true Protestants and their Souls Eternally happy I hope that God will accept of what was well done and Pardon our Infirmities thorough the Son of his Love Let us now come to the hardest Task and most unpleasing Subject The Power of Deposing Kings and disposing of their Kingdoms There are Learned Pious and Judicious Protestant Divines that are of this Opinion whose Arguments I imagine this Gentleman would be puzzled to Answer Our Convention if I mistake not did declare that the late King Abdicated the Kingdom broke his Original Contract and vacated the Throne and what is this but that he deposed himself Almost all Nobility Clergy and Commons were for a Regency without Scruple and what is that but a milder word for Deposing This was a Fig-leaf to hide the Nakedness of those who rashly had asserted the Divine Right of Monarchy and Passive Obedience and Non-resistance in any Case But I suppose the late King would not thank these Gentlemen for putting him into the state of a natural Fool a Madman or a Lunatick I confess those Noble Persons and Wise Lords and Great Councellors of State who did never believe Divine Right Antecedent to Agreement in Prudence might Vote for a Regency Because all Alteration in Government much more so great an Alteration is troublesom as shaking the very Foundations of the Building And all wise Men and Politicians never change but in extreme Necessity taking Solomon's Advice Meddle not with them that are given to Change But yet if a Nation be forced to take up Defensive Arms they must be Secured before they lay them down and if the King be so Perfidious as this Gent. represents him even at this time to the Irish Protestants p. 23. it would have been as he says in the same place Incorrigible folly to have trusted him and consequently in this Case it is my Opinion and Conscience that he was justly Deposed See Discourse on Dan. 5.20 And this Gentleman if he is consistent with himself about his Notions of God's Providence must needs say that it is not only God's Permission but Approbation tho' P. 35. he rails at it as from the Devil But I leave him to reconcile his own Sentences for to me they seem a contradiction I beg His Sacred Majesties Pardon upon my knees and I am sorry if I have Scandalized the great Councellors of State in revealing this Mystery But I am a Preacher of God's Word and I believe in my Conscience our present Cause can be justified no other way And seeing all was at stake as this Gent. confesses our Religion our Laws Liberty Property Wives Children and Posterity and whatsoever is done is God's Providence methinks this Gent. might pronounce us Innocent and not Damn us But however if he will Damn us we possibly may escape his hands for he is not God but a poor weak man And I could afford to give him another piece of my advice but I will let it alone for this time Let me add The Church of England being truly Loyal could not dream of such an extraordinary Case But blessed be God some were wise as Serpents tho' harmless as Doves Let me use the words of St. Paul Rom 9.1 I speak the truth in Christ I lye not my Conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost Those Noble Patriots of the Protestant Religion and Liberties of their Country into whose Hearts God put it to invite the Prince of Orange over deserve this Motto And tho' we Canonize no Saints nor give Divine Worship to any but God yet I wish their Names were known that the Nation might Erect a Monument for them with this Inscription Hitherto hath the Lord helped us and these are the Names of those Great Souls who run the hazzard of being accursed by the Papists for us their Protestant Brethren O most Sage Politicians and most Heroick Christians tho' this Gentleman's Doctrine calls them Traitors and Rebels O brutish and ungrateful Prejudice what can any free Mind think of these Effects of Passive Obedience Had it been an uncircumcised Philistin a subtile Jesuit who had thus defyed the Armies of the Living God and called them Rebels it had been no wonder But for a Gent. a Subject to King William and Queen Mary a Protestant thus to dip his Pen in Gall and sadden the hearts of those who should fight the Lord's Battel in Ireland by calling them Rebels is a Riddle that I cannot unfold I dare say that the most Reverend Father in God the Arch-Bishop and the other Right Reverend Bishops who cannot satisfie their own Scruples which is their Calamity and our Grief tho' there is all the reason in the world that all should swear Allegiance to Their present Majesties and they cannot be helped do not censure us as Rebels who according to our Consciences have assisted the Prince of Orange in this Revolution When I reflect on this I am tempted to lay aside my former good opinion of this Gentleman and must say what Michael the Arch-Angel said when he contended with the Devil about the Body of Moses The Lord rebuke thee God give him repentance and a better mind for he seems like wicked Doeg and his Confederates that Enemy of David and false accuser of his Brethren of whom the Prophet saith Psal 140.3 They have sharpened their tongues like a Serpent Adders Poison is under their lips I have Studied these Controversies about Government in Church and State for some Years but more exactly upon the rising of the Disputes about the Bill of Exclusion I have always been Inquisitive and have striven to give a Reason of my Faith and to search to the Bottom that my Principles might be unmoveable and unblameable with Wise and Good men And what I have written by way of Assertion to use Dr. Fern's words Conclusion or General Rule is but a Sacrificing to Truth from a Conscience not simply devoted to man And I have always esteemed it the greatest Preferment to have Liberty to speak Truth I was not for the Bill of Exclusion because necessity of Change was not palpable to me but I was against it as an Act of Imprudence not an Act of Injustice as I then said if King Lords and Commons should think fit But as for Monmouth's Rebellion I abhor it at this day because the late King had Promised upon the word of a King that he would Protect us and Rule accordding to Law and he might have made himself and us happy notwithstanding his Religion and I do not remember that he had commanded any thing against Law at that time And I have been taught and teach others that Subjects must not be Jealous of their Prince and that Defensive Arms are Lawful only in Extreme Necessity And I verily believe that the late King designed not at the first what he Acted afterwards His Bosom Friend his Priests and his Jesuits like a pack of half-witted Knaves and Fools stirred him up to his own and the
conclude if it be false as I have elsewhere demonstrated it ought to be extirpated out of the World Fifthly It is Agreed That they that believe Passive Obedience were not thereby bound to Assert the Misgovernment of James the Second Because tho' they are to justifie His Authority yet they must not His Crimes Sixthly As for Desertion I need not meddle with it be it as he saith P. 6. Let us now see wherein we differ First I have with some Impatience to use this Gentleman's words in the beginning read the Scandalous Reflections that He makes upon those who have of late opposed Passive Obedience and justified Defensive Arms in some Case without which we had been all Slaves His Design in this Discourse he says is to put an end as far as he can to this unseasonable Dispute P. 2. and yet he justifies Passive Obedience at a very high Rate as if a Man could not be a Son of the Church of England yea scarce a good Christian that denies it And he loads it with this Odium P. 2. They can be no Friends to Government in General nor to Him that is K. W. or His in Particular who are so Zealous to have the Doctrine of Nonresistance Extirpated out of the World And he charges us with this ridiculous Consequence That it is Lawful for every man to Rebel against his Lawful Prince whenever he thinks it necessary Answ This is a foul Aspersion We say the Cause must be real plain and evident And in this present Case supposing Defensive Arms lawful I desire no better Advocate or Orator to represent our Grievances than this Gent. See P. 5 8 16 18 23. And yet I suppose few Men accuse him of Irreverence to Crowned Heads as the Phrase is Tho' a man that opposes Passive Obedience would be invidiously declaimed against for half so much But we know that St. Paul speaking of the Emperor's Persecution calls him a Lion the most fierce and cruel of Beasts But at another time owning his Authority and in respect of that to use the words of a Learned and Eloquent Presbyter of my Acquaintance His Christianity allows him as high Complements to King Agrippa Acts 26.2 3. With great deference to his Authority and Knowledge nay and to his Honour and Goodness tho' a Heathen or little better and otherwise very obnoxious But because we are so often charged as if we did not give due Honour to Kings give me leave to illustrate our Case in no very long Speech Great Sir We are your Majesties most humble and most dutiful Servants and Subjects we look upon our selves as bound in Conscience to hazard our Lives and Fortunes in the Preservation of your Majesties Person Crown and Dignity and of our Religion Liberty and Property But we fear that Evil Counsellors move your Majesty against us and endeavour Innovations and our Ruin by Illegal Courses It is a great Grief and Sorrow of heart to us to see these Evils and in all Humility upon-our Knees we beseech your Majesty to Redress our Grievances But if your Majesty is resolved to persist in these mischievous Courses as we humbly conceive we believe we may with a good Conscience defend our selves and not offend God and his Laws The King perhaps may wax hot with anger and call us Factious Seditious Rebels and cast us into Prison c. Then comes another sort of the King's Subjects Dread Soveraign We your Majesties most faithful Subjects and Servants without any Reserve will stand by your Majesty against all Enemies whatsoever and we esteem it our bounden Duty Actively to obey all your Commands that are not contrary to the Word of God and our Religion and when they are Passively to submit to your Majesties Pleasure under our Oppressions and never to Resist The King trusts these Men is exceedingly pleased with their great Expressions of Loyalty Honours them makes them his Confidents takes them into his Councels rewards them with great Preferments in Church and State Not long after the King is in great Fear and Distress by reason of Enemies He sets forth a Proclamation to all his Loving Subjects to assist Him and Repel the Force of the Invader and his Rebellious Subjects who joyn with him They return this Answer Great Sir Our Lives are at your Majesties Service but we have many Grievances first to be redressed and we see your Majesty is resolved on these illegal Exorbitant Courses p. 8. and therefore we are not to be blamed tho' we withdraw from your Service And the best of the Primitive Christians would have done the same thing if it had been their Lot to have faln under such a Prince We deny that we your Majesties Subjects are bound to stand by you and fight for you p. 7. For your Majesty hath notoriously invaded and destroyed all our Civil and Religious Rights and Liberties and designed the Ruin and Destruction both of them and us and would give us no assurance we could rely on to do otherwise for the future And therefore if it be unlawful to Resist it is also as unlawful to Assist and Enable your Majesty to destroy the true Religion the English Liberties and Immunities nay the very Nation I dare swear if the late K. were made Judge He would say the first sort of Subjects were honest plain dealing true-hearted Men and if He had hearkened to their Counsel both He and His Subjects might have been happy But what He would say of the other sort of Subjects I cannot tell tho' I can shrewdly guess And Now I hope they will never tell us more of being irreverent to Crowned Heads Adam got Fig-leaves to hide his Nakedness and the Sons of Adam are too like him and love to hide their Sins rather than confess them But what a Juggle is this God forbid that I should stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed but if my Neighbour will tho' I have strength enough I will not oppose him I am not bound to assist the Lord 's Anointed for He will not call a Free and Legal Parliament and redress our Grievances P. 2. 6. and elsewhere If this be the Doctrine of Passive Obedience I dare say every wise Prince as soon as he understands it will root it out of his Dominions by not trusting such men If I resist I am damned if I assist our Religion and our Nation is ruined I never taught Active Obedience to the lawful Commands of the King if I did I have forgotten it tho' I taught Passive Obedience when he commanded illegally And therefore if Cut-throats with a barbarous Assassination will Murther the King I will stand by and see them and wash mine hands in Innocency when I have done because the King would not call a Free Parliament when I thought it necessary I perceive that tho' this Gentleman would not Subscribe the Association with David's Confederates and take up defensive Arms against Saul's Tyranny and Oppression yet if Saul would not
Heaven and in Earth in the Seas and all deep places However I beg leave of the Learned and Judicious to make a favourable Interpretation of my design upon this abstruse subject First It is certain and agreed upon by the Calvinists and Arminians that God is not Author of Sin He is the Author of the Evil of Punishment but not of the Evil of Sin Amos 3.6 Secondly God permits many things which he doth not approve as the Persecution of good men for righteousness sake Thirdly God in his Providence for the wickedness of a people or for their probation and trial may suffer his Church to fall into the hands of Tyrants and Oppressors and to be carried Captive or to be Exiles Fourthly Tho' such wicked Instruments as Tyrants sin greatly in their Pride Cruelty and Oppression of Gods own Inheritance yet in his Providence he may make use of them as Scourges and Rods to punish the wicked and chastise the good for their trial as the exercise of their Faith Patience Humility c. Fifthly God in his Providence may and sometimes doth create Deliverance for his People in an unexpected manner And we may well say of this great Deliverance of our Nation This is the Lords doing and it is marvellous in our eyes Psal 118.23 So much for God's Providence Now I must distinguish about Governours which this Gent. doth not Governours are either Lawful Princes or Usurpers First A lawful King is he who hath a true Title to the Throne either by Succession or Election Secondly An Usurper is he who hath gotten Possession but hath no right This latter is by God's Permission This Usurpers have for God suffers them to rule and some call this a Providential Right very incongruously For this gives no just Title and consequently there is no Subjection due The vilest person may have this in Judgment to a Nation as one speaks on purpose to try them that so by such unlawful Subjection that Nation may fill up the measure of their Iniquities and God may destroy both them and their Governours of which there are many dreadful Examples in History This Gent. is very confused He saith That the Primitive Christians never regarded the Right Title or the Claim of Princes and Emperors And by this seems to own Oliver Cromwel as well as any Lawful King And he makes no Distinction between a Lawful King and an Usurper I must confess the History of the Primitive Christians about Governours is very imperfect Because they minded Religion more than Political Government and an Heavenly Kingdom more than an Earthly But it will be very hard for this Gent. to prove That the Primitive Christians owned any Emperor that was not first own'd by the Senate and People of Rome In times of Confusion many things are suffered or indured which are not approved And when the Empire was in Distraction through Emulation of men aspiring to the Throne both the Christians and the Senate and the 〈…〉 might not know what to do in Prudence or what course to take as well as this Gentleman in our late Confusions and yet not be blame-worthy nor own an Usurper And it is a Case of Conscience of great concernment sometimes How far we may live quietly under an Usurper First No man is bound in Conscience to tell an Usurper that he is so no more than he is bound to tell a Thief upon the High-way that he is a Rogue Secondly Any man may with a good Conscience take upon him the Office of a Judge or any other Legal Trust or a Preacher of God's Word in time of Confusion under an Usurper provided he owns not his Authority nor Swears Allegiance as to a Lawful Prince Because Government must be and Good Laws may be put in Execution in any time of Confusion and somebody must do these things In short in my opinion a Conscientious man living under an Usurper may do whatsoever conduceth to Order Natural Right Publick Good and Justice and the Preservation of the true worship of God without owning his Authority But this I am sure is very unseasonable and I almost tremble to say this little about it at this time for fear of giving Scandal But I think my self able to prove against any man that King William and Queen Mary by the Election of the People in Convention have as true a Title as ever any Prince had And if this Gent. can prove what he saith P. 10. with all my heart be it done I must out of awful fear and reverence say nothing of it more I hope by God's grace I shall ever render fear to whom fear honour to whom honour Rom. 13.7 Thirdly Every man is bound tho' not unseasonably rashly and furiously when there is no probability of good Success to indeavour that the right Governour be placed on the Throne As for instance when O. C. had possession all the true Sons of the Church of England and many of our Presbyterian Brethren to my knowledge never owned his Authority but were very zealous and heartily prayed for the Restauration of the King and Royal Family And they thought it their Duty when they could not actively serve and obey the King to suffer with him and lye at the Mercy of the Usurper till God should pardon the Sins of the Nation and send Deliverance Now as this Gentleman writes P. 13. Did God give the Empire of the World to Nero to Domitian to Julian the Apostate all Usurpers and some of them Murderers of their Predecessors nay to Marius who was the very Image of O. C. And hath he not since that done any thing of that Nature Did not he that gave the Kingdom of England to King James give it also to King William Here he seems to own O. C. as much as King William I hope he means not so and I will not positively charge him tho' I grievously suspect him Sure I am this is no Doctrine of the Church of England O. C. was permitted by God's Providence as a Scourge and Plague to this sinful and unworthy Nation both to Prince and People according to the third Premise And for the transgressions of a land many are the Princes thereof Prov. 28.2 But King William was sent to us by Divine Providence as a gracious Gift and the greatest Temporal Blessing that God could vouchsafe a poor distressed distracted Nation according to the fifth Premise And indeed to do this Gent. right I charitably presume that it is want of Distinction in Divinity not in his thoughts to compare O C. and King William For P. 12. he applieth Dan. 4.17 where God is said to set over Kingdoms the basest of men such as O. C. was Kings given to a sinful Nation in his wrath and sometimes as suddenly again taken away in his anger and at other times continued longer for the Trial of his People or the Chastisement of wicked men which is good Divinity I shall conclude this about God's Providence with the
defect even so theirs if they be so framed according to that which the Law of reason teacheth Secondly Those Laws are investigable by Reason without help of Revelation supernatural and divine Finally in such sort they are investigable that the knowledge of them is general The World hath always been acquainted with them It is not agreed upon by one or two or a few but by all Which we may not so understand as if every particular man in the whole world did know and confess whatsoever the Law of Reason doth contain but this Law is such that being proposed no man can reject it as unreasonable and unjust Again there is nothing in it but any man having natural Perfection of Wit and ripeness of Judgment may by Labour and Travel find out And to conclude the general Principles thereof are such as it is not easie to find men ignorant of them Now the Primary right of Nature so called cannot be changed because it is written in the hearts of men as S. Paul testifies Hence it cannot be blotted out unless Nature be blotted out and Reason cease to be Reason No Pope saith a witty Author nor Prince nor Parliament nor People nor Angel nor Creature can absolve you from it This Law Tully doth not put on one Aspect at Rome and another face at Athens but looks upon all Nations and Persons with an impartial eye It shines upon all Ages and Times and Conditions with perpetual Light It is yesterday and to day the same for ever There is but one Lawgiver one Lord and Supream Judge of this Law God blessed for evermore Natural Right is that which a man knows and can execute without peculiar Institution And the Primary Right of Nature is that which to know and execute a man is carried by an in-bred impeius or motion whose Precepts are as it were born with us As for Example In natural Theology God is to be worshipped He will reward the good and punish the wicked In Oeconomicks our Parents are to be honoured In Politicks Defend thy self against force Hence are drawn these Conclusions First No man ought to hurt us when we are Innocent Secondly If any man indeavours to hurt us when we are innocent we may defend our selves Thirdly Neither God nor Man gives Authority to Governours to hurt the Innocent Fourthly If Governours hurt the Innocent they may defend themselves by the Law of Nature So that Rom. 13. is to be understood of Authority Power or Jurisdiction in it self according to the first Institution as also when it is lawfully laid upon any person For otherwise when it is either wrongfully taken or unjustly used it may be resisted in divers cases for then it is not Lawful Authority May Papists take up Arms with Royal Countenance and Privilege and Prerogative against Law and to destroy Law And may not Protestants take up Arms to defend their Laws Surely he must needs be full of Prejudice very malicious or very weak in his Judgment who cannot see the unreasonableness of the one and the reasonableness of the other All Nations in all Ages by the very Light of Nature have constantly defended themselves by force of Arms when their Princes have turned Tyrants and by their Instruments sought to spoil them of their Liberties Privileges and Estates What Nation ever denied Defensive Arms against the unjust Incroachments Invasions and Oppressions of their Princes to be Lawful In England the Barons Prelates and Commons took a Solemn Oath to maintain their Laws Liberties and Charter yea and to wage War against the King if he refused and to compel him to confirm their Charter in the year 1214. Likwise in King Henry the Third's days in the year 1258 and they threatned Death to all that resisted Again in the reign of King Edward the Second they confederated to live and die together for Justice and to their Power to destroy the Traitors of the Realm especially the two Spencer's All the Reformed Churches have taken Arms to defend themselves The Lutheran Churches against the Emperor Charles 5th and they were justified by Luther Melancthon and other Divines The Protestants in France defended themselves against the French King 1559. The Netherland Provinces against the Duke of Alva and the Spanish Tyranny And Queen Elizabeth King James the First and King Charles the First did countenance and aid all these Which any well minded man ought to presume they would not have done so constantly and deliberately if they had thought Defensive Arms had not been Lawful And Dr. Bilson who was a zealous Defender of our Church and Realm both against the Papists and against the Puritans in his Book of The True Difference between Christian Subjection and Vnchristian Rebellion Perused and allowed by Publick Authority P. 3. Page with me 279. saith I will not rashly pronounce all that resist to be Rebels The Case may fall out even in a Christian Kingdom where the People may plead their right against the Prince and not be charged with Rebellion If the Prince should go about to subject his Kingdom to a Foreign Realm or change the Form of the Commonwealth from Impery to Tyranny or neglect the Laws established by common consent of Prince and People to execute his own pleasure In these and other Cases which might be named if the Nobles and Commons joyn together to defend their ancient and accustomed Liberty Regiment and Laws they may not well be counted Rebels Fifthly The Doctrine of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance is the high way to bring in Popery and Arbitrary Power For if the King is a Papist and Zealous for the Propagation of his Religion the Jesuites who account Protestants damned Hereticks will never cease to stir up such a Prince to promote his own Principles and to discountenance those that resolutely adhere to the established Religion And what will Prayers and Tears signifie to such a Prince when his Prejudice or his erroneous Conscience or his Priests or his Desire of being Absolute or some such like Affections furiously carry him to promote the Catholick Cause as they call it Yea this Perswasion may tempt a just Prince other ways for all Kings have Flatterers to forget his Faith and Promise and to take such courses as will in the event ruin and subvert his Crown and Dignity I wish Experience did not confirm this Now to say We may and ought to deny Obedience to such Commands of the Prince as are unlawful by the Law of God as all grant yea by the established Laws of the Kingdom as few will deny This doth no way destroy Arbitrary Government but rather erect it Saith a Learned Author For Government is not said to be not Arbitrary because the Subjects may deny in word and so left to suffer For then the Turkish Government is not Arbitrary for when the Great Turk Commands his Subjects to do any thing if they will deny and suffer for their denial they may and do sometimes deny their Obedience If
came to make him King And in Deut. 17.15 Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall chuse One from among thy brethren shalt thou set King over thee The Election of a King is attributed to God but the Constitution to the People God's choice and the Peoples choice are consistent So God approved Saul and David and they were anointed by the Prophet Samuel and chosen by the People also In the Common-wealth Magistrates are called the Ordinance of Man or an Humane Creation 1 Pet. 2.13 Because tho' Magistracy in general be the Ordinance of God yet this or that special kind of Magistracy whether Monarchy Aristocracy c. is of man Governours covenant to defend the people as well as the people covenant to obey them and the Obligation of Conscience is consequent to this Agreement And our present Sovereign Lord and Lady King William and Queen Mary have as good a Title and we are bound in Conscience as willingly and heartily to honour and obey them according to the Law of God and our Country as ever we were to submit to any Prince 2. We must consider that all Government is for the safety and good of the Community We must eye as one saith in another case the end which always steers the Action among such as be Agents by counsel In all Combinations there is and will be some common end that end must have means to attain it to these means and rules each man must bind himself to attend and in case he doth not to submit to another to be directed and reformed or else to yield to the whole that he may be censured and removed therefrom For otherwise the End cannot be attained nor the Means attended with profit or any powerful success in reason For if each man may do what is good in his own eyes proceeding according to his own pleasure so that none may cross him or controul him by any power there must of necessity follow Distraction and Desolation of the whole when each man hath liberty to follow his own Imagination and humoursome devices and seeks his Particular but oppose one another and all prejudice the Publick Mutual subjection is as it were the sinews of Society by which it is sustained As for the Governour S. Paul saith plainly He is the Minister of God to thee for good Rom. 13.4 This is the End of Government That the People may be happy The Preservation of our Lives Liberties and Properties is the Reason of Rule and Subjection See the former Discourse Kings are not set over us to make us in a worse condition than we were by the Law of Nature which I am sure is the unwritten Law of God only written in the heart as S. Paul saith but that we may be safe and live without fear of wicked men who have extinguished the Light of Nature and Reason And like Brutes that have no understanding like Beasts of prey Lions and Wolves would devour the poor innocent man the good and righteous who lives according to his reason and conscience It concerns all Mankind with utmost zeal to preserve their Laws for otherwise the Sons of Belial will conspire and oppress the poor righteous man and they will make their Strength the Law of Justice as the Son of Sirach saith This I Will and this I Command and my Will shall stand for Reason This is the Voice of Proud Oppressors They make their Lusts their Law and their Will their Ruler But Reason the Candle of the Lord and Scripture the revealed Will of God inform us that Order and Dominion and Rule is not to make us slaves but that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in all godliness and honesty 3. We must consider that there may be such Crimes as may forfeit the Crown and Throne and reduce all to first Principles Here it will be convenient to consider 1. What Crimes we suppose make a Forfeiture 2. To demonstrate that such Crimes forfeit the Crown 1. I shall consider what Crimes we suppose make a Forfeiture And this may be done for more plain understanding 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively Personal Crimes do not forfeit a Crown A bad Man morally may be a good King Politically Dominion is not founded in Grace tho' it is much to be desired as being their bounden Duty that Kings would live in the Fear of God However as a most zealous Divine on our side grants There is required in Subjects a Toleration of the spots blemishes or infirmities of Magistrates For the Magistrate hath a burthen no less laborious than dangerous under which he must necessarily often faint and endure Extremities so that sometimes he hath scarce place or time to breath And therefore it is no wonder if he be sometimes drawn away by Humane Affections as Pride Ambition Intemperance Pleasure Sloth Forgetfulness Security Anger Fury and Passions of like kind To which they are wont to be more obnoxious than others as they are urged with greater Troubles and Assaults Therefore then it is the Duty of Loyal Subjects patiently to bear those Infirmities as it is meet that Children should hide the blemishes of their Parents It is true a Prince ought to be just and judge as for God but a wicked Prince as Ahab must have Obedience and a good Obadiah may be his servant An habitual sinner whom God will judge and condemn may not be questioned by his Subjects David's Adultery and Murder of Vriah was not sufficient to depose him Such Crimes must be left to God's vengeance And private Oppressions are not Causes sufficient but here Prayers and Tears must take place and we must as our Saviour adviseth in Patience possess our Souls 2. Affirmatively Such Crimes as are Epidemical or Universal and are of great concern to the whole Body Politick to the whole Nation As invalidating Laws made for Publick Security endeavouring to subvert the Rights of the Subject Liberty and Property or subverting of the Religion by Law established whereby Thousands of poor Innocents must be ruined breach of Covenant Oath and Promise whereby Publick Faith is indangered and all Subjects with reason are made jealous And here pray imagine me in Vtopia and take it for a supposition If a Kingdom is in such danger whether they ought not to secure themselves I could wish it had consisted with Gods Providence that I had not lived in such unhappy days wherein a man that speaks truth is envied by his Neighbour Or I could wish that I had not such unlucky Stars as that I must necessarily go against my Conscience if I should justify or connive at the late Proceedings of the Court Faction and Jesuitical Society I was as true and faithful to the late King notwithstanding his Religion as long as he kept his Oath and Promise as any Subject in Reason Knowledge or Conscience could be But when I evidently perceived that the design was to Subject us to Rome and
Conscience Satisfied IN A Cordial and Loyal Submitting to the Present GOVERNMENT of King WILLIAM AND Queen MARY In Three Discourses Justifying the Williamites against the Jacobites The first being Animadversions on a Book intituled The Doctrine of Non-Resistance or Passive Obedience no way concerned in the Controversies now depending between the Williamites and the Jacobites The second on 1 Sam. 23.30 Then said David Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hands of Saul And the Lord said They will deliver thee up The third on Dan. 5.20 But when his heart was lâ—fted up and his mind hardened in Pride he was deposed from his Throne and they took his glory from him By TIM WILSON Rector of Kingsnoth in Kent Licensed and Entred according to Order LONDON Printed for Tho. Parkhurst at the Bible and Three Crowns at the lower end of Cheapside near Mercers Chapel 1690. To the Impartial Reader Reader THE Justification of my own Actions in this present Revolution ingages me and the love of Truth constrains me to this Task What I have done upon the strictest Examination of my own heart I have done with a pure Conscience and with just abhorrence of Popery and Slavery And I am ready to Answer all Objections that may be made against those Principles of Government and unmoveable Foundations which I have laid I assert nothing but what agrees with the Reason of Man with the Word of God and with the Practice of all Ages in like Exigents I give to Caesar the things that are Caesars and to God the things that are Gods and I also justifie the Liberty of my Native Countrey And this occasioned me to make Reflexions upon the Discourse of this Gentleman For my own part I desire to Fear God with the most Devout I Honour King William and Queen Mary with the foremost and I love the Liberty of an Englishman with my whole Soul I confess I was zealous against Reading the Declaration of the late King in Churches First Because it was Illegal and seem'd to me to own Arbitrary Government and the Dispensing Powers Secondly Because it evidently conduced to the Change of the establish'd Protestant Religion and the Introduction of Popery as the National Worship But I was then and am now for the Ease of Tender Consciences only I would have all done Orderly by the Legislative Power of the Nation that is by King Lords and Commons Now as for this Gentleman I have plainly shewn his Mistakes about Conquest about God's Providence about the Lawfulness of Defensive Arms c. I submit the whole to thee Christian Reader Lay aside Prejudice Consider exactly Judge impartially and God be with us all A Justification OF The VVilliamites I Cannot but greatly approve the Design of this Gentleman which seems to be the Glory of God in asserting his Providence about disposing Kingdoms the Honour of King William in making him a lawful Prince the Peace of the Nation in perswading the Jacobites to Submission the Preserving the Reputation of the Church of England in allaying the heats and animosities of the Williamites c. And I will not accuse him of luke-warmness in neither assisting nor resisting the late King because he that is not against us is on our side in some sense And this was the case of Hundreds in England who could not sound the depth of these Doctrines and did not trouble themselves about Passive Obedience And no doubt many will commend him for his Prudence and calm temper in standing by unconcerned and observing which side would have Success But if all Men had been as wise as this Gent. or as subtle I fear we should have been over-run by Popery and Arbitrary Power before this day For who should help us not this Gent. nor any of his Perswasion because he must in no case resist Who should then invite the Prince of Orange over and Promise him Assistance Let Fools and Rebels do that this Gent. hath more wit and is bound in Conscience to be Passive Prayers and Tears are his only Weapons And I make no doubt for truly I believe him to be a devout Man but he prayed to God for Deliverance But when the Deliverer came joyn with him who will be him he must not assist nor resist Now in all others cases Divines call this a Tempting of God But let us see particularly wherein we agree and wherein we differ First It is agreed That the Prince of Orange now our Gracious Soveraign had just Cause to make War upon James the Second P. 5. And if he had a just Cause I will not say to invade us or the injurious Prince as this Gent. saith but to right himself and come over and help us to right then surely our cause was just also and it could be no Sin but a Virtue to joyn with him against our Common Enemies Secondly It is agreed That this Prince was no Subject to King James nor to any other Prince and consequently was no Rebel P. 5. And if He could not have Right without Force He might lawfully compel him by force to do what He ought to have done without it but would not Thirdly The Author very sensibly and pathetically represents the Tyranny Oppression and Grievances of the Nation He saith P. 5. All Protestants grant the late King's design was certainly to Extirpate the Protestant Religion to Inslave and consequently to Extirpate the English Nation And P. 16. He Persecuted that Church he Promised and was bound to Protect and did not treat us like Englishmen but like Slaves And P. 18. It may suffice to say in general Never any of our Princes so openly attempted the Ruin of an Established Religion or by more Illegal Courses than He. Nor Law nor Oaths nor Promises nor Gratitude could restrain Him He broke thorough all the Barriers God and Man had put in his way and seemed resolved to ruin us or himself c. And Pag. 23. All his Solemn Promises were easily broken or rather never intended to be kept at the very time they were made and all those He hath since made have been violated in Ireland where only He had Power to keep or break his word c. Fourthly It is agreed That the Doctrine of the Lawfulness of defensive Arms is not proper at all seasons or may be an unseasonable Dispute P. 2. And that very great Caution must be used lest the People Rebel and it is a sign of a crazy Nation when the Fundamentals of Government must be laid open But yet if it be a truth in extreme Necessity it must be manifested to satisfie mens Consciences And this Gentleman confesses P. 1. That the Doctrine of Passive Obedience was indeed dangerous to them that is Their present Majesties when He first entered England because all that believed themselves bound by it were obliged not to take up Arms for Him against King James and so consequently it deprived Him of their Assistance and for this reason I
and Argument But this is not our Case I will state the Case Suppose a whole Nation Christian and the true Religion fixed by Law so that it is our Birthright and Property as it were and we have a Legal and Civil Right or Human Right as well as a Divine to our Religion and yet this is evidently Invaded by Evil Councellors about the King and he is drawn to destroy Religion If this Gentleman can shew any Primitive Christian or ancient Father and Doctor of the Church who saith in this Case it is not Lawful to Defend our Religion Laws Liberties and Properties I yield the Cause Otherwise we grant all his Examples and Instances as nothing to our purpose They shew indeed the Peaceableness Meekness Humility Patience and Faith of those Primitive Christians their Zeal and Affection for the Happiness of the Empire and their Submission to the Government Laws and Usages of their Country and to their Superiours in their most rigorous Execution of them to the destruction of them and their Religion which is called the Abuse of Power and Legal Tyranny in which case we also own Passive Obedience Secondly I differ from this Gent. about Conquest He would have King William a Conqueror tho' He claims not by it And so tho he was none of them that did or durst have resisted or rebelled against King James yet after his Desertion he forsook him P. 13. Answ If the Prince of Orange had designed an Invasion and Conquest as this Gent. calls it both he and we had been bound in Conscience to Oppose him because there is a Loyalty to our Country as well as to our King And Invasion and Conquest are dismal things as well as shameful But blessed be God He came not as the Enemy of our Country but as our Friend as our Joshua our Saviour to deliver us from Popery and Slavery He ventured his Life to save us from Oppression not to Conquer us Besides if he conquered King James and this Gentleman He did not Conquer those that joyned with him which were by far the greatest part of the Nation I am sure in our County multitudes Subscribed the Association to stand by the Cause with their Lives and Fortunes not to Enslave themselves by Conquest And then it followed That they humbly desired the Prince of Orange to take the Government upon him and Circular Letters were issued out for a Convention and that Convention or Parliament Elected him King and the Princess Queen and He accepted it as a Trust and all Government is a Trust and founded in Covenant as I have elsewhere proved and then we honoured Him and prayed for Him as our King According to those Exhortations in Scripture which order us to Fear God and the King Prov. 24.21 to be subject to the higher Powers which are of God Rom. 13.1 and to pray for Kings and all in Authority that under them we may lead a peaceable and quiet life in all Godliness and honesty 1 Tim. 2.1 2. All which are as much now due to Their present Majesties as to any that ever sat on the Throne It is true by His Affection to our Nation and Zeal for our Religion and Liberties he conquered our Hearts and will for ever reign there and He merits our Lives and Fortunes but it is not for the Honour of our Nation to say He Conquered us And indeed 14000 Men cannot subdue England by force which is properly Conquest We received him as sent from God with hearts full of joy and with chearful countenances And were it not for that Doctrine of Passive Obedience in its vast extent with which many devout Christians and many Learned Pious and great Bishops and Doctors through prejudice were possessed I will not say infected the whole Nation had sounded with Songs of Triumph and our Churches and Pulpits with Praises and Hallelujahs as if we had had Heaven upon Earth So great was the Mercy of our God in delivering us and our Posterity from Popish Ignorance Error Superstition and Idolatry and restoring our Laws and Liberties For my own part I was transported with joy and I care not if all the world saith as some said in Hosea his time c. 9. v. 7. The Prophet is a Fool the spiritual Man is Mad. But surely in truth and reason they are Fools and Madmen that reject so great Deliverance and Salvation out of fondness to a silly Opinion There need no Eloquence if I could use it our great Fears and imminent Dangers are Oratory sufficient Popish Judges Popish Officers in the Army Popish Priests and Jesuits at Court Popish Heads of Colleges in the University Popish Justices of the Peace Mayors c. with the Dispensing Power might well affright us And tho' we perhaps might have spun out a slavish life without great Persecution yet our Children could expect nothing but French Dragoons and Torture or voluntary Exile if not the Marian days of Fire and Faggot But as for those who plead Conquest for the King they know not what they do in making this Plea as a Learned Man speaks For if there were no other right neither Precedent nor consequent but meerly because such an one was stronger and got it and so holds it now then whosoever is strongest at any time he hath right and if a stronger than he comes he shall have right This is no good Divinity nor Policy to Plead thus That which subjects my Conscience to such an one is Submission upon some Compact Covenant or Agreement Besides this sort of Men by flattering Monarchs and deluding the People with crying out The King the King have wholly forgotten the very Heathens Lesson It is sweet and comely to Die for our Country that is our Laws Liberty Property c. I must confess Conquest makes way for Subjection as it did in Caesar over the Jews but I hope no man will say this is our case nor do they do their King or Country any Service who put the Controversie upon this Issue Thirdly I must consider what this Gentleman saith about God's Providence in disposing Kingdoms And here I must needs say that he is honest in the main but he hath not read and digested Divinity enough to handle this subject and therefore he is very confused And I will not arrogate so much to my self as to say I have sounded this depth which hath cost me some years study and yet I must admire for I am ignorant or unsatisfied about many things concerning God's Providence I will not at this time ingage in the Controversie between the Remonstrants and Contra-Remonstrants God's Providence and Man's free acting are not inconsistent that is certain How they concur is most mysterious and the Highest Point in School-Divinity And I may safely say that it is above my strength to cut asunder or my wit to untie this knot But it is mine and every mans Duty to do God's Will and submit to his Pleasure who doth whatsoever pleaseth him in
Land of Judah Then David departed and came into the Forest of Hareth where were many secret places v. 5. And Abiathar the Priest who escaped Saul's cruelty fled to David and joyned with him v. 20 c. Which still justifies Self-defence in case of Oppression He had the Ephod in his hand Whether this were by chance as some Expositors say or by choice he light upon the High Priest's Ephod saith Mr. Trappe that had the Vrim and Thummim in it It was surely a sweet Providence of God for the comfort of his poor Servant David Hence God answered not Saul by Urim and Thummim 1 Sam. 28.8 For it was now with David not with Saul This Ephod thus brought saith one was more than if many thousand Souldiers had come to David After his departure from Keilah David abode in the wilderness in strong holds and remained in the Mountains in the wilderness of Ziph and God still preserved him v. 14. of this Chapter of our Text. Ziph belonged to the Tribe of Judah and the Mountains of this Region were craggy and full of clefts of Rocks and therefore places of good shelter and defence Yea David's cause was so plain and good that Jonathan Saul's Son would not joyn with his Father agianst David but made a League with him v. 18. Again v. 29. David dwelt in strong holds at Engedi He would not trust Saul For he knew the disposition of Saul his inconstant mind and unbridled violence especially since an evil Spirit had troubled him Again 1 Sam. 24.2 Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats What need Saul have three thousand men if David did not defend himself And v. 22. David and his men gat them up into the hold He would not trust Saul who had so often promised and broke his word And verily in Matters of so great concernment Credulity argues great Folly Tr. Saul was faithless and David had no reason to believe him And 1 Chron. 12.8 the men of might and the men of war forsook Saul and joyned themselves to David The Tribe of Gad was near to Moab and in a desert place through which David wandred and therefore they joyned with him And v. 17. David went out to meet them and answered and said unto them If ye be come peaceably to me to help me my heart shall be knit to you but if ye be come to betray me to mine Enemies seeing there is no wrong in my hand the God of our Fathers look thereon and rebuke it Did not David tho' yet a Subject to Saul take up Arms and make forcible Resistance It is said expresly v. 18 19. Then David received them and made them Captains of bands And there fell some of Manasseh to David when he came with the Philistins against Saul to Battel And when ever Amasai uttered those words v. 18. whether before or after David had the Kingdom I need not dispute it is evident that they argue the goodness of David's cause The Spirit came upon Amasai who was chief of the Companies and he said Thine are we David and on thy side thou Son of Jesse Peace Peace be unto thee and Peace be to thy helpers for thy God helpeth thee It was a Form of Salutation familiar with the Jews when they wished prosperity and good success to any person And the Ingemination shews their Zeal And the whole demonstrates that for the Innocent to defend themselves even by force of Arms is very pleasing to God Thus I have demonstrated that it may be deduced from this Text That it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the oppression and violence of their Kings I shall now enter upon the second Question Whether it may be deduced from any other Grounds I am for the Affirmative of this Question It may be deduced from Scripture or Reason That it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves c. And here it will be convenient to set down what is agreed upon on both sides First That all Governours in their several Dominions and Places are to be honoured according to their several Dignities and Titles with due homage and Allegiance of all their Subjects We must render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's Honour to whom Honour is due Fear to whom Fear Tribute to whom Tribute And this out of Conscience and for the Lord's sake who hath made them his Ministers Secondly It is a most hainous Sin a Crime of a deep dye by thought word or deed to derogate from the honour of our Governours or to indeavour to raise Factions and Discontents among their Subjects He that any way despiseth Dominion or speaketh evil of Dignities is a vile Transgressor Thirdly To resist Governours when they rule according to Law is to oppose God's own Ordinance And therefore Rebels ought to be most severely punished by Governours themselves and shall certainly indure God's wrath without Repentance and receive Damnation Fourthly Every Subject is bound by all good means to assist his Governours in the due Execution of Law and Justice and to hazard Life it self upon his Lawful Commands and to discover all Conspiracies Treasons or Violence offered or intended to be offered to his Person Fifthly Every Christian Subject living under the Government of a Prince of an idolatrous heathenish or false Religion is not therefore loosed from the Bond of his Allegiance But he must readily yield Active Obedience to all lawful Commands of his Governours and Passive Obedience so called that is He must quietly and meekly suffer when the Laws of his Governours Command that which is against the Laws of his God and his Saviour whom he ought to fear in the first place Sixthly Every Governour is bound in Conscience to defend and protect his Subjects in their lawful Rights and Liberties and not to Command any thing that God hath forbidden And if he doth oppress them by illegal Impositions or punish them for a good Conscience he is guilty before God and must expect the vengeance of God who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords Seventhly Every Oppression or Corruption in Government is not presently sufficient to defend our selves by force But it must be such Oppression as tends to the Dissolution of the Government to the Destruction of Liberty to the Ruin of the Subjects or to the Change of Religion by Law Established And in this Case also Defensive Arms are not Lawful till Petitions and all other good means which may prevail with our Governours be used and yet fail of their end Thus as I conceive I have impartially represented both parts And I know no man of Worth Piety or Learning who will not easily assent to these Conclusions I shall now confirm my Opinion that it is lawful for Subjects to defend themselves by force of Arms against the Oppression and Violence of their Kings First Because God never gave
it be indifferent to us whether God or Baal the Ark or Dagon Christ Jesus or Saints and Images be invocated and worshipped if we care not whether Papists or Protestants rule over us then our Condition must needs be miserable But let us take Jacob's Advice to his Sons see that you fall not out by the way Let us with one heart and one voice earnestly contend for the Faith that was once delivered to the Saints In short if we have wise Heads and Christian Hearts and Spirits we may easily unite We read in Holy Scripture of an hot dissention between Paul and Barnabas and they separated one from another but it continued not long Let us be English Men and Christian Spirits Valiant for the Truth and full of Mercy and good Fruits We took up Arms not to hurt others but save our selves Let it then be known to all Men what the late King is reported to say of us when he returned to London that though we hated his Religion yet we loved honoured and pitied his Person so grievously misled by foolish and evil Counsellors Fourthly Let us beware of a Relapse into the same Misery Let us be joyful but not secure and careless Such a condition ruined the men of Laish Let us so triumph as to be sober and watchful For if we fall again who shall raise us up A Relapse we know is worse than the first Sickness Therefore let us pray for Men over us who fear God and hate Covetousness Men of Knowledge and Men of Courage Men of Fidelity and Merit such as cease to do Evil and learn to do Well that seek Judgment and relieve the oppressed So God will rejoyce over us to do us good and will never leave us nor forsake us Amen Daniel 5.20 But when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in Pride he was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him IN these words we may observe these two general parts First Nebuchadnezzars's Crime His heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride Secondly His Correction and Judgment He was deposed from his kingly Throne and they took his glory from him For the illustration of the former I may briefly consider First Who this Nebuchadnezzar was Secondly Wherein his Pride chiefly consisted First I shall consider who this Nebuchadnezzar was He was Emperour of Babylon the Queen of Nations and the most famous City of the world And he was the greatest Monarch of his Age. He fought against the Syrians Phenicians and Egyptians He made the Ammonites Moabites Philistines Idumeans and all Egypt Tributaries He conquered Tyrus also As ye may see in Jeremy and Ezekiel He took the City of Jerusalem and put Jehoiachin to death He made Jehoiachin or Jeconiah or Coniah Jer. 2.24 King and returned to Babylon In the eighth year of his Reign going back to Jerusalem for he feared that Jeconiah would rebel and revenge the death of his Father he took Jeconias Mordecai and three thousand Jews of the Nobility and carried them Captives to Babylon Nine years after he came again to Jerusalem and besieged the City because of the Impiety and Rebellion of Zedekiah and within a while utterly destroyed the City of Jerusalem carrying then the Vessels and Ornaments of the Temple to Babylon But it is thought that he took Daniel and his Companions captive and brought them to Babylon in his first Expedition Secondly I shall consider wherein his Pride chiefly consisted I shall name these three things First In not giving God the glory of all his Victories Secondly In commanding Image-worship Thirdly In persecuting the Servants of God for not worshipping Images First Nebuchadnezzars Pride consisted in not giving God the glory of all his Victories God prospered Nebuchadnezzar but he sacrificed to his own Net that is he ascribed it to his own Policy Strength and Wisdom and did not give glory to God This was his Pride Thou O King saith Daniel c. 2. v. 37. art King of Kings for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdom power and strength and glory And wheresoever the Children of Men dwell the Beasts of the Field and the Fowls of Heaven hath he given into thine hand and hath made thee Ruler over them all Notwithstanding this the King gloried in an Arm of flesh and Boasted in the multitude of his Hosts Secondly His Pride consisted in commanding Image-worship Of this we read c. 3. He made an Image of Gold and commanded all to fall down and worship it It was not the Image of Bel or of other Gods of Babylon but of Nebuchadnezzar himself Neither was this unusual among the proud Heathen Tyrants For Alexander the Great Antiochus Epiphanes Caligula and others would be worshipped as Gods while they lived Thirdly Nebuchadnezzars Pride consisted in persecuting the Servants of God for not worshipping his Image He was not contented that the Heathens who had been bred up in Slavery and Idolatry worshipped the Image but he must force Gods Servants against their Consciences to fall down and worship also Maldonate saith Cor. Ã Lap. probably conjectures that the King had erected this Image upon the suggestion of the Chaldees who envied the three Jews Shadrach Meshach and Abednego the Government of the Province of Babylon and therefore to make them odious to the King and turn them out of Office they put the King upon making this Image which they knew that the Jews would by no means worship and thereby the King would be provoked against them as it fell out They served the King faithfully in the Trust committed to them but they obeyed God rather than Man and therefore told the King that they could not commit Idolatry to please him For they were the Servants of God and must adore him only with Religious Worship This incensed the King against them and in his wrath he commanded them to be cast into the burning fiery Furnace and that it should be heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated The Chaldees accused them and with all malicious insinuation stirred up the King against them As it is the nature of envious and wicked men to inflame Princes against the true Worshippers of God But the Jews notwithstanding all this fury and threats and cruelty continued resolute and persevered in the Faith and God miraculously delivered them When God pleases to shew his power the proud Helpers must stoop under him They destroy themselves that go about to destroy Gods Servants The flame of fire slew those men that took them up c. 3. v. 22. The righteous is bold as a Lion saith Solomon They answered the King with a mighty courage As who should say It is plain O King that there is only one God whom we worship and he can deliver us out of thine hand but if not yet we will worship him only and not thy Idols Observe here the undaunted resolution liberty fortitude and courage of these three Servants of God