Loyalty and Peace, Discourse 2 (2 of 2)

Loyalty and Peace · Discourse 2 (2 of 2)

p. 169Who can forbear to tell one ſignal Paſſage p. 170of moſt barbarous and blaſphemous Hypocriſie, which the ſame Author writeth, pag 203. Some of the chief Conſpirators ſuſpecting leſt the Lord Fair fax ſhould hinder the Execution, came to him that morning that they had ſigned the Warrant for the Kings Aſſ…ſſination, and diſired him with them to ſeek the Lord by Prayer, that they might know his mind in the thing: which he aſſenting to, Harriſon was appointed for the duty, and by compact to draw out his profane and blaſphemous diſcourſe to God in ſuch a length as might give them time for the Execution, which they privately ſent to their Inſtruments to haſten; of which when they had notice that it was paſt, they roſe up and perſwaded the General that this was a full return of prayer, and God having ſo manifeſted his pleaſure, they were to accuieſce in it. But for further tormenting my Readers heart and my own, I would add what the ſame Author tells us, pag. 205. Thus the King finiſhed his Martyrd…m, but the Enemies not their malice, who abuſed the headleſs trunk. Some waſht their hands in the Royal Blood; others dipt their ſtav…s in it, they ſold the chips of the block and the ſands that were diſcoloured with his Blood, and expoſed his very Hairs to ſale, which the Spectators bought for different uſes, p. 171ſome as the Reliques of ſo glorious a Prince, and ſome out of a brutiſh malice, would have them as Spoils and Trophies of their hatred to their lawful Sovereign. One is ſaid to have curiouſly ſurvey'd the murthered Carcaſs, when it was brought in the Coffin into White-hall, and to aſſure himſelf the King was dead, with his fingers to have ſearched the wound, whether the head were fully ſevered from the body or no; pag. 206. Afterterward they permitted the Body to be unbowelled to an Emperick of the Faction, together with the rude Chirurgions of the Army (not permitting the King's own phyſicians to this office) and commanded them to ſearch (which was as much as to bid them ſo report) whether they could not find in it Symptoms of the French Diſeaſe, or ſome other evidences of frigidity and natural impotency, that ſo they might have ſome colour to ſlander him, who was eminent for chaſtity, or to make his Seed infamous. Shew me who can, a Murther committed, though upon but a private perſon, with more barbarous circumſtances of cruelty, inhumanity and malice, then was this upon the King? of which you may read more at large in the Book forementioned, p. 171, to p. 207. Read thoſe paſſages over and over, and ſee how they make that p. 172ſin out of meaſure ſinful; and then conſider if for the Nation to be humbled before God once a year for ſo prodigious and publick a Villany, be any more than is fit and neceſſary.

Eighteenth Aggravation, The Scripture will bear me out in the expreſſion, if I call the murther of the late King by the name of Deicide, becauſe the Scripture calls Kings by the name of Gods. I have ſaid they are Gods; only allaying it with the following words, but they ſhall die like men. Though the true and the living God be immortal, yet there are certain mortals who are called Gods, even by him who is the true and only immortal God, or who alone hath immortality (viz. in and from himſelf.) And of this ſort of Gods, are all Kings or Rulers therefore ſo called (becauſe they have the Image and Inſcription of Gods Authority and Majeſty upon them, ſo and in ſuch a manner as private men have not) though Parents and Maſters, as ſuch are veſted with ſome lower degree of Power and Authority in their reſpective Perſons and Places. Now the murthering of King Charles I. was the murthering of a mortal God. which is a greater ſin by much than is the murthering of a p. 173meer mortal man. There are three forts to which the name of God is applied, The firſt is, God foreign, God by eſſence, that is, he that made the World; all other are but mortal gods, and much inferiour to him: To us there is but one; the true and the living God. 1. There are Dij foreign, Falſe Gods; ſuch were all the Idols of the Heathen. 3. There are Dij. foreign, Gods ſo called by Grace and favourable condeſcenſion. Such are Angels and Magiſtrates: Kings are inferior to the true God, but ſuperior to all falſe Gods; yea, in their own dominion ſuperior to him who exalteth himſelf above all that is culled God, &c. 'Tis much to be feared that whilſt a ſort of men buſie themſelves, and are much concern'd about that Image of God in Princes, which conſiſts in righteouſneſs and true holineſs, and do either aſcribe, or not aſcribe it to them, and have been wont to reſpect or diſreſpect them accordingly, I mean as they have taken them for Saints or no Saints. I ſay, whilſt men trouble themſelves about that which is a matter of hope and charity, not of ſcience or certainty; it is much to be fear…d they overlook that Image of God which is certainly in all Kings and Rulers, p. 174as ſuch, viz. in point of Authority and Dominion, which they ought to honor and reverence, though they knew the other were wanting. For moſt ſure it is, That Dominium non fundatur in gratia. A man may be a King, and ought to be reverenced as ſuch, though he be no Chriſtian, but a profeſt Ethnick or Heathen. God has given the earth to the Children of men: Wo would be to Princes if none were bound to obey them but ſuch as do, and will own them for Saints. Then would they be Sainted and un-Sainted toties quoties, as oft as they pleas'd or diſpleas'd the people; for ſo has been the manuer of men. Who cannot inſtance in men, who but a little while before were generally vogud to be but carnal or moral men, that to ſerve an end, have preſently been run up to Saints, canonized all of the ſudden; and they who but a few weeks before were thought not to have grace ſo much as a grain of muſter-ſeed, amounts to their grace in an inſtance, was become (by common ſame) like as a great tree, ſo that the birds of the air might come and lodge on the branches thereof. But let me tell thee (Reader) even ſuch Princes as were Antiochus, Epiphanes (or Epimanes, as ſome call him) and ſuch as Nero, who p. 175reſpective to their morals, have appeared in the world like Devils, yet were Gods by Office and Denomination from Scripture (and we muſt alwayes allow that God who is the fountain of all honour, is the beſt Herald, and beſt knows what title to give to every one) and in their place and ſphere ought to be reſpected as ſuch. Saint Paul when inadvertently he called Ananias the high Prieſt a whited-wall, Acts 23.3. for judging contrary to the Law, when it was ſaid to him, Revileſt thou Gods high Prieſt; repli'd, I wiſt not that he was the high Prieſt, for it is written, Thou ſhalt not ſpeak evil of the Ruler of thy people: Not but that he of whom he ſpake it, was in and of himſelf as a whited wall or painted ſepulcher; but nevertheleſs the reſpect due to a a great Noble ought to have been paid him in his place. Yea, to kill a very bad Prince were Deicide, or the killing of a mortal god, for as a Prince he is a god. But what if a King that reſembles God, not only in his Greatneſs but Goodneſs, not only in his Power and Authority, but in his Purity and Holineſs, in his Wiſdom and Mercy; and ſeveral other of his moſt glorious Attributes (and ſuch a one many have told us, that knew him, if we did not, was King Charles the p. 176Firſt, what if he be murthered by his own Subjects, are they not Regicides with a witneſs, that ſhall do it? yea, they have done it?

Now if any man ſhall ask me that indivious queſtion (as ſome account it) which of the Kings Subjects was it that put him to death? I anſwer firſt of all Negatively, Not the Body or Community of the Nation, not the major part or generallity, but a few in compariſon of them. 2. Not the repreſentative of the Nation, the Parliament I mean; for all the Lords diſclaim'd it, and and moſt of the Commons, and were laid aſide to make way for it; but poſitively firſt, All that were active in the War betwixt King and Parliament, muſt be confeſſed to have remotely and ignorantly, though not voluntarily and intentionally contributed thereunto, becauſe that the murther of him had never been but for the War. Some claſſical men ſore againſt their will and intention, were partly acceſſary to that moſt unclaſſical and illegal action.

But they muſt needs be charg'd with the murthering of the King, who ſuffered themſelves to be made his Judges and to ſit as ſuch. His very Executioner, whoſoever that diſguiſed Caitiff was (for whom p. 177it bad been well if he had been born without hands, if not that he had never been born) was not ſo guilty of his death, as was every one of his preſumptuous Judges. For Plus peccat Author quam Actor, is an old and a good rule; i.e. The Author is worſe than the Actor.

Thirdly, Some chief Officers of the Army that then was, though poſſibly they were not nominated amongſt his Judges, had as great a hand in his death, as any body had, and poſſibly were the firſt means of it, and the greateſt ſticklers for it. Their names and ends are ſufficiently known.

Fourthly, That ſort of men who not only adhered to the Parliament, but had a reſpect for the Covenant till neer the time of the King's death; and then of a ſudden had wont to cry out, The Covenant was an Almanack out of date. And why ſaid they ſo? but becauſe the Covenant did ſeem to ſtand in their light, and to be a block in their way, who had a mind to have the King's Head cut off? I ſay, Thoſe who cri'd up the Covenant till towards the year 1648 but then cri…d it down as much, and made an Almanack out of date of it, and about that time and ever after, did alwayes more adhere to the Army than to the Parliament, p. 178they were the well-willers to the death of the King; they were promoters, countenancers and abetters of it. I have met with a parcel of Names, Characters, and Periphraſes ſomewhere, which if I am able to expound them, do deſcribe that Generation of men, who were beſt pleaſed with the King's death, and gave moſt countenance to it, before and afterwards, viz. The Cantonizers of the Church, the dividers and ſubdividers of it in ſemper diviſibilia. The Mother Church of Enthuſiaſts and Enthuſiaſm in England. The Eccleſiaſtical Democracy. The cloſe Perſecutors of ſuch as diſſent or depart from them. They who pretend to run ſo far from Babylon, as that they run beyond Jeruſalem. The Punctualliſts, who demand Scripture for every punctilio or circumſtance in and about the Service of God, but can ſhew none for many of their own Practices: ex. gr. Their Auricular Confeſſions of faith, &c. The people that talk much of a Judgment of Charity, by which they make Saints of thoſe they have a kindneſs for; and yet have leſs charity in judging of others than moſt men have. The Antpodes to …rclacy and Monarchy. The Diſciples of the Council of Savoy, ſuch as d…ſcribe the Church of God, as if it were like to that which is unintelligibly p. 179ſaid of the Soul of man, viz. tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte, Men of the newfound Diſcipline. The Trap door men, who from that paſſage in the Covenant, which was for preſerving the L…fe and Honor of the King, found this door of …ſcape, viz. in the preſervation of Religion, and inſiſted much upon it, That the life of Religion and the life of the King could not conſiſt together. They who dſcourſe and act as if every Member-Church were the whole body mystical of Chriſt, or as if Chriſt had innumerable entire bodies, or his whole body mystical in every place; where two or three are met together (as Papiſts ſay of his body natural.) The younger Brethren of Presbytery: For ſaith one, Our Engliſh Amſterdam was founded ſince our Engliſh Geneva. They who cried down the Covenant, as it was for Monarchy, and for the preſervation of the King's Life and Honour; but did and do ſtill cry up the Covenant againſt Prelacy, and to upbraid all Conformiſts with Perjury, who have declar'd the Covenant not to be obligatory. The great Freeholders in point of Diſcipline, who brook no Landlord in that point, or to have any Authority over them. The Hance-town Churchmen, who claim to have all Power and Juriſdiction within themſelves, and ſay, Who is Lord over them? That ſort of men, who of p. 180all ſorts of Chriſtians ſeem to have leaſt regard to one Article of our Creed, viz. I believe the Holy Catholick Church; or they by whoſe practice one would think that were no Article of their Creed. If there be no ſort of men to whom the Characters aforeſaid do agree; ſith no Party is nam'd, none need to be concern'd; but if any ſuch there be, or have been, they were they who ſaid of the King's death. Ah! ah! ſo would we have it. The Limner who drew the foregoing Picture thought it a diſparagement to write under it. This is the Picture of ſuch an one: for if it be like no body, it is good for nothing. 'Tis poſſible that ſome whom it doth not concern, will out of a jealous humour, apply it to themſelves; but let them be warn'd by what was ſaid of one that did ſo. I (ſaid the Author of a certain Character) have made a Fools Cap, and ſuch an one has put it upon his head, and fancies that it fits him. But in good earneſt, if the Painter have not wrong'd thoſe people whoſe Picture he meant to give us, but ſuch be their real Feature and Portraicture, if it be as like them as can be they are a people worthy to be expoſed, chid, and rebuked, and moſt unworthy to be eſteem'd by others, at p. 181any ſuch rate as they eſteem themſelves and one another. Let thoſe Characters be intended of whomſoever (for I ſhall not pretend to know of whom they are intended, but I have found them ſomwhere) methinks the men of ſuch a Complexion and Conſtitution as they ſeem to deſcribe, muſt needs be ſome of thoſe men that were well-willers to the death of King Charles the Martyr. For they can never love Kings well, who would be Kings themſelves. John 19.12. Whoſoever maketh himſelf a King, ſpeaketh againſt Caeſar.

Fifthly, Doubtleſs Fifth-Monarchy-men gave no diſcountenance to the death of the King; for many of them thought long for the expiration of the fourth Monarchy (which they ſuppoſed might be at the death of the King or ſoon after:) For when all was overturn'd, overturn'd, overturn'd, then they thought he would come whoſe right it is.

Sixthly, But that the Papiſts ſhould be ſo hearty for the King's Murther, as it ſhould ſeem they or ſome of them were, is not that the wonder of all wonders? May not ſuch a truth as that is be confirmed by the Teſtimony of two great Orthodox Divines? If ſo, they are forth-coming. The p. 182firſt ſhall be Dr. Perrinſhiefe, pag. 195. For there mentioning Jeſuitical Counſels, he addeth, whoſe Society, it is reported upon the King's offering to give all poſſible ſecurity againſt the corruptions of the Church of Rome; at a Council of theirs, did decree to uſe their whole Intereſt and Power with the Faction to haſten the King's death, which ſober Protestants had reaſon enough to believe, becauſe all or the most of the Arguments which were uſed by the Aſſerters of this violence on his Majeſty, were but gleanings from Popiſh Writers. Alſo pag. 213. the ſame Author ſaith thus: How little the Papiſts credited what the Faction would have the world believe, was too evident by the Conſpiracies of their Father againſt his Life and Honour, which the diſcovery of Hubernefield brou…ht to light. They were mingled likewiſe amon…ſt the Conſpirators, and both heated and directed their fury againſt him. They were as importunate in their calumnies of him, even after his death, as were the vileſt of the Sectaries. For his ſake they continued their hatred to his Family, abetted the uſurpations of the following Tyrant, by impoſing on the world new Rules of Obedience and Government; invent…d frrſh calumnies for the Son, obſtructed by various Methods his return to the Principality, becauſe he was heir as well p. 183of the Faith as of the Throne of his Father. My next witneſs (and two ſuch witneſſes may ſuffice as well as twenty) ſhall be Dr. Mo…ul…n, Prebendary of Canterbury, in a Book of his called, A Vindication of the Proteſtant Religion in the point of Obedience to Sovereigns, &c. pag. 58. The late Rebelion was raiſed and foſtered by the Arts of the Court of Rome, Jeſuites profeſſed themſelves Independent, as not depending on the Church of England, and in the Committees forthe deſtruction of the King, they had their Spes and their Agents. The Roman Prieſt and Confeſſor is known, who when the fatal ſtroke was given to our holy King and Martyr, flouriſh…d his Sword, and ſaid, Now the greateſt Inemy that we have in the world is gone, I'll …uote no more, but rather commend that excedent Book to thy reading. Thus have we made a competent diſcovery at whoſe door the death of the late King doth principally…ie.

Her upon, methinks, I hear ſome ſaying, But what is the King's death to us, who had not the leaſt finger in the death of the murthered King? What is that to us? Let them look to it, as was ſaid to Judas, when in deſpair. Anſw. There are many ways and circumſtances whereby a man p. 184that was not principally concern'd, yet may be brought in as truly acceſſary to the Kings death, or to any ſuch thing as it was, viz. 1. Connivendo. 2. Non reprehendendo. 3. Non praeveniendo. 4 Non dolendo. 5. Demerendo. 6. Non deprecando. 7. Imitando. 8. Non detestando ſatis, & contra proteſtando. 9. Provocando. 10. Non puntendo cum poſſumus. 'Tis much to be feared, that this whole Nation may come in for a ſhare in the Kings death thus remotely, or upon account of one or other of the foreſaid particulars: For 1. Some did as it were connive at it when it was in fieri, or bringing about, and dic not do all they could have done to prevent it. Now to ſuch that paſſage, 1 Sam. 26.15, 16. may be applied, David ſaid to Abner, wherefore haſt thou not kept thy Lord the King? For there came one of the people in to deſtroy the King thy Lord. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, becauſe ye have not kpt your Maſter the Lords Anointed: And now ſee where the Kings ſpear is, and the cruſe of water that was at his Bolſter. Was not old Eli therefore charged with the ſins of his wicked Children, becauſe his Sons made themſelves vile, and he reſtrained them not, 1 Sam. 3.13. There is a Saying that would bear hard in this caſe, Qui non prohbet cum poteſt p. 185jubet. 2. Some did not enough deprecate the death of the King, which every one was able to have done, though many could do nothing elſe but that to promote it. The old Armor of Chriſtians, which are Prayers and Tears ought to have been taken up by all men, and managed to the beſt advantage for the defence of his Majeſty's life. If that were not done, you were remotely acceſſary to his death. 3. If you did not ſufficiently lay that to heart, mourn over, and bewail it, you are in ſome degree guilty concerning it. So had Lot been of the ſins of Sodom, if he had not vexed his righteous ſoul with the ungodly converſation of that place (as he is ſaid to have done, 2 Pet. 2.8.) The Apoſtle chargeth the Corinthians concerning the Inceſtuous man, 1 Cor. 5.2. ſaying, Ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he who hath done this thing might be taken away from among you. God ſent his Angel, as we read, Ezek 9.4. to ſet a mark (of preſervation) upon the foreheads of the men that ſighed and cried for the abominations done in the midſt of Jeruſalem, and upon them only: as who ſhould ſay, the reſt were involved in the common guilt. 4. If we have not duly reproved and reprehended ſuch as had a hand in the King's p. 186death, according to what opportunities we have had ſo to do; labouring to convince them of the horrible evil and ſin of which they were guilty, and to call them to repentance then are we in part guilty of, and acceſſary to it our ſelves. So much is intended in that paſſage of the Apoſtle, Eph. 5.11. Have no fellowſhip with the fruits of darkneſs, but rather reprove them; implying, that they who reprove them not, are reckoned by God to have part or fellowſhip with them. 5. If we have not ſufficiently deteſted the putting of the King to death, and ſeaſonably entred a Proteſtation againſt it; ſurely we are in part guilty of it. David hath an expreſſion to that purpoſe, Pſal. 101.3. I hate the work of them that turn aſide, it ſhall not cleave to me: intimating, that the only way to have nothing of other mens turnings aſide, or ſins to cleave to him, was for him to hate their wayes: and as for entring our proteſt againſt other mens ſins, ſee how careful Joſhuah was to clear himſelf by doing that, Joſh. 24 14, 15. Put away the gods which your Fathers ſerved in Egypt, and ſerve ye the Lord. And if it ſeem evil to ſerve the Lord, chuſe ye this day whom ye will ſerve; but as for me, I and my houſe will p. 187ſerve the Lord. 6. They who do any ways provoke, ſtir up, or encourage others to a ſin, the acting whereof they themſelves do not touch with the leaſt of their fingers, are for that reaſon guilty of that ſin. Witneſs that moſt remarkable paſſage, Exod. 32.35. The Lord plagued the people becauſe they made the Calf that Aaron made. The people are ſaid to have made it, becauſe they put Aaron upon the making of it. 7. They who were any ways contributing and aſſiſting towards the death of the King, though ignorantly, and far from intentionally, or to any of thoſe things which did make way for the acting and accompliſhing of that bloody Tragedy, were in part acceſſary to his death. As the men who broke off the golden ear-rings which were in the ears of their wives and daughters, and brought them to Aaron, therewith to make a golden Calf, are therefore ſaid to have made that Calf, though they made it not a Calf, but only Aaron gave it a form and ſhape, Exod. 32.20. And Moſes took the Calf which they (i. e. the people) had made, and burnt it. Cauſa cauſae est cauſa cauſati, is an old Rule. 8. We become guilty of the ſins of other men, which we imitate and follow; for in ſo doing we do as it were p. 188vouch, vindicate, and juſtifie them. Luke 11, 49, 50, ſaid the Wiſdom of God, I will ſend them Prophets and Apoſtles, and ſome of them they ſhall ſlay and perſecute: That the blood of all the Prophets which was ſhed from the foundation of the world may be required of this Generation, &c. 9. Laſtly, (to name no more at this time) We may be guilty of other mens ſins (and ſo of murthering the King in particular, Deme rendo by our other ſins, whereby we have provoked God to let ſo great a judgment (for it may be conſidered as a judgment as well as a ſin) befal the Nation. Witneſs that pat Text, 2 Sam. 24.1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael, and he moved David against them, to ſay, Go, number Iſrael and Judah, Now quit himſelf who can from all thoſe remote ways of acceſſorineſs to the late Kings death.

Now I am very prone to think that the Acceſſorineſs of men to the ſins of others in ſuch way and manner as hath been expreſſed, is one of the beſt accounts that can be given why God puniſheth ſome men for other mens ſins; ex. gr. Iſrael and Judah for David's numbring of the people, 2 Sam. 24. Particularly for men's juſtifying the ſins of others, by treading in their ſteps, and doing p. 189wickedly as they did before them, which is very provoking to God; witneſs Deut. 32.13, 14. The Lords anger was kindled againſt Iſrael, and he made them wander in the wilderneſs forty years, &c. And behold ye are riſen up in your Fathers ſtead, an increaſe of ſinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord againſt Iſrael. Poſſibly one main reaſon of God's imputing Original ſin to any beſides him that committed it (and whoſe actual ſin it was) is becauſe men do juſtifie the ſame by their actual tranſgreſſions. For if Adam did not do well in doing what God had forbad him; why do we the ſame thing, preſuming from day to day to eat as it were of forbidden fruit? Yea, I do verily believe, that God never did and never will impute Original ſin to the eternal condemnation of any one perſon, male or female, that hath not or ſhall not riſe up and juſtifie the ſame by his or her actual tranſgreſſions.

But now leſt the hearts of them, who were primarily, immediately, intentionally, and wilfully guilty of murthering King Charles the First, ſhould be hardned by hearing that almoſt every body had remotely or indirectly a hand or finger in the death of that good King, give me leave to tell p. 190you, that there is no compariſon betwixt the greatneſs of their guilt who are the principal Actors the wilful and deliberate Contrivers and Executots of ſuch a bloody fact as that was; and of others, who by ſome of the ways before-mentioned are become, ſore againſt their will and intentions, and beyond all that they could ever imagine, in ſome ſort Acceſſary to, and remotely concern'd in it, and at a great diſtance guilty of the ſame. It was occaſioned by a Lye of David's, that as we read, 1 Sam. 22.18. The King (i. e. Saul) ſaid to Doeg, Turn thou and fall upon the Prieſts. And Doeg went and fell upon the Prieſts; and ſlew on that day fourſcore and five perſons that did wear a linnen Ephod. ver. 19. And Nob the City of the Prieſts ſmote he with the edge of the ſword, both men and women, children and ſucklings, and oxen, aſſes, and ſheep. Hear David's Confeſſion, ver: 22. that it was long of him; David ſaid to Abiathar, I knew it that day when Doeg was there, that he would ſurely tell Saul, I have occaſioned the death of all the perſons of thy Fathers houſe. Now had David been as deeply guilty of the death of ſo many Prieſts, and other People as Saul was, who commanded Doeg to kill them, or as Doeg was, who did ſo willingly p. 191execute that bloody command of Saul directly oppoſite to the Command of God, 'tis like he had been overwhelm'd with the ſenſe of it; but as the caſe ſtood, he was not ſo, becauſe, though he was not altogether unacceſſary to the ſlaughter aforeſaid, yet he had ſo ſmall a hand in it, and was ſo very remotely, indirectly, and vnintentionally concern'd therein, that his Conſcience had not much to ſay to him concerning it. For it fareth in ſuch caſes as theſe, as it doth in ſome ſmall and ſlender Errors in judgment, which may be charged with dangerous Conſequences at the long run, they may poſſibly be no great prejudice to theſe that hold them, or are deceived by them, becauſe they do utterly abhor thoſe Conſequences wherewith they are charged, neither do they apprehend that they are chargeable with any ſuch Conſequences. Ex. gr. Suppoſe that be an Error that ſome have made ſuch ill uſe of, That Chriſt ſhall reign upon the earth a thouſand years, though Fifth monarchy-men have taken occaſion from thence to raiſe Arms and rebel, under pretence of bringing Chriſt to his Throne, yet ought not all that ever were of that opinion, or now are, to be courted Rebels. For there are and have been men p. 192of that perſwaſion, who knew full well that the Kingdom of Chriſt upon Earth ſtood in no need of mens ſins and Rebellion to ſet it up, but would make way for its ſelf when the full time was come. God forbid, that I ſhould be ſo unjuſt as to charge every body, with the death of the martyred King, at any ſuch rate as his Judges are charged with it; but this I am bold to ſay, viz. that the whole Nation, at leaſtwiſe by deſerving that ſo great a judgment ſhould befal it, as was the cutting off a good King, or by not ſufficiently bewailing that ſuch a thing was done, or notenough abhorring the tſinfulneſs of that fact, are become ſo far forth acceſſary to it, as doth give every man ſufficient occaſion to caſt in his Lot amongſt thoſe that do faſt and mourn upon every 30th. day of January.

And now, methinks, I hear ſome people objecting againſt the Law which hath eſtabliſhed a perpetual Faſt upon that occaſion to be celebrated every year, and on ſuch a day; as if it were a thing of which no good account could be given, or more than needs, and concerning which the great God would ſay, Who hath required this at your hands? As if it did but kindle coals, keep up revenge, renew heats and p. 193animoſities, raiſe and diſturb the Ghoſts of the dead, which ſhould be at reſt; upbraid thoſe who have received their puniſhment, and upon the whole matter do more hurt than good. Now to thoſe who ask us, Quo warranto do we keep our Anverſary Faſt on every 30th day of January? To that I anſwer: 1. We have frequent inſtances in holy Writ, of Magiſtrates taking upon them to appoint Religious Faſts, 1 Sam. 7.5. And Samuel ſaid, Gather all Iſrael to Mizepeh: And they gathered to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and faſted all that day, &c. (Which paſſage the Chaldee Paraphraſe doth thus gloſs upon, viz. Hauſerunt aquas e puteo cordis ſui & abunde lachrymati ſunt coram Domino, reſipiſcentes, i. e. They drew waters out of the wells of their hearts, and wept abundantly before the Lord; but that by the way.) See alſo 2 Chron. 20.3. Jehoſhaphat feared (viz. becauſe Moab and Ammon were come up againſt him) and ſet himſelf to ſeek the Lord, and proclaimed a Faſt throughout Judah. See alſo Ezra 8.21. Then I proclaimed a Faſt (ſaith Ezra) that we might afflict our ſelves before our God, to ſeek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our ſubſtance. Alſo p. 194Eſther 4.16. Go gather together all the Jews that are in Shuſhan (ſaid Queen Heſter) and faſt ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I alſo and my maids will faſt likewiſe, and ſo will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the Law, and if I periſh, I periſh. See Jonah 3.5. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a Faſt. ver. 6. For word came to the King of Nineveh, and he covered him with ſackcloth, and ſate in aſhes. And he cauſed it to be proclaimed and publiſhed thorow Nineveh, by the decree of the King and his Nobles, &c. All theſe Texts do manifeſt beyond all contradiction, That even the beſt of Rulers and Magiſtrates, ſuch as Samuel, Jehoſhaphat, Ezra, &c. have taken upon them to proclaim and enjoyn Religious Faſts when they ſaw cauſes for it: which doubtleſs ſo good and knowing men as theſe would never have done, if it had not belonged to them. So then, there can be no fault in Magiſtrates aſſuming to themſelves to appoint a Faſt, and Faſts, upon ſufficient and meet occaſions; though ſome cannot endure to hear of Civil Magiſtrates their medling or making, more or leſs, about matters of Religion, no though it be to promote it; but I think they are more nice than wiſe in that particular.

p. 195But may ſome ſay, Will the occaſion bear a Faſt, viz. The Death of the King ſo many years ago? To which I anſwer, Why not? Surely it will. Great Judgments either incumbent or but impendent have been the occaſions of Faſts. So of Jehoſhaphat's and of Eſther's Faſt; and why are not great ſins as much and as juſt an occaſion of a Faſt, for they are cauſes and procurers of great Judgments? Have we not as much cauſe to faſt and pray in reference to that Guilt which is upon our heads, as to War or other Calamities, which do but hang or hover over our heads? Now whereas ſome may think that though ſuch an occaſion as that may well bear a day or two once for all, yet an Anniverſary Faſt upon ſuch an account as this is too much. I am not of their mind: For why not Anniverſary Faſts upon great and and publick ſins, as well as Anniverſary Feaſts upon great and publick deliverances? and that appointed by Magiſtrates too? Such was the Feaſt of Purim, i. e. of Lots, which was inſtituted by Mordecai, (who you know was a very good man) in remembrance of the Jews delivery from Haman, before whom Lots were caſt from day to day for the deſtruction of them. We read alſo p. 196of an Anniverſary Feaſt, called the Feaſt of Dedication, foreign (a Feaſt wherein ſomething is renewed, becauſe thoſe things only are reputed conſecrated, which are ſeparated from their old common, and dedicated to ſome new and holy uſe. That Feaſt was appointed by Judas Macchabeus to be obſerved from year to year for the ſpace of eight days together in the Month Cafleu, which anſwereth to our December. Of this St. John, chap. 20.22. ſpeaks and mentioneth our Saviour's preſence there: It was at Jeruſalem the Feaſt of the Dedication, and it was winter. And Jeſus walked in the Temple in Solomons Porch.

God hath given us ſtanding general Rules for ſet days of Faſting or Thanksgiving as the matter ſhall require; but hath left it to the Rulers of the Church or State to appoint the time, whether every year, or as they pleaſe, and made it our duty to obey them in it, as in all other lawful things. God forbid that we ſhould not obey the Magiſtrate in thoſe Commands of his in which he obeys God; and ſurely he obeys God in commanding thoſe things to be done which God alſo hath commanded, or for which he hath given general Rules to be applied to particular times and p. 197places, as the Magiſtrate ſhall think fit

If any do think that the Faſt which I am now ſpeaking of, is meerly a Fast for ſtrife and for ſmiting with the fiſt. I utterly deny that any ſuch thing doth appear to have been the Magiſtrates intent in appointing it, neither ought we to be ſo uncharitable as to think ſo, neither is there any neceſſity of making it to be ſo. For upon that day we call to remembrance a great and ſhameful ſin which divers men have ſuffered for, yet it is not to make their perſons more odious, whoſe lives have paid for what they did, but to ſtigmatize their fact, that the like may never be committed in this or any ſucceeding age; it is not to make the Murtherers infamous, but the Murther, the Regicide, to cauſe that to ſtink in the Noſtrils of all men. 'Tis not to grieve the hearts of their ſurviving Relations, Widows, or Children, &c. I ſay, it is to grieve no body that had no hand themſelves in the death of that excellent King; but it is, that others may hear and do no more ſo wickedly.

I look upon a 30th. day of January to be the moſt proper day in all the year to preach up Loyalty, and to preach down Rebellion, p. 198not in any railing or reviling, but in a ſober rational convincing way, and may all Pulpits ring with Loyalty on every ſuch day, and Rebellion be rendered as odious on that day, as we uſe to render Popery and his Holineſs on each fifth day of November. Did I know any perſon or perſons that were ſo wretched and croſs-grain'd as to turn a 30th. day of January into a kind of Feſtival or Thanksgiving-day, I would not doubt to apply to him or her thoſe words, Iſai. 22.12, 13. In that day did the Lord call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldneſs, and to girding with ſackcloth. And behold joy and gladneſs, ſlaying oxen, killing ſheep, eating fleſh and drinking wine. ver. 14. Surely this iniquity ſhall not be purged from you till ye die, ſaith the Lord God of Hoſts. I was about to ſay, that as many people as do rejoyce at the remembrance of the late Kings death, do as it were put him to death afreſh (as ſome are ſaid to crucifie our Saviour again, if I may ſo allude) and do what in them lies to bring the guilt of his Royal Blood, as much upon their own heads, as it was upon the head of his Judges.

Now in the cloſe of all, If any man ſhall ſay to me, Cui bono? or Quorſum haec? To what purpoſe is it for any man to ſet p. 199forth the murthering of the late King in its colours (as you have done) ſince the thing is paſt and gone, and cannot be recall'd, and now there is no help for it, &c. To that I anſwer, By the ſame reaſon may you think it needleſs to call to remembrance any great ſin of your own; ſaying it is paſt and gone, and now there is no help for it, To what purpoſe ſhould I mourn over it? any more than David did over his Child, when perfectly dead? or why ſhould not I rather do as he then did, of whom it is ſaid, That when the child was dead he waſhed and anointed himſelf, and changed his Apparel, and eat bread, 2 Sam. 20, &c. I anſwer, Though we ought to ſorrow as little as we can for thoſe Afflictions which are gone over our heads, and cannot be recall'd, and to forget them as ſoon as we can, yet it ought not to be ſo with us, ſuch ought not to be our carriage, in reference to our ſins: David ſaith, That his ſins were ever before him. Who ever condemn'd Peter for weeping, after the crowing Cock cauſed him to reflect upon his denying his Maſter? Who ever found fault with David for watering his couch with his tears, after he had polluted it with Adultery? If we could forget our Afflictions more, and our ſins p. 200leſs, it would be better for us. Sorrows are beſt forgotten, but ſins are beſt remembred.

Poſſibly it is no more than God expects, that ſo notorious a fact ſhould be publickly lamented every year. I am deceived if a good advantage may not be made of that days Solemnity, if piouſly and prudently managed, whereby to make more Converts and Proſelytes to Loyalty, than have been in England of late years, and to bring men better acquainted with the Doctrine and Duty of Obedience to the lawful Commands of Magiſtrates, than they ſeem to have been hitherto: A Doctrine in which ſome men, the more their ſin and ſhame, find no more reliſh than in the white of an Egg, and is one of thoſe ſound Doctrines, which ſome men will not endure, which is a part of that foreign, that healthful, wholſome, or healing Doctrine, of which the Apoſtle ſaith, 2 Tim. 4.3. The time will come when men will not endure ſound Doctrine. Moreover, I was about to ſay, out of that Viper, or viperous Action, viz. Regicide (at leſtwiſe as one principal ingredient thereof) may a good Theriaca, Treacle, or Antidote be made againſt all Sedition and Rebellion for time to come; which things have p. 201now the death of a King to anſwer for, and are become more infamous and hateful than ever before, becauſe ſtain'd and tainted, and made more execrable by the guilt of Royal Blood.

Upon the 30th of January, of all days in the year, let Parents inſtruct their Children, and Maſters their Servants in the fifth Commandment, particularly as it contains the duty of Subjects towards Kings and Rulers. Poſſibly your Children and your Servants will be more obedient to you than now they are; when you have learnt to be more obedient to thoſe whom God hath ſet over you in the Church or State; Nay, ſome good and pious women, whilſt they are teaching their Children and Servants obedience to the King, may reflect and learn more obedience to their own Huſbands. Ʋpon that day, let every thing that is under Government be taught to obey. I do really think it a very great defect in Parents not to train up their Children in Loyalty (amongſt other Principles of Religion, for that is one head of the Fifth Commandment) not to train them up in that way of their youth, that they may not forget it when they are old. Perhaps ſome Parents had kept their Children from thoſe untimely p. 202ends which their Diſloyalty hath brought them to, if they had done ſo. Let us poſſeſs our Families with awful apprehenſions of Magiſtracie, and the neceſſity of obeying thoſe whom God hath ſet over us in all lawful things; and this eſpecially upon every 30th. day of January. For want of this many are undone by ſcrupling what they need not, viz. indifferent things, and not ſcrupling what they ought, viz. Rebellion.

Is it not to little purpoſe generally for men to give their Children Learning, unleſs they inſtruct them in Loyalty; for if they are to ſeek as to that, where, and in what capacity ſhall they uſe their Learning? What ſhall be the Sphere of their activity? A little Learning would ſerve the turn to preach to ſo few hearers, as the Law will afford, or allow them, who are not inſtructed in obedience. How many Lads of excellent parts and hopes, having ſuckt in d…ſloyal Principles, as it were with their Mothers milk, have been put to mean and Mechanick Trades, and forced to live by their hands, who could have liv'd by their heads or head-pieces as well as moſt men, had they not been denied that Education that ſhould have inabled them ſo to do.

p. 203It might prevent the ruine of thouſands if ſuch Texts, as ſome that I could name, were preached upon on every 30th. day of January, and handled as they ſhould be; I mean ſo, as that the Reaſon and Conſciences of men might feel what the Miniſter ſaith, and go away more fixed in Loyalty and Obedience, than they came thither. Ex. gr. one of the Texts I mean is, Prov. 24.21, 22. My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity ſhall riſe ſuddenly, and who knows the ruine of them both? What we tranſlate given to change, ſome render by the word Rebellibus Rebels, others by nova Molientibus, ſuch as project or attempt new things, i. e. new Governments. There are two expreſſions that bid fair for the ſenſe of thoſe words, who knows the ruin of them both? 1. Who knows what ruine may fall upon them who honour not God and the King from them both: i. e. both from God and the King. 2. Or the words may be rendred, who knows, Sheneicem, i. e. terminum annorum, the end of their years and days, who are given to change and overturn Governments, how ſoon they may periſh in their Rebellion, as did Corah and his Complices?

p. 204Another Text which I wiſh that Parents would mind their Children, and Maſters their Servants of upon every 30th, day of January, is Prov. 17.26. To puniſh the juſt is not good, nor to ſtrike Princes for equity. Methinks at the firſt hearing the words do ſound as if the meaning of them were, That it is not good to ſtrike Princes, under pretence of bringing them as Delinquents to condign puniſhment, of trying them by a pretended Court of Juſtice, or Proceſs of Law, as Jezebel tried Naboth. Surely, if a man be either a juſt man, or a Prince, he ought not to be ſtricken by the hand of any man. If just, becauſe he deſerves it not; if a Prince or King, becauſe if you could ſuppoſe him to have deſerved it, he is to be reſerved to the judgment of the King of Kings, as David ſaid concerning Saul, 1 Sam. 26.10. The Lord ſhall ſmite him, or his day ſhall come to die, or he ſhall deſcend into battle and periſh. The Lord forbid that I ſhould stretch out my hand against the Lords Anointed. ver. 9. And David ſaid to Abiſhat, (who ſaid to him, Let me ſmite Saul once with a spear to the earth, and I will not ſmite him again) for who can ſtretch forth his hand againſt the Lords Anointed and be guiltleſs? Cauſe your Children and Servants to read ſuch p. 205Texts as theſe upon every 30th. day of January. A diſloyal Education, I perſwade my ſelf hath been the temporal ruine of many a hopeful Perſon. Let no Parents convey thoſe groundleſs prejudices into the minds of their children, which may prove the ſeeds of Rebellion in time, at leaſtwiſe of Faction and Sedition, which will ever keep them from ever ſignifying any thing in this world, and conſign them over to the woful temptations of want and beggery; and what if Parents, when they have compaſſed Sea and Land to make their Children Froſelytes to their own perſwaſions, have proved but ignes fatui to their own children, meerly miſled and miſguided them? And whilſt they being blind themſelves as to thoſe matters, lead their children as blind as themſelves, both of them fall into the ditch? God ſecure all conſcientious Loyalty and Obedience in this and all following Ages; and let all good and wiſe Parents cauſe their Childrn to ſuck it in with their Mothers milk, that ſuch days of Rebellion, Treaſon, Perjury, Sacriledge, and Murther, as our eyes have ſeen, may never return upon us again.

Tell your Children that in ſuch a year begun a Civil War in England, which ended p. 206in the murthering, the barbarous murthering of a good King; ſay that, and you need ſay no more to make any conſcientious perſon tremble at the thought of another Civil War, o… of contributing thereunto. Let the murther of the King be expoſed to deter all after-ages from ever thirſting more after the blood of Kings, or at leaſtwiſe daring to gratifie and quench that their thirſt, &c.

If Miniſters will pleaſe to lay aſide all invective language (if any be prone thereunto, of which I can charge no man particularly) upon each 30th. day of January, and whatſoever may give people juſt occaſion to ſay they railed in the Pulpit, uſing as (one expreſſeth it) ſoft words and hard Arguments, whereby to convince all gainſayers, that the putting of the late King to death, was an action monſtrouſly wicked & an unaccountable ſin to God or men: & if people will be ſo obedient to Authority, and ſo true to themſelves, as to attend publick preaching and prayer on that day, the Anniverſary Fast, may with the bleſſing of of God, turn to a very good account, namely, of ſecuring the Peace and Safety of the Nation, and of the reſpective Kings of England; and particularly of his gracious p. 207Majeſty that now is, for ever after. Let us Miniſters tell the people on that day how juſt and righteous God is, how God is known by the Judgments which he executeth, the wicked being taken in their own ſnare, and in the pit which they digged for others; how he cauſes mens ſins to find them out, and long forborn Murther and Regicides, to purſue men like Blood-hounds; how he brings the wheel upon ungodly men after long-forbearance, how though he be long-ſuffering, yet not ever-ſuffering; and when he maketh inquiſition for blood, he will not forget the Blood of Kings, or ſuffer the ſhedding of Royal blood to go unpuniſhed.

Mind your people how dangerous the beginnings of publick Diſturbances and Changes are, even like ſparks of fire in the midſt of a Magazine of Gun-powder, and may prove of as dangerous conſequence. When a King and his people are once ing aged againſt each other in a War, ten to one but the iſſue will be, either he will hang them if he have the better of it, or they will behead him if the day be theirs. Think of Solomons words, Prov. 17.14. The beginning of ſtrife is as when one letteth out waters, therefore leave off contention before it be medled p. 208with. Think alſo of the words of St. James, Jam. 3.5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

Labor on that day eſpecially to bring one French faſhion into England, viz. to cauſe the people of England to love and honour their King, as univerſally as the people of France are ſaid to do, whoſe humour (and it is a very good one) is this (as I am inform…d) viz. If their King enjoy great renown and proſperity, if he be victorious and ſucceſsful, a little matter elſe will content them, they are content with any thing, looking upon their happineſs as bound up in his; and that if he be happy, they ought not to think themſelves miſerable.

A 30th. of January is as good and ſutable a day as can be to exhort the people, as St. Paul doth, 1 Tim. 1.1, 2. That not only ſupplications, prayers, and interceſſions, but alſo giving of Thanks, foreign, be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority; and in order thereunto, to make them ſenſible how many and great mercies, benefits, and priviledges they enjoy under the Government of his Majeſty that now is. Doth not the blood and ſpirit of Juſtice (if I may ſo call it) freely and uninterruptedly circulate in all the veins of this p. 209Nation? Was there ever leſs complaint of Male-adminiſtration in publick Courts than has been ever ſince his Majeſties return? What great numbers are there of able Lawyers, Judges, Sergeants, and others Learned in the Law? And poſſibly as many Gentlemen of honeſty and integrity as have been known of that Profeſſion in any one Age. How well furniſhed are both the Ʋ niverſities with good Scholars and good men (though it cannot be expected they ſhould all be ſuch) eſpecially Maſters and Fellows of Colledges. And that I may inſtance in every of the Liberal and Learned Profeſſions. How many Learned Phyſicians are there in England, far ſurpaſſing the number of Learned men of that Profeſſion, it may be, in any part of Europe (for ſo I have heard.) Nay, how many ſcores of Pious and Learned Divines are there at this day in England? (doubtleſs in no age all Divines were ſuch) and amongſt them how many painful and excellent Preachers, acurate Diſputants, noble champions for the Proteſtant Religion, mighty Goliahs to encounter the greateſt Leviathan's, and as rational clear-headed enemies to Atheiſme, Enthuſiaſme and Nonſerſe as ever drew ſword againſt thoſe Enemies.

p. 210I was about to fay, If God had given us leave to beſpeak a King after our own hearts, or made one on purpoſe for us, ſuch as we deſired, he could not in ſundry reſpects, have excelled what he now is: Ex. gr.

1. In point of Mercy and Benignity; I think he has forgiven more than any King did before him, or may do after him; a more unſanguinary Prince never was in the world. Blame him not if he exact that Obedience, which is due to him; but he cares as little for Sacrifice as ever King did, and as ſmall a matter hath atoned him, as ever did atone any Prince ſo provoked and injured as he hath been. If he has not fed his enemies when he ſaw them hungry, and clothed them when they were naked (many men that were his enemies both in war and otherwiſe) never did any man do it.

2. In point of Peaceableneſs, for all know him to be the true Grandchild of King King James. He is none of thoſe that delight in War, and are ever and anon immerſing their Subjects in Seas of Blood. He loves not to quarrel his Neighbours round about him, and to Hector them into War, and to give up his people to the Sword, to eat their fleſh, and drink their blood; but had p. 211rather have them ſit under ther vines and under their fig-trees, none making them afraid.

3. If Humility and Condeſcention be an ornament to a Prince, and the advantage of his Subjects, I am much deceived, if his Majeſty doth no abound therein; and yet reſerveth to himſelf the Majeſty and Greatneſs which doth become his place: What Prince in the world more affable, more acceſſible than he?

4. If it be a mercy to have a wiſe Prince, who underſtands his own buſineſs (as doubtleſs it is) tis well known by this time of day that he is one: none but a wiſe Pilot could ſteer ſafely in ſo great ſtorms as his Majeſty hath been in, and preſerve a Ship from being loſt, ſayling amongſt ſo many Rocks, and Shelves, and Sands, as he has done.

The wiſdom of his Grandfather King James, as being one of the greateſt Royal Scholars that ever was, began early to appear; for the warm Sun of ſo literate an Education quickly brought him to maturity. But the wiſdom of King Charles the Martyr did then moſt gloriouſly ſhine out, when he himſelf was under a cloud of Adverſity, and was like Muſick, which makes p. 212the ſweeteſt melody upon the waters. So did his Piety and Wiſdom upon the waters of Affliction. As a man may bebold the Sun in a ſhady pit or well, better than above ground, for there is no reflexion from the earth to divert our eyes: So they who beheld King Charles the Firſt in the deep pit or well of Affliction, ſaw his wiſdom to greater advantage than it was taken notice of before, and in him that Maxime verified, viz. Vexatio dat intellectum. Quite contrary it hapned to his Majesty that now is (whom God bleſs for ever.) In the years of his Adverſity, his wiſdom and other excellencies were better known to Foreiners than to us his natural Subjects: for that he was then upon force-put, a ſtranger to his own Country and Kingdoms, and evilminded men took the advantage of his Exile and abſence to repreſent him as they pleaſed. But ſince his Return we have had as much aſſurance as we need to wiſh of the greatneſs and goodneſs of his Princely Intellectuals, of his being endowed with excellent natural parts (which brings to mind a Scotch Proverb, viz. That one inch of Mother-wit (meaning natural ingenuity) is better than an ell of Clergy. (And thoſe natural parts improved and exalted by forein p. 213Travel, converſe with all ſorts of men. Experience both of Adverſity and Proſperity, diſpatch of buſineſs for many years together, the conſtant and aſſiſtance of wiſe Counſellors, and the advantage of his great office and Dignity;) and you know by how much higher any man ſtandeth, by ſo much farther off can he ſee. So that now I know no man can queſtion whether he hath great fitneſs and skill for the buſineſs and purpoſes of a King, great underſtanding how to govern in all points, and better skill to manage a Scepter, than any man who hath not a Scepter to manage.

5. If it be yet a further mercy or happineſs to a people to have a King that is active or nimble, not dull or ſluggiſh; ſo is he: I had almoſt ſaid, that his Majeſty ſeems to be as much an Ʋbiquitary when he pleaſeth, i.e. here, and there, and every where (as his Affairs require his preſence) as any man that wears a body. I had almoſt ſaid, he hath not only a body ſo agile and active, as if it were a Soul; but alſo a Soul ſo active, as if it were an Angel, rather than the Soul of a mortal man.

6. Is not that King a great mercy and bleſſing under whom his Subjects do live as eaſily, as freely, and as much like men, as p. 214any Subjects in the world do? Where more liberty, more peace, more plenty than amongſt Engliſh men? who by their Repreſentatives in Parliament may be ſaid to carry the purſe at their Girdles, whilſt his Majeſty carrieth the Sword by his ſide. Go but over Sea to other parts of Europe, or of the world, and when you ſee how it fareth with Subjects almoſt every where elſe, what meer Slaves they are in compariſon of Engliſhmen, you will look upon England as the moſt temperate Climate that any Subjects do live in; and think with your ſelves that if there were but a Bridge betwixt England and other parts of the world, all Subjects would chuſe to come and live here: (as is ſaid in another caſe.) Verily, the Subjects of England are little Princes to what the Subjects are in other parts; and to them I may apply thoſe words of the Poet, Foelices nimium ſua ſi bona norant. We are too too happy, if we did but know it. If there be at this day a Canaan upon earth like that of old flowing with milk and honey, I mean, abounding with all manner of good things, England is one, not for Bodies only, but for Souls alſo. In England God is known, and his Name great in England; he hath not dealt ſo with every Nation, nor have they known his p. 215Statutes as we have done. Why then hear we ſuch bleating of the ſheep, and ſuch lowing of the oxen? Why ſuch murmuring & complaining, and not rather ſerving God with chearfulneſs in the midſt of all the good things which we have in England. Is it not a great wonder that we ſhould be the most happy of all people, and yet the leaſt contented, the leaſt thankful?

If it be a happineſs to a trading people to have a King that maketh it his buſineſs to promote the Trade and Traffique of his people, we have ſuch a one? I could ſafely produce a perſon of great worth and eminency, and of as much skill in Merchandize poſſibly as moſt men in the world, who has told me time after time, bona fide, that no Prince, to the beſt of his obſervation, was ever ſo much concern'd for the good of Trade or had more denied himſelf for the advancement thereof, than his Majeſty that now is hath done? which I doubt not but he is ready to demonſtrate to every rational man. But if after all this Trading be but dead,, as that is the great complaint, and the very cardo controverſiae, & hinc illae lachrymae, may not his Majeſty ſay to his people, Am I in Gods ſtead? If the Lord help ye not, in that point (as the King ſaid to the woman of Samaria, that p. 216cried to him for bread in the time of famine?) How ſhould I help you? So it fareth with many private Families, they are but poor, and yet the Maſter of the Family is a man of double diligence, providence, forecaſt, riſes early, and eates the bread of carefulneſs. Is it juſt and equal that his Children and Servants ſhould be ready to ſtone him becauſe he doth not grow rich upon all his labours: Nay, it is as God pleaſes for that matter; witneſs Deut. 8.18. Thou ſhalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. If he that is poor in ſpight of all his diligence and care, had been careleſs and ſlothful, poſſibly his Family had been ſtarv'd, which now is only not rich: So had we not had a Prince who had been ſuch a Nurſing-Father to Trade, as his preſent Majeſty is, it may be by this time there had been no Trade at all, or next to none.

8ly. If Kings be Defenders of the Antient, Catholick, Apoſtolick Faith, The faith once delivered to the Churches, of the true Chriſtian Proteſtant Religion, have we not cauſe to bleſs God for them as ſuch? And ſuch an one is he whom God hath ſet over us. Is not the Proteſtant Religion defended by him? Are not Protestants by p. 217him defended and protected in the publick, open, and free exerciſe of their Religion? So as Papists are not (who fly about like Bats rather than otherwiſe) Are not all the Preferments of the Church beſtowed upon the Proteſtant Divines? have not they all the Archbiſhopricks, Biſhopricks, Deaneries, Prebends, Maſterſhips of Colledges, &c. amongſt them? Are not good and learned Books againſt Popery licens'd from time to time, and Popiſh Books ſuppreſſed whether they come from beyond Sea, or endeavor to get out of our Engliſh Preſſes? Are not all publick Ordinations, Adminiſtration of Sacraments, and other Church-Offices diſpenſed after the manner of Proteſtants? Are not the Articles of the Church of England defended by his Majeſty, and are not they all purely Froteſtant? Thoſe things conſidered, who can deny his Majeſty to be really a Defender of the Faith? And why ſhould any man go about to clip his Title, any more than he dare to clip his Coin? May he not be truly a Defender of the Faith, though he be no Defender of Presbytery, either Scotch or Engliſh, nor yet of Independency, nor of Anabaptiſm, nor of Quakeriſm, nor of Fifth-Monarchiſm? I ſay, though he be no Defender of any of them p. 218in the Abſtract (but only of their perſons in the Concrete, who are of thoſe perſwaſions) I ſay, he may be a Defender of the Faith nevertheleſs, and ſo he is, for none of theſe are the Faith: Theſe are but Mint, Anniſe, and Cummin in reſpect of the great things of Religion, the Magnalia Dei, the two Tables of the Law, of which he is Keeper. Thoſe are but the arbitrary Modes, Habits, and Dreſſes of Religion. Clothes do not belong to the eſſence of a man. A man is a man to all intents and purpoſes, whether he wear a Cloak or a Coat, or neither, or both. Chriſtianity is the ſame thing in all good men, whether they wear Gowns or no Gowns, Caſſocks or no Caſſocks, and who are called either Epiſcopal, Presbyterian, Independent, or whatſoever elſe. So long as the eſſentials, Vitals and Fundamentals of Religion are guarded by the Laws of England, and the vigilant care of his Majeſty, what becomes of thoſe little airy vehicles of diſciplinary names, diviſions, and diſtinctions is the leaſt thing of a thouſand. For ſo long as a man lays no other foundation than that which God hath layed, viz. Jeſus Chriſt, 1 Cor. 3.11. building upon him by faith, love, and obedience, if he ſhould chuſe beſides Gold, and ſilver, and p. 219precious ſtones, to build upon the foundation wood, hay, and ſtubble, that his ſuperstructure would be burnt, yet himſelf ſhould certainly be ſaved. If a man may go to heaven out of the Church of England, as well, yea, more readily than from Geneva or Amſterdam, and from under the Diſcipline of any of thoſe places, let him look to it that he be a good Chriſtian, exerciſing himſelf to have a Conſcience void of offence towards God and men; one that worſhippeth God in the ſpirit, rejoyceth in Christ Jeſus, and has no confidence in the fleſh, as it is Phil. 3.3. and my Soul for his, having thus his fruit unto holineſs, his end will be everlasting life. So a man come to Heaven at laſt, fighting a good fight, finiſhing a good courſe, and having kept the faith (i. e. having been true to the great Doctrine and Rules of Chriſtian Religion defended by the Church of England, and his Majeſty more eſpecially, the Supreme Governor thereof under God) by a ſincere life and practice thereof, I ſay, if a man perſevering thus to do, come to Heaven at laſt, whether he come in the Kings high way (as I may call it) I mean, in the more eminent and beaten Road of Epiſcopacy, or in the more private, narrow, and unfrequented paths, the matter is p. 220not great. But I make account no man can ever come there, who ſhall live and dye an incourager of known Schiſme in others (which is as truly a damning work of the fleſh, as Adultery or Murther) or a wilful allower of it in himſelf.

'Tis no complement, much leſs flattery or blaſphemy, to call him Defender of the Faith, by whom as much of Religion as is neceſſary to Salvation is defended, or rather we his Subjects in the free and ſafe exerciſe thereof, though the ſame favour be not ſhewn to thoſe who turn aſide from the only eſtabliſhed Diſcipline (for but one Diſcipline can be eſtabliſhed in one place) as to thoſe who conform thereunto. If a man travel upon the Kings high way betwixt Sun and Sun, and be rob'd, he may ſue and recover his Money: but ſo may not he that travelleth in By-roads, or croſs the Country, or over hedges and ditches. I ſay, if any man rob them that ſhall chuſe to travel in ſuch by, obſcure, and unguarded paths, no amends is made him; only if he chance to be kill'd or murder'd in any wood or wilderneſs, the Law will lay hold on him that did it. Let who will govern, or the Government be what it will be, they who conform thereunto will always find p. 221more regard and countenance than thoſe who do not, though others may be tolerated and protected alſo. And ſo much of our Kings being Defender of the Faith, truly and properly ſo called, upon account whereof we have cauſe to bleſs God for him.

9thly. We have cauſe to give thanks to God for thoſe Kings, by and under whom all the great ends of Government are provided for, and therefore for his Majeſty that now is. By him all the great ends of Government are provided for. What are they, but in two words, Religion and Property? How Religion ot the preſervation thereof, and our protection in the profeſſion and practice thereof are provided for, I ſhew'd under the 8th, and laſt head. 'Tis manifeſt that care is taken that we may lead a quiet and peaceble life in all godlineſs and honeſty, as it is 1 Tim. 2.2. Alſo how Property is ſecured to us, may be gathered abundantly out of the formentioned particulars. Now if you have any thing more to expect from a King, declare what it is: For I confeſs I know nothing elſe that there is for him to do as a King for us, or for us as his Subjects to expect.

10thly, and laſtly, I do ſolemnly appeal to p. 222the diſcontented people of the Nation, and to thoſe whoſe mouths are moſt full of complaints; I ſay, I appeal to them in two caſes, which I ſhall propound in the two following Queſtions. 1. Queſt. If you meet with leſs miſery, enjoy more mercy under his Majeſty that now is, than ye did expect or look for, have you not cauſe to bleſs God for him? Queſt. 2. Do you not really meet with leſs miſery and more mercy under his Majesty that now is, than you thought you ſhould have done? How oft have I heard many that were Parliamenteers ſay, If ever the King were reſtored they ſhould not be left worth a morſel of bread, there would be no being for them then in England, he would make the Land too hot for them, and all ſuch as they. They had as good buy Biſhops, or Deans and Chapters Lands as not, for if a change came, they ſhould as certainly loſe their Lands of Inheritance, and what they got by their own labour, and was as free as any in the world, as Kings and Biſhops Lands, if they intended to buy them. I know that many did look upon the King's return as the giving up the Ghoſt of all their joys and comforts, poſſeſſions and enjoyments. But did it prove ſo? Have not many of them ſeen as good days as p. 223ever they ſaw before? Where is the Popery you propheſied of, that would come in preſently? For you ſaw it flying towards us, as upon the wings of the wind? Where has been the bloody Perſecution, the Marian-days which your minds boded to you? Have you not ſince that ſeen days of Grace and Peace, and of the Son of man? Is the Ark taken, as you thought it would be? Is God gone? Is the Glory departed? Is the Goſpel extinguiſhed? and the Sun ſet as it were at Noon day, as you fancied it would be? O leave your dreaming of Dreams, and divining of Divinations; away with thoſe hypocondriack vapours which turn to new Light and Prophecy. Silence and ſlight your miſtaken fancies: Your eyes yet ſee your Teachers, and your ears hear them. Now, even now, there is an accepted time, a day of Salvation. You were worſe ſcar'd than hurt with the Alarm of a King: Such is not the manner of the King that rules over us, as is deſcribed 1 Sam. 8.9. ours is no ſuch King. Are not your Eſtates (all but thoſe that were raviſhed from the Church or State) continued with you? Is not the Law open and ready to defend you and yours if required, as much as any other of the Kings Subjects? If you be as quiet, p. 224may you not live as quietly as any people in England? To allude to that Text, Pſal. 126.1. When the Lord turned again the Captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Are you not like men and women in a dream to ſee your ſelves in ſo good a plight and poſture as you never expected to have been if God reſtor'd the King? Had God given you a new Law of thankfulfulneſs upon condition it ſhould have been ſo well with you as now it is, would you not have accepted it with all your hearts upon thoſe terms? If God has been better to you than his word or promiſe, your obligation is ſo much the greater.

Learn we then to bleſs God for our good King, to love, honour, and obey him; and let us cry out with the man after God's own heart. Pſal. 118, 28. God is the Lord which hath ſhewed us light, bind the Sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the Altar. ver. 29. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.

Now, Reader, let thine own invention tell thee how theſe heads may be further enlarged, and upon what other heads it may be moſt proper for thee to diſcourſe, either in publick or private upon a 30th. day p. 225of January ſacred to the Memory of King Charles the firſt his Martyrdom.

I will detain thee no longer, than whilſt I have made a little enquiry into one great Myſtery, and reſolved one perplexing Queſtion, which is this: Queſt. If the murthering of the late King were ſo great a ſin as I have deciphereed it to be, How comes it to paſs that none of all his Judges (one excepted, who by common fame is preſumed to be a man of more Conſcience and Religion than the reſt) no not of thoſe who were executed for it, were ever, for ought I heard, learn to confeſs and bewail what they had done, but rather to carry and brave it out with ſuch confidence and ſeeming innocence as the adulterous woman, Prov. 30.20. of whom Solomon thus ſpeaks: She eateth and wipeth her mouth, and ſaith I have done no wickedneſs. This their confidence hath caſt ſuch a miſt before the eyes of ſome people, and ſo perverted their judgments, as to make them think there was nothing amiſs in what they did, yea, to be almoſt perſwaded, that they did God good ſervice in it, and quitted themſelves like Phineas, who ſtood up and executed judgment, and it was accounted to him for righteuſneſs. Anſw. But oh the miſtakes of men! Oh the falſe Gloſſes which dazle the eyes of poor p. 226filly mortals! Oh the common fallacy which impoſeth upon the world, viz. Non cauſa pro cauſa! They muſt needs have had the moſt falſe and flattering Conſciences, the moſt deceitful hearts that ever men had, if ever they preſum'd to tell them they had done well, or bid them, when taking their Viaticum, or laſt repaſt, to eat their bread with joy, and drink their wine with a merry heart, for God accepted their work, or that with ſuch a ſacrifice as that God was well pleaſed. Had an Iſraelite inſtead of ſacrificing a Lamb, cut off a dogs neck, or offered Swines blood for an oblation to God, or bleſs'd an Idol inſtead of burning incenſe, or ſlain a man inſtead of killing of an Oxe, as God expreſſes in Ifa. 66.3. he might as well have promiſed himſelf Gods acceptance thereof, and his ſmelling a ſweet ſavour of reſt from thence, as thoſe Murtherers of an excellent King could do of that bloody barbarous Sacrifice which they had prepared; to which I may aptly apply thoſe words of the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10.10. But I ſay, the things which the Gentiles ſacrifice, they ſacrifice to Devils and not to God. No drink-offering ever cheer'd the heart of Devils and wicked men, ſo well (according to Judg. 9.13.) as did that of Royal Blood. If ever p. 227there were mirth in Hell, ſurely it was upon that day. That was ſuch a Hecatomb, as the infernall Fiends never had a greater offered to them; never a Feaſt of more fat things ſacrificed to their malice.

That they who were the Actors in this bloody Tragedy were no more ſenſible of what they had done, might ſpring from two cauſes. 1. Becauſe the ſin, being ſo great and horrid as it was, might well bring a kind of Apoplexy upon their Conſciences, and in ſome ſuch apoplectick Fit, they, or ſome of them, ſeem'd to dye. For great ſins, as well as great ſorrows, and blows are apt to ſtun and ſtupifie, as I proved before. 2. Becauſe there were many of them that were concern'd in it, and it might ſeem to them to be in this as in other caſes, viz. That many hands make light work. 'Tis a very true and common obſervation, that when a great many men joyn together, when they go as it were in herds and droves, they do often venture upon doing of thoſe things by conſent, which were they invited to do alone, they would be ready to ſay as he, Is thy Servant a dead dog, that I ſhould do this thing? One would think men were deceived with ſome ſuch idle fallacy as this, viz. That if an hundred men joyn together p. 228in one Murther, or other high act of Injustice or Diſhoneſty, every one of them were but the hundredth part of a Murtherer; as if multorum manibus grande levatur onus, were a Rule that held in this caſe, but as thus applied, it is a very great miſtake: For what our Law ſaith is conſonant to right Reaſon, viz. That in murther no man is meer acceſſary, but all are principals and obnoxious to death. Shall I add a third. This their ſin was not ſo univerſally gone before to judgment, as is a plain ordinary Murther, becauſe it was coloured over with a pretence of Law and Juſtice, there were a great many that were ready not only to vindicate but applaud it; the mask was not quite taken off from it, nor the vail of darkneſs from the hearts of all the Spectators. This with a good ſtrong Cordial, a ſufficient opiate, and a ſeared Conſcience, and an ambition to ſet a good face upon what they had done, to make the beſt of a bad market, to dye like men and Souldiers, and thoſe that ſome would not doubt to Canonize for Saints, even for the ſake of their Regicide (could they but keep their own counſel, by dying ſuch in point of Reſolution and ſeeming Aſſurance) thoſe with ſome other things I could name, might p. 229be the true cauſes why they did or ſeem'd to die without the leaſt remorſe for what they had done. But far be it from us to think the better, or more favourably of that ſin, the committers whereof did or ſeem'd to dye without repentance.

Now what I have written touching this matter, I call Heaven to witneſs, did not ſpring from any hatred that I do, or ever did bear to the perſons of them, or theirs who had the infamous honour, or ſeeming honour, but eternal infamy of being the King's Judges; but from deteſtation of the fact, and a true deſire that the like may be prevented for time to come; and wheras it is commonly ſaid, that ſome do love Treaſon but always hate the Traytors; I by a reverſe, do profeſs my ſelf to have heartily pitied the perſons of thoſe Traytors, to have true compaſſion and good will to their innocent Relations that yet ſurvive them; but mean time from my heart to abhor and deteſt that and all other Treaſon.

Did I ſay that as much as I hate Treaſon, I have heartily pitied and do pity the Regicides, I do not mean that I think it any pity, that being what they were, they ſhould be brought to an untimely end, to p. 230an ignominious death, that I thought them too good to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, who had been ſo vile as to behead their King; all that they ſuffered in that nature was far leſs than they deſerved. But I do really pity them in relation to their poor Souls: For I wiſh from my heart, that all men might be ſaved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; and am not willing if I could help it) that any ſhould periſh everlaſtingly: I wiſh no man ſo ill as to wiſh him in hell, or that he might die in his ſins, that the bottomleſs pit might open its mouth and ſwallow him up. Sure I am, the Regicides did run as great a risk and bid as fair for Hell and Damnation as men could do by any one action, their fact being ſo tranſcendently and complicatedly wicked and abominable as it was. Had they courted Hell, and been fond of Damnation, what could they have done more to have enjoyed it, than to bain their own Souls, as much as in them lay, by an eternal Poyſon compounded of all ſorts of deadly Ingredients, one of which might ſeem ſufficient to effect the work in ſpight of an Antidote. The great compounded Antidotes, Treacle, &c. do hardly conſiſt of more Alexipharmacal Ingredients than this fact of p. 231theirs did of deleterious, and deadly things (or ſhall I call them damnable Ingredients.)

For firſt, Is Perjury a damning ſin, or is it not? If not, what mean theſe words of St. James, Jac. 5.12. Above all things ſwear not, neither by the Heaven nor by the Earth, nor by any other Oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, lest you fall into condemnation. Now in theſe words ſwearing, but vainly and frivolouſly, and that but by Heaven or Earth, or other Creatures, ſeems to be threatned with damnation; and is it not far worſe and more damnable to ſwear falſely, and that by the Name of God, than to ſwear frivolouſly by the Name of any Creature? yet even the later of thoſe doth St. James deprecate with the moſt earneſt obteſtation: Above all things, my brethren, ſwear not, neither by Heaven, &c. 2. Is there no damnableneſs in Rebellion think you? No danger that Rebellion ſhould damn any man? Is that a venial and no mortal ſin? Surely no: Witneſs the words of the Apoſtle; Rom. 13.2. Whoſoever reſiſteth the powers, reſiſteth the Ordinances of God, and they that reſiſt them, receive to themſelves damnation. Now in this caſe there was reſiſting unto blood.

p. 2323. Was no man ever damn'd for Treaſon? What think you of Judas who was a Traytor to his Maſter and Saviour; of whom the Scripture ſaith, It had been good for him that he had never been born. If he went to Heaven, if he were not damn'd, it was well for him that ever he was born: therefore thoſe words do intimate that he was damned.

4. Can Sacriledge damn no man? Is not that of its ſelf a damnable ſin? Surely it is. For 1. Sacriledge is Theft, and the higheſt ſort of Theft: For will a man rob God? ſaith Malachy. Now Thieves are brought into the Muſter-rolls of perſons that muſt be damned. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God, nor abuſers of themſelves with mankinde, nor thieves, &c. It is well if Ananias and Saphira feel it not to their ſorrow, that Sacriledge can damn Souls. In Zech. 5.3. we read of ſtealing and ſwearing, as things each or either of which will bring men under the flying-role, or curſe of God. This is the curſe that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that ſtealeth ſhall be cut off as on this ſide, according to it. I will bring it forth, ſaith the Lord, and it ſhall enter into the houſe of p. 233the thief, and of him that ſweareth falſely by by my Name: and ſhall remain in the midſt of his houſe, and it ſhall conſume it, with the timber thereof, and the ſtones thereof, ver. 4. Againſt whom but Thieves and Robbers is that threatning denounced Hab. 2.11. The ſtone ſhall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber ſhall anſwer it, (applied to the unſatiable Chaldeans.) Now in Sacriledge there ſeems to be a complication of Theft and Perjury, becauſe it is a Robbing of God of that which was due to him by a Vow, or that men have ſworn (for a Vow and an Oath come much what to one) that they will give to God. So was the caſe of Ananias and Saphira. Indeed the Sacriledge of ſome men is their robbing of God, not of what they themſelves, but of that which others have made God's by a Vow. Now even they do fall under a horrible curſe or execration. Things given or devoted unto God, called foreign, becauſe they are devoted to God, with the accurſing of them which ſhould convert them to their own uſe; and ſo by a tranſlated ſenſe, the word ſignifies a perpetual ſeparation from Chriſt. The Rabbins ſay of Votum cherem (now the Hebrew word cherem, anſwereth to the Greek word foreign, as p. 234face to face in a glaſs) eſt maximum votum. But to haſten.

5ly. Is Murther, wilful murther a damnable ſin? If not, why ſaith St. John, Ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him; i. e. hath any actual aptitude or capacity to enter into Heaven. Now if the murthering of any man, be he good or bad, high or low, ſuperiour or inferiour, be a damnable ſin, ſure I am the murthering of an innocent good man, yea, of a King, a good King, which are great aggravations, muſt be ſo too. Yea, if the wilful murthering of any one man expoſe to damnation, much more needs muſt the murthering of many men at once.

Now the Regicides may be ſaid to have been all of them murtherers each of other, becauſe they did abet and encourage each other in and unto the murther of the King, in which was included their own conſequentially. If there were forty of them, each of them was guilty of the death of forty, not the forty only guilty of the death of one man viz. the King; but each of them of forty murthers, viz. each of other; for that they ſtrengthened each others hands in and unto the work.

Again, If naked Murther be a damnable p. 235ſin, as hath been proved, that murther which is cloathed with barbarous and inhumane circumſtances muſt needs be ſo much more. In Judg. 19.25. we read of a Levites Concubine not only killed, but with circumſtances that were very barbarous, viz. forced to death by the Benjamites dwelling in Gibeah, Chap. 20.5. But what dreadful things enſued, ver. 6. I (ſaith the Levite) took my Concubine, and cut her in pieces and ſent her through all Iſrael, for they have committed lewdneſs and folly in Iſrael. The product of this was what we read, Judg. 20.34, 35. And there came up againſt Gibeah ten thouſand choſen men out of all Iſrael, and the battle was ſore. And the Lord ſmote Benjamin before Iſrael, and the children of Iſrael deſtroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and four thouſand, and an hundred men, all theſe drew the ſword, or were men of valour, as is ſaid, ver. 44. Though wilful murther it ſelf, cloathed with the moſt extenuating circumſtances be a great ſin; yet the barbarous circumſtances wherewith it may be cloathed, may make it twice ſo great a ſin as otherwiſe it had been, and much more expoſe it to the Divine vengeance, as appeareth by the inſtance aforeſaid. But to proceed,

p. 2366thly. Is Hypocriſie a damning ſin or not? It muſt needs be ſo, becauſe Hell, or the place of weeping and gnaſhing of teeth, is called a portion with the Hypocrite, Matth. 24.51. intimating that Tophet was prepared of old as much for Hypocrites as for any ſort of men. Doth not our Saviour let fly as many Vae's, or Woes againſt Hypocrites, as againſt any ſort of men, Mat. 25.14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29. and does he not utter thoſe dreadful words in the cloſe, ver. 33. Ye Serpents, ye generation of Vipers; how can ye eſcape the damnation of hell? Now with what direful circumſtances of Hypocriſie the late King's death was managed, I have told you before.

7thly. If it be a mortal damning ſin to murther but one man, eſpecially if a King, a Monarch, or any thing ſo great, is it not more, ſo to murther a whole Kingdom, Country and Monarchy at once? The whole ſpecies of Monarchy is much more than one individual Kingdom or Monarchy. Now I have ſhew'd before that was aim'd at in putting the King to death, which was not only Monarchicidium, but deſigned to iſſue in Monarchiaecidium, or in the ruine of all Monarchy.

8thly. Is it not a horrid and damning ſin p. 237to ſubvert and deſtroy the good and neceſſary Laws of a Nation all at once? Yea. Not the Laws only, but alſo the very Legiſlative Power, or the Power of making more good Laws, as the matter ſhould require? If they who reſiſt (or diſobey) the powers that are, ſhall receive damnation, as the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 13.2. What will become of them, who in effect deſtroy and diſanul all the Laws of a Nation at once, and all the Law-makers? Such were the Regicides. For when there was no King in England arm'd with power, no new Laws could be made, nor the old ones executed neither Legally; for who but a King has power to give Commiſſion to Judges and other great Inſtruments of the Law upon all emergent occaſions, &c? What the Apoſtle ſaith of the Law of God, viz. The Law is good if a man uſe it lawfully; is true of the Law of England, it is good if it be uſed lawfully or legally; but how could that be done when there was no King in being?

9thly. Is it not a damning ſin for a man to murther himſelf, as did Judas, Ahitophel, &c? And did not they murther themſelves who murther'd the King? For beſides that they were dead men in the Eye of the Law, p. 238the firſt moment they did or attempted it; did it not coſt moſt of them their lives, and expoſe them to an untimely and ſhameful death, though no puniſhment could be ſo ſhameful as was their crime.

10thly and laſtly. Is Deicidium, or ſtriking at the life of God himſelf a damning ſin? If that will not damn men without great repentance what will? The murthering of earthly Kings in Perſon, is it not a kind of murthering the King of Kings in Effigie? For his Stamp and Inſcription they bear, and from thence are called gods in Scripture frequently; not that they are equal to the true and living God, yea, not but that they ſhall die like men, but becauſe in point of Power and Authority, of Honour and Majeſty they do reſemble God much more than Subjects do. Now as he that ſhould ſpit upon the Kings Coin or Picture would be dealt with as one that offered an affront and indignity to his Perſon, and were highly diſaffected to him, ſo in this caſe. Now all thoſe Soul-damning ſins that I have mentioned, being in the womb of that one ſin, viz. the murthering of the late King, let the Reader judge whether the Regicides did not take as direct a courſe to damn their own Souls as men p. 239could take? And whether if any ſhall hereafter attempt to do the ſame thing to his Majeſty that now is, as they did to his Father (which God forbid) it will not prove as ready and certain a courſe not only to throw away their corporal lives with ignominy, but alſo to damn their Souls, and the Souls of their Confederates, as any that men could take.

I am hardned againſt thoſe that ſhall ſay (if any ſuch there be) That this was done in favour of Religion, and for the preſervation thereof in power and purity; by a Story which a noted Parliament-man, and Purchaſer of the revenues of a Biſhoprick, told me about the year 1648. Whereas (ſaith he) it is given out that all the change which hath been made has been in order to the preſervation and Reformation of Religion, there is no ſuch thing. For (ſaid he) had there been Preferments enough in Church & State wherewith to have gratified all men of parts & intereſt, who were ambitious of them, I do aſſure you, there had been no war. He was as capable of knowing what he ſaid, as any man could be, being at that time a Member of Parliament, and a great man amongſt them, though more plain-hearted than ſome others were.

The diſcoveries which I have made of p. 240notorious Hypocriſie and blaſphemous pretences to God and Religion, whilſt men did uti Deo at fruantur mundo, i. e. uſe God that they might enjoy the world, together with the little difference, which I could ever diſcern betwixt the converſations of thoſe that called themſelves the Godly Party ſave in a few inſtances, here and there one, &c.) and of them whom they cenſured as carnal and ungodly, or but moral people at the beſt (for that the morality of ſome of them did much outſtrip their own) has put me out of conceit with what had wont to be called The Good Old Cauſe, more than any thing elſe has done. And then to ſee that the Chieftains and greateſt Bigots of, and for the good old Cauſe (as they call'd it) could ſwallow ſuch a Camel as was the murthering of the King; yea, be themſelves ſome of the Camels that murthered him, or cauſed him to be murthered, whilſt they ſeem'd to ſtrain at meer Gnats, could ſay, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance ſhall be ours. Thoſe I ſay, are the things which have made me think cheaply of thoſe times, thoſe men, and their pretenſions, to ſuſpect (if not more than ſo) a very grand cheat and a bottomleſs-pit of worldly intereſt and carnal deſign in and under all thoſe p. 241things, and to wiſh heartily, that the Church and State might always continue as now it is, much rather than to fall back again into the hands of ſuch Tinker-like Reformers, as were in thoſe days (making ten holes where they mended one) and be re-invaded by hypocritical Ʋſurpation, Sacriledge, Enthuſiaſme, and Confuſion. If I know any thing of my own heart, I do at this very day ſincerely love every body that I know or think to be truly good (and poſſibly my charity is as large as moſt mens, and my cenſoriouſneſs as little) but as for thoſe who make the higheſt pretences to Religion, and ſeem to be Piety-like Calomelanos, as Phyſicians call it, ſix or 12 times ſublimed; or like the Phariſees of old, who ſaid to other men, Stand off, I am holier than thou; who rather blaze and blare like great Comets, than ſhine like Stars in the Firmament of Religion; if I find them playing the Knaves, becoming the Ring-leaders of Murther, embrewing their hands in Royal blood; under pretence of abhorring Idols committing Sacriledge, and bringing all to confuſion, and under colour of Reforming Church and State, to deſign nothing but the feathering of their own Neſts, getting wealth and power into their own hands per p. 242fas & nefas, overturning, overturning, overturning, till they themſelves, whoſe right it is not come and take all; and when they have done all, entitling God and Religion to all their Villanies: (like thoſe with whom the great God doth thus expoſtulate, Jer. 7.9. Will ye steal, murder, and commit Adultery, and ſwear falſly, and come and ſtand before me in this Houſe, and ſay, we are delivered to do all theſe abominations? &c.) I ſay, the people to whom this Character is due, whoſe Inſcription this is, are to my Soul (as one calls it) the firſt-born of Abominations.

Now after all that hath been ſaid of the exceeding ſinfulneſs of their bloody fact, who were the Murtherers of the late King and of the woful hazard which their precious and immortal Souls did incur thereby, give me leave to hope, that if the ſame opportunities ſhould ever come again (which God forbid) i. e. if ever the now diſſenting people of England ſhould have ſo puiſſant an Army at their back as then they had, and ſo ſubtile, skilful, and reſolute a General to conduct them, and ſo many covetous people at their heels, waiting to enrich themſelves by the ſpoil of the Kings and Churches Lands (ſo dividing the Lions p. 243skin when once he were dead) from a real dread of thereby plunging themſelves into everlaſting flames, they would rather burn at a ſtake, than have their hands in ſuch another buſineſs.

To ſhut up all, I have been induced to inſiſt ſo long upon the heinouſneſs and danger of their ſin who put the King to death, becauſe a thorow belief, and due conſideration of what I have ſaid (and I do aver it is all true) might and would in my opinion, be a very great ſecurity againſt all publick Mutinies, Inſurrections, and Civil Wars hereafter. For if the people of England did univerſally, and all as one man dread the thoughts of Regicide, as of a ſin next to that which is unpardonable, there would be no cauſe to fear Rebellion; for then would men be govern'd and over-aw'd by this Dilemna: If the King againſt whom we rebel ſhall always keep his head, we ſhall loſe our lives firſt or laſt; but if he loſe his head by our means and contrivances, we ſhall be in great danger to loſe our Souls, which is worſe. For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to loſe his own Soul?

FINIS.

End of the text · Samuel Rolle, Loyalty and Peace (1678)