The Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods True Saints Part 1 and 2, Corollary – Title page 2
A Corollary to the 5. precedent Chapters.
I Should now proceed to the 3. remaining Chapters, wherein I shall evidence by manifold notable punctual Testimonies, Presidents, and Records, not Vulgarly known. 1. The constant practice of the Christians, and Churches of this our Island of Great Britain, from Lucius the first Christian King thereof, till Jan. 30. 1648. the day of King Charles his bloody death, in making supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings unto God, for their Kings, Queens, and their royal posterity, both in publick and private devotions, and in their Epistles & addresses to them, whether good or bad, pious or impious, orthodox or heterodox, gracious or tyrannical. 2. The universal practice of all the primitive Christians, Churches, Fathers, Councils under the Roman Emperors, and Kings after they turned Christians, and of their successors in all succeding ages to this present, in doing the like. 3. The usual special forms of prayers, collects, supplications and thanksgivings, at the solemn Inaugurations and Coronations of their Emperors, Kings and Princes. But these being somewhat long, and requiring more time to digest and publish them, than I am yet master of, I shall reserve them (God willing) for a Second part, if this find acceptation, as no doubt it will with all pious real Subjects, truly *1 Pet. 2. 17.fearing God, and honoring their lawfull King. I shall therefore cloze up this part, with a few brief Corollaries and Conclusions, deduced from, and warranted by the premised Chapters.
1. That it is not a meer arbitrary and voluntary, but the very bounden commanded, indispensible duty of every Christian and Subject whatsoever, but more especially of Ministers and Clergy-men, by the Law of God, Nature, Nations, to make daily, hearty, fervent, constant supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings, unto God for their lawfull Emperors, Kings, Princes, and their royal Posterity where hereditary; whether their Emperors or Kings be Infidels, Idolaters, Papists, Hereticks, Persecutors, Tyrants, or Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Just, Righteous, Pious, Mercifull, and Fathers to their people. And that it is not only a great sin and impiety against God, but a high contempt, Indignity, Disloyalty and Treason to their Soveraigns, to neglect and give over these duties, or coldly or rarely to perform them.
2. That these duties are more frequently, fervently and constantly to be practised by Ministers and all other Subjects and Christians, in the times of their Emperors, Kings and Princes greatest Dangers, Troubles, Trials, Distresses, Exiles, Necessities, Sickn…ss…s, Sufferings, Afflictions, Temptations, because then they need them most; as well as private Christians, Churches, Nations, as the (aPs. 132. … Ps. 119. 153. Ps. 9. 13. Ps. 20. 1. Ps. 22. 11. Ps. 39 10. Ps. 46. 1. Ps. 60. 11. Ps. 63. 17. Ps. 81. 7. Ps. 102. 2. Ps. 106. 6, 13, 19. 28 Ps. 143. 11. Isa. 26. 16. Jer. 3. 27. c. 12. 14. c. 14. 8. John 27. 9. c. 30. 15. 2 Chron 20. 9. c. 33. 12. Jer. 30. 15. Lam 1. 9. c 3. 19. Jam. 5. 13, 14. Acts 12. 5. 2; Cor. 1. 12. Phil. 1. 19. 1 Thes. 3. 10. Heb. 5. 7, Isa. 37. 15, &c. c. 38. 2.) marginal Scriptures will abundantly evidence
3. That it is not only unnatural, unchristian, and inhuman, but antichristian, tyrannical, treasonable, if not diabolical and atheistical, for any usurped Powers or Innovators whatsoever, not only to enforce Subjects against their Loyalty, Consciences, the Presidents of all Christ… ans, Pagans, and the P…ecepts of God himself, not onl… by unrighteous, flagitious Edicts and Engagements t… command and injoyn both Ministers, & all other Subjects to bSee my Concordia Dis…s.abjure their former hereditary Kings, their Heirs & lawful Successors, against all Scripture presidents, Laws, their former Oaths of Fealty, Homage, Allegiance, Supremacy, Protestation, Vow, Leagues & Solemn Covenant, to be true, loyal, faithful and obedient Subjects to them, their Heirs and Successors, and to maintain and defend their Persons, Rights, Jurisdictions and Crowns, with their lives and estates, against all attempts, conspiracies, and machinations whatsoever; but to inhibit under severe penalties, all publick and private Prayers, Intercessions, and Thanksgivings unto God in their behalfs, even in their greatest extremities, when they stand most in need of them. And to commit, imprison, sequester, and cast any Subjects into a Lions den, for obeying God herein, rather than men, (as th… cAct. 4. 18, 19, 20, 21. c. 5. 16, 27, 28, 29, 40, 41.High-Priests heretofore committed and imprisone… the Apostles, and thedDan. 6. 4, to 25. Babylonian Princes, and King, the Prophet Daniel) the extremity of Tyranny, Impiety, ande…m. 3. 14, 15, 16. Rev. 2. 10. devilish persecution, which God will most severely revenge, and recompence in due season
4. That for any professing themselves the chiefest of all Saints, and men truly fearing God, to obliterate, deface, & remove out of all our Churches, Chapels, Courts, publick Halls & places, the Arms of their lawful Kings, to erect only a bloody Crosse, and Irish Harp in their steads, and to deleate in some places these sacred Texts of Prov. 24. 21. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King, &c. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God, honour the King; and in other places, HONOUR the King, (permitting Fear God, to stand alone) on the Church walls, and other places where they were painted or carved near the Kings Arms, and to make such a strange divorce between these 2. sentences which God himself hath united and so strictly conjoyned both in the Old Testament and New: That so the Ministers and people might be thereby deterred, not only from honoring & praying for their Kings, as God enjoyns them, but induced to cast off the very fear & publick worship of God himself; & provoked at last, to say with the despairing Idolatrous revolting 10. tribes of Israel, Hos. 10. 3. We have no King because we feared not the Lord, what then should & King do to us? (a crime whereof so me swaying Grandees have been deeply guilty in our 3. Kingdoms) is in truth the highest strain of Apostacy, Irreligion, pr… fessed Atheism and contempt of God, that ever men professing themselves Saints or Christians were guilty of, in any age since the Creation. And for others of them to say in the very Church, and presence of God himself, with much passion (as*…ho. Lister. one of the sitting Juncto did very lately) that the word KING doth so stick in our Ministers mouths and teeth, that it will never be well, till it be thrust and forced down their throats (by force and armed Tyranny;) only because Mr. Case, in his prayer after Sermon, at St. Martins Church, on the Lords day, prayed; That God (gIsa. 49. 23. according to his promise, and in his own sense and meaning, would be graciously pleased, to make Kings to become NursingFathers, and Queens to be Nursing-Mothers to his Church; is such a transcendent strain of Atheistical impiety, Antimonarchical malice, brutish Tyranny and Barbarity, as should make our very hearts and loins to q uake, and will certainly draw down the extremity of Gods vengeance on those who are guilty thereof, if not on our whole now miserably distracted, oppressed and almost ruined Kingdoms, if not timely repented of.
5ly. That Kings and Monarchy, are the very best, most desirable, happyest, peaceablest, honorablest, safest Governors and Governments of all others in the world because in the first place, we are commanded, obliged by God himself, to make supplications, intercessions, prayers and thanksgivings unto him for them, that under them … live a peaceable and quiet life, in all godlinesse and honesty (but never for a Commonwealth by name) and all Christian, Nations in all ages, have accordingly practiced it, as the premises and second pa…t, will abundantly demonstrate.
6ly. That ever since we neglected, disused and gave over this publick Christian duty for our just hereditary Kings, their heirs, successors, and royal posterity, and have abandoned, abjured, engaged against them and Kingship, we have never had, nor enjoyed a quiet and peaceable life, in Church or State, and have generally abandoned all real godlinesse and honesty, which are hardly to be found in any of our 3. Kingdoms, especially amongst our Grandees, Army-Officers, and those refined, sublimated Saints of the last edition, who most pretend unto them; and have done, acted, voted, setled nothing, that is good or acceptable in the sight of God the Father, or tending towards the Temporal or eternal salvation of all men, and reducing them to the knowledge, much lesse the practice of the truth; but we have been still disquieted, vexed, oppressed, tormented with endless wars, tumults, revolutions of Governors and Governments, intollerable taxes, excises, losses, decay … trade by Land and Sea, errors, schismes, sects, heresie… blasphemies of all sorts, and an inundation of all vices sins, hypocrisies, perjuries, treacheries and wickednesses which may hasten our total and final dissolution, without any hopes of mercy, restauration or future settlement, or hearts or wisdom to lay hold of those manifold opp…rtunities which Gods wonder-working providence hath put into our hands, to preserve and restore us, if timely laid hold on and improved by us for that end.
7. That the only ready, hopefull, christian, divine and most effectual means now left, and prescribed by God to every private Minister, Christian Family, Church, and our three ruined, lacerated, distracted Kingdoms, to recover and restore their long expected, and vainly endeavoured pristine peace, quietness settlement, trade, godliness, honesty, honor, prosperity, the saving knowledg, power, sincere profestion and truth of the Gospel, with all other blessings of this and a better life; and to put a period to all future wars, revolutions, tumults, oppressions, tyrannies, taxes, heresies, blasphemies, and Jesuitical designs, now threatning ruine both to our Churche, Kingdoms, Families and Poste…ities, is for all and every of them, publickly and privately to revive and practise these duties with constancy, frequency, zeal, fervency, resolution for our undoubted hereditary King, and the royal posterity in their and our greatest distresses, according to the premised Commands and Presidents, recorded in Scripture by God himself, and the Presidents of all Gods Saints and people in former Ages, maugre all oppositions, or inhibitions of poor despicable Mortals; the long neglect and discontinuance of this sacred duty and most effectual remedy, being (as I fear) the principal cause of the long continuance and encrease of their and our miseries, afflictions, pressures, and sad confusions. If then the serious consideration of Gods own reiterated Injunctions, the presidents of Fathers, Christians, Saints, Martyrs, Subjects inall ages, yea of the very Pagans themselves, and the many Oaths, Vows, Covenants, Protestations, Declarations, Remonstrances, we have formerly made, with our own and our Ancestors constant practice of these Dutyes for many hundreds of years, will not perswade us hereunto; yet let the consideration of our personal and national preservation, establishment, peace, settlement, prosperity both as men and Christians; and the cheapness, easiness of this homage and duty to God, our King, Country, & our selves (which all *Ezra 10, 1, &c Jonah. 2. 7, 8.exes, ages though mean, poor in Purse, or feeble in Body, unable to assist and ayd their Soveraign or Country in either, are as able to perform, as well as the noblest Peers, the richest Subjects the valiantest Souldiers, or the wisest States men,) now at last excite and engage them unanimously, conscien…iously and fervently to perfom them both in publick and private. To induce them more chearfully thereunto, I shall recommend unto them this memorable obser…ation, and seasonable passage of St. B…sil the Great, famous in his gene…ation, and in the Church of Christ.
*…, … … … ….Being by the goodnes and benignity of my most good God, through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, according to the operation of the holy Ghost, delivered from the error of the Gentiles traditions, and long ago, even from the beginning educated by Christian parents, I verily learned the holy Scriptures from them, …om my childhood, which brought me into the knowledge of the truth: but when I became a man, and had very frequently used peregrinations, and had fallen into the consideration of many things, as was meet; I verily found in other Arts & Sciences much concord amongst those, who exactly exercise singular Arts: but in the Church of God, only and for which Christ dyed, and into which he hath abundantly and richly powred forth his holy Spirit, I observed the greatest discord, and vehement dissentions of many, both between themselves, and also against the divine Scripture: and that which is most horrid, the very Presidents of the Church constituted in so great a Dissention both of mind, and opinions between themselves, and fighting against the commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, with so great contrariety, as even cruelly to dissipate the Church of Christ, and to disturb his redeemed Flock, without any commiseration; that even on these now, if ever when wicked men went out and flourished, that of the Apostles may be fulfilled bActs 20. 29, 30.Out of your selves shall aris… men, speaking perverse things, that they may draw disciple… a…r them. When I discerned these things and the like, and doubted what, and whence the sourse of so great an e…l might be, at …irst I was as it were in some thick dark…sse, and as if …t in a ballance, I did turn my self now on this side, now on that side; onescale drawing me to it sel…, by reason of thelong custom of men, but the other pulling me back for the truth acknowledged in the holy Scripture. Now when as this …ad for some space, and very … hapned, whiles I was searching out the cause of this …vil, as I have related, … … the Book relating the History of the Judges, came into my mind, where it is written, cJudges 17. 6. c. 18. 1. c. 21. 25.that every one then did what seemed right in his eyes, and the cause thereof is declared together with it, in that which is premised; That in those daies, there was no King in Israel Therefore remembring these things, I did think even of these present dissentions, that which truly is …errible to be spoken, and perchance a paradox; but if it shall be considered and weighed, is most true, that peradventure even now, for the contempt of one great, true and only King of all, there is so great Dissention and Fighting among those who are in the Church of Christ, whiles every one hath revolted from the Doctrine of our Lord Iesus Christ, and challengeth to himself by his *As our Army Councils, Junctoes and Grand…s h…ve d…ne, and do.own Authority, his own cogitations and definitions; and would rather reign against the Lord, than be subject to the Lord, and be governed by him. When I searched this with my self, and stood amazed at this monstrous impiety, & did yet further search it out, I was farther perswaded, that the foresaid cause was true, by nothing more then from the things of this life. For I saw every state of a multitude, well compounded, and to obtain agreement and consist together, so long only as their obedience was kept towards *See … Rhodigi… … Lectio…. l. 24. c. 29, 30.some one King over them all; and on the other side, that dissention and division of every kind, yea and moreover polyarchy did arise from hence, if there being no King, there was a liberty obtained of doing any thing we would. I have seen sometimes even a swarm of *See … here, P. 71, 7….Bees from the Law of Nature to wage War, and in order to follow their own King; And tr…ly I my self have beheld many such things, and I have also heard many such things, and those know more who are imployed about these things; that even from hence, that I have said may be proved to be true; for it is the property and peculiar of those, who … unto the command of one, and obey and use one King, that they are & may be well disposed and at concord among themselves; therfore all d ssention & discord, is both a Iudgment and sign of that contumacy, wherein the principality of one is rejected. According to the same reason, even the very dissention which is forbidden both between the Commandements of our Father and our Lord, and also between our selves, …, either from a departure from the true King, or from the r…uncing of him: which he there further proves from sundry Texts. Therefore by his and Gods own resolution, there is no way to heal our manifold Dissensions, Distractions, and restore peace, unity, order in our Church and State, but by returning to our t…ue lawfull Spiritual and Temporal only Kings, both whom we have most contemptuously and obstinately so long rejected, both in …ur dev…tions & legal transactions, our Church and State affairs; which I wish all Republicans & Antimonarchists most seriously to ponder, and our new Junctoes, and General Council of Army-Officers, seduced and acted by*De Monarchia Hisp. c. 21. Campanella, Spanish and Romish Emissaries, to promote our ruine; who of our Servants are now become our Soveraign Lords and Legifers, changing their lunatick Votes, Resolutions, Moddels of Government, as frequently as the Moon, to keep us in endless Confusions, by trampling all Laws of God, and the Realm, and their spiritual as well as temporal King, and Monarchy under their feet. But this King of Kings, as he hath of late years dashed them in pieces by his admirable stupendious providences, (of which they will not take notice) for this their obstinate opposition of and rebellion against their Kings, Monarchy and Kingship; Prov. 24. 21, 22. so no doubt, (aPs…l 2 4, 5, 6, 9.) He that sitteth in the Heavens, if they therein still proceed, will laugh at them, and their Antimonarchical Votes, the Lord shall have them in derision; yea he shall speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure, He shall break them with a rod of Iron, and dash them in pieces like a Potters vessel. maugre all their forces, votes, counsels, confederacies, and make good those general promises, (bPsal. 2. 6.) Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion. (cPsal. 100. 2) Rule thou in the middest of thine enemies. (dPsal. 97. 1. Psal. 99. 1.) The Lord reigneth, let the Earth rejoyce; let the mul…de of the Isles be glad thereof. Yea the Lord reigneth, be the p… ple never so impatient, He …tteth between the Cher…bine, be the Earth never so unquie. (ePsal. 18. 50.) Great deliverance giveth he unto his King, and sh…th mercy to his Anointed, to vid, and to his Seed for evermore. And that which is most considerable, their own transcendent, unpresidented, tyrannical, illegal, unrighteous, violent proceedings against the whole House of Peers, the majority of their own secluded, ejected old Fellow-Members, the City of London, and their Common Council, (their former chief Supporters,) whom they have now made the scorn and derision of the World, by voting down their Common Council, and pulling down their Gates, Percullises and Posts, before any hearing, or Judgement, and putting higher affronts upon them after all their former Obligations, and the late Kings large Privileges granted to them in the Isle of Weight, than ever any Kings of England formerly did, or durst attempt; Their dis-obliging and dis-carding all or most of those Army-Officers and Souldiers who first created them a Parliament, without a King or House of Lords, and restored them to their present power in May last; and engaging others of them in such displeasing services, as do render them odious for the present, and infamous to posterity; Their exasperating the generality of the Nobility, Gentry, Ministers, and Commons of our three Kingdoms against them, by their peremptory denyal to admit, and forcible seclusion and voting out the old secluded Members, (the Majority of the House) to monopolize all Parliamentary power and Offices into their own hands, and refusing the convening of a free and full Parliament, without prelimitations, to settle our Distractions, according to the general Desires and Addresses of most Counties and Cities of the Kingdom, and imprisoning some worthy Gentlemen & Swordmen, only for presenting at their Counties requests, these their Desires in Letters, directed to their Speaker, and unjustly refusing to bayl them upon Habcas Corporaes. in Courts where they sit both as Members and Judges, and Parties, which none ever did before; thereby leaving the subjects in greater Vassalage, than ever they sustained under the late King, whom they*In their Decla…ation of March 17. 1648. branded and beheaded as the worst of all Tyrants. And yet doubling and trebling their Taxes, in their exhausted condition, and losse of all Trade for those very 6. Months space, for which they were taxed and forced to pay in before hand by them, without their Common consent in Parl d…ring their Representatives forcible seclusion, against their own Act Oct. 11. 1659. contrary to all their former & late Declarations, no Kings of Engl…nd having been so extra vagant, arbitrary, unjust & oppressive in their Governments and proceedings, as they have been, and that in the very midst of their own private sears and unsettlement, and our publick dangers, after all the late vast expences of blood, and treasure, to maintain our Laws, Liberties, Propertys against all arbitrary and tyrannical powers; nor yet daring to attempt against their Subjects, what they have boldly acted against their fellow Members, and the People, whom they once*Jan. 4. 164. voted the Sovereign power of the Nation, & whose servants (not Lords) they pretend themselves; which desperate violences, oppressions, and extravagances, without any hopes of ease, peace, liberty or settlement, will render our Kings and Kingshi… more amiable and desirable than ever, and more promote, and accelerate their restitution, than all Royallists Counsels and endeavours whatsoever, in wise mens Judgements. Cum duplicantur lateres, Venit Moyses.
1 Tim. 1. 17. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be Honor and Glory for ever and ever. Amen.
FINIS.
ERRATA.
p. 4. l. 24. last, r. middle. p. 43. l. 19. 500, r. 300. p. 68. l. 31. discis, …. dejicis. l. 34. r. dolori. p. 77. l. 32. dele si. p. 78. l. 1. r. orationis. l. 19. nuncupari. l. 34. Antoninus. Margin, P. 78. l. 9. Antoninus. l. 10. P. 10, …. 49.
THE SECOND PART OF THE Signal Loyalty and Devotion of Gods true Saints and Pious Christians under the Gospel, (especially in this our Island) towards their Christian Kings & Emperors, Whether Orthodox or Heterodox, Virtuous or Vicious, Protestants or Papists, Protectors or Persecutors, ever since their KINGS and EMPERORS first became CHRISTIAN, till this present. Expressed in, and Evidenced by their publike and private Supplications, Prayers, Intercessions, Thanksgivings, OPTIONS, Acclamations, for their long life, Health, Safety, Prosperity, Victory over Enemies, temporal, spiritual and eternal Felicity; peaceable, just, glorious reign over them, &c. And likewise for their Queens, Children, Royal Posterity, Realms, Armies, Counsels, Officers. Largely manifested both in point of Theory and Practice in a Chronological method, by Fathers, Councils, Ecclesiastical Histories, Liturgies, Missals, Books of publike and private Prayers, Poems, Panegyricks, Epistles, Records, Charters, and Authors of all sorts and ages. Together with the various Forms of Prayers, Supplications, Collects, Votes, and Acclamations used at the Coronations of Emperors and Kings, especially of our ancient and late Kings of England and Scotland (not hitherto published.)
By WILLIAM PRYNNE Esq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Psal. 133. 1. Lord remember. David, and all his afflictions.
Psal. 46. 6, 7. Sing Prayses unto our God. sing prayses; sing Praises unto our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the Earth, sing ye Praises with understanding.
2 Sam. 19 14, 15 And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as one man. so as they sent this word unto the King; Return thou and all thy servants: So the King returned and came to Jordan; and all Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the King, to conduct the King over Iordan.
LONDON Printed by T. Childe, and L. Parry, and are to be sold by Edward Thomas at the Adam and Eve in Little Britain, 1660.