RELIGION, as it makes Provision for us in another World; and is the only Means to secure us a good State after this Life; a fu­ture and eternal Happiness for our Souls; so 'tis that also upon which the present Welfare, the Comfort and Felicity of this Life does chiefly depend; 'tis that which supports the World, and preserves the Peace and Order, the Quiet, and good Settlement of it; 'tis that which sets a Guard about our Lives, and all our Enjoyments, and restrains Mankind from [Page 2]ravening and devouring one another: 'Tis that which is the main Strength, the true Foundation of Govern­ment, which supports the Princes Throne, and Guards it like an Angel from the Sons of Violence; and as it obliges us to all those Duties of Right and Justice, that are necessary for the Good and Welfare of all Mankind; so it especially secures and maintains the Rights of Princes and Governours; which cannot be violated without the greatest Mischief, and the most pernicious Consequences to the World.

David, who was the most singular Example of all Religion and Piety to God; who was the great Ex­ample and Teacher of it to the Jewish Church; and who has left such Memorials and Monuments of it, as make up a great part of the Devotion and Wor­ship of all Christians: Him was God pleased to make as great an Example of Loyalty to his Prince, and of Duty and Obedience to his Sovereign; and that pure­ly from the same Principles of Religion and Conscience that made him so to God. He had the least Reason otherwise to be so to his Prince that could be well i­magined: Who sought to take away his Life unjustly; he hunted him as a Partridge upon the Mountains, and intended to make him a Prey to his unreasonable Fury and Displeasure. Who would have taken away that Right which God had expresly given him; and deprived him of the Succession to the Crown, which Heaven had entituled him to. Who destroyed all his Friends he could light of, and murdered fourscore and five of the Priests of the Lord in one day upon his account. 1 Sam. 22.18. Who put a whole City to the sword, Man, Woman and Child, v. 19. and exercised all the Acts of Cruelty and Injustice to him, and all those that fa­voured him.

[Page 3] How much less than all this would have served some Men to fly out into open Resistance and Rebellion a­gainst their Governours? Yet he that was appointed by God's immediate Command, to be the next Heir of the Kingdom, and was anointed by Samuel to that purpose, 1 Sam. 16.12. So that in his Life and Safe­ty, the common Welfare and Interest, the Safety of the whole Kingdom of Israel was concerned: Nay, he that was the General of Israel, and a great Officer under Saul; and to such Magistrates more inferiour than David was in Israel, some People are for giving a Power to restrain and resist the Superiour Magistrate; yet he under these Circumstances, which if any, would make it lawful and justifiable to have done otherwise, he then only fled away, and made no manner of Resi­stance to Saul, who was his Prince, tho' he was like­wise his unjust Persecutor: And to shew that he did this out of Conscience and Religion, and not for want of Power, or Ability to do otherwise (which is the only Reason that some men have against resisting) God was pleased to put Saul into his Hands at the Cave in Engedi; and to give him an Opportunity to have done what he would with him; and the men that were then with him, would have persuaded him, That this was a Providence of God that shewed he would have the thing done, 1 Sam. 24.4. And the men of David said unto him, behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold I will deliver thine Enemy into thine Hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee. How would a much less Providence have been thought enough to make this lawful, and a suf­ficient Indication of the Will of God to some men who had no such promise at all as that was? but Da­vid was a better Interpreter, both of God's promise, and of his providence too; and he dared not touch the [Page 4]person, or the Life of his Sovereign; but only cut off the Hem of his Garment; and for that his Heart smote him afterwards at the 5th. verse. It were well if some Mens Hearts would smite them, who have cut off not the Hem of their Sovereign's Garment, but his Royal Head from his Body; and yet their Hearts are so harden'd, that they have shown, most of them, but little Repentance for it.

But this was not enough; David might have lost this Opportunity perhaps out of Unadvisedness, or Im­prudence, and have been sorry for it afterwards; or it might not have been so fit to have dispatch'd so great a Work at that time; or he had not time to delibe­rate and consider well what was to be done with so lucky an Advantage. Behold, God tries him ano­ther time at Hachilah, where Saul had pitched his Tents in pursuit of David, who was in the Wilder­ness hard by: There David in the Night comes with Abishai into the Camp of Saul, and finds the Souldiers so careless and sleeping, that he got into the very Trench where Saul lay sleeping, with his spear by him, stuck at his Bolster in the ground, and Abner, and his other Captains and Guards asleep by him. Here Abishai indeed was in the mind of other men, not to spare their Sovereign when they have got him into their power. Then said Abishai unto David, God hath de­livered thine enemy into thine hand this day; now there­fore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear, even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time: But David, from the same Principles of Consci­ence, and Religion that had restrained him before, for­bids any such thing, as containing the most horrid Sin and Guilt in it; and this also from a Reason that holds good as to all Sovereign Princes and Governours whatever: And David said to Abishai, Destroy him [Page 5]not; for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords anointed and be guiltless? This Example of David is very full, and comes up to the greatest Cases, and allows of no Exceptions that can well be thought of to this his general Principle; and from that I shall of­fer to you these two things.

• 1. The great Unlawfulness of resisting, or draw­ing the Sword against the Sovereign Prince.
• 2. The horrid Guilt of murdering him, and taking away his Life.

Stretching out the Hand is a Phrase may fairly be un­derstood of both those; tho' I confess it is here prin­cipally meant of the later; but 'tis the First is gene­rally the Cause of the other, and the Principle that leads to it; He that stretches forth his Hand so far as to resist his Prince, will stretch it a little farther to murder him too, if it be in his Power, and he finds it necessary for his Designs. I shall therefore first shew the unlawfulness of resisting the Prince, or drawing the Sword against him; and if we once make that good, we secure him from all Attempts and Outrages upon his Life: And this upon several Accounts.

1. From the Practice and Example of the wisest and best Men, who under the most hard and unjust Ʋsages, the most cruel Sufferings from their Governors; and in the worst Cases that can well be put, yet always submitted patiently, and never made use of any Force, or violent Resistance against them. I have prevented my self in the Instance of David, which is so consi­derable as may serve for a full Example of this under the Old Testament; tho' I might here mention the Be­haviour of the Jews, under the Bondage and Cruelty of Pharaoh, who when he opprest them unmercifully, and murdered their Children as soon as born; and gave them the greatest Provocations to have freed and re­venged [Page 6]themselves, yet they never made any Attempts that way; tho' by Pharoah's own Confession, they were more and mightier than the Egyptians themselves, Exod. 1.9. But I choose rather to offer you what more concerns us Christians; tho' it would be a great Shame if we should come short in this of the murmu­ring, and stiff necked, and Rebellious Jews; and that is the Example of Christ and his Apostles, and the Primi­tive Christians; which as they are Patterns to us of all those Vertues that they taught and commanded; so especially of Loyalty, Obedience, and patient Submissi­on to the Governours which God had set over them; and this is more remarkable in them, because they hap­pened to live under such Governours as were the most notorious for all manner of Wickedness, and e­specially for Cruelty and Injustice; and that most par­ticularly to them, as well as others; and yet even un­der Tiberius, whom Suetonius relates, as a Man infa­mous, not only for Cruelty to his nearest Relations, but even for such Lusts and Debaucheries as were not fit to be related; our Blessed Saviour shew'd himself a quiet and obedient Subject, and paid Tribute at the Expence even of a Miracle, Matth. 17.27. And under the Emperor's President, which was Pontius Pilate, he patiently suffered a most cruel and shameful Death, that he was no ways worthy of; and which he could have rescued himself from by a Legion of Angels, had he pleased; but he neither thought fit to make use of them, or his Disciples, to deliver him from the Hands of Violence and Injustice; but had occasion to shew his Dislike of all such Designs, and of all manner of resisting, or making use of the Sword against the Au­thority of our Governours, in that famous Case of St. Peter, Matt. 26.51, 52. who, when in Defence of his Master, against those who came to apprehend [Page 7]him, he drew his Sword, and smote a Servant of the High Priest, and cut off his Ear. Jesus made Amends for it by a Miracle, and commanded him to put up his sword into its place; and that with a Declaration that does for ever condemn the making use of the Sword against the Authority of the Magistrate, tho' it be to defend an innocent person from the greatest Injury: For all they that take the sword, shall perish by the sword, that is, who take it against their Rulers, or those whom they appoint or commission: For this was not against the High Priest himself, but his Servant; and neither was he the Supreme Governour at that time.

The Apostles of our Saviour followed this excellent Example of their Blessed Master, when all of them, except one, suffered Martyrdom, under that Govern­ment that they so quietly submitted to; and so far was St. Paul from resisting, that he repented of an ha­sty and inconsiderate Word, that he spake against the High Priest, who was judging him against the Law, Acts 23.5. And never did St. Peter pretend any such power, by Vertue of his Supremacy, as some that call themselves his Successors have done since; nor in any of the first and best Ages of Christianity were there any Tumults, or Seditions, or Factions made against the Government, tho' they were vastly numerous, and had fill'd, as Tertullian tells the Heathens themselves, all their Cities, and Castles, and all the places and parts of the Empire; yet Nunquam Albiniani, vel Ni­quiam, vel Cassiani inveniri potuerunt Christiani, No Christians were ever of the Number of any of the Movers of Treason or Sedition, of what Party soever: They endured unheard of Cruelties from their Gover­nours; the greatest Tortures that the Wit and Ma­lice of their Enemies could invent; and this often, as they complained in their Apologies, against Law too, [Page 8]such as would have stirr'd up those who had power to defend themselves, had they not learn'd such Princi­ples from their Religion as forbad it; and these were then so powerful upon their Minds, being no doubt often inculcated by their Teachers, as made seven thousand Souldiers, who were Christians in Maximia­nus his Army, to suffer themselves to be all slain and murdered for the sake of their Religion, when they were all armed, and in a posture to have resisted by force, and defended themselves. More famous and greet Examples I might give of this; but in the se­cond place.

2. This was a Christian Principle, and a Command of the Gospel, upon which they grounded their Obe­dience and Submission to their Governours; else their Example would not be so considerable; but might seem to have proceeded from Weakness and Inability, from Timorousness and Caution, or the like; but no­thing is a plainer, or more peremptory Command in the whole Gospel, than to be obedient to our Gover­nours, and not to resist them. I need name but that very well known place, Rom. 14. 1 Let every soul be subject to the higher powers; and at the Second, Who­soever resisteth the Power, resisteth the Ordinance of God, and they that resist, shall receive to themselves Damnation; and that this [...] is not only a temporal, but a Di­vine and Eternal Judgment, is plain from the fifth Verse, Wherefore ye must neeeds be subject, not only for Wrath, but even for Conscience sake: Not only for Fear of that present Danger you may otherwise incur; but also from the Sence of a future Punishment, and the Consideration of Religion and another World.

The very Temper and Spirit of Christianity is against Resisting; it commands Meekness and Quietness, [Page 9]Peaceableness and Gentleness, the bearing of Injuries patiently from private persons, much more from our Governours; the bearing the Cross, and suffering all the Evils in the World, rather than doing the least; the not revenging our selves, but rather giving place unto Wrath; and all those Duties that take off that turbu­lent, and furious, and unquiet Disposition, from whence the resisting of Governours proceeds; all those Rebellious Lusts, from whence come Civil Wars and Fightings among us: And it is very strange therefore that Religion should ever put men upon that which it so expresly forbids, that men should think it law­ful to resist their Governours, upon the Account of that which plainly disallows any such thing. Popery is a Religion most corrupt and dangerous to the Souls of Men; and therefore to be opposed by all lawful ways by every honest Man; but to resist and rebell a­gainst our Governours for the fear of it; nay, for the thing it self, should God in his Judgment bring it up­on us, is what the Gospel forbids upon pain of Dam­nation, and what the first Christians never did against Paganism; and yet they were as hearty Enemies to that as we can be against Popery.

3. I might add in the third place, that Resistance is most contrary to the Constitution of our own Govern­ment, to the Fundamental Establishments of it; the many publick Acts and Declarations that are made concerning it; and the many Oaths by which we are restrained against it; it would be tedious to name these here; and there are few can be iguorant of them, who are themselves bound to take, and I hope they think themselves bound also to keep them, tho' there have been some who have forgot all those, and could as easily unloose them, as Sampson did his Withs; and then set themselves free from the Precepts & Examples [Page 10]of Christ and his Apostles, and the Primitive Christians, by this Colour and Pretence, that the Government under which they lived, was of another Nature than ours is in England; and that such is our Constitution, as makes all those impertinent, and of very little Regard here: And by the same way, might they not dis­charge Wives, and Children, and Servants from those Duties the Gospel requires of each of them? Because there was great Difference between the State and Condition of those among the Jews, the Romans, and the Grecians formerly, and with us now.

I confess, had we such a Government as the Lace­demonians under their Kings and Ephori, or as is in some other places, where the true Sovereignty is not as it is here in the Prince, they might run the Question into this, who were the Higher Powers, to whom Obedience and Non-resistance did belong, accor­ding to the Scriptures? But no English man can have reason to doubt of that here, who knows the Consti­tution of our own Kingdom, and can no more be igno­rant who has the Sovereign Power, than a Servant, who is the Master of the House he lives in.

4. As Resistance of our Governours is against the Examples, and the Principles of Christianity; and also contrary to the Constitution of our own Go­vernment; so 'tis contrary also, to Reason and Equity, and most prejudicial to the Good of the World, and the Welfare of Mankind: For what would be the Ef­fect of it, but perpetual Tumult and Disorder, Con­fusion and Anarchy. Government was designed for the publick Benefit of the World, and next to the Being of a God, and a Providence, 'tis that which preserves, and is the greatest Blessing to Mankind; which secures our Lives from Violence, our Estates from Rapine; and is a common Fence, or Hedge, that [Page 11]encloses whatever we enjoy in Safety and Security; and if it were lawful to break this down upon every Pett and Distaste against our Governours, we should but lay all open, and in Common again, and become a Prey, and a Spoil to the most strong and crafty: If we might resist, and fall to Force and Violence, whenever we liked not what was done by our Supe­riours, then we should be no longer Subjects than we thought fit our selves: Their Authority over us should last no longer than we our selves judged it to suit with our Interest, or Humor, or Inclination; and then it would be impossible to provide either for Peace or Justice, or attain any of the Ends for which Government was designed and establish'd.

It is possible indeed that some Inconveniencies may happen sometimes to Mankind, by their Governours abusing their Power and Authority, and using it to serve their own Wills and Pleasures, rather than pub­lick Good, and the Welfare of those who are under them. This I question not, but may happen, and often has so and did so, especially under those Empe­rours, to whom yet the Scripture commanded Obedience and Non-resistance; but there is much less Mischief likely to befall Mankind from thence then there would, if they should be allowed to disobey and re­sist as they thought fitting. It is not possible to prevent all manner of Inconveniencies, and secure our selves against all possible Evils in this World; but whate­ver great ones Mankind may lie open to, from the Princes abuse of his Power, to the vioalting of his Subjects Rights and Properties; yet there would be abundantly more and greater, if either upon our Mi­stakes or Jealousies, or the unreasonable Fears and Pretences of designing and unpeaceable Men, it were lawful to resist, and make a forcible Opposition against [Page 12]our Governours. And for this very Reason, I que­stion not but that God, who designs the greatest good to Mankind that here we are capable of, has thus fix'd and determined it; and if Men would well confider it, they might see the Reasonableness and Equity, and even the Necessity of its being so; but I haste to the second thing, which is chiefly here meant by stretching out the Hand, and that is the murdering and taking away the Life of God's anointed; and 'tis that for which our Nation does Penance this day, and is the greatest Reproach to our Nation and Religion.

The horrible Guilt of this I shall represent in two Particulars.

1. From the Consideration that he was God's a­nointed, which was that which made David not dare to do so impious a thing, i. e. one appointed or ordained of God, as all Princes and Governours are: For there is no Power but of God, the Powers that be, are ordained of God. Rom. 13.2. that is, that Authority by which King's Reign, and Princes decree Justice, is imme­diately from God, as the Fountain of all Power and Authority, and the chief Sovereign of the World, from whom all others do truly receive theirs. The Word anointed, was used from the Custom of anointing Princes by God's Command, as a Ceremony of Inve­stiture and Inauguration of them to their Govern­ment; but it is given also to those to whom God hath given Sovereign Power and Authority without that; as Cyrus is called the Lord's anointed, Isa. 45 1. tho' the way of anointing was not in use among the Persi­ans.

God, as he was pleased to imprint his own Image and Likeness upon Humane Nature, so to Princes and Governours he communicates some of his own Power, and Greatness, and Majesty; and they are his imme­diate [Page 13] Deputies and Vicegerents commissionated as it were to govern and rule, and order this Lower World; and therefore are stiled Gods, and have the Name even of Elohim, given them, Psal. 82.6. and then if it be a kind of resisting God, and a resisting the Ordinance of God to resist them, what is it to murder, and take away the Lives of these Earthly Gods, those who are anointed and commissionated, ordained and appointed by God himself? If it be ac­counted Treason by Humane Laws, to kill a Judge or a Justice upon the Bench, or an Inferiour Magistrate in the persormance of his Office, because he bears the Person, as it were of the King; then is it not Crimen laesae Majestatis divinae, a Treason against God, and of the highest Nature, to destroy and murder one that is God's immediate Deputy and Commissioner, and an Officer appointed to govern such a part of the World under him?

2. It has all the Guilt in it of the most horrid Mur­der; for such is taking away the Life of any Man, without a just Power and Authority; and this is committed only to the Governour by God, who is the Lord of Life and of Death; and as this is wholly derived from God, and plainly shews, that the Ma­gistrate has this his Power wholly from him, and not from the People, because they who have not Power over their own Lives, can never give that to the Prince which they have not themselves; and there­fore this jus Gradii, this Power over Mens Lives must come immediately from God to the Magistrate, and since God has declared, that Vengeance is his, Rom. 12.19. especially that Vengeance which ap­pears in all Capital Punishments, the Ruler must be his Minister to execute Vengeance in this manner, and to this Degree, to all that do such Evil as deserves it, [Page 14] Rom. 13.4. For he is this [...], or Revenger, by an Authority received, immediately from God, and not from Men, who have not such a Power and Do­minion over themselves, and therefore cannot trans­fer it to him; from whence therefore shall the People, or the whole Community challenge to themselves this Power over the Life of their Sovereign, since the Power over their Lives is committed to him only by God? As the pretending this is the usurping upon the Divine Authority, so 'tis the most horrid and vil­lanous Murder in the World, not only of a Man, who bears the Image of God, which was the reason given a­gainst Homicide, Gen. 9.6. but of a King, who bears the Image of God upon another Account also, as he has some Rays of the Divine Majesty and Greatness, and Authority, communicated to him above other Men; and it is no way an Abatement, but an Aggra­vation of the Crime to do this in a pompous way of ludicrous and pretended Justice: For that is as if a Company of Robbers, before they took away a Man's Purse, should bring him to some of their Fellows, and they tell him, that property was an Encroach­ment upon the natural Right that all Mankind equal­ly had to the things of the World; and because he had traiterously and feloniously infring'd this, and other Rights and Priviledges that belong'd to them, there­fore they condemn'd him to deliver his Purse imme­diately. Just such a Mock-thing as this was the High Court of Justice; and just so much Power had they to condemn and murder their anointed Sove­reign.

And if all Murder be a Sin that cries loud to Hea­ven for Vengeance, and brings a Guilt, not only up­on the particular Shedders; but defileth a Land, as God expresly says, Numb. 35.33. And even an un­certain [Page 15]Murder was to be expiated by all that lived within any City of such a Distance from it, Deut 21. Then what Vengeance may we think due, besides what we have felt already for the Blood of our Late Martyr'd Sovereign? And how shall this City, that was, I am sure, at no great distance, the nearest I doubt on all accounts, to this bloody Murder, be ex­piated and atoned from it? Let us use that Prayer that was appointed in that Case, tho' God knows in­finitely below and unlike ours, with which I shall conclude: Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy People Is­rael, whom thou hast redeemed, whom thou hast re­deemed at last from the Slavery and the Cruelty of those bloody and violent Men, and lay not innocent Blood unto thy People of Israels Charge; and God grant that this Blood may be forgiven unto this Kingdom; and that for the sake of that precious Blood of Christ, which speaketh better things than the Blood of Abel, or the Blood of Charles the First.

Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, Praise and Thanksgiving, both now, and for evermore.

I Begun a Discourse to you on these Words the last Thirtieth of January; the day wherein our Nation stands infamous to Posterity, for the Murder of our Late Martyred Sovereign: How many such black Days are we to have, to stain and discredit our English Kalendar? Will the Traitors of our Nation equal the Number of the Romish Saints? [Page 18]They will in time, I doubt not, bid fair for it, and very much out do them, had they but every one a day: But it is to be hoped, Posterity will be so kind to us, as to think the Villany of the one as incre­dible as the Miracles of the other; and put our Plots in the same Rank with their fabulous Legends; else we had need of another sort of Act of Oblivion, that may make Time forget as well as Law; and blot out our Reproach to after Ages. How will it else look to those who shall have recovered their English Ver­tue and Loyalty, that their Ancestors, who were nei­ther wild, nor barbarous, ignorant, nor irreligious, should yet stand upon Record for doing such things as the darkest Paganism did never allow, nor the sava­gest people scarce ever commit?

One of the best Princes that ever sate, not only upon the English, but upon any Throne, brought as a Malefactor before the Bench of his meanest Subjects, when every man in the Kingdom can claim his Pri­viledge of being tryed only by his Peers; condem­ned there by a Mock Scene of Justice, and barbarou­sly executed upon a Scaffold before his own Palace.

And should I now tell you of the Excellent Son of that Good Father, murdered by as vile, but a more secret way, by a Company of bloody Villains, lying in Wait and Ambush for him, making His Sacred Body the Mark of their murdering Weapons, and levelling their loaded Blunderbusses at their Sove­reigns Heart: That Heart which had always so much Clemency and Tenderness for his worst Enemies; and spared even many of their Lives, who are now, without Pity, taking away his: Should I tell you how many gaping Wounds they made in his Royal Breast; and how the precious Blood gush'd from e­very Artery, and ran down from every open Ori­fice, [Page 19]like common Water spilt upon the Ground, till the anointed of the Lord, thus used by merciless Villains, lay gasping and besmeared in his own, and his Brothers Blood. Lord, how dreadful is it to de­scribe or imagine what they would have committed! And when they had done this, they could stop at no­thing; but go on like thirsty Blood-hounds, to kill and destroy, to massacre thousands of his faithful Sub­jects, to attend their beloved Prince, till they had made Rivers of Blood flow in every Street, and fill'd every place with Slaughter and Confusion: Should I tell you all this, and lay open so bloody a Scene before your Eyes, 'twould be but the very History of the late intended Tragedy, of that Hellish Conspira­cy, which Heaven, whom we thank this day, and can never sufficiently thank all our Lives, has deli­ver'd us from: When we look back upon it, and view the Danger we have escaped, the pleasing Horrour confounds us, and scarce leaves us Sences to be thank­ful as we ought. I shall therefore take off your thoughts a little from the thing it self, and put you upon think­ing what it can ever be, that should engage men in such stupendous Villanies as these: what hellish Charms can ever draw men into such abominable Designs; and how those, who call themselves Men and Christians, and, what they are more fond of than either, Prote­stants, should be guilty of what is so contrary and reproachful to all those Honourable Names.

It had been nothing so strange, if these men had been of a Religion, whose very Make is Treasonable, which has mingled Treason even with its Offices of Re­ligion, and its Articles of Faith. Had they been of that Church, which obliges those of its Communi­on to worship Traitors as Saints, and to hold deposing of Kings as a Catholick Doctrine: Had they owned [Page 20]those General Councils that have decreed this, and acknowledged that Infallible Head, who could in Cathedra commend the Assassination of a Prince, and compare it to the best Actions in Scripture, next our Saviour dying for Mankind: It had not been half so much to be wondred at, if they had thus suckt Treason from the Breasts of their Roman Mother, or been nur­sed up in it at a Popish Seminary; then it would have been but natural to have had the Poyson broke out sometime or other into Plots, if the Season had been fair, and outward Circumstances not driven it in. But to renounce Popery with great Zeal, and yet re­tain what is the most Ʋnchristian in it, and to pre­tend to Protestancy; and yet allow what every Pro­testant Church in the World condemns, is to resolve to be a Traitor, and to be of no Religion at all.

Treason in Papists, is like Original Sin to Mankind; they all have it in their Natures, though many of them may deny it, or not know it; and tho' it break not out in all to the same outward Extravagancies; but in Protestants it is like the Italian Distemper, it was first brought from another Country, and is no way natural to our own, tho' the Infection has been taken by too many, who had an ill Temper pre­pared for it, and others, if they take not Care, are liable to catch it by the Lewdness of Ambition, Re­venge, or Discontent.

There is no Church in the World that I know of, but the Romish, which teaches Treason: I wish I could say, there were no Men but they who did so; but if there be too many, it cannot however with Justice be charg'd upon any Protestant Church, who all disown it; any more than Atheism, or Polygamy can be charged to the Church of Rome, because some of their Members have defended, and beenguilty of those [Page 21]Crimes; but where ever it is in Pope or Presbyter, in Conclave or Classis, in Jesuite or Fanatick, 'tis to be abhorred, detested, abominated by every good Chri­stian; and he that can think upon it without doing so, and not let his Heart and his Tongue rise up against it, may in time I doubt, be brought to commit it.

Stretching out the hand to resist the Prince is most plainly unlawful, as I showed you formerly, from the Examples and the Principles of the Christian Religion, from the Constitution of our own Government, and from the consideration of the publick Good and Peace of the World; and that to Murder, or take away his Life, is the most horrid guilt that can be; I then un­derstood that Phrase of Stretching out the hand in both those Senses, and so it takes in both the Parts of this present Conspiracy; and indeed though Monsters do not use to be alike, yet this does so much resemble that o­ther Treason in its main parts and in its manner of pro­duction, that I could think of nothing fitter to shew the Villany of this, and to antidote mens minds against the like, for the future, then by reviving the same thoughts in your minds, and by proceeding further on the same Subject; and especially in that Method which shall meet with those Objections which are brought against that Duty of Nonresistance; those are chiefly some outlying Cases as they account them, which come not into this general Duty, but are Exemptions from it; and these are they by which Men are gene­rally drawn into Treason, which is a Sin too ugly in its looks to tempt Men, if it wore not a Vizard. 'Tis these Cases which by a Rebellious Witchcraft, are cast like Mists before Mens eyes, and so they are jugled and seduced into the saddest Treasons and Conspiracies; though a great many of them are like the Proposals of Mathematicians, to move the Earth if you grant them [Page 22]such and such Postulala, and allow things to be so or­dered as they would suppose, which can never be really done, and the Earth is in no danger to be mo­ved for all their Demonstrations; yet these Men do really move the Kingdom, and turn it out of its place by fancied and Romantick Cases, which it is impossible perhaps, should ever come into practice. But I intend to consider such Cases as are thought more probable and plausible, and which are the common Stumbling-blocks that lie in the way of this Duty, and cause a great many, as they did our present Conspirators, to fall into that Treasonable Gulph, which wholly swallows them up, if they come too near the brink of it.

They are these four.

The Case of Religion, The Case of Legal Rights, The Case of Natural Defence, and the otherwise Remediless Case of Mankind, by the Encroachment of Princes.

1. The Case of Religion, which is the greatest and most important Concern to Mankind, wherein their Souls and their Eternal Fortunes lie all at stake; and both they and their Posterity may loose what is more valuable then their Lives or Estates, if they stand not up sometimes and fight for their God and their Altars, which were Considerations that always inspired Men with the greatest Courage and Reso­lution.

If a Prince shall set up a false and Idolatrous Religion, and attempt to destroy the true Worship of God, here they think, both a Zeal for him and Religion, and a Care of their own and their Posterities Salvation, calls loudly upon them to resist him to the utmost, and with the noble Macca­bees, to shed the last drop of their Blood for their Religion and their Temple. If the Protestant Religion be like to be overthrown and Popery to be brought in, this is such an allarum to those who love the one and hate the other, as will [Page 23]not fail to bring in vast numbers forcibly to Resist that Prince who shall ever attempt it; and think it their duty so to do.

To which I shall give this general Answer.

That we may show our Zeal and our Love to our Religion, a better way then by thus Resisting and Fighting for it, for that is to do what our Religion expresly forbids, which can no way consist with that love we should have for it; They who are such Gal­lants for their Religion, as immediately to draw and fight for it, do commonly abuse and prostitute it to some ill and Carnal ends, and are seldom such chaste, and constant, and pure Lovers of it, as they pretend. Our Saviour and his Apostles had without doubt as much love for Christianity, and were as zealous to pre­serve and maintain it as we can be, but yet never thought fit to show it this way, by Resisting the Au­thority that then was, though it did all it could to destroy it.

There is another, and a much better way to de­monstrate the highest Affection for our Religion, and that is by suffering for it, and enduring all manner of Evils rather then forsaking it; and this is a like­lier Method to preserve and propagate it, and to transmit it down to Posterity both with safety and credit; By this very way Christianity has come down to us, in a Channel of blood indeed, but that drawn from its own Friends and Professors who laid down their Lives for it, but not the least drop from its Enemies.

The Maccabees were zealous indeed for their Law, and fought for it, but not against their own Lawful Prince, but an Enemy that invaded them, for such was Antiochus, who used all manner of provoking [Page 24]Impiety and barbarous Cruelty against the Jews who were not his rightful Subjects, and might therefore rescue themselves from his Oppression and unjust Usurpation.

At other times when any of the Jewish Kings set up Idolatry, and Worshipt Baal or other False Gods, none of the Prophets who were the mo [...]st zealous Lo­vers of their Law, and rebuked the Princes for those Faults to their very Faces, did yet ever call upon the Elders, or encourage the People to Resist them, or to fight for their Religion.

Popery is an abominable and Idolatrous Religion, the most corrupt of any Sect or Party that calls it self Chri­stian, and the most dangerous to the Souls of Men, but 'tis a better way to keep it out with our Hands bound to the Stake, then stretcht out against our Lawful Sovereign; and we shall show our love to Protestancy much better, by dying for it our selves, if need be, then by killing others. One Life of our own Sacrifi­ced to it, is a Nobler Offering, and more acceptable to God and our Saviour, than a thousand Victims at the expence of other Mens Lives.

2. If Men may not Resist purely for Religion and to defend that, yet when they have Law on their sides, either for their Religion or any thing else, and their Princes who are bound to keep the Law, will yet act against it, and despoil them of their Civil Rights and Priviledges, or in­vade their Properties and destroy their Religion contrary to Law, and to the setled Constitutions of the Kingdom; then surely they may forcibly desend their Laws, and con­sequently their Religion, or any thing that is thus twisted and complicated with their Laws which it is not in the Princes power to alter or unloose.

To this I shall return a Treble Answer.

1. If the Law had made a Provision and expresly allow'd Resistance, when any such Cases should hap­pen, however foolish a Constitution that had been, yet the Case had been much stronger, and the nullity of the allowance not so easie to be made out, as in the German Empire there is such a Provision made, that if the Emperour invade the Establisht Rights of the Princes, who though they are Sovereigns in their own Territories, yet are sworn Subjects to him, they may take Arms, and such a Capitulation there was formerly between the King of Spain and the Low Countries; but in our Kingdom there is plainly no such thing, and care has been taken that none should ima­gine that there was any such kind of tacit or implicit condition, the Law making an express Declaration to the contrary, to wit, That it is unlawful to resist up­on any account whatsoever, which puts the thing out of all manner of dispute, that we cannot by Law resist though it be to defend what we have by Law, for that would be to act against one express Law, whilst we were defending another.

2. As long as the Power of the Sword is wholly in the King by the Law of God and of Man, who shall ever use or draw it without an authority derived from him? From whence else shall any Man have a Commis­sion to raise Companies, to array an Army, to be a Com­mander or a General over them, and to use that force which is often necessary for the execution of Justice, and giving force to Laws? for without that they are often but dead Letters, and therefore no Man can be the Guardian of the Laws, who is not the Keep­er of the Sword, which is committed to the Prince alone.

3. If a Prince will injure his Subjects, and invade their Rights, nay, and their Lives against Law; when they have tried all other means, they must as Christ did patiently submit to an unjust Sentence, rather then resist; and, as the first Christians did, who often com­plain'd that they were punisht adversus formam, ad­versus naturam judicandi, contra ipsus quoque leges, Ter­tull. Apologet. c. 2. and that their Persecutors would not let them have the same benefit of the Roman Laws with others, aliter in nos quàm in caeteros nocentes dispo­nitis, ibid. and yet the great numbers he there tells them they had, did not put them upon Resisting; and as St. Paul did, who though inconsiderately, and in Passion, he call'd the High-Priest a Whited-wall, be­cause when he sat to Judge him after the Law, he com­manded him to be smitten contrary to the Law, Acts 23.3. yet he presently acknowledged his fault, and own'd, that he should not have so much as spoke evil of a Ruler, though he punisht him illegally and con­trary to the Law, and therefore much less have Resi­sted him.

3. But though the Law of the Land forbids Resistance, yet the Law of Nature, which no other Law can supersede, will allow it for our own necessary defence and Self-Pre­servation; that is such a natural Right as can never be taken from us, and no Man can ever be supposed to part withal. By this we may take away anothers Life in our own defence, and yet fall under no Law of God or Man for it, and by this a Prince may be resisted as well as a Robber, if he will take away my Goods or my Life as un­justly as he.

To this I shall Answer Three things.

1. The Law of Nature can at most, be said only to permit this, not to enjoyn it; if there were a Right of Nature that allow'd this, yet there cannot be a Law that commanded it, and obliged us to it, but a Man might still part with his Natural Right without any fault, and it would be an Heroick instance of Vertue to do so, rather to give our own Life, or part with any Private Interest of our own, then take away the Life of another Man, and this to be sure, is much the safer side, which is out of all danger and undoubtedly lawful, when there are great Reasons to fear that Resisting even in that Case may prove Dam­nable.

2. Positive Constitutions may limit and restrain Na­tural Right in this or any other Case, or else all Pacts and Covenants are in vain; nay, and all Civil Laws whatsoever, because they do all of them, restrain Men from that which before they had a Natural Right to; and if we cannot by any means be abridged of that, then there is an end not only of all Government, but of all Property too, and Mankind may return into a Wild State of Nature, when ever they please.

3. Though the Law of Nature allows us to resist private Violence in our own defence, yet it does not to resist the Publick Magistrate, for that would be destructive of publick good and injurious to the Peace and Welfare of Mankind, which the other is not; and though I may fairly stand upon my defence when there is only a competition between my own and anothers private good, yet I must not do it when the Competition is between the publick good, and my own private; whoever considers himself as a Member of the vast Body of Mankind, or of a parti­cular Kingdom, must think it as unreasonable and ab­surd to prefer his own private good to the publick, as [Page 28]to believe a single part to be as great as the whole; This is the Prime and Fundamental Law of Nature, to promote as far as we are able, the publick good, and endeavour to increase, not so much our own private share, as the common and publick stock of Happiness which belongs to the whole Company and Commu­nity, in which our own is likewise included; and never to think that our own private and particular interest is to be put in the Ballance with that, and there is no­thing more strong against Resistance which would not fail to bring in the greatest publick Mischief to avoid a less and more private one, then this very Conside­ration, which is the true measure, however large, of Moral good and evil, and the very Foundation of all the Laws of Nature.

4. If neither upon the account of Religion, nor Laws, nor yet Self defence, it be lawful to resist the Prince, then Mankind is left in a Remediless Case and Condition, and must lie open to the continual Encroachments and Tyran­nies of their Governours, and notwithstanding all Laws for their security, yet if they must not stand up to defend, and if need be to fight for those Laws, they are in the same condition as if they had none, for the Prince may break those Spiders Webs when he pleases, and only use them as a Snare to catch others in; he may enslave and murder us when he pleases, if he may not be Resisted when he thinks fit to do so.

To which I Answer.

1. We must never expect to find out a Remedy a­gainst all possible Inconveniencies in this World, in this low and imperfect State we shall always be subject to some publick as well as private Evils, the body poli­tick will never be free from all manner of Infirmities [Page 29]and Diseases any more then the body Natural, such a Temperamentum ad pondus can never be expected in ei­ther as shall keep them from all illness at present, or corruption at the last.

There can no more be a perfect Government, such as we would fain imagine to our selves, then there can be a perfect Circle or streight line such as Mathe­maticians suppose; Matter and Mankind will not be brought to that exactness, but that some unevenness and irregularity will belong to both, and if we should go about to pare all those off, the incapacity of the Subject would not admit it, and we should probably by our trying make them much worse then they were before, an endeavour to patch up and amend the necessary Imperfections that attend this our present State, has made them commonly much greater and wider, as Paracelsus kill'd himself in his Youth by endeavouring to make himself Immortal.

The Papists, to prevent all possibility of Errour in Divine things, which God has not, and I'm sure, Man cannot make such a Provision against as they would have, have brought in an Infallible Teacher into the Church, as a necessary and plausible Expedi­ent to keep out all Heresie and Errour that else we might be subject to fall into; and see the good of this notable device of theirs, it has brought more Er­rors and more dangerous and incurable ones into Christianity, then it would ever have had with­out it.

The Projectors of the late times would have the Prince accountable to the People to prevent the ill use of his Power and Authority, but never was more Mischief done then by that Traiterous Device, and the People could never have been in a worse case under the most grievous Tyranny, then under [Page 30]such Anarchy and Confusion; They who should take account of the Prince, like the Ephori or the Tri­bunes, who should take account of them? and who again of them? we must run into an infinite Circle, or we must stop somewhere, and where ever we do we shall be just in the same case.

There must be unaccountable Sovereignty some­where, whatever Politick Absurdities we may think follow from it, as there must be an indivisible part of matter at the last, whatever Difficulties Philosophy may charge it with.

2. A Legal Constitution, especially so good an one as our own, is a great security to us: This makes a Kingdom like a curious and well-made Machine fit­ly framed and joined together in its several parts, the Prince is the greater Wheel, and the first Princi­ple of Motion in it, and the Law is like a Pendulum that evens and regulates that Motion, and though not­withstanding that he should happen to be irregular, yet he would hardly be able to spoil the whole Me­chanism, and make all the under wheels and other parts move contrary to their true make and shape, which the Law has given them; the subordinate Officers are not bound to act illegally, and would not easily be brought to it against their Oaths and their Interests, when they know they may be punisht here, and shall be damned for it hereafter; and whilst the Hands and the Legs are to execute the Commands of the Head, though they must not rise up against that, yet that cannot when it pleases put them into an unnatural motion and distortion.

But though the Machine might be disordered a lit­tle by some great shake and concussion, yet while it is so strong, and so well made, it would come right again in a little time, and fall into its true make and [Page 31]proper Motion. Res nolunt diù malè administrari, Things would not stand long bent by an illegal force, but would by degrees unloosen themselves by a kind of natural Elasticity which the Law gives them.

3. God's Providence and Government of the World is the best security in this and all other Evils we are subject to; If Parents will grieve their Chil­dren and be bitter against them, if Princes will injure their Subjects and Tyrannize over them, if a more powerful Prince will like a greater Pyrat Rob and Spoil his Neighbours, and make a Prey of them, 'tis God alone they must appeal to, and expect to be righted at his Tribunal.

Princes are God's immediate Officers and Lieute­nants, and he will take particular inspection over them, that they abuse not his People committed to their Charge, to him alone they are accountable, and therefore he who has exempted them from the Cogni­zance of others, will take the Matter into his own hands, and not suffer their faults to go unpunisht; But who art thou, O Subject, who Judgeth thy Prince? To his own Master he standeth or falleth. To him they have given a Pledge by their Oaths, and if they break those, Satis est quod Deum expectent ultorem, It is sufficient that he to whom Vengeance belongeth, is the Avenger of all such, and this he is in so terrible a man­ner, that nothing has felt his Anger more dreadfully then a Tyrant's Conscience, no body has had more Horrours and Fears, more Stroaks of a Divine Ne­mesis upon him then he that has used his Power to cruel and unjust Designs; the meanest of his Vassals has not felt so much Torment and so many Racks from him, as he has done from his own Mind, nor has any half so much reason to fear his Power as he [Page 32]has to be afraid of Gods; that great Patron of Ju­stice, and Great Governour of the World, who ru­leth the raging of the Sea and the Madness of the People, will set bounds also to the Power and Inju­stice of Princes, and so far as is necessary for the good of the World, and for his Wise Designs, so far they shall go and no farther, but like Earthquakes and Tempests, and Inundations, we have no security against them, but from the Providence of God.

These are the chief Cases and Objections against the Duty of Non-Resistance or not Stretching out the hand against the Lord's Anointed; and by these however Magical Delusions the Evil Spirit of Rebellion has been conjured up, and still haunteth this Nation, and fills it with Plots and Treason, with Noise and Mischief and Disturbance; and I know no such way to lay it from ever rising again, as a full and clear Re­solution to those fore-mentioned Cases which I have endeavoured to give.

As to the other way of Stretching out the Hand to take away the Life of the Lord's Anointed, that is so Horrid and Villanous, that one would think it should have none to defend it, though it have had some to commit it, but there is no cause of interest so bad but it has had its Advocate, and when ever there has been a Clement or a Ravilliac, there has been a Con­fessor to incourage if not a Pope and an Infallible Orator to commend him; the Opinions of the Jesu­its are well known to be positive in the case, and others have fashion'd their Weapons at the Forge of those Philistines which are to take away the Lives of Princes, and though they are not come to Consecrate Daggers for the purpose, and that because, they are against the Ceremony rather then the Villany, yet Pi­stols [Page 33]and Blunderbusses are thought to be Blessed In­struments for doing the great Work; though they expect not to be Sainted for it and adored in Heaven, yet they expect what they will hardly allow the Saints themselves, to have their Images erected upon Earth, and Statues set up to their honour, and to the memo­ry of such Noble Atchievements. Like Herostratus they design to make their Names Famous by doing some extraordinary Villany, and by daring to be wicked beyond the rest of Mankind, The committing such a Wickedness as others are astonisht to think of, is to be an Hero in Villany, and they want nothing to out do what has been ever done, or ever thought of, but with the old Gyants to pluck God out of his Throne, and so to put down all Rule, and all Authority and Power, both in Heaven and Earth. I cannot think that Men can seriously argue themselves into such Vil­lanies as these, but it must be the very same thing that makes the Devil a Rebel to God, which makes these Men Regicides, and Traytours to their Sovereign; a Proud, an Envious, a Discontented, and Diabolical Spirit that infinite Power cannot awe, nor infinite Goodness oblige; but the Devil and a Scotch Conven­ticler are such Sophisters as can set off the most Hor­rid Villany, and represent this as an Heroick Bravery, and a sort of Gallantry that the Grecians and the Ro­mans thought fit to be rewarded with Crowns, and Sta­tues, and publick Insigns of Honour; the killing of Ty­rants was thought, a Vertue like that of Hercules, who destroy'd abundance of those Monsters, & nihil usitatius quam eorum interfectores in Caelo collocari: says Tully ad Attic. l. 14. Ep. 16. Harmodius and Aristo­giton and others were commended to the Skyes for these very Performances; and not only the Greeks and the Romans did thus commend and honour them, but even [Page 34]in Scripture, Jael, and Judith, and Ehud, Barack, and Deborah, and those Jewish Deliverers of their Country stand all upon the Records of Fame and the Divine Ap­probation for Murdering Kings and Tyrants that were the Enemies of God and his peculiar People, and when the Cause of God and His People, the Cause of Religion and Conscience is the great thing that is to be carried on, who that has a Zeal for those, would not do any thing that is necessary for so glorious an end?

Lucifer himself could hardly have instilled worse Principles into the Angels when he persuaded them to turn Devils and to forsake their first Station: I shall give a particular Answer to the three Parts that it consists of.

1. As to the Grecians and the Romans, when they affixt such worthy Names and Honours to the killers of Tyrants, they did not mean by Tyrants their law­ful Princes but Ʋsurpers, that by force and violence assumed an unjust Power to themselves, contrary to the regular form of Government that was established among them, such as had no just Title to rule by the Laws of their Country, but invaded the Rights of their proper Governours, and over-turned the whole Frame of the Common-wealth, and against such as these they were empowered by the establisht Laws of their Country, by the Lex Solonis among the Greeks, and the Lex Valeria among the Romans; and if any were guilty of doing this to their lawful Governours, it must be reckoned as part of that Ferity and bar­barous Ignorance which was in those Nations before Christianity taught them better, when to kill them­selves was accounted as Heroic a Vertue as to Murder a Tyrant; but the Soberest amongst them taught otherwise, [...], [Page 35]says Aristotle in his Politicks, the very Doctrine of Non-Resistance, and [...], says Plutarch, Agis & Cleom. The very words almost of David, It is not lawful to stretch forth the hand against a Prince, and we have Examples even amongst both the Greeks and Romans of the same Punishment against those who were concerned in the Murder of their Princes, that David inflicted upon the Amalekite for the Death of Saul 2 Sam. 1.16. Alexander put him to Death who kill'd Darius that was his Sovereign, though he had been a great while Alexander's Enemy, and so did Domitian, Nero's Freeman, who was but accessory to his Masters Murdering of himself.

2. As to the comparing this Villany with the acti­ons of Jael, and Judith, and Ehud, and others who de­stroyed those their Enemies with whom they were in a State of War, or had particular Commissions from God to authorize them in the doing such extraordi­nary Atchievements, they might as well, and with as good reason argue, that because David kill'd Go­liah and destroy'd the Philistines, that therefore he might have taken away the Life of Saul; nay, that he might have made no more to kill him then the Lyon and the Bear, for God's Anointed are account­ed by these Men, but as a sort of Wolves and Tygers, and Beasts of prey, that ought to be destroyed; and they may as well make use of the Example of Abra­ham to Sacrifice and Murder their Children when they please; as of Jehu and others in Scripture, to destroy the House and Family of their Sove­reign.

3. As to the last thing, that they may do anything for the carrying on a good Cause and Design, as they will be sure to call what they are promoting, that if it be the Work of the Lord, and the maintaining the true Religion, and the Protestant interest, the keep­ing out Popery and destroying Antichrist, or any such good end they are to accomplish, they may then do any thing that is necessary to this, and not stick at any means that come in their way, be they never so bad, because a good end and intention will not fail to hallow and Sanctifie the whole action, or at least to expiate and at one for all the guilt that is in it; This I believe is a Principle that draws in a great many into the most villanous and unwarrantable Designs, into Treasons and Murders, and the greatest Villanies when they think them necessary to go through with that great and good Cause they have undertaken; and this is an excellent principle, like an Elixir that turns the worst Matter into Gold, to transmute Trea­son and Murder into the purest Vertues; and by a certain sleight of Intention and Spiritual Legerdemain to put the worst actions in the place of the best, and Hocus Pocus Vice into Vertue, when ever one pleases; Nay, 'tis to destroy the very nature of good and evil, and to make nothing so in its self, but as our own Intentions put a stamp upon it; if we can but graft a good intention upon never so bad an action, this shall change the very kind, and make all it bears fair and lovely; one drop of this good intention shall take away all the venom out of the most poysonous wickedness, turn bitter into sweet, evil into good; it will make good and evil that are naturally and im­mutably fixt, melt and soften in our hands, so that we may form and fashion them as we please, and makes them meerly relative and dependent upon our [Page 37]Thoughts and Designs, which is to destroy all Re­ligion. If a Man do but winck and aim well, tho he Murder his Sovereign, nay, if it were his Savi­our, he should be justified by this Principle, and the Jews who kill'd Christ and his Apostles, and thought they did God good Service thereby, as many of them probably did, may plead it in their own full defence. I cannot imagine how any one can have a good in­tention, who ventures upon such plain and notori­ous Villanies, but if these be guilded over with ne­ver such fair Pretences, and are thought necessary for never so glorious a design, yet Resisting and Murder­ing the Lord's Anointed are so manifestly sinful and unlawful, that none can do such evil that good may come, but their Damnation must be just both with God and Man. But sad is it when Men shall form such Princi­ples to themselves as shall lead them into such Hellish Villanies, when they shall think these abominable Practises not only lawful but necessary to God's Glory, as if he could not bring about his own ends without their Wickedness, but the Devil must be called in to assist God, and to carry on the Cause of Re­ligion.

God preserve Christianity from that Reproach and Blasphemy which these Wicked Men have brought up­on it.

God preserve the Protestant Religion from that ad­vantage is hereby given our Enemies to destroy it.

He who ordereth all things unto his own Glory, be plea­sed to bring good out of this Evil, and make it a means to unite us all unto his Church, and make us Loyal and Faithful unto his Anointed.

[Page 38] And for ever blessed and praised be the Providence of that God who hath brought to light the hidden things of Darkness, and has not given us over as a prey to Blood­thirsty Men, who lay in wait to destroy us.

And thou, O King of Heaven and Earth, who hast graciously delivered thine Anointed from the hands of wicked Men stretcht out against him, and hast miraculously preserv'd him from the Plots and Conspiracies of all his Enemies, keep him always, we beseech thee, under the shadow of thy wings, preserve him as the Apple of thine Eye, and guard thou his Throne with Legions of Angels, that the Sons of Violence may never approach to hurt him; the Lord preserve him and keep him alive, that he may be blessed upon Earth, and deliver thou not him unto the Will of his Enemies. Psal. 41.2.