I Can easily imagine some amongst you upon the first hearing of these words ready to tell me, that this advice of our Lords is by no means suited or proper to this illustrious Assembly, consisting of Men so long Trained up, and so ex­cellently skill'd in Martial exercises. To bid those, who so well know the use of the Sword, to put it into its place, and suffer it to rust in its Scabbard, sounds like a dismission or disbanding of this re­nowned and honourable Society, and an hard censure of your noble Profession, as unlawful or Antichristian, and infinitely dangerous too, if all they that take the Sword shall perish by the Sword.

But if we better consider what our Saviour here saith, we shall not find any thing in this Text against the use of the Sword upon a just and necessary oc­casion, or when it is duely put into our hands by those, who have from God the power of the Sword com­mitted to them. For he did not command his Disciples to fling it away, as of no further use under the Gospel; as if no other Sword was now ne­cessary but that of the Spirit; or as if all Christi­ans were bound tamely to yield up themselves an easy prey to violent and injurious Men, and in no case to repel unjust force by force. No: our blessed Lord but a little before, viz. the very same Night in which he spake the words of my Text, had advised his Disciples, those of them who had no Swords, to sell their Garments and buy one; thereby allowing them to provide Arms sufficient for their defence against lawless Robbers and Cut-throats, who were very common and numerous in those Countries, through which they were to pass for the propagation of Christianity.

Our Saviour did never intend to ty all his Disci­ples hands, and expose them naked to be Invaded and Assaulted by any one that had a mind to it. To oppose force against unjust force is allow'd to every Man by the Law of Nature, which natural right our Religion hath not cancel'd nor restrained, pro­vided always that we thus draw our Swords only against private Persons, and not against those who [Page 3]have Warrant or Command of publick Authority to vouch their force against us; and that it be in such cases of extremity, where we cannot defend our selves by the regular course of calling in the Assistance of the Law or Magistrate.

Nay further, in the very words of my Text our Saviour doth expresly allow the use of the Sword in the hands of the Supreme power, or by Comissi­on and Authority from it. For when he saith they shall perish by the Sword, he means by the Sword of the Magistrate, which shall justly cut off such Offenders.

Thus from the words themselves we have suffi­cient evidence, that our Saviour did not forbid the use of the Sword; either in our own necessary defence, or at the Command and direction of the Supreme Governours: In which two cases only it was ever lawful for private Persons. And in this matter the Laws of our Religion have made no al­teration. We may still defend our selves by the Sword from the unjust Assaults of private Persons, when we have no other Remedy; and the Soveraigns of every Nation and Kingdom have the same power over their Subjects persons, fortunes and lives, that they had before Christianity appeared in the World, that they had from the be­ginning, since Men first entered into Societies, and lived under Government.

Our Saviour therefore in my Text forbids the use [Page 4]of the Sword only on that particular occasion, or the like, on which it was drawn by St. Peter, which was this;

A great company of Souldiers, and other Offi­cers from the chief Priests and Pharisees, with the Traitour Judas to conduct them, were sent to Ap­prehend our Blessed Saviour in the Garden, whither he had retired. This the Disciples thought a fit oppor­tunity to shew their courage and constancy to their Lord and Master, by venturing their own Lives to rescue him from the mercyless hands of his bloody enemies. They asked him therefore, Lord shall we smite with the Sword? and St. Peter, who was natu­rally of a more hot temper and bolder spirit than the rest of the Apostles, without tarrying for an Answer drew his Sword, and struck at the chiefest and most busy of them, (some guess him to be the Man that Commanded the Party, and had the War­rant to seize our Lord) and he out off his ear. But our Saviour liked not this rash and ungovernable zeal, and therefore intreated those who had him in their power to suffer him but so long, till by a Mi­raculous touch he healed the Wound, and turning to St. Peter, bad him put up his Sword again into his place. For at present there was not the least just occasion for it, (as great an one as he might think was now offered to him) that his Cause stood not in need of any such irregular defence. It was not for lack of help, that he thus quietly submitted him­self, [Page 5]but out of respect to that Authority, which imploy'd these Souldiers and Officers. Had he any desire to be forceably delivered out of their hands, did he want any to fight for him, he could easily speak to his Father, and he would presently send more than Twelve Legions of Angels to appear for his rescue. For he that taketh the Sword, that is at his own pleasure or for his own humour without sufficient order or Authority, when it is not put into his hands, but he taketh it without warrantable di­rection, or useth it against a Lawful Authority, shall perish by the Sword, shall and ought to suffer for so doing, is guilty of a capital crime, for which he forfeits his Life to Justice here, and of a most grie­vous sin, for which without Repentance he shall stand condemned hereafter. Put up again thy Sword into his place, for all they that take the Sword shall perish with the Sword.

Our Saviour here plainly condemns all resistance of Lawful Authority by force and violence, since he would not suffer the Sword to be drawn against those, who acted by a just Authority, though what they did was barbarously unjust. Whether it be in any case lawful by force and violence to resist Authori­ty, is truly stiled the greatest case of Conscience in the world, since so very much doth depend upon the right resolution of it. And if it could be plainly made out that our Saviour, or his Apostles, did give Subjects right or liberty on any pretence to take [Page 6]up Arms, or to fight against the Lawful powers, I should look upon it as the greatest objection that could be brought against Christianity. For it would be an eternal scandal, and indelible reproach against our Religion, if it countenanced any thing, that was so manifestly inconsistent with the peace of Societies and civil Government.

There is nothing more evident than that this prin­ciple, that it is Lawful in some cases for Subjects by force to resist their King and Sovereign, doth open a wide door to all manner of disorder and confusion. For if it ever be Lawful for Subjects to resist the Soveraign power, then it follows that the Subjects have always a right to judge, whether their present case be such, as that they may Lawfully resist in, and if they be Judges, this Proposition that subjects may resist in some cases, of which themselves are Judges, is the same, as to say, that they may do it whenever they shall think fit for to do it; and thus any suspicion or discontent taken up against the Go­vernment, any grievance we can fancy, any thing our Governour doth that is misconstrued or misinter­preted, will be thought a justifiable pretence for ta­king up Arms against him, which necessarily lays the Foundation of everlasting Wars and troubles.

I might therefore sufficiently evince the falseness of this Principle from the inevitable mischievous consequences of it; but it rather becomes the place I now stand in to shew how wicked and unchristian [Page 7]a Doctrine it is. And there is nothing more plainly and solemnly condemned by the Laws of our Religi­on, than for Subjects by force of Arms on any occasion to resist the Supreme Power and Authority, let it be in one single person, or more, according to the diffe­rent forms of Government in several Countries: Or to speak as the case is amongst our selves, it is never Lawful by our Religion on any pretence to resist the King, or any Authorised by the King, whom we all acknowledge in the Oath of Supremacy to be the only Supreme Governour of this Realm, and if he be the only Supreme, there is no power on Earth equal or co-ordinate to his any more, than there is any Superiour.

Had we no other proof of this, as we have abun­dance, but these words of our Saviour to St. Peter, we might from them sufficiently learn his Mind and Will concerning resistance of the Supreme Power. Where I shall observe first, what a fair pretence and Plea St. Peter and the Disciples had for drawing the Sword or taking up Arms, and then I shall explain the grounds or reasons upon which our Saviour for­bad them, and so sharply rebuked St. Peter; lastly I shall draw one or two inferences from the whole.

1. Consider what plausible pretence St. Peter and the Disciples here had for the drawing of the Sword; and surely if ever there was or can be any case, wherein resistance of Lawful Authority by force is justifiable, it must had been so in this we are now discoursing of. For

[Page 8] 1. This act of St. Peter was purely defensive. Here was no Plot or design laid against the Chief Priests or Elders of the Jews, much less against the Life or Dignity of Caesar, or the Authority of his Deputy in Judaea. No Combination nor Association for the defence of our Saviour, no holy League or Covenant taken, nor engagement entred into to root out the Highpriesthood and Jewish Hierarchy, and to stand by one another with their Lives and Fortunes; no naming of a General, or listing of Souldiers in the Cause; no contribution of Plate or Money for the carrying it on; no contrivance of any Insurrection or seizing the Guards, or stirring up the people against the Government; no secret con­sults about the management of the business; but only an hasty and rash attempt to secure our Saviours Person from the violence offered to him; which if they had by force effected, and actually delivered him out of the hands of the Officers that came to ap­prehend him, there in all probability the Tumult would have stopped, and no further damage or pre­judice happened to the publick State. So that here was not any dangerous Conspiracy against the Go­vernment, nor a direct taking up Arms against it, but their greatest fault seems to be only a disorderly zeal for the Life and safety of their Lord and Master, to preserve which they thought themselves in gra­titude and honour bound.

2. The violence here offered to our Saviour by [Page 9]Chief Priests and Officers was as base and vile piece of injustice, as ever was acted by Men: Most foul treachery in Judas, invincible malice in the Chief Priests and Elders against the most innocent person that ever lived in the World. I may well call their spite against him invincible, since those marvellous good works he had done amongst them, all the kindnesses they had received from him, the incom­parable sweetness and obligingness of his temper and deportment could not subdue it.

Now this St. Peter and the rest of our Saviours intimate friends and followers could not be ignorant of. They knew how the Rulers of the Jews had all along laid their traps to ensnare him, invented their Sham-plots to find matter of accusation against him, with what unwearied diligence they had Per­secuted him, and all that adhered to him, and were now at last resolved on his Death. And who could be safe in their Lives and Estates, if such exemplary vertue and innocence could not protect our Blessed Saviour? So that here their civil Liberties and Pro­perties were highly concerned. If our Governours prevail, and by such manifest injustice take away this Mans Life, the Lord knows who of us by such wicked Arts and subornation of witnesses and methods of violence shall go next. This is such an instance of Arbitrariness and Tyranny, as is not to be endured by a free people.

3. It is further to be considered that not only [Page 10]their civil Liberties and Birthright, but the true Re­ligion was also in great danger. This person in whose defence St. Peter drew his Sword was no other than the Son of God, the Saviour of the World, that great Prophet of whom Moses spake of old time, and whom their whole Nation had so long expect­ed: That Divine Preacher of Righteousness, whom God had sent into the World these last days to in­struct mankind, and discover his whole will to us, and by it to conduct us to eternal Life. Now this feizing of his Person was a downright rejecting the true Messiah, a design to root out his holy Doctrine, which his enemies doubted not but would dy with him. Who would not stretch a little and venture something in so Sacred and so Glorious a Cause? Did it become the Disciples to stand upon little ni­ceties and punctilio's of duty, when they were haling away the Son of God himself, as the vilest Mala­factor, and all that was dear to them lay at stake? or needed they to fear Gods displeasure, for rescu­ing one so dear to him out of the hands of those wretched Miscreants, who would treat him with all imaginable spite and cruelty? Thus you see it was their Love only and concern for the best person, the best Religion, that inspirited St. Peter and the Disci­ples with courage and resolution to attack the Soul­diers and Officers that came against their Master.

4. The force that was opposed, or the ressistance that was made was only against the inferiour and [Page 11]meanest Officers and Servants. The Sword was drawn neither against Caesar himself, nor any sent by him as Herod or Pilate, nor yet against any of the Chief Priests and Elders of the Jews themselves, but only against some of their ordinary Malignant Servants and Officers; and that too at a time when but very lit­tle power remained to the Jews, who could not judge in Capital Causes, nor put any to Death by their own Authority. St. Peter might have pleaded, that he design'd no hurt or mischief to the persons of his Go­vernours, whom he acknowledged to be Sacred and Inviolable; that he owned the Authority of the Chief Priests and Elders, did not fight against them, but for them against their unjust Ministers, who came treacherously in the Night to surprize our Saviour, that they might deliver him up to Pilate the Roman President; and this without any Commission from him, who had the chief Juridiction in Jewry.

In short, St. Peter only resisted unjust and illegal Violence: He thought himself under the strongest Obligations of Love and Gratitude to his Lord and Master to do it. It was zeal for Christ inflamed him, he could not endure to see the Son of God so basely used. Yet notwithanding all these Circumstances, which I have alledged in his favour, he was severely reprehended by our Saviour for drawing his Sword, the fact was condemned, and those who should here­after imitate him by taking the Sword in like cases Sentenced as worthy of Death.

[Page 12] 2. I proceed to enquire into the grounds and reasons, upon which our Saviour blamed and con­demned this Fact of St. Peter, and we shall find these two.

1. Because he had no competent Authority to draw his Sword.

2. Because fighting in defence of our Saviour and his Religion was utterly inconsistent with his design, and the Nature of his Kingdom.

1. Because he had no competent Authority to justifie his drawing his Sword. So saith our Saviour, All they that take the Sword, of their own heads, who without leave or Commission usurp the right of the Magistrate, shall suffer the punishment due by Law to Murderers, who so sheddeth Mans Blood, by Man shall his Blood be shed.

God Almighty is the sole Lord and Master of Life and Death. No Man hath of himself power over his own Life, much less over anothers, and conse­quently cannot transfer any such power. What is therefore called jus gladii or the power of the Sword must be put into the hands of the Soveraign by God alone, whose Minister he is, and not by the people, who cannot give what they never had. Who there­fore Fights with the allowance, or at the Command of the Supreme power, fights by Gods Authority too; by whose leave and appointment he takes away the Lives of the Kings enemies. And to pretend to fight for God without any Authority from the King, [Page 13]must either suppose a private direction, and Com­mission from God, (which is all imposture) or it makes every private person a Soveraign, which is indeed to destroy the Nature both of Soveraign and Subject.

Our Blessed Saviour here pronounceth him worthy of Death, who should draw his Sword either against or without a Lawful Authority, though it be to secure the greatest innocence from the most un­just and illegal Persecution: And can we then possi­bly desire a plainer, or more express Text of Scrip­ture against all resistance of Lawful Authority by force and violence, than these words of our Lord. For if (excepting the case of private defence, in which the consent of the Supreme Power is suppo­sed) we are never to use the Sword, but when we receive Authority to do it from the Publick Ma­gistrate, then to be sure it is never Lawful to use it against him; unless we will imagine the King to Authorize Men, and give them Commission to fight against himself, as those in our late Rebellion did, who pretended to fight against his Person by his Au­thority, a conceit as absurd, as Traiterous.

Now by this one precept of non-Resistance to the higher Powers our Saviour hath best secured the Rights of Princes, the liberty of the Subject and the Peace of Societies.

1. By this our Saviour hath secured the Rights of Soveraign Princes. This being an essential part of [Page 14]the Soveraign power to be unaccountable and irre­sistable. For that power which is to give account unto, or may be resisted by any other power on Earth, is not the Soveraign power of a Nation, but it is subject to those who cannot controul it. Thus if it were Lawful for the Body of the people in general or their representatives in any case to take up Arms, and resist, then is the King Soveraign only during pleasure, and the people subject no longer, than they shall think fit: And it is truly said, that He hath only an empty shadow of Power and Authority, who is cloathed with the Robes of Majesty, and is entrusted with the Scepter, whilst the power of the Sword is in another hand. If by our Religion it had been on any pretence permitted to have resisted, our Saviour had utterly destroyed all the rights of Government, Kings would have had a very uncertain precarious Title to their Crowns, he had made their Subjects Judges of their Soveraigns actions, and consequently superiour to them; in a word, he had dethroned all Monarchs by transferring that absolute uncontrolla­ble Power, which in all Governments must be lod­ged somewhere, from the King to the people.

2. By forbidding resistance our Saviour hath most effectually secured the Rights, Liberties and Proper­ties of the subject, which certainly are best preser­ved under Government. For the greatest danger subjects are in is not from their Prince, but from their fellow subjects; and for this purpose God hath [Page 15]instituted Government to secure us from the violence of other injurious persons, without which we should live as amongst Bears and Tygers, nay without it neither House, nor City, nor Nation, nor Mankind, nor Nature, nor the World it self can subsist, as Tully speaks in his Third Book of Laws. When the Hedge and Wall is once broken down, and the fence taken away, we strait become liable to the incursions of all the Rave­nous Beasts of prey, and to avoid Tyranny or op­pression of our Governours, we soon are made slaves to the meanest of the people, as it usually happens in Civil Wars, and prosperous Rebellions. This Doctrine therefore is so far from enslaving the people, or destroying their Natural right of self-preservation, that it indeed teacheth us the best way to defend our selves, and secure our Liberties.

Publick Government is always the best means of self-defence; and therefore to resist, or to endeavour to overthrow the Government at any time, is to take away and destroy the best means we have of defending our own Lives, Properties, and Rights. It may indeed, as the case may some times happen, free us from one Tyrant, but then it opposes us to the rage and lust of Ten Thousand. Our Rights and Liberties are not any ways more certainly violated, than by civil commotions and intestine Tumults, and broils: and oppression, under the worst Go­vernment is not so great an evil, as the devasta­tions and desolations that are made by subjects re­sisting, [Page 16]and rebelling against their Soveraign. On which account it is reported of the old Persians, that upon the Death of any of their Kings the people were allowed some few days freedom from all Go­vernment, that by the mischiefs, slaughters, outrages and rapines, committed in that short interval, they might be convin­ced of the necessity and usefulness of Government, and that the worst was vastly better than none at all.

Lastly, By this precept of non-resistance our Sa­viour hath provided for the peace of Societies, which can never be maintained, where this principle is once admitted, that it is lawful in some cases to resist the Supreme Authority. For the best Governours, the most equal and just Governments are displeasing to some or other. It is impossible that things should be always administred with that exact fairness, and pro­portion, and success too, as not to offend some, who shall think themselves oppress'd and wrong'd; and if they think so, this shall be ground enough to disturb the peace of the Kingdom.

Hence there must be eternal jealousies between the Prince and people; watching for all advantages one against the other; continual undermining and weakning one anothers interest and force; and nothing could be the result of such a constitution, but endless tumult and confusion. So that it is a de­feating the very end of all societies; and liberty of defence, if allowed to private persons against their superiours, would make the condition of sub­jects [Page 17]far worse, than it can well be under the most ab­solute and illimited Monarchy.

I know here very Tragical Stories are told, and strange consequences drawn from this Doctrine; that this makes us all slaves to the will and lust of any vile wretch, that happens to be in the Throne, such as were Tyberius, Nero, and the like, that one Arm unresisted may Butcher and Massacre an whole City or Nation, that this is enough to turn a Kingdom into a Shambles, that it is not to be thought that God would ever trust one Man with such unbounded power of doing mischief, that to submit and sit still under such oppression and Tyranny, as may arise from the abuse of unbridled power, is to throw away our Lives, as Men weary of them, and that it is Mahumetan Doctrine, not Christian.

But after all this it is no less than Demonstration, that the case of the subject is far easier and safer, whilst they are denied the Liberty of resisting, than it would have been had the same been indulged to them, the inconve­niences on both sides being truly stated and weighed: as hath been evidently made out by several late Writers on behalf of the Government beyond all fair contradiction; and for the proof of it all appeal to the late Rebellion, called a Defensive War, and justified by this Doctrine of the Lawfulness of resisting for the Preservation of our Rights and Liberties and Religion, yet there was more Christian Blood-shed, more Lives lost in that quarrel, more Estates plundred and Confiscated, more Families ruin'd and undone, than by all the Persecutions and Tyrannies of all the Kings and Queens of England since the Conquest. So that it [Page 18]is for the good and interest of every subject, that would live quietly and peaceably and safely, that the Soveraign power should be invested with an absolute unaccounta­ble, irresistible Authority, Subordinate to none but God himself.

And though honest Men may be in some danger from such power, when it happens to be in ill hands, yet they would be continually in far greater danger, if it might be resisted.

Was it thus Lawful on any account to take Arms, there would never be wanting a pretence for it; and so the Government, like a Football, would be continually tossed from one to another, till the strongest ran away with it, and he should prevail no longer, than till ano­ther stronger than he came and trip'd up his heels, and what security can there be for the Lives, Estates, and Li­berties of the subjects in the midst of such continual disorders and revolutions? This therefore is no hard Law of our Saviours, that we should not take up Arms in our own defence against the Magistrate, but very beneficial and profitable to Mankind, since the mischief of such resistance is manifestly greater and more fatal, than all the supposed inconveniences that can arise from the abuse of power. Some few Men may fall a Sacri­fice to the fury or malice of a wicked Tyrant, but Thou­sands and Ten Thousands perish, when Men attempt to save their Lives by Rebellion.

Our Saviour and his Apostles could not but consider this, when they so earnestly forbad all resistance to Au­thority; [Page 19]that such unaccountable power may soon de­generate into Tyranny. They could not forget what grievous Tyrants then Reign'd in the World, most in­famous for their Cruelty, Injustice and Oppression; and yet these must not be resisted by Christians.

Nay if we consider the reason of the case, it will ap­pear as necessary, that we should be forbidden to resist those who Rule Arbitrarily and unjustly, as well as the best and most gracious Princes. Since it is so easy a matter to cheat the common people into a bad opinion of their Governours, who are always apt to suspect the worst of those above them. And if it had been Lawful to have resisted Arbitrary Power, every King good or bad would have been at the mercy of the people. For what Prince can ever hope by the most equal Government, and most mild administration to avoid the infamy of Tyranny and Arbitrary power, when our present most Gracious Soveraign, and his Father of ever blessed Me­mory could not do it. This is the first reason why our Sa­viour on this occasion forbad St. Peter the use of the Sword, not only because the time was now come where­in the Messiah was to suffer and dy, but because St. Peter had no Authority for the drawing of it, and it was against the Lawful powers. All they that take the Sword, shall perish with the Sword.

2. There was another reason for which our Saviour condemned St. Peters using his Sword upon this occasi­on, because fighting in defence of himself and his Re­ligion was utterly inconsistent with his design, and the [Page 20]Nature of his Kingdom. Thus himself tells Pilate St. John 18.36. My Kingdom is not of this World. If my Kingdom were of this World, then would my Servants fight that I should not be delivered to the Jews, but now is my King­dom not from hence. The Apostles were much mistaken, when they thought to shew their zeal for their Master by setting upon and destroying of his enemies. They had another warfare to be engaged in. They were to glorify our Saviour by suffering all manner of evils chear­fully, and conrageously for his sake, and this our Savi­our taught them by this rebuke of St. Peter.

He himself came into the World a pattern of meek­ness and lowliness, of the greatest humility and most unwearied patience, and these were the Vertues that were to crown his Disciples, and to recommend his Re­ligion to Mankind. He did not intend to send out his Apostles as so many Captains and Generals by force to sub­due the World to his obedience, but he sent them out as Sheep amongst Wolves, exposed to all manner of evil treatment, which they were bravely and generously to endure for the sake of their Master, and his Religi­gion was to thrive, and flourish by being Persecuted, to get ground by being opposed, and to be propagated by the passive valour and courage of Christians. Force of Arms and the Sword were no likely means to beget in Men that Dovelike, Childlike, innocent and quiet, meek and gentle Spirit, which his Doctrine was de­signed to implant in all that were called after his Name.

Thus the posture of St. Peter confessing the name [Page 21]of Christ, with his Arms and Legs stretched out upon the Cross at Rome, was much more becoming an Apostle of the Crucificed Jesus, than brandishing his Sword in his hand, and fighting in defence of his Master. And this way did the Primitive Christians and Martyrs shew their Love and constancy to their Saviour, and his Religion, by suffering gladly the spoiling of their Goods, by rejoycing in the midst of scorching flames, not by fighting for it, or making it a pretence to Rebel.

Though they wanted not force nor numbers suffici­ent to have opposed their Heathen Emperours, and shaken their Thrones, yet they willingly submitted to the unjust Sentence of their Governours after the exam­ple of their Lord and Saviour; and the Apologist for them boasts, that none of them ever were found Guilty of Conspiracies against the Emperours, their holy Disci­pline teaching them rather to be killed, than to kill. Thus Mauritius who Commanded the famous Thebaean Legion, which being all Christians yielded themselves to Death under Maximianus told his fellow Souldiers, how much afraid he was lest they being Armed should under pretence of defending their fellows have resisted the Emperour, and hindered their Martyrdom: When, as he tells them, this was forbidden by Christ, who would have that Sword, which the Apostle had drawn in his defence, to be put up.

Here then, my Brethren, is the only case wherein Re­ligion needs your valour, or calls for your courage: Not to be ashamed of it in a wicked Generation, not to [Page 22]forsake it because of the Cross, with which it may some­times be attended; to value pleasing God and your own Consciences above your Lives, or all this World calls dear. This is like true Souldiers of Jesus Christ, this is to be like the great Captain of our Salvation, and to follow him as our Leader, and by this we shall gain admittance into his Heavenly Kingdom. But to fight for the setting up of Christs Kingdom, to Rebell that we may avoid suffering for our Religion, or to take up Arms for the preservation of it was never heard of till the days of our New Reformers.

In truth, all this noise about resisting for the preserva­tion of our Religion is a meer cheat and nonsense No earthly power can reach it, or hinder Men from being as Religious as they will, or as God hath Commanded them. It is only to save themselves from suffering for their Religion, if the Supreme Magistrate should at any time Persecute the professors of it, that raises all their in­temperate zeal and heat, and how agreeable that is with our Saviours Command of taking up his Cross, I leave to every Man to judge. If St. Peter might not draw his Sword to keep our Saviour from suffering, much less may we to keep our selves from it.

I shall only here add one observation, which I find made from this fact of St. Peters; that is, He who was so forward to draw his Sword in defence of his Master, was the first that shamefully denied him, and Swore and Curs'd that he never knew him. The reason of which is guessed to be, that he was afraid of being found [Page 23]out to have been the Person that smote the High Priests Servant, and therefore would not own any Relation to our Saviour; but however this be, I find this very use­ful observation made upon it by an excellent Writer of our Church, that thus it very often happens, this is com­monly the fate of such Men, who are so ready to draw their Swords upon all occasions for Christ, and his Reli­gion and Gospel, against their Superiours, that they renounce their Saviour, and all his Beligion, before ever they lay down their Swords again. Witness those Traitors that embrued their wicked hands in his late Majesties Blood. What zeal for Religion did they first pretend? what tenderness of Conscience, what honesty and inte­grity did they make shew of? and when they were en­ter'd and dipt in Rebellion, what Barbarity, what Vil­lany did they stick at? what Law of our Religion did they not violate? what Commandment of our Saviour did they not scandalously break? Mind it when you will, they who are so ready to fight for their Religion, are most afraid to suffer for it.

I only beg your Patience, whilst I draw two Inferen­ces from what I have now said.

1. It is generally enquired here, that if St. Peter upon so great an occasion as this might not draw his Sword against the Publick Officers, by what Authority then doth the Bishop of Rome as his Successor challenge to himself a Superiority over Soveraign Kings and Princes, and a power to Authorize their Subjects to take up Arms against the, and to depose them: I say, with what [Page 24]colour of reason can they claim this Right by vertue of their Succession from St. Peter, when you see St. Peter himself had not leave to oppose or resist the meanest Servants or Souldiers that came Armed with Publick Authority? yet we are told that no less a Man than Pope Boniface the Eighth undertakes to prove from this very place, that St. Peter and the Church had the power of the temporal Sword. He said unto him, put up thy Sword into the sheath using these words thy Sword. Which I only mention to shew you to what pitiful shifts Men are put, how they are forced to wrack and torture the Gospels, when out of them they would get something that should countenance Sedition or Rebellion. So contra­ry is the Doctrine of Resistance to the plain Rules of our Religion, that those amongst us who have defended it in Print, have at last acknowledged it a Mystery hid from former Ages, and reserved for these last days of greater Light. They were fain to pretend a new Revelation for it.

2. From our Saviours words it undeniably appears, that all taking up Arms against our Soveraign Lord the King, or those Commissionated by him, let the pre­tence be what it will, is a plain damnable Sin. No subject be he of what rank or order soever, may draw the Sword, let the occasion be never so great, without suffi­cient Authority, which he can have only from the Supreme Power it self.

I do not say we are bound actually to obey the Su­preme Authority in all things. We have an higher Lord and Master in Heaven, to whom the greatest Monarch is equally accountable for all his Actions, as his meanest Vassal. And I must not for the sake of any inferiour Au­thority, renounce my Faith and Allegiance to that Hea­venly King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The only difficulty then is, if I must neither obey my Superiours, when they Command things unlawful, nor yet by force defend my self, when they go about to punish me for my disobedience, what remedy have I left me? Must we all lose our Rights, Liberties, Religion and Lives, whenever they chance to be invaded by our Governours, and sit still with our hands folded up within our Bosoms?

I answer, that against such inconveniencies as these, which have sometimes happened in the World, it is confessed that we have no other security, but the provi­dence of God, which is over all his works, and the goodness of our Governours, who are under all possi­ble moral obligations to rule with Justice, mercy and equity, and if they fail in their duties they shall find God a severe avenger. But however we are not to use any force towards them, any more than Children may against a froward and unkind Parent. Fly from them we may, and get out of their clutches, but we must not do the least evil to them, nor ever draw our Swords against them. And it is the pleasure of God when such a necessity lies upon us, that then we should exercise our Christian Patience, and commit our Souls unto our Creatour, being [Page 26]willing to lay down our Lives for his Honour from whom we received them: As the Learned Grotius Comments upon the words of my Text. This is the middle way the Gospel prescribes to us in such difficult circum­stances, when we cannot without Sin obey, and may not resist, then quietly to submit our selves to suffer Gods will.

But thanks be to God, as to our selves in this Nation, these are only hard cases supposed by those, who wished well at least to the late horrid Conspiracy, on purpose to fright people out of their Allegiance and O­bedience. For we are so far from having any such occa­sion or pretence for resisting, or using the Sword amongst us, that besides the plain unlawfulness and wickedness of so doing, we have all the obligations, and endear­ments and interest to engage us to live quietly and peace­ably that Subjects can possibly desire.

Can we wish for, can we conceive a more Gracious Prince than him, whom God hath set over us, and hi­therto preserved for the publick good and benefit of this Nation? How mild and gentle! how merciful and ready to forgive! So tender of his peoples welfare, so careful of their Liberties and Properties, that it ap­pears they are far better and more safe in his hands than our own. Have we not excellent Laws to secure to us our Civil Rights, and is not our Religion as well esta­blished, as humane policy can do it?

Are we not on many accounts the happiest and most fortunate people in the World, if we were but con­tented and pleased with our selves.

That a Nation of so great valour and natural cou­rage, of so great skill in feats of Arms, and of such undaunted Spirits, which if united would be able to grap­ple with the strongest and most potent Kingdoms in the Earth, that hath all things in it self that can be called good, pleasant or desirable, should yet weaken and destroy our selves by quarrelling amongst our selves or against our own King, this is matter of wonder and astonishment to all the World beside.

The disloyalty of this Nation hath much broken our reputation, and we once thought we had almost recover'd our credit again by the Triumphant Restaura­tion of his present Majesty, (whom God long preserve) till these late divisions, and commotions, and fresh con­spiracies, and renewed attempts against the Govern­ment, have sunk us low in the esteem of all our neigh­bour Nations.

But Blessed be God, that this Poyson of Faction and Sedition hath not infected all sorts of Men. There was preserved a remnant that never bowed their knees to Baal, nor were carried away by the popular stream; who preserved their integrity and Loyalty intire in the midst of that crooked and perverse Generation. This Assem­bly here present is sufficient instance of the truth of what I say.

May the King never want such Subjects of such skill and courage, of such Loyalty and honesty to defend his Royal Person and happy Government against Foreign Invasions, and intestine Factions and Rebel­lions. And give me leave to end all with this Prayer, and I know you are such lovers of Peace, that you will all say Amen to it, However necessary the terrour of your Arms may be to the defence of the King and Church, yet God grant that neither of them may ever have occa­sion to make use of your Sword, or try either your skill or courage.