The Holy State, Book 4 · Chapter 21
CHAP. 21. The King.
HE is a mortall God. This world at the first had no other Charter for its being, then Gods Fiat: Kings have the same in the Present tense, I have said ye are Gods. We will describe him, first as a good man (so was Henry the third) then as a good King (so was Richard the third) both which meeting together make a King complete. For he that is not a good man, or but a good man, can never be a good Sovereigne.
He is temperate in the ordering of his own life. Maxime 1O the Mandate of a Kings example is able to do much! especially he is,
1 Temperate in his diet. When Aeschines commended Philip King of Macedon, for a joviall man that would drink freely, *Plutarch in the li…e of Demosthenes.Demosthenes answered, that this was a good quality in a spunge, but not in a King.
2 Continent in his pleasures. Yea Princes lawfull children are farre easier provided for then the rabida fames of a spurious ofspring can be satisfied, whilest their Paramors and Concubines (counting it their best manners to carve for themselves all they can come by) prove intolerably expensive to a State. Besides, many rebellions have risen out of the marriage-bed defiled.
2He holds his Crown immediately from the God of Heaven. *Dan. 4.17.The most high ruleth in the kingdomes of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will. Cujus jussu nascuntur homines, ejus jussu constituuntur Principes, saith a *Irenaeus l. 5.Father: Inde illis potestas unde spiritus, saith *Tertull. Apol. pag. 6.5.another. And whosoever shall remount to the first originall of Kings, shall lose his eyes in discovering the top thereof, as past ken, and touching the heavens. We reade of a place in Mount Olivet (wherein the last footsteps, they say, of our Saviour before he ascended into heaven are to be seen) that it will ever lie open to the skies, and will not admit of any close or *Nullo modo contegi aut concamerari potest, sed transitus ejus à terra ad coelum usque patet apertum, Adricom. de terra Sancta ex Hieron. & aliis Autoribus.covering to be made over it how costly soever. Farre more true is this of the condition of absolute Kings, who in this respect are ever sub dio, so that no superiour power can be interposed betwixt them and heaven. Yea the Character of loyalty to Kings so deeply impress'd in Subjects hearts shews that onelyonly Gods finger wrote it there. Hence it is if one chance to conceive ill of his Sovereigne, though within the cabinet of his soul, presently his own heart grows jealous of his own heart, and he could wish the tongue cut out of his tell-tale thoughts, lest they should accuse themselves. And though sometimes Rebels (Atheists against the Gods on earth) may labour to obliterate loyalty in them, yet even then their conscience, the Kings Aturney, frames Articles against them, and they stand in daily fear lest Darius Longimanus (such a one is every King) should reach them, and revenge himself.
3He claimeth to be supreme Head on earth over the Church in his Dominions. Which his power over all persons and causes Ecclesiasticall
1. Is given him by God, who alone hath the originall propriety thereof.
2. Is derived unto him by a prescription time out of mind in the Law of Nature, declared more especially in the Word of God.
3. Is cleared and averred by the private Laws and Statutes of that State wherein he lives. For since the Pope (starting up from being the Emperours Chaplain to be his Patron) hath invaded the rights of many earthly Princes, many wholsome Laws have been made in severall Kingdomes to assert and notifie their Kings just power in Spiritualibus.
Well therefore may our King look with a frowning face on such, whose tails meet in this firebrand (which way soever the prospect of their faces be) to deny Princes power in Church-matters. Two *Zanchez & Velasquez in their Comments on the Text.Jesuites give this farre-fetch'd reason, why 1. Sam. 9 14.Samuel at the Feast caused the shoulder of the Sacrifice to be reserved and kept on purpose for Saul to feed on; because, say they, Kings of all men have most need of strong shoulders patiently to endure those many troubles and molestations they shall meet with, especially, I may well adde, if all their Subjects were as troublesome and disloyall as the Jesuites. The best is, as God hath given Kings shoulders to bear, he hath also given them armes to strike such as deprive them of their lawfull Authority in Ecclesiasticall affairs.
He improves his power to defend true Religion. 4Sacerdotall Offices though he will not doe, he will cause them to be done. He will not offer to burn incense with Uzziah, yet he will burn Idolaters bones with Josiah, I mean advance Piety by punishing Profanenesse. God *Isaiah. 49.23.saith to his Church, Kings shall be thy Nursing-fathers, and their Queens thy Nursing-mothers. And oh let not Princes out of State refuse to be so themselves, and onelyonly hire others, it belonging to Subjects to suck, but to Princes to suckle Religion by their authority. They ought to command Gods Word to be read and practised, wherein the blessed Memory of King James shall never be forgotten. His Predecessour in England restored the Scripture to her Subjects, but he in a manner, restored the Scripture to it self in causing the New Translation thereof, whereby the meanest that can reade English, in effect understands the Greek and Hebrew. A Princely act, which shall last even when the lease of Time shall be expired: Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Translation shall be read in the whole realm, there shall also this that this King hath done be told in memoriall of him.
5He useth Mercy and Iustice in his proceedings against Offenders. Solomon *Prov. 16.12.saith, The throne is established by Iustice: and Solomon *Prov. …0.28.saith, The throne is upholden by Mercy. Which two Proverbs speak no more contradiction, then he that saith that the two opposite side-walls of an house hold up the same roof. Yea as some Astronomers (though erroneously) conceived the Crystalline Sphere to be made of water, and therefore to be set next the Primum mobile to allay the heat thereof, which otherwise by the swiftnesse of his motion would set all the world on fire; so Mercy must ever be set near Justice for the cooling and tempering thereof. In his mercy our King desires to resemble the God of heaven, who measureth his judgements by the ordinary cubit, but his kindnesses by the cubit of the Sanctuary, twice as big; yea all the world had been a hell without Gods mercy.
6He is rich in having a plentifull exchequer of his peoples hearts. Allow me, said Archimedes, to stand in the aire, and I will move the earth. But our King having a firm footing in his Subjects affections, what may he do, yea what may he not do? making the coward valiant, the miser liberall; for love, the key of hearts, will open the closest coffers. Mean time how poore is that Prince amidst all his wealth, whose Subjects are onelyonly kept by a slavish fear, the jaylour of the soul. An iron arm fastned with scrues may be stronger, but never so usefull, because not so naturall, as an arm of flesh, joined with muscles & sinews. Loving Subjects are most serviceable, as being more kindly united to their Sovereigne then those which are onelyonly knock'd on with fear and forcing. Besides, where Subjects are envassaled with fear, Prince and People mutually watch their own advantages, which being once offered them, 'tis wonderfull if they do not, and wofull if they do, make use thereof.
He willingly orders his actions by the Laws of his realm. 7Indeed some maintain that Princes are too high to come under the roof of any Laws, except they voluntarily of their goodnesse be pleased to bow themselves thereunto, and that it is Corban, a gift and courtesy, in them to submit themselves to their Laws. But whatsoever the Theories of absolute Monarchy be, our King loves to be legall in all his practices, and thinks that his power is more safely lock'd up for him in his Law then kept in his own will; because God alone makes things lawfull by willing them, whilest the most calmest Princes have sometimes gusts of Passion, which meeting with an unlimited Authority in them may prove dangerous to them and theirs. Yea our King is so suspicious of an unbounded power in himself, that though the widenesse of his strides could make all the hedge stiles, yet he will not go over, but where he may. He also hearkneth to the advise of good Counsellers, remembring the speech of Antoninus the Emperour, Aequius est ut ego tot taliumque amicorum consilium sequar, quam tot talesque amici meam unius voluntatem. And yet withall our King is carefull to maintain his just Prerogative, that as it be not outstretched, so it may not be overshortned.
Such a gratious Sovereigne God hath vouchsafed to this Land. How pious is he towards his God! attentive in hearing the Word, preaching Religion with his silence, as the Minister doth with his speech! How loving to his Spouse, tender to his Children, faithfull to his servants whilest they are faithfull to their own innocence; otherwise leaving them to Justice under marks of his displeasure. How doth he with David walk in the midst of his house without partiality to any! How just is he in punishing wilfull murder! so that it is as easie to restore the murthered to life, as to keep the murtherer from death. How mercifull is he to such who not out of leigier malice, but sudden passion may chance to shed bloud! to whom his pardon hath allowed leisure to drop out their own souls in tears by constant repentance all the dayes of their lives. How many wholsome Laws hath he enacted for the good of his Subjects! How great is his humilitie in so great height! which maketh his own praises painfull for himself to heare, though pleasant for others to report. His Royall virtues are too great to be told, and too great to be conceal'd. All cannot, some must break forth from the full hearts of such as be his thankfull Subjects.
But I must either stay or fall. My sight fails me dazell'd with the lustre of Majestie: all I can do is pray.
Give the King thy judgements, O Lord, and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne: smite through the loins of those that rise up against his Majestie, but upon him and his let the Crown flourish: Oh cause his Subjects to meet his Princely care for their good, with a proportionable cheerfulnesse and alacrity in his service, that so thereby the happinesse of Church and State may be continued. Grant this, O Lord, for Christ Jesus his sake our onelyonly Mediatour and Advocate. Amen.
THE PROFANE STATE.
BY THOMAS FULLER, B. D. and Prebendarie of Sarum.
ISAIAH 32.5.
The vile person shall be no more called liberall, nor the churl said to be bountifull.
EZEK. 44.23.
And they shall teach my people the difference betwixt the Holy and the Profane.
CAMBRIDGE: ¶ Printed by ROGER DANIEL for Iohn Williams, and are to be sold at the signe of the Crown in S. Pauls Churchyard. 1642.