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 [Page 4] 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 [Page 5] 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 [Page 6] 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 [Page 7] 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 w ^ch 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 [Page] 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.