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<DATE>2014-10-09</DATE>
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<NAME>Alexis Jakobson</NAME>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1">
<P>THE DANGER OF THE ERRORS OF THE RULERS.</P>
<P>A SERMON preached upon the Tenth day of <HI>March</HI> 1661. at the A&s;&s;izes for <HI>Stafford&s;hire</HI> held at <HI>Wolver-hampton.</HI></P>
<P>BY EDWARD POWEL, Ma&s;ter in Arts and chief School-Ma&s;ter in <HI>Stafford.</HI></P>
<Q>Ita nati e&s;tis, ut bona mal&aacute;que ve&s;tra ad Rem-publicam pertineant. <BIBL><HI>Tacit. Annal. l. 4.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q><GAP DESC="foreign">. <BIBL>Lucian.</BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed for <HI>W. Gilbert&s;on,</HI> and are to be &s;old by <HI>John Felton</HI> Book&s;eller in <HI>Stafford.</HI> 1662.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>To the Honourable JOHN BELOT E&s;q; High Sheriffe of the County of <HI>Stafford.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_I Preach'd this Sermon by your appointment; but was di&s;ap|pointed in my expectation. For I look't for cen&s;ure from tho&s;e that heard it, but found it from tho&s;e that heard it not. I read in the book of the <HI>Reve|lation</HI> of <HI>St. John, Chap. 4. V. 8.</HI> of Four Bea&s;ts, that had Eyes within; but we have need of Eyes without; when the Labours of a poor Mini&s;ter (&s;uch as they are) are &s;cand by hear|&s;ay. &V;pon this Account I have made it pub|lique, and have hardned my heart again&s;t my under&s;tanding and con&s;cience of my own weak|ne&s;&s;e. And that you may &s;ee I do not rely upon the &s;trength of it's con&s;titution, that it can live in &s;pight of the breath of Cen&s;urers, I crave the <HI>Po&s;&s;e Comitatus</HI> for it's protection. That You, <HI>Sir,</HI> will be pleas'd to defend it and me, wherein neither I nor it have offended.</P>
<P>It was the advi&s;e of the Mother of <HI>Artexer|xes</HI>
<PB REF="3">in <HI>Plutarch,</HI> that they who would addre&s;&s;e them&s;elves to Great Per&s;ons mu&s;t u&s;e <GAP DESC="foreign"> fine &s;ilken words. Herein, I confe&s;&s;e, I have mi&s;t it, for the cloathing is rugged: But if the plainne&s;&s;e of the dre&s;&s;e be all that makes it de&s;pis'd, 'twill prove the more innocent. The Adver&s;aries of it, I mean, tho&s;e, that have &s;poken mo&s;t against it, are per&s;ons to whom I wi&s;h all peace and happine&s;&s;e: and I may in the &s;ight of God with a good con&s;cience protest, that in the&s;e late times of Rebellion, I was from my heart griev'd to &s;ee Men of no Religion make a prey of them, and their E&s;tates for their Religi|on. Yet God forbid, that <HI>Roman Catholiques</HI> (as they call them&s;elves) &s;hould ju&s;tle in our &s;treets with <HI>Reformed Catholiques;</HI> and God forbid again, that we &s;hould be reduc'd to the condition of the Church of God in the time of <HI>Nehemiah, ch. 4. v. 17.</HI> with one hand working, with the other hand holding their weapons. I look upon the <HI>Prote&s;tant Religion</HI> as the <HI>Palla|dium</HI> of <HI>Great Brittain,</HI> and his Sacred Maje&s;ty as the Keeper of it. For the pre&s;ervation of it through Him, and Him in it, I &s;hall truly and constantly pray, and in this I know you will own</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Hearty Orator and Poor Servant, EDWARD POWELL.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>The Danger of the Errors of the Rulers.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL><HI>ECCLESIAST. Ch. 10. V. 5. 6. 7.</HI></BIBL>
<Q><P><BIBL>5.</BIBL> There is an evill, which I have &s;een under the Sunne, as an-errror which proceedeth from the Ruler.</P>
<P><BIBL>6.</BIBL> Folly is &s;et in great dignity, and the rich &s;it in low place.</P>
<P><BIBL>7.</BIBL> I have &s;een Servants upon Hor&s;es, and Princes walking as Servants upon the earth.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P><HI>_H&V;go de Sancto Victore</HI> ob&s;erveth, that King <HI>Solomon</HI> had three Names. 1. <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;ig|nifying <HI>Peace.</HI> 2. <HI>Jedidiah</HI> &s;ignifying <HI>Be|loved.</HI> 3. <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes</HI> &s;ignifying a <HI>Preacher.</HI> And according to the&s;e three names to have written three books. 1.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">See Dr. <HI>Jermin</HI> upon the Proverbs.</NOTE> As <HI>Solomon</HI> to have written the <HI>book of the Proverbs,</HI> which are called <HI>the Proverbs of Solomon,</HI> where in the peace of love he in|&s;tructs the people in vertue and holine&s;s. 2. As <HI>Jedidiah, the book of the Canticles,</HI> (which may well be called <HI>the book of the Beloved,</HI> wherein we have the &s;ongs of the beloved to his and her beloved.) 3. As <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> the book of <HI>Ec|cle&s;ia&s;tes,</HI> or <HI>the Preacher,</HI> wherin he preacheth the vanity of worldly things. But I read al&s;o of another name, <HI>viz. Lemuell, Prov.</HI> 31.1. perhaps a name by which his Mother call'd him, or which happily his Mother gave him at his Circumci&s;ion; or el&s;e according to the notation of it, &s;ig|nifying <HI>taught by God;</HI> according to which name perhaps he wrote <HI>his naturall Hi&s;tory of the Plants,</HI> from the <HI>Cedar</HI> to the <HI>Shrub.</HI> But this is but conjecture. To ha&s;ten there|fore to my Text as neer as I can.</P>
<PB N="2" REF="4">
<P>In the precedent ver&s;e we find deliver'd an excellent and u&s;efull point of Chri&s;tian policy to containe every loyall &s;oul within the limits of Duty, which if it had been put in practice twenty years fince and upwards, we &s;hould not have had cau&s;e to complaine.</P>
<P><HI>O my bowels,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 4.19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>my bowels, I am pained at my very heart, becau&s;e thou ha&s;t heard, O my &s;oul, the voice of the Trumpet, the Alarme of Warre, de&s;truction upon de&s;truction, the whole land is &s;poyled.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>Iliaca pa&s;&s;io</HI> of civil wars had never rent the bowels of the Kingdome, nor ever &s;uch a <HI>Government</HI> heard of in <HI>England</HI> as a <HI>Stratocracy.</HI></P>
<P>The effect of tho&s;e words is this, that no unkindne&s;&s;e, di&s;plea&s;ure or injury &s;hould tempt us to the breach of our Fidelity and Allegiance, but rather that we &s;hould make u&s;e of our <HI>pa&s;&s;ive obedience,</HI> than to &s;et &s;o high rate upon <HI>our opinions</HI> as to maintain them by oppo&s;ing <HI>lawful Autho|rity. If the &s;pirit of the Ruler ri&s;e up against thee, leave not thy place;</HI> that is, be &s;till a &s;ubject, remit nothing of thy duty and &s;ervice. <HI>For yielding pacifieth great offences.</HI> ver. the 4. In the 5.6. and 7. ver&s;es of my Text, we have an in&s;tance of a particular grievance, many times offer'd, and among ingenious &s;pirits ill re&s;ented, when wi&s;edome is kept under (for in relation to wi&s;edome, this word <HI>Rich</HI> is &s;et as appears by the Antithe&s;is) and <HI>Folly</HI> advanc'd When men of de&s;ert are promoted, and de&s;erts are rewarded with di&s;graces, many times with puni&s;hment. Such was the <HI>Grecian O&s;traci&s;me,</HI> and &s;uch was the <HI>Roman Pro&s;crip|tion.</HI> Such was the <HI>Guerdon</HI> of <HI>Bellizarius,</HI> who for all his &s;ervice to the Emperour had his Eyes put out, and reduc't to that extremity of poverty, that he &s;ate by the way &s;ide begging <HI>Date Obolum Bellizario</HI></P>
<P>And thus <HI>Demetrius Phalerius,</HI> that once had the Go|vernment of <HI>Athens,</HI> after Library keeper to <HI>Ptolomy Phila|delphus,</HI> had his &s;tatues of marble formerly rays'd to his honour by the <HI>Athenians,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Diog. La<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">t. in vita De|met.</NOTE> throw'n down to the ground even by the &s;ame men; which ill u&s;age had no other reply from him than this. <HI>At virtutem meam non everterunt.</HI></P>
<P>This is commonly acted upon the &s;tage of the world.
<PB N="3" REF="4"><HI>Solomon</HI> ob&s;erv'd it. <HI>There is an evill, which I have &s;een.</HI> That witle&s;&s;e, worthle&s;&s;e fooles find re&s;pect and counte|nance, wi&s;e and well-de&s;erving labours draw either &s;corn or jealou&s;ie upon the performers.</P>
<P>So that in this we may behold the blind world &s;cattering her doal at random; to &s;ome favour, to &s;ome frownes. To wi&s;e men want, and wealth to fooles. For the better view of which Ataxy or di&s;order as it is here propos'd in my Text, ob&s;erve with me in the words the&s;e three circum|&s;tances.</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The place where this di&s;order is to be &s;een. <HI>An evill which I have &s;een under the Sunne.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The fault where it lies, or the cau&s;e from whence it proceeds. <HI>It is an Error, which proceeds from the Ruler.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The di&s;order it &s;elf, what it is. <HI>Folly &s;et in great dignity, and the rich in great place.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>That every Ataxy, all di&s;order is an evill, I need not, I will not &s;pend time to prove.</P>
<P>Something of the place, where this evill is to be &s;een. <HI>&V;nder the Sunne.</HI></P>
<P>This is <HI>Solomons</HI> u&s;ual Phra&s;e; A phra&s;e no where more u&s;ed than here in <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes.</HI></P>
<P>And there may be a two-fold rea&s;on alleag'd for the u&s;e of it. 1. To denote the quality of the things whereof he &s;peaks. 2. To declare their large extent.</P>
<P N="1">1. The quality, that this his di&s;cour&s;e is onely about &s;ublunary affairs, not heavenly matters, of things under the Sunne not above the Sunne.</P>
<P N="2">2. Their large extent. A di&s;order to be &s;een not in one place onely, or under one climate, but every where <HI>&V;n|der the Sunne.</HI></P>
<P>Ground we it upon the fir&s;t rea&s;on, then this is the Ob|&s;ervation.</P>
<P>Above the Sunne there is no &s;uch evill. <MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Ob&s;."> Hereafter when we &s;hall be exalted through grace and mercy, we &s;hall meet with no &s;uch Ataxy or Confu&s;ion. There is no fail|ing of a Chri&s;tians hope, no di&s;appointment of a Chri&s;tians Faith. No; There our faith &s;hall be turn'd into a manife&s;t
<PB N="4" REF="5">vi&s;ion of God. <HI>Now we &s;ee through a gla&s;&s;e darkly, then face to face.</HI></P>
<P>There our hope &s;hall be turned into enjoyment. <HI>They &s;hall hunger no more,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 7.16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>neither <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="2 letters">ir&s;t any more, neither &s;hall the Sunne light on them nor any heat: for the Lamb which is in the mid&s;t of the throne &s;hall feed them, and lead them unto living fountaines of waters,</HI> &amp;c. There our imperfect love &s;hall be turn'd into the perfect love of God, love that &s;hall abide for ever.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 13.8.</NOTE> <HI>Prophecies &s;hall fail, and tongues &s;hall cea&s;e, but charity never faileth.</HI></P>
<P>As none comes thither by de&s;ert, &s;o none &s;hall be digni|fyed, that is of no de&s;ert. Heaven a place more glorious then the Sunne, much more &s;pacious then the pro&s;pect of the Sunne, admits of no praepo&s;terous placing, <HI>No uncleane thing &s;hall enter therein</HI> Ba&s;e wretched,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 21.27.</NOTE> faithle&s;&s;e crea|tures &s;hall be excluded thence. They who fear God, that are rich in &s;pirituall wi&s;dome, &s;ervants of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, that have for&s;aken all to follow Chri&s;t, &s;hall then and there not be deceived of their expectation, nor fru&s;trated of their hopes, nor fore-&s;talled of their happine&s;&s;e. They who fol|low Chri&s;t here in Troubles, &s;hall there &s;it with him on Thrones.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12.3.</NOTE> <HI>They &s;hall &s;hine as the brightne&s;&s;e of the Firma|ment, and glitter as the &s;tarrs.</HI> Such honour have all his Saints.</P>
<P>Who would not then contemne this world in re&s;pect of Heaven? who would not rather live above? Hear what <HI>Africanus</HI> an Heathen could tell <HI>Scipio</HI> in his dream. <HI>Ii vivunt, qui e corporum erga&s;tulis tanquam e carcere evolave|runt, ve&s;tra vero quae dicitur vita, Mors e&s;t.</HI> While we live here we &s;hall &s;ee many vanities, hear many follies, ta&s;te of many &s;orrowes, and have experience of many mi&s;eries. But when we &s;hall be above the Sunne, we &s;hall be like the Hill <HI>Olympus</HI> above wind and weather.</P>
<P>Yet while we do live here under the Sunne, we mu&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e our &s;oules with patience,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 47.1.</NOTE> <HI>Fret not thy &s;elf becau&s;e of evill doers,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Do others ri&s;e and thou fall? are others promoted and thou &s;till in &s;ilent ob&s;curity? Alas! the&s;e are &s;ublunary changes, worldly changes.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="5">
<P>Nay in our &s;piritual &s;tate, when we have done all we can here, we &s;hall have many gloomy dayes, many feares, many di&s;tractions of Con&s;cience, that our God is not yet reconciled fully to us. The &s;piritual Sunne is but halfe fac'd in our Horizon, for our happine&s;&s;e here is onely in <HI>fieri</HI> and not in <HI>facto e&s;&s;e.</HI> We are &s;till under the Hammer. As well the temper as the di&s;temper of all things here below con&s;i&s;ts in contrarieties.</P>
<P>As we ground it upon the &s;econd rea&s;on of the Phra&s;e, for the large extent, then the Ob&s;ervation is this,</P>
<P>De&s;erts unrewarded are every where common in the practi&s;e of this world. <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ob&s;."> When <HI>Mordecay</HI> had &s;erved the King to the &s;aving of his life, the que&s;tion was asked,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;t. 6.3.</NOTE> what honour had been done to <HI>Mordecay</HI> for this; his &s;ervants an&s;wer'd, nothing is done for him. <HI>Joab</HI> complain'd of it before among the <HI>Jewes, Tri&s;megi&s;tus</HI> among the <HI>Aegypti|ans, Ari&s;tides</HI> among the <HI>Athenians, Scipio</HI> among the <HI>Ro|mans,</HI> and how many thou&s;and di&s;contented per&s;ons are among&s;t us? But I ha&s;ten from the place where, to the per|&s;on from whence. <HI>It proceeds from the Ruler.</HI></P>
<P>All Ataxyes, confu&s;ions, di&s;orders in a &s;tate, <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ob."> are the pro|ducts of the Error of the Ruler.</P>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aid it, and <HI>Solomon</HI> found it. He &s;aid it when he found it by the experience of his own error in Govern|ment in his latter time (for then 'tis conceiv'd he wrote this book) doubtle&s;&s;e fore-&s;eeing what he could not pre|vent, the great and dangerous revolt, that would come to pa&s;s in the time of his &s;onne <HI>Rehoboam.</HI> 'Twas &s;martly &s;aid of him, if not bitterly.</P>
<Q><L>Tantum ingenium marcuit cum maturuit;
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Emanuel The&s;.</NOTE></L>
<L>&V;t ne&s;cias utrum magis mirere,</L>
<L>Senium in infante an infantiam in &s;ene.</L></Q>
<P>And if <HI>Rehoboam</HI> when he came to the Crown, had been as wi&s;e as his Father at that Age, he might have di&s;ap|pointed <HI>Jeroboams</HI> popularity, and have &s;ent him back to <HI>Aegypt</HI> from whence he came. But the weakne&s;&s;e of
<PB N="6" REF="6">the Ruler is alwayes followed by the wickedne&s;&s;e of the people.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 29.12</NOTE> <HI>If a Ruler hearken to lies, all his Servants are wicked</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon</HI> him&s;elf. As the Hou&s;e of <HI>Saul</HI> grew weaker and weaker, &s;o the Hou&s;e of <HI>David</HI> grew &s;tronger &amp; &s;tronger. The errors of <HI>Sauls</HI> Government ca&s;ting a beauty and lu&s;tre upon <HI>David</HI> though in di&s;traction and per&s;ecuti|on; &s;o that <HI>Davids</HI> &s;hifts and eva&s;ions lookt like victories, and the pur&s;uits of <HI>Saul</HI> a di&s;order'd march. And doubt|le&s;&s;e (if I may digre&s;&s;e &s;o farre) Our <HI>Sauls</HI> that invaded this Government, had &s;o weakned the hands of all Loyall Subjects, &s;o &s;trengthned them&s;elves by Allyes abroad and their numerous Forces at home, that, in the eye of humane judgement, they &s;tood like a rock not to be pu&s;ht at, and they might &s;ay (as perhaps they did) in our pro&s;perity we &s;hall never be moved; had not the loo&s;ene&s;&s;e and vari|ablene&s;&s;e of their Councels (the greate&s;t error in Govern|ment) made room for our <HI>Royall David</HI> to &s;it upon his Fathers Throne.</P>
<P>Hear what <HI>David</HI> him&s;elf &s;aid, when he came to the Crown, and <HI>Saul</HI> had almo&s;t ruin'd the Kingdome. <HI>The Land is weak,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 75.3.</NOTE> <HI>and all the Inhabitants thereof are &s;poiled, I bear up the pillars thereof.</HI></P>
<P>Hence doubtle&s;&s;e was it that the Royall Scepter was banded from Family to Family after the revolt from <HI>Da|vid,</HI> till all <HI>I&s;raell</HI> was led away into Captivity. Hence was it that the power and glory of the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> was arre&s;t|ed by the valour of the <HI>Per&s;ians,</HI> and the <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> could not keep what they had got, but through their Luxury made rendition of it to the <HI>Grecians,</HI> and the <HI>Grecians</HI> through their dividing and cantoning the Empire made way for the Roman name to be eterniz'd to po&s;terity. And hence was it, that barbarous unletter'd Nations di&s;&s;olv'd that learned Empire. And why the <HI>Gothes</HI> and <HI>Vandals</HI> over ran <HI>Germany, France, Italy,</HI> the greate&s;t part of <HI>Europe,</HI> and the flouri&s;hing Churches of <HI>Affrica;</HI> 'twas an error that had it's ri&s;e from the Rulers: For though as <HI>Salvian</HI> tells us (who liv'd in tho&s;e times) the di&s;orders were Epide|mical, yet they grew &s;o for want of re&s;traint in the Rulers.</P>
<PB N="7" REF="6">
<P>I need not go &s;o farre to &s;hew you the dire effects, that have proceeded from the errors of Rulers; our own Chro|nicles will furni&s;h us with examples, as one of the <HI>Edwards,</HI> and one of the <HI>Richard.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cic.</NOTE> <HI>Sed in re tali externa libentius quam dome&s;tica recordor.</HI></P>
<P><Q>Yet &s;ure 'twas more horrible impiety for the Judge in his Circuit to ju&s;tifie the bloody butchering of his Maje&s;ty of Ble&s;&s;ed Memory,
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Anno</HI> 1. <HI>reip. Aug.</HI></NOTE> by urging them for precedents <HI>(not a loquor)</HI> the Murthering of which Princes, no impious Pen was yet extant &s;o bold, that dur&s;t maintaine or ju&s;tifie.</Q></P>
<P>Nay there is rea&s;on that the Rulers errors mu&s;t needs produce the&s;e &s;ad effects. They are like the Planets above, according to their a&s;pects and influences &s;o fares it with Creatures of all kinds here below. They are the <HI>Vena Porta</HI> that convey the life-blood of peace and order into all the Members; nay they are the Originall of nerves, the fountaine of all the Animal &s;pirits, that give &s;trength and motion to all the Limbes. <HI>Omnis nervorum paraly&s;is a capite.</HI> Nay this error is like the fir&s;t mans, many times it leaves a univer&s;al taint. And therefore the expiatory &s;acrifices were greater for the &s;innes of the Rulers in Church and State, then for the re&s;t of the people. The finne of the Prie&s;t was in the e&s;timate of God, as the &s;inne of the whole Congregation,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lev 4.3. <HI>v.</HI> 23. <HI>v.</HI> 28. <HI>v.</HI> 32.</NOTE> <HI>and the offering for his &s;inne was a young Bullock without blemi&s;h. If the Ruler &s;inned he was to offer a Kid of the Goates, a Male without blemi&s;h. If an ordinary man offended, a Female &s;erv'd the turn. Whe|ther it were of Goats or of Lambs.</HI></P>
<P>And now (beloved) as the confideration of the excel|lency of the glory prepared for the Saints to all eternity,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 4.17.</NOTE> made the Apo&s;tle <HI>Paul</HI> to u&s;e that Metaphor <GAP DESC="foreign">. <HI>O the weight of Glory!</HI></P>
<P>So the con&s;ideration of the Anxieties, the Cars and Fears, Jealou&s;ies and Dangers, which attend upon the dignity of the Rulers, may well bring me to the &s;ame Metaphor to cry out <GAP DESC="foreign">. O the weight of humane heigth and honour.</P>
<PB N="8" REF="7">
<P>The Rulers are indeed like heavenly bodies, they have much veneration but little re&s;t.</P>
<P>Nay the Ruler is a Kingdome him&s;elf, and he is his own Subject, to rule his Actions, his Affections, his Words, his Thoughts, they are the people, which inhabit him. And then hear <HI>Solow on</HI> again.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 25.28.</NOTE> <HI>He that hath no rule over his own &s;pirit, is like a City without walls.</HI> And then in relation to others. What providing for without, what providing for within
<Q>&V;t in&s;idiis nil liceat, nil pateat dolis</Q></P>
<P>Providing again&s;t tho&s;e without, for and again&s;t tho&s;e within.</P>
<P N="1">1. Providing for, taking care for all degrees of people. <HI>The Kings heart is as the Rivers of waters.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 21.1.</NOTE> In their over|flowing what good to the grounds, &s;ometimes what danger?</P>
<P>Sometimes providing again&s;t tho&s;e within, even tho&s;e whom they have rais'd.</P>
<P>Nay 'twill be requi&s;ite &s;ometimes to provide again&s;t the Holy Order, that they ri&s;e not too high to the checking of the civil power. It could not be but a great error in <HI>Ju|&s;tinian,</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">See Dr. <HI>Cracan thorp</HI> up|on the Council.</NOTE> when he had &s;ummoned the Fifth General council at <HI>Con&s;tan&s;tinople</HI> for the &s;uppre&s;&s;ion of the <HI>Ne&s;torian</HI> Here&s;ie, to &s;uffer Pope <HI>Viglius</HI> in the &s;ame City at the &s;ame time with an A&s;&s;embly of his own to brave it with the Emperiall Convocation. In our own Kingdome <HI>An&s;elmus</HI> and <HI>Tho|mas Becket</HI> both Arch bi&s;hops of <HI>Canterbury,</HI> with their Cro&s;ier &s;taves, did almo&s;t try it with the Kings &s;word, and yet they had to do with &s;tout and haughty Kings; namely, <HI>William Rufus. Henry</HI> the Fir&s;t and <HI>Henry</HI> the Second. It were more then the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of a Sermon, to recount tho&s;e Di&s;orders and Confu&s;ions, which ranne through all Chri&s;tendome through the errors of the Rulers in permit|ting the Sea of <HI>Rome</HI> to tread upon the Neck of civill Au|thority. Here the folly (which <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;peaks of) might have been con&s;picuous; nay as if it had been a divine vi|&s;ion of the future Tyranny of the Popes. <HI>I have &s;een &s;er|vants upon Hor&s;es, and Princes walking as &s;ervants upon the Earth.</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="7">
<P>And who knows not how a bla&s;t from the Scotch Horn has &s;haken the Crownes of <HI>England</HI> and <HI>Scotland.</HI></P>
<P>Providing again&s;t men of the Holy Order, e&s;pecially a|gain&s;t &s;uch &s;pirits, as dare Print and Publi&s;h &s;uch a <HI>The&s;is</HI> as this.</P>
<P><Q>If a people that by Oath and Duty are obliged to a Soveraigne, &s;hall &s;infully di&s;po&s;&s;e&s;&s;e him, and contrary to their Covenant, choo&s;e and Covenant with Another, they may be obliged by their latter Covenant notwith|&s;tanding their former.</Q></P>
<Q>Videtis &s;ub hoc uno cespite quod latent colubri.</Q>
<P>But he was overthrown by the Learned Bi&s;hop of <HI>Wor|ce&s;ter,</HI> as <HI>David</HI> overthrew the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians</HI> in the valley of Salt.</P>
<P><HI>Stultitiam immoderati &s;aporis detegens &amp; extinguens.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 8.13.</NOTE></P>
<P>And a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> providing again&s;t &s;o al&s;o providing for the Holy Order, that it be not kept too low, le&s;t God depart from between the <HI>Cherubins,</HI> and &s;o come down to the Thre&s;hold, and then fly away into the Mountaines.</P>
<P>I know their are <HI>Hanuns,</HI> that would curtayle and &s;have the Me&s;&s;engers of God even to their &s;hame. The Church is called Gods Husbandry, and there are Lay-patrons, that would make <GAP DESC="foreign"> Gods Husbandmen wor&s;e then their own. But this is not the Error of our Gracious Ru|ler, witne&s;&s;e his Royal Letter full of Grace and Love to the poor Mini&s;try. I pray God it be not the error of Clergy Rulers.</P>
<P>Well, thus ye &s;ee the Pin of Government mu&s;t neither be wound up too High, nor let down too Low; and then that which makes the <GAP DESC="foreign">, The people that under&s;tand only the noi&s;e will cen&s;ure the Art and Mu&s;ick of Govern|ment.</P>
<P>If the errors of the Rulers be &s;o dangerous, their callings &s;o weighty; O what prayers and &s;upplications &s;hould be put up to Almighty God, e&s;pecially for tho&s;e that are in Authority. This is the great duty that lies upon the Sub|ject. Let us look to it. If the &s;pirit of error &s;hould fall
<PB N="10" REF="8">the Ruler <HI>(quod avertat Deus Opt. Max.) plectentur Achivi.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deliro &agrave; lir&acirc; vel &s;ulco aber|rare.</HI> Era&s;m.</NOTE> The ea&s;t &s;werving from the line or track of Ju&s;tice in Go|vernment, will fall heavy upon the Governed.</P>
<P>O then for our own &s;akes we &s;hould be con&s;tant in our duty of praying for them, not making tumultuary addre&s;&s;es to them with &s;editious petitions upon the heads of Pikes. Farre from the cu&s;tome of the <HI>Per&s;ians</HI> in <HI>Xenophon,</HI> who when they came into the pre&s;ence of their King, pluckt their hands into their &s;leeves: no, praying for them; while their hands are bu&s;ie for you, let your hearts be bu&s;ie for them with the Lord God, e&s;pecially at this time of their great and weighty con&s;ultations for the &s;ettling the Church and State. See what rea&s;on.</P>
<P N="1">1. The Churches Enemies, and &s;o the Kingdomes are numerous, and powerfull, if there were opportunity.</P>
<P><HI>Midian</HI> was two hard for <HI>I&s;rael, Numb.</HI> 25.18. nay they out-witted them; They vext them with their wiles.</P>
<P N="2">2. They are wealthy, and not only of their own, but what they have got from others in the turn of State.</P>
<Q><L>&mdash; Quibus una Quiritem</L>
<L>Vertigo facit. &mdash;</L></Q>
<P N="3">3. In diligence very active. While the good man &s;leeps they &s;ow Tares. Very much and very &s;trongly united in their de&s;ignes, as if they were all ated by one &s;pirit, and that workes &s;trongly in the Sonnes of Rebellion. Let us pray then that they be not like the Sonnes of <HI>Zerviah,</HI> too hard for <HI>David.</HI></P>
<P>An error, which proceeds from the Ruler. Rulers have their errors, and good Rulers too. I be&s;eech you that are Rulers of our County, that ye &s;uffer the reflexion upon the&s;e grounds.</P>
<P N="1">1. It will make you more carefull. 2. More humble. 3. More merciful.</P>
<P N="1">1. More careful in correcting your own errors, and in &s;uppre&s;&s;ing the errors of the Rulers under you. Though <HI>A&s;a</HI> did that which was right in the &s;ight of the Lord, yet
<PB N="11" REF="8">he had a di&s;ea&s;e in his feet. The &s;treame of Ju&s;tice ranne without ob&s;truction through the higher Courts, while in the mean time the lower petty Courts may like a <HI>Stagnum</HI> contract a <HI>&s;itus,</HI> a filth which may &s;tink in the no&s;trils of all good men: where the <HI>petit</HI> poor tre&s;pa&s;&s;es of tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ors inrich and &s;well up the pur&s;es of covetous Officers. Let me de&s;cribe many of them in Scripture language. <HI>They give their mouths to evil, and their tongue frames deceit.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 50.19. P&s;. 84.20. Jer. 5.26.</NOTE> <HI>They frame mi&s;chief by a Law.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Among my people are found wicked men, they lay wait as he that &s;etteth &s;nares, they &s;et a trap, they catch men.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. As it will make ye more carefull in re&s;pect of your &s;elves and others, &s;o again it will make ye more humble in your &s;elves; for it will teach ye not to over-rate your own excellencies. When ye read of <HI>Caius</HI> murther, <HI>Sena|cheribs</HI> bla&s;phemy, <HI>Judas</HI> his not to be paraleld trea&s;on, and the fearfull Apo&s;tacy of <HI>Julian;</HI> when ye hear (as ye cannot choo&s;e but hear every day) (&s;o &s;ad is the condition of <HI>England</HI>) tho&s;e horrid murthers, both roberies, trea&s;ons perjuries, bla&s;phemies and other horrid &s;ins committed, then by this reflection ye will ble&s;s God for his preventing grace: for you al&s;o have the &s;ame root, from whence &s;pring all the&s;e impieties.</P>
<P N="3">3. As this reflection will make ye more humble in your &s;elves, &s;o it will make ye more merciful to others. Cer|tainly this made Them in ancient times never to give Sen|tence <HI>ni&s;i pri&ugrave;s obductis velis,</HI> till they had drawn a curtain between them&s;elves and the Pri&s;oner.</P>
<P>This reflection will tell ye, that the Pri&s;oner is of the &s;ame nature with you, that the &s;oul co&s;t equal price, equally capable of eternal happine&s;&s;e to through mercy in Chri&s;t. &mdash; And therefore 'tis a &s;ad thing to &s;ee a Judge in the gravity of his &s;miles to throw &s;corn upon the Pri&s;oner at the Bar, and in&s;tead of gently reproving, bitterly to taunt the Malefactor.</P>
<P>Well yet &s;omething remains, that I &s;hould lay down rules, give directions for the avoiding of the&s;e errors, which I &s;hall neither fetch out of <HI>Tacitus</HI> nor <HI>Polybius,</HI> much
<PB N="12" REF="9">le&s;&s;e out of <HI>Machiavil;</HI> I &s;hall onely therefore humbly ad|vi&s;e ye, that ye apply your &s;elves and all your Actions to that rule, where there is no obliquity; and that rule is the &s;acred Word of God.</P>
<P>Let that holy and happy Ruler <HI>David</HI> be your Example; &s;tudy him, read him in the 101 <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> what excellent di|rections he lays down for all Rulers. <HI>I will &s;ing of mercy and judgement, unto thee O Lord will I &s;ing,</HI> ver. 1. Indeed the whole P&s;alme is nothing el&s;e, but a Judges Directory. Read him in the 119 P&s;alm, and &s;ee, if he do not make the Word of God his Rule. 'Tis a long P&s;alme yet there are few nay very few Ver&s;es in a I that P&s;alm where God's Commandments, Judgements, Statutes, Ordinances or &s;omething equivalent are not mention'd: with mo&s;t pa&s;&s;io|nate, happy tautologies his tongue &s;tayes, dwells upon them, as if he were afraid of an untimely lo&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>Mountains and Vallies cau&s;e &s;ome unevenne&s;&s;e in the Earth, yet in re&s;pect of the Univer&s;e, they make but one plain and even Globe. So this Wi&s;e Ruler knew that he was plac'd above others, yet he al&s;o knew, that he was e|qually &s;ubject in re&s;pect of God.</P>
<P>Sure our Royal and Holy <HI>David,</HI> that was &s;o barba|rou&s;ly, &s;o bloodily taken from us, kept his eye &s;teady upon this Rule, that he had read, that he had &s;tudied <HI>David,</HI> e&s;pe|cially in his book of P&s;alms, let his <GAP DESC="foreign"> bear witne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>But behold a greater than <HI>David.</HI> Let me propo&s;e the <GAP DESC="foreign"> to you for an Example, who took not upon him onely the honour of ruling his people but the work al&s;o.</P>
<P>So 'twas prophecyed of him: <HI>The Government &s;hall be upon his &s;houlders.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 9.6.</NOTE></P>
<P>And &s;o the &s;ame Prophet though many hundred years before,
<NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;ay 49.4</NOTE> foretold what he &s;hould doe. <HI>I have labour'd in vain, I have &s;pent my &s;trength for nought, and in vain; yet &s;urely my judgement is with the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>The word &s;ignifies <HI>cum anhelatione &amp; defatigatione labo|rare.</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> &s;ay the <HI>Septuagint,</HI> that is, I have laboured with wearine&s;s.</P>
<PB N="13" REF="9">
<P>The &s;econd word &s;ignifies as if the radical moi&s;ture were dried up and &s;pent.</P>
<P>According to him that was the type.
<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 22.15.</NOTE> <HI>My &s;trength is dried up like a pot&s;heard.</HI></P>
<P>Thus ye &s;ee <HI>Judici non tantum commi&s;&s;a e&s;t Pote&s;tas &s;ed Fides.</HI>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cic.</NOTE></P>
<P>And while I pre&s;&s;e the Word of God to be your Rule, I cannot but take notice of tho&s;e, that walk contrary and a|gain&s;t this Rule: In&s;omuch, that it looks rather like the de&s;ign of providence than convenience, that this Town is made the Seat of ju&s;tice, where &s;o many with open face walk obnoxious to the Lawes of God and the King.</P>
<P>Sure our di&s;&s;enting Brethren will leave rayling again&s;t Prote&s;tant <HI>Bi&s;hops,</HI> when they &s;ee the Popes intere&s;t carried on, in a place that is almo&s;t in the middle of a County, and almo&s;t in the middle of a Kingdom.</P>
<P>There are of that Religion, whom I mu&s;t never &s;peak of but with honourable mention for their eminent and never to be forgotten &s;ervice in the pre&s;ervation of his Maje&s;ty.</P>
<P>And I am mo&s;t confident, that the mode&s;ty of tho&s;e Gen|tlemen will not give them leave to &s;candalize that Per&s;on whom they endeavoured to pre&s;erve with the hazard of their lives and fortunes.</P>
<P>But there are more Recu&s;ants than Papi&s;ts, that ab&s;ent them&s;elves from our Congregations, preferring h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="MURP" EXTENT="3 letters">|condriacal devotion before grave and well temper'd prayers.</P>
<P>The&s;e begin to murmure as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in their Tents, &s;aying, <HI>becau&s;e the Lord hated us, he hath brought us forth out of</HI> Ae|gypt <HI>to deliver us into the hands of the</HI> Amorites. So They. God has re&s;tor'd us our King, our Lawes and Liberties, and deliver'd us from Anarchy to deliver us up into the hands of Papi&s;ts.</P>
<P>I am afraid the practi&s;e of the former helps on to the grumbling of the latter.</P>
<P>Though the publique Service and Ceremonies be the grand Pretext, Men will be lovers of them&s;elves to the
<PB N="14" REF="10">worlds end, and con&s;equently of their own opinions: but the Law is made for a Curb to fancy, and to keep di|&s;temper'd &s;pirits within the hedge of obedience.</P>
<P>And while I go on to pre&s;&s;e you to the ob&s;ervance of the Sacred Rule as your Rule, let me beg that the Day of Pub|lique Wor&s;hip may have more publique honour, that there may not be &s;uch travelling up and down that day upon needle&s;&s;e, and I fear too much upon &s;inful occa&s;ions; that the <HI>bells</HI> of <HI>Pack-hor&s;es</HI> may not be louder than tho&s;e of the Churches. 'Tis a &s;ad Sabbath when the bea&s;ts may not re&s;t from Labour, nor their Ma&s;ters from &s;in.</P>
<P>I do not argue for a Chri&s;tian Sabbath from Jewi&s;h Prin|ciples; but if it be <GAP DESC="foreign"> the Lords Day, let it be kept <HI>Holy to the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>'Twas a good and whole&s;ome Act (with &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion let me &s;peak it) to prohibit Arre&s;ts on that Day, that men might not be haled to Pri&s;on on that Day, when their Sa|viour aro&s;e from the Pri&s;on of the Grave, and gave plenary &s;atisfaction for the Debts of mankind to God the Father.</P>
<P>I know 'twas an act made in the time of Rebellion, yet if it be a good one, let us keep it as we doe the Lands they got for us beyond Sea. The <HI>Acts</HI> of <HI>Richard</HI> the Third, A <HI>Protector</HI> and an <HI>&V;&s;urper,</HI> the Greate&s;t but One, were good and are ob&s;erv'd; and though my Lord <HI>Bacon</HI> in his <HI>Henry</HI> the &s;eventh tells us, &s;uch Good Lawes are but the brokage of u&s;urpation; yet &s;eeing God hath re&s;tor'd us the Princi|pal, <HI>Our King,</HI> let us not lo&s;e the U&s;e and Intere&s;t.</P>
<P>There are many other things, which I might touch upon, as <HI>The Jewry,</HI> that &s;ome one more crafty than the re&s;t might not lead his fellows, and &s;o They like Sheep, go <HI>Qu&agrave; itur non qu&agrave; eundum,</HI> following their Fore-man, and never ob&s;erving what the Evidence points at, or directs to. But this is <HI>extra &s;phaeram.</HI></P>
<P><HI>May the word of God be your Rule according to which you may walk, and the Spirit of God your Guide
<PB N="15" REF="10">to enable you to walk according to that Rule; and then &mdash; Ye will not be</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>as</HI> Homer <HI>terms them, nor</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>as</HI> He&s;iod; <HI>but it will be according to the Orator.</HI></P>
<P>Patrocinium <HI>Angliae</HI> poti&ugrave;s quam Imperium.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
