THat the Government of the Civil Magiſtrate is the Ordinance and Inſtitution of the Almighty, I hope, at this time needs no diſputation, for that I beleeve it remaines without and beyond all matter of controverſie, the Lord himſelfe not having onely teſtified with acceptation and approbation thereof, but with much commendation hath ſet forth its honour and dignity to his people, as in Pſal. 82. 1, 6. God ſtandeth in the Congregation of the mighty, he judgeth among the Gods. I have ſaid, ye are Gods, and all of yee are children of the moſt High. Prov. 8. 15. By me Kings reigne and Princes decree Juſtice. And in the 16. By me Princes rule. Rom. 13. 1, 2. Let every ſoul be ſubject to the higher Powers, for there is no power but of God the powers that be are ordained of God, whoſoever reſiſteth the power reſiſteth the Ordinance of God, and they that reſiſt ſhall receive to themſelves damnation. And in the 5. verſ. he concludeth, that we muſt needs be ſubject not onely for wrath but for conſcience ſake. Eſay 49. 23. Kings ſhall be nurſing fathers and Queenes ſhall be nurſing mothers. 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2. I exhort therefore that firſt of all ſupplications, prayers, and interceſſions, and giving of thankes be made (for all men) for Kings and all that are in Authority, as if the Apoſtle had ſaid eſpecially for them, adding further reaſon, That we may leade a quiet life in all godlineſſe and honeſty, as if he there intended to teach Chriſtians (whatſoever their condition were) not to thinke of other weapons to mend themſelves than onely their prayers; many other places of Scripture might be alleaged to this purpoſe, but theſe I ſuppoſe are ſufficient to let men know how deteſtable it is to the eares of God to heat a wicked Shimei curſing and railing againſt the Prince of his people, a ſin too too common in theſe our dayes, not onely among the baſeſt of men, but even in the Prieſts and paſtours of the people, who ſhould teach them a leſſon of meekneſſe, modeſty, and moderation, in ſtead of which they ſtir them up to madneſſe, ſedition, tumults, and faction, by rendring in what in them lie the perſon of ſacred Majeſty odious to all men, but whether in ſo doing they ſpit not in the face of the Almighty and ſtrike at his honour in the perſon of his Miniſtery, he that hath an eye to ſee let him ſee. To ſtand here to make a large relation of the ſeverall ſorts of Government, or what juriſdiction would beſt ſuit with this or that people were a buſineſſe to as little purpoſe as profit, and therefore briefly the beſt way is to fall quickly on the matter intended, for if we compare without circumſtance the ſeverall eſtates together it will not be difficult to diſcerne which of them in profit overbalanceth the other, if they be impartially compared together; for as the way is eaſie to fall from kingdom into tyranny, ſo it is no way harder to fall from the rule of many to the faction of a few, and moſt facill of all from a plebean Government to fall to ſedition, but whatſoever the Lord hath eſtabliſht among us, it is not onely unſound but unſafe to ſeek to alter it, for that in ſo doing we contemne the providence of God, whatſoever therefore it hath pleaſed that eternall Majeſty to ſet over us, whether Kings over Kingdomes, Senators or Officers over free Cities, whoſoever he maketh Rulers in power over us it is our praiſe to yeeld obedience to them, and firſt acknowledging their powers from God let us reverently eſteem them as the deputies of God. Many indeed there are who hold the Civil Magiſtrate in a kinde of venerable eſtimation, as things expedient for the common benefit, accounting them in themſelves no more in a manner than as neceſſary evils, but if they caſt their eye upon the rule of all good, they ſhall finde themſelves bound to a far greater reſpect. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Fear God, and honour the King; as if the fear of the one were inſeperably joyned with the honour of the other. Solomon Prov 24. 21. as with a ſelfe fame concluſion ſaith, My ſon fear thou the Lord and the King. And no whit inferiour is that example of Paul before alleaged, that we obey not onely for wrath but conſcience, as he had ſaid, that in ſo doing we yeeld our obedience to God, we muſt be obedient to them in every reſpect, obeying their proclamations, paying their tributes, and what not which ſtands not oppoſite to the Almighty; for as Paul ſaith, Every ſoul muſt be ſubject to the higher powers, and who ſo reſiſteth it, reſiſteth the Ordinance of God: and ſince the Magiſtrate cannot be reſiſted but with the reſiſtance of God himſelfe, though he be altogether naked, the Almighty is ever ſtrongly armed to take vengeance on thoſe who in themſelves do fight againſt him. Nor is this ſubjection and obedience limited or reſtrained, ſo that it ſhall extend no further than to ſuch Princes whoſe pious and godly endeavours are ſtill executing their duties to the people, but even to the moſt lewd and malevolent Magiſtrate amongſt men, and to that purpoſe marke the cloſe of that moſt reverend, learned, and orthodox Divine Maſter Iohn Cal. l. 4. c. 2. ſect. 24. he cals a Prince the father of his Countrey, the Paſtor of his People, the keeper of peace, the protector of righteouſneſſe, the revenger of innocency, and ſaith he, he is worthy to be accompted a mad man who alloweth not of ſuch a Government. But where as this is in a manner the experience of all ages, that of Princes ſome being careleſſe of all things, do without all care ſlothfully wallow in delights, other ſome addicted to their gain do ſet out to ſale all Lawes, privileges, judgements, and grants; other ſome ſpoil the poor Communalty for money, to be waſted on their own prodigall and laviſh expendings; other ſome exerciſe meer robberies, in pilling of houſes, defiling of virgins and matrons, murdering of innocents, many cannot be perſwaded that ſuch ſhould be acknowledged for Princes whoſe authority they ought to obey ſo far as they may, for that in ſo great an unworthineſſe, ſo much contrarie not only to the dutie of a Magiſtrate, but even of a man, they behold no forme of the image of God which ſhould be in a Magiſtrate: and therefore conclude, that they ought not to acknowledge ſuch a Governour. And to ſay truth, this feeling of affection hath ever beene naturally implanted in the minds of all men, no leſſe to hate and abhor Tyrants, than to love and honour lawfull Kings. But if we look to the word of God (ſaith he) it will lead as further, teaching not only to ſubject our ſelves to the government of ſuch, who execute their office toward us well, and as they ought: but alſo unto theirs, who performe nothing leſſe than the dutie of Princes; for as thoſe who rule for the good and benefit of a Common-wealth, are true patternes of his bountie; ſo they that rule unjuſtly, wickedly, and wilfully, are ſet up by him to puniſh the naughtineſſe of the people. And that both equally have that Majeſtie wherewith hee furniſheth: lawfull power, concluding thus (in theſe words) that in a moſt naughtie man, and moſt unworthy of all honour, (if he have the Publike Power in poſſeſſion) remaineth that noble and divine power, which the Lord by his Word giveth to the Miniſters or his righteouſneſſe and judgement, and therefore that of his Subjects he ought to be had in as great reverence and eſtimation (for matter of publike obedience) as if hee were the verie beſt of Kings that could be given them. Nebuchadnezzar was little better than a robber and murderer, for he was a ſtrong invader and deſtroyer of others (and moſt certainly) he was an Idolater; yet mark what the Prophet Daniel ſpeaketh of him, Dan. 2. 37. Thou, O King, art a King of Kings, for the God of Heaven hath given thee a Kingdome, power, and ſtrength, and glorie, and whereſoever the children of men dwell. The beaſts of the field, and the fowles of the Heaven hath hee given into thine hand, and hath made thee Ruler over them all. Then againe Dan. 5 18 19. O thou King, the moſt mightie God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdome, and majeſtie, and glorie, and honour, and for the Majeſtie that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled, and feared before him: whom he would he ſlue, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he ſet up, and whom hee would he put downe. Samuel likewiſe premoniſhing the children of Iſrael of what they ſhould ſuffer under their Kingly government telleth them (yet in Gods owne words) 1 Sam. 8. 10, 11, 12. And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people that asked of him a King, and he ſaid, This ſhall be the manner of the King that ſhall 〈◊〉 over you: he will take your ſons, and appoint them for himſelfe for his charriots, and to be his horſe-men, and ſome ſhall run before his charriots; and he will appoint him Captaines over thouſands, and Captaines over fifties, and will ſet them to eate his ground, and to reap his harveſt, and to make his inſtruments of war, and inſtruments of his charriots, and he will take your daughters to be Confectionaries, and to be Cooks, and to be Bakers, and he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the beſt of them, and give them to his ſervants. And he will take the tenth of your ſeed, and of your vineyards, and give to his Officers, and to his ſervants; and hee will take your men-ſervants, and your maid-ſervants, and your goodlieſt young men, and your Aſſes, and put them to his work, &c. As if Samuel ſhould have abſolutely concluded, that whatſoever be the lewdneſſe and licentiouſneſſe of the Prince, there is nothing but obedience left to the people, which they no ſooner run out of, but they as it were run from God in his Ordinances, and not only abſolutely oppoſe him, but contemptuouſly deſpite him and ſpit in his face.

David when he had his great perſecutour Saul at his mercy, and though himſelfe by the ordinance of God was anointed King in his room, yet would not ſo much as lift up his hand to hurt him, for when Abiſhai with his own ſpear would have ſmote him, and nailed his body to that ground whereon he lay, 1 Sam. 26. 9, 23, 24, 25. David cries out, Who can ſtretch forth his hand againſt the Lords Anointed and be guiltleſſe? No, ſaith that good man, the Lord ſhall ſmite him, ere his day ſhall come to die, ere he ſhall deſcend into the battle, and periſh: the Lord forbid that I ſhould ſtretch forth my hand againſt the Lords Anointed: and well might Saul freely confeſſe and proclaim him more righteous than himſelfe, who when he took the ſpear and pot from his head, might as eaſily have taken his head from his ſhoulders; but he was well content with this conſciencious concluſion, As thy life was ſet by this day in mine eyes, ſo let my life be much ſet by in the eyes of the Lord, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation, as if that Worthy of Worthies ſhould have made this inference, though thou wickedly and maliciouſly ſeekeſt my life, yet art thou the Anointed of the Lord, ſo that ſhould I have laid hand on thee, I ſhould have made my ſelfe abominable to him, and in ſtead of delivering me from, he would have caſt me into, for my crying offence even the greateſt tribulation. Curſe not, neither ſpeak evill of the Princes of thy people, no not in thought, ſaith Solomon, 1 Sam. 24. 4, 5, 6. And the ſame David in another place, when he might have cut the throat of his enemy Saul was conſcious of ſin in the cutting his garment, for ſaith the Text, his heart ſmote him becauſe he had cut off onely Sauls skirt: good men are conſciencious of the credit of a King while the wicked curſe and blaſpheme his name, if cutting onely the skirt of a King made ſuch ſmitings in the heart of a King, what may it do in Subjects, who would clip the wing of their Princes power, and inſlave him to infranchiſe themſelves. This amongſt us is dayly done in the common diſcourſe of every ſcoundrell, but let ſuch remember that curſing Shimei, eſcaped not without reward for his curſings, even then when he thought himſelfe ſafe and ſecure.

What the power of Parliaments are, I queſtion not; yet it is out of all queſtion, that they are by dutie bound carefully and conſcienciouſly to diſcharge that truſt which the people have committed unto them, and to defend their juſt liberties and privileges, ſo far as they bold correſpondencie with the knowne Lawes of the Land, yet with obedience unto that Majeſtie from whence as from their fountaine and originall (next under God) thoſe freedomes firſt came, rather willingly to loſe ſome thing of what is ours, that any way to encroach on the leaſt of his, with conſideration, that as Princes have their Juriſdictions from Heaven, ſo Parliaments hold their power from Princes.

It is a moſt horrible and hatefull hearing for men continually to cry out on Authority, one part of the King, the other of the Parliament, and that without either meane or moderation, and for the moſt part (ſetting their malevolent diſpoſitions aſide) without the leaſt ſhew of reaſon for their railings (nay ſhould they goe to it to morrow as many call it and deſire) not one of a thouſand I beleeve (except by tradition) were able to give an account for what, though for whom they fight, and wch is moſt to be lamented, Miniſters in the Pulpit are not aſhamed to preach & pray againſt all means of moderation, or reconciliation, leſt as they ſay all ſhould again be ſpoyled which hath been ſo happily begun.

Theſe men little conſider the great diviſion of the Kingdome, where the father is of one ſide, the ſonne on the other, one brother on the one ſide, another on that; the Nephew for his Prince, the Uncle for the Parliament; here one Kinſman, there another; the Father ready to ſheathe his ſword in the body of his ſonne, the ſonne ready to rip out the bowels of his father; a brother bathing in the blood of a brother and kinſman cutting the throat of another; friend butchering friend, and neighbour killing neighbour, and all things brought to ſuch a barbarous cruelty, as if there were no Religion left amongſt men beſide murder, no rule but rapine, no regulation but ruine and deſtruction; children ſnatcht from the parents wing, babes from the mothers tender breſt, and barborouſly butchered before their eyes, wives rent from the boſome of their mourning husbands and raviſht, they being forc'd to be ſpectators. Virgins whoſe tender yeeres ſcarce ever did admit ſo much as thought of man, deflowred before their parents mournefull eyes: Nay Churches will ſcarce eſcape from being oreſpread with gore, the Table where wee have often freely fed on by faith the Body and Blood of a Redeemer, now ſtained even with the blood of thoſe our painfull Paſtors, who all their times have laboured to inſtruct thoſe to eternall life, who now with earneſtnes do ſeek their death Sure if wee could but attain to a true apprehenſion of theſe inſuing miſeries, the inſeparable companions of homebred broyles, it could not chuſe but mollifie the flintieſt heart, and make the marble melt with teares of mourning, and force theſe praters which now preach nothing elſe but warre, to tune their tongues with pious prayers for peace, which God of his infinite mercy once more ſettle amongſt us to the glory of his ſacred name, and the good of his poore diſtreſſed people, and let all good ſubjects ſay Amen.

I will conclude all with two verſes of the Propheticall Pſalmiſt; He that delighteth in blood ſhall not live out halfe his dayes, and the Lord ſhall ſcatter the people that delight in warre.