The City of Peace, Section 3
The Gouernour of this Citie
Is supreme Authoritie: The King of Peace.as God is a great King, so the king is (as it were) a little God. I hauehave said, Yee are Gods. God is an inuisible King, the King is a visible god.Rom. 13. 5. Ye must bee subiect, not onelyonly for wrath, but also for Conscience sake. All must obey: the bad for feare, the good for louelove. To compell the one, there is a Writ out of the Kings Bench: to perswade the other, there is a motion in the Chancery.
Of all Nations we are blessed with peace, vnderunder a King of peace: therefore all bound to bee children of peace. There are three wayes of chusing Kings. 1. An immediate nomination from God. 2. A Succession of blood. 3. An election of the people. The first ceaseth, the last hath been found dangerous, the best remaines. They that are suddenly chosen out of the flock, doe seldome manifest such royall behauiour, nor become their Maieiestie; for it is not their Trade. Iehu remitted much of his noble zeale, when hee was setled in his kingdome. It is one thing to say, With a great summe of money, Acts 22. 28obtained I this kingdome: and for another to say, I was a King borne. Wee may iustly say of our King, Dignissimus Regno, si non natus ad Regnum. When the Poets called some men the Sonnes and offspring of the gods; they meant that they were men of a more noble and vncommon nature: and that those graces were, Ex Diuino afflatu. It was as familiar with Homer, to make a King fight with a god at his elbowe, as a common Souldier with his sword in his hand. To whom the Lord giues most honour, he giues most assistance. The heart of the King is in his hand, as riuers of waters; the heart of a priuate man as a little brook: in the former is more need of his omnipotence. Howsoeuer, the grace of adoption, in the Apostles time,1 Cor. 1. 26 was not giuen to many mightie or noble; yet the graces of administration are.
Anarchie is the mother of diuision, the stepmother of peace. While the State of Italy wants a King, all runnes into ciuill broiles. It is the happinesse of this Citie, that there is no distraction. Not a King at Iudah, and another at Dan: not one in Hebron, another in Gibeon: not the redd Rose here, and the white there. We are not shuffled into a popular gouernment, nor cut into Cantons, by a headles, headstrong Aristocracie: but Henricus Rosas, Regna Iacobus: in Henry was the vnion of Roses, in Iames of the kingdomes. EueryEvery King is not a Peace-maker; ours, like a second Augustus, hath shut the rustie doore of Ianus Temple; so making Peace, as if hee were made of peace. That blessed Queene of sweete and sacred memory before him, was Filia Pacis: who, as by her Sexuall graces shed deserued to bee the Queene of women, so by her masculine vertues to bee the Queen of men. Certenly, it would hauehave troubled any King but Him, to hauehave succeeded such a Queene; yet no man complaines the want of peace. This hee promised, and Verbum Regis, Rex Regi, this hee hath perfourmed to eueryevery good soules content. When he was first proclaimed, what heard we but peace? What heard the Nobles? a King that would honour them. What the Senators? a King that would counsell them. What the Schooles? a King that would grace thē. What the Diuines? a King that would encourage them. What the rich? a King that would defend thē. What the poore? a King that would relieue them.
When a Tyrant comes abroad, all seeke to hide themselues:Pro. 28. 28 When the wicked rise, men hide themselues. But when a clement Prince progresseth, all flock to him, the streets and wayes are filled with people, the aire with acclamations. We call our peace, the Kings peace: and say to brawlers, Keepe the Kings peace. Peace, Plentie, Trafficke, Learning, Administration of Iustice, flourishing of arts, preaching of the Gospell, Rex Iupiter omnibus idem. Like Dauid, hee leads the Dance to heauen: and like Augustus, makes a sweet spring wheresoeuer hee goes. Israel had rest fortie yeres, we hauehave had a Iubile of fiftie yeares, and begun againe.Iudg. 5. 31 The Peace-maker doth both blesse, and is blessed: therefore let vsus blesse him, and blesse God for him, and hold our selues blessed in him.
Away then with those discontented spirits, that grudge these outward rights, whether tributes of money, or attributes of Supremacie. Soluatur subsidium, ne contingat excidium. For this cause pay wee tribute also, &c. Rom. 13. 6It is the mediate due to God, as prayers & praises are his immediate rents. Some hauehave obserued, that Christ did no miracle about Honor or money, except that one of giuing tribute to Caesar. Mat. 17. 27Much more intolerable are those our Cosens of Samaria, that fly off in a rage; What portion hauehave wee in Dauid? For this cause certainly, if Dauid were now a liue, he would neuer admit a Iesuit to his Chaplaine. But perish his enemies, and vponupon his own Head let his Crowne flourish. May not the Scepter depart from Iacob, nor a Seed from his loynes, till Shiloh come againe. May his Posteritie hauehave a Crowne on earth, when himselfe hath a crown in heauen. Amen.