It was upon this account of the Pope's pretended univerſal Sovereignty that King John ſurrendred this Kingdom to Pope Innocent the 3d that Henry the 2d ſubmitted to the laſhes of the Monks of Canterbury, and that Henry the 4th. of France, was whipped in the Perſon of his Ambaſſadour Cardinal D'oſſat, by the Pope and Cardinals at Rome.

To be ſhort, this doctrine makes all Princes the Pope's Vaſſals, and it ought not to be endured by any Loyal Chriſtian Subject, as being ſo unreaſonable in it ſelf, ſo deſtructive to the rights and dignity of ſovereign Princes, and ſo contrary to the word of God. Our Anceſtours themſelves were never able to bear it, as Colces inſtit. part 4. p. 13, 14. appears from the reſolve of the Lords and Commons in Parliament, in the 40 year of Edward the 3d who when the Pope by his Ambaſſadour demanded Homage of the King for his two Kingdoms, anſwered, that King John (upon whoſe ſurrender the Pope grounded his claim) could not put his Realm in any ſuch ſubjection without his peoples conſent, that it was againſt his Coronation Oath, and that for themſelves they could not aſſent to any thing in Parliament, that tended to the diſinberiſon of the King and his Crown, and that if the Pope attempted any thing of that nature, they would reſiſt him with all their force.

And in the Stature of Praemunire, wherein as I have ſhew'd, the three Eſtates of this Realm acknowledged the King to be immediately ſubject to God, they alſo promiſed and bound themſelves to defend the King's Crown and Regality againſt the Papal Juriſdiction, and to live and dye with the ſame.

And in the 35 Hen. VIII. 11. the firſt oath of Supremacy, which acknowledges the King ſupreme Head upon earth under God, was alſo formed againſt the Papal Juriſdiction; which made Arch-Biſhop Cranmer, in Queen Mary's days, refuſe to anſwer the Biſhop of Gloceſter, who ſate in judgment upon him by commiſſion from Rome; for which refuſal he apologized in a Letter to the Queen, urging his Oath of Allegiance to the contrary, and telling her Majeſty, that it could not but grieve the heart of any natural Subject to be accuſed, as he was, of his own Sovereign within her own Realm, before an outward Judge.

But in the ſecond place, we may obſerve what an abſurd doctrine it is, and how diſagreeable to Chriſtian divinity, to aſſert that the ſovereign Power is radically and originally ſeated in the People, and derived from them upon the Prince. I deny not, but that God by his providence may inveſt the ſovereign Power in the body of the people, as ſormerly in Athens, and now in the Cantons of Switzerland, and that, as formerly in Sparta, they may commit the exerciſe of it unto a ſingle perſon under the character of King; but then ſuch Kings are on • ly equivocal Kings, Kings in name, but in reality Subjects, and have the People for their ſovereign Lord, who in theſe unhappy governments, as Themiſtocles calls them in his Epiſtles, are indeed the Miniſters of God, and ought to be obey'd, not onely for wrath, but alſo for Conſcience-ſake.

But the opinion that I am ſpeaking againſt is this, that the People are the fountain and foundation of all power and dominion, which is underſtood to be derived from them even upon thoſe whom Cuſtom calls ſovereign Princes, who are but their truſtees, or ſiduciary miniſters; with whom they have at leaſt a virtual contract, and if they do not perform their truſt by not uſing their power to the ends for which they received it, or abuſe it to contrary ends, then they forfeit the power and authority with which they were entruſted by them, and ought to be anſwerable for their defaults.

I am confident this doctrine cannot be ſtrange to any man, that hath caſt his eyes never ſo little upon the ſeditious Pamphlets of theſe, or the late times. It is expreſſed, or implyed, taught, or inſinuated in moſt of them, which infect the unwary, the unthinking Vulgar with this Popiſh principle of Rebellion, before they are aware. I call it a Popiſh principle, becauſe the Papiſts, of all Chriſtians, firſt taught it, to arm the ſubjects at their pleaſure againſt their Sovereign, and by that means to revenge themſelves upon the Princes that would not ſubmit unto the Pope. And indeed there never was any doctrine better ſitted and invented to deſtroy Monarchi • s, than this is: for as the unchriſtian opinion, that Epiſcopacy is an uſurpation over the Church, makes many people ſit ſo uneaſy and diſcontented under the Epiſcopal Juriſdiction, and hate Biſhops: So this unchriſtian doctrine, which makes ſovereign and independent Princes Uſurpers over the peoples liberties, muſt alſo make all people that believe it, uneaſy and diſcontented under Monarchical government, and ſecretly diſaffected to the Princes, in whoſe Realms they live.

This we find by experience in this Kingdom, where this moſt unſcriptural and abſurd doctrine is taught; unſcriptural I call it, becauſe it is ſo contrary to the Scriptures of the Old and New Teſtament, which aſſert ſuch wicked Princes as Tiberius, Nebuchadnezzar, Claudius and Nero, to be the miniſters of God, and commamds allegiance both in ſubjection and non-reſiſtence unto them upon that account.

And as it is moſt contrary to the Scriptures, and the whole ſtrain of primitive Chriſtian Writers; ſo is it in it ſelf chargeable with many abſurdities and difficulties, which the maintainers thereof cannot anſwer: For firſt, if the ſovereign Power be radically and fundamentally ſeated in the people, then there is but one ſort of ſovereign government in the World, viz. Democracy, and by conſequence all other Sovereigns, whether Senates or Princes, are Uſurpers, and ought to be reduced, or depoſed. Secondly, They cannot tell us upon this hypotheſis, whether the ſupreme Power belongs to all the people promiſcuouſly, that have the uſe of reaſon, without any regard to Sex or condition, or onely to qualified perſons, to Men onely, and men of ſuch a condition and ſort. If men onely have a ſhare and intereſt in the ſupreme Power, by whoſe order and authority, or by what Salique law of Nature were Women excluded from it, who are as uſefull members of the Commonwealth, and as neceſſary for humane ſocieties as the men are? Who gave the men authority to deprive them of their birthright, and ſet them aſide as unſit to meddle with Government; when Hiſtories teach us that they have weilded Sceptres, as well as Men, and Experience ſhews, that there is no natural difference between their underſtandings and ours, nor any defects in their knowledge of things, but what Education makes?

But admitting that the ſovereign Power is onely in the Men, then they are as hard puzled to tell us, whether it b • in all the men that have the uſe of reaſon promiſcuouſly, or onely in qualified perſons of ſuch an age, eſtate, or condition. If all, then young and old, maſters and ſervants, fathers and children, poor and rich muſt have an equal ſhare and ſuffrage in the Government, which would make an intolerable confuſion; but if they ſay ſome, and once ſet limitations, then they can never tell by what order, or authority thoſe without the limits, which muſt be the more numerous part of the people, are ſhut out from the Government and from the concerns of the Commonwealth, of which they are the greateſt part.

But laſtly, let us ſuppoſe, as moſt of theſe Commonwealths-men do, that the Wife is included with her Husband, the Child with the Parent, and the Servant with the Maſter, yet what proviſion is hereby made for all emancipated perſons, ſuch I mean, as have neither husbands, parents, nor maſters, muſt they come in for a ſhare of the Government, or not? or muſt onely maſters of Families have the whole management, and if they muſt, muſt the poor and rich, thoſe that have eſtates, and thoſe that have none, have an equal ſhare and intereſt in it, or if they muſt not, whence ariſes the inequality, or who is it that hath authority to give ſome more power, and ſome leſs?

Or if you will ſuppoſe a great Number of people not yet under any contract or regular aſſociation, who can have power to convene them together, to appoint times or places for meeting to preſide in their aſſemblies, to determine ariſing doubts, to draw up articles of agreement, form the ſcheme of the future Government, compute voices, and the like? and then in their aſſemblies, will the ſupreme Power reſt in the Major, or in the wiſer, or better part? and ſhall their acts conclude thoſe that could not, or would not come? When you have well conſidered all theſe difficult and p • rplexed points, which attend this hypotheſis of placing all power in the People, you will eaſily perceive the excellency of the Scriptural hypotheſis above it. It is free from all the for • mentioned difficulties and abſurdities; it is more agreeable to the original of Mankind from one ſingle created Father; it leaves not ſo many pretences for Sedition and Rebellion; it lays the higheſt obligations that can be upon the conſcience of the Sovereign to rule well: In a word, it is not onely the moſt religious, but the moſt rational, eaſie, and compleat account of Government, to ſay, that ſovereign States and Princes, are God's miniſters and not the peoples, that they derive their power from heaven, and not from men; and particularly, that they have the power of the Sword not by donation from the people, but by the ordinance of God.

But in the third place, From this Apoſtolical doctrine about the power and authority of ſovereign Princes, and States, you may perceive what a great ſin it is for the ſubjects of any government upon any pretence whatſoever, to take up Arms without authority from the lawfull Sovereign, be it in riots, tumults, or rebellions, or any other illegal meetings howſoever called; for God hath committed the power of the Sword to the lawfull Sovereign onely, and whoſoever takes it, and uſeth it without his authority, much more againſt it, uſurpeth the chief part of the ſupreme authority, and is left by our bleſſed Saviour to be puniſhed for his uſurpation by the Sovereign's Sword: Put up thy Sword again (ſaith he unto Saint Peter, who drew it to defend his Maſter againſt the officers of the perſecuting Sanhedrim,) for all, that take the ſword, ſhall periſh by the ſword; and to this purpoſe, and almoſt in the ſame words, ſaith St. John, by way of precaution to the ſuffering Chriſtians: He that killeth with the ſword muſt be killed with the ſword, here is the faith and patience of the Saints. And accordingly the Apoſtle tells the Chriſtian ſubjects of that monſter Nero, that the Powers that then were, were ordained of God, and that they, who reſiſted the Power, reſiſted the ordinance of God, and ſhould receive damnation, or condemnation to themſelves.

To bear the Sword, or have the ſupreme diſpoſition of the Sword, is one of the jura majeſtatis, or eſſential rights of Sovereignty, which belongs to the Sovereign by the Imperial laws of all governments, and by the ſame Imperial laws is it made capital to take it up againſt the Sovereign; and our Saviour, who came to deſtroy no man's civil rights, but to conſirm them, was in the firſt place tender of the Sovereign's rights, and of the Laws, by which they are eſtabliſhed, and confirmed them both: Render unto Caeſar (ſaith he) the things that are Caeſar's, and one part of Caeſar's prerogative, as a ſovereign Prince, and indeed the foundation of all the reſt, was to be accountable to no earthly power, nor liable to any coercion, or force: for were there any other power to which he was accountable, or which had a right to reſiſt him by violence or force of armour, that power would be Caeſar, or Sovereign, and not he.

Wherefore had our Saviour given a power to Chriſtian ſubjects upon the account of Religion, or any other account whatſoever, to take up Arms againſt their Sovereign, he had ſet up one Sovereign, and one Sword againſt another, in every Government; and ſo had not come as he ſaid, to ſave mens lives, but to deſtroy them, and as he ſpoke in another ſenſe, not to ſend Peace upon the earth, but a Sword.

But inſtead of that, as I ſaid before, he hath confirmed the rights of Sovereignty, and the Imperial laws of every ſovereign government, which make it capital to reſiſt the Sovereign; and it is by theſe Laws, which I may call the firſt Table of every government, and by the Goſpel, which confirms them, that paſſive obedience, or non-reſiſtence becomes the double duty of Chriſtian ſubjects, who cannot take up the Sword againſt their Sovereign without reſiſting God, whoſe Miniſter he is, and making themſelves juſtly liable to the ſtroak of that Sword, which God hath put in his hand.

For God, to whom vengeance, or puniſhment, belongeth, hath made him a revenger to execute wrath u •• n his ſubjects that doe evil, but he hath not made them revengers to execute wrath upon him. Had he done ſo, he had ſet up two inſtead of one Sovereign in every Government; but on the contrary, as his wiſedom and honour obliged him, he hath reſerved wicked Princes, and Tyrants for his own puniſhment, and hath allowed their ſubjects no Arms againſt them, but the Arms of the Catholique and Apoſtolical Church, even the Primitive Artillery of prayers and tears.

Perhaps this may ſeem a very harſh doctrine to ſome inconſiderate people at firſt hearing, but if they well conſider that the reſiſtence of the Subjects brings greater evils, upon the publick, than the tyranny of the moſt wicked Sovereign, they will find, that the doctrine of paſſive obedience is founded in the higheſt reaſon, and that we are bound to praiſe the wiſedom and goodneſs neſs of God, who hath forbidden us a remedy, which is infinitely worſe than the diſeaſe. I need not ſend you far off to prove what I ſay, for in this little Iſland ſince the beginning of the Reformation, there hath been perhaps as much Chriſtian bloud ſhed in pretended defenſive Wars, by the Anti-Epiſcopal Reformers, as in the firſt ten famous Perſecutions throughout the Roman Empire; and more men ſlain in the leaſt ſet battel of the late Rebellion, which was alſo called a Defenſive War, than by the tyranny of all the Kings of this Nation ſince the Crown was ſet upon the Conquerour's Head.

But in the fourth place, To paſs over many other uſefull obſervations, as what a ſtrong obligation this doctrine lays upon the conſciences of all Chriſtian States, and Princes, and how unjuſtly the faithfull Miniſters of this Church are hated and aſperſed for preaching of it up, as if they deſigned to flatter their Prince into a Tyrant, and enſlave the People: I ſay, to paſs over theſe conſiderations, which would effectually vindicate the Church and Clergy of England, and diſcover the malice of their factious enemies, we may ſee how much it is the ſpecial duty of all inferiour Magiſtrates whether Civil or Military, to take care that they employ not their power, which they have from their Sovereign againſt him, or doe any thing that may make his juſt Government uneaſie upon his ſhoulders; much leſs that may tend to the diſinheriſon of his Crown, the deſtruction of his Regality, or the diminution of his legal authority, and power.

I make this obſervation, becauſe it hath been, and I am afraid ſtill is, a principle among our new Reformers, that the inferiour Magiſtrates have their power immediately from God, though they are choſen unto it by the Prince, and are God's Truſtees to ſee that he doeth his duty, and that if he will not, they may compell him, and reform without him, and raiſe forces to reſiſt his unjuſt force. But as this opinion is utterly againſt Scripture, the Hiſtories of all times, and the practice of all civil governments, wherein all inferiour Magiſtrates have their commiſſions from the Supreme: So is it utterly againſt reaſon, for then inſtead of one, we ſhould have many Sovereigns in every Government, Power againſt Power, and Sword againſt Sword; and if there be any man here ſo abſurd, that is not convinced of the danger and abſurdity of it at firſt hearing, I deſire him to admit this hypotheſis but for one year into his own family: Let him ſuppoſe, that his Steward, or chief ſervant hath his Steward's authority immediately from God, and is God's Truſtee to ſee that he doth his duty, and that when he will not, he may force him, and reform his family without his conſent; but if he abhor this as an abſurd and impious propoſal, and as utterly inconſiſtent with the juſt exerciſe of the paternal authority in Families, it is every whit as bad in ſovereign States and Kingdoms, and in a ſhort time would make the Supreme, the ſubordinate Magiſtrate's Slave.

I have alſo made this obſervation, becauſe many inferiour Powers and Magiſtrates have formerly, and I wiſh I could not ſay of late, done very much harm to the Crown, and given very ill example to the common people of this Kingdom by their undutifull and diſloyal actions. Were it needfull, I could prove this Charge by a volume of Examples out of the Hiſtories of the late times, to which I refer you; and heartily wiſh for the honour of God, and the Proteſtant Religion, that our preſent Sovereign, and God's Vicegerent, to whoſe goodneſs ſo many ungratefull men owe their honours, and eſtates, and ſome incurable Traitours their honours and lives, had not of late been treated by ſome inferiour Powers, and Potentates more like a publick enemy, than a Prince.

But in the fifth place, If God hath put the Sword in the Sovereign's hand, we may all learn how Neceſſary, and Honourable the profeſſion of a Souldier is, who beareth not the Sword in vain, but to fight the Lord's battels in defence of his Vicegerent, and to be a revenger to execute wrath upon them that doe evil. Every lawfull Souldier whether Common, or Commander is God's Souldier, and what Jehoſaphat ſaid unto his Judges, 2 Chron. 19. may with a little alteration, be ſaid by the King to his Militia, or Army, Let the fear of Gob be upon you, and take heed what you doe, for the judgments which you execute are God's judgments, and you fight not for man but for the Lord.

I have made this obſervation becauſe we have at leaſt one Sect among us, who ſay, that it is unlawfull for a Chriſtian to bear Arms, and ſerve in the Wars under his lawfull Prince. But this is juſt ſuch another abſurd opinion, as that of the ſame men, who ſay it is unlawfull to take an Oath before the lawfull Magiſtrate, when we are required to ſwear. I profeſs, I wonder what can be the ground of ſuch an abſurd opinion, and how the Socinians, who pretend to be Maſters of Reaſon, can teach ſuch an unreaſonable thing. It is a perfect contradiction to the doctrine of the Apoſtle, who here teacheth us, that the Sovereign beareth the Sword, as he is God's Miniſter, and that he beareth in not in vain, but to be a revenger to execute wrath upon him that docth evil; and if he bear the Sword by God's appointment, and for ſo great an end it muſt needs be lawfull, and laudable to bear it under him, juſt as becauſe he is the ſupreme Miniſter of Juſtice, ſome muſt needs ſerve under him in the adminiſtration and execution of Juſtice, and thoſe who doe ſo, are to be honoured in their ſeveral places upon the account of that civil authority, which they derive from him. The Sovereign is the fountain both of Civil and Military authority, both are equally from God, and neceſſary for the ſupport of Government, and therefore I confeſs, I cannot underſtand, why it ſhould be more unlawfull for a Chriſtian to buckle on the Sword at the command of his Prince, than to put on a Gown.

But ſecondly, I have made this obſervation to let our ſeditious people ſee how little like Chriſtians they demean themſelves, in railing, as they have always done, at the King's Guards, and of late at the loyal Militia of this City, calling them, as they did not many days ago, my Lord Mayor's Janizaries, my Lord Mayor's Army, and as they think very wittily, my Lord Mayor's Guards. Theſe people are themſelves an argument to prove, how neceſſary the Sword is for the quiet and welfare of Government, according to the moto of your Shield, arma pacis fulcra, that arms are the cauſe of peace. They ſhew us what we muſt expect from them were it not for the Sword; and God be praiſed, that both the King, and the Lord Mayor have their Guards to defend them, otherwiſe, I fear, the ſpirit of Corah, which reigns ſtill in theſe men, would ſoon puſh them on to pull his Lordſhip out of his Chair, and His Majeſty out of the Throne.

But in the laſt place, if God hath put the Sword into the Sovereign's hand, and the Military, as well, as the Civil Power be derived from him, you may ſee how Honourable a Science the Science of Arms is, and how uſeful, and Profitable to all Governments Schools of Arms are, wherein Men diſpoſed for Martial Employments may learn the Military Diſcipline, and how to be Expert in feats of Arms. Such Honourable Societies are His Majeſties Nurſeries for the Militia, as the Inns of Court are for the Law, and the two Univerſities for the Church; and as it is to be wiſhed, and endeavoured, that no Perſon be bred in either of the former, who would employ their Tongues, and Pens againſt Gods Servant and their Soveraign: So is it to be wiſhed, and all poſſible Endeavours ought to be uſed by you, who are Members of this Honourable Company, that none be admitted into it, at leaſt into the Government of it, who will likely ſo miſemploy their Swords.

You are the Chef d'ordre, the Chief Academy of this kind in His Majeſties Dominions; and as you are the moſt Illuſtrious for the Number, and Quality of your Members, ſo may you ever be the moſt Exemplary for Chriſtian Loyalty; and imitable Patterns for all His Majeſties Subjects of that Faith, and Allegiance, which is due unto him by the Law of Cokes Calvin's Caſe. Nature, as well as the Municipal Laws of this Land.

May you all (according to the Ancient Oath of Allegiance wont to be Adminiſtred in Courts ofBritton. c. 29. Leet) Be Faithful and Loyal to our Sovereign Lord the King, and his Heirs, and bear them Faith and Fealty of Life, Limb, and terrene Honour, and never do them hurt, or damage, but Defend them to your Power. But if notwithſtanding your Care, and Endeavours to the contrary, any diſaffected Perſons have, or may hereafter creep in among you, let their Right-hands forget their Cunning, and ceaſe to be dextrous in handling the Sword.

Let them never be able to ſtretch forth Hand or Sword againſt the Lords Anointed; or if they do, let them proſper according to the preſage of our Bleſſed, and Obedient Saviour, who ſaid, He that taketh up the Sword (that is without, or againſt Autority) ſhall periſh by the Sword. Let their Calamity, as Solomon ſaith, riſe ſuddenly: Let ſwift Deſtruction, as David pray'd againſt his Enemies, come upon them unawares; let them be as the Chaff before the Wind, and the Angel of the Lord ſcattering them: Let all this come upon them as upon Abſalom, Brutus, Caſſius, and Choerea; and I hope there is none ſo diſloyal in this Audience, at leaſt in this Honourable Company, that will not heartily ſay Amen.

There are other Excellent Uſes to be made of this Doctrine, eſpecially againſt the unchriſtian Practiſes of thoſe Men, who not having the fe • r of the King of Kings before their Eyes, love to ſpeak and do every thing, as far as ſafely they may againſt the Honour of his Vice-gerent; ſtandring his Perſon and Government, belying or miſ-conſtruing his beſt Proceedings, blaming, or Cenſuring his moſt Innocent Actions, delighting in his Misfortunes, Triumphing in his Wants, Aggravating his Infirmities, diſperſing Stories and Rumours to his Prejudice, and loving to do every thing that tends to weaken his Autority, and withdraw the Hearts of his People from him, and render him Odious, and Contemptible in their Eyes.

If you ask theſe Men with what Conſcience they can thus treat their Soveraign, they will tell you, they do nothing but what they can Juſtifie by Law; as if the Laws of the Land, and not the Laws of the Goſpel were the compleat, and adequate Rule of Chriſtian Duty, Subjection, and Obedience: Or, as if Men were to be Try'd at the laſt Judgment by thoſe, and not by theſe.

But alas, the Man of God, as the Apoſtle calls a Chriſtian, cannot be made Perfect in any one Duty by the Laws, nor furniſhed by them unto every good Work, but quite contrary, the Laws of the Realm will allow us to do many grievous things againſt Father, Mother, Wife, Children, or any other ſort of Relations, or Neighbours, for which, without Repentance, we ſhall be ſurely Damned. Wherefore as the Laws of the Land are not the Meaſure of our Duty of our Parents, &c. ſo neither are they the Perfect Rule of our Duty to our Prince, as it is plain from the Verſe after my Text, where the Apoſtle having told the Romans, that the Emperour was the Miniſter of God, he then adds, Wherefore you muſt needs be ſubject, not only for Wrath, or fear of Legal Puniſhment, but alſo for Conſcience-ſake.

To Conclude all; theſe Diſloyal Men, with which theſe Kingdoms ſo abound, Act more like Greeks than Chriſtians, and as if they had been bred at Athens, and Sparta, rather than in the School of Chriſt: Otherwiſe they would be better Affected towards Gods Anointed; they would Pray more for him, and Murmure, and Clamour leſs againſt him, as knowing, that God giveth us what Kings ſoever he pleaſeth, and that the Kings Heart is in the Hand of the Lord, and that he turneth it whitherſoever he will. He is King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and the only Ruler of Princes. He is the Fountain of Soveraign Power, every King is his Vice-gerent, and every Kingdom a Theocracy, and therefore let us bleſs the Lord before all the Congregation, and ſay, in the words of David, 1 Chron. 29. Thine, O Lord, is the Greatneſs, and the Power, and the Glory, and the Victory, and the Majeſty: For all that is in the Heaven, and in the Earth is thine; thine is the Kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted, as Head above all. Which in other words is the very Doctrine of the Apoſtle, who ſaith, That there is no Power, but of God, and that he beareth not the Sword in vain, becauſe he is the Miniſter of God, To whom, Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, be aſcribed, &c.