to Hard. A. Art 2. Divis 6. justifies Luther as a godly man and accuseth Harding of Slander And Divis 7 he calls Melancthon and Bucer godly learned men And he calls Peter Martyr a most worthy and learned Father A. to Hardings Preface And Harding commends his Modesty And surely if Passive Obedience had been the Doctrine of those days and esteemed as it hath been of late Rebellion to oppose it the ever Renowned Hooker Preface to Eccl. Pol. would not have honoured Calvin with this Elogium For my own part I think him that is Calvin incomparably the wisest man that ever the French Church did enjoy since the hour it enjoyed him The Divines of the Church of England are not wont thus to commend Authors guilty of Heresie or Schism or Sedition or Rebellion And Dr. Bilson True difference between Christian Subjection and unchristian Rebellion p. 3. pag. 264. saith Calvin is so well known to those that be Learned or Wise for his great pains and labours in the Church of God that a few snarling Fryars cannot impeach his Name And Dr. Whitgift against the Puritan T. C. every where honours Bullinger Castius and more especially Zuinglius And yet all these justified Defensive Arms in some case Now who are the Innovators they that follow the first Doctors of our Church or they that have embraced other new and unheard of Principles in Government I leave the works of our Forefathers to be Judges But here it is objected by some weak and factious spirits that our Convention or Parliament have done as bad to the late King as the Rump Parliament so called O. C. and the Army of Sectaries did to King Charles the First And therefore if we are justifiable they are justifiable and consequently Jan. 30. ought not to be kept as a day of Humiliation and Fasting For this let the Reader consider what the Dr. saith p. 46 47 c. Or let him take this Answer Our Cause and theirs differ as far as Heaven and Hell or Good and Bad Murder and Self-defence I will not say that there were no Corruptions in Government nor no Innovations brought into the Church Neither will I dispute the Reasonableness of the War between the King and Parliament in the beginning But supposing that the Parliament had sufficient Cause to defend themselves Yet 1. King Charles the First had given full satisfaction to the Two Houses of Parliament and the Bishops and the Common Prayer were Established by Law And all know that it was the National Worship as it is now and cannot be abrogated or altered but by King Lords and Commons But O. C. destroyed the House of Lords and the Book of Common Prayer by force and by the Sword 2. King Charles the First was a professed Protestant and all his Officers and Ministers in Church and State were such as the Law allowed But the Late King was a professed Papist and put Papists in Places of Trust against Law and turned out all the best Protestants for no reason but only because they opposed the Jesuits and Arbitrary Power 3. King Charles the First and the Parliament had concluded upon a Settlement to the satisfaction of all sober and wise Men in the Kingdom but O. C. and his Army of Sectaries with force turned about a hundred Members out of Parliament and kept them Prisoners against Law and Justice 4. O. C. and the Sectaries Ruled the Nation by the Sword in time of Peace contrary to all Law and Executed many of the most Zealous Protestants But King William defends all Protestants according to Law 5. They like Cruel Tyrants and Usurpers destroyed the whole Frame of Government Murdered the King and Banished all the Royal Family As there are some at this day who are so vain and sottish as to desire a Common-wealth and to Root out the Bishops and Common Prayer and so bring confusion into Church and State As if there were no difference between the Reformation of Abuses and destroying that which is good and excellent We say that this Faction in a Nation is to be opposed as well as the Tyranny and Illegal Proceedings of the Papists For both are destructive of our Laws and Established Religion It is true our present Business is against the Abominations of the Church of Rome and the Usurpations of Popish Priests and Jesuits But we also abhor all those who would Murder a Protestant King and destroy our Liberties and the Religion by Law Established and force us contrary to our Consciences But King William opposeth none but Papists who would have destroyed us and he continues our Parliament and our Laws Liberties and Religion with all the Incouragements thereof 6. King William was invited over by divers of the Nobility and Gentry to save us from Popery and Slavery and was received with the universal Joy of Protestants But O.C. and his Sectaries who Barbarously and Impudently Murdered King Charles the First were cryed out against by all sound Protestants who adhered to the Laws of the Nation So that that Rebellion and King William's Actions and those that joined with him differ as much as Destroying a Nation and Saving a Nation as the greatest Sin and the greatest Good Lastly Our Royal Martyr King Charles the First died in the Defence of the Laws and Established Religion But the Late King Abdicated or Deserted or at least went out of the Kingdom rather than he would Rule according to Law And when he was gone to France the Chief of the Nobility and Gentry desired the P. of O. to take the Government upon him and to Summon a Convention which Convention Elected him King and the Princess Queen The Late King fled and Banished himself rather than he would do the Nation Justice and when he was gone the Convention or Parliament resolved to keep him out The P. of O. tho' a Soveraign Prince and no way Subject to the Late King did not Murder him when he had him in his Power But O.C. and the Sectaries of the Army Beheaded King Charles the First tho' he was Innocent and a Prince of most Excellent Virtues and of Ever Blessed Memory Ob. Solomon saith Prov. 24.21 22. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruin of them both A. This Text doth not forbid the Change of Government in Absolute necessity when the Safety of the whole Kingdom requires it and it is done Regularly and for the Publick Good But commands Obedience and Fear to the present Lawful King and never to join with Changelings who are restless under Government and Lightly Wantonly Factiously or Seditiously oppose what is present It is not to be understood Morally as if it were Absolutely evil and a Sin to change when the whole Frame of Government is corrupt But you must take it prudentially that a wise Man who fears God ought not to Change that Form of
be not a settled Government I despair of ever knowing what it is Now I say in plain English This is a mutual Covenant between Governours and Governed and gives the Formality of Relation between King and Subject But then in this Case the King hath an Humane and Legal Right as well as Gods Authority which the Dr. seems every where to deny For he infers pag 5. Therefore those Princes who have no Legal Right may have Gods Authority But I say That tho' such Princes as the Convocation speaks of had no Legal Right before yet when they are throughly settled they have Legal Right And this is the difference between the Dr. and me And pag. 9. The Submission of a Prince indeed may be thought necessary to transfer a Legal Right but the Submission of the People it self is sufficient to settle the Government and when it is settled then it is the Authority of God whatever the Humane Right be See pag. 25 c. He seems to assert That no Right can be Legal and Humane but Successive or Hereditary Right § 4. p. 26. I know Great Learned and Pious Authors who are of this Opinion as I have proposed it and the Dr. cannot appear singular in it and to advance Paradoxes as he speaks § 1. p. 3. to any Man who hath throughly studied these Controversies But then all or most of those Divines and Politicians assert Defensive Arms in some Case And that the several Forms of Regiment are according to Agreement or an Ordinance of Man And they usually say that the Call of the People is Essential to Magistracy in such extraordinary Case And so the Powers that are are ordained of God and must not be resisted Again if the Dr. means first By Actual Possession of the Throne the Power of the Sword or Strength or the Princes being in Whitehall and having the Royal Forts c. at his Command then this alone cannot give Right tho' it is the Disposal of Providence And this I take to be Hobbism Scepticism or Atheism And such things I have read in some Oliverian Pamphlets to justifie that Damnable Rebellion as the Disposal of Providence And thus to say that Conquest Election and Usurpation were all one to the Primitive Christians as some of late have said is most abominable and to be exploded And the Reverend Dr. verges so near this that I wish he would explain himself better if it be not his meaning See § 4. p. 18. The Scripture hath given us no Direction in this Case but to Submit and pay all Obedience of Subjects to the present Powers It makes no Distinction that ever I could find between a Rightful King and an Usurper c. A. The Scriptures not being an absolute Rule of Policy as I said before suppose that we know who is our King or Governour or who are the Higher Powers by Reason and the several Laws and Constitutions or Immemorial Usages of several Countries And then instruct Subjects in their Duty But of this Section I shall speak in its Order 2. If the Dr. means by Actual Possession of the Throne such a Covenant or Settlement as is before mentioned then I say whoever hath such a Settlement hath not only Gods Authority but Humane and Legal Right tho' he is not the next Heir or immediate Lineal Successor And of such a Prince I grant the Subjects need not inquire Quo jure quâve injuriâ as the Schools speak he came to the Throne or whether he had Reason to Invade or Conquer or not He is King and hath Gods Authority and must be obeyed And in this case the old Maxim proves true Vox Populi est Vox Dei The voice of the People is the voice of God God chuseth whom the People in this manner chuse But I do not think that any rational Politician or judicious Divine grounds this Position upon the Disposal of Providence firstly I am sure most do not But upon such Principles as these 1. No one Form of Government is Natural or Moral but purely of Positive Agreement And tho' it is good Manners in the Subjects of a Monarch especially of an English Monarch to believe Regal Government best and to believe that Hereditary Government or Monarchy is most prudential and excellent And that Lineal Succession is not to be altered but upon very sufficient grounds And tho' no Man ought to meddle with them that are given to change which may possibly befall a King as well as his Subjects yet no Man can with a good Conscience condemn any other lawful Form of Government As the Government of the Consuls and Senate of Rome of old Or the Government of the Duke of Venice or Senate at present Or the States General of the United Provinces All whose Subjects are to obey and not resist their several Sovereigns by St. Paul's command Rom. 13. For they have their Power of God and Gods Authority 2. The Publick Good is the Sovereign Law of all And so tho' Subjects have Sworn to maintain their Sovereign yet if he and they are Conquered and the Conqueror gives them their Lives Liberties or Estates whereupon they Promise or Swear Allegiance to him they must for the future own him as their Soveraign Lord. Or if they are grievously oppressed so that the Publick Good of their Countrey or the Preservation of their Laws Liberties and Religion requires them to forsake their King who as I suppose would have brought them into Slavery or Non-assistance as the Dr. confesseth when a loving valiant and good Friend comes to save their Religion Laws and Properties In this case the Subjects ought to obey him that hath Actual Possession of the Throne For he is their Elected King and hath Humane Legal and Divine Right And this secures Princes from Factious Seditious and Rebellious Subjects And secures Subjects from Wicked Cruel and Ill-designing or Ill-advised Princes who follow evil Counsellors to the Subversion of the Laws and Ruine of the Kingdom And this I think may be proved from the Drs. own Assertions scattered in this Book 1. He asserts p. 14. Sometimes God not only places a single Person in the Throne but intails it on his Family by Humane Laws and makes the Throne a Legal Inheritance And p. 24. Hereditary Right is either a continued Vsurpation which can give no Right or a Right by Law that is by the Consent of the People to intail the Crown on such a Family Now all Laws are made by the Advice and Consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal and Commons From whence it follows that the Dr. must own that Hereditary Monarchy is so made by the People and that such a Monarch receives all his Power for he hath no Power but Legal from them as well as from God And as for what follows which saith the Dr. I observed before If Right be resolved into the Choice and Consent of the People cannot be done for what Right had my Ancestors three or four
they believe that a King who hath no Right to the Throne is not set up by God and invested with his Authority they will find That it must ultimately resolve it self into the Authority of the People to make Kings which it is unjust for God himself to over-rule and alter pace tanti viri by the Dr's leave I should say it is not Gods usual Method and ordinary Providence to over-rule and alter for a Legal Entail is nothing more than the Authority of the People And if the People have such an uncontroulable Authority in making Kings hold a little the People cannot do this when they have Covenanted ordinarily but in extream necessity I doubt they will challenge as much Authority to unmake them to But perhaps the Dr. will say This is Argumentum ad homines and I would not willingly misrepresent him As for his Answer to the Objection which I find p. 26. I know not what to make of it it is pure Enthusiasm I think I cannot measure it by any Rules of Reason 3. He grants very honestly p. 27. That when ever a People have a good King as surely say I King William and Queen Mary are a good King and Queen it is both their Duty and Interest to defend Him And if they be not misled by the Cunning and Artifice of ill Men they will certainly do so But if they have a very bad one that notoriously violates their Rights and breaks the Constitution upon which Himself stands and strikes at the dearest things they have their Religion Established by Law and their Properties I doubt the Case may be altered And tho' every Body will not speak it out yet most may say in their Hearts Let him go if he cannot defend Himself It is enough in Conscience patiently to bear so bad a Prince but a little too much to venture their Lives and Fortunes to keep him in the Throne to oppress them This is against Reason and Nature and I know no Law of God which requires it c. I wish with all my heart that this Consideration and other Arguments of the Dr's may prevail with the most Reverend Father in God the late Arch-Bishop and the Right Reverend the Bishops who have not taken the Oaths to their present Majesties I believe out of pure Conscience tho' erroneous and full of prejudice And I have often wondered that so many of the Clergy who but a little before did so violently oppose the Prince of Orange's proceedings out of the like conscientious prejudice as I believe did on a sudden take the Oaths This seems to me to shew that our Case wanted but a little consideration and men might easily lay aside their prejudices in so blessed and desirable a Change 4. The Dr. grants p. 28. That the Laws of God and Nature must take place of all Humane Positive Laws and Oaths Hence I infer that the Dr. cannot deny Self-preservation 5. He grants p. 29. That it is unreasonable to expound the Oath to such a sense as no man would have taken it in had it been expressed No no man in his wits would take it for the best Prince that ever swayed the Scepter Then such an Oath or Promise or Declaration could not intend to dedestroy Self-preservation Liberty and Property 6. The Dr. grants p. 30. We are not bound to defend the King against Law or when he subverts the Laws und Liberties and the Legal Established Religion of the Kingdom by Illegal Methods Or as he saith presently after by the exercise of an Illegal and Arbitrary Power 7. He saith p. 32. Certainly this was not the Intention of the Oath to fight for their King against their Countrey For an Oath to fight for the King doth not oblige us to fight against our Countrey which is as unnatural as to fight against our King 8. He owns the preservation of the whole Kingdom is before the Prince p. 33. in these words Tho' I have as great a Reverence for Princes as any man I do not think the Right and Interest of any Prince so considerable as the Safety and Preservation of the Nation and the Lives and Fortunes of all his Subjects I am sure we who are for Defensive Arms cannot say more than this 9. I leave the Teachers of Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance to answer his Arguments p. 36. or else I hope they will take the Oaths I have spoken my thoughts of this matter As for Bishop Overals Convocation-Book I do not love many words I have spoken my mind 10. This seems very hard that when God hath actually delivered us we must refuse our deliverance p. 38. And I add it seems very hard that the Clergy who receive most benefit by this deliverance if in heart they love the Protestant Religion should not honour the Deliverers 11. The Dr. agrees to what Bishop Sanderson tells us That the End of Civil Government and of that Obedience which is due to it is the Safety and Tranquillity of Humane Societies and therefore whatever is necessary and useful to this End becomes our Duty for the End prescribes the Means Hence I infer the lawfulness of Defensive Arms in some case because Humane Societies under a Tyrannical Prince who Rules Arbitrarily cannot be safe I beseech the Dr. seriously to consider this and examine throughly whether it doth not necessarily follow And before I end this Section I must desire the Dr. to reconcile some of his Assertions He saith p. 4. The Church of England hath been very careful to instruct her Children in their duty to Princes to obey their Laws and submit to their Power and not to resist tho' very injuriously oppressed and those who renounce these Principles renounce the Doctrine of the Church of England But she hath withal taught That all Sovereign Princes receive their Power and Authority from God and therefore every Prince who is setled in the Throne is to be obeyed and reverenced as Gods Minister and not to be resisted c. And here I observe that the Dr. chargeth the Non-swearing Bishops as well as those who joyned with the Prince of Orange as rejecting the Doctrine of the Church of England Well let the Dr. and his Party be the only true Church of England-men if he can disprove what I have now and elsewhere said He grants That whosoever is setled in the Throne hath Gods Authority and must not be resisted But p. 25 26. in answering an Objection That this makes the Prince lose his Right by being notoriously injured c. he tells us The Providence of God removes Kings and sets up Kings but alters no Legal Rights nor forbids those who are dispossessed of them to recover their Right when they can c. and doth not divest the dispossessed Prince of his Legal Right and Claim nor forbid him to endeavour to recover his Throne nor forbid those who are under no Obligation to the Prince in Possession to assist the dispossessed Prince to recover his
which concern the Duty of Subjects and the Publick Good And as for the Instances in Scripture out of the Books of the Kings and Chronicles it is plain that there was a Covenant between the King and People And after the Deposing of Athaliah all the Congregation made a Covenant with the King in the House of God 2 Chron 23.3 And what doth a Covenant signifie if it may not be defended and justified If such a dead Dog as I am were worthy to admonish an English Monarch I would advise him to make Law the Rule of his Reign and shew his Prerogative in Acts of Bounty Mercy and Mitigation of the Rigour of some severe Laws And I would not tell him that it is Rebellion for an Innocent Subject to defend himself And yet I imagine that I am as great a Friend to Monarchy and to the Church of England as the greatest Passive-Obedience-Doctor is 4. We have the End of Government For the good of the whole Sodiety Power and Authority is ordained of God for the Happiness of Mankind By this we are legally secured against wicked Men in our Houses Possessions Lands and Estates in our Liberties and Properties and in whatsoever belongs to us as Members of a Civil Society Political Order is a just Disposition between King and Subject as well as between Subject and Subject God is the Author and Lover of Order and an Enemy of Disorder and Confusion And Government was constituted by the singular Wisdom and Providence of God for the good of his Creatures From hence I may deduce these Inferences 1. Hence the Power and Authority of Kings and Governours is clearly Divine They are constituted Rulers by God and are his Ministers And therefore Honour and Obedience is due to them for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 2. Hence it follows evidently That Princes and Governours ought to Rule in Gods fear and so perform their Office as Gods Vicegerents administring Justice impartially knowing whose Authority they have Hence Princes are called Pastors of the People and Fathers of the Countrey And should bear the Name of Gods and Children of the most High not only in Power but in Goodness 3. Hence it necessarily follows that all Subjects ought to reverence and honour their King and Governours with most humble Service Homage and Obedience in all things But of this more anon 2. I shall consider the several kinds The most common Distribution is into Monarchy Aristocracy and Democracy The first kind or Form of Government is Monarchy I approve of this as best according to the saying of the most Famous Poet The Rule of many is not good Let there be one Ruler one King to whom God gives the Scepter He is King who hath Supream Power subject to none And a Monarch is either Absolute or Conditional And again either Elective or Successive Elective when in a Kingdom a Person of a new Family or of the same Family is chosen Successive when the next Heir Male and in some Kingdoms the Female is owned and proclaimed Thus the Kingdom of England is by Inheritance and Succession And our King never dies as we say But the King of England is not Absolute but Limited And hath Lords and Commons without whom he cannot make nor repeal Laws And we have Magna Charta unviolable And the Subjects great Felicity and no less the Kings Honour who Rules not over Slaves but Freemen 3. I shall shew the Latitude of Subjection It is a Civil Filial Fear of the King And excludes all things that tend to his Dishonour and includes all things that tend to his Honour It contains all Duties and Services required of Subjects to their Prince There is an universal Obedience next under and after God in all things Legal due to the King who Reigns by the Ordinance and Appointment of God Native Religion and true Christianity is the greatest Interest of Princes A good Conscience and pious Heart abhors Obmurmurations Factions Seditions Rebellions or whatsoever can be conceived to disturb the Souls subjection to the Higher Powers It is gross Hypocrisie to pretend to follow the Holy Jesus and not render to Caesar the things which are Caesar's I am sure that Christ and his Apostles taught Subjection to the Roman Emperor as the Ornament and Honour of their Religion This Subjection first forbids light and vain thoughts of the Kings Authority and Person 2. Uttering Wicked and Trayterous words speaking evil of him Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People Exod. 22.28 And curse not the King no not in thy Thought Eccles 10.20 And the Holy Ghost brands them with the odious name of filthy Dreamers who despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities St. Jude ver 8. In brief It excludes all retaining of his Dues Tribute Custom c. all Cheating him of his Revenue all Disobedience to his wholsom Laws all Contempt or Violation offered to his Sacred Person 2. Subjection includes or comprehends all Duties of a Christian Subject to his King For that which is in one place Let every Soul be subject to the Higher Powers is in another Fear the King and Honour the King And in the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother Here as by Father and Mother all Superiors are meant not only our Natural Parents but also our Political Father our Governours especially the Supream Magistrate the King As it is well explained in our Church-Catechism To Honour and Obey the King and all that are put in Authority under him Which also is the Interpretation of all sober Divines So by this word Honour all kinds of Duty and Services from all Inseriors to their Superiors respectively are comprised So to Honour as to Fear Love and Obey them c. This is expressed also by St. Peter Submit your selves unto every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well This is yet more fully and largely set down by St. Paul Rom. 13. Where this Doctrine is not only declared but pressed and confirmed by many strong and solid Reasons We must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake v. 5. If you make Conscience of your ways give the King his Due There is nothing more plain than this Chapter for Subjection to the King and Submission and respect to his Officers without murmuring and repining when according to Law they demand their Dues The humble Christian and obedient Subject who willingly submits to the Kings Laws may be assured that in that particular he pleaseth God and he always hath the Testimony and Satisfaction of a good Conscience But the stubborn and disobedient who will not render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's assuredly displeaseth God and can never quiet his Conscience but runs the hazard of a most ignominious esteem in
Legal Right c. nor hinder him from Claiming it when he finds his opportunity I would here know of the Dr. who they are that are under no Obligation to the Prince in Possession and so may assist the dispossessed Prince Are they Domestick Subjects or Forreign Enemies What may the late King with a good Conscience invade England with an Army of French-men to recover that which the Dr. calls his Legal Right I believe the Dr. to be an honest man and that he hath no Plot or Design but let him see the tendency of his Argument I should answer the Objection thus The dispossessed Prince is either good or evil If he is a good Prince and hath not oppressed his Subjects his case is hard and very calamitous and much to be pitied but he must submit to Divine Providence and Gods Fatherly Correction or Probation And this is a difficulty in Providence as the Dr's phrase is according to the account of all Philosphers Cur bonis malè But if his Subjects have stood by him with their Lives and Fortunes and are conquered and have setled the Government of the Conqueror either by a General Assembly or by Universal Submission Promise Oath c. they are excusable and the King so forced into Banishment in Conscience cannot require their Allegiance If the Prince be evil and hath oppressed his Subjects in a high measure then he forfeiteth his Legal Right and it is transferred on another King for the publick good But I pray God this may never befal the Royal Family again while the Sun and Moon endureth But furely the Nobility Gentry Clergy and Commons had Reason and Conscience to defend themselves against the Tyranny of Jesuits and other evil Counsellors who tempted the King to be ungrateful and seek the Ruine of their Religion and Properties Again p. 14. The Dr. saith He who hath Possession of the Crown without a Legal Right that is as he means a Successive Right is a King de facto that is is King but not by Law And yet p. 63. he saith The Law requires us to own him for our Sovereign Let the Dr. reconcile this Animadversions on Section 4. I have before answered the Dr's Observation That the Scripture hath given us no Direction in this case but to submit and pay all Obedience of Subjects unto the present Powers It makes no distinction that ever I could find between a Rightful King and an Usurper between a King whom we must and whom we must not obey See Animadversions on Sect. 2. And now I come to that famous Text of Rom. 13. And here the Reverend Dr. still owns Passive Obedience and Non-Resistance And he tells us in his Preface That he hath renounced no Principle that ever he taught except one in the case of Resistance p. 128 c. which is the only material passage he knows any reason to retract in that Book to wit that when St. Paul saith All Power is of God he meaneth only Legal Powers Now I think the Dr. hath had the ill Fortune to adhere to one of the worst Principles and renounce one of the best Principles that ever he taught in Government And that I may prove this it must come to my Turn to suppose And here I shall premise the Dr's Words in the end of his Preface They who understand what belongs to Disputes of this nature know very well that the shortest way to bring the matter to an Issue is to put the Case at the worst that can be supposed because this gives so much greater force and advantage to the Argument when it is suited to those who are most strongly prejudiced against the Lawfulness of Defensive Arms in any Case In managing this Argument as the Dr. goes on it is necessary to reason upon supposition of the most Illegal and greatest Oppressions And it may be I may meet with some Readers as may charge me for so doing with unchristian Behaviour and clownish Irreverence towards a calamitous Prince which I am very sure I am far from intending to do I say as I said at first Sacred Majesty laid in the dust requires our Tears Our Religion and our Laws revived require our Joy This premised I offer a Supposition Suppose the Late King was resolved to Rule by a Standing Army Suppose he had Suspended all the Bishops as well as the Bishop of London Suppose he had turned all the Nobility out of their Freeholds as well as the President and Fellows of Magdalen Colledge Suppose he had set up an Illegal High Commission Court Suppose he had Tryed all the Ministers in England for their Lives as well as the Seven Innocent Bishops Suppose he had Closeted all the Nobility as well as he did many to over-awe their Votes in Parliament Suppose he had given Power to all the Dissenters and Sectaries to preach in our Pulpits as well as in private Meetings Suppose all the Members of his Privy Council had been Jesuits and Bigotted Papists as well as Father Petre Tyrconnel c. Suppose he had Suspended all the Clergy in England for not Reading the Illegal Declaration in Churches Suppose he had commanded the Officers of his Standing Army to Plunder our Houses and cut our Throats And now I think that I have almost supposed the worst that I can suppose And verily I tremble to suppose this I will make but one Supposition more Suppose that by teaching this Doctrine of Non-resistance the Late King might be tempted to bring in his Religion by these Illegal and Horrid means And thereby not only lose his Crown and Dignity but hazard the Damnation of his Soul without Repentance yet the Authors Doctrine is Subjects must not resist And he saith Christ and his Apostles especially St. Paul in Rom. 13. taught this Doctrine when he saith Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation No doubt but this is very edifying Doctrine This was most irresistible Rhetorick to the Senate and People of Rome the freest People of the World to turn Christians For then tho' their Philosophers taught them that they might defend themselves against Tyrants by the Law of Nature yet they must not defend the Liberties of their Countrey If they do they must never be happy hereafter This is an invincible Argument to any Jealous Roman or Wise Grecian to imbrace Christianity Is not this Doctrine against all Gods Attributes his Goodness his Justice his Mercy as well as the Predestinarian Doctrine is said to be What! hath God left his poor innocent Creatures I mean Legally innocent to be a prey to Lions Credat Judaeus Apella non ego And here I may use the Dr's words for I confess my stile is not so Elegant p. 40. According to these Principles Humane Societies in such Revolutions I must say Male-Administrations cannot be preserved without sin For if all Men did their Duty they must all be destroyed Now I believe
Government under which he lives unless in urgent necessity But what if the King be given to Change Then meddle not with Him Keep the Fundamental Laws and Customs of your Countrey and the true Religion by Law Established We say saith a Learned Author that if Power be given to the King by Law yea or to other Magistrates tho' it be against Religion we have no help but suffering or flying till we can be helped by Legal ways But if when we have Laws for our Religion and Liberties the King out of his own will or seduced by others shall in an Illegal way seek to deprive us of them now we may defend our selves and in this we resist no Kingly Authority but the Will of such a Man Obj. Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor curse the Ruler of thy People A. This Text commands Obedience to the King with all reverence in Heart Tongue and Action But what is this to innocent and lawful Defence Which St. Thomas and other Schoolmen call cum moderamine inculpatae tutela Obj. Psal 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight A. The Confession of David saith a great Divine is to be taken comparatively He sinned against God alone by way of Excellence because he could be punished condemned and absolved by God alone But David sinned also against those who were meer Subjects as Bathsheba Vriah Joab and Nathan but not as a Tyrant violating the whole State of the Common-wealth but as a Sinner left to his Lust Furthermore no Man could judge of the Personal Fact of David except God alone which pertained not to the Subversion of the Common-wealth I say the sin of David was particular which was not destructive to the whole Common-wealth Besides David speedily recanted and repented of the evil The sense is saith Calvin cited by the Author of the Synopsis as if he should say I do not regard what Men think or speak if either they spare me or extenuate the wickedness by flattery or mitigate my grief with gentle Speeches yet it is more than enough to me that I perceive thee my Judge that Conscience draws me to thy Tribunal c. Other Expositors say I have sinned against thee only as a Judge and Avenger because I can fear punishment from thee only For Kings are free from the bonds of their offences saith St. Ambrose R. R. saith No Creature judgeth the King but the blessed God otherwise he would be King in Name not in Deed. G The Kings sin is not punishable Which is all true of the Personal Crimes of Princes or of such Oppressions as are speedily repented of Obj. Psal 82.6 I have said ye are Gods A. This is true saith one of Inferiour Magistrates as well as Superiors and yet none will say but the Inferior may be resisted Kings should imitate God in Wisdom in Justice in Mercy c and defend not oppress the Innocent To tell a King thus becomes a Priest much better than to delude him with an unaccountable and irresistible Power Obj. Prov. 8.15 16. By me Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice By me Princes Rule and Nobles even all the Judges of the Earth A. By here denotes the Principal cause it doth not exclude the less Principal or Instrumental the Election of the People As Psal 18.29 By thee that is God I have run thro' a Troop or by thy help saith Synop. out of G. By me as King of Kings Kingdoms are constituted and Persons set over Kingdoms either are given or are deposed according to Dan. 2.21 4.25 31 32. and by me they are preserved c. Neither doth this forbid the People to defend themselves against a Tyrant or to Depose a Tyrant but rather acknowledgeth them Instruments This hinders not what St. Thomas saith 2.2 q. 10 art 10. Dominion and Prelacy were introduced by Humane Right Because God and Man both concur to Government God is the first Cause Man the second Whatsoever the second Cause doth saith Fortescue out of an ancient Author c. 3. the same doth the first Cause by an higher and more excellent way or mean Obj. Prov. 30.31 A King against whom there is no rising up And Eccles 8.4 Where the word of a King is there is Power and who may say unto him What dost thou A. These Texts speak of a King Ruling according to the Customs and Laws of his Countrey or not of Tyrants and Oppressors Or at least they forbid not self-defence in case of Extremity I may honour the King and yet not suffer him to kill me when I am innocent and have served Him faithfully and when he ought by the Laws of God and Man to protect me Solomon Prov. 30.31 speaks of the glory and happiness of a potent and invincible Prince not of any Moral evil or unlawfulness in defending our selves against Illegal Courses Oppression and Tyranny of wicked Princes Again these Texts give a General Rule being wholly silent in casual exceptions as in case of extream Male-Administration The sacred Writers exclude not certain Pacts saith a grave Divine or Laws of Humane Creation or Constitution by which the King is put into that Super-eminency And the saying of Optatus Milevitanus is either to be taken of Emperors or Absolute Monarchs or verily of Him who restrains his Super-eminence within the Laws of Divine as well as Humane Constitution for then in truth There is none above the Emperor but God alone who made the Emperor Solomon saith what may be done not what may always be rightly done by a Prince For afterwards v. 9. he teacheth us that many abuse their Power to Tyranny There is a time wherein one Man ruleth over another to his own hurt Therefore he doth not give the Magistrate leave to do what he will For the Power of Man is limited by the Word of God and honest Laws Because it is written We must obey God rather than Man and give to Caesar the things that are Caesar 's and to God the things that are Gods The second verse is not to be understood otherwise I counsel thee to keep the Kings commandment and that in regard of the Oath of God As if he should say So obey the King as rather to obey God to whom we are all bound with greater Religion Obj. Eccl. 10.20 Curse not the King no not in thy thought and curse not the rich in thy bed-chamber for a Bird of the Air shall carry the voice and that which hath wings shall tell the matter A. Solomon prohibits reviling or slighting the Kings person or speaking evil of the King either for natural or moral personal defects and vices And he cautions us against wrath for a little Oppression because a King may easily be revenged on us and ruine us But he forbids not self-defence in case of Universal Oppression If thou art wise and skilful despise not a young or a foolish King by mocking his Majesty by proud
slandering his Government by contemning and reproaching his Statutes and Deeds but as much as the matter and truth will bear speak thou honourably of him and think the best and interpret well actions that are doubtful saith some Author For it is wisdom as well as duty to reverence the Kings Person and Office and conceal small miscarriages Obj. St. Matth. 22.21 Read the Context v. 15. Then went the Pharisees and took counsel how they might intangle him in his talk And they sent out unto him their Disciples with the Herodians saying Master we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth neither carest thou for any man for thou regardest not the person of men Tell us therefore what thinkest thou Is it lawful to give Tribute unto Caesar or not But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said Why tempt ye me ye Hypocrites Shew me the Tribute money and they brought unto him a penny And he said unto them Whose is this Image and Superscription They say unto him Caesars Then saith he unto them Bender therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods When they had heard these words they marvelled and left him and went their way A. It is most certain that Tribute is to be paid to our Governours The Herodians were sent to intangle him in his talk And they propounded this Question concerning Caesar the Roman Emperor's Tribute To which our Saviour answers that they ought to render to Caesar the things that are Caesars So that by Christs command all Subjects must willingly and chearfully and for Conscience sake render honour tribute custom subjection and obedience to the Higher Powers which are ordained of God But what is this to the Desensive Arms against Tyranny and Oppression The Jews had promised Obedience to the Romans and to Caesar Now what we promise Synop. out of G. tho' forced by necessity of War binds us fast for unless it were so the whole sanction of a Covenant would perish Besides Possession of a long time which to endeavour to move or change is always unjust in publick Affairs Christ and his Apostles and the Primitive Christians hearkened to no Innovations under what specious pretences soever but performed Faith Allegiance and Obedience to the Emperor But let any man prove that these Emperors did not rule the Jews according to their Promise and Covenant and known Laws and Customs or that our Saviour forbids defending our Lives Liberties or Properties if invaded contrary to Law Custom or Covenant Again it follows not that if Christ doth not here dispute Caesars Title that he never did nor that his Disciples never satisfied themselves I am sure the Scribes and Pharisees and the multitude cryed out when our Saviour was accused We have no King but Caesar a plain acknowledgment of Caesars Title Power and Authority Obj. 1 Tim. 2.1 2 3. I exhort therefore that first of all supplications prayers intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men for Kings and for all that are in Authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour A. This is also spoken of Governours indefinitely and of such who would rule according to the Customs and Laws of their Countries Not of Tyrants who would Subvert National Laws and Customs without cause And tho' there was great Confusions in the Roman Empire about the Throne sometimes yet still the Emperor promised to Rule according to Laws and Customs received And surely no Man can prove that Passive Obedience was owned in those days if the Emperor commanded Illegally Nor was their Hereditary Succession in the Empire The wickedness of Man cannot destroy the Institution of God But Magistrates Kings Emperors are constituted of God And Christian Religion doth not overthrow the Political Government of Infidels and Heathens Therefore we must pray for all Persecutors and Idolaters Obj. Tit. 3.1 Put them in mind to be subject to Principalities and Poweers to obey Magistrates A. All these Texts command what no rational Man much less Christian denieth ought to be given to our Governors But they prohibit not Defensive Arms in case of Universal Oppression Obj. 1 St. Pet. 13 14 17. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supream or unto Governours as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evil doers and for the praise of them that do well Fear God Honour the King A. The Apostle speaks indefinitely of Governors and of Obedience to them but he states no particular Case When this Epistle was written Synop out of G. I think that Claudius or Nero was Emperor Therefore we must obey Infidels and evil Princes But this prohibits not Self-defence when Laws are violated Tho' the Ordinance or Government in the manner of its Constitution be from Man saith a Learned Author yet because of the necessity of its Institution it is from God Submit to it tho' of Man for the Lords sake For God is the primary Author Observe Kings and Presidents are an Humane Constitution or Ordinance made by Men with common Consent by certain Laws yet by the Command and Authority of God So that I conclude with a great Statesman As it was the Oppression and Slavery under which we had been brought that rendered His Majestys undertaking in coming into these Kingdoms with armed Force in order to redeem them both Honourable and Just So it was the Hope of being delivered by Him from Misery and Bondage that incouraged us first to invite and then to cooperate with Him in the Prosecution and Accomplishment of His Glorious Design It was the Invasion upon our Laws that we complained of and from which we desired and indeavoured to be relieved c. Thus I have omitted no appearance of an Objection and have given satisfaction to all that will examine things impartially and conscienciously in order to their ready and hearty Obedience to Their Majesties and the Preservation of the Religion Laws and Liberties of this Kingdom I shall conclude all with a plain Exhortation both in respect of the King and Subjects First For the King Seeing His Majesty hath received Power and Authority from God it concerns him to Administer Justice and Judgment For Gods Eye is All-seeing and he is Omnipresent God standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty he judgeth among the Gods Psal 82.1 It is a poor weak inferior thing beneath the Spirit and Dignity of a Prince to wrong the Innocent But it is indeed Great and Godlike to seek Judgment and relieve the Oppressed God hath Honoured Kings with his own Name and Titles and they should imitate Him in Wisdom Goodness Justice and Mercy And as this tends to the Honour of God and Happiness of his Church and the Prosperity of the Kingdom so it gains the Love and Affection of Subjects which is the only Ambition of Valiant Wise and Just Monarchs Secondly For the Subject Seeing Kings are by Gods Designation Ordination or Constitution let every Subject humbly submit They derive their Right from the Highest Majesty of Heaven and Earth They are set over us by Gods approbation And the God of Israel who led his People by the hands of Moses and Aaron in all Ages hath subjected Mankind to some of his Viceroys on Earth And they who are Enemies to them are Enemies to God and cast off that sweet and easie Yoke of Obedience to which God would have all his submit This condemns all wilful Offenders who disobey Governours They are in Gods stead and to despise them is to despise God himself And as Subjects ought to yield Obedience to their Soveraigns which I have Illustrated elsewhere so they ought to be grateful for their Favour Mercy Clemency and good Government And in particular they ought to be thankful to God and the King for the Mercies of this present time even the Reviving of our Religion Laws and Liberties FINIS