AMongst all the felicities which the sons of men lay out their care, and pains, and interests about, there is nothing either more diligently sought, or more rarely found, than stability, and settlement; (for there goes more art to the preserving, than to the procuring of our comforts) Insomuch that the revolution of [Page 2] a year, doth hardly present us with so many new Moons, as new changes in things sublunary; it be­ing a very stale condition, that is the same a month together. Amongst other uncertainties, the insta­bility of Power and Government in the world, is worth our observation, and worth the pains of a Saepius [...] agitatur ingens Pinus, & celsae graviore casu decidunt turres, feriuntque sum­mos Fulmina montes. Hor. Sermon (if it might be) to cure it. The un­settling winds have such a spight against the tall Cedars, and the distracting Thunder-bolts such a design upon the lofty Mountains, and Thrones themselves lightly are so weakly propt, that we may justly admire, if not bewayl,

As for our own parts, Providence hath so sported it self with our greatest conditions here in England for a long time, that it begins to be an observation, that exaltation is the neerest cut to annihilation; and to bee preferred, is the next way not to bee: And in despight of all Grammarians, it is become a proper phrase, to ascend downward, to climbe to the ground; Qui jacet in terram, non ha­bet unde cadat.—bene qui latu­it, bene vixit.— whereas they onely sit safe, that sit still; and he only that lies upon the ground, is as firm as the ground hee lies on. Solomon long since ob­served the uncertaintie of power, and of all other things below, and hee hath once and again gone a­bout the cure, and prescribed means to that end. One Receipt for the cure of this State-palsie, wee have in the words here, Take away the wicked from before the King, and his Throne shall bee establisht in righteousness.

It is said, that the great Turk hath a Receipt proper to himself; hee rivets himself to his Chair of State, the first time hee sits in it, with the bones [Page 3] of his murdered Brethren. But this of Solomon here, is a more honest and effectual way: Hee is likeliest to sit fast in his Throne, who rivets him­self thereunto with the bones of executed Ma­lefactors; Take away the wicked from before the King, and his Throne shall bee established in righteousness.

Explication. First, Let us see the meaning of the Terms of the Text.

Take away] The word in the Original [...] is not an Imperative, enjoining a duty, but an Infini­tive, (which ought to be translated by a Gerund in do, Auferendo) prescribing a means for the ac­complishing of some end. The word signifies, to remove or separate; and does not onely import death, but other kinds of punishment, as banish­ment, imprisonment, confiscation, pecuniary mulcts, and any of those waies whereby wickedness ought to bee restrained, and punished, according to the na­ture of the fault.

The wicked) The word [...] signifies an un­quiet, turbulent person, and so a wicked person in general, whether erroneous or prophane. Whe­ther you take the word in the one sense or the o­ther, in the Original or in the Derivative significa­tion, for turbulent, or for wicked persons, it still holds, that all such must be taken away in order to an happy settlement of a Kingdom.

From before] The word [...] does not imply, that wicked men must onely bee restrained in the presence of the King: But although they must be universally taken away where-ever they be, yet more especially in his presence; such must not be [Page 4] of his Councill, his Family, or Familiarity: They must bee taken away out of the Country, but e­specially out of the Court. David resolved to destroy all the wicked of the Land, hee would cut off all wicked doers from the City of the Lord; but espe­cially hee would rid his house of them that worked deceit, Psal. 101. 7, 8.

The King] That is, not onely the person of the King, but by a Synecdoche speciei, All Magi­strates.

His Throne] That is, by a Metonymy of the Ad­junct, his Kingdom, Power, Authority, Govern­ment.

Shall be established in righteousness] The word [righteousness] may either bee understood of holi­ness and uprightness; hee shall have a holy King­dom: or else righteousness is put for peace and prosperity; as it is used, Hos. 10. 12. for a settled and composed State, as it is to be understood, Isa. 48. 18.

The words being thus explained, may be thus divided.

• 1 An end propounded, viz. the settlement of a Kingdom.
• 2 The means prescribed, i. e. The taking away of the wicked.

Being thus divided, they will afford this natural observation.

It conduces much to the settlement of the Govern­ment of a Nation, that wicked men be punished by the Civil Magistrate.

Before I proceed to prosecute this Observati­on, it will be needful to premise a few Rules, that [Page 5] Rules premised Rule 1. so I may not bee taken off to do it in my discourse.

1 That it is the duty of Civil Magistrates to bring wicked men to condign shame and punishment. This is secretly couched in the words, and elsewhere ex­presly taught, as I shall shew hereafter.

2 That (notwithstanding) wicked men are to bee differently dealt with, according to the different nature, and degrees of their sins. This taking away here, is not meant by Solomon, nor expounded by the Learned, of inflicting death upon all Offenders, but of discouragements and punishments of a low­er nature, bearing proportion to the dimensions of the fault, as I hinted before.

3 It conduces much to the honour, as well as to the settlement of a Nation, to have the wicked thus taken away; to have the dross purged, the chaff winnowed, the tares separated; for by such names the Scripture gives us to understand wicked men. This appears plainly by Solomons comparison here in the verse foregoing the Text. As it is for the profit and credit of the Finer to take away the dross; there will come forth, not onely a precious vessel, but a vessel of honour for him: so it is not onely for the gain, but for the glory; not on­ly for the establishment, but also for the Orna­ment of a Nation, that the wicked bee taken a­way from before the King. Wicked Jeroboam, whom God raised from the Dung-hill, is compa­red to dung, defiling the Chair of State, and ther­fore God took him away, 1 Kings 14. 10. Wicked Subjects are as dung, defiling the glory of a Na­tion, and therefore let them be taken away. As God took away the dung-hill King, so let the King [Page 6] take away the dung-hill Subjects, and it will con­duce to the honour of his Kingdom.

4 It is a duty incumbent upon Ministers also, as well as upon Magistrates, in their places to take away the wicked; i. e. To discern, discriminate, separate, declaratively by the preaching of the Word, and executively by Church-censures. See for this the Apostle treating about the incestuous Corin­thian, 1 Cor. 5. There are many and just com­plaints of the unsettledness of Church-govern­ment: I wish the work bee not obstructed through the neglect of the thus taking away of the wicked, by the desuetude of Church-discipline. For my own part, I am as sorry that the wicked are not thus separated, as I am sure that there are too many wicked separations amongst us; and I fear, for the want of this. God doth, as a judgement upon the Church of England, give up men to dis­orderly separations from us, for want of our just separating them from our selves, by the judge­ment and censure of the Church. God suffers that to bee done sinfully and disorderly, the order­ly doing of which is neglected. Whose doors this neglect may bee laid at, I know not; but sure I am, that God sharply reproves and threatens the Angels of the Churches of Pergamos and Thyatira for such a like fault, Rev. 2. 14, 15, 20. Nay for a less fault: for whereas it is said there, that God had a few things against the Church of Pergamos, because shee had there them that held the Doctrine of Balaam, and also them that held the Doctrine of the Nicolaitans; It may be said of us, that wee have them that hold the doctrine of Papists, with [Page 7] many Alsoes; Also them that hold the Doctrine of the Anabaptists, also of the Brownists, also of the Arminians, also of the Socinians, also of the Quakers, and also almost every doctrine that God hates. Therefore God hath many things a­gainst us; and I fear, that therefore the Pulpit, no more than the Throne, is established, because the wicked are not taken away, separated by Church-censure.

These things being premised, wee will fetch strength from Scripture, and Reason, to confirm the position laid down, that it conduces much to the Settlement of the Government of a Nation, that wicked men be punished by the Civil Magistrate.

Confirmation from Scripture. 1 From Scripture. See it almost in so many words, Prov. [...]9. 4. The King by judgement esta­blisheth the Land. As great houses are established by leaning upon their Pillars, so a Nation is esta­blished and preserved by judgement: As David saith, that by the pure Administration of Justice, hee bore up the Pillars of the earth, Psal. 75. 3. Upon these two, Jachin and Boaz, Religion on the right hand, and Justice on the left, doth a King­dom or Common-wealth stand: Nay the earth (as stable as it is, Eccles. 1. 4.) is said to bee e­stablished by the due execution of Justice, viz. When it brings forth abundant fruit, and sustains the lives of the inhabitants, that do depend upon its increase, as upon a Foundation: See Psal. 72. 1, 2, 3. Would you have a Throne established in righteousness? It must be by righteousness that it must be so established, Prov. 6. 12. Now the execu­tion of judgement upon the wicked, is accounted [Page 8] righteousness, Psal. 106. 30, 31. But

2 Reason will contribute something towards the establishment of this truth, That It conduces much to the Establishment of the Government of a Nation, that wicked men bee punished by the Civil Magi­strate.

Reason forms these following Arguments for it.

Argum. 1 1 It appears, that It conduces much to the Settlement of the Government of a Nation, that the wicked bee punished by the Civil Magistrate, in that The toleration of wicked men is found to have troubled and disturbed the Affairs and State of a Nati­on. And the Argument will be Logically this, Quo lapso aedificium ruit, illud est stabilimentum aedificii, sed neglectâ justitiâ collabuntur Resp: Ergo justitia est Reip: stabilimentum. If Kingdoms and Commonwealths be disturbed and dissolved by the taking away of Justice, then they are preserved and established by the just taking away of the wicked. But, &c.

Achan not taken away, though as yet not con­victed, troubled the whole Camp of Israel, Josh. 7. Sauls partiality in sparing what God had de­voted, and sin had exposed to ruine, dissolved his Kingdome, 1 Sam. 15. 26. It was Jehoiakim's not imitating the just proceedings of his Father Josiah, that stript him of his Royal Robes; and his not removing the wicked from before him (accord­ing to the Advice here given) caused the King­dome of Judah to bee removed out of Gods sight, 2 Kings 24. 3. compared with Jer. 22. 15. &c. But what need I fetch instances so far off? Do not our own long and sad distractions sufficiently exem­plify [Page 9] this? We have many known Malefactors, that have plundered more than the worth of a Ba­bylonish Garment, a wedge of gold, and two hundred Shekels of silver, and things as sacred, as those were cursed, and yet not a stone cast at them. We have spared and tolerated bleating Hereticks, un­der the pretence of piety and good devotion, as Saul did the Sheep for sacrifice forsooth: And doth any one ask why we are unsettled in our Go­vernment? And if wee still go on to spare, and send away with Covenants, and I know not what, those whom the Lord hath appointed to utter de­struction, wee may justly fear the just doom of A­hab dismissing Benhadad, 1 King. 20. 42. Life for life, and people for people.

Argum. 2 2 It appears, In that They of all others, have had the most settled Kingdomes, that have had a care to takeaway the wicked from before them. See Davids care in this thing, best described by himself, Psal. 75. and Psal. 101. And who faster in his Throne than David, whom God nailed therein, 2 Sam. 7. 16? Solomon in the twilight of his Royalty, being the just Son of a just Father, took away the ambitious Adonijah, the murderous Joab, and the pestilent Shimei from before himself: And it follows there­upon, The Kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon, 1 King. 2. ult. Josiah succeeded both these in the same grace, He did judgement and justice; And it was well with him, Jer. 22. 15. His eies saw not the dissolution of the Jewish state, 2 King. 22. ult. Phinehas the Son of Eleazer, executed judge­ment, Psal 106. 30. And therefore hee had the like Settledness in his Government Ecclesiastical, The [Page 10] Covenant of an everlasting Priesthood, Numb. 25. 13.

Argument 3 3 It appears, that it conduces much to the set­tlement of the Government of a Nation, that the wicked be punished by the Civil Magistrate, in that this is the very execution of the Magisterial office, as it is committed to them by God. So to do, is to dis­charge that Office aright; And that must needs bring a blessing with it. It is of the essence of a Kingly office, What? To live delicately, idly, lux­uriously; to oppress, insult, tyrannize, according to the corrupt manner of Kings, spoken of, 1 Sam. 7? No, but to scatter away evil with their eies, Prov. 20. 8. What is of the essence of the Office of Governours and Magistrates? How runs their Commission from the hand of him that sends them? To break the Laws that they command others to keep? To commit things worthy of punishment, by getting into a power of punishing others? No, but they are sent for the punishment of evil doers, 1 Pet. 2. 14. And certainly, the honest discharge of an employment before God, will conduce to a blessing thereupon: God will not dis-commission them that have been faithful in the Commission that he gave them.

To which I might adde, that this grace Justice, is so conducible to the Settlement of the Govern­ment of a Nation, that even the very picture, the very counterfeit of it, hath some tendency this way. Jehu in raging against the accursed family of Saul, hath a lease of the Throne for four lives, 2 King. 10. 30. Now if the shadow of Justice do nail an Hypocrite in his Throne, surely the grace it self will clench the righteous man, and the righteous [Page 11] powers in their Government: If the unrighteous executing of a righteous command be of such strength; of what strength shall wee imagine the righteous executing of unrighteous men to bee?

But not to multiply Arguments in so clear a truth, nor to fetch more of reasons crutches to sup­port a Doctrine which hath Scripture for its Foundation; let us see the grounds or reasons why it conduces much to the settlement of the Go­vernment of a Nation, that wicked men bee ta­ken away by the Civil Magistrate? And these I shall deliver out rather by weight than number.

Reason 1 1 It conduces much to the settlement of the Government of a Nation, that wicked men bee punished, suppressed, dispersed, and taken away by the Civil Magistrate, because wicked men, men that are not restrained by any conscience of their duty, will be the readiest to disturb the peace of a Nation, and to make defections, if any encouragement be admini­stred, if any hope of gain, or fear of suffering do appear. They are the most dangerous members of a King­dom or Common-wealth. They are Traytors and enemies dispositively at all times, and will be actually in time, if they be suffered. There wants nothing to make Hazael a murderer of his Master, but a wet cloth; nothing to make Absolom a delinquent from his Father, but a little interest in the peo­ples hearts: which when the one and the other have got, they soon execute their treacherous and dis­loyal intentions. The best men are the best sub­jects, whose consciences do ingage them to the ob­servance of the Apostles Rule, Rom. 13. 1. But [Page 12] as for men of wicked principles, who onely give an eye-service, and think that whilst they keep their Swords within the scabbards, they have com­mitted no Murder, it is not safe to trust them, nay nor to suffer them: But rather to execute them, before they can execute their wicked dispositions: For being men of graceless Principles, they will be also of faithless practices, and will mercenarily fol­low Absolom, or Adonijah, or any one that puts up finger, that blows the trumpet to them.

Reason 2 2 Suppose wicked men should be faithful, and should machinate nothing towards the disturbance of a Nations Government (which yet it is ten to one but they will, for [...] improbi, are also irrequieti) yet their very being in a Nation proves oft-times destructive to the being (or at least the wel-being) of the Nation wherein they are: their very presence is destructive to peace and settlement. As God could doe nothing against Sodome, whilst Lot was there, Gen. 19 22. so hee would doe nothing for the Camp of Israel whilst Achan was there, Josh. 7. 12. the remainder of Saul's bloudy Fami­ly had like to have sterv'd all Israel; they had no­thing but Famines year after year, till the hand of Justice had revenged the bloud of the Gibeonites upon their heads, 2 Sam. 21. 1, 14. And if it be true what Solomon saies, Prov. 11. 11. that even by wicked words a City is destroyed; it must needs be as I say, that by wicked works it is di­sturb'd and dissetled. By not punishing the guilty, a Nation devolves a guilt upon it self; and hence it comes to pass, that many times by suffering one sinner, many come to suffer. Bee wicked men ne­ver [Page 13] so faithful, never so free from designs, yet their very presence is destructive; and therefore ought they to bee taken away in order to an happy settlement, an establishment in righteousness, such an one as Solomon speaks of here.

Reason 3 3 Because if wicked men bee not taken away, they will corrupt more. Wickedness not suppressed, will soon bee encreased; Sin unpunished, will soon become sin multiplied. If by the due execution of Justice, the dross bee not separated from the sil­ver, the silver will become dross, or at least very drossie. Jerusalem was sometimes full of judgement, but that decayed, And what follows? The silver is become drosse, Isa. 1. 21, 22. Know yee not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, 1 Cor. 5. 6? Wicked men unpunisht doe propagate their wick­edness, and doe corrupt both the religious and civil manners of many others, make them naught both towards God and Superiours. The incestuous Co­rinthian, if not taken away, was likely in the A­postles apprehension, to encourage many to com­mit incest. And as for mens obedience, submissi­on, and loyalty towards Superiours, daily experi­ence tells us, how much it is corrupted by the im­punity of others. Who would not be a Rebel, if rebellious Absolom must bee spared? Certainly David acted the Father, more than the King in that business. As the Asses doom in the Fable taught the Fox to divide the Prey aright to his Soveraign; so on the other hand, the safety and impunity of many wicked Subjects, teaches many Foxes to make a Prey of their Soveraigns; who afterward will not stick to insult over them, with [Page 14] the Gregarian Souldier, that kill'd the edge-tool Emperour, Peris gladio quem ipse fecisti. Not to take away the Traytor is to hatch Treason, or at least to make a Nest for it; not to punish disobedi­ence and disloyalty committed, is to encourage to the commission of it; therefore the Poet con­cludes upon good reason,

And I conclude with this third and last reason, that therefore it conduces much to the settlement of the Government of a Nation, that wicked men be punisht by the Civil Magistrate.

Objections But here comes to be pretended Nobleness, and Pitty, and I know not what.

Answ. 1 To which is easily answered, that that is true Nobleness that makes men like God, And he (we know) cannot abide to behold iniquity, and he is a Person of the greatest honour who highly esteems the Honour of the great God. Besides, is it not an idle thing, to stand upon terms of Honour, and in the mean time to doe that which will certainly lay our honour in the dust; as the toleration of wicked men undoubtedly will?

2 As for Pitty, I stick not to say, 'tis foolish pitty. And Solomon (who knew well enough what was Wisdom) will bear me out: for sayes he, he is a wise King that scattereth the wicked, and bringeth the wheel ever them, Prov. 20. 26.

Object. 3. from Scripture. Nay, that nothing may be forgotten which will encourage men to forget the execution of Justice, Scripture must be pretended too, especially that, Mat. 13. concerning the tares in the Parable suf­fered to grow till Harvest.

To which it may be easily answered.

1 That that text is to be understood of secret and unveyled Hypocrites, not of scandalous and open sinners.

2 Suppose it to be meant of men of notorious and scandalous lives, yet when the Magistrate has used his utmost care and severity, to pluck up the Tares, to take away the wicked, yet there will be enough left, to make good the Parable to the end of the world.

Applicat. For application.

1 See here then the folly of the most of the Kings, Parliaments, Powers that are in the Chri­stian world. Solomon in one verse convinces the most of them of a grand miscarriage. Some think to establish their Thrones by heaping together in­exhaustible Treasures, and to bee upheld by pil­lars of gold, as Ammon who trusted in their trea­sures, saying, Who shall come up to us, Jer. 49. 4? Some think to preserve themselves by Pride, and high living, as Jehojakim, Jer. 22. 15. Some think to maintain their Power by oppression, and tyran­ny, grievous burdens, and heavie impositions, as Pharaoh, Exod. 5. 9. and Rehoboam with his young Parliament, 1 King. 12. 14 Some think to keep out changes by Garrisons and strong Holds, and impregnable Fortifications, as the Jewes and their King did, Isa. 22. 8, 9, 10, 11. Some think to nayl themselves to their Thrones, with the bones of all of the Bloud Royal, as Abimelech did, Judg. 9. 5. Some think to confirm themselves either by a company of silly ignorant men, that will bee led blind-fold upon any design, as Absolom, 2 Sam. [Page 16] 15. 11. or vain, light, desperate fellows, all whose religion it is to have cast away all, as the fore­quoted Abimelech did, Judg. 9. 4. Some think to carry all with many Regiments, as Amaziah with his three hundred thousand, 2 Chron. 25. Some think to stand upon the leggs of others, and to bee established by confederate Princes, and Leagues with their neighbour Kings, as Jabin King of Hazor did, Josh. 11. 1. Some think to stand upon the heads of others, and to bee safe in the multitude of Counsellours, and Politicians, as Absolom, making Achitophel of his counsel, 2 Sam. 15. Others think that the goodness of their Titles will defend them, their Crowns are made of good and lawful gold, and therefore they must needs stick fast to their heads. Many other props doe many Thrones in the world lean upon. But Solo­mon, whose Crown God put on, and Justice kept on, prescribes to all Kings and Powers whate­ver, a better foundation than any of these, and it is here in my text. Be not deceived, it is not the taking of wicked waies, but the taking of the wick­ed away, that will establish Thrones in righte­ousness.

2 See here one great cause of Englands unset­tlement at this day. There are not more admira­tions at, than false conjectures concerning it. Some impute our changes to chances; some lay the fault upon the Court, some upon the Camp, some up­on the City, some upon the Country; nay some stick not to lay them at our Church doors, to im­pute them to the Clergie, saying, there was never good world since there was so much praying, and [Page 17] preaching; being acted with a spirit like unto that of Ahab, who said to the Prophet, 1 King. 18. 17. Art thou hee that troubleth Israel? although that were true directly, Evangelium ciet bellum. Others say something but not the whole, that Factions doe create our Fractions: For if they were not tolerated, they would not be, or at least they would not be so intolerable. But Solomon here pre­scribing the means of settlement, seemes to de­scribe to us the cause of our unsettlement, the not taking away the wicked. I know that oppres­sion, usurpation, ambition and other sins are fore shakers of the Government of a Nation: And I know we have a composition of all these ingredients, and a complication of all these distempers; yet if one should ask me what is the grand cause, the stron­gest hand that thus rocks the Throne of England, and so keeps them that sit in it from sleeping in it, I should fetch an answer from Solomon, The not taking away of the wicked, hinders the Throne of England from being establisht in righteousness. What peace said Jehu to Joram, so long as the whore­doms of thy mother Jezabel, and her Witchcrafts are so many? What peace, may one say to the Pow­ers, and Primates of England, so long as their Se­ctaries, Schismaticks, Hereticks are so many? What establishment, so long as the wicked, erro­neous, perfidious, rebellious, ambitious, and trea­cherous are not taken away? Except these abide in the ship, said Paul (speaking of the Ship-men) yee cannot bee saved: except these bee taken away out of the same Ship the Common-wealth, wherein [Page 18] we all sayl, as in one common bottom, wee can­not be safe, nor setled. I doubt wee are not yet fit for settlement for a prosperous and composed State, because the accursed things, the wicked are not yet taken away. Some of our Governours have done worthy things, as some of the Kings of Israel did, but yet the People sacrifice still in the high places, every man is left to the free choice of his own God, and his own Religion, and there­fore the Throne is not yet established in righteous­ness. One may weep over Englands shakings, and say to it, as the Prophet sometimes to Israel, O Isa. 48. 18 that thou hadst hearkned to Gods Commandements! Then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteous­ness as the waves of the sea; i. e. for duration, whereas now wee are as the waves, tossed to and fro.

The second Use would bee to exhort and ex­cite Rom. 13. 3 all Magistrates, not to bear the sword in vain, but to use it, for the terror of evil doers, as the Apostle phraseth it, or to take away the wicked from before them, as Solomons phrase is here. What need I more Motives? Therefore are wee emptied from vessel to vessel, because the wicked sit still upon their lees: Therefore does England lye bleeding, because the Sword of Justice does not revenge Gods Cause upon the bloud of the wicked.

The third Use would comfort all those, that doe earnestly and seriously endeavour the extir­pation, and separation of the wicked, according to their power, place, and interest, although they [Page 19] cannot effect it according to their endeavour. To these I say, concerning the separation of the wicked, what God the Father said to God the Son, concerning the gathering of Israel, Isa. 49. 5. Though the wicked bee not separated, yet they shall be glorious. Of such a man I will say, as God saies of David, Though the Crown of England be not established, yet upon himself shall his crown flou­rish: though the Scepter of England shake, yet hee shall bee fastned as a nayl in a sure place. But as for all erroneous, idle, fearful Magistrates, that are not a terrour to evil-doers, I doe denounce a­gainst such, that God will one day make them a terrour to themselves for their evil deeds, and ei­ther take them away here, or cast them off here­after, for their not taking away the wicked, where­by the Throne might be established.