King Solomons Solace, Book · Chapter 8
CAP. VIII.
Zadok the high Prieſt, and Abiather the prieſt diſdaine not to examine themſelues, and are cleare in iudgement, with the rest.
King Solomons Princes and Lords hauing thus farre pleaded for themſelues in the audience of Zadok and Abiather, who, vntill now, had holden themſelues ſilent, liſtning and pondring of that which had beene ſpoken: in the end, they both alſo vouchſafed the like. But firſt Abiather by Zadoks leaue began in this ſorte. Why ſhould I be ſilent in this examination,Abiather the Prieſt here clereth himſelf in his function. ſeeing that eueryevery one of you (my Lordes) hath declared his integritie, and cleared himſelfe in iudgement againſt the King? In what ſoeuer his Grace be diſpleaſed, I know for my part, that I hauehave not faulted, as that other Abiather faulted, whom therfore the king worthily depriued of his place and dignitie: for albeit I hauehave the like name: yet God forbid, I ſhould be of the like nature and quality: nor hauehave I euer minded to worke treacherie (as he did) againſt my Lord the king: nor do I know, that in any part of my miniſterie, I hauehave ſo offended, as wherof his Maieſtie might iuſtly conceiue any ſuch diſpleaſure or ſorrow of mind. Howſoeuer others in this function hauehave béene approued: how they hauehave entred, how they hauehave behaued themſelues and neglected or tranſgreſſed their duties, I hope, that ſhall not bee laide to my charge: Yee know well, that according to the election of ſuch as I am, what view, examination,The election and entrance of prieſtes. Leuit. 2… triall and approbation hath beene made of me, the law ordained in that reſpect, hath béen ſufficientlie reſpected, exacted and performed, that ſo I might be made fit for the place for the better ſeruice of the Lord: knowing wel, that none of them which were either halt or blind, might be permitted to dwel within ye gates of the tower of Zion, but were by the kings father expelled & kept out, yt the place being of ſuch purged,2. Sam. 5.8. they which reteined the right vrim & thūmim, might enter & remain therin for the ſeruice of God, & honor of the king. Neither vſed I any vngodly or indirect meanes for mine entrance: I came not in by the windows or by the clifts of the wals, as théeues and murtherers accuſtom to do, but by the gates, the dores being ſet opē, as right lawful it was for me to doe, yea, & they which were both of authority & of a fellowſhip in the houſe of ye Lord, were as willing and glad to receiue & entertain me therein, as I was willing & ready to enter. Hauing thus entred, I hauehave bin as careful to perform & obſerue my dutie, I hauehave ſacrificed, praied, taught & miniſtred in my due courſe, according to the order & effect of the prieſts office, with al diligence to my power: & knowing that it is no ſmall danger & no leſſe diſgrace to a mā of my profeſſion, to expreſſe one thing in habite, and another thing in life and behauiour, and not to be perfect within, as to make ſhew without and not to be in either conformable to the office and place: I hauehave eſpecially regarded the maner of my walking, that it might bee honeſt, worthie and wiſe: that ſo I might teach both in doctrine and life, and not deſtroye in th'one,Pſal. 109.7. whiles I would ſeeme to build in the other, accounting them that offend herein worthy of that cenſure which David gaue on ſuch, ſaying: His office let another take.
Moreouer whereas it was the good pleaſure of my Lorde the King, and the will of my Lorde Zadoke, that I ſhould at times miniſter for my Lorde Zadoke in the ſeruice of God & the King: It is well knowne that I hauehave not preſumptuouſly vſurped, nor intruded, nor thruſt my ſelfe into preſence, but being called and commanded, beeing well mindfull of the kinges words writtē amōg his wiſe prouerbs.pro. 25.5.6. Put not forth thy ſelfe in the preſence of the King, and preaſe not into the place of great men: for better it is, that it be ſaid to thee, come vp higher, then that thou ſhouldest be placed lower in the preſence of the Prince, whome thou ſeeſt with thine eyes. Therefore, I hauehave not béene of that ambitious and arrogant minde. But howſoeuer I might bee ſuſpected as faultie or imperfect in place and time, I appeale to the Lord and mine owne conſcience, as yee (my Lords) hauehave done. If I be guiltie againſt the king (to my knowledge) then would I wiſh that the one might accuſe me, and the other condemne me, in the preſence of you all. Howbeit letting paſſe this examinatiō, I preſume there is ſome other cauſe whereof the kings affliction ſpringeth, the which (I doubt not,) will in time appeare in the clearing of vsus al. For time is, that which diſcloſeth ſecrets & reuealeth the truth, & therefore is worthily called the mother of truth. Nor do I thinke, that ye king ſuſpecteth any of vsus in this caſe, for if he did, his iealouſie would not hauehave forborne to diſcloſe and vtter the ſame to any of vsus all: for he reſpecteth neither perſons, nor power, nor wealth, nor policie, ſuch is his wiſedome, wealth, power and the glory of the fearefull God in him.
zadock the high prieſt putteth forth his Apology; and ſheweth what is the function & duty of his place.Abiather hauing thus ſpoken for himſelfe, he at the laſt giueth place to Zadoke, perceiuing how ready & willing alſo he was to ſay ſōwhat in the preſēce of the lords. *Zadock was a uery graue and reuerend Father, and a faithfull Prieſt of the Lord, doing according to his heart and mind, in whome the bright Vrim & Thumim ſo ſhined, yt no man either ſuſpected him of any fault towardes the king, or doubted of his diuine wiſedome and ſingular perfection, and therefore neither the Princes required either any examination or further triall of his integritie: howbeit, the moſt reuerend father, in all humilitie neither refuſed nor diſdained to doe, as they had before done in this reſpect. Therfore ſtāding vp in the midſt of thē he ſpake with great grauity & deliberation to this effect. My Lords all: although it be ſo, that neither any of you hath giuen this offence vntounto the king, nor may it be, that he holdeth any of you faultie in this matter: yet am I glad to ſee and heare how willing and readie ye hauehave béene with all ſubmiſſion to examine and cleare your ſelues in this preſence: And truely, howſoeuer ye bee ſory for the kings affliction (as indéed ye cannot be glad thereof) yet may ye reioice in this, that ye hauehave had this fit opportunity by this confeſſion and trial, both to cleare your ſelues of guilt, & to manifeſt your integritie and dutifull heartes towardes his Maieſtie. But howſoeuer it be that any ſuſpicion or ſurmiſes may ſpring of any of your wordes or dealinges, ye are happy in this, that ye retain a good conſiēce to teſtify in & for your ſelues, to the eaſe and ioy of your heartes, then the which, there cannot be a greater treaſure in this life. The guiltie man propoſing to his vnderſtanding the law which he hath broken,The guilty cō ſcience. and tranſgreſſed, and withall the iudgement and paine enſewing the ſame, being rightly concluded and applied to himſelfe, hath alwayes dreade carefulnes and ſorrowe of heart: as who might thus argue: Thus ſaith the lawe: but thus hauehave I done and ſo tranſgreſſed the lawe: Ergo I ſtand to bee iudged and condemned by the ſame: as who ſhoulde ſaye: ſhall not that iuſt God deale with me, as I hauehave deſerued? and ſhall not I be plagued in the end for my deſert, offending againſt the law of God as others hauehave beene plagued for the like? and ſhoulde I promiſe vntounto my ſelfe ſafetie any way in this my guiltineſſe? Thus argued Adam when he had broken the law of the Lord: thus alſo Cain when he had murthered his brother: Thus the brethrē of Ioſeph, who had abuſed and ſolde him away: Thus argued Pharao after that he had threatned Moſes and Aaron and would not let the people go: thus Saul, when hee perceiued Davids innocencie and his owne malice againſt him: and thus Achitophel and ſuch like, who in the knowledge of their owne ſinnes and the ſenſe of the diuine Iuſtice, concluded a iuſt condemnation on themſelues. Adam fearing what wold enſewe, hid himſelfe in the buſhes, and yet hee coulde not bee ſafe, oppoſed (as it were) to the diuine wrath and all miſeries, and therefore confeſſed,Gen. 4. that hee was naked and was afraide at the ſounde of the Lordes voyce. Cain confeſſed, that his ſinne was greater, then that hee coulde bee pardoned and that the puniſhment thereof ſhoulde bee farre beyond his habilitie to beare: yea, hee ſaide vntounto the Lord: Beholde thou haſt caſt mee out this day from the vpper face of the earth, and from thy face ſhall I be hid: fugitiue alſo and a vagabond ſhall I bee in the earth: and it ſhall come to paſſe that every one that findeth mee, ſhall ſlay me. * The ſonnes of Iacob, ſeeing they could not bee hidden,Gen, 42.21. confeſſed at length their ſinne againſt their brother: ſaying, we hauehave verily ſinned againſt him, and therefore are we now troubled. And againe fearing what Ioſeph woulde doe vntounto them after his fathers funeralls, they in the terror of minde come and beſéech him to forget their iniury againſt him. The king of Aegypt at length confeſſed and ſaide vntounto Moſes and Aaron:Exod. 6.27. Indeede the Lord is righteous and I and my people are vngodly: On the which he would conclude his conſcience condemning him: Therefore ſhall both I and my people be plagued. Saul, in the agonie of his heart, ſlew himſelfe with his owne ſworde, and Achitophel, who had béene a Counſaylor and prouoker of Abſolon againſt his Father (his owne conſcience condemning him) went and hanged himſelfe. Surely of all the torments vnderunder the Sunne, there is none comparable to an euill conſcience, which aggrauated by his owne ſting or pricke, doeth euer accuſe, condemne and wring mans heart. If publique fame neither condemne nor accuſe, nor ſuſpect: yet the guiltie conſcience within a mans ſelfe forceth the ſame to the vttermoſt, neither can it be, that he which liueth faultie, ſhall eſcape the torment and terror thereof, nor therfore can hee be happy in his life, be he neuer ſo rich,The comfort of a good conſcience. ſo honourable, ſo ſtrong, ſo mightye, ſo glorious in the worlde, but bleſſed is the man that feareth God and walketh in his waies: as David the Kinges Father hath modulated: For this is that which in the lawe is required of him, as the King hath ſaide: This man concludeth to himſelfe, Ioy and gladnes,Iob. 23.3.4.5.6.7. when that which hee hath done ſhalbe well approued by the lawe. This cheared Iob in the middeſt of his afflictions, notwithſtanding that his wife, and his thrée friendes hardly charged him with folly. So was Ioſeph holde in Aegypt when his integritie cleared him: So Moſes and Aaron were not diſcouraged,Gen. 40.41. Exod. 10. notwithſtanding the threates and hard dealinges of Pharao: and thus the Kinges father with a cleare conſciēce proteſted before King Saul. Behold this daye thine eyes have ſeene, 1 Sam. 24.10.how that the Lord hath delivered thee this daye into m…ne hand in the caue: and ſome bad mee to kill thee: but I had compaſſion on thee: and ſaide: I will not lay mine handes on my Maiſter: for he is the Lords annoynted, &c.
And this (to expreſſe the innocencie of his heart) hee feared not to proteſt before the Lord in his prayer.
O Lord my God: If I hauehave done any ſuch thing, Pſal. 7.3.4.or if there bee any wickednes in mine handes: If I hauehave rewarded euill vntounto him that dealte ſrowardly with mee: (yea I hauehave deliuered him, that without any cauſe is mine enemy) then let mine enemy perſecute my ſoule and take mee: Yea, let him treade my life downe vponupon the earth, and lay mine honour in the duſt.
Laſtly I cannot but remember that worthie example of Samuel the Lords Prophet, who was occaſioned through the diſobedience of the people before King Saul and them to pleade for himſelfe to defende his integritie:1. Sam. 12.3. And thus hee ſaide with a good conſcience and boldnes of Spirit: Beholde: here I am: Beare record of mee before the Lorde, and before his Annointed: Whoſe Oxe hauehave I taken? Or whoſe Aſſe hauehave I taken? Whome hauehave I done wrong to? Whome hauehave I hurt? or of whoſe hand hauehave I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith? and I will reſtore it you. They ſaid: (their own conſcience prouoking them) thou haſt done vsus no wrong nor hurte: neither haſt thou takē ought of any mās hand. Lo! my lords here is ioy & gladnes, & ye greateſt cōfort in this life! for ye good Conſcience hath with it a thouſand witneſſes, and as many pleaders to teſtifie for his owners integritie, and to defend the ſame before the throne of Iuſtice. This therefore is the ſwéeteſt and moſt wholſome reſt of mans ſoule, the title of Religion, the ſpirituall Temple, the bleſſed field, the pleaſant gardin, the golden peace, the Angelicall ioy, the holy Arke, the Kings treaſure, the houſe of the ſpirit, and the glaſſe wherein a man both ſéeth, ordereth and confirmeth himſelfe to the liuely image of his maker. Though the fleſh oppreſſe vsus, the world allure vsus, & the Diuel terrifie vsus, yet is this treaſure ſafe and ſure within vsus from all daunger of euill. Therefore, I hold that in this life, there is nothing more pleaſant, more ſwéet, more profitable, and more to be deſired and reteyned then a good conſcience, both towards God and man. Wherefore (my Lords) as ye hauehave very well done in that ye hauehave ſubmitted your ſelues to this preſent examination and tryal: ſo are ye happy in this, that ye are iuſtified in conſcience: for hereof ye hauehave and ſhall find the higheſt comfort and gladneſſe. And now I beſéech you to permit me to do as ye hauehave done,The high prieſt is willing to eaſe himſelfe in ſhewing forth his integritie with the reſt. that thereby I may not onelyonly expreſſe mine owne integritie, & ſo cleare my ſelfe of all offence and ſuſpicion of the ſame: but alſo reioyce together with you, though in the middeſt of mine affliction for the kinges trouble: And that the ſooner, becauſe whiles I ſtand an hearer and a iudge of other men in their examination and triall, I might not ſéeme to diſdaine mine owne.1. Kings. 2.35. Abiather was before this time high prieſt, howbeit his cauſe and dealing concerning both God and the king, came into queſtion before the king and his princes, and being found guilty againſt either in his triall, he was worthelie depoſed and the prieſtſhood tranſlated: Then why ſhould I imagin my ſelfe frée from cenſures the rather in reſpect of my place? and why ſhould I not abide the hammering of that which ſhould be obiected againſt me and my māner of procéeding towards God, the king and his people? And if I ſhall be found guiltie as Abiather was, why ſhould not I be remoued as he was, & another man put in my place more worthy? And now (my Lords) although I may not ſay, whether in my perſon, or in my miniſterie and behauiour (wherin I am to prefigure the holy Meſſiah in his prieſthood) or whether in that Abiather the prieſt attended ſometimes for me in the kings preſence, any contempt or abuſe hath béene taken or ſuſpected to his highneſſe offence: yet I know well, that for mine owne part I here ſafelie proteſt from my conſcience before the Lord of heauen and earth and before you all, that according to that truſt which the kinges father repoſed in me, when I was to annoint and proclame my Lord King ouer. Iſrael: and after that good opinion which the king himſelfe conceiued of me, in the day when he tooke me to him to be the Lords high prieſt, in the place of Abiather whom he put away: I hauehave performed the firſt, and expreſſed the ſecond, whithout any deceit in the one or iuſt offence in the other, and that after my ſtate and dignitie, ſo farre forth as a mortall man could poſſibly extend himſelfe therein. And of this as of my calling, I hope ye doubt not: Neuertheleſſe let me be heard I beſéech you a few words concerning both this and that, ſeing that the Priesthood was ordayned to foreſhew and ſignifie the office and dignitie of that higheſt Priest which is to come, as vntounto whō all the types and ſhadowes of the law do point: it hath beene both prouided and commaunded by the Lord himſelfe, that the Prieſt might hauehave his lawfull calling, and therewith not onelyonly in bodie, but in habites and ornamentes ſhould be pure, holy and glorious in all pointes. To the which it was aduiſed how he ſhould be conſecrated, what he ſhould doe, how he he ſhould liue, what wife he ſhould marry, and how he ſhould be eſteemed in his place. According to the which (though I ſay it for my ſelfe) I was taken frō the middeſt of my people as one worthelie eſteemed and honoured in my place for the tokens of my graces: then I was ſtraitly viewed and throughlie examined, wherein I was found cleane and free from eueryevery one of thoſe blemiſhes, with the which whoſoeuer was touched, was forbidden to preaſe forth to do the prieſts office,Leuit. 21.17.18.19.20. I was wel tried to be neither blind, nor lame, nor bruſed, or flat of noſe, nor miſhapē in my mēbers nor brokē in my féet nor brokē in my hāds, nor crooked in my back, nor bleared in mine eyes, nor eyes webbed or blemiſhed, nor ſkiruy, nor ſcabbed nor broken in the ſtoanes:The blemiſhes for the which a man was vnfit for the prieſthood. yea I was found frée of thoſe imperfections or blemiſhes which our Elders hauehave gathered and noted out of that place of the law, which diſabled the prieſt: for they noted in the head, eight; in the necke two; in the ears, twelue; in the eye-browes and eye-lides, fiftéene; in the eyes, ninetéene; in the noſe, ſixe; in the lips and mouth, nine; in the belly, thrée; in the backe, thrée; in the priuities, ſixtéene; in the handes and féete, twelue; in the leges, fiftéene; and in all the body, foure: the which being taken away, the naturall body appeared ſound, faire, and perfect in all partes: that by the ſame not onelyonly the puritie of the mind might be ſignified, but alſo the perſon of the Meſſiah truely prefigured. Then was I conſecrated to the Lord according to the law,The conſecration and ornamentes of the prieſt. then was I cloathed in the holy garments: as namely, the Breaſtplate, the Ephod, the Tunicle, the broadered Coate, the Mytre, the Girdle, which were according to the commaundement garniſhed and beautified with gould, blew-ſilke purple, ſcarlet, white twyned ſilke, and brodered worke, alſo with Owches, Chaynes, pretious ſtoans, & other ſuch things, with Vrim and Thumim, in the which are expreſſed not onelyonly ſpiritually the ſeuerall graces of a godly minde, but alſo miſtically the heauēlie vertues of the holy Meſſiah, the finall obiect of our louelove. To this I was annointed with the holy oyle, and had mine handes filled for the ſacrifices.The duties of prieſthood performed. Thus hauehave I béene furniſhed and approued for the Prieſtes office: Now to this hauehave I beene willing and ready to doe my duety in the execution of my function. I hauehave offered the ſacrifices to the Lord for my ſelfe and the people, and hauehave prayed for them, in the which I hauehave beene mercifully heard and regarded of the Lord (as Aaron was) I hauehave taught the people and inſtructed them in the feare and lawes of the Lord: I hauehave iudged and diſcerned according to equitie, and as placed ouer the prieſts and miniſters in the Lords houſe: I hauehave regarded therein not only the conuerſation and behauiour, but alſo the order of the miniſteries and ſeruices of the perſons in the ſame, for the better ſeruice of God, the preſeruation and maintainance of the ornaments of the Lords houſe, and the benefit of the Lords people. And this the better to performe, I hauehave ruled my ſelfe and liued according to the law in my place, and for my comfort, I hauehave taken to me a cleane V…rgin to wife. Moreouer, I hauehave ſerued and honoured (next vntounto my God) my Lord the King in all dutiful thankfulneſſe, without giuing him any iuſt offence to my knowledge. And therfore as the King is moſt wiſe, and will not take an offence being not offered him, I am ſure he is not afflicted or grieued for any cauſe of mine, as I perſwade, neither for any thing he hath noted or conceited in any of you. But I know well, there be other cauſes & things whereof he hath taken this ſorrow: the which alſo may bee knowne to ſome of you, and yet are yee moſt vnwilling to reveile or make knowne, but would rather (if it might be) conceale and couer them: for it is the part of a friend to couer the fault of his friend: much rather then ought a true Subiect, for the louelove and honour of his Prince, rather modeſtly to forbeare, then to aduenture the diſplay of any his faultes or imperfections. They that obſerue not this rule, reſemble ſhameleſſe Cham, one of the ſonnes of Noah, Gen. 9.22who moſt vnreuerently both diſcouered and derided the nakedneſſe of his father.
This being ſaid, Zadok ſighed déepely, and made as a proffer to further ſpeeches. Neuertheleſſe, hee refrained for this time, for he well knew the cauſes of the Kings griefe, although it pleaſed him not as yet to vtter it, partly, for the reuerence he yeelded the kings honour, partly, for his owne modeſty, as alſo, for that he was verie vnwilling to be the vnfolder of that which hee was ſure the Princes and all the Kinges friendes would be very ſory and loath to heare, albeit they were ſo redy to inueſtigate that, whereof being once certified, they did much maruaile at, greatly lament, and could ſcarſely eaſe or mitigate, much leſſe ſalue and recure: howbeit, they endeuoured their beſt, and thought it booteleſſe for them to ſtand wondering and reaſoning longer then they might ſet on, and ſpéedily aſſay which way to bring eaſe or comfort to their Soueraigne Lord, the which (they wel knew) could not be effected till time they had found out, and conſidered of the true cauſes of the kings affliction. Therefore though much againſt their wils, yet vrged by the preſent neceſſitie, they preſume on the king in this examination.