HEre is the Extent of this Duty, Pag. 1. it is to every Soul; that is, to every Man, of what Order, or Degree, or Quality soever; whether he be High or Low, Rich or Poor, Spiritual or Secular, none are exempted, Let every Soul be sub­ject; without any exception either of St. Peter and his Successors, or of the Body of the Qu. Whether the People then have Power to depose their Lawful Sovereign, and elect a new King? and whe­ther to do so, is not Popery?People; for the Reason extends equally to both, because the Powers that are are ordained of God; they are by God's Commission, and rule by his Authority; and therefore neither the Bishop of Rome, nor the Majority of the People, can claim exemption from this Duty of Sub­jection, Qu. Whether the Con­vention then did not set themselves above God? without arrogating to them­selves an Authority superiour to Gods.

You have here the Matter of this Duty, and that is to be subject; in which comprehensive Phrase is included the whole Duty of Subjects to their Princes and Governours, honouring their Persons, reverencing their Authority, assisting them against their Enemies, defending the Rights of their Government, and con­scientiously rendering to them their Customs and [Page 2] Tribute, but more especially and particularly it in­cludes our free and ready Submission to them in yielding a chearful Obedience to their Commands, so far as we can innocently and consistently with our Duty to God; and where we cannot, in patiently un­dergoing all those Pains and Penalties they shall think meet to inflict on us for our Disobedience, in suffer­ing their unjust Persecutions without murmuring or clamour, without disturbing their Government, or resisting their Authority, or endeavoring to repel their Force with Force, but meekly submitting our Cause to God, who is the Patron and Protestor of oppressed Innocence.

This Duty of Subjection to our Superiors, Pag. 8. implies our meek and patient Submission to the Penalties of their Laws, when upon a full Perswasion of the un­lawfulness of them we cannot actually comply with them; for when the Commands of our Prince do in­terfere with the Commands of God, it is an undoubted Rule, That we must obey God rather than Man: But then at the same time that our Allegiance to the Throne of Heaven obliges us to refuse Active Obe­dience to our temporal Prince, it indispensably obliges us to render Passive, and not to use any Violence against him, Qu. How faithfully Dr. Scot, and his Swearing Bre­thren, have observed this Doctrine? though it be in the Defence of our Estates, or Liberties, or Lives, or which ought to be dearer than all, our Religion; for the just use of Vio­lence is founded in a just Authority over the Person upon whom it is exercised, and supposes a Right in him that uses it to call the Person to account against whom he uses it, and punish him according to his [Page 3] demerit, without which Right the use of Violence is an injurious Outrage and Oppression; but Sovereign Princes are in their several Dominions next to and immediate under God, the most high Sovereign of the World, and therefore having no Authority but his above them, are accountable only at his Tribunal; so that for Subjects, in any Case whatsoever, to offer Violence to their Prince, is to usurp the Throne, and invade his Sovereign Tribunal; for in offering Vio­lence to them we claim a Superiority over them, and in so doing impiously trespass upon the Peculiar of the Almighty, and arrogate his Divine Prerogative of be­ing King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: For since God alone is placed above them, as being the sole King of Sovereign Kings, how can we assume Supe­riority over them, without setting our selves in the Place of God? Unless therefore we will render our selves guilty of the highest Affront to, and Propha­nation of, the Divine Majesty, we have no other Re­medy, when ever we are reduced to that Extremity, as that we cannot obey our Prince without disobeying God, but to discharge our Duty couragiously, and faithfully, and meekly, and quietly to submit to the unjust Persecutions of our Prince, referring our Cause to that Sovereign Tribunal before which Princes and Peasants must one day give Account together, for every unjust and unrighteous Action. And though this may seem a hard Chapter to those who consider only one side of the Case, yet there is nothing more ap­parent than that the Liberty of resisting Princes would prove a far greater Mischief to the World than all the Cruelties and Oppressions of the most barbarous Ty­rants; for what though there was never any Gover­nour [Page 4] so wise and good as not to be chargable with some Faults and Miscarriages, we ought to consider that our World must be govern'd by Men, and not by Angels, and that perhaps there never was any Law­ful Prince so bad, the Benefits of whose Government did not far outweigh the Mischiefs of his Tyranny; and therefore it is wisely eligible for us rather to suffer a less Evil than to deprive our selves of a greater Good.

The third and last Consideration in this Duty, Pag. 12. viz. the Object of it, the Higher Powers; by which its evident we are to understand the Persons of Sovereign Princes and Governors, and not the Laws and Constitutions, as some of Of which Number the Bishop of St. Asaph, even Dr. Scot. being Judg, is to be reckon'd; who, in his Discourse of God's Ways of disposing of Kingdoms, Pag. 7. expounds Rom. 13. 1. after a new Fashion, putting Kingdoms for Kings, and resist­ing their Laws for resisting their Persons; whereas the latter is a Crime, whilst the former may be a Virtue; or else the Three Children in Daniel sinn'd, and were, according to that Author, damn'd. His Words are these, Pag. 7. The Powers that be are of God; that is, The several King­doms and States, even all that are in the World, all have their Authority from God. And whosoever disobeys or resists the publick Order and Government of the Kingdom, or State where he lives, he disobeys or resists the Ordinance of God; and [...], he shall be called to Account for it, or as it is in our English Bible, shall receive to himself damnation.our Republican Doctors pretend; for this Epistle was writ either under Claudius or Nero, whose Wills were the only Laws they govern'd by, and yet these were the Higher Powers to whom the A­postle requires our Sub­jection; and those whom he here calls the Higher Powers, in the third Verse he calls the Rulers, and in the fourth Verse he tells us that this Higher Power is the Minister of God, a Revenger to exe­cute Wrath upon him that [Page 5] doth evil, which must necessarily be meant of the Go­vernors, and not of the Laws; and accordingly St. Pe­ter thus explains it, 1 Pet. 2. 3. Be subject to every Ordinance of Man for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the King, [...], as Supreme, which is the very Word that is used here for the Higher Powers; so that by the Higher Powers here, must be meant the Person or Persons that are rested with the Supreme and Sovereign Power.

Now the Supreme Power to which we in this Na­tion owe subjection is the King, Pag. 13. whom our Laws do declare and recognize to be our Supreme and Sovereign Lord; for so, for instance, the Statute of Premunire declares, That the Crown of England is in no earthly sub­jection, but immediately subject to God in all things touching the Regality of the same.—And in other Laws it is declared to be High Treason to Levy Arms against the King, either within or without the Realm, and that it is unlawful for both or ei­ther Houses of Parliament to raise or levy War offensive or defensive against his Majesty, Qu. Then whether the Convention did act honestly and consistently with their Duty, to raise such immense Sums, to levy War against the King in Ireland? or his Heirs and Lawful Successors; and that it is not Lawful upon any pretence whatsoever to take Arms against the King, Qu. Whether to take Arms against the King is not now thought and pronoun­ced lawful, the Law being abrogated that made it un­lawful? and that we are to abhor that traiterous Position of taking Arms by his Authority against his Person, or against those who are commissioned by him.

I could never have imagined we could be so aban­doned of our [...], Pag. 20. as in the same Age to act over the same [...] again; but if, as a just Punishment [Page 6] of our Sins, God should permit us to be so far infa­tuated, as to sell our Liberties again for fear of being enslaved, to fight against the Principles of our Reli­gion in the defence of it, to rip up the Bowels of our native Country to preserve it; and in a word, to go to cross a pile with a Company of beggarly Male-con­tents for our own Estates and Fortunes, and run our selves into present and certain Mischiefs to prevent fu­ture and contingent ones; if these things, I say, should happen again, which God forbid, a very small Pro­phet may easily foretel the woful Consequences of it; and when we shall see our Fields strewed over again with the Car­casses of our Friends and Relations, Qu. Whether this is not fulfill'd amongst our Fellow-Subjects in Scotland and Ire­land? our Cities, Towns and Countries, laid waste by an unnatural War, and shall come to cast up our Ac­counts, Qu. Whether 'tis not time to cast up our Accounts, af­ter so great Expence of Blood and Tresury? and to reckon all the Blood and Treasure we have spent only to purchase Confusion or Slavery, then we shall remember perhaps with Tears in our Eyes, Quis talia fundo temperet à lacrymis. That it was nothing but a Surfeit of Hap­piness that caused our Misery.

Consider, Pag. 22. That upon our dutiful Subjection to our Prince, the Honour of our Religion de­pends,—

If once it should appear that our Religion is mis­chievous to Government, Mankind would soon conspire to proclaim War with it, and to decry and exploid it as a publick NUSANCE to the World.

[Page 7] And I verily believe should Men consult the Devil himself, Pag. 23. what course they were best to take to blast the Honour of Reli­gion, Qu. Whether the Devil has not been consulted by the Patrons and Abettors of this Revolution, who act quite contrary to the Doc­trine of Jesus Chrict, and his Apostles, and yet cry up Religion, Religion, like the Jews of old, The Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord? he could not direct them to a more effectual one than under sanctified Pretences to turn Rebels to the Government; and according­ly heretofore the Adversaries of Christianity could find no such ef­fectual Calumny to blast and ex­pose it as this, that it was an Ene­my to the Civil Government; as wisely enough considering That could they infuse into Mankind a Belief of this Scandal, there was nothing could be more conducive to antidote Mens Minds a­gainst it, and to render it Base and Infamous in the Opinion of the World; whilst therefore we conduct any Seditious Design under the holy Banners of Chri­stianity, we join hands with our open and profest Adversaries, and endeavour so far as in us lies to defend their most malitious Calumnies against it. Whilst there­fore we make our Religion a co­lour for our Faction and Disloyalty, That this Prophetick Spe­culation is reduc'd to prac­tice, Tell it not in Gath, pub­lish it not in the Streets of Aske­lon, least the Philistians re­joice, least the Daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. we confess it to be guilty of the most infamous thing that it was ever charged with by the worst of its Enemies; viz. That it lays Trains of Factious Principles in Mens Hearts and Consciences, on purpose to blow up Thrones and Governments, and throw the World into Ruins and Confusions.

Consider, Pag. 25. That upon our faithful Subjection to our Prince, the Safety of our Religion depends; for [Page 8] there is nothing iu the World can more indanger our Religion than our making it a pretence for Rebellion; for hereby we inevitably expose it to the hatred of Princes, and do what in us lies to arm their Power against it; for by our Actions we do in effect make this open Declaration to them. Sirs, To tell you plain­ly you may thank our Religion for our Disobedience; we would be Loyal, but it will not suffer us; and therefore ye were best have a care of it, it will undermine your Thrones, and will one time or other arm the hands of your People against your Persons and Dignities: When therefore we set up our Religion against our Gover­nours, we force them in their own Defence to set themselves against it, and to endeavour as far as in them lies to root it out of the World; and if being provoked by our Sedition they should ever draw their Swords against it, it may thank us for it, who first began the Quarrel, and gave the Challenge, and did in effect declare by our Actions, that unless they for­ced us to lay down our Religion, our Religion would force them to lay down their Crowns; yea, and though we should succeed in our Rebellion, and prove too hard for our Governours, yet first or last our Tho I hope, and I heartily with, that Dr. Scot may prove a false Prophet as to what he predicts in this Paragraph of the direful Effects of a Religious Rebellion, yet should it happen (which God avert) that our Religion should at last smart for it, that it should be rooted out of the World, and have its dismal Funeral Exit (which some holy learned Men, who perhaps by the Spirit of Prophecy did foresee this wretched Rebellion, have pre­dicted, as Dr. Plumè observes in his Preface to Dr. Hacket's Sermon, Pag. 15. last Paragr.) whom may we thank for it, but these Members of the Church of England who have succeeded in their Rebellion, which the Doctor, and his prevaricuting Brethren, by false Oaths, wicked Prayers, and Setitious Anti-Gospel Preachings have promoted and abet­ted. But though the Argument which the Doctor suggests to a highly provoked Prince be so genuine and natural, as to put him upon the most tremondous Instances of Indignation and Revenge; yet 'tis not to be doubted, but that the Innocent, yea, and the Penitent too (if they are not too late so, like the harden'd Sinner who spurns at the Bowels of Mercy, and defies a Pardon, until the time of Justice, the hour of Vengeance surprize and overtake him) will find a kinder Usage from the Justice and Clemency of a Prince, who has signaliz'd himself to be a true English-man, a Father of his Country, and of the forgiving Race. Re­ligion will be sure to smart for it.

[Page 9] Lastly, Pag. 28. Consider that if we of this Nation had no other Motive, yet in meer gratitude we stand obliged to render our faithful Subjection to our Prince; for considering with what an easy and indulgent Govern­ment, and with what a Succession of excellent Princes God Almighty hath blessed us, I know no Nation un­der the cope of Heaven that may be so happy as our selves, if we please; for as our Government is, in the Frame and Constitution of it, a most easy Yoke, and gentle Burthen, so, for sundry Ages, we have had Princes as gentle and gracious as our Governments; Princes that have studied our Ease and our Happiness, and that have in nothing so much exceeded as in their Mercy and Indulgence towards us.

Not to mention that pious and every way incom­parable Prince Charles I. Pag. 29. whose sacred Blood is such a Monumental Shame to Treason and Rebellion, Qu. Whether the Patrons and Abetters of this Revolution have not then cause to blush, who by their Arms and their Pray­ers attempted and encouraged the same against the Son, which the Rebels and Trai­tors acted against the Father; viz. the Shedding of Sacred Blood, which in the Doctor's Opinion is such a Monumental Shame to Treason and Rebellion. as must make Rebels and Traitors, if they have any modesty in them, blush and be confounded for ever.

[Page 10] And then that Reverend Author proceeds to give an admirable Character of King Iames the Second.— And now to him (that is, King Charles the Second) in despite of all the Hellish Machinations of a restless Faction, our present If King Iames is our Rightful Lord, how can Dr. Scot, and his Brethren, ju­stify renouncing of Alle­giance to him, and transfer­ring it to a new Master, who; ipsis Iudicibus, is not Rightful King? Rightful Lord peaceably succeeds; a Prince whom God seems to have reserved on pur­pose to make us amends for the unestimable Loss we sustained in Charles the Wise and Good: And indeed considering the Great and Princely Virtues which adorn his Mind, and shine through the whole Sphere of his Activity, we have all the Encouragement in the World to promise our selves a Continuance of those Halcion days, under his happy Influence, if by our intestine Seditions we do not cloud and disturb them, that we have se long enjoyed under the Auspicious Reign of his Brother. For if from an undaunted Cou­rage and Firmness of Mind; if from an immense Great­ness and Generosity of Soul; if from an inflexible Sincerity and Which, though blasted with the virulent Tongue of Infa­my and Detraction, and loaded with the foulest and blackest Asper­sions and Imputations, yet, like the Sun, being clouded shines the brighter; for none of those black Crimes, of which he was accused, ( viz. the Murther of the Earl of Essex, the Poysoning of his Brother, the League with France to cut all his Protestant Subjects Throats, and to crown all (as Dr. Burnet Words it) the Supposititiousness of the Prince of Wales) being proved against him, though there has been uncon­troulable Liberty of Speaking, and Petitioning, nay Challenging the Accusers to do it if they can; it amounts to a Demonstration of his Innocence, and that according to the usual Methods in Courts of Judi­cature, where, if the Fact against the Person is not proved, the Jury pronounce him Innocent by their Verdict of Not Guilty.Integrity of Manners; if from an im­partial Justice, sweetned with an endearing Which he sufficiently signaliz'd in Ireland, notwithstanding what Dr. King of Dublin, like a cursing Shimei, and railing Rabsheca, says in his celebrated Book; which, for the many Falshoods in it, may be stil'd a Legend of Lies, rather than a true History; who points only to to the dark side of the Cloud, but hides its brighter and beautiful Glory; insists only on those things, which, either out of unavoidable Necessity, the King was forced to comply with, or those which were acted at a distance by the rude Irish, or by Souldiers, for the which he was not accountable; but conceals all the Instances of his Goodness, which will embalm his Memory in that Kingdom throughout all Ages; of which the Protection he gave his Protestant Subjects (to whom he was a Screen from the furious and enraged Irish) his surprizing and un­expected Kindness and Charity (inconsistent with the Politicks of War) to the vast Numbers of Women and Children in Londonderry; his won­derful Compassion to the Sick English Souldiers at Dundalk, when he was advis'd and importun'd by his Generals to break into the Camp, which had defeated Schomberg, and discouraged any other Attempt; and finally his leaving Dublin after his Defeat at the Boyne, without Suf­fering his Souldiers to burn or plunder it, are glorious and perpetual Monuments. And though the Bishop, who has learn'd to speak evil of Dignities, talks now at an insolent Rate, yet the Preacher of St. Warburghs had another Language; every Sunday almost presenting his Auditors with a Pane­gyrick upon King Iames's Virtues, and especially those God-like ones of Clemency and Mercy. In which the Doctor was either then a ful­som, hypocritical Flatterer, or is now a disingenuous and false Histo­rian. Benignity of Temper; if from the fair Conjunction of all these Royal Virtues in a Prince a People may presage their own Happiness, we have all these to build our hope on in our present Sovereign.