THese words are a cautious An­swer to a captious Question pro­posed to our blessed Saviour by the Herodians, not so much for satisfaction, as for Cavill, that they might entrap him, and in­snare him, and that in his An­swer they might catch something from him, whereof they might accuse him unto Cesar. Four such Questions were there proposed to him in this Chapter by four severall Sects or sorts of people; all which took their turnes to oppose him, and took placet one of another to dispute with him; The Sad­duces, the Pharises, the Scribes, and the Herodians. The first three of these he had easily shaken off, and gave them such full satisfying or convincing Answers that they had no heart to ask him any more Questions, ver: 46. But now in the 4th place comes in the Hero­dian; [Page 6]and he charges most dangerously and desperately of all the rest, both in respect of the matter of his Que­stion, and of the manner of proposing it. First for the matter of it, all the other Questions were concerning matters of Religion; this matters of policy, and of State, and that in a point of high concernment, about Cesar's Revenue, the Tribute money: As to the man­ner of proposing it, all the rest in plain down-right termes propose their Questions, but the Herodians goe more subtlely to work; for first, to avoid all jealosie, and to prevent all suspition of their evill intentions to­wards him, they court him with a fair cōplement Master, ver: 16. Secondly, they give a large testimony of him for his wisedome & courage, sincerity & impartiality in teaching the wayes of God truly, and not regarding the person of Man, and to all this they themselves sub­scribe Scimus, We know it: And thus having by their hypocriticall flattery and dissembling Insinuations laid their traine, they give fire to it, and propose their Quaere, Licetne? is it lawfull to give tribute to Cesar or not? But what an insidious Question was this? and how dangerous for him to answer to, what a horned Dilemma that push't both wayes, Answer which way he could; for had he resolv'd in the affirmative, Licet, it is lawfull, and you must pay it, then had he set the Pharises against him, which could not endure to hear of any such Taxes or payments: or had he resolv'd it in the negative non licet, it is not lawfull, and you need not pay it, then had he incurr'd the just displeasure of Cesar, and the Herodians, as an enemy to his Revenue; [Page 7]so that take it which way he would, he had a Wolfe by the ears, and guide as steadily as he could (on the one side or on the other) he was in danger to be bitten.

But in vain is the Nett spread before the eye of that which hath wing; full well did our Saviour see the fal­lacy, and the policie of this subtle Question, and disco­ver the Asses ears under the Lyons skinne, and as wise­ly and warily did he shape his Answer, to avoid their snare, not by answering their Question, but by asking them another, unto which they could not answer him, but they must answer themselves too to the Question which they put to him, and condemne themselves for making a Question of it; Whose Image and superscription is this? ver: 20. as if he should say, you will all confess that to your Cesar, your Soveraigne, there is a Tri­bute due from his Subjects, and you must acknowledge that he whose Image you do own upon your coyne, whose stamp upon it, and superscription or circumscrip­tion about it, makes it currant amongst you, is your Ce­sar, your Soveraigne, why then do you ask me this Question, to which (in this solution you have given to me) you have answered your selves? read your duty and Cesars due, not out of my answer to you but out of yours to me, and out of the Coyne which you carry about you, and out of the superscription upon it, or circum­scription about it, that will tell you, that it is not only lawfull to pay it, but it is unlawfull not to pay it, and therefore Reddite Caesars.

Give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars

In which words here are three things offerd to consi­deration.

• 1. The Person to whom this Tribute is due, and that is Cesar; Give unto Cesar.
• 2. The things that are to be given unto him, with his right unto them, they are his own, The things that are Cesars.
• 3. The manner after which they are to be given, and that is by way of rendition or returne, redite, render; thus give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars: And every one of these three parts car­ries its reason in it, enforcing the duty, and so binds it upon us as with a threefold cord, not easily broken.

Upon a review, every one of these branches divides it selfe into two, or hath two particulars included in it:

• In the first, the person of Cesar is here offered to us; first to consider of Government in general, with the benefits the Subjects receive under it: and second­ly more particularly of the Cesarian or Monar­chicall Government in the Text the most perfect and absolute of all other.
• In the second, the things that are Cesars; here are two things to be considered; first what things they are, secondly the right that he hath unto them, because the Text sayes they are his own; the things that are Cesars.
• [Page 9]In the third we are to consider upon what account the Subject brings in Cesars due, and that's by way of returne, in the word Redite: And secondly after what manner they ought to be brought in, and that's freely in the word give, Give or rea­der unto Cesar the things that are Cesars.

I begin with the first of them drawn from the con­sideration of the person to whom it is to be paid, and in him of Government at large, and the benefits that Subjects receive under it: For it is clear our Saviour mentions this as an Argument why they should pay Tri­bute to Cesar, because he was their Cesar, their Sove­raigne, and under his Government they received many benefits; even the benefits of Government. What Tertullus the Oratour speaks to Felix the governour of Cesarea, Acts 24.2. That may all Subjects in generall speak to and of their Soveraignes respectively, and up­on the same grounds and reasons: Forasmuch as by thee we enjoy much quietnesse, and many good things are done to our Nation by thy Providence, we acknowledge and accept it all­wayes, and with all thankfulnesse, (most noble Cesar.) It is by their care and providence under God, and by their faithfull and prudent Government of us, and executing judgement and justice in the Land, that we enjoy our peace, our plenty, our liberty, our property, our Re­ligion, our all that we have; Take away Government from among us, and what will become of us, and of all these? which of us can say that any thing that he hath is his own, or secure himselfe of his life for one hour? [Page 10]Oh bless God for Government, certainly the greatest blessing that ever God sent down from heaven to earth in temporall things, is the blessing of Government, it is the very stay of the world, the band that holds all to­gether, which once being loosed, it is impossible but we should fall all into heaps of confusion, and be reduc't again into the first Chaos; and therefore among all the creatures in the world the wisedome of Almighty God the high disposer of all things, hath set and established a Government: If you look into heaven, there is Go­vernment and order; we read of Angells, and Arch-Angells, and a glorious Hierachy in the Church Tri­umphant: if you look into Hell (the very emblem of confusion) there is a Government; we read of a Prince of Devills: if we look into all the Creatures between them both, we shall find a kind of order and Govern­amongst them; the fowles of the ayre have their Eagle, the beasts of the earth their Lyon; the Fishes of the sea their Whale; even amongst those feeble Creatures the Sectilia, the Bees acknowledge a Master, the Gras­hoppers have no King, yet goe they forth all by Bands, which shewes they have their Leaders; All Creatures in heaven, in earth, and under the Earth cry up Go­vernment and with one voice acknowledge it the Mo­ther of their peace ond joy. Therefore give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars, because he is your Cesar, your Soveraigne; and for the good you receive under him, the benefits of Government.

But secondly, as Government in generall is necessary among all, so among all sorts and kinds of Government this in the Text, the Cesarian, or Monarchichall Go­vernment is the most perfect, the most absolute, and excellent above the rest. I will not here spend time to read amongst you a Lecture of Politiques, to shew the sever all kinds and formes of Government wich are found amongst men, nor put them into the Ballance to weigh them, and to compare them one with another: there are but three principall sorts which stand in competiti­on for preeminence, Democracy, Aristocracy, and Mo­narchy; among all which, Monarchy holds up its head above the rest, as the Cedar among the shrubbs, or as Saul among the rest of the common people, higher by the head and shoulders, and hath clearly the preemi­nence in five respects.

1. In respect of the Noblenesse of it, it is the most noble forme of Government, and that which most neerly resembleth that whereby Almighty God governeth the world, and thats purely Monarchicall. What were all the Governments of the world to the four great Monar­chies, the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman, under which the world was governed for the greatest part of the time since it was created; and whose same hath drown'd all other Governments in compari­son of them?

2. For the Antiquity of it, it is the most ancient of all other: It is a mistake in policy to imagine that Mo­narchicall Government sprang out of Politicall, as that out Oeconomicall, and so was meerly founded upon the [Page 12]consent and agreement of men only; whereas it owns God only for the Founder of it, and is as ancient as the world, or man upon earth: The first man that was in the world was a Monarch, and that not only over his own Family (which he was by a paternall Right) but o­ver all the families of all the Generations which were in his time, which was little lesse then a thousand years. In Abraham's time we read of Melchisedech a King of Sa­lem; Moses was a King in Jesurun; and Job (in all pro­babillity ancienter then Moses) was a King in the East, as the Ancients tell us; so that neither was Nimrod the first Monarch, (as some would have it) nor Saul the first King; (as others) there were Monarchs ancienter then them both; and before Democracy or Aristocracy were cast into formes of Government.

3. Monarchy is the most perfect forme of Govern­ment in respect of the unity that is in it; it is the great happinesse and fafety too of a People when they all as one man are united together in one body: this was the happinesse of Jerusalem, Psalme 132 2, 3. Jerusalem is a Citie that is at unity within it selfe. and Balaam speaking of the many thousands of Israell [...], Numb. 23. speaks of them all as one man, God brought him out of Aegypt, he hath as it were the strength of an Unicorn; he shall couch down as a Lion, and as a great Lion, who shall rouze him up. and in this language all along, he speaks of them in the sin­gular number, he, him, and his, all singulars; and com­pares the whole body of them to some one Noble crea­ture, a Lion, a Unicorne; all speaking their unity, which was their happinesse, their honour, and their safety too. [Page 13]But there is no forme of Government of that force to keep multitudes together in unity, as the Cesarian or Monarchicall government is, wherein so many thou­sands of people, of so many severall Nations, severall Languages, severall Religions, severall Customes, Cal­lings, manners, interests, or howsoever different one frō another: yet as the members of the naturall body (as different as they) united together under one head do concurre to the making up of one beautifull body natu­rall; so all these united together under one Head and Monarch, conveniunt in eodem tertio, and concurre to the making up of one body politique.

4. For strength Monarchy hath the preeminence, vis unita fortior; it cannot be but where power and authority are united in one, it must needs be of greater force and strength, then where it is divided and distribu­ted amongst many; and the stream running down in one channell must needs be more forcible, deep, and strong, more impassable, and carry a deeper Vessell, then when it is divided into many smaller Rivulets: the Persians at the siege of Babilon found it so; and the sage old Father in his death-bed, perswading his sonns to unity by the Emblem or Hieroglyphick of a faggot bound up and impregnable, and the same loosed, and the sticks taken out single, and so easily broken one by one, made them sensible of the strength and security that was in unity, and the weaknesse that was in division, expo­sing to danger of ruine and of being broken in pieces; even such is Monarchy in comparison of other formes of Government, as a mighty stream running down in one [Page 14]channell, and they divided into many smaller currents: as a faggot strongly bound up not to be broken, and they as a faggot loosed and divided, and so more easily to be dealt withall.

Lastly, the Monarchichall Government is the most excellent and perfect forme of Government of all oshers, because it is most free from those incenvenien­ces which they are all subject to, and with which they are usually distempered and disturbed. For Aristocracy the next unto it, how long will it continue free from the mischiefs of ambition, envy, and emulation? how apt are great spirits (with Adonijah) to exalt themselves, and grow impatient of rivality? through divisions in Reuben arise great thoughts of heart: Nec ferre potest Caesarvè priorem, Pompeiusvè parem: Cesar will endure no superiour, Pompey no equall: and then the next is to make parties, to strengthen themselves, to accuse and impeach one another, to weaken their adversaries, that under these pretences they may carry on their own designes, and engage a whole Nation in their personall Quarrells, and embroile them in warr and blood to serve their ambitions. For Democracy, the ignoblest of all the rest, that placeth Soveraignty in the people; what a monstrous Hydra is it, multorum capitum bellua? how unconstant in theirs resolutions? how tumultuous in their elections? how tormented with divisions, and distracted with factions? what a low constitution at the best? allwayes fain to truckle under some neighbour Prince or other for protection, which at some time or other takes occasion and advantage from their divisions [Page 15]to fall upon them, and to make a prey of them; the usual conclusion of most of them: besides, how continually sub­ject to change? the most dangerous mischief in Govern­ment in the world. Denocracy is very apt to dege­nerate into Anarchy, Aristocracy into Oligarchy, Oli­garchy into Democracy again; and thus they are in a continuall rotation, whirling and wheeling about out of one forme into another, none of which changes are ever made without the expence of much blood & trea­sure to the danger of ruine of their whole State: and therefore the wise man advises not to meddle with them that are given to change, Pro: 24.21. but marke it, in the same place he bids us fear the King, and from that Government never to desire to change: neither is it so subject to change as these other are, being the apex and the [...], the highest kind of Government, from which neither Prince nor People have any reason to change for any other; not the Prince, for higher he cannot go, and he hath no reason to desire to go lee; not the people of what degree or quality soever, because they cannot mend themselves, being where the meanest may have protection and the greatest account it their honour to be near unto him who is the fountain of honour, and ne­ver think much to submit to Soveraignity in a King, which to their Peers in Aristocracy they would not do, much lesse to their Inferiors in Democracy.

But how happy are we of this Nation in this respect, (if we could see our own happinesse) which have the Quintessence and whatsoever is excellent in all these u­nited together in one the most happy Government that [Page 16]live under, and thats Monarchy limited by Law; the best of Governments under the best of Kings, CHARLES the second. And this is a strong argument to perswade with us to give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars; And the first proposed, we now passe to the second, where­in we are to consider.

• 1. What those things are which we are to give unto Cesar.
• 2. What is his right unto them, because the Text sayes they are his, the things that are Cesars

And I will acquaint you with the latter of these first, with Cesars right to the things that are demanded of us, that he may demand them the more confidently, and we may bring them in the more willingly and freely. And a right you see he hath, the Scripture plainly speaks it, when it calls the Tribute and other dues, the things that are Cesars, and of this it is necessary we should be fully perswaded: It is a great mistake amongst men, yet generall amongst the vulgar, to thike that whatsoever they part with to Cesar, comes meerly out of their own store of free gift, a meer Donative, a Gratuity, a Be­nevolence, that they might chuse whether they will pay or no, and so he meerly an Eleemosynary in the re­ceiving of it; and therefore men usually pay their Tri­bute to the Prince, as they do their Tithes to the Priest, with an ill will, as imagining they pay them both up­on the same score of free Benevolence; but in both e­qually mistaken: for first, as for Tithes, they are none of theirs, they are the Lords, as a Rent reserv'd out of [Page 17]Lands, and he hath disposed them as he hath thought fit, that is to the Church, and to his Ministers: Tithes are mine saith the Lord, and I have given them to the sons of Levi: You may sell your Lands, but you cannot sell your Tithes; you may let your Land, but you may not let your Tithes; they are none of yours to let, they are the Priests: when therefore you pay your Tithes to the Priest, you pay no more then is his due, you give to the Priest the things that are the Priests. In like man­ner it is with your Tribute to the Prince when you pay Tribute to the Prince, you pay him no more then is his Due; you only give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars: it is not a matter arbitrary, whether you will pay it or no, but a matter necessary, you must pay it: it is not a courtesy, but a duty, not a gratuity, but a debt; St. Paul expresly calls it so, Rom: 13.7.8. To detain it therefore is a sin, not only against the Law of justice & gratitude, but against a Principle of common honnesty. which commands us to give every man his own; and if every man then Cesar amongst the rest; and therefore give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars:

And there are three wayes by which Cesar comes to have a right unto those things which he requires of us, and so they become the things of Cesar.

• 1. Those things are Cesars which belong to him in the right of his Crown, and which are inseperably annext unto it.
• 2. Those things are Cesars which the Law of God giveth unto Cesar.
• [Page 18]3. Those things are Cesars which the Law of the Land giveth unto Cesar, and which by Act of Parliament are settled upon him; and all these are strong rights, and do give unto him an unquestionable Title to all those things that are by all or any of these wayes made his.

As to the first of these wayes, it werehigh presump­tion in me to undertake to give in an account which are his in the right of his Crown; such things there are, and they are great and many, which are flowers of the Crown, which no Subject may presume to touch much lesse to crop off, under pain of being guilty of an high Crime on taking away from Cesar things that ere Cesars.

But secondly, those things are Cesars, which by the Law of God are given unto him, and they are great & many, the Question here moved is only concerning Tri­bute, Shall we pay tribute to Cesar or not? but the An­swer is larger then the Question, and injoyns and in­cludes not only Tribute, but all other dues whatsoever, the things that are Cesars. And there are six things which by the Law of God are clearly given to Cesar, first, Fear, 2. Honour, 3. Obedience, active and passive, 4. Defence, 5. Prayer, and 6. Tribute.

• 1. Fear, Proverbs 24.21. My Son fear thou the Lord and the King.
• 2. Honour, 1 Pet: 2.13. Fear God honour the King.
• 3. Obedience, Eccles: 8: 2. I councell thee to obey the Kings command, and that because of the Oath of God.
• [Page 19]4. Defence, Psal: 105.15. Touch not mine anointed.
• 5. Prayer, 1 Tim: 2.1. I exhort therefore, first of all, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men, especially for Kings.
• 6. Tribute, as in the Text and Context.

These are all due unto Cesar, and that jure divin [...], by divine right, and thats the highest and the best right; and therefore if we fail in the payment of any of them, we are guilty of witholding from Cesar his Right, we do not pay unto Cesar the things that are Cesars. But be­cause the question here moved is particularly concer­ning tribute the last of these six, and thats the very Sub­ject of the dispute in the Text. 'tis fit I should more par­ticularly speak to it; for be you well assured, that not for their sakes alone was this Question here ask't, nor for their satisfaction alone, was the resolution given to it, but for ours also, and for all Subjects in all places, and in all ages to the end of the world, (according to the severall Lawes, Customes & Usages under which they respectively live) who would be as ready to ques­tion the due of it as they here were. I shall therefore endeavour to shew, first, from authority of Scripture. 2ly. from the example and practice of former times. 3ly. by strong and unanswerable reasons, not only the justice & lawfullnesse, but the equity & reasonable­nesse of paying Tribute unto Cesar.

And first for Scriptures, they are clear and plentifull Rom. 13.7. Render to every man his due, tribute to whom tribute belongeth: and in the 6 verse, For this cause pay we [Page 20]tribute. So there is a tribute to be paid, and there is a cause for it, which the Apostle there shewes at large. And of the four Evangelists, three of them have given this very charge, and in the same words, (an itteration not usual in the Scripture unlesse it be in some serious matter) which they would have well taught and learn't, Matt: 22.21. Marke 12.17. Luke 20 25. Rom: 13.6, 7, 8. Solvite, sayes one Text: Redite, sayes a­nother: Give, sayes a third. As a Debt, sayes one: As a due, sayes another: As his own, sayes a third. Thus you have it from Scriptures clear, with line upon line, precept upon precept, commanded and enjoyned, and by the Authority thereof a Revenue setled upon Cefar.

Secondly for Examples, see Solomon the wisest of Kings, extraordinarily assisted by almighty God for the Government of his people; he had his publique Re­venue, and great Tributes paid in unto him for the sup­port of his Government and for this purpose he had his Officers to gather them in in all his Provinces, and over all the rest one great Officer of State to take their Au­dits and Accounts, his great Treasurer as you may call him, that was Adoniram, he was over the Ttibute. 1 King 4.6. And after him Rehoboam his sonne, who was King in his stead, had the like Officer in the same trust, and that was Adoram, 1 King 12.18. he was over the Tri­bute. Amaziah levyed a Taxe, (2 Chron: 25.9.) of 100 Talents: Menahem another (2 Kings 15.19.20.) of 1000 Talents of silver, a great Taxe of 50 shekeles a man. In Augustus time there was a new taxe imposed upon [Page 21]the People, and it was a great one; there came out a Decree that all the world should be taxed, that is, all that were under the Roman Empire, and these were extraordinary taxes (besides the standing Revenue) im­posed by a new Decree upon occasion, and yet they were paid; where (in the last of them) the paines was more then the pay, for every one was to repair to his own Citie and Tribe that he belonged to to be taxed: Luke 2. In our Saviours time we read of certain Offi­cers appointed on purpose to gather up this Tribute­money among the Jews, they were called Publicanes, allwayes rank't with sinners, and on the right hand: but what do we speak of these? our Lord himselfe did not only by his command enjoyn it, but by his example con­firme and second it; himselfe paid tribute unto Cesar, Mat. 17.27. what need we any further witnesse?

Thirdly, As Scripture doth command it, and example confirme it, so reason doth perswade it, and strongly evince and demonstrate the equity and necessity of it; and I shall give you these five reasons of it.

1. The first is drawn from the consideration of his publique Office, his publique capacitie; you must not look upon Cesar as a meer man, but as a Magistrate, as a man cloathed with majesty, a King, a Soveraign, the head of the Tribes, a Collective person, in whom the many thousands of Israell are united and represented; as the Sunne in the firmament, which hath influence upon all, and all an interest in him; as the soul in the body which by the spirits, the cursitors of it, conveyes life, [Page 22]and sense, and motion to all and every even the least Members of it; such is Cesar in his Dominions, as the Sunne in the firmament, and as the soul in and to the na­turall body, so is he to the body politique. It is but reason that publique persons in publique capacities should be publiquely supported.

2. As Cesar is a publique person, so 'tis for the pub­lique that he layes out himselfe and that which he re­ceives, for the publique behoof, for the publique ser­vice, for the publique good; as to himselfe, what hath Cesar of all that is brought in more then will serve one man? he eats no more, he drinks no more, he wears no more; whatsoever is used about him more then will serve him as a man, is to be charg'd upon his Office, not upon his person, it is to be imputed to him as in his pub­lique capacity, not as a Man, but as a Magistrate, a Prince, a Soveraign, to fit and enable him for the car­rying on of the publique affairs, and for the managing of the Government, in which we are all concern'd; and so in effect it is laid out for our own use, not unto his, who hath only the trouble of disposing it for ours. All Rivers run into the Sea, yet the Sea is never the fuller, for what it receives in one place, it sends forth in ano­ther for the good of the whole Land; for part of it is exhal'd out of the sea by the warmth of the sunne­beames, and so conglomerated into clouds, which are carryed about by the wind like bottles in the ayre (as Job calls them) and so power'd down in showers to wa­ter the dry and thirsty earth, and part of it is sent and convayed out of the Sea through the Cavernes of the [Page 23]earth (as it were by pipes and conduits, and being de­fecated in the passage of it from the saltnesse that was in it) issues and breaks out into springs and fountains, and is convayed in rivers and streams through the valleys of the Land for the comfort and refreshing both of man and beast, even so and no otherwise is it with the Cesar, the Soveraign in his Dominions, if he receives with on hand, he destributes with the other; he receives to have, but not to hold it returnes again in the blessings and benefits of Government, and therefore the detain­ing of it is a wrong not so much to him, as to the publi (que) and to our selves involv'd in it. I have read some where of a mutiny that was raisd by all the members of the bo­against the belly, The members complained and murmur­red against the belly that it devour'd all and wrought none, the rest of the members did their parts to work and bring in sustenance, and when they had done so, the belly devour'd it, and still was calling for more; this they apprehended as a grievance, and for redresse in it (upon consultation had about it) they resolve and agree thenceforth towith­hold from the belly the usuall Alimony and nourishment which formcriy they did afford it; but what was the issue of it? in with-holding their contribution of the ac­customed supply which formerly they did afford it, they did but punish themselves; for soon after the face grew pale, the cheeks lean, the sides thinne, the hands weak, the knees seeble, and the whole body wasted and in a consumption: I need not apply it; say it is but a sable, every Fable hath its Morall, and so hath this. There is mention made in Zach: 4. of a mysticall vision: [Page 24] Zacharie sees there a golden Candlestick with a golden bowle on the top of it, seven Lamps burning in it, every Lampe had a golden Pipe belonging to it, which con­veyed oyle to it: and on either side of it was an Olive-Tree to furnish the Pipes with a continuall supply of oyle, which they conveyed to the Lamps to keep them burning: there are many Interpretations of this vision, but sure this is plain enough for one, to shew that if you would have any light or benefit by the Lampes you must keep them burning; if you would continue burning, you must supply them with oyle: if you do either take away the Pipes or cut down the Trees which should supply them with oyle, the Lamps will burn but awhile I leave to your selves the application of it. Certainly, if the suprea Magistrate as a great burning & shining Light consume himselfe to give light to others, others have no reason to thinke much to supply him with oyle to keep him burning: and this is another reason why we should willingly & freely give unto Cesar the thīgs that are Cesars

3. The third reason is taken from the consideration of the great charge that it requir'd for the managing of the Government of a Kingdome, and carrying it on with that honour and State that is but fitting and necessary: Government is a chargeable employment, there must be Navies abroad at Sea to secure the Coasts, and to keep us safe at home; there must be Armies abroad and at home too, to secure us from insurrections, re­bellions and commotions; there must be Ambassadours sent abroad into forraign Kingdomes and States both ordinary and extraordinary, and there must be Ambas­sadours [Page 25]entertain'd from sorraign parts to hold corre­spondence with the Nations, and to gain intelligence; there must be Courts of Justice and honourable Persons sitting in them to minister judgement and justice unto the people; there must be great Officers of State to be employed in the Publique affairs; there must be ho­nourable provisions for the Houshold, with a Port and Retinue becoming Majesty; Debts of the Kingdome must be paid, publique engagements taken off, Soldi­ers must be paid off their Arrears; Men and Armes, Am­munition and moneys allwayes in a readinesse, and a thousand things more which I cannot mention: all these require full Treasuries; and whence shall all these sup­plies arise? or whence should they arise? but out of the publique Tribute; Quis militat propriis stipendiis; St. Paul thought it unreasonable that any Soldier should go a warfare in the service of his King and Country at his own charge; much more unreasonable & impossible is it that any Prince should mannage the Publique Govern­ment at his own charge: therefore give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars.

4. The fourth reason perswading to this duty of paying Tribute to Cesar, is taken from the consideration of the great pains and care that is required in Govern­ment, and which Cesar takes in the execution of his Of­fice, & the discharge of that high Trust which God hath committed unto him. We little know, and less consider what carefull thoughts their heads are taken up with night & day, that all may be well under their Govern­ment and that their subjects may be preserved in peace and [Page 26]safety: Splendorem videmus, curam & laborem non vide­mus: we see the outward splendour & glory of Courts, and that dazles our eyes, but the inward cares, troubles and dangers that attend them in the execution of their great Office and high Trust, we see not: they often wake, when their subjects sleep; their thoughts are of­ten troubled, when their subjects are quiet; they often in danger, when their subjects are secure, every one un­der his own vine, and his own fig-tree, eating the fruit of his own labours, when their carefull thoughts will neither suffer them to eat, nor drink, nor sleep in quiet that their Subjects may do so. Very sensible of these things was the Philosopher, when he said, That if men did but know the cares, the trouble, and the dangers that lye within the circle of a Crown, they would not take it up to wear it: and gravely Erasmus, Miseros esse Principes si mala sua intelligant, miseriores si non intelligant: that among all conditions of men, Princes were miserable if they knew the evills that did attend them, and more miserable if they did not know them. Very significantly doth the Prophet Isaiah call Government a burthen, a burthen upon the shoulders, no light burthen, such as may be born with the hand, nor carried at arms-end, but such a burden as he must put under his shoulder to bear it: Isa. 9. where speaking of Christ in his Office of ruling the People, he saith, The Government shall be upon his shoulders: such is the condition of Cesar, the Soveraigne in his Kingdome and Dominions; he hath his load, the Government is upon his shoulders, we have no reason by our divisions and distractions to adde more weight [Page 27]unto it, but rather by our contributions every one to set our hand to it to make it lighter. It is a remarkable expression of the Prophet, which we read in the 78 Psalme, where giving testimony of King David's go­verning of Gods People, he saith thus, He fed them with a faithfull and true heart, and guided them prudently with all his power. where we see how many abilities are here met together to make a good Governour, here is faith­fulnesse, and truth, and tendernesse, and prudence, and power, and all these strain'd up to the heighth to make him a good Ruler and Governour of Gods people; even so is it with all faithfull and religious Princes; they are fain to put forth all their power, prudence, wisdome, knowledge, skill, and experience, and the utmost of their abilities, and all little enough in the governing of their people: we may take a conjecture of this in the Government of some lesser Societies which we are better acquainted with, suppose it be but of a Colledge, a Corporation, or a Family; how hard a matter do we find it to governe them in peace, and to keep them in order? how much adoe have we to keep them from fac­tions, and from divisions, and to hold them together in unity? and yet if the Supream Magistrate do not so by all our Families, and all the Societies consisting of them, and by all his people in all his Dominions to the satisfaction and contentation of all Parties howsoever distracted and divided among themselves, presently we are ready to fall foul upon the Government, and to thinke hardly of him that hath the managing of it. The Greeks have a very significant Proverbe amongst them, [Page 28]and it speakes something to our purpose: [...]: There is one great servant in a great fa­mily, and thats the Master; si licet exemplis in parvo grandibus uti: if I may make such uneven Comparison, 'tis true of great Princes in their Courts and Kingdomes aswell as in a Master in a private Family, they are cal'd the great servants of State, and truly so they are (par­don the expression) and the greatest care and burden, the weight of all lyes upon them. Let this be a fourth reason why we should render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars; the sense of the great burden that lyes upon him, the difficulty of Government, the danger he is expos'd to in the managing of it, the great pains and care that he takes to governe us with justice and to pre­serve us in peace: therefore render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars.

Lastly, give unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's for the good we recive under and by his Government, the very word in the Text imports as much, and implies that consideration as the reason of the duty; [...], sayes the Greek; redite, sayes the Latine, not give, but ren­der in both: but rendring presupposeth a receiving first, what we render we do but restore what was before de­livered to us; we do but returne with one hand, what we receiv'd with the other; therefore give to Cesar, because you receive from Cesar more then you give, and better then you give: and what is it that we receive from Cesar? it hath been already shew'd in part, in the beginning of this discourse; what do the sublunary bo­dies receive from the Sunne? what do the members of [Page 29]the naturall body receive from the soul that animates them? the same do the Subjects receive from their Ce­sar, who is as the Sunne in the firmament of his King­domes? and as she soul of the body politique of his Dominions. Daniell in his vision, Dan: 4. sets forth the benefits of Government under the emblem of a goodly Tree spreading forth his boughs and branches every way farre and near, even to the uttermost parts of the earth; the fowles of the ayre sat in the boughs and branches of it, and the beasts of the field, great and small lay under the shadow of it; he adds further that the Tree was full of fruit, and all Creatures fed upon it, and had sustenance from it: even so it is with a great Monarch in his Dominions, he is a universall good amongst his subjects, and the influences of his Government flow forth to the utermost of his Dominions unto all sorts of peo­ple, Clergy and Laytie, great and small, as well as the smaller Birds that sit and sing upon the lower or outward branches where they can get footing, as to the greater fowles that sit upon the higher boughs & top-branches of it, as well to the smaller Cattell that quarter on the outsides, as to those more noble creatures, the Lyons, and Unicornes &c. which quarter nearer to the body of the Tree; they all receive from him both food and shadow, shelter and protection, countenance and main­tenance and all, it is from the Tree, from the Monarch, inasmuch as it is by his means, by his care and pains in the wise managing of the Government and in executing judgment and justice amongst his Subjects that they do enjoy them, and are protected in them, as Tertullus ac­knowledgeth, [Page 30] Acts 24.2. The Royall Prophet David was so sensible of this, that he seems in a manner to im­pute all that the Subject enjoyes to the King, as the royall fountain of Government and security, by which he streams it out and conveys it to them: In the 2 Sam: 1.24. where exhorting the daughters of Israel to mourn for Saul their King now dead, he makes this his argument, because living he did so much for them, and they recei­ved such benefits from him, even to the very garments which they wore; Ye daughters of Israel mourne for Saul, who cloathed you in scarlet, with other delights; who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparell: how did Saul cloath them which he never saw, nor probably they him, but a few of them? but only thus, that under his prudent Government and protection of them, they with their Parents and Husbands thriv'd, and prosper'd, and grew rich, and were protected in the peaceable possession and enjoyment of what they had, which otherwise they could not have been secur'd in: and upon this account David imputes it unto Saul, that they enjoy'd all these precious things from him, as if he had freely given them unto them, as it were out of his own Ward-Robe and Jewell house: Ye daughters of Israell mourn for Saul, who cloathed you in scar let, with other delights; and put on Or­naments of gold upon your Apparell. The case is the same, and the reason the same to all other Subjects under the government of their Soveraigns and Cesars respectively; and therefore in the same language will I apply it to all sorts of people among us, under a better Government then that was, and under a better King then Saul was.

Ye Daughters of England mourne for him that is gone, who cloathed you in scarlet, with other delights, and put on ornaments of gold upon your Apparell; but rejoyce in his living Image left behind, under whose happy Government and Protection you enjoy the like benefits, priviledges, and favours.

Ye Ladies, which like the Lillies of the field neither sow nor spin, yet Solomon in all his Royalty not cloath'd like one of you; remmember who it is that cloaths you in scarlet, with other delights; that puts on ornaments of gold upon your apparell, with gemms, and jewells, pearls, and precious stones, with which you are so illus­trious; be thankfull to him, glory in him, and rejoyce be­fore him.

You noble Lords and great Ones, whom he hath ta­ken near unto himselfe, and made Princes of the first List, in advancing you to Honours and Offices above others; remember who it is that cloath'd you with scar­let, with Robes and Ermins; who it is that put the Coro­net upon your Heads, that put upon you the Collar and the Garter of Honour, and other Ensignes of greatness and of glory; be thankfull to him, glory in him, and re­joyce before him who is the fountain of honour, and by whom to be honoured is your highest glory.

You Right reverend & holy Bishops of the Church, the Chariots of Israell and the horse-men thereof, whose very Robes speak your Gravity, Innocence, and Purity; remember who it is that set the Mitre upon your Heads, that granted out your CONGE DELIERS, that cloathed you with Aaronicall Garments, garments [Page 32]for beauty and for glory: be thankfull to him, glory in him, and rejoyce before him.

You Reverend and learned Judges of the Land, whose honour and Office is to administer judgement and justice unto the People; remember who it is that cloathed you in scarlet, from whom you receive your honourable Commmissions of Oyer and Terminer, and from whom you have your Authority delegated; be thankfull to him, glory in him, and rejoyce before him.

You Reverend & learned Academicks, Doctors, and Dignitaries, who have attained the highest degrees of Schools in either of the Universities, many of the facul­ties; remember who it is that hath cloathed you in scar­let, and who is otherwise your high Patron, and munifi­cent Benefactour; be thankfull to him, glory in him, and rejoyce before him.

You rich Merchants, grave Citizens, honest and inge­nious Countrey-men, all of all sorts, remember from whom, and by whose means (under God) you do enjoy your peace, your plenty, your security, your protection, by whose care it is that the Ships sail in safety, that the shops are open with security, that the Plough goes in peace, that you reap your harvest quietly, and eat the fruits of your own labours; and thinke not much to re­turne an acknowledgment for these benefits; do not grudge and grumble to pay Tribute to whom tribute is is due, upon such valuable considerations; and chear­fully render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars: which brings in the third part of the Text shewing the manner [Page 33]after which they should be done, in the verb, Give, or Render.

That is, do it freely, do it fully, do it timely; As God, so the King loveth a chearful giver: disputes & delayes in these cases are interpreted denials, & viscosa beneficia, as the Philosopher calls them, benefits or gifts which hang like Birdlime upon the fingers of those that give them, as if they were loath to part with them, ingrata sunt, they lose their acceptance, and forfeit their reward; there­fore give, and give freely; render and render readily, not as upon constraint, but as of a willing mind; and surely if this must be done to a Tiberius, to a Nero, how much more and more chearfully to a Constantine, to a Theodosius.

And here to stirre up all good Subjects to the ready performance of this duty, I intreat you to consider with me these four things.

First, In what state our Cesar found this Kingdome, whenby Gods goodnesse he returned to it; the Exche­quer empty, the Crowne jewells & goods sold, yea the Crowne it selfe, with the Scepter, and Globe, and all the rich and precious things which his Royall Father and his Ancestors had stor'd up and preserved, of in­estimable value made away; The ward-Robes plundred and rifled, the Plate and houshold-Stuffe in all his Ma­jesties Pallaces taken away, yea the Pallaces themselves pulled down and ruin'd, and the very materialls of them sold; the Kingdome deeply in debt, in vast and incredible summs; a numerous Army of Horse and foot deeply in Arrears to be paid off; a great Navy at Sea [Page 34]farre more chargeable then it to be discharged: to say nothing of his Majesties own Debts, for we cannot ima­gine that he could live by the ayre so long in forraigne parts; so that his condition at his returne was much like unto our Saviours when he was upon the earth, that had scarce a place to lay his head, nor bread to put into it.

Secondly, consider what great things he had to do, and in part yet hath; to set in order a tumultuous Kingdom, and a ruinous Church, both of them so miserably out of frame, that it is the work of an age to set them to rights again; to keep in pay great numbers of Horse and foot for Guards and Garisons, the restlesnesse of disconten­ted people necessitating it; to pay off the Navy and the Armies, and the debts of the Kingdome; to build and to repair, and furnish anew his Majesties Royall Houses and Pallaces demolished, neither Crown, nor Scepter, nor Globe, nor Robes, nor Ward-robes, nor Plate, nor Houshold-stuffe, nor any thing to speak on left, except he would buy it anew with his penny, nor so much as bare walls to bring them to untill he build them.

Thirdly, Consider his frugality since his returne, so far from wast and profusednesse in expences, that the very necessaries are very slender; for his houshold pro­visions, if you should compare them with Solomons, you would wonder at the vast difference between them, in the 1 Kings 4. We have the constitution of Solomon's house a List of his Officers, and of the Dyet and daily provision of his house, and this was his provision for one day, thirty measures of fine floure, and sixty measures of meal, ten fat Oxen out of the stall, and twenty out [Page 35]of the Pastures, a hundred sheep, besides Harts, and Roe-buckes, and fallow-Deer, and fatted fowle; if you compare these with the houshold of our present Cesar, you will wonder at the difference, and yet his King­domes and Dominions are far greater and of larger ex­tent; but it seems his contribution and his Tributes are not so great. And take a conjecture of his frugality but in one instance more: Here have three of the blood-Royall (very near unto his Majesty) dyed since his Majesties coming in; the Funeral expences of all these three came not to the third part (I thinke I may say the thirteenth) of the expences of the funerall of the late Usurper.

Many other things might I alledge to bring on this duty with chearfullness & readiness, his unparalel'd suf­ferings, his invincible patience under them; his con­stancy in his religion against tryalls and temptations, not without much grace and strength to be resisted; his stu­pendious mercy shewed to his implacable and desperate enemies; his indulgence to tender Consciences; his studious endeavours to compose all differences, to sa­tisfie all parties, if it were possible; never did any Prince study his Subjects as he hath done.

Fourthly and lastly, to crown all the rest, he brought with him an Olive-branch, the emblem of peace; hath put an end to our civill-warrs; hath broken our swords into mattocks, and our spears into pruning-hookes; hath restor'd our Religion, reviv'd the Lawes, settled the Courts of Justice; hath under God, and God by him, made good to us and to our Nation that gracious pro­mise made to the people of God upon their returne: [Page 36] Isa: 2. He hath turn'd his hand upon us, and purely purg'd away all our drosse, and taken away all our tinne, and re­stor'd our Judges as at the first, and our Councellours as at the beginning. Great are the things which God hath al­ready done for us by him, and great things we hope he hath yet by him to do for us; haec si non moveant singula juncta movent: All these things surely may be of great force with all good Subjects freely to give unto Cesar the things that are Cesars, and tribute to whom tribute be­longeth; tribute of Subsidies, tribute of Customes, Ton­nage and Poundage, tribute of First-fruits and Tenths, tribute of Taxe or Contribution, tribute of Confiscati­ons (from which the Treasury hath its name fiscus; Nehem: 10.8.) tribute of fines, tribute of Hearth-money, tribute of Excise.

And because this last is the tribute which is so much talk't off, and so much trouble hath been about it, be­cause of all other it is so much grumbled at, and comes in so hardly, and I my selfe have been complaind off for Preaching against it in this place and Pulpit at the last Assizes; it is very fit that in it I should more clearly and fully declare my selfe, and in discharge of that duty, I do here openly, clearly and confidently declare and as­sert, that the Excise as it is here established in England, is (in the constitution of it) a Legall and just Revenue, and one of the Tributes here in the Text due unto Cesar: and therefore if any man ask me as the Herodians did our Saviour in this Context, Licetne? is it lawfull to pay it or not? I answer as our Saviour did them; Licet, it is lawfull to pay it; it is utterly unlawfull not to pay it: [Page 37]fore Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars. And that you may do it chearfully and readily, without murmu­ring or disputing, I will give you in some reasons shew­ing not only the justice and lawfulness, but the equity and reasonablenesse of it; and they are these.

First, it is established by Law, and that silences all disputes, it is setled by Act of Parliament as a part of the Revenue; and therefore a right not to be questioned.

Secondly, As to his Majestie he is no gainer by it, he hath parted with a very honourable Revenue in lieu of it, to wit, the Court of Wards, one of the fairest flowers in the Crown, so fair, that the great Counsellour, Lord Treasurer Burliegh, once Master of that Court, did in's death-bed advise Queen Elizabeth never to part with it out of her hands, for that it was an unknown Revenue, and one of her Majesties best Farmes; but howsoever that being taken away, and only this left in the room of it, if we should with-hold this too, what shall we leave him?

Thirdly, The third reason is taken from the conside­ration of the subject out of which the Excise oth arise, the cōmodity on which it is imposed, and thats strong-drinke, an element upon which there is more thrown away in vain expence, then upon any one thing, nay, may I not say upon all other Commodities, in the Land; upon which, especially in great Townes, and by many other persons in many other places too, there is near as much thrown away in wast as would reasonably serve for all other necessaries: and in the excessive and intem­perate use or rather abuse of which, there is more sinne [Page 38]committed and occasioned in the Land, then about any other thing whatsoever: if then the wisdome of the Par­liament to take men off from this excessive and intempe­rate abuse of it and themselves, have laid such a legall charge upon it, who can judge but that it was an Act of Wisedome and Prudence, of Piety and Religion in them for the restraining of abuses.

Fourthly, The last reason is taken from the freedom that men have to take up the profession which makes them lyable to pay Excise, or not to take it up, to use it, or not to use it; there's no man compel'd to it, and if he like it not upon those termes upon which he is to be Licensed and admitted, he may let it alone, and there's no hurt done, if he like it not with the incumbrances, he may pass by and leave it, and the Excise shall ne­ver trouble him: Volenti non fit injuria.

Upon all these reasons and considerations I conclude, That the Excise (in the constitution of it) is a just and a legall Revenue, that the imposition of it upon those commodi­ties upon which it is laid, is no wrong to any man: that not only by law, but in reason and equity, it may justly be deman­ded and ought to be paid; and therefore I exhort and ad­monish all persons concern'd in it, not to dispute it, not to quarrell it, but willingly and readily as in all other Tributes, so particularly in this of the Excise to Render unto Cesar the things that are Cesars.

And so I have done with my Text, and now come to my taske; a taske enjoyned me here this day, and that's no lesse then a Recantation of some indiscreet passages, in a Sermon which I here preach't at the last Assizes in [Page 39]this place and Pulpit; the main Charge against me in it was, That I preach't against the Excise, and Excise-Men, it lyes in the 38 and 39 pages of the Booke, for it was since printed; the words then delivered I confesse were unadvisedly spoken, I was too sharpe in those expres­sions, and while I spake of and against Biters, I my selfe became a Biter. Another passage there is which is ex­cepted against, and it is contein'd page 23. where my illguided zeale put me on too farr in pleading for the resurrection of a Presidentiary Court in these Northern-parts; so farr, as to charge the Westminsterian Lawyers, That they would engrosse all the law unto themselves, as if they meant to make of it, one great Monopoly; these words were unadvisedly spoken, and I went too farr in that charge. Another passage there is, and that's found page 48. wherein I was very bitter against Rack-renting Land-lords, and Depopulators; ranking them amongst the Biters, and the Grinders in the Text: in this I confesse I went too farr, it was unadvisedly spoken, and gave offence, And indeed I am sorry that any thing should be spoken by me at any time which might justly give offence to any, even the least of little ones, much more that should offend Authority; and sure I am that intentio­nally I never did, nor ever will do so; yet seing some passages in that Sermon have given such occasion of of­fence, I am heartily sorry for it, I wish they had not fallen from me, much more that they had not been Prin­ted.

And these passages which have been by me here mentioned, I thinke fit to be retracted, and disowned; [Page 40]particularly that wherein I say, That the government of this Nation is Arbitrary in the male-Administration of the Excise; which words, together with all other Indis­cretions whatsoever contained in that Sermon and drop't either from my tongue or penne, I do here in the pre­sence of you all, fully retract, disclaime, and disowne.

I will conclude with one word which his Majesty spake to me himselfe at the Councell-Table, and it was close and home, and did more silence me, then all that was spoke to me besides, and it was this;

That his Majestie thought it was my duty to preach con­science unto the people, and not to meddle with State-affaires: which words, as they were a severe re­proofe for what was past, so they are a serious ad­monition for the time to come; and I shall most studiously, and exactly henceforth observe and o­bey it, and wish all others to do so too.