They who refuse the offer of Christ for the injoyment of any worldly thing it is just with Christ to refuse them The second kinde of guests were the blinde the lame the poor the maimed who did lie in the streets and lanes of the City These out of the sense of their own misery did come to the feast and there needed no compulsion So then the force of the whole Parable is this That the ruder sort of people which are under the care and custody of the Magistrate are in a special manner to be compelsed to Worship God and to wait upon the means of their Salvation But lest any should think that this Parabolical Divinity is not of such force as to conclude the Point we have many other places to prove That those that are in Authority have a power to compel those that are under them to worship God and to call upon the Name of the Lord. What else should be the meaning of those words in the fourth Commandment In it thou shalt not do any work thou nor thy son nor thy daughter thy man servant nor thy maid servant thy cattel nor thy stranger which is within thy gates Exod. 20. 10. Here we may demand the reason why these words are extended to Children and Servants What have Parents and Masters to do with their sanctifying of the Sabbath All Expositors upon the place do give this reason That the Parent or the Master do not rightly worship God themselves unless they take care that they also do worship him who are under their Authority and Jurisdiction The command that concerns the duty of Servants is given to Masters That is therefore a most excellent speech of Augustine Tom. 2. Ep. 50. where speaking of the duty of Kings out of the second Psalm he hath these words Therefore saith he how do Kings serve the Lord in fear and trembling No other way but by prohibiting and punishing those things which are done against the commands of God He doth serve God after one manner as he is a man and after another manner as he is a King As he is a man he serveth him by living religiously as he is a King he serveth him by establâ—…shing such kinde of Laws with convenient rigour as do command things that are just and forbid things unjust Even as Hezekias served the Lord by destroying the Groves and the Temples of Idols and the High-places which were built against the Commandments of God As Josiah served the Lord by doing the same things which Hezekiah did As the King of the Ninevites served the Lord by compelling the whole City to humble themselves and intreat the face of God And going on in passages of the like nature he concludes with this Epiphonema In hoc ergo serviunt domino Reges in quantum sunt reges cum ea faciunt ad serviendum illi quae non possunt facere nisi Reges In this therefore Kings do serve the Lord so far forth as they are Kings when they do those things for his service which otherwise they cannot do but in relation as they are Kings This passage worthy to be written in letters of Gold is cited by Zanchy in his Work concerning the Attributes of God in the Preface to Casimire Palatine of the Rhyne There he sheweth That it is the duty of a Christian Prince principally to take care in his Dominion that Religion be taught out of the pure Word of God according to the first Principles of the Faith which others call The Analogie of Faith And the pure Word of God being established he saith also That it concerneth the Prince or the Ruler to take care that the people wait upon the means of their Salvation And this is that which we have so largely stood upon when we have spoken of the Reign of Christ upon the Earth in sundry parts of this Treatise we have not followed the Conceit of them who are for a personal Reign This noteth onely the coming in of the States Governments and Dominions of the Earth to own the Gospel and to set it up as a Regent-Law To my understanding then this matter is plainly expressed Ier. 3. 17. At that time shall they call Ierusalem the Throne of the Lord and all the Nations shall be gathered unto it to the Name of the Lord to Ierusalem Neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart In these words he doth speak of the glorious state of the Church in the latter times It cannot be meant of the Jewish Church before the coming of Christ nor of that literal kinde of worship as it appeareth ver 16. They shall say no more The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord neither shall it come to minde neither shall they remember it neither shall they visit it neither shall that be done any more It is manifest then that these things are spoken concerning the happy estate of the Church in the times of the New Testament But in what part of the times of the New Testament must these things be fulfilled It is clear from the Context That he speaketh of the call of the Jews In those days the house of Iudah shall walk with the house of Israel ver 18. This is meant of the glory of the Church in the latter days But what are the means that the Lord hath sanctified to the introducing of this glory They are expressed in these words I will give them Pastors after mine own heart He doth speak of the Civil Pastor in the Common-wealth as well as the Spiritual Pastor in the Church David was a Pastor after the heart of Christ himself when he chose him to feed and govern the People of Israel Such Pastors there shall be in the latter times and by such the Lord will bring in the glory of the Church The like passage is in the Prophecy of Isaiah when he speaketh of the Churches glory that shall be I will make all thy officers peace and thy exactors righteousness Isa. 60. 17. The word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all thy visitation peace It noteth the visitation of the Prince as a Nursing Father that hath care of the Church And further it is added Thine exactors righteousness the word in the Original is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Taskmaster one that driveth on the work which implieth as there shall be Magistrates so there shall be use of a Coercive Power in those glorious times And therefore this passage is immediately added Violence shall be no more heard in thee The Magistrates shall themselves be so holy and righteous that they shall not oppress and tyrannize and they shall also be so impartial and sincere in the use of the Sword that they shall keep down and suppress all exorbitant and lawless courses I have the more carefully noted this Point because many in the times that we now live are of opinion That all Coercion and Compulsion in matters of Religion is absolutely
and Power But yet further They that stand for such a Beginning of the Roman Empire at Iulius Caesar I desire they would Answer this Question In the Tables of the Consuls it is manifest That there is the space of 17 years from the Conquest of Iudea to the Empire of Iulius Caesar. Now concerning this Number of years it must be either reckoned as a Chasme in the Prophetical Chronologie or else it must be applied to some one of the Four Metal-Kingdoms But it cannot be reckoned as a Chasme in the Prophetical Chronologie For it is clear from the Scriptures That these Four Monarchical States must continue one after another in a lineal succession and when their times are in flux and succession then the Kingdom of Christ shall begin Therefore this portion of time from the Conquest of Iudea to the Monarchy of Caesar must necessarily be reckoned as appertaining to one of the Four Kingdoms If so it must either appertain to the Graecian Kingdom typed by the Brass-Metal or to the Roman typed by the Iron-Metal For none will be so absurd as to apply it either to Babel or Persia which were destroyed long before Now they that apply this term of time to the Graecian Kingdom how can they make their Position good seeing that People were brought under the Power of the Romans But if you apply this to the time of the Roman typed by the Iron-Metal you give up the Cause to wit That the Roman began as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in the time of their â—…ree-state Object 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will Reply The Four Persâ—…uting States of the world are compacted together into one Image but the Romans in the time of their Free-State did not Persecute the Church Ergo. Sol. By the like Reason you may argue That Cyrus did not begin the Persian Kingdom nor Alexander the Graecian because neither of these Monarchs did actually afflict the Church But if you shall say Though they raised no actual Persecution in their own persons yet they did first bring the Church within the verge of that Dominion which in its times did notably afflict her I may say the same of the Romans For if it may be supposed That they did not afflict the Church in the times of their Free-state yet then she came first within the verge of that Dominion where were the â—…orest Persecutions that ever were In the Book of the Revelation there is again and again mention made of the Sufferings of the Church under Roman Tyranny And when she was to bring forth her Man-Child that should Rule all Nations with a Rod of Iron when she cried in pains to be Delivered a great red Dragon with seven Heads and ten Horns did lie in wait to Devour her Child chap. 12. All do agree That this noteth the Sufferings of the Church under Roman Tyranny There must then be some particular instant of time when the Church first came under that Tyranny and there we must set the date of the Tribulation Secondly Whereas it is Affirmed That the Romans did not Afflict the Church in the times of their Free-state this I do plainly Deny For let us hear what is spoken by Iosephus for he I presume in this matter is able to give us the best information Thus saith he Hircanus and Aristobulus through their Dissentions and civil Broyles were the cause of that Servitude that fell upon the Iews For we have lost our Liberty and have been subdued by the Romans Antiq. lib. 14. ch 8. And further he addeth That which is to be lamented the Romans in a little time have drawn from us more than 10000 talents and the Royalty which before was an Honour reserved to the High Priests hath been bestowed upon men of obscurity Antiq. l. 14. c. 8. But if we go to Particulars it is a thing famously known to all Posteritâ—… how Crassus did rob the Temple at Ierusalem And when all this is done shall we say That the Jews suffered nothing from the Romans during the times of their Free-state If we look to the times of Nehemiah we may well conceive that these were some of the best times of the Jewish Church Yet mark what is expressed in the Confession of the Leviâ—…es Behold we are Servants this day and for the Land that thou gavest unto our Fathers to eate the Fruit thereof and the good thereof behold we are Servants in it and it yieldeth much encrease unto the Kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins Also they have Dominion over our Bodies and over our Cattel at their pleasure and we are in great distress chap. 9. vers 36 37. Here was then no publick Persecution for Religion only their Vassalage under the Persian Kings is here noted And may not all things be rightly applied to the Romans when they came to have supreme Dominion in the Land of Promise Were not the Bodies Lives Goods Cattel of the Jews and all that they had at the Roman devotion Nay further if we will compare the times that went before with those that come after we shall find before the Romans came into Iudea that the Jews had indifferently well asserted their Liberty against the Tyranny of the Seleucian Kings as may appear in the Stories of the Macchabees that rose up for the defence of their Country But from that time as the Roman Legions entred Ierusalem and a Conquest was made over the Churches Continent the Jews did totally and finally lose that Liberty to the destruction of their City and Temple And that which is to be noted The Christian Church also hath been under Roman Tyranny more or less to this very day as may appear by the Book of the Revelation and the Stories of the Church Now then if we put all together we may conclude That all things neeful to the beginning of the Fourth Kingdom in Daniel's Image began to be applicable to the Roman State at the destruction of the Seleucian Kingdom and at the subduing the Territories of the Church And therefore we do here fix the beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom ARGUMENT IV. Where the Story of the Gospel doth insinuate the beginning of the Roman to be that is the true beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom But the Story of the Gospel doth insinuate the beginning of the Roman to be in the time of their Free-state when the Churches Continent came first within the Verge of their Dominion Therefore within the time of their Free-state when the Churches Continent came under the Verge of that Dominion is the true beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom The Major is plain for we cannot but think that the Story of the Gospel doth rightly expound the true beginning of the Fourth Kingdom And for the Minor That the Story of the Gospel doth insinuate the beginning of the Roman to be in the time of their Free-state we have these Instances that follow The Evangelist being to write the
Monarchies must come to bear Rule over those Countries where the Kings of the Line of David had the power before And therefore it is mentioned That a Rod shall come out of the stock of Iesse and a Branch shall come out of his Roots Isa. 11. 1 2. A Lapide upon the place speaketh very well Christo enim nascente regia Davidis familia ad pauperes redacta When Christ was born the Kingly Family of David was brought very low To this accordeth the Prophet Daniel In the dayes of these Kingdoms shall the God of Heaven raise up a Kingdom that shall never be destroyed chap. 2. vers 44. In these words he doth insinuate That when the Kingdom of Christ beginneth it shall be as it were a new-erected Kingdom raised up out of the rubbish To me therefore Baronius in his Apparatus seemeth to deliver a strange Exposition of this Prophecie For he speaketh to this effect That the Kingdom was specially foretold to the Tribe of Iudah above any other To which when that tribe had once attained in David by a long race of Kings it held out to the Captivity of Babylon And after the Captivity of Babylon where there was some intermission for a time the Empire recovered again in Zorobabel And then from him being derived it held in his Posterity without any absolute interruption to the second year of the 184 Olympiad when Calvin and Pollio were Consuls Then Herod an Idumaean a Gentile at the first and after that a Proselyte by the courtesie of the Romans took the Kingdom in Iudea and so the Government was translated from the Natives to a Forreigner This is the sum of that which is more largely delivered Where Three Errors are to be noted First That he maketh the Davidical-Kingdom to last to the times of Herod Which cannot be For the Kingdom was taken from the Kings of the Line of David by the Babylonians And by them it was transmitted to the Persians and Graecians And so last of all it came to the Romans in whose time Christ was Born Neither did Herod a Forreigner Reign any more by the courtesie and favour of the Romans than did Hyrcanus his immediate Predecessor A Second is this That he maketh the Scepter to continue in the time of Zorobabel which is not so For they that plead for an inferiour way of Rule in the High Priests the men of the Great Sanhedrâ—…m do not affirm That all these came of Zorobabel no nor of David neither Thirdly He erreth in this That he maketh the Scepter to depart from Iudah in the times of Herod for the Jews had some form of Government some Laws of their own which did continue to the destruction of Ierusalem When the Lord Christ had provided him a People amongst the Gentiles then Ierusalem was destroyed and the Jews were cast away according to the Prophecies Object You will say then What is the true meaning of Jacob's Prophecie Sol. This is the meaning thereof That there should be a Succession of Kings in the Line of David till the Captivity of Babylon And though the other Ten Tribes should be cast away yet that Tribe should remain And after the Captivity though the supreme Power should be taken away from them yet still among that People there should be a continuation of some Laws and forms of Government under the Persians Graecians and Romans till the coming of the Messiah When the Messiah shall be born he shall raise up the Tabernacle of David which hath fallen down he shall set up that Kingdom that never shall be destroyed And at the end he shall destroy all the Metal-Kingdoms and fill the Earth And so by consequence the Kingdom of David shall continue for ever This is the full sense and the meaning of Iacob's Prophecie Piscator in his Scholia upon this text doth confirm what we speak Gubernatio plena cujus princeps pars est potestas judiciorum capitalium adempta fuit Posteris Iudae per Pompeium qui Iudaeam in formam Provinciae redegit imperioque Romanorum subjecit Post quam gubernationis ademptionem paulò post natus est Christus sub Augusto Quod autem potestas illa Iudaeis per Romanos fuerit adempta fatentur ipsi Joh. 18. 31. Gubernatio vero imminuta ademptâ scilicet potestate Iudiciorum capitalium relictâ Potestate Iudiciorum civilium Religionis duravit usque ad tempus illud quo natus est Christus immo etiam quo patefactus est in orbo terrarum per praedicationem Apostolorum Quippe Iudaeos adhuc tempore passionis Christi habuisse potestatem aliquam judiciorum patet ex verbis Pilati ad illos In which words of his there is a plain distinction betwixt the Sovereign and Supreme Power and that which is subordinate For the Sovereign and Supreme power in Capital Crimes he faith this was taken away from the Jews by the means of Pompey the Great who first brought that Nation in subjection and made it Tributary to the Romans And so that speech of the Jews is to be expounded It is not in our power to put any man to death Joh. 18. 31. For the subordinate Power which he calls gubernationem imminutam a regulated or limited power in Civil Causes and in matters of Religion this saith he did continue to the destruction of Ierusalem And so those words are to be expounded Ye have a Law and judge ye him according to your Law Joh. 18. 31. By this then we may understand how Iudea may be made subject to the Romans before the coming of Christ and yet some form of Policy might continue among that People to make good the Prophecie of Iacob But if we must needs stand upon the words That the Scepter was taken away by the means of Pompey the Great this hath excellent ground in the Stories and it doth make exceedingly for our purpose For the ground in the Stories we shall finde That the Jews that were in Bondage first to the Babylonians secondly to the Persians thirdly to the Graecians that after the death of Antiochus Epiphanes they did assert their Liberty against the Graecians of the Seleucian Line And some Kings did Reign in Iudea of the stock of the Macchabees But after such time as Pompey the Great brought Iudea under the power of the Romans they never recovered their Liberty again Now then I leave it to any to judge Whether here is not the beginning of the Fourth Metal-Kingdom in Daniel's Image This we have confirmed by Reasons and have Answered such Objections as might be alledged to the contrary Now let us go to the second Point to shew the Order of the times that there is the space of 666 years from the beginning of the Roman as the Fourth Metal-Kingdom to the setting up of the Name or Universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome under the Emperor Phocas And for the time we cannot easily be deceived because the words of Iosephus are so plain That this
the Church of God doth come too near to the formality of Anti-Christianism Antiochus Epiphanes in the Prophecy of Daniel is described as a mighty King or Potentate in the Seleucian Line but when he was not contented with his Power which was great enough but would exalt himself against the Prince of the Host and tread down the Sanctuary and do all things after his own will in this he was a figure of the Antichrist to come Dan. 8. 12. But that we may speak more distinctly in a matter of so great moment we do desire to lay down this necessary caution in the beginning Let us then distinguish betwixt the Essence and the Exercise of the power For the Essence we do willingly acknowledg that the Lord hath ordained Magistrates to be over the people for his own glory and the publick good and that Magistracy is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. v. 1 2 3. And though he hath not tied any Nation or People so strictly and precisely to this or that particular Form of Government yet his pleasure is That the People should obey the Government that is set over them In this case If they resist the Power they resist the Ordinance of God and draw great guilt upon their Souls for their resisting If we look to the Nation and People of the Jews they did meet with the greatest Changes and Alterations of State yet in each Alteration the will of the Lord was that they should obey the Civil Authority set over them for the preservation of the Publick Peace The hardest Change that they ever met withal was the translation of their State from the house of David yet they were to pray for the peace of the King of Babylon seek the good of the City whither they were carried Captive All this plainly sheweth That Magistracy is the Ordinance of God and the Lord would have his own Command to be observed by his People though they did live under Heathen Kings Secondly we are to consider the Exercise of the Power And here First is the lawful execution and Secondly the exorbitancy and excess of the Power above Law For the lawful use of the Power we do willingly yield That the Supreme Magistrate hath not onely Authority in the Common-wealth but he hath also great Power in and about the affairs of the Church And this thing we have often incuâ—…cated in the Body of the Treatise to wit That the Reign of Christ doth begin upon the Earth when the Kingdoms States and Governments of this World become Nursing Fathers to the Church And so we do affirm That it doth appertain to the Higher Powers to take order that Unity and Peace be preserved in the Church that the Truth be kept pure and intire that horrid Blasphemies be supprest that the Ordinances of God be duly setled that the profane the ignorant and rude body of the People who of themselves would never call upon the Name of the Lord be brought by their Power and Authority to the publick places of Worship For the better effecting of which they have Power to call Synods to be present at them and to provide That whatsoever is transacted in them be according to the minde of God In this sense we may not doubt to say That the Chief Magistrate in every Common-wealth is the Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical that is to say The Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical that do of right appertain to him and do fall under his cognizance by the Law-Divine In the forementioned cases he is the Delegate and Vice-gerent of Christ upon the Earth And this we take to be the lawful Exercise of the Power Thirdly there is the Hyperbole or Excess of the Power when the Magistrate is not contented with his own limits or bounds but shall further endeavor to carry all by Will and Prerogative in the Church of Christ. This is that which comes nearest to the formality of Antichristianism for Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God If therefore the Supreme Magistrate shall do the same in the Church of Christ if he shall controll and do all things after his own Will in the house of Christ this is to resemble the Great Antichrist and to do the same in effect which he doth But for this we have a clear example in Steven Gardiner Bishop of Winchester who of all others is noted by Forraign Divines to cry up such an excessive Prerogative of the Kings of England in Causes Ecclesiastical For he did not shun to maintain That it was at the pleasure of the King to abrogate Statutes and institute new Rites in the worship of God yea he further said That it was lawful for the King to forbid the people the use of the Cup in the Lords Supper and the use of Marriage to the Ministers And the â—…round of all this was Because the King was Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical Now in way of opposition to this the Forraign Divines have risen with great indignation These are the words of Dr. Rivet in his Explication of the Decalogue Edit 2. pag. 203. Qui enim Papatus doctrinam adhuc fovebat ut posteà apparuit novum Papatum in personâ Regis erigebat For he meaning Steven Gardiner aforesaid who did as yet nourish the Doctrine of the Papacy as after it appeared did erect a new Papacy in the Person of the King And Calvin in his Commentary upon Amos Chap. 7 ver 13. speaking of them who did ascribe the Title of Supreme Head in Causes Ecclesiastical to Hen. 8. King of England hath these words Hoc me semper gravitèr vulneravit quum vocarent ipsum summum Ecclesiae Caput sub Christo. This hath grievously wounded me always when they called him the Supreme Head of the Church under Christ. He did take this for no other then an incroachment upon the Prerogative of Christ. And he might well do so if we look to the Interpretation of Steven Gardiner aforementioned with whom he had to do But the learned man doth proceed in these words It is certain if Kings do their duty they are both Patrons of Religion and Nursing Fathers of the Church as Isaiah calls them Chap. 49. ver 23. This therefore is principally required of Kings That they use the Sword wherewith they are furnished for the maintaining of Gods Worship But in the mean time there are inconsiderate men who make them too Spiritual and this fault reigns up and down Germany yea spreads too much in these Countries And now we perceive what fruit springs from this root viz. That Princes and all that are in the place of Government think themselves to be so Spiritual that there is no other Ecclesiastical Government And this Sacriledge creeps amongst us because they cannot measure their Office with certain and lawful bounds but are of opinion they cannot reign unless they abolâ—…sh all the Authority of the Church and become the Chief Iudges both in
Doctrine and in the whole Spiritual Government Therefore there ought to be a temper kept for this disease hath always reigned in Princes to desire to bend Religion according to their own pleasure and lust and for their own profits in the mean time So far he In which words two Points are observable First the lawful exercise of the Power of the Supreme Magistrate as it doth keep its due limits in Causes Ecclesiastical Secondly the redundancy and the excess of the Power when it doth tread under foot the Laws of the Church That which these learned men did speak concerning the Supremacy of the Kings of England in Causes Ecclesiastical and the danger of the excess of the Civil Power hath been too truly verified by some in our days not onely to the total ruine of themselves but also to the destruction of that Soveraignty it self which they did so immeasurably exalt And whereas Calvin in the place aforementioned hath these words Et hodie quam multi sunt in Papatu qui regibus accumulant quicquid possunt juris potestatis And at this day saith he how many are there in the Papacy that heap upon Kings whatsoever Right or Power they can possible So that there may not be any Dispute of Religion but this Power shall be in one King to Decree according to his own pleasure whatsoever he list and that should remain fixed without Controversie So far he But we for our parts may not onely say Quam multi in Papatu How many in the Papacy but how many in the Profession of the Protestant Religion have accumulated this great Power upon Princes that they might do what they list in the Church of God and in the determination of matters of Faith In Daniel and the Revelation these things are set down as the true causes of the destruction of Kingdomes That is a most Divine expression of Daniel and the three Children Chap. 2. ver 20 21. Wisdome and might are his and he changeth the times and seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings And for the cause of these Changes it is more particularly expressed Chap. 7. v. 11. I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the Horn spake I beheld even till the Beast was slain and his body destroyed and given to the burning fire All solid Interpreters do understand some State or Government to be typed by the Little Horn. Now the destruction of such a State or Government doth arise immediately from hence because of great words which the Horn did speak against the most High Therefore the exorbitancy of the Power against Religion Christ and his Saints is oftentimes the cause of the eversion of States and Kingdomes But that we may more fully understand how far the Power may go and whither it must not go let us consider the examples of the Kings of Iudah And here it is clear That Asa Iehosaphat Hezekiah Iosiah did great things about the affairs of the Church and had a very large testimony for their zeal in the Worship of God yet I am sure none can say that their Power was so transcendent as to abrogate any thing that was appointed or immediately commanded by God in his Word For when Uzziah the King would offer Incense that appertained not to him but to the Sons of Aaron he was imitten with leprosie and compelled to dwell alone as one that should have no commerce nor society with men So Belshazzar the King when he made a Feast to a thousand of his Lords we reade That in the time of the Feast the fingers of a mans hand did appear and write upon the wall the destruction of the King and the Kingdome And the cause of this Judgement is expounded by Daniel himself in these words Chap. 5. ver 25. Thou hast lifted up thy self against the Lord of Heaven and they have brought the vessels of his House before thee and thou and thy Lords thy Wives and thy Concubines have drunk wine in them Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar both by strong convictions and demonstrations were brought to understand That the God of Israel was the onely true God and that they had their Dominion from him Now when they were not contented with this which the Lord had given them but would insult over the Giver and drink wine in the Bowls of the Temple which they had taken with sacrilegious hands this was the cause of the ruine of the King and Kingdome at last There is a remarkable passage of Herodotus in his second Book where he maketh mention of a Statue that was set up to Sennacherib in one of the Temples of Egypt with this Inscription and Title upon it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whosoever looks upon me let him learn to be pious This Testimony as it hath the greatest probability of truth so doth it singularly well agree with the Story of the Scripture We reade that 185000 were slain in one night in the Camp of the Assyrians by an Angel sent from Heaven Sennacherib himself was killed by his own two sons and that great Empire did decline and lose its vigour by degrees Now if we look into the cause of all this we shall finde That the insolency of that King against God and his Church was that which broke him all to pieces This was done in the sight of all Asia that the world might know that the insolency of the greatest Powers of the Earth against God will prove the certain cause of their destruction But we will conclude this matter with that Exhortation of the Psalmist for so he speaketh to all Princes and Potentates who do intrench upon the Prerogative of Christ Be wise now therefore O ye Kings and be instructed ye Iudges of the Earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the way Psa. 2. ver 10 11 12. Now why doth he exhort the Kings and Judges of the Earth to be wise rather then other men They are Gods Vicegerents and there is none greater in Power then they and through the greatness of their place none are more apt to bend Religion according to their own pleasures and lusts then they are Because this is more immediately against the Kingdome of Christ and cometh nearest to Antichristian pride the Psalmist doth advise them to take heed what they do to serve the Lord with fear and to rejoyce with trembling If not he tells them plainly their insolency against Christ and his Church will be a certain cause of their destruction This is made manifest from the beginning of the Psalm The Kings of the earth set themselves and the Rulers take counsel together against the Lâ—…rd and against his anointed saying Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us ver 2. Now he doth direct his speech to such as these and tells them plainly That the Lord Christ will break them with a Rod of Iron and dash them