I agreed to so many Bills which had been enough to secure and satisfie all if some mens hydropick insatiableness had not learnt to thirst the more by how much the more they drank Chap. 6. A King famous for his Parts Piety Patience Devotion and all other Christian Graces which will make him admired to all Generations when the name of these wicked ones shall rot Prov. â—0 7 and stink in the nostrils of all those that have any sparks of Ingenuity or Humanity left in them But what assurances could satisfie those that were resolved not to be satisfied with any thing but his Crown and Life and therefore wretchedly staved off all offers of Accommodation for Peace †Or else offered such unreasonable terms as he could neither in Honour Reason or Conscience yield to Witness the 19 Propositions the Treaty at Vxbridge which proved unsuccessful says the King in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by the treacherous obstinacy of those men with whom it was a grand Maxime to ask something which in reason and honour must be denied that they might have some colour to refuse all that was in other things granted ch 18. For these Miscreants had a bloudy Tragedy to act an execrable designe contrived which they were resolved to carry on against all Laws of Scripture Nature Nations against their own publick Declarations against their solemn Oaths Vows Covenants and I am perswaded the checks of their own Consciences too unless they had as wilfully seared them as they had impudently brazened their faces to act such a prodigious Villany in the face of the Sun and view of the whole World who stood amazed to behold the impudence and impiety of those graceless wretches who had made such publick and frequent Professions and those confirmed by sacred and solemn Oaths of their Loyalty to that innocent and excellent Prince whose Bloud afterwards they so barbarously spilt If we enquire into the Means and Methods by which they effected this monstrous Villany we shall find that they traced exactly the steps of this bloudy Absalom in their Fraud Hypocrisie Calumny false and impudent Slanders cast upon that Kings Person and Government as appears by that Remonstrance set forth in 1641. pretended to be for the information of the People but intended by some at least for their seduction and indeed proved the source of all our ensuing Miseries and the prologue to that woful Tragedy acted on this day As also by their frequent and false Declarations wherein they wrest all his Expressions and Concessions to the worst sence charging him with the Irish Rebellion and the guilt of all the Bloud that was spilt in the three Nations * The tenderness and regret I find in my soul for having had any hand that very unwillingly God knows in shedding one mans bloud unjustly c. may I hope be some evidence before God and man to all posterity that I am far from bearing justly the vast load and guilt of all the bloud which was spilt in this unhappy War which some men will needs charge on me to ease their own fouls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 2. Of the Irish Rebellion see chap. 12. Though themselves had no ground for the raising that bloudy War but their own pretended and groundless fears and jealousies and offering the highest indignities to his Royal Person and Family Their usual Expressions were Blacken him blacken him i. e. load him with Reproaches defame him amongst the People make him odious by false Accusations malicious Slanders infamous Libels c. †Those foul and false Aspersions were secret Engines at first employed against the love of my People towards me that undermining their value of me mine Enemies and theirs too might at once blow up their Affections and batter down their Loyalty Chap. 15. And so they did Some of them spit their hellish Venome upon his Name as others in imitation of their Forefathers the Jews Mark 14.65 did their aspish Poyson in his face a Barbarism unheard-of in token of their greatest Contempt and Abhorrence But his Name like a pretious Oyntment will yield a sweet savour Eccl. 7.1 when their Memorial shall perish with them or if any thing remain of it it shall be noted with a black mark Nigro carbone fit onely to be fixed upon men famous for infamy and render them an hissing a by-word and an astonishment to all succeeding Ages * I am well assured that as my Innocency is clear before God so my Reputation shall like the Sun after Owls and Bats have had freedom in the night and darker times rise and recover it self to such a degree of Splendour as these feral Birds shall be grieved to behold and unable to bear Chap. 15. But the grand Cheat lay in the pretence of Religion and Reformation Popery was coming in upon us like a Floud Popery a terrible word and which of late hath been made use of by some subtile Underminers of Monarchy as a Bugbear to affright silly people out of their wits But were they really such Enemies to Popery as they pretended who connived at least at the most infamous Hereticks and Heresies that ever started out of Hell or else Mr. Edwards belyes them in his Gangrene And Mr. Prynn in his perfect Narrative undertakes to demonstrate to them that their new Commonwealth or Good Old Cause they are his own words was originally projected by the Jesuits and other Romish Emissaries To destroy our Protestant Religion Church King Kingdom Parliament Laws Liberties c. And Papists and Popish books were grown so numerous and audacious under their government that the Stationers of London thought themselves bound
Pia Fraus OR Absalom's Theft BEING A SERMON Preached to a Country-Congregation On the Thirtieth of January last BEING The ANNIVERSARY FAST FOR The MARTYRDOM OF King CHARLES the First By R. L. M. A. Lament ch 4. v. 20. The breath of our nostrils the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits of whom we said Vnder his shadow we shall live among the heathen LONDON Printed by J. C. and F. Collins for Charles Yeo Bookseller in Exon. 1684. Viro verè Nobili Et Regiae Majestatis Subdito fidelissimo Necnon Ecclesiae Anglicanae Filio obsequientissimo EDVARDO SEYMOR Bar t Hanc CONCIONEM In Testimonium gratitudinis Humillimè offert dicat dedicat ROB. LAWE The Reader is desired to take notice that this SERMON was fitted for the Press as now it is before the Plot was detected but met with an unexpected impediment 2 SAM 15. v. 6. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel THE Text presents you with a Theft of the highest nature aggravated by the horridest circumstances Under the Law Exod. 22 v. 1 4. Prov. 6.31 common Theft was punished with restitution of double in some cases of fourfold fivefold sevenfold according to the various circumstances of the fact But he that stole a man was to die without mercy He shall surely be put to death Exod. 21. vers 16. Hence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Men-stealers are reckoned amongst the vilest of sinners 1 Tim. 1.10 What punishment doth he deserve then that steals the best and noblest part of man the heart 1. Psal 82.6 I have said Ye are Gods From so sacred a person as a King a God upon earth that robs him of the love and loyalty of his Subjects 2. For so vile a purpose as Rebellion Murther c. 3. By such wicked means as falshood flattery lying hypocrisie prophanation of the name of God c. prostituting Religion it self to the basest designes by making it a Veil to cover the infamy of the most enormous actions 4. And for so mischievous an end as to dethrone the Lords Anointed and advance an infamous Rebel to his Seat But let us examine the circumstances apart and enquire I. First What the Theft was or who stole Absalom an unnatural Wretch an ungrateful Viper a Subject a Son bound to his Father by many obligations and extraordinary favours one that had so deep an interest in his heart that the barbarous murther of his own Brother Amnon could not alienate his affection from him but his heart was still towards him 2 Sam. 14.1 when indeed the hand of his Justice should have been against him Nay he so vehemently doted on this ungracious wretch that his soul not onely longed to go forth unto him 2 Sam. 13.39 but also * In the margent Was consumed The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. Valdè laboravit or usque ad fatigationem languished in the desire of enjoying him so that he was no longer able to bear his exile or absence Nay so doating and blind was his Fathers affection that he could not or would not see the Plot that was hatching against him though visible enough by his Darlings dayly courting the people and slily insinuating himself into their affections which could not chuse but come to his ears by some one or other of his attendants it being so frequent so publick beside the way of the gate 2 Sam. 15.2 the place of publick concourse and his dayly practice had not his monstrous fondness either silenced the tongues of those that were about him or stopt his own ears against all informations or charm'd him into such a confidence of his Son's Loyalty as that he was resolved to believe no Reports against his ungrateful Fondling Here were obligations enough to have kept him within the bounds of his duty and all loyal obedience and to have silenced and suppressed all risings of rebellious thoughts within him being so strongly bound by Nature Scripture Allegiance Gratitude c. But what unnatural Villanies will not Pride and Ambition put rebellious spirits upon II. Secondly What did this Absalom steal The hearts of the men of Israel id est their Affections Love Loyalty Obedience alienating them from their lawful Soveraign and wretchedly perverting them to the advancement of his own rebellious designe and the destruction of his Father whose right they properly were Now that this was a manifest Theft will appear by a double consideration First Furtum est occulta acceptio rei alienae Aquin. or ablatio fraudulenta rei alienae invito domino lucri causa The Septuagint renders it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. fecit cór virorum Israel suum Because the hearts of the men of Israel were not Absalom's but his Father 's right their Affection Loyalty and Obedience were due to their Soveraign and it was theft in Absalom a private person to alienate them from his Prince who had the onely just and legal Title to them a theft as might be shewed that was aggravated by many circumstances as the high value of the thing stoln the great injury that was done to the Owner and the sad consequences of it even to those that were accessary to it For to steal the hearts of the people was to steal a Crown from a King to convert it to the damage and destruction of the legal Possessor whose Crown and Head were doomed to fall both together The peoples hearts then were David's by right he had as good a Title to them as he had to his Crown and that was as good as God himself could confer upon him But the Rebel had none but an usurped power and it 's certain that the clamours of the Rout Absalom reigneth in Hebron could devolve no right upon him It 's granted that they might love and honour him as the King's Son but not in competition with or opposition to their lawful Soveraign not so as to be perswaded by his pious disguises and plausible pretences of Reformation to give up their hearts to the disposal of an Usurper and combine to set the Crown upon a Rebels head Secondly Because he did it secretly closely treacherously like a thief-in the dark Job 24.14 and like a cunning insinuating Hypocrite inveigled all the people with his gentile Deportment and Complements his specious Pretences and Allurements and this so subtily that neither David himself nor the people could discover his Plot till it was ripe for action and past all possibility of prevention The common guise of all Rebels to walk at first in the dark and like cunning Pioneers to work under ground until they have brought their Mine to perfection and then they blow up the foundations of all ancient and regular Government in an instant such exact imitators are they of that Prince of Darkness the first Rebel in the World the grand Inciter to and Author of all Rebellions against God and his Vicegerents Had Absalom attempted this by plain and
open force probably he had never prevailed so far therefore he lays the foundation of his Plot in secret fraud and makes use of the Foxes case to prepare a way for his after-appearance in the Lions skin III. Thirdly Let us enquire whose hearts Absalom stole The hearts of the men of Israel who were 1. The peculiar people of God solemnly dedicated to him and his service in covenant with him and highly prized by him Now to draw them into so foul an Apostacy so fatal a Conspiracy against the Lord and his Anointed was a great aggravation of his damned Impiety 2. But this is not all The men whose hearts he stole were David's Subjects tyed not onely by the Bonds of natural Allegiance to their Prince but with the most sacred Tyes of Religion a Solemn League and Covenant made before the Lord in Hebron 2 Sam. 5.3 So that he drew them not onely into Rebellion but Perjury such near affinity there is between sins of this nature 3. Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel not barely from their King but a King of Gods own immediate choice and appointment Psal 89.20 I have exalted one chosen out of the people I have found David my servant as it were by diligent search and enquiry after some excellent and heroick person with my holy oyl have I anointed him And 2 Chron. 6.6 I have chosen Jerusalem that my Name might be there and have chosen David to rule over my people Israel that under his government they might enjoy the greater felicity 4. He stole their hearts from a King whom they received with the greatest expressions of joy 1 Chron. 12.40 and not without cause if you consider how well he deserved of them by their own acknowledgment 2 Sam. 5.2 Also in time past when Saul was King over us thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel c. 2 Sam. 19.9 The King saved us out of the hand of our enemies and delivered us out of the hand of the Philistins c. In a word one that had conquered their enemies enlarged their Territories but above all reformed their Religion according to the purity of Gods Law And yet these are the men whose hearts were stoln from their confessedly-deserving Soveraign by the crafty insinuations of complemental Absalom So mutable are the opinions and affections of the giddy Multitude IV. Fourthly This will appear more clearly if we consider the next circumstance from whom the hearts of the men of Israel were stoln from no common person but a King from no foreign King but their own no unworthy dastardly Prince but an heroical magnanimous and renowned one for his Valour Wisdom Piety c. chosen of God to be the Ruler of his people as you heard before A man after Gods own heart 1 Sam. 13.14 one that did judgment and justice to all his people 2 Sam. 8.15 whatsoever the Rebel suggested to the contrary ruled them prudently with all his power fed them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands Psal 78.72 This is the King whose Subjects hearts were stoln by an ungrateful Son and infamous Rebel So blind is Ambition in the Plotters and a brutish Itch after novelty in the Abettors of rebellious projects and practices against the best of Princes How much then doth it concern Princes to carry a jealous eye over that beast with many heads to suspect the fickle and unconstant disposition of the Multitude especially if poysoned with principles of Rebellion under pretences of Religion who are apt enough of themselves to grow weary of the present Government if at least it be charged true or false they never examine by their graceless Ringleaders with any irregularities or defects though such as probably cannot be avoided in the best of Governments or by the best of Governours but Absalom furatus est cor c. i. e. as one descans upon the Text excordem reddidit amentem populum he made the people stark mad by his intoxicating Allurements and Inchantments V. Fifthly By what means he stole the hearts of the men of Israel By the most vile and sordid that Hell it self could suggest and yet such as are usually practised by Rebels in their method of undermining Kingdoms as Fraud Flattery Lying Hypocrisie palpable and malicious slandering his Fathers Person and Government This obsequious Gallant puts forth his hand embraces and kisses every one that comes to him to do him obeisance 2 Sam. 15.5 Et omnia serviliter pro dominatione as Tacitus said of Otho He kissed them not out of love but designe as Judas did our blessed Lord and Saviour Mat. 26.48 not to salute but betray him We read John 12.4 and 5. how sollicitous the Hypocrite seemed to be for the good of the poor not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief So this Traytor puts on the Cloak of feigned Humility and Humanity Holiness and Charity not that he regarded any of those or minded the happiness of the people but because he was a Thief and aimed at the Crown For what probability was there that he who was so prodigal of the bloud of his own Brother Amnon should be tender of the lives of his Subjects or that he should make conscience of preserving the Rights and Priviledges of his People who endeavoured to deprive his Prince and Father of his Regal Prerogatives or that he should consult the Peace of the Nation that wilfully involved it in an unnatural and bloudy War onely to satisfie his own ambitious Lust And yet how passionately doth the Hypocrite breath out O that I were made a judge in the land that every man that hath suit on cause might come unto me and I would do him justice How zealous would the good man be for the Peoples Welfare * Occultum insidiosum malum est perfidia cujus efficasissimae vires sunt mentiri fallere Val. Max. Prov. 10.18 He that hideth hatred with lying lips and he that uttereth a slander is a fool for says he thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to hear thee As if he should have said Neither the King nor any of his Officers have any regard to Justice or the Publick Good a brazen-fac'd lye and shameless slander of a graceless wretch Yet with this Art he woes and wins the hearts of the men of Israel But the grand Engine to advance his hellish designe was the Traytors hypocrisie and pretence of Religion the painted Vizard that the vilest Rebels use to hide the deformity of their mischievous Plots with Religion must be a Cloak for his Rebellion a Vow must be paid in Hebron the place where his Father was first crowned King and as 't is probable where himself was born and bred amongst his Relations and Acquaintance and at some distance from the Court that he might act his part with the less suspition
'T is granted that as a prologue to the Plot he prepared him chariots and horse-men and fifty men to run before him that he might appear splendid before the People and dazle the eyes of the Vulgar who are much taken with Novelties and apt to admire such a royal Attendance and outward appearance of Grandeur Besides he invited two hundred men out of Jerusalem to grace the action who went in their simplicity and knew not any thing Yet I say Religion the pretence of it was the main and most effectual Artifice to win the Peoples affections and under the vizard of Piety to cheat them into a most impious Rebellion and Apostacy A Vow must be paid in Hebron 2 Sam. 15.7 Sacrifices must be offered there v. 12. And would so religious a Prince attempt any thing that was unlawful or unjust But see the damned hypocrisie of this flagitious Wretch these Sacrifices were offered in Designe not in Devotion First Either quod conjuratio validior esset foedere Sancita that the Conspiracy might be the stronger being ratified by a Solemn League and Covenant Thus the Guisian party in France strengthened their side by their holy League and the perfidious party of the Scots in imitation of them and 't is probable by the French advice play'd their Pranks under the same Vizard You may read their palpable Hypocrisie and Jugling in the King 's large Declaration by which they intended especially the Ringleaders of the Faction whatever they pretended to strengthen the hands of their Party and by the strictest tyes of Religion to engage incautelous Souls in one of the most villanous Rebellions that ever was hatched in Hell or acted on Earth And yet all this while see the villany of it many of the Contrivers had a secret reserve and resolution to keep it no further or longer than it should be subservient to their own ambitious and covetous ends Witness their base barbarous and treacherous delivery up of the King's person whom they were bound by the Law of Nature Nations and common Humanity to have protected into the hands of his cruel and bloud-thirsty Enemies And this too directly contrary to the tenour of their own Covenant wherein they had solemnly with hands lifted up to the most high God sworn to preserve and defend the Kings Majesty's Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom that the World may bear witness with our Consciences of our Loyalty * Psal 55.21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter but war in his heart his words were softer than oyl yet were they drawn swords A Psalm penned as 't is probable upon the occasion of Absalom's Conspiracy and Achitophel's Treachery Mel in ore fel in corde and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesty's just Power and Greatness And yet it is manifest that they basely sold him as Judas did his Master for a sum of money to the eternal Infamy if not of the Nation yet of those Hucksters amongst them that were employed to drive the Bargain Or else secondly that he might impiously crave the Blessing of God upon his cursed Rebellion Thus Jezebel when she thirsted after Naboth's Vineyard and life proclaimed a fast 1 Kin. 21.9 that the masque of Religion might cover the villany of so barbarous an action as the cruel Murther of so innocent a person In imitation of whom these men or Monsters amongst us who were the occasion of this days Solemnity had learnt to fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness Isai 58.4 For when they had any mischievous designe on foot they used to prepare their way by proclaiming a Solemn Fast as a pious Cheat to inveagle the credulous Multitude into an high opinion of their extraordinary Sanctity VI. Lastly For what end Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel Not to relieve the Oppressed or reform the State though these were pretended but to satisfie his ambition and avarice by making the dead Carcase of his own Father a step to the Crown and then like a Tyrant to own no Law to rule by but his own Lust A perfect Pattern of our late Rebels as will after appear And the Issue was every way correspondent to the Action a mischievous designe attended with a miserable destruction of the Arch-rebel himself and twenty thousand of his poor seduced Party 2 Sam. 18.7 And let such a fate attend all such infamous Rebels But was not the hand of Achitophel in all this 'T is probable that it was though the subtle Fox did not appear openly till Absalom's Party was grown so strong and formidable as to take the Field and bear down as he thought all opposition that could be made against it Peter Martyr thinks that he was Autor vel faltem magnus adjutor Conjurationis I am perswaded that he was both and that in compliance with Absalom's discontented ambitious and it may be revengeful humour the whole Plot was projected the Scenes divided and the Actors assigned their several parts by this subtle Polititian before there was any apparent entrance upon the execution And this appears to me probable by his readiness to attend upon Absalom's motion 2 Sam. 15.12 the desperate counsel that he gave him to make the breach irreconcilable 2 Sam. 16.21 and the offer of his own personal service to pursue weary and weak-handed David before he could recover counsel or courage to make any considerable resistance 2 Sam. 17.1 c. Which latter if it had not been defeated by the over-ruling providence of God had certainly proved destructive to his forsaken Soveraign Upon what provocation this Arch-rebel as well as Polititian engaged in this Conspiracy is uncertain But 't is certain that David esteemed and honoured him so far as to make him his chief Counsellor it may be Lord President of his Council whose counsel was of that weight and authority with David as if he had enquired at the Oracle of God 2 Sam. 16.23 Nay if we consult 55 Psal v. 13 c. where the Psalmist curses his perfidious Villany we shall find that he made him his equal his companion his bosom-friend his guide in all his affairs and actions one in whom he reposed the greatest confidence therefore 2 Sam. 15.31 it was brought as it seems as strange and unexpected news to David Achitophel is amongst the Conspirators Strange it was indeed that a person so highly honoured and obliged by the King should assault his Crown and Life with such bitter bloudy and implacable malice But we need not be curious in our inquiry after his base Treachery and ungrateful Apostacy from his own Master A plodding head and mischievous heart will never want pretences for the sordidest Villanies especially when aspiring persons conceive hopes of advancing their fortune by a compliance with and adoration of the rising Sun and that no obligations from a Prince will keep