MY Text is part of a Remarka­ble Story, referring to Da­vid and Saul. Saul had been possest with an Implacable Spirit of Envy (such as no Harp could lay) from the time that the Women sang in their Dan­ces, Saul has slain his thousands, and Da­vid his ten thousands. Little did those sweet Singers of Israel, if they may be so cal­led, think, how great a Discord that their praising Melody, which gave the prefe­rence to David, a Son and Subject, above Saul, his Father and Sovereign, would make in the heart of Saul against David; in so much that ever after he hunted him like a Partridge upon the Mountains. Think­ing [Page 2]no sacrifice great enough, to expiate for that his Crimen Alienum, or other folks fault, in over-commending him; but the life and heart-blood of him that was so commended: Which sheweth us, that Solo­mon spoke like an Oracle, when he said, Who can stand before Envy?

Saul returning from following the Phili­stins (I had almost said like a Lyon, that hath tasted blood and thirsts for more) was told that David was in the Wilderness of En-gedi, ver. 1. Forthwith he took three thou­sand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats. No Rock, but he who is cal­led the Rock of Ages, was sufficient for Da­vid's security, or can be for ours. In ver. 3. it is said, that Saul came to the Sheep-Cotes by the way; thinking possibly that the Shepherds, of whose Profession David for­merly was, could inform concerning him; where, saith the Text, Was a Cave, which Saul went into, to cover his feet. It follow­eth, that David and his men remained in the sides of that Cave; and no wonder, because as Strabo tells us, there were some Spelunca or Caves, especially towards Arabia and Iturea, where, in time of War, Shepherds hid themselves and their flocks; yea where­unto [Page 3]all the Inhabitants of Villages and small Cities, did repair for shelter; some of them being able to contain at once four thousand men. The Mouths of some of those Caves were so small and full of Wind­ings, that no man at his Entrance could e­spy those that were within; but those that were within could espy those that were entring: so that David and his men saw Saul coming, but he saw not them; where­upon he went on securely, little suspecting that he was within one step of death, if God and David had so pleased. And pos­sibly he laid by his uppermost Garment, the Skirt whereof David was said to have cut off, and might be more prone to do, when it was separated from that sacred Body to which it did belong, than when Gods A­nointed had it on; to whose holy Anoint­ing David had special regard, though his followers had none; Witness their words, ver. 4. And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, I will deliver thine Enemy into thine hands; that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good to thee: meaning that thou mayest kill him. Counsel worthy of such Coun­cellors as they, who were a parcel of Runnagates, men in debt, and in distress, [Page 4]and of desperate fortunes; who looked for nothing but a Jail or worse, if Saul should live to be reconciled to David. Men like­ly enough to have been Saul's Executio­ners, if David had but said the word, Strike off his Head, or, Cut his Throat: For of that sort of men I presume are all the Exe­cutioners of Horrid and Bloody Edicts. But as bad and faithless men as they were, they prefume not to give such counsel, as that, without a religious pretext and co­lour for what they said. They countenan­ced this their sanguinary Advice with three specious things, viz. Divine Prophecy, Pro­mise, and Providence. For, say they, Be­hold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold I will deliver thine Enemy into thine hand. Which words seem to refer to some Prophecy and Promise of that Nature, which God had made, to David, by the mouth of Nathan, Gad, or Samuel; though there be no such Prophecy or Promise recorded in Scripture; which causeth some to think that Providence was the onely Argument which David's Ragged Regiment and Out­lawed Crew of Desperadoes made use of, to stir him up to take away the life of Saul. And then they read the words thus, Behold the Day of which the Lord saith [Page 5]unto thee; putting in the Present Tense per Enallegen temporis, for the Preterperfect: Carrying the sense thus, Behold this is the day in which the Lord by the plain voice of a signal Providence, hath told thee, that he hath put King Saul into thine hand, to do with him what seems good in thine Eyes. Having now so tem­pting and charming a Providence before thee, be not thou like the Deaf Adder, that hearkeneth not to the voice of the Char­mer, though he charm ever so sweetly. Yea methinks I hear some of them say un­to David, as the King of Israel said unto Elisha, concerning those Enemies whom he had led blind-fold into Samaria, My Fa­ther shall I smite? shall I smite? Or as he said, Let me smite but once, and I will not smite again. Behold a Price is put into the hand of a Fool, if he have not the heart to improve it.

So plain and powerful was the Argument taken from Providence, always amongst those, whose Fingers itched to be doing, and whose mouths watered at that, for which they had no better Arguments. The force and stress of which Argument lies here, What may be done, may be done. That is, what may be done de facto, may be done [Page 6] de jure; or whatsoever God makes possible by an unusual series of Providence (as is the cutting off a Kings Head when it is once brought to the Block) is thereby intimated to be lawful, yea necessary and our duty. So opportunity makes a Thief, and a good opportunity makes it a Judges Duty to condemn him, and an Executioners to put him to death. But possibly these Subterra­nean or Cave Councellors of Davids, that they might have three strings to their Bow; did really intend to urge also a Prophecy, and Promise from God in the Case (whe­ther there were any or no) a Practice usual in more modern Ages, to encourage Re­bellion by some pretended Prophecy of suc­cess in the Case. When men that intend Rebellion, can alledge signal Providences pursuant of Prophecies, and Promises for their purpose, as also Prophecies, fore­telling those things, which a train of successful providences seem to make way for; they seem then to sail before Wind and Tide, doubt not but to get safely, yea, and honestly too, into the harbour of their designs, and to get Complices e­nough to bear them company.

But since that providence hath tackt a­bout like the Wind (though it held for a­bove [Page 7]twenty years in one Corner) I do imagine that the English Logicians (who formerly made more use of that Topick than of any other, could wish that an In­dex Expurgatorius might pass upon it. Be­cause that Wind, which for so many years past was with and for them, is now as much against them. And if they will still hold that old Argument taken from Providence, it is to be hoped it will make them good and loyal Subjects; because as miraculous a series of Providence as any they could ever pretend to, hath given us the happy Re­stauration of His Majesty, and firmly set­led him upon his Throne.

But to proceed, The Counsel of David's followers seemed to make some Impressi­on upon him, and that something did stick; (as they say there will, when men do forti­ter calumniari) for that he adventured to cut off Saul 's Skirt: as who should say he would try whether the Ice would bear him, before he would venture to walk or slide upon it; but finding it to Give, Thaw, or Crack under him, I mean his Heart to fail him when he had done no more but so, he presently started back, his Con­science recoiled upon him, and gave oc­casion to the words of my Text, And Da­vids [Page 8] Heart smote him because he had cut off Saul 's Skirt.

Which words do plainly consist of three general parts, viz. first of all David smit­ten, secondly, that which smote him, viz. his Heart; thirdly, the reason why his Heart smote him, because he cut off Saul 's Skirt.

I shall spend but a few words to ex­plain the several parts of the Text. By Davids Heart we are to understand his Conscience, for so some Interpreters render it, Redarguit Davidem Conscientia sua. Now the Conscience of Man may well be called his Heart, because Naturallists give this ac­count of the Heart of Man; that it is, Primum vivens ultimus moriens: so is the Con­science of Man, viz. The first thing that lives, when man begins the Life of Religion, and the last thing that dies, when a man forsakes that Life; for whilst a man has one spark of Religion abiding in him, it remains in his Conscience. As for the word smote him, though it be a Metaphor, I hope it may be pardoned, because I find few Texts of Scripture in which is no Meta­phor; and the sense of it is plainly this, That Davids Heart did rebuke him. As for the last words, because he cut off Saul 's [Page 9]Skirt; they are so plain nothing can make them plainer.

It is most easie to espy, in these words thus divided and explained, these Four Propositions, viz. First of all, That Con­science is a Smiter, or one that will smite men first or last, if they give occasion. Secondly, That Conscience doth smite men sometimes for sins comparatively small, as Davids Heart did for cutting off but Saul's Skirt. Thirdly, That the same Conscience hath and doth some­times smite men for small sins, which for a time hath given them no rebuke for much greater transgressions; witness the Heart of David, which for a considerable time re­buked him not for his Adultery with Bath­sheba, nor yet for murthering her innocent Husband Ʋriah, and yet now smote him for but cutting off of the Lap of Sauls Skirt. Fourthly, That Affronts and Injuries offered to Superiours are sins, for which Conscience is as apt to smite men, as for most that are committed against either Table. Of which I shall give an account hereafter.

But now for the first of these Propo­sitions, It may take in the two Later, to which I shall therefore apply my self; and in pursuance of it, inquire into Nine Particulars (or whether I should rather call them Generals, I am not as yet satis­fied) [Page 10] viz. Quid, Or what is Conscience; secondly, Quod, the [...], Or that Conscience is a smiter; Thirdly, Propter quod, Or for what it is that Conscience useth to smite: Fourthly, Quos, Or who they are that Con­science takes the boldness, or useth to smite: Fifthly, Quibus, Or by what means and methods Conscience is stirr'd up to smite men: Sixthly, Quando, When and at what seasons Conscience useth to smite: Seventhly, Quam­diu, How long Conscience holds on Chiding: Eighthly, Quomodo, How or in what man­ner Conscience useth to smite: Ninthly, Quare, Why or by what Authority Conscience presumes to smite.

Now these Nine Particulars will take up all we mean to say upon the Doctrinal part of this Text, which we intend to finish in a short Application. We begin with the first of these, namely the Quid, or to shew what Conscience is. Conscience is well de­fined by Amesius, to be Judicium Hominis de semetipso prout subjecitur Judicio Dei. That is the Judgment of a Man concerning himself, as it is subjected to the Judgment of God, Isa. 5.3. 1 Corinth. 11.31. But more plain­ly Conscience is, that which excuseth when we do well; condemneth us when we do ill: If our Hearts condemn us, saith the Apo­stle, [Page 11] &c. Commendeth us when we do well; Confounds us, or rather puts us to shame and confusion of Face, when we leave undone the things we ought to do, or do the things we ought to leave undone; and on the other hand comforts us, and fills us with joy, when we leave undone what we ought to leave undone, and do the things which we ought to do, and as we ought to do them. Hence those words of the Apostle, 2 Corinth. 1.12. For our Rejoycing is this, The testimony of our Con­science; that in godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world, &c.

Conscience is a Court set up by God in every mans Breast, and hath a three-fold Office assign'd it, viz. That of a Plaintiff or Accuser; Secondly, Of a Witness or Evidence; Thirdly, Of a Judge; for Conscience is all these in one. If any man put the Question, What is Conscience? as Pilate of old, What is Truth? Methinks I see Conscience it self stand ready to answer him: Knowest not thou who, and what I Conscience am, whence I come, and whether I would? Art thou so much a stranger at home, so much a stranger to thy self, of whom I am part? I am nearer to thee than he or she that is Flesh of thy Flesh and Bone of [Page 12]thy Bone; than the Husband or Wife of thy Bosome: I was brought up with thee in thy Nonage, and was thy Bosome Com­panion from the time thou didst first know thy right hand from thy left; I have been with thee early and late, talked with thee many an hour in thy Bed, and in the still and dead of the night; I have kept thee waking many an hour when thou wouldst fain have slept, calling thy sins to re­membrance; and seting them in order be­fore thee: Many a time have I made thee blush, many a time have I made thee cry, and water thy Couch with thy tears; sometimes have I made thee quake and tremble, and make thy very Bed to shake under thee; And knowest thou me not all this while? Other times have I spoken good and comfortable words to thee; come to thee with an Olive Branch of Peace in my Mouth, and said to thee in Gods Name, whose vicegerent I am, Well done good and faithful Servant: Or as the Angel of God said to Cornelius in a Vision, Acts 10.4. Thy Prayers and thy Alms are come up for a Memorial before God; or as the words are Eccles. 9.7. Go thy way, eat thy Bread with joy, and drink thy Wine with a merry heart, for God now accepteth thy Works. Some­times [Page 13]have I made thee a Feast of Fat Things, and of Wines refined on the Lees; for a good Conscience, thou knowest is a continual Feast; of Fat Things full of Marrow, of Wines on the Lees well refined. Hence for­ward ask no body but thy self who I am; Who should know the things of a Man, but the Spirit of Man which is in him? as the Apo­stle speaks. And surely among the things of a Man, I Conscience am the greatest; I am that Spirit of Man, which Solomon calleth the Candle of the Lord, Searching all the inward parts of the Belly: I am that great thing which some have called a god; for it is an old saying, [...]. Though indeed I am but Gods Vice Roy, or one of those that are called gods. In a word, I'll say no more what I am, for I am so inconsiderable when my Saviour is but once mentioned, that I am not worthy speaking of; yet I am not just nothing at all: therefore let him that was writing of me, proceed and tell you how it doth appear that I am that Smiter, that Reprover, that Bonarges, that Son of Thunder, that he has told you I am; and that will bring him from the Quid to the Quod; which is the next thing to be spoke to.

Secondly, I am obliged in the next place to prove that which may as easily admit a proof as any thing, yea indeed needs no proof at all, viz. That Conscience is a faculty in the Soul of Man, that will smite first or last if occasion be given. I say it seems to need no proof, for what need is there for any man to prove by Reason and Ar­guments, that there is such a thing as the Gout, Stone, or Collick; or that these things are painful when they seize People violently: seeing the sense and woful ex­perience of every man that has been un­der the smart discipline of all or any of these, assures him that so it is. What the Apostle saith of Afflictions, may be applied to the chastisings of Conscience: If you are without Chastisement, whereof all are par­takers, ye are Bastards and not Sons. The Scripture saith, That by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word is confirmed. We shall therefore alledge Three credible Witnesses, viz. Scripture, Experience, and Sound Reason; whereby ex abundanti, to establish the point in hand. It is none of the [...], or things but once written in the Holy Scriptures; That Conscience is a Smiter: for this we find asserted over and over, both in the Old and New Testa­ment: [Page 15]Witness first the famous instance of this truth, in the first Adam; Gen. 3. v. 10. And he said, I heard thy voice in the Garden and I was afraid, because I was naked; and and hid my self. The meaning whereof is, That when Adam had eaten of the forbidden Fruit, his Conscience did forth­with fly or spit in his Face, and put him into a pannick fear, and to a woful shame; so that he could almost have buried him­self alive, or gone down to Hell; could he there have been hid from the presence and displeasure of an angry God. Our next instance shall be in Cain. Did his Conscience smite him or did it not? Yea almost as mortally as he smote his Bro­ther Abel; witness those words of his Gen. 4.13. And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear; be­hold thou hast driven me out this day from the Face of the Earth, and from thy Face shall I be hid; and I shall be a Fugitive and a Vagaboud in the Earth: and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me; v. 14. See here the doleful Bodings of a guilty smiting Conscience.

The Third Witness that we shall call, shall be that passage in Gen. 42.21. And they (viz.) Joseph 's Brethren) said one to an­other, [Page 16]we are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.

A Fourth instance would be one more than I promis'd, but you may have it in Judges 1.7. And Adoni-Bezek said, three­score and ten Kings, having their Thumbs and their great Toes cut off, gathered meat under my Table; As I have done, so God hath requi­ted me.

Let the famous instance of Judas bring up the Rear, Matth. 27.3. Then Judas, which had betrayed him (viz. our Saviour) when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself; saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood: And he cast down the pieces of Silver in the Temple, and went and hanged himself; verse 4, 5. If Consci­ence had not smitten him so as it were with fiery Scorpions, surely his soul had not chosen strangling rather than life.

We have been already compassed about with a sufficient Cloud of Scriptural Wit­nesses. In the next place you may find those Witnesses backt with Experience, I mean the Experience not of one, but of all A­ges; which need not be pressed, but will come in, in the Quality of Volunteers, [Page 17]and offer its service to attest this truth. That there is a God, hath not more suf­frages from the light of Nature, and com­mon Experience of Mankind; then that there is a Smiter, or Reprover in every Mans Breast, called Conscience; I had al­most said I appeal to every mans Consci­ence that there is a Reprover in his Breast, which when he rusheth into Sin as the Horse into the Battle, and drinketh in Sin, as the Fish doth Water; Curbs and checks him for so doing, tells him he ought not to mispend his precious time, to waste those golden sands of time, which once run out, can ne­ver be recalled: Tells him that he ought to mind the Errand for which God sent him into the World, and set all men upon the face of the earth, viz. To seek after God, if hapily they might feel after him, and find him, Acts 17. v. 27. And tells him in case he doth otherwise, that he plays Jonah, who set sail for Tarshish, when God sent him to Nineveh; and may justly expect, that a storm of Divine Wrath will pursue him, that he shall be cast into the Deep, into the midst of the Seas; and all Gods Bil­lows and Waves shall pass over him: as it is Jonah 2.3. Tells him that sith he names the name of Christ, he should depart from all [Page 18]iniquity; should deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts; live righteously, soberly, and godly, in the present world; and that tribulation and an­guish shall be upon every soul that obeys not the truth: Ʋpon the Christian first, and then up­on the Heathen; for this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world; and men love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil.

Now I doubt not but every man is ca­pable of this Appeal to himself or to his Conscience, or to that which the Quaker calls, The Light within him: Unless there be some few, that have served their Con­sciences, as desperate Persons sometimes do those Bayliffs and Serjeants which come to Arrest them in the Kings Name, viz. kill them out-right, which yet I think is hard to do by Conscience; for thoughsome have laid their Consciences in Swanes and Trances, or cast them into a dead sleep, as did Herod, in reference to Herodias, with whom he lived in Incest; yet they do generally awake and come to themselves again, as appeareth by that famous in­stance of Herod, Mark 6.16. of whom it is said, When he heard of the fame of Christ, he said, It is John whom I beheaded, he is risen from the dead.

Now to Scripture and Experience, the two fore-cited witnesses; I shall add a third, viz. Reason: That three-fold Cord can surely never be broken: Hear then what Reason can say on the behalf of Conscience, it being a Smiter: I know, saith Reason, it must needs be so, because the frame and make of Conscience is such as it is; as well as I know that a keen Axe must needs be apt to cut, because it hath so sharp an Edge. Conscience is a Natural Logician, Apta Natu, that is, naturally fitted to frame Syllogismes; concerning which 'tis a constant and infallible Rule, That the Con­clusion doth alwayes follow the worse and weaker part of the Premises. Conclusio semper sequi­tur partem deteriorem. If then Conscience shall thus syllogize (as often it doth) he that believeth not in the Lord Jesus Christ, he that loveth not Jesus Christ sin­cerely and superlatively, he that forsaketh not his Sins, he that mortifieth not the Flesh, with the Lusts and Affections thereof, is condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth upon him; and then assumes or takes this for his minor Proposition: But thou, O my Soul, believest not, thou lovest not the Lord Jesus Christ, thou hast not forsaken thy Sins, &c. Then will it [Page 20]be forced to fall foul upon a Man, with this Conclusion, Ergo or therefore, thou art condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on thee.

I hope by this time, I have proved the [...] or Quod sit, beyond all exception (viz.) that Conscience is a Smiter, &c. Which brings me to the third particular, namely, to the Propter quod, or to shew what it is that Conscience doth usually smite men for. In general it is for sin, real or supposed, most commonly real. Now though Con­science doth many times wink at small faults (though not alwayes so neither) give me leave to tell you, it seldome forbears to smite for great and crying Abominations, such are, first of all sins committed against the clear Light of Nature, as well as of Scripture; such as the Apostle chargeth them with Rom. 1. v. 32. Who knowing the Judgment of God, that they who commit such things are worthy of death; not onely do the same, but have plea­sure in them that do them. When Christians venture to do those things, which even Heathens know ought not to be done, namely, to do to others what they would nor others should do unto them; to tell pernicious Lies, to perjure, or suborn Per­jury, to the undoing of others, &c. When [Page 21] Conscience smites for such faults as those, will it not fetch blood, and make every blow it gives pierce to the very heart? Secondly, Those sins whereto even corrupted Nature seems to have an antipathy, aversation and abhorrence, as namely, Horrid ingra­titude towards our best Friends, recom­pencing Evil for Good; as Christ saith, I have done many good works among you, for which of these do you go about to stone me? John 10.32. Cruelty to a mans own Flesh and Blood, as in Parents towards Children, and Children towards Parents, and in o­ther near Relations one towards another; Incest and the like: When Conscience smites such Fools as these, doth it not, as it were Bray them in a Morter, break them upon the Wheel, put them upon a Rack, give no Quarter, and Refuse to [...]ure for their much crying.

Thirdly, Those sins which are at once a manifest breach of both the Tables of Gods Law, and which either smite at men, as it were through the Loyns of God Almighty, or at God Almighty through the Loyns of Men: As for Example, When Jezebel suborned Witnesses to forswear themselves against Naboth, that she might take away his Life; What was that but a smiting of Naboth, [Page 22]through the Loyns of God Almighty: And on the other hand, When wicked men have persecuted the Saints and Ser­vants of God, spilt their Blood as Water upon the Ground, because they bore the Image of their Heavenly Father; What was that but to smite at God himself, through the Loyns of Men? To crucifie our Savi­our again in Effigie, and to tell the World, (but that the Heaven of Heavens must contain him till the restitution of all things) they would have done as much to him, as they have done to his Friends and Followers. Now Conscience is wont to stir up all its Wrath as it were, to heat the Furnace of its Indignation seven times hotter than at other times, when such Miscreants as these are to be cast into it.

Fourthly, Those sins which are of dreadful and horred consequence, which produce amazing and astonishing evil Effects; which imbrew Nations in Blood, and pluck down Divine Vengeance upon Cities and Kingdoms; like the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah, which laid those famous Cities all in Ashes; or like Davids numbring the People, which ex­posed his Subjects to one of three dreadful Judgments (choose him whether) the least whereof was the Plague or Pestilence; [Page 23]when Conscience smites for such things as these it even breaks Mens Bones, it makes them Magor Missabibs, that is Terrors round about to themselves, ready to fall into the jaws of despair, cursing the day of their birth; as did Job, Chap. 1.3. upon an o­ther account, and crying out as he v. 11. Why died I not from the Womb? Why did I not give up the Ghost when I came out of the Belly? When Conscience smites at this rate, ah who can live?

But Fifthly and lastly (to name no more) Presumptuous sins, that is, sins committed a­gainst full Conriction of their real and hainous sinfulness against the Lord; Out-cryes of Christi­an Friends, Holy Ministers, and above all, of Mens own Consciences, crying out and saying, O do not this abominable thing which the Soul of God hateth; sins against fairest warnings, given by Gods signal Judgments, executed upon sin­ners of the like nature, sins against the highest obligations of stupendious mercies, obliging men to the contrary; and aggravated by what­soever other circumstances do aggravate the sins of men: These presumptious sins (as I call them) do make the Consciences of Men to smite, till even themselves be sick with smiting; and to give the sinner little or no rest day or night, causing him to cry out, [Page 24] My wounds stink and are corrupt, because of my foolishness; there is no soundness in my flesh because of my sin; mine iniquites are gone over my Head, and are a burthen too heavy for me to bear, &c.

Now that Conscience should smite for such crying and crimson sins as these is no won­der; but what should be the meaning of its smiting men, as now and than it doth, for small sins, for motes in their eyes, for meer Peccadillo's: When poor Jonathans have tasted but a little Honey upon the tip of their Staves, Why must they die for so doing? Why must Ʋzza's Hand wither but for stretching it forth, and that with a good intention to stay Gods tot­tering Ark? Why must the Carkasses of so many Beth-shemites fall, onely for the most pardonable curiositie, as it may seem, viz. To look into Gods Ark, whilst the Angels of God themselves are allowed [...], that is, to stoop down and to pry into Gods Misteries? Why must David lose so great a number of his innocent Subjects, as he call'd them, when he said, What have these Sheep done? onely because their King and Shepherd made bold to number them: Why since it is a Maxim in the Laws of England. Lex non curat de minimis. The Law [Page 25]troubles not it self with trivial faults. I say, Why doth the All-merciful God either smite himself, or suffer Conscience to smite at so great a rate for small Transgressions; for cutting off not the Head of a King, but meerly the Skirt of his Garment? Or how can he be said to be merciful that does so? Hath he appointed Conscience not onely not to swallow Camels, but to strain at Gnats? Is this the manner of Men that are ac­counted mild and merciful?

Ans. It were easie for me to take up the Authors of this objection very short, say­ing no more than this: Who art thou O man that repliest against God? But since it may easily be done, I shall gratifie them with a more full and satisfactory account of this matter, in the following Particulars: First of all, God doth therefore punish small sins (such I mean in comparison of others) with great temporal Punishments, and set Consci­ence at work sometimes to chide for them at a great rate, to let the World know there is no sin small absolutely but comparatively. For as much as every sin is committed against God, who is infinitely good; and in that respect is Ex parte objecti, a kind of infi­nite evil. As there is no wilful Murther, Incest, Sodomy, Bestiality, Perjury, or [Page 26]Treason, which is in it self a small crime; yet there are some of all these which are small in comparison of other faults of the same denomination, clothed with much more aggravating circumstances, as we commonly hear of Petty Treason, in oppo­sition to High Treason; so there are Petty Thefts, Petty Oaths, of which sins we may say, as of the Stars of Heaven, viz. They are all great, though not all of the same magnitude; for all Stars are not Stars of the first magnitude. Secondly, God sometimes smites severely, both by himself and by Conscience (his Vice-Roy) for small sins, to let men know that the smallest sins deserve, though not the greatest of eternal, yet of tempo­ral Punishments; though not the worst place in Hell, yet the worst condition can be under­gone in this World: else God had been un­righteous, in laying what he did lay upon Job; whose sins were meer Motes in compa­rison of the sins of many other Men, which were like Beams; and yet his Afflictions were like great Beams, whilst theirs were but little Motes or Atomes, dancing in the Sun. To punish any man one grain a­bove his demerit, were one grain of Injustice, which is altogether incompatible with the Righteousness of God: Surely the greatest [Page 27]of temporal Judgments are but finite, and therefore the least of sins being infinitely evil, Ex parte objecti, or as it is, against an infinite good, cannot but deserve it.

Thirdly, Therefore doth God suffer men to be smitten at a very great rate, both by him­self and their own Consciences, for small sins (which they use to call Zoar 's, saying they are but little ones and their Souls shall live) to de­clare his infinite Purity and Holiness; as be­ing so great a hater of all sin, that he cannot behold the least without indignation; as if the Apple of his Eyes were thereby touched: and a very Mote will disturb the Apple of ones Eye.

Fourthly, We may humbly conceive that God puts a Rod into the hands of Conscience, in order, to its smiting men for small sins, for this merciful end, that he may restrain them from committing greater. He whose Heart smote him for cutting off but Sauls Skirt, was in no danger of ever adven­turing to cut off his Head.

Lastly, God may be supposed by Conscience and by himself, to smite men severely for small sins, that thereby he may make other men a­fraid of committing greater; and they who have committed greater to quake and tremble, when they consider what God hath done by [Page 28]those whose sins were far less than theirs; say­ing within themselves, If this be done to the green Tree, what shall be done to the dry? And if Judgment thus begin, as it were, at the House of God, where shall the wicked and ungodly appear?

I hope by this time my Reader is satisfied in the reasons why God doth sometimes punish sins comparatively but small, with great and grievous Judgments, and par­ticularly with sharp stings and reflections of Conscience.

If any shall now ask me why God doth not punish all sins alike in this Life, and every small transgression as severely as he did Davids numbering the People? I might answer him by another Question, namely, Why do not Magistrates put to death all condemned Persons, Thieves and others; but onely transport some, whilst they hang others; and while some are executed with­in a day or two, give others a long re­prive, and possibly in conclusion a pardon? Is there any Injustice in so doing? No surely, for Justice and Mercy do not interfere, but do sweetly accord and kiss each other▪ whilst Mercy keeps within its Zodiack (to allude to the motion of the Sun) though it hath an Ecliptick Line, which seems not [Page 29]so strait, yet it trespasseth not upon the Bounds or Land-marks of Justice: Take it in the case of Pharoah, who though he hanged his Baker, that had displeased him, was not unjust, though his pleasure was to lift up the Head of his Butler, who pos­sibly was in the same Transgression, as well as in the same Prison with him; not upon the Gallows, as he did the Baker, but in the Preferments of his Court. A Creditor, who having two Debtors, shall cast one of them into Prison, who all things considered, deserves to be so dealt with; is not unjust, though at the same time he shall freely forgive the other as great or greater a Debt.

It is highly comporting with Wisdom and the ends of Government, that small sins be sometimes severely punished (especially at the first making Laws) to give them sancti­on: So God commanded him to be stoned to death, who gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day; and sent fire from Heaven to con­sume Nadab and Abihu, for offering strange fire.

And it is on the other hand as agreeable to Wisdom and other Perfections, that small faults should generally receive but small punishments, that the work and re­ward, [Page 30]as well bad as good, should bear a manifest proportion each to other.

But the Riddle of all Riddles, as it may seem to some, is, that which is yet behind, namely, Why doth God sometimes suffer the Consciences of men to be quiet and not to smite them at all after they have sinned with a very high hand, when yet the Consciences of those very men are sometimes appointed by God to fall foul upon them, for meer Peccadillo's? Of which we have an instance in David, whose Heart smote him, not for the mat­ter of Bathsheba and Ʋriah (the two grand faults of his Life, and greatest blot sin all his Escutheon) till such time as Nathan the Prophet came to him, which was sup­posed to have been one or more years af­terwards, and opened his Eyes with the Eye-salve of a Parable; whereby he was honestly trapann'd (if I may so say) into giving sentence against himself. There are principally two reasons which offer them­selves to satisfie us in this point, One taken from the Nature of great Sins, the other from the Justice and Wisdom of God. That from great Sins is this, 'Tis the nature and property of great sins, to stun and stupisie the Consciences of Men, and as it were to strike them dead; as a great blow is apt to [Page 31]put a man past all feeling for the present: to deliver him up to an Apoplexy, whilst a small blow shall fill him with Smart and Pain. 'Tis commonly and truly said, Le­ves loquuntur curae Ingentes stupent. And it is most certain, that all things which are a great deal too big and too much for us, do naturally astonish and confound us, be they Griefs or Joyes, Fears or Hopes, Good or Evil Things; which sutes well with what Naturalists say, viz. that Ni­mium sensible ledit sensorium. As we see too much Light dazzles and blinds our Eyes (though nothing so pleasing to the Eyes as that measure of Light which they can bear) and too much noise (though moderate sounds, are the musick of the ear) do not please but deafen us; so it fareth with Men, who by great sins have stun'd their Consciences, and lain them as it were sprauling at their feet; they become as the Apostle calls it, Past feeling, Ephes. 4.19. [...], or as it is expressed, 1 Tim. 4.2. [...]; that is, having their Consciences seared with a hot Iron. Conscientias Cauterio resectas, like Veins or Arteries burnt in two; which have no more sense or perception of any thing.

Secondly, The reason of this, which is [Page 32]taken from the Justice of God; may be thus explained, 'Tis a righteous thing with God, when Men have slighted the frequent and earnest motions of their Consciences, to give them up to their own hearts lusts; and to say unto Conscience, Let them alone, as of old concerning Ephraim; Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone: Hosea 4.17. or as it is in the 14 of that Chap. I will not punish your Daughters when they commit Whoredom, nor your Spouses when they commit Adulte­ry, &c. Or as it is in Psal. 11. v. 11, 12. But my People would not hearken to my voice, and Israel would have none of me; so I gave them up to their own hearts lust, and they walked in their own counsels, &c. This is now the soarest of all Punishments in this Life. As nothing afflicts a Sick Man so much as to hear his Physician say, Let him eat and drink what he will, rise and go a­broad when and where he will; for then he concludes that he has given him over, and looks upon him as past all cure; and so an [...], or pleasant Passage out of the World, is all he aims at for him.

I forbear to add a third reason, viz. That Conscience, when it has found it self of­ten repulsed, resisted and baffled, begins to grow weary of admonishing, takes pet, and [Page 33]saith in effect, as the words are, Rev. 22.11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; or as God himself, Isaiah 1.5. Why should you be stricken any more, you will revolt more and more; the whole Head is sick, and the whole Heart is faint, &c.

Let us now pass to the fourth thing, which I propounded to speak of; viz. The Quos, or who they are that Conscience doth make bold to smite. In answer to that let me tell you, 'Tis much easier to declare whom Conscience hath presumed to smite, than whom it hath not; for doubtless Con­science fears the Face of no man: it hath smitten as Wise Men as ever were in the World, not doubting to make good its charge against them: witness Solomon for one, if the Book of Ecclesiastes be his re­cantation, as it is generally supposed to be. It hath smitten as valiant Men and brave Souldiers as ever drew a Sword; witness David, who feared not the Face of Goliah, that mighty amazing Gyant; he who undauntedly encountered with a Lion and a Bear; and gave Saul, as a Dow­ry for his Daughter, two hundred Fore­skins of the Philistines, slain by his hand; yet was his Conscience too much and too [Page 34]hard for him, humbled him, laid him grovelling in the Dust at its pleasure.

Nay it hath smitten as great, rich, and powerful men, as most ever were; witness David, aforesaid, and his Son Solomon, a greater Prince than he, both in Wisdom and Wealth; both of which Conscience, when time was, made to lay their mouths in the dust, if there might be hope: Did not Conscience make its part good with Nebuchadnezzer, though a kind of Uni­versal Monarch; Dan. 3.4. c. As also with Belshazar spoken of, Dan. 5.6. In these words, Then the Kings Countenance was changed, and his Thoughts troubled him, so that the Joynts of his Loins were loosned, and his Knees smote one against another; namely, when he saw the hand-writting upon the Wall, Thou art weighed and found too light. And so I have dispatched the fourth thing, or the Quos, shewing whom Conscience makes bold to smite, viz. As well High as Low, Rich as Poor, Wise as Foolish, Learned as Unlearned, Princes as People, Men that have the fairest forms of Godli­as well as those that are openly Pro­phane; for Conscience is no Child or Cow­ard, to fear Masks and Vizards: and no Changling to be taken with Painted Faces [Page 35]and Artificial Beauties. The next or fifth Head to be spoken too, is the Quibus, or by what things Conscience is ordinarily stirr'd up to smite and chide; and some of them are as follow, viz. By the Word of God Read or powerfully Preached: which is the reason why some Persons, conscious to themselves of great sins wherein they lived, have studiously refrained coming to Church, lest they should meet with rebukes; and others have as generally abstained from Reading the Holy Scriptures, lest they should find the Word of God to be quick and powerful, and sharper than a two­edged Sword, and a discerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart: Saint Austin Reading the Holy Scriptures, was smitten to the purpose, with that Text, Rom. 13.13. Let us walk Honestly as in the day, not in Rioting and Drunkenness, not in Chambering and Wantonness, &c. Secondly, Conscience is sometimes set to work or set a work by the private admonition of some faithful friend, Minister, or other good Christian: So David's sleepy Conscience was roused and awakened by the Prophet Nathan, his convincing Parable of the Ewe-Lamb, &c. Hence that Expression of the Holy Psalmist, Psal. 141.5,. Let the righteous smite me, it [Page 36]shall be a kindness; and let him reprove me, it shall be an excellent Oyl, which shall not break my Head: That is, by the figure Meiosis, which shall prove sanative and healing to me; meaning that the wholesome reproofs of a faithful friend, like those Medicines, which take off the stagnation of Blood and Spirits in the Veins and Arteries of Men; and do put them into a free motion and equal cir­culation, would as it were ferment his Con­science; and by so doing, cause it to do him a kindness. Thirdly, Gods chastise­ments upon men, set their Consciences a smiting. For when God smites, Conscience though it lay still before, is apt to smite too; as we see in the case of Josephs Bre­thren, who when he ruffled with them, and swore by the Life of Pharoah they were spyes, which might make them to expect to be used accordingly; then, and not till then, they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our Brother, in that we saw the anguish of his Soul, and we would not hear; therefore this distress is come upon us. In the 33. Chap. of Job, where we read of Gods chastning Man with Pain upon his Bed, and the multitude of his Bones with strong Pain; so that his Life ab­horeth Bread, and his Soul dainty Meat; [Page 37]his Flesh is consumed away that it cannot be seen, and his Bones that were not seen, stick out; his Soul draws near to the Grave, and his Life to the Destroyers: then as it is v. 16. God openeth the Ears of Men, and sealeth their Instruction: then as it is v. 23. If there be a Messenger with him and an Interpreter, one among a thousand; which may partly be meant of an awakened Conscience, by what fol­loweth, v. 27. To shew to man his up­rightness, then God is gracious to him, &c. I say the 27. v. may countenance the re­ferring those words to Conscience, or in­tending it by the Interpreter there spoken of; because the words there are, He look­eth upon Men, and if any say, I have sin­ned and perverted that which is right, and it profited me not, he will deliver his Soul from going into the Pit, &c. Fourth­ly, Those Afflictions or Judgments, above all others, which carry the Mark and Signature of our Sins upon them, are most apt to set Conscience a smiting; for read, saith Conscience (as he that runs may) thy sin in thy suffering: behold the plain Prints and foot-steps of it, that Face doth not more exactly answer to Face in the Glass: So in the case of Adoni-Bezek, [Page 38]Judges the 1.7. Threescore and ten Kings, saith he, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table: as I have done, so God hath requited me, &c. So said Samuel to Agag, 1 Sam. 15.33. As thy Sword hath made Women Childless, so shall thy Mother be Childless a­mong Women; and Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the Lord, &c. Fifthly, When men are spectators of Gods smiting others for the same sins, which themselves have committed or do commit from day to day; but especially, if for less degrees of those sins than they themselves are guilty of; then and thereby is Conscience stirr'd up to smite them, and doth cause them thus to bethink themselves: If this be done to the green Tree, what shall be done to the dry? As for Example, If Ananias and Saphira, were struck dead upon the place for telling one lie a-piece, and that but a kind of e­quivocation neither: O what shall become of me, who have told thousands of lies, who walked in the way of lying, who com­passed God about with lies and deceipt; as it is, Hosea 11.12. Who have pressed the God of Truth with Lies, as a Cart is pressed with Sheaves? What can I ex­pect but that the Earth should open its [Page 39]Mouth and swallow me quick? Now these are some of the things, for I shall not pre­tend to call all to remembrance, which do by the Conscience of Men, as the Marri­ners did by Jonah, when fast asleep in the Ship, viz. Call upon them and awaken them, which possibly would otherwise never awake, till they awoke in Hell, or till Men were drowned in the bottomless Pit of Destruction. Sixthly, the next thing we propose to query, is the Quam­diu, or how long the smitings of Con­science use to last; how long it useth to be before an angry Conscience become pacified; or before Conscience, having fal­len out with Men about some great Sin or Sins, become Friends again and give o­ver smitting? Now to that I reply, No Man can tell, there is no Prophet, that in this case knows how long; for it is with the smitings of Conscience, as it is with the Diseases of the Body: Sometimes it smites Men without any intermission, and that from day to day; and gives them no rest day or night: but makes them cry out with David, Their iniquity is alwayes before them; or say with Job, Chap. 7. v. 13, 14. When I say my Bed shall comfort me, and my Couch shall case my Complaint; then thou [Page 40]scarest me with Dreams, and terrifiest me through Visions: Whereas others again have their hot and cold fits, and between while their well days, wherein they are per­fectly exempted from the smitings of Con­science.

Again, Some have onely now and then a fit or two of Conscience and away, which some call their Dumps or Melancholies, and they are up again; the smiting of their Consciences is but as the Morning Dew, or early Cloud, which soon passeth away; 'tis but April with them, now and then a Cloud and a Shower, and then the Sun presently shines out again; but in others the smitings of Conscience, are like a Burning Hectick Feaver, never off them. Their Consciences seem to be implacable towards them, and and resolve to admit of no reconciliation; but to have War with Amalek for ever (if I may so allude)

It were not hard, it may be, to tell you of those who have been under the smitings of Conscience Seven years toge­ther, or more, I think that was Mrs. Honywoods Case; nay of those whose Con­sciences have killed them with smiting, or provoked them so long and so lamen­tably, till they kill'd themselves; or those [Page 41]who leapt out of the flames of Conscience into those of Hell. Neither can I say that some who have been none of the greatest Sinners, nor guilty of any enormous Crimes, have been kept a great while in the Furnace of a smiting Conscience; wit­ness Mrs. Honywood aforesaid: though or­dinarily I do suppose it is the lot and por­tion of sinners of the first and second rate to be so served, rather than others; wit­ness those words, Psal. 39.11. When thou with rebukes doth correct Man for Iniquity, thou makest his Beauty to consume away like a Moth; as also those, Ezek. 33.10. Thus ye speak, saying, If our Transgressions and our Sins be upon us, and we pine away in them, how should we then live? Now Lord what shall we say to this, if the smitings of Conscience be so sharp, and the shortest of them be so long, compared with Humane Corrections; and even to be given not onely to Children but Malefactors: who can bear them long, and who can live when God does this? unless supported by that Arm which keeps even the damned in Hell alive?

We now proceed to the Seventh query, viz. the Quando, namely, When or at what times it is, that Conscience doth use to smitein reference to sin? Whereto I re­ply, [Page 42]First of all, Many times before a sin be committed, when Men have as yet but sin in deliberation, or are but sitting upon it, like the Cockatrice upon her Eggs, ha­ving yet hatch'd nothing, and are yet but parling with the temptation, and listning to the tempter; even at that time of day, 'tis usual with Conscience to shoot off her Warning Piece, and to bid men take heed what they do; and to do by them as Pilate's Wife did by him, Matth. 27.19. When he was sate down on the Judgment Seat, sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that Just Man, for I have suffered many things concerning him in a Dream, &c.

Yea it is not unusual with Conscience to smite Men, meerly for parling with a temptation, or lending their ears more or less to the tempter; for looking at the bait, though they have not yet bit of it, much less received the hook into their mouths; and to give such Counsel as So­lomon doth, Proverbs 23.31. Look not thou upon the Wine when it is Red, when it giveth its Colour in the Cup; when it moveth it self aright; at last it biteth like a Scrpent, and stingeth like an Adder. Thus in my Text, Davids Heart smote him, but for entertain­ing a Thought of Killing Saul (as some [Page 43]suppose he had done) or but for lending an ear to those disloyal Miscreants, who coun­selled him so to do. Secondly, Conscience some­times smites men [...], in the very act of sin; (as Zimri and Cosby were smitten by another hand.) Thus while Belshazzar was carousing in the Bowles of the Temple (which he ought not to have so prophaned) and probably debauched himself and his Nobles round about him; at that very instant appeared the Hand-writing upon the Wall, in these words, Dan. 5. S5. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Ʋpharsin, &c. They are much mistaken, who think that great sins, if long ado­ing, are committed without great re­gret in the very doing of them: Con­science poures in Gall and Wormwood into the stollen Waters, which Men thought would have been altogether sweet; im­bittering them in the very drinking of them, and mixeth Colliquintida, which is a very bitter thing, with that sweet bread, (as men hope to find it) which is eaten in secret. Conscience doth purposely disturb and interupt the pleasures of Sinners, and to spoil their sport, doth as it were set a Deaths-Head by them, in the midst of their Feasting and Jollity; and doth cast their Sins in their Dishes, whilst they are [Page 44] Feeding without fear; and maketh them now and then to drink a Cup of Astonish­ment, and of the wrath of God; and to be like the Citizens in Esop's Fables, Who whilst they were Banqueting, are repre­sented scared and affrighted with the noise in the Key-hole, viz. Some Creditor or Creditors came to attaque them.

Now Conscience seems to do this, not onely to imbitter so much of the Sin as is past, but to make Men break off present­ly; like Souldiers quaffing and carousing, when they hear the Drums and Trumpets of an approaching Enemy. David seems to have been approaching towards the Murthering of Saul, when he cut off his Skirt: It seems to imply he was trying what his Conscience would permit him to do in that case; but blessed be God, he had such a check from hs God and his Conscience, for do­ing but that, that he durst proceed no farther.

Thirdly, More especially Conscience is wont to smite Men after Sin committed, and that sometimes sooner, sometimes later: I had almost compared Conscience to an Ʋsurer, who though he long for­bear his Money, when it is well secured, as by Motrgage of House and Lands; yet at last will be sure to call for Principal [Page 45]and Interest, yea for Ʋse upon Ʋse; or to take the forfeiture of what is engaged for his security.

There are particular reasons to be given why Conscience sometimes doth not smite men, either before the Commission of a great Sin, or in the very Act, nor yet presently after; but as sure as Old Age will come upon Men (I mean the infirmi­ties of it) if they live to be an hundred years Old; so certainly Conscience will call Men to an account, if not in Health yet in Sickness; if not Living; yet Dying, yea if not dying so soon as they are Dead; for Conscience is a King that never Dies: as they say in Law, Rex nunquam moritur: And they will find it in the next World, by the Name and Nature of a Never dying Worm; and as the Proverb saith, Nullum Tempus occurr [...]t Regi. The Kings time ne­ver lapseth. Some Men will find that Con­science hath not lapsed or lost any time; like Creditors that lose their Debts and Priviledge of suing for them, for want of demanding them within such a term of years; but will recover all its Arrears. and sue them till they have paid the uttermost farthing.

We proceed in the next place to the [Page 46]Eighth Query, which I proposed to speak of, viz. The Quomodo, Or how and in what manner it is thas Conscience doth use to smite men for sin? To which I answer, That Conscience doth it [...], at sundry times, and in divers manners. First of all, Conscience doth sometimes smite men very gently and easily; with light and soft touches, as Old Ely did his Sons; when he said, It is not a good report which I hear of you my Sons; you make the Lords People to transgress; 1 Sam. 2. Chap. v. 24. It whips Men sometimes as Mothers use to do their Infant Children, with a small Twig and a soft hand, whereby they are rather scared than hurt: and toucheth them with that tenderness as one would touch the Apple of ones Eye.

But Secondly, Conscience doth many times correct Men smartly, smite them severely, yet not so but that they are able to bear it; as you shall hear some Men say of those fits of the Stone, Gout, or Collick, which they have felt, that they were very painful in­deed; but they thank God, such as they were able to undergo, and but able. It is as much as ever some Men can do to bear that burthen of a wounded Conscience, which lies upon them, but they make a [Page 47]hard shift, with much a-do rub along; a little more weight added to them, would sink and over-whelm them: their Con­sciences correct them in full measure, though not above measure; and this it may be is the case of thousands; their Consciences give them their full Dose, though they de­stroy them not with a Hypercatharsis.

Thirdly, But some there are (a case two frequent in the World, though not so com­mon as the former) whose Consciences do smite them; Ad extremum viriuna, and lay on upon them with all their might; whose Conscience thunder and lighten upon them, as God did upon the Israelites, from Mount Sinai, Exodus 19.16. And it came to pass that there were Thunder and Lightnings, and a thick Cloud upon the Mount, and the Voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the People that was in the Camp trembled; and Mount Sinai was altogether on a Smoak, be­cause the Lord descended upon it in Fire; the Smoak thereof ascended as the Smoak of a Fur­nace; and the whole Mount quaked greatly: With such like Terrour, so far as a Crea­ture may imitate his Creator; so doth Con­science sometimes cloath it self: If a Beast doth but touch the Mountain (to allude to the passages at Mount Sinai) it is stoned or [Page 48]struck through with a Dart, Heb. 12.20. I mean if a bruitish thought do but touch a mans mind, so terrible is the sight there­of, as aggravated by Conscience, that he may say as Moses 21. I exceedingly quake. Look with how grim a Countenance, and with how incens'd a Heart Ahasuerus lookt upon Haman, when coming out of his Garden, he found that proud Traytor fallen upon the Bed, where Hester his Queen was; and said of him, Will he force the Queen also before me in the House? Hester 7.8. With such an aspect, and with such a rage doth Conscience accost some Men; cause their Faces to be covered presently with shame and confusion: Doth it not fall up­on some Men like a Bear robbed of her Whelps, or like a Man under Jealousie, upon him whom he suspects? Of which Solomon saith, It is the rage of a Man, he will not spare in the day of his wrath.

Conscience seems sometimes to vie with Death in the point of Terror, and to make it self more a King of Terrors than he; for Sin is the sting of Death, and Consci­ence is as it were the sting of Sin. That Death is less terrible than an inraged Con­science is manifest, because thousands fly or have fled from a pursuant Conscience, [Page 49]to hide themselves in the valley of the shadow of Death; and have chosen rather to fall into their own Bloody and Murtherous Hands, than to remain in the hands of Conscience. How many pursued by Con­science, have repaired to a Melancholly Beam (as one calls it) or any thing they could make a Gallows of, as it were to a City of Refuge, or to the Horns of an Altar, that is, have chosen strangling rather than life. The Jews allow but Thirty nine Stripes to be given, even to Malefactors, 1 Cor. 11. But Conscience will give Thousands and Millions, fetching Blood at every stroak. Stone, Collick, Strangury, are the names of three little Tortures, com­pared to that of a wounded and wounding Conscience (for so it is that a wounded Conscience will wound) if we wound it, it will wound us, that ever Gnawing Worm if we tread upon it will surely turn again. Nothing can make the Torment of Racking and Burning seem small, but the greater Torment of a Tormenting Con­science.

All I have said is easie to believe, if we but consider some men have preferred Hell it self before the smitings of an in­censed Conscience; so Judas when he went [Page 50]and hanged himself, though others it may be have been preverted from doing the same thing, chiefly by considering that what is said of God, may as truly be said of and to Conscience, Psal. 139. If I make my Bed in Hell behold thou art there. Some it may be fear that never dying Worm in Hell, more than the Fire and Brimstone we read of, as supposing that the Tor­ments of Conscience are all in all, as to the Pena sensus, or the positive Punish­ment which the damned do there un­dergo.

Say not the Lion is not so terrible as he is Painted, or Conscience as I have de­scribed it, for it alone can tell thee how terrible it is. Of it as of the great God, may be said, Who knoweth the power of his wrath, according to his fear; so is his wrath. The terrors of Conscience are as bound­less as the extent of Fear, which is a pas­sion that knows no limits. The Sea is bounded by Sands, but the dreads of Con­science hardly by any thing; no Boanarges or Son of Thunder like to Conscience; no high Court of Justice, nor yet of Injustice so terrible as that. Two Witnesses serve in other Courts, Conscience is a thousand Wit­nesses; that which makes it more dreadful [Page 51]is, In the Court of Conscience a man be­comes a thousand Witnesses against himself, yea, a Man becomes that Judge that pas­ses the Sentence of eternal Death on him­self; as the Apostle saith, Acts 13.46. Yea, viz. Jews have put away the Gospel from you and judged your selves unworthy of everlasting Life. Were there ever a Francis Spiro in our days (as it is like some such there are) he would tell you that all that I have said of the terror of a smitting Con­science, were but one half of what is true; yea, but a Flea-biting to what he himself had felt, that eye had never seen, ear heard, or it ever entered into the heart of man to conceive, how terrible the smitings of Conscience sometimes are; and that where­as 'tis said that Deus & Eternitas non patiun­tur Hyperbolen, id est, that God and Eternity can admit of no Hyperboles, or cannot be out-languaged. The same may be truly said of a Conscience set upon smiting. I shall conclude this Head with those words of Solomon, The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmities; but a wounded Spirit who can bear, Prov. 18.14.

Ninthly, Come we now to speak of the ninth and last Query propounded to be spo­ken to (viz.) Quare, Why it is that Consci­ence [Page 52]doth smite men when they do, or have sin­ned against God? I answer, of that there are principally two reasons to be given: first of all, because God hath given Conscience a Com­mand and Commission so to do; saying to Con­science, as to his Prophet of old, Lift up thy voice like a Trumpet, tell the people their transgressions. Conscience is God's Attorney-General (if I may so call it) God's Advocate to plead for God against man, to exhibit God's Indictments against man, as the mat­ter doth or shall require. Conscience is al­so Gods Executioner, God's Lictor (if I may so call it) and therefore must smite when God bids it smite; it hath God's fasces, and secures, that is, God's Rods and Axes in his hands, and must not bear those ensigns of Authority in vain, but do execution with them, as the great Consul or Dictator of the world shall appoint. So much for the first reason. Secondly, The next is this, God hath every way fitted and framed Conscience in its own fabrick, nature, and constitution, for such a work as this, (viz.) to smite men in re­ference to sin. Unto so doing it is conducted as it were by instinct from God, as is the Sun to know its due time of Rising and Set­ting, and several Creatures void of under­standing, to know their proper seasons: [Page 53]yea, things without life act according to that frame and make which Art hath given them: so Clocks do strike, and Alarms go, and sound at such seasons as they are made to do: But for smitings of Conscience, there is further reason; for Conscience is at once both a Law, a Witness, and a Judg, appoin­ted of God so to be, and qualified accord­ingly. As it is a Law of which the Apostle speaks, Rom. 2.14, 15. These (speaking to the Gentiles) having not the Law, are a Law to themselves; which law is Conscience, that [...], or Law written in their hearts: Now Conscience as such is by Di­vines called Synteresis, being a Store-house of Maxims and Principles, informing us of the Eternae & indispensabiles rationes boni & mali, which Divines do so much speak of, engraven with the [...] or common notions of good and evil.

Secondly, Conscience is a witness, yea a thousand witnesses, as we learn from Rom. 2.15. by these words, which show the works of the Law written in their hearts, their Consci­ence also bearing witness, and their thoughts mean while accusing or else excusing one ano­ther. Now as Conscience is a witness, Di­vines call it Syneidesis. Lastly, Conscience is a Judg, and as such is by Divines called [Page 54] Crisis: witness 1 John 3.20, 21. If our hearts condemn us, God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things: if our hearts condemn us not, then have we confidence to­wards God: which words do show Consci­ence to be a Judg; for it is the office of a Judg to pass sentence either of Condemna­tion or Absolution. Moreover, in those words are intimated, that God hath given to Conscience, as it were, the power of the Keys, and had said unto it as unto Peter and his Successors, Matth. 16.19. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of hea­ven, and whatever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

But now methinks I have to encounter with a very grand Objection; namely this, How can Conscience be said to be qualified as a reprover or smiter for sin, sith it sometimes smites men for that which is no sin? at other times when men do really sin against God, it smites not at all, but rather applauds and commends them; as did the Conscience of St. Paul, which told him he ought to do many things against Jesus of Nazareth; and that it was true zeal in him to persecute the Churches of Christ. Sith Conscience some­times puts darkness for light, and light for [Page 55]darkness; evil for good, and good for evil: what matter is it for its smitings, unless it were wiser, and knew how at all turns never to justifie the wicked, and condemn the righte­ous. Can it be, may some say, that God should give a Commission to Conscience to smite those which ought not to be smitten, or to chide those which ought rather to be comforted, or to comfort and commend those who ought rather to be soundly chid and condemned. If Conscience trifle at this rate, may some say, ought it not to be slighted like a perfidious Jury, that brings in those guilty that are not guilty, and those not guilty that are guilty. This Objection seems to stand like a Mountain, if not like Mount Sion it self, which can never be re­moved; yet wait but a while, you may see it made a Plane, if not turned into a Valley. I premise a word or two by way of Conces­sion; namely, that Conscience in this corrupt degenerate estate of all humane faculties, doth sometimes mistake comforting those which it ought to chide, and chiding those whom it ought to comfort: but thanks be to God, there is a way to prevent those mi­stakes. Time was when Conscience might have serv'd as a Law to us, and of it self, a kind of regula pure regulans: But now it [Page 56]is a regula regulata, (viz.) a rule to be ruled by the word of God; which is to Conscience as a light shining in a dark place; to which the Consciences of men ought to take heed as to that which is a light to their feet, and a lanthorn to their paths. There is a crooked­ness which hath happened in part to the Consciences of men by Adam's fall, and their fall in him, but is such as may be re­ctified, or made streight, by attending to the word of God; as the Psalmist saith, A young man may cleanse his way by taking heed to Gods Word. Look how a raw and unskilful Composer may do well enough, if he shall but follow the advice of an able and careful Corrector of the Press; so may the Consciences of men produce a correct edition of their lives, if they make but such amendments as the word of God doth direct. Far be it from us to charge the holy God so foolishly, as if he did suborn and instigate the Consciences of men, to con­demn them for what they ought to be com­mended, or to commend them for what they ought to be condemned: for shall not the judg of all the earth do righteously? is not Jehovah a God that cannot lye? This pre­mised, it must needs be said, that God ne­ver did, doth, or can give to Conscience, a [Page 57] Commission, or command, to smite when it ought not to smite, or to strike when it ought rather to smile upon us: but it can­not be denied, but that God doth some­times give such a permission as that to the Consciences of men, and leaves them (as he is free to do) to mis-represent things ac­cording to their corrupt and perverse incli­nations.

That passage in the first of Kings 22.22. which seemeth of all other Texts, most pregnant to prove that God Almighty doth sometimes give forth his command and commission to instruments, to do that which is evil, as namely to lye, &c. will be found upon due examination to signifie just no­thing to that purpose: the words are these, And the evil spirit said, I will go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his, that is, of Ahab's Prophets: And (he that is the Lord) said, thou shalt perswade and prevail also; go forth and do so. But upon due search it will be found that those words of God (go forth and do so) are not words of command, and Commission, but a bare permission, and sufferance; like those words of our Saviour to Judas, John 13.27. And after the sop Satan entered into him, That thou doest, do quickly. As if he had said, now the [Page 58]fulness of time is at hand, in which the Son of man is to be betrayed, I will not hin­der thee, but suffer thee to do what I know is in thy heart to do as soon as thou plea­sest. Again, I say the words forecited, Go, and do so, signifie no more than did the words of Christ to the Devils who besought him to suffer them to go into the Herd of Swine, Matth. 8.31. And he said unto them, go, ver. 32. that is not I command and ap­point, but I permit and suffer you to do. Moreover, it is to be noted, that so the He­brew Language doth often put the Impe­rative Mood for the Future Tense; as in Prov. 4.4. Keep my Commandments and live: where vive is put for vives, live instead of thou shalt live. So Prov. 9.6. Forsake the foolish and live (that is, and thou shalt live) of which there are many more instances in the holy Scriptures. In like manner the words, go forth and do so, in the Text I am explaining, signifie no more but this, I will not be thy hindrance, if thou wilt thou shalt for me; thou shalt have my permission to go forth and do so.

By what I have said, it doth plainly ap­pear, that unless God were bound, as sure­ly he is not, to hinder all the sin, that is, or ever was, or ever shall be possible for him to [Page 59]hinder, that is, all sin that ever was or shall be in the world, there is no fault to be charged upon God for permitting, and but barely permitting the degenerate purblind Consciences of men, like Ahab's false Pro­phets to delude and deceive them. When the Consciences of men have defiled and debauched themselves, it is at Gods plea­sure and liberty whether hewill, or will not restore and rectifie them. However this may serve for ever to stop the mouths of men, that though their Consciences in this fallen state be not a light sufficient to guide them in all their ways, that they turn not aside from God more or less, to the right or to the left hand, yet God hath gi­ven another auxiliary or supplemental light, if I may so call it (viz.) the Holy Scri­ptures, which are said to be profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instru­ction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnish'd unto all good works. For as man could not plead igno­rance after that God had given him the Ten Commandments, written in Tables of Stone, though he had defaced the Law which was at first written in his heart, this new editi­on of the Law in Tables of Stone, restoring to him what was obliterated in the stony [Page 60]table of his heart: so neither now, can men plead excuse for their sins, from the mis­directings of their Consciences: sith, God hath given his holy Word, as it were an­other Conscience and guide to men, to show them the way, in the which they ought to walk, and to please God. What if the torch of natural light or Conscience hath been well nigh blown out, so long as there are the Sun Beams of Divine Revelation contracted in the holy Scriptures, as in a Burning-glass wherewith to light it again? Put Conscience and Scripture together, and where they two meet, there's light enough to make a mans way plain to heaven; and if he will but mind his Compass, to bring him safe to the port of everlasting happi­ness. So I have done with the doctrinal part of the first doctrine (viz.) that Con­science is a smiter, or a thing that will smite men first or last, if they give occasion.

I shall conclude this discousse with a few Corolaries or Ʋses. Use 1. Then God hath not left himself without a witness in the breasts of men, nor men without warning. Some­times Conscience witnesseth for God and against men; other times Conscience wit­nesseth for men, and with God; so the Apostle speaks, The Spirit of God witnesseth [Page 61]with our spirits that we are the children of God. Conscience is Gods Ambassador, lying leager in the souls of men, by which God is wont to give men notice, when he is whet­ting his sword, bending his bow, making ready his arrow upon the string, and preparing for them instruments of death if they turn not, as in Psalm 7.12. God doth not usually surprize men, or come upon them una­wares, before such time as he hath shot off his warning-piece. Nineveh had notice gi­ven it by the Prophet Jonah of its approa­ching ruine, if Repentance prevented not. God by the preaching of Noah warn'd the old world of that Flood which did await it, and was to fall upon it not till a hundred and twenty years after. God would have men forewarned that they might be fore­arm'd, Amos 4.12. Thus will I do unto thee, O Israel; and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. God threa­tens that he may not smite, wishing rather to scare men than to hurt them, and cau­seth Conscience to smite them, that if that will serve the turn, he may hold his hand; for it is better to fall into the hand of Con­science, than into the hand of God. If God had not such a witness as Conscience is, how could he convict men at the day of Judg­ment [Page 62]of secret sins, as the Text saith, God will bring every secret thing to light, whether it be good or whether it be evil; and in the 1 Corinth. 4.5. is said, God will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart.

What but Conscience can witness against Men at the day of Judgment; their Heart Murthers, Heart Adulteries; as Solomon said to Shimei, 1 Kings 2.44. Thou knowest all the wickedness which thy Heart is privy to.

Now Conscience is such a witness as none can withstand or deny its testimony. If two credible witnesses are sufficient even in mat­ter of Life and Death, much more Con­science which is a thousand witnesses: Hence it is that we read of him, who com­ing to a Wedding Feast, without a Wedding Garment; that when the King said unto him, Friend. How camest thou in hither, not having a Wedding Garment? he was speech­less; Matth. 22.12. Hence also we read of, Every Mouth being stopt, and all the World becoming guilty before God; Rom. 3.19. Hence it was that no reply was made to our Saviour, when he said, He that w [...] without sin, let him cast the first stone at her; for the Text saith, John 8.9. They which heard it, being convicted in their own Consci­ences, went out one by one.

Now whereas some are brought in plead­ing thus for themselves, at the day of Judge­ment; When did we see thee Hungry and fed thee not, Naked and clothed thee not, Sick, and in Prison, and did not administer unto thee? Matth. 25.44. The reason is, be­cause they knew not that which Christ tells them of; in the next verse, In as much as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me. If their Consciences had been sooner convicted of their unkindness to their Saviour; expressed in their un­kindness to his Disciples and Followers; they would not have had one word to say for themselves, or presumed to open their Mouths.

It can never be doubted whether the Message were left with those Persons, whom Conscience was appointed to warn; be­cause Conscience alwayes speaks with the Parties themselves, and leaves its errand in their own Breasts: Indeed when Christ shall come to judge the World, it is said, He will come like a Thief in the night. Yea when God comes to ruine Persons or Nations, after fair warnings given, but never taken, he oft-times doth it sudden­ly: Hence Destruction is said to come as a whirlwind, or as sorrow up [...]n a Woman in Tra­vel, [Page 64]who are sometimes never better at ease, or more light-some or cheerful, than just before their Pains: hence those words of Solomon, Prov. 29.1. He that being of­ten reproved, hardeneth his Neck, shall sud­denly be destroyed, and that without remedy: There we read indeed of sudden destructi­on; but of frequent reproof going before it. Now Conscience is the great Reprover, and a man is never throughly convicted as to himself, till he be so of his own Con­science; so I have done with the first use. Second Ʋse, The next Use or Corollary is this, If Conscience be such a Smiter, as hath been shewed, then it is no argument that sin­ners scape scot-free, or go unpunished; because their sins do not go before to Judgment, that is, are kept secret from men; and conse­quently exempted from Humane Punish­ment, Pain, and Shame; because it is Pu­nishment enough, God wot, for a Man to run the Gantlet, and undergo the Rack of his own Conscience: If God shall but say, take him Conscience, take him by the Throat, clap Irons upon him, throw him in thy Dungeon, feed him with the Bread of Spiritual Affliction, and give him those Waters to drink, which are more bitter than the Waters of Marah. If the great [Page 65]Judge shall thus deliver up a man to the severest of Jaylors, and say, throw him in Prison, and give him no hope to come out till he pay the utmost farthing: Handle him as thou didst Cain, Judas, Francis Spira, (for thou canst do it) teach him as Gideon taught the Men of Succoth, with Bryers and Thorns; tear him in pieces and let none deli­ver him; Psal. 15.22. If such a sentence as that shall come forth from the great God, he upon whom it is past, needs no Poverty, no loss of near and dear Relations, no Bodily Sickness or Pain; no Temporal Prison, no Reproach or Disgrace from Men to make him miserable; nay he shall be so in spight of Riches, Honour, Power, the best of Wives and Children, the kindest of Relations and Friends, and what ever else this World can give him; he shall tremble, as did Belshazzar, even when quaffing and carouzing with all his Friends about him; he shall fit Uneasie, and as it were upon Thorns, though he sit upon a Throne with his Crown on his Head, and his Scepter in his Hand; and Thousands of Nobles standing bare before him: he shall not be heartily merry, though upon his Wedding day, nor at the Birth and Baptizing of a brave Son, long desired; nor at a Prince­like [Page 66]Feast, when he hath all his Kindred and Friends about him; the rarest Wines shall not be able to make him merry, till they have made him not himself; and then how he can be said to be merry who is not himself. I know not. Wine com­monly makes the Brute or Brutal part of Man merry; but what is that to the Man, or to the Soul of Man, which is himself? God knows, if Conscience be wounded, a Man can possess no Mirth, but what is rather to be called Madness; or like the Laughter, or Dancing of those who are stung with a Tarantula; and let the Beast or Beastial part of Man be never so Brisk and Jocond, that which is properly called the Soul, viz. The Humane rati­onal Soul or Spirit of a Man, intermeddles not with its joys; which makes me think of the Apostles words, The Widow which liv­eth in Pleasure is Dead while she lives; for what is Death but a separation of Soul and Body? and in this case Soul and Body are separated; for her animated Body hath Pleasure, but her Soul hath none.

Reader, If thou hadst ever known what the smitings of Conscience mean, I need not tell thee that they are sufficient to give a man a very Hell upon Earth, whilst [Page 67]they who behold his outward Prosperity, not knowing where the Shooe pinches him, do think him as it were in Heaven (if there be any such thing as Heaven upon Earth.) So I have done with the second Ʋse. The Third Ʋse is this, If Conscience be so great and terrible a smiter, it must needs be great folly in Men, needlesly to provoke and inrage it (as too many do) from day to day; for there are a sort of Men, of whom David speaks, Who are wont to transgress without a cause, Psal. 25.3. David speaks of some, who were his Enemies without a cause, Psal. 7. and without Cause had hid their net for him in a Pit; which without cause they digged for him; Psal. 35.7. May it not be said of some, that they are Enemies to God, and to the Peace of their own Minds, by making work for Conscience, and for Repentance, without any consi­derable cause: Of this sort are those, who abound in needless Oaths and Exe­crations, crying at every turn, I will be hang'd if this or that be not so. Yea, here and there you have a Monster of a Man, that fears not upon every slight oc­casion, to cry, God damn me, as if he de­fied his maker; and scorned that Tophet which was prepared of old, for such as he; [Page 68] which God hath made deep and large; the Pile whereof is much Wood, and the Breath of the Lord like a stream of Brimstone doth kin­dle it, Isa. 30.33. Or as if they could cheerfully drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God, which is poured out with mixture into the Cup of his Indignation; and endure to be tormented with Fire and Brimstone, in the presence of the Holy Angels, and in the pre­sence of the Lamb; and to have the smoak of their torment ascending for ever, and ever, and to have no rest day nor night; Rev. 14.10, 11. Or as if when the question is put, Who can dwell with the consuming Fire, who can dwell with everlasting Burnings? as it is Isa. 33.14. they could roundly answer; That can we do: If so, they have stouter hearts than sinners in old time were wont to have; for the Text saith, The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites, saying, Who shall dwell with devouring Fire, &c. Methinks I can re­semble these Persons to nothing so much as to the Priests of Baal, spoken of 1 Kings 18.28. of whom it is said, They cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner, with Knives and Launces, till the Blood guished out upon them. Many who laugh at the Papist for whipping themselves [Page 69]on Good-Friday, do worse; for that Pa­pists do in point of Devotion, aiming [...], to beat down their Bo­dies (as we translate it) by beating them Black and Blew; but Atheists slash and gash their Souls with severe stroaks; for no good intent at all, but out of meer Irreligion and wanton Prophaneness.

Lord I can but think, how these men will look when Conscience shall come to reckon with them, and they find them­selves not able to answer it one of a thousand? I can but think how pale they will look, or rather how black in the Face with fear and astonishment: what a dreadful eccho those Oaths and bloody Curses will have in Mens Ears when they come to be resounded upon a Sick-bed or Death-bed: Or rather in what a pickle those men will be when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and obey not the Go­spel of our Lord Jesus Christ; and they see themselves punished with everlasting De­struction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 2 Thes. 1.7, 8, 9. If it be so terrible as it is, to hear but a zealous Minister, warmly discoursing of the [Page 70]Torments of Hell, especially if a Mans Conscience at the same time second what he saith, and joyn issue with the Preacher, as did the Conscience of Felix, of whom it is said, Acts 24.25. That when Paul reasoned of Righteousness, Temperance, and Judge­ment to come, Felix trembled: I say, if the bare hearing of Hell be so terrible, as to make a Heathen Judge, upon the Bench, tremble at the words of his poor Prisoner at the Bar, standing there to await his Sentence; how intollerable will it be to feel such things? And who can chuse, when in the midst of those Flames, but cry out, as did the Sinners and Hypocrites in Zion; Who can dwell with devouring Fire? Who can dwell with everlasting Burnings? You would be loath constantly to sit under the Mini­stry of a Boanerges, that would be alwayes thundring and lightning; preaching of Hell and Damnation; flashing Hell-fire in your Faces, with every Sermon, as if Mount Sinah were his Pulpit; but were your Mi­nister such, you could make a shift and an excuse to go out of the Church, as oft as he came to his use of terrour; and stay out of his way till the storm were over; but if you provoke your Consci­ences, and make them burning as well as [Page 71] shining Lights within you (as that phrase may be taken) whether will you fly from those flames, and whereunto will you be­take your selves? Go whither you will Conscience will follow you, and if you have Ears to hear will make you hear, yea will find you Ears, if you make as if you had none; yea, speak loud enough to be heard, though you were almost dead, or were disposed to turn a deaf Ear upon it.

Conscience will have access to you at all hours, even in the dead and still of the night; it will come stealing upon you like a Thief in the night: nay, that it need not do neither, for it will make bold with greatest noise to burst your Iron Bars, break open your Doors, and make a loud and forcible entrance upon you, when it pleases, and look upon it self to be always at home when it is where you are; yea to be Master of the House, and to have full authority to speak and do within your Breasts what it listeth: Conscience is as it were every Mans Chamberlain, and car­rieth the Key of every Mans Breast, as it were, at his Girdle, and therefore can go or get into a Man when it pleaseth; and if they do, as it were, bolt or bar the Door on the inside, it is able to make even Brass [Page 72]or Iron Grates, to fly open before it; for nothing can keep Conscience out. Now Conscience being such a thing as I have described, what Solomon saith, viz. He that passeth by and medleth with strife, that belongeth not to him, is like one that taketh a Dog by the Ears; may be applied to Conscience.

And therefore it must needs be folly and madness in any Man, needlesly to pro­voke his Conscience, and without great cause and temptation to make work for it; as he were mad that would rouze up a sleepy Lion or Mastiff, when he had no oc­casion so to do. So much shall serve for the 3. Ʋse. Fourth Ʋse shall be this, Sith it is the office of Conscience to smite Men, as in reference to sin, it must needs behove us to keep our Consciences alwayes in smiting case; I do not mean to give them cause to smite us, for that we should by no means do; but to keep them in an aptitude and fitness to smite us when just cause is given. What is a Dog good for, if he will not so much as bark? Or what does a Sword signifie if it be rusty and has lost all its edge? Chyrurgeons can asill spare their smarting as their healing Plaisters; because proud Flesh must be taken off by Corrosives. Give me a Fever ra­ther than a Lethargy, sith it is the man­ner [Page 73]of Physicians to cure Men of Lethar­gies by casting them into Fevers: It is better to be blistered than stupified, there­fore Epispastick Plaisters are applied when stupefaction is feared, but especially when incumbent. Let my Conscience rather raise Blisters on me from Head to Foot, than suffer me to fall into a dead sleep of Security, and fall into Hell in a Golden Dream of Heaven and Happiness.

Now that Conscience may be in smite­ing case, as the matter shall require, and have that sharp edge which is due to it, take the following directions:

Dir. 1. Keep the Eye of Conscience alwayes open and clear, that it may be able to see when cause is given to smite. The will indeed is Coeca potentia, a blind faculty, truly so called; and if not led by the understanding, will fall into many a Ditch; hence 'tis commonly said, that Voluntas sequitur ultimum dictamen in­tellectus practici. But as for the Conscience, that to be sure ought to be no blind facul­ty, for that is understanding it self, there­fore called, Intellectus practicus; it does belong to it not to be led, but to lead; it is the very eye of a Soul, I had almost said the very Apple of its Eye: therefore let not so much as a Mote get into it, to dim and obscure it.

Direct. 2. Keep alwayes a tenderness upon thy Conscience, though not a perplexing scru­pulousness. What said God to Josiah, 2 Kings 22.19. Because thine heart was tender, I also have heard thee; saith the Lord, &c. A tender Conscience is soon wounded, and a Conscience that is wounded will certainly wound and smite. Conscience of all things is not to be exposed to hardship; for what Divines say of the Holy Ghost, viz. That Spiritus Dei estres delicatula. That he is a tender thing soon grieved and quenched. The same in its measure may be said of Conscience, it is a most tender thing. 'Tis preternatural, when those parts of the Body that ought to be soft and tender, become hard and callous; as when a Mans Kid­neys become petrified and turned into meer Stones; so it is when the heart of a Man becomes a heart of stone, which ought to be a Heart of Flesh.

Direct. 3. Labour to escape the frequent and more fervent smitings of Conscience, for by means of them it is, that the hearts of Men become perfectly hardned. Just like School-Boys, who having often felt the smart of the Rod or Ferula, and are feeling of it from day to day, are wont to despise those Corrections, and to become Rod and Fe­rul [...]

Direct. 4. Encourage Conscience to smite thee by mending upon it as often as it tells thee thy faults; remembring that passage, Job 34.31, 32. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, I have born chastisement, I will not of­fend any more; that which I see not, teach thou me: if I have done iniquity, I will do no more. Conscience will have little heart to smite a man any more, but rather consent that he be reserved to the day of Judgment to be punished, if when smitten, he revolt more and more; and if he be not manifestly worse, is not one jot the better for all its smitings.

Direct. 5. Be much in contemplation of Death and Judgment, and of the world to come; or if thou wilt, of the quatuor novis­sima, or the four last things, viz. Death, Judg­ment, Heaven and Hell; for they are as it were the four wheels which draw the Cha­riot of Conscience; and when they or any of them is quite taken off, Conscience draws but heavily. Commend me to the good man that said, I bless God I carry my dying thoughts always about me, and do use to try my most solemn enterprises by the touch-stone of this que­stion: Will this or that give me comfort when I come to die? How will Conscience look up­on this or that, through the perspective of Death and approaching Judgment? To [Page 76]think often of our dying, and coming to judgment, is an excellent way to keep our Consciences alive and awake, and in smiting case; so I have done with the 5. Direction and 4. Use. The 5. Ʋse or Corol­lary is this, Sith Conscience is so terrible a Smiter, and so like to the Hand and Rod of Moses, which could fetch Water out of a Rock (as has been shewed) it behoves every Man to stand in Awe of his own Conscience, and to take that advice as in reference to God himself, viz. Stand in awe and sin not. It was an old and a good saying, D [...]sce reve­reri teipsum. That is, That a Man should learn to reverence, respect, and dread himself. Sure I am, There is no part of a Mans self, which he ought more, or yet so much to dread, as his Conscience: But for Conscience, no one faculty in the Soul of Man would be terrible to him, nor yet all his faculties put together, but Consci­ence infuseth terrour into every one of them. Who could not look upon the Re­gister of his Memory without any trouble or fear, were it not that Conscience did se­verely reflect upon the evil action therein registred? Who could not exercise his spe­culative understanding, in contemplating the worst things he hath done, without re­gret, [Page 77]or remorse, were it not that Consci­ence, that Practical Intellect, did make such terrible use of them? Who could not di­sport himself with his Fantasie and Imagi­nation, and pleasantly act over all his for­mer enormities upon that stage; were it not for Conscience, that is apt to spoil the Sport, to look a Man out of Countenance, and to speak to him in those words of Solomon, Eccles. 11.9. Rejoyce, O Young Man, in thy Youth, and let thy Heart cheer thee in the days of thy Youth, and walk in the wayes of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. They had wont to say, Cave Cato videt. Take heed Cato sees you. But I say, Cave Conscientia videt. Take heed Conscience sees you; get out of Consciences sight if you can and do your worst; but I had almost said, you may as easily fly from God himself, who is Omni­present, as from Conscience, which is Gods Deputy; though it be not every where pre­sent as God is, and present to all Crea­tures as God is, yet it is present to every Mans self; and I was about to say of it, in reference to every Mans Soul, as is said of the Soul in reference to the Body; that Conscientia est tota in toto & tota in qualibet [Page 78]parte. That is, Intirely in all and every part and faculty of the Soul. Say often to thy self, It is more to me, that my Con­science is privy to what I do, though all the World besides be ignorant of it, than if all the World besides knew it, and my own Conscience knew nothing of it; for if Conscience be disposed to take vengeance on me, and to call me to a strict account for what I have done; I know it can create punishments for me beyond all that men can inflict, or that can be inflicted by a­ny hands save his, who is able to cast Soul and Body into Hell Fire; and in that regard is the onely Person whom I ought to dread and reverence more than my own Consci­ence: for as Self Murther is the worst and cruellest of all Murthers, so Self-smitings (and what are they but reflections of Conscience) are the terriblest of all smite­ings. They are those Arrows of the Al­mighty that stick in Mens hearts, and the venom thereof drinketh up their Spirits. What pity is it, that many men never learn to fear themselves enough till they come to feel themselves so sharp upon, and so un­easie to themselves, that they can bear it no longer; that they seem a greater Hell to themselves than Hell it self would be: [Page 79](which was Spira's case.) It is one good answer wherewith to stop the mouth of the tempter, How can I do this wickedness and sin against my own Conscience? How can I look my Conscience in the face if I com­ply with such a temptation; or rather how dreadfully will Conscience stare me in the face when I have done it? I had rather displease the whole World than dis­please that part of my self, which is cal­led Conscience; for if that once be angry and continue so, I shall have no joy in my Life; all my comforts will be imbit­tered; it will give me for Beauty Ashes, for the Oyl of Joy, Mourning; for the Garment of Praise, the Spirit of Heaviness; it will be Colloquintida, or Death in the pot of all my Injoyments: They feel Conscience least who fear it most; and they who in one sense are most afraid of Conscience, are usually least hurt by it (as Parents love not to strike those Children, whom they can sufficiently over-awe and deter from mis-doing without striking them.) So I have done with the 5. Ʋse.

A Sixth shall be this: Sith Conscience is so dreadful a Smiter, it must needs be every mans concern to maintain Peace, Amity, and a good Correspondence with his own Conscience; [Page 80]that it may either not smite him at all, or in measure, so as he may be able to bear it; stay­ing (if I may so speak) its rough Wind in the day of the East-wind; not thrashing out the Fitches with a thrashing Instrument, nor turning about the Cart Wheel upon the Cummin, but beating out the Fitches with a Staff, and the Cummin with the Rod: To allude to what is said of God, Isaiah 28.27. Correct him but in measure, though it leave him not al­together unpunished; as God promised his People; Jer. 30.11: School Boys who have Masters eminently severe, are concerned to make as few faults as ever they can, and to please them as much as ever lies in their power, as ever they hope to sleep in a whole skin: such a Master is Consci­ence if it set on.

Now the way to give it content, and to keep it quiet with us, is as followeth:

Direct 1. See that Conscience it self be well advised and informed, like a Jury that have received full instructions from the Judge; else it may chance to chide us sometimes upon pure mistake, as the weakest People are usually the most querulous. What serves the Word of God for, what more proper use can be made, of pious and able Ministers, of our acquantance with Judicious and ex­perienced [Page 81]Christians, than that by the help of all these our Consciences might be guid­ed into the way of truth? Neither is it easie for us to imagine, that in case we did use all these means to inform our Con­sciences aright, that God would suffer them to err in any great and dangerous instances.

Direct. 2. When we have got our Con­sciences well advised, our next business should be to consult and advise with our Consciences. When Conscience hath heard what God hath to say to it, we should hear what Consci­ence had to say to us: As God gave his Law to Moses, and Moses to his People, so God speaks first to Conscience, or gives his Law to Conscience; and Conscience in Gods Name gives Law to us: If we pay not that respect to our Consciences to consult with them, they will never be at peace with us, but think themselves slight­ed and affronted: Conscience expects that every Man should say to it, By your leave, and may it stand with your good liking; be­fore he enterpriseth any matter of con­cernment. When a Man hath any thing in design, the first question to be asked, is, Is it lawful to be done? And of whom should a Man ask that but of his Conscience, [Page 82]leaving thar to inform it self the best it can, by all the wayes and means afore­said: For as God took it ill when the Israelites sate down to eat and drink with the Gibeonites, and asked not Counsel of the Lord: So will Conscience when we do any thing of importance, and do not first ask its Counsel, and repair to it as to an Oracle.

Direct. 3. If thou wouldst not have Con­science smite thee, then when Conscience is yet in doubt and suspence, be thou in suspence also; suspend acting till Conscience become resolved: according to that good old saying, Quod dubitas, ne facias. Remembring the Apo­stles Words, He that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith; for whatsoever is not of faith is sin, Rom. 14.23. As also the Exhortation which the same A­postle giveth; v. 5. Let every man be fully perswaded or assured in his own mind: Mean­ing of the lawfulness of that which he taketh in hand. He that would maintain peace and friendship betwixt Conscience and himself, or rather that would have his Conscience good friends with him; let him await the full resolution and satisfaction of Conscience before he presumes to act.

Direct. 4. He that would escape the severe stroaks and smitings of Conscience, let him [Page 83]take heed of doing any thing contrary to the express distates and commands of thereof; of going (if I may so express it) to Tarshish, as did Jonah, when Conscience would send him to Nineveh; of going to the West, when the Commission which he hath received is for the East. Conscience is very impati­ent of being contradicted; and that Men and Women should proceed point blank, contrary to its Counsel and Command. Next to that indignation wherewith you may imagine the great God resented it, when the Israelites of old made this stub­born reply to his Prophet Jeremy, Jer. 44.16. viz. As for the Word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee, but we will certainly do whatsoever thing goes forth out of our own Mouth; to burn Incense unto the Queen of Heaven, &c. You may conceive that indignation to be wherewith Conscience resents it; when any Man saith to it, either in words or in effect, As for what thou hast spoken to me in the Name of the Lord, I will not do it; but whatsoever pro­ceedeth out of my own Heart and Mouth, that will I do. The day is yet to come, in which Conscience ever did, or ever will speak peace to those that are in flat re­bellion [Page 84]against it: and as the Text saith, Had Zimri peace who slew his Master? So may it be said, Had ever any Man peace whilst he was in actual Arms and Hostility against his Conscience? No, no, The way to peace and tranquility of Mind, is to do nothing but by full and free leave and consent of our well informed Consciences.

Direct. 5. If thou wouldst shun the smite­ings of Conscience, being so terrible as thou hast heard they are; give thy Conscience the preferrence and preheminence above all other fa­culties of thy Soul; yea above all other Crea­tures interest and considerations whatsoever. The interest of God and Conscience is one and the same; and therefore that Interest should take place of all others. Say not my Will and Affections, nor yet my Plea­sure, Profit, nor Honour, do incline or invite me, this or that way: If Conscience suggest other things, and say, O do not that thing whereto thy will and affections are so much inclined, or thou so much tempted by thy worldly interest: for Con­science is more than all the rest. All other Sheaves ought to bow to the Sheave of Conscience; to allude to what was pro­phesied, and as it were tipified, con­cerning Joseph and his Brethren; that they [Page 85]should be subject to him. We have a Pro­verb, My Mind to me a Kingdom is: To be sure every Mans Conscience is his Kingdom. So long as any Man holds the possession of a good and unvanquished Con­science, he may be said to be in his King­dom; for surely among those Kings of whom God saith, By me Kings Reign; Conscience is one Dejure; and he ad­mits of Tyrany and Ʋsurpation in his Soul, who suffers any other Creature to rule o­ver him, or any being, but he that is The King of Kings, and Lord of Lords: One saith well, That Peace is every thing in Gods Or­der; and that there is not rue Peace but where it is so: you may therefore conclude that where the soveraignty of Conscience, next and immediately under the great God, is not owned and submitted to, there can be no Peace; for so long as Conscience can hold a Scepter in his Hand, he will smite all such Persons, or do what is worse.

Direct. 6. If thou wouldst disable COnsci­ence from smiting or arresting thee, labour alwayes to carry a pardon about thee, signed and sealed with the Blood of Jesus: have thy Discharge and Acquittance from the great God, alwayes in readiness to produce; then mayest thou presently stop the mouth [Page 86]of Conscience if it begin to accuse thee with such words as those, Rom. 8.33. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods E­lect, it is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth, it is Christ that died; nay, rather that is risen again, &c. Then may you say, using the Apostles words, 1 Cor. 6.11. And such (meaning such great sin­ners) were some of you: but you are washed, but you are sanctified, but you are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus, and by the Spi­rit of our God. Lastly, Thou mayest build upon it, that a well informed Conscience will ne­ver smite thee, so as to do thee any great hurt, if thou canst but sincerely say of thy self what Saint Paul saith of himself; Acts 24.16. Herein do I exercise my self, to have alwayes a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Man. Nay let me tell you, the fore-going Directions, well observed and practised, will not onely prevent the stripes and smitings of Conscience, but al­so procure the smiles thereof, and cause it to speak to thee in such Language, as the great Judge will to all true believers, at the great day, saying, Well done good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord.

The Second Discourse.

NOw Reader if thou art only for Practical Divinity, stop here and go no further; for I confess to thee what remains will be partly Polemical, partly Political; being such as the solemnity of the 30th day of January, and the occasion of the Fast of that day doth call for: For methinks, if I may presume to know the Whispers of Mens Hearts, I hear some prejudiced Persons object and say, What cause hath any Mans Conscience to smite him for having been concerned in the Death of King Charles the First? Why is he called a Martyr? or why his Judges called Murtherers? So many of them as died up­on the account of that Fact?

Now why should I be thought uncharitable, for imagining this to be the lauguage of some Mens Hearts, since David saith, Psal. 36.1. The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes; (there taking upon him to judge the [Page 90] Root in their hearts, by the fruit in their lives) there being so greata foundation in the practices of some men to judge so of their hearts: Namely, That they think the King no Martyr, nor his Judges no Murtherers. Nay what if some do think, That they were the true Martyrs, who suffer'd for putting the King to death. This will be more ea­sie for any man to believe, if he shall but consider that not one of all those men that were condemned and executed for giving Sentence against the late King of Blessed Memory, would ever acknowledge that he had sinned against God in so doing. Since they did seem to be of that mind, who had the Microscope of Death before them (which I so call, because death oft makes men spy small faults in themselves, who be­fore could not espy great ones.) Doubtless there are many others of the same mind, though a man would wonder that there should be such a vail of ignorance upon the hearts of any that are called Christians, as not to know so black and foul a Crime as that to be a sin. But sith so it is, that some if they durst, would rather applaud that Bloody Fact than profess to abhor it; and would not doubt to say, That Ministers in observing the Thirtieth day of January as a [Page 91]solemn Fast, do but mock God and flatter the State; being a time which some had rather keep as a day of Thanksgiving (the more their Sin and Shame) I think it but necessary, not in order to kindling of Coals or increasing Animosities, or causing the surviving relations of the Kings Judges to be more hated and scorned; for God knows I abhor any such thing: remem­bring what Amaziah did, Who put to death those that slew his Father, but he slew not their Children; but did as it is written in the Book of Moses: viz. Deuter. 24.16. where the Lord commanded, saying, the father shall not die for the children, neither shall the chil­dren die for their fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin; 2 Chron. 25.4. I say not in order to fixing any odium or disgrace up­on the survivors, but purely to convince as many as stand in need of it; that Ministers and People may and ought to observe the Thirtieth of January as an Anniversary Fast. Yea, and that our Rulers do well in ap­pointing it so to be kept, in order to be­wailing and seeking the expiation of a most notorious Sin; and fetching out the stain of Royal Blood. I say in order there­unto, I hold it necessary and a Duty, to set a Mirror before the Eyes of Men, in [Page 92]which they may see the true visage and complexion of that horrid Crime, which God grant may never more be laid to Englands charge. Know then if either Perjury, High Treason, Rebellion, Sacriledge, Wilful and deliberate Murther, Parricide, or the killing of a Father, Patricide, or the ruining of our Native Countrey. Justicidium, or taking away the life of a Just Person. Regnicidium, or the destroying of a King­dom. Monarchicidium or the destruction of Monarchy it self; Legicidium, or the sub­version of Laws; Suicid [...]um, or a mans killing of himself, or being Felo d [...] se; Ani­maecidium, Soul-murther, so far as in men is; Multicidium, or the Murthering of many at once, both as to body and soul, if Gods mercy prevent not; yea, Deicidium, or striking at the life of God himself; (in a higher sense than most other sins are said to do) I say if all these things put together, do amount to a very great and stupendious sin; then such a sin it was to put King Charles the First to death.

And now you see, I have not charged the Kings Judges with Cumulative Treason (or many Petty Treasons, or Non Treasons, pretended when they were all put together, to amount to High Treason) for High Trea­son [Page 93]it self is but one Article in this Charge.

Now it remains that so great a Charge as this, should be proved against them. And had I not been conscious of its being easie to be proved, I would never have exhibi­ted it, for fear of violating the Ninth Com­mandment.

First Article of this Charge is Perjury, for I do aver that they who sentenced the King to death, did in so doing horribly violate the Oaths of Allegiance and Supre­macy, as also the Solemn League and Cove­nant (though an Oath of their own impo­sing) wherein they swore to preserve the Kings life and honour, &c. And as many of them as were his Majesties Servants (as some such there were) did also break the particular Oath which they had taken as such; and thus breaking four Oaths at once, may be said to be shod round with Perjury.

Some it may be would have added, that they had also violated their Baptismal Vow and Oath, and as many Repetitions and Confirmations of it, as they had made in receiving the holy Eucharist; because by those two Sacramental Vows, all other Duties are bound upon men, and conse­quently the observation of all our lawful [Page 94] Promissory Oaths; but I need not strain so far to find out Aggravations of so Notori­ous a Fact.

Secondly, My Charge against these men i [...] that of High Treason. It is Petty Treason for a Woman to kill her own Husband, though but a private man, and what petty Sove­reigns are private men compared with Princes? 'Tis Treason by our Laws bare­ly to imagine the death of the King, Queen, or Prince, yea to kill the Chancellor, Treasu­rer, or any Justice of either Bench; Justices of Assize, or any other Justices doing their Of­fices; is by the Statute declared to be High Treason. Statut. de Proditionibus, 25 E. 3. Stat. 5. cap. 2. Yea it is Petty Treason for a servant to kill his Master, &c. Nay clip­ping, crashing, rounding, or fileing for lucre sake any of the Peoples Moneys or Coyns of this Realm, is adjudged High Treason; Stat. 5 Eliz. 11.

Is the Kings Money as it were inviola­ble, and not to be clipped or diminished, but upon pain of death: and is not his person so? In a Statute 13 Car. 2. cap. 1. it is thus said, It shall be Treason in any persons whatsoever to compass, imagine, invent, devise, or intend death or any bodily harm, maim, or wounding, imprisonment, or restraint of the [Page 95]person of the King, &c. If to maim or im­prison his person be Treason, what is it then to put him to death?

But methinks I hear some say, Though the Laws of England do punish Treason as a great and capital Crime, yet possibly it is not so in the eye of Gods Law? Now though every Breach of Gods Command­ment be a sin, yet possibly there are some Laws of Men that may be broken without sin. To that I reply the sinful Laws of Men are better broke than kept. Such as was Nebuchadnezzar's, when he commanded all people to fall down and worship the Golden Image that he had set up; Dan. 3.5. Such also was Darius his, Dan. 6.7. when he made a Decree, That whosoever should ask a Petition of any God or man, save of the King, for thirty dayes; should be cast into a Den of Lyons. Such also were the Statutes of Omry, Micah 6.16. But no man can ima­gine that those Laws are sinful, by which the lives and liberties of Princes as well as of the People, are secured to them. Now most certain it is that Humane Laws, when lawful, can never be violated without sin, or without doing that which is in the sight of God as well as of men unlawful.

I think at present of no less than fir [...] Commandments of the Second Table which were broken by those who put King Charl [...] the First to death (viz.) first of all the Fif [...] Commandment, in these words, Honour the father and thy mother; for Kings are Poli [...] ­cal Fathers: and to kill them, is as [...] from honouring them as any thing can be Secondly, It was a manifest violation of the Sixth Commandment, which saith, The [...] shalt not kill. Thirdly, of the Eighth Com­mandment also, which saith, Thou shalt [...] steal. For was not the language of the [...] hearts who put the King to death, the same with that of their mouths, Mat. 21.38. who said of our Saviour, Come [...] us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance Witness Cooks Confession, viz. That what be did in reference to the Kings death, was not [...] of malice but covetousness; not out of hatred to the King, but for the love of money. Habet [...] confitentem reum. The Ninth Commandment, which is, Thou shalt not bear false witness, &c. was as manifestly transgressed by those who had a hand in that good Kings death, as any of the former. For without the horrible breach of that Commandment, it had been utterly impossible for them by a pretended High Court of Justice, and seemingly formal [Page 97]process of Law (or rather Pageantry of Judicature) to have sentenced so excel­lent a Prince to die the death of a Male­factor. 'Tis not yet forgotten what one or more said of hm, when the pit was digging, and the net spreading, for the life of the late renowned King, viz. Blacken him, blacken him; meaning, Calumniare fortiter ut aliquid haereat; i. e. Brand him, smut him, make him odious; lay those things to his charge which he never did: represent him (for so did Cook, that was Solicitor against him in his printed charge) as bad almost as was Nero himself; or as they did our Saviour, John 7.20. The People said thou hast a Devil, &c. i. e. Thou art possest, Satan hath fill'd thy heart and body both; thou keepest a familiar one or more, and doest cast out Devils by Belzebub the Prince of Devils. Sith this was done to the green dry, wonder not at what was done to the dry. I am confident Jezebel did not more falsely ac­cuse Naboth of Blasphemy, in the high Court of Justice, which she procured a­gainst him, than was his Majesty of fa­mous memory, accused in the things that were laid to his charge; some of which were so horrid (the more horrid and execrable the guilt of his accusers) as no­thing could be more.

If our proverb be true, about losing a good name, He that wholly takes away the good name, though but of a private person, though he do nothing more, does worse than behead him. What then have they done, or wherewithal shall their Crime be expiated, who did not only take away the Head of an excellent Prince, one of a thousand, but his good name also (as much as in them lay) and did not only extinguish his Life and Light, but en­deavoured to make him go out in a snuff, and leave a loathsome stench behind him; which maugre all their malice God hath converted into a sweet odor; and now he who had no Funeral Sermon on the day he was Buried, hath hundreds, that may be so called, preached anniversally on the day of his Death, viz. each 30 day of Ja­nuary, and his name imbalmed a-fresh on every such day, and like to be so to all posterity.

Lastly, If their Treason, who imbrued their hands in the Blood of the late King, were not attended with the breach of the Tenth Command­ment no sin ever was. This horrid Murther and Treason, was certainly one branch springing from that bitter root Covetousness; which the Apostle calleth the root of all e­vel; [Page 99]and if of all evils, surely of this for one. They thought the Life of a King in an ill sense more worth than the lives of ten thousand of his Subjects; I mean a better prey, a greater booty, of which they could make more earnings and greater advantage to themselves than of ten thousand other Lives. They would have said of a com­mon man, Quid laudis in nece tantillae bestiae? He had not been worth the beheading, what should they get by his death? But doubtless they had well computed what was to be gotten by the death of their King. He had Fields and Vineyards. They knew how to part the Skin of a royal Lyon if he were but once dead: they would be his Executioners (as it were) that they might make themselves his Executors, I mean serve themselves of his Revenues, and cause him to die that they might live more splendidly. The Flowers and Jewels of one Royal Crown are sufficient to en­rich (though with a vengeance) many private Families. That by their own con­fession some of them aimed at, and doubt­less so did the rest or most of them that did never confess it. Was it not the wedge of Gold, I mean the Kings Revenues, and that which they called A Babylonish Gar­ment, [Page 100]viz. The Lands of Bishops, Deans and Chapters, which those Achans, those Trou­blers, of Israel long'd for, and made their way to, through the Blood of their King? So Judas for the lucre of 30 pieces betrayed his Lord and Master. Now if that be not a great sin which breaks five Commandments at once, let the World judge.

And so I pass on to my Third Aggravation, of their sin who Murthered King Charles the First, It was flat and down-right Rebel­lion, open and palpable Rebellion. In what can a Son more rebel against his Father, than if he seek to take away his Life, yea do actually murther him? Now Kings are as well Political Fathers to their Sub­jects de facto, as they are Nursing Fathers de jure. Yea such Political Fathers are much more superior to their Political, than Natural Fathers are to their Natural Children. Sons if abroad in the World and at full age, are not indecently suffered to be covered in the presence of their Fathers; but may ordinary Subjects be so in the presence of their King? If then Kings be unquestion­able Fathers to their Subjects, and of an order of Fatherhood superior to those who begat them, then whatsoever is Rebellion in Children against their Natural Fathers, [Page 101]the same thing if against their King is as true and as great, yea greater Rebellion, Ex parte objecti: Now the Scriptare calls it Rebellion in a Son, but to resist and refuse the lawful Commands of his Father, Deut. 21.18. If a Man have a stubborn and re­bellious Son, which will not obey the voice of his Father, or the voice of his Mother, and that when they have chastened him, will not hearken to them: There you have a Rebel against his Natural Parents de facto, viz. A Child that will not obey or hearken to the voice of his Father, or of his Mother: And his Punishment is set down, v. 21. All the men of his City shall stone him with stones that he die. Is Disobedience in a Child to the law­ful Commands, not only of a Father but of a Mother, Rebellion, and such as God ap­pointed to be punished with death, and such a death too as is there described, viz. Then shall his Father and his Mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the Elders of his City, and unto the Gate of his Place; and they shall say unto the Elders of his City, This our Son is stubborn and rebel­lious, he will not obey our voice, &c. v. 19, 20. Where first of all his own Parents were to be his accusers, yea as it were the Constables that were charg'd with him [Page 102]to bring him before the Magistrates and give evidence against him, declaring his Crime, viz. saying, This our Son is stub­born and rebellious, a glutton and a drunkard: Then his own Countreymen or Townsmen, here called the Elders of his City, were to be his Judges, and to give sentence a­gainst him, and that sentence of Death, and that the Death of a Dog, viz. to be stoned, and that stoning by the hand not of one strange Executioner, but by the hands of Countreymen or fellow-townsmen, every one of which did or might fling a stone at him; so at once giving him, both his death and burial, and killing him, as it were, by burying him; that is, by burying him alive under a heap of Stones. This Punishment did the Law of God award for rebelling but against the Commands of a private Fa­ther or Mother; even death and such a death. If he that rebelled but against the majesty of a private Father or Mother were so pu­nished, surely we may allude to what Da­vid spoke to Doeg, Psal. 120. What shall be given unto thee? or what shall be done unto thee thou false Tongue?? who rebellest against the Majesty of a King; sharp arrows of the Almighty with Coals of Juniper, as it is v. 4. Nay beyond all this, if to rebel against [Page 103]the Will and Command of a private Parent were made a capital Crime, how much more than capital (if a man had any thing dearer to him than life to lose) might it justly be made to rebel against the very Life of a King, and our own King? Hear the Prophet aggravating the sin of Rebellion 1 Sam. 15.23. And Samuel said, Rebellion is as the sin of Witchcraft, and Stubbornness is as Iniquity and Idolatry. Now whereas some may object that that is spoken of Saul 's Re­bellion against God, not of any Subjects Re­bellion against him (which is very true) yet for as much as they who rebel against the lawful Commands of their lawful Ru­lers, in so doing do rebel against God, whose Vicegerents they are, whose Image they bear, by whom Kings Reign; and who are called The ordinance of God, Rom: 13.2. Hence may they be said to be guilty of Idolatry or Witchcraft, or what is as bad, who rebel against their lawful Commands; but a thousand times more who rebel a­gainst the Lives of Gods anointed ones; I mean of those Kings whom God hath set over them.

Then let no Man say Rebellion is no sin, unless he think that Idolatry and Witchcraft be no sins neither. Why do we read of [Page 104]those who perished in the gainsaying ( i. e. in the Rebellion) of Core, Jude 11. if Re­bellion be no great sin? Core and his Com­plices were a sort of Rebellious Levellers, or Levelling Rebels, attempting to overthrow the Government both of Church and State, as appeareth by their [...], their gain­saying or contradicting and murmuring a­gainst both Moses and Aaron; and see what came of them, v. 32. The earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up and their houses, and all the men that appertained to Corah, and all their Goods. What had Corah, Dathan, and Abiram done? Had they cut off the Head of Moses and of Aaron? no such mat­ter, They had only opened their mouths a­gainst them, and talkt at such a rate as if they had been as good men as they themselves; and for that did the Earth open its mouth upon them, They and all that appertained to them went down alive, into the Pit, and the Earth closed upon them and they perished from the Congregation, v. 33. Which words give me fit occasion to mention what he, whom some have called Our English Se­neca, meaning Master of the Sentences, saith to this purpose, Vengeance against Rebels may sleep, it cannot die. A sure if late judgment attends those that dare to lift up [Page 105]either the hand or tongue against the sacred persons of Gods Vicegerents: Nay hear what a greater than he saith, Rom. 13.1, 2. The Powers that be are ordained of God, whoso­ever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the ordinance of God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

Now the word [...] (here translated damnation) is put in many places, not only for Judgment, as some would mince the mat­ter, but for Gods eternal wrath and vengeance. So Luke 20.47. Acts 24.25. Rom. 2.2. Heb. 6.2. 2 Pet. 2.3. 1 Cor. 11.29. See Dr. Hammond.

Thus having proved Perjury, High Trea­son, and Rebellion, against those who had their hands in murthering of King Charles the First, I come in the fourth place to lay Sacriledge to their charge; of which I shall easily prove them as guilty as of the three former. Now that word Sacriledge is no sooner dropt from my Pen, but I sancy that at the first sight thereof some there are that will forthwith charge Su­perstition upon me, for using it; looking upon that which we call Sacriledge, or upon the notion of Sacriledge, as a meer Chimaera or Ens rationis; a Bugbear to scare Children. For their opinion is that there [Page 106]are but fours sort of Holy things in the World, viz. 1. The Holy God, Trinity in Ʋnity, &c. 2. Holy Angels and Archangels. 3. Holy Men and Women, or Saints Trium­phant in Heaven, and Militant upon Earth. 4. Holy Ordinances of God, such as Prayer, Preaching, Sacraments, &c. Now it is very true, if we speak concerning the Ho­liness of Things, nothing but the Ordinan­ces of God, if ye take that word in the largest sense, viz. for Things ordained and instituted of God, as holy separate and devoted to himself are holy; (for God is the Fountain of all kind of holiness as Kings are of all temporal honours.) But the great mistake of these who make no­thing of Sacriledge, yea who despise the word Sacriledge, lies here; by God Ordi­nances, they understand nothing but Scrip­tures, Praying, Preaching, Hearing, Read­ing, Singing of Psalms, Sacraments, &c. These indeed are Ordinances of God, but whatsoever else is of Gods ordinaing and appointing, as set a part or devoted to him­self, is Gods Ordinances Also: Civil Power and Authority, is called the Ordinance of God, Rom. 13.2. because ordained of God, v. 1. and therefore surely it is in a sense sacred, because one of Gods Ordinances. [Page 107]Upon that account it was that the Ark of God, though but a piece of Wood, was called Holy, and that we do read so often of Holy days, the Sabbath and other festivals; yea of holy places, yea of the holy of holies, or most holy place (which was the inmost Temple (called the Sanctuary) and that Je­rusalem is called the Holy City. Also of the Holy Vessels that were in the Tabernacle, 1 Kings 8.4. And of the Holy Garments made for Aaron and his Sons, Exod. 28.3. and 29.29. Hence the Priests and Sons of Aaron are said to be Holy to God, by vertue of their Office, Levit. 21.8. Yea hence those words, Levit. 25.12. It is the Jubile, it shall be holy unto thee. i. e. it shall be ob­served as a thing of Gods ordaining, and therefore inviolaible and sacred.

Now in this sense it may be truly nnd soberly said of all Kings, as such, that they are sacred, viz. Because the Powers that are are, ordained of God, and cannot be resisted but upon pain of damnation, be­cause they are the Ordinance of God, Rom. 13.2.

Now Sacriledge being the violation of sa­cred things (for that all Scholars know to be the true notion of it) and the Persons and Authority of Kings being sacred (as [Page 108]hath been proved at large) they must need [...] be guilty of notorious Sacriledge, who not only despised the Authority, but destroyed the very Life of that excellent King of whom we have been speaking.

But there is one cause more of mens despising the great sin of Sacriledge and ma­king nothing of it, viz. A great mistake which they are and have been under, as touching the holiness of Persons, viz. That they know and acknowledge no holiness of Persons, but that which the Scripture intends, when it saith, without holiness no man shall see God: Whereas most evident it is, both from the Old and New Testament, that Persons are very often called holy up­on a much more laxe, large and loose ac­count. Ex. gr. 1. Ʋpon account of being dedicated, though not by themselves to God, yet by God to himself, to his own use and honour, Luke 2.23. Every Male that openeth the Womb shall be called holy unto the Lord. Sure­ly that is not meant of a saving but of a ceremonial Holiness, of a typical rather than of a substantial Holiness. 2. Ʋpon account of Gods external Adoption of a people to the title and outward priviledges of his Children and Holy ones. Hence it is said of the Jews or Jewish Nation, though it were not savingly [Page 109]true of all or of the most of them, 1 Pet. 2.9. Ye are a chosen Generation, a holy Na­tion, a peculiar People, &c. The reason of which Apellation is, because they were Is­raelites, to whom pertained the Adoption and the Glory, and the Covenants, &c. Rom. 9.4. Not so far forth, as that all of them were thereby finally sav'd, but only put into a much better capacity for Salvation than others were who did not enjoy the same pri­viledges. 3. Ʋpon account of meer profession and outward appearance, men are often called in Scripture Holy and Saints (which is all one, &c.) So 1 Thes. 5.27. Let this Epi­stle be read to all the Holy Brethren. So he calls the whole Church. So Heb. 3.1. Where­fore Holy Brethren, partakers of the Heaven­ly Calling, &c. So we find the word Saints scattered so freely, and us'd so commonly in Saint Pauls Epistles, that we may rest assured it is not there applied to them on­ly who are Saints indeed. Rom. 12.13. Di­stribute to the necessity of the Saints, i.e. Of all poor persons professing the Christian Religion, for they could not search or judge of their hearts, Rom. 15.25.26. Rom. 16.15. With innumerable other Texts to the some purpose. 4. Ʋpon the account of federal Holiness, are they called Holy who [Page 110]are not all so in strictness of speaking, or i [...] relation to eternal Life. So 1 Cor. 7.14. Th [...] unbelieving Husband is sanctified (or rendre [...] holy) by the Wife, and the unbelieving Wife is sanctified by the Husband, else were your Children unclean, but now are they holy; mean­ing federally (not savingly) holy; as the un­believing Wife is said to be sanctified by her Husband, not savingly (for so many never are) but federally. 5ly. and lastly, Persons may be called sacred upon the account of their being inviolable, or such as do not lie open and exposed so as common persons do, but there is a noli me tangere upon them; Touch not, handle not, hurt not to be sure: Touch not mine annointed, and do my Prophets no harm. So the Feast of Jubile was called Holy, because inviolable, Lev. 25. Now though none but religious and godly Kings be ho­ly, so as is meant when the Scripture saith, Without holiness none shall see God; yet every King professing the Christian Religion is sacred upon the five accounts last rehearsed, and in a peculiar manner upon the last of them, viz. As being more inviolable and unapproachable for the matter of hurt­ing, more guarded from the violence of men, by the sacredness of his Office and Su­premacy of his Condition, than Subjects [Page 111]are. Yea and upon one accompt more, 6ly. [...]ings and Rulers as they have more of the Image and Stamp of God, in point of Autho­rity, therefore called Gods in Scripture, and they are set apart by God for his more espe­cial service, as his Deputies and Vicegerents upon earth, may and ought to be counted sa­cred persons. Now being Sacred, the injury done to such, especially the destroying of theirlives, may very fitly be stiled Sacri­ledge. Now when I have spoken to two things more, viz. 1. That Sacriledge is a very great sin; and 2. That this Regicide was very great Sacriledge: I shall dismiss this 4th Article, and proceed to another.

May not the heavy judgments of God inflicted for Sacriledge, be alledged as a great proof of the hainousness of that sin; for though God hath now and then signally pu­nished sins seemingly but small (yet it is possi­ble they might be really much greater, all things considered, than we know of) yet or­dinarily they are great and hainous sins, for which God visiteth men with great and heavy Punishments. And such are the Judgments which God hath inflicted for Sacriledge, witness Mal. 3.9. Ye are cursed with a curse; for ye have robbed me, even this whole Nation, Witness also what we read [Page 112]touching Eli and his Sons, 1 Sam. 2.25. When Hophni and Phineas took away pa [...] of the Flesh which the People brought fo [...] offerings, to rost for themselves, Eli th [...] expostulated with them: If one man sin a­gainst another, the Judge shall judge him, b [...] if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Where their Sacriledge i [...] spoken of as so great a sin, and so imme­diately against God, that they would find it hard to get any body to intercede for them (though in Law-suits betwixt man and man, Advocates and Council (a [...] they are called) are allowed on both sides:) In Jer. 7.16. God said to Jeremy, Pray no [...] you for this People, neither make intercession to me, for I will not hear thee. And in Exod. 32.10. The Lord said to Moses, let me alone that my wrath may waxe hot against them, and that I may consume them. Now Eli spoke to his Sons, as if their sin had made God so angry, that he scarce knew what mortal man would dare to intercede for them, or be suffered by God to stand in the gap. Yea the following words are very severe, viz. Notwithstanding they hearkened not to the voice of their Father, because the Lord would slay them, i. e. God was so provoked by their liquorish Sacriledge, [Page 113]that he was resolved not to prevent their ruin by any special interposure of his Grace, nor yet to put their Father upon what further means he might have used for the reclaiming of them, viz. By hard blowes, instead of soft words: Yea so angry was God with Eli's Sons for their Sacriledge, that it reached not their heads only, but also run down upon the Skirts of their Father Eli for not punishing of them at an otherguess rate, than his tender over-indulgent heart had suffered him to do; because he smote them not as with Rods, God smote him and his as with Scorpions, 1 Sam. 2.34. This shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two Sons, on Hophny and Phineas; in one day they shall die both of them; v. 31. There shall not be an old man in thine House, v. 36. E­very one that is left in thy House shall crouch for a piece of Silver and for a Morsel of Bread, and shall say, Put me into one of the Priests Offices that I may eat a piece of Bread. These were the things which God bid Samuel fore­tell old Eli, 1 Sam. 3.11. I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it shall tingle: I will perform a­gainst Eli all that I have spoken, &c. Nay in this case the All-merciful God seemed to be inexorable; I have sworn that the Ini­quity [Page 114]of Eli's House shall not be purged with sa­crifices or offering for ever, v. 14. All these pas­sages of Gods severe animadverting upon the Sacriledge of Eli's Sons, may bring to remem­brance what Bish. Hall saith in his Contempla­tions p. 19. Neither is Achan alone call'd forth to death, but all his Family, all his Substance: The Actor alone doth not smart with Sacriledge; all that concerns him is enwrapped in the Judgment. Those that defile their hands with holy goods, are enemies to their own Flesh and Blood.

But let us look a little farther into the story of Achan that great Warning-piece shot off by God to make the World for e­ver afraid of Sacriledge. Eli and his House sped ill by reason of that sin, but Achan and his Family sped worse upon that account, if worse can be. 'Tis the easiest thing that can be to prove that Sacriledge was the sin for which so great and sudden destruction befel Achan and all that did belong to him, witness Josh. 6 17. And the City (meaning Jericho) shall be accursed, i. e. a cherem, an [...], or devoted it and all that are therein to the Lord. v. 19. All the Sil­ver and Gold and Vessels of Brass and Iron, are consecrated to the Lord, they shall come into the Treasury of the Lord. Now to rob God of that or any part of that which he [Page 115]had so solemnly set a part for himself, was as plain Sacriledge as ever was. Hear Achan confessing against himself, Josh. 7.20, 21. Achan answered and said, I have sin'd against the Lord, and thus have I done; when I saw amongst the Spoils a goodly Babylonish Garment, and 200 shekels of Silver, and a wedge of Gold of 50 shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them, &c. These were the things which he had sacrilegiously stoln, but how did they thrive with him? what did he get by robbing God? See v. 24. And Joshua and all Israel took Achan and the Silver, and the Garment, and the wedge of Gold, and his Sons and his Daughters, and his Oxen, and his Asses, and his Sheep, and his Tent, and all that he had, v. 25. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned him with stones. So highly was God provoked by that sin of his, that not only his own life must go for it, but also the lives of his Sons and Daughters (O overflowing guilt) yea his very dumb Cattle, his Oxen, Asses, and Sheep (and what had they done, or what was their crime, save that they were the servants of so bad and Sacrilegious a Ma­ster?) yea into the same flames were thrown his Babylonish Garment, nay his Sil­ver [Page 116]and his wedge of Gold (as if it had been said, Thy money perisheth with thee) yea [...] if one sort of death had not been enough fo [...] so great an offender, he was both ston [...] and burned, he and his; and as if every man had been bound to have been h [...] Executioner, or had an ambition so to be the text saith, All Israel stoned them a [...] burned them with fire, v. 25. Every hone [...] man had a stone to fling at a Sacrilegio [...] Person, but Israel was particularly pr [...] ­voked so to deal with Achan, for his s [...] had proved a general Calamity; on whi [...] Bishop Hall thus descants, Only one Acha [...] troubles the peace, and his sin is imputed [...] Israel. The innocence of so many thousa [...] Israelites is not so forcible to excuse his one si [...] as his one sin is to taint all Israel. When the [...] went against Ai, the wedge of Achan di [...] more fight against them than all the swords [...] the Canaanites. How common a pest Acha [...] had been, you may gather from Josh. 7.2 [...] Joshua said ( to Achan) Why hast thou tro [...] ­bled us, the Lord shall trouble thee this day, &c.

How much Joshuah and the rest of Israe [...] were troubled by means of Achans sin, you may read Josh. 7. v. 5, 6, &c. Lord wha [...] monster of a sin is Sacriledge, that a little of it, whereof but one man neither wa [...] [Page 117]personally guilty, should trouble a whole Nation (and turn it into a valley of A­ [...]cor?) Is this the sin that a few years since was so much slighted and reckoned for no sin at all? Is this that Zoar to which so many thousands of professors fled, not thirty years ago, and said, Their Souls should live? Was not this that foul spot, of which in those days men were no more ashamed than women are of wearing black patches? Did not many of them who seemed most zelously to abhor Idols, give occasion to be askt that question which St. Paul puts, Rom. 2.22. Thou that abhorest Idols, dost thou commit Sacriledge?

But of all the Sacriledge committed in those days, give me leave to say, that of robbing King Charles the First of his Life, God and his People of so good a King, was certainly the greatest. It must always be granted that Persons are more excellent than Things; the least of Persons are to be prefer'd before the best of Things, the Life of a Man above Silver and Gold, Houses and Lands; for (all that a man hath would he give for his life) one saith, There is more ex­cellency in a Flie, because it has Life, than in the Son because it has none: Of all Thieves Men­stealers are the worst called, 1 Tim. 1.10. [Page 118] [...]. Now the Men-stealers her spoken of, were such as stole Children [...] make Slaves of them, or to sell them so Slaves: But of all Men-stealers, they ar [...] the worst who steal away the Lives of Me [...] who rob Men of their precious Lives: An [...] of all the stealers of Mens Lives, are n [...] they the worst who steal away the Live of Princes, of good Kings? &c. (Where as the people said of David, and it is tru [...] of all such as he, Thou art worth ten thousan [...] of us, 2 Sam. 18.3.)

Is it Sacriledge in the first, and immediat [...] acceptation of the Word, to rob Temples [...] Churches of Stones, or other dead Mate­rials, and is it not far greater Sacriledge to demollish and destroy one of Gods Livin [...] Temples? yea one of the greatest and mo [...] noble of them? Had London so great a lo [...] when most of its Churches were burnt to the Ground, as when that one grea [...] Temple, of which I am now speaking, was demollished? Were ever any Temples build with Stone, or Brick so sacred to God as he was? Did the great God ever dwell so eminently, so sensibly in any Temple mad [...] with hands, as he useth to do in all Christi­an Princes, who are the Temples of the Liv­ing God in a more noble sense than any [Page 119]thing without Life and Reason, ever was or could be? Could ever dead Temple be as it were a nursing Father to God Israel which Christian Princes are said to be?

Some have charged Belshazzer with Sa­criledge for alienating the Vessels of the Tem­ple, only so far forth as to drink in them, when he feasted a thousand of his Nobles at one time; others have called the sin of Annanias and Saphira Sacriledge, and so it was to keep back any part of that which they had dedicated to God and to his Church; but sith the two first instances of Sacriledge, are much more notorious than these two latter, if I shall prove that Murthering of King Charles the First was greater Sacriledge than either of them, viz. Than that of Eli's Sons, and that of Achan, by proving the greater, I have certainly prov'd the less: for Omne majus in se continet minus. As for the Sacriledge of Eli's Sons it was but this, They took a part of Gods Meat (for so were Sacrifices as the Altar was Gods Table) and whereas it should have been boil'd for Gods use, they caused it to be rosted for their own. They rob'd him of part of his Meat, who if he were hungry would not tell us, for his are the Beasts upon a thousand Mountains, Psal. 50.12. The [Page 120]World is his and the fulness thereof, &c. They were over-kind to themselves and over-bold with God, which cost them dear, as you have read; but what is all that in comparison of being cruel to the Life of a Man, a Christian, a Prince, and our own Prince? The Sacriledge of Eli's Sons compared with that of Murthering the King, seems (if I may so speak) to have been lighter than vanity and nothing: Nay doubtless it did far exceed that Sacriledge of Achan, which was greater than that of Eli's Sons: For what was it that that Achan (who for his sin was stoned to death and burn'd, and called the troubler of Israel, because of the sad consequence of it) did steal from God? Was it not only a Garment, some Silver, and one wedge of Gold? Now what trifles, what meer bawbles are all those things, if weigh­ed in a ballance against the Life of the King?

I thought to have wholly passed by the instance of of Annanias and Saphirah, their Sacriledge, which together with the lie that attended it, was punished with present death. How much less was their Sacriledge than theirs who put the late King to death? They rob'd the Church but of a sacred e­state, if I may so call it, because devoted to God; but these of a sacred Life: nay [Page 121]they stole away but part of an estate, these destroyed a precious Life not in part but in whole. They with-held but what them­selves had given and might have chosen whither they would have given, and could give again; but the Murtherers of our King withdrew that which they never did or could give, and which when they had once withdrawn, they nor all the World could never give again. They destroyed but one small sinew of the Church (if money may be so called, as it is called the sinew of War) yea did but strike that one little sinew, but these cut off the temporal Head of the Church (for so we own the King of England to be next and immediately under God Supream Head and Governor.) How great then was that Sacriledge which hath clearly outdone that of Annanias and Saphirah, that of Eli's Sons, that of Achan; yea the most notorious of all the Sacriledges recorded in Scripture, if not all those Sacriledges put together. Who now cryes not out as the Prophet Jer. 9.1. Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain, &c. slain with the Aggravations of multiplied perjury, high Treason, horrid Rebellion, transcendent [Page 122]Sacriledge. And so I have made good the four first Articles exhibited against the Mur­therers of King Charles the First, &c.

5. The putting of the late King to death was Homicidium, i. e. down right Murther: I need not fear to say, greater than that of David in the matter of Uriah: For there a King murthered a Subject, but in this case Sub­jects murthered their King, and Servants their Master. What is Murther but taking away the Life of Man without just cause, and without a just authority? If so to do be not murther, I wonder what is? If either of these be in the case, it is single murther (as I may call it) but if both do meet it is murther upon murther (if I may so phraise it) or redoubled Murther. Now they both meet in the case of King Charles the First. For First, If he had done any thing worthy of death, who but the King of Kings had authority to punish him for it, or to inflict upon him the death which he had deserved? If equals have no power of each other, as the Law tells us, that Par in pares non habet potestatem. What power can Inferiors have upon their Superior? Now he must needs be Superior to all the people of England, and they all his Inferiors, whom the Nation sweareth to own as the [Page 123] Supreme: The Law of England being such as alloweth of no man to be put to death but by his Peers; whither Lords or Commons doth surely suppose that no man hath any legal authority to put a King of England to death, for what Fact soever, sith he hath no Peers (as that word signifieth e­quals) for every body else in and of the Kingdom is his Subject. Flagitious Princes, such as Nero (whatsoever become of their evil Servants and Counsellers) must be left to the justice and judgment of God, but our hand must not be upon them. Did not Saul by the hand of Doeg, whom he imployed for that purpose, kill in one day 85 persons wearing Linnen Ephods, 1 Sam. 22.18 for which and for many other things he had well deserved to die: Yet I no where find David (who of all men was most provokt to do it) attempting upon his Life: yea I hear him saying, The Lord forbid that I should stretch forth my hands against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lords, 1 Sam. 24.6. Muthology represents Achilles to have been impenetrable and invulnerable, so far as he was anointed with Ambrosia, but Kings in a sense are anointed all over with the ointment of Divine Authority and Pow­er, therefore impenetrable and inviolable dejure, [Page 124]whatsoever they may be de facto. Give me leave to change the mode, and cry instead of Plectuntur [...]lectantur Achivi. If Princes err for want of good advice from those Subjects of theirs who ought to give it them, let Subjects pay for it, but pre­sume not to meddle with the persons of Soveraigns, whom God hath reserved to his own immediate Justice: Let them stand or fall to their own Master, and who is that but God Almighty?

Would it not be murther in him who is no Executioner, nor appointed by the Magi­strate thereunto, to put to death the fowlest Malefactor that was ever brought to a Gaole, because he has no authority so to do. To be sure they who put the late King to death, neither had or could have any authority or [...], for what they did; for we have no such Law or Custom in Eng­land, thanks be to God, as to put our Kings to death if they do not please us: They may be free in their own perswasion to do such things if commissioned from Rome, for that purpose, who doubt the Supremacy of all Princes but the Pope, to whom they apprehend all other Princes to be of right in subjection; but we Protestants have not so learned Christ and Religion, as to think that [Page 125]the Heads of all Secular Princes are at the Popes Devotion, and their lives in his hands, and that they are to hold them but durante illius beneplacito: During his Ho­liness Pleasure. Therefore I am amaz'd to think what kind of Heteroclite degenerate Protestants they were (if we may call them Protestants) who took the boldness to be­head King Charles the Martyr.

Sixthly, The sixth Article which I ex­hibit against the Murtherers of the late Royal Martyr is, that their fault was Regi­cide, the murthering not of a private per­son or subject, but of a King, which gave a great accent to their crime, and made them as it were double-died in blood. Though the blood of Jesus Christ may and will upon true and lively repentance wash away the Guilt of Royal Blood, so as to prevent the eternal damnation of them that shod it (and oh the virtue and value of that Blood, that can do so) yet I know no Laver that God hath appointed to wash out the stain thereof; I mean the blot and stain which it always leaves upon the names and memories of them whose hands have been so imbrewed. To attempt that were to wash a Blackamore.

All injuries become greater by the great­ness [Page 126]of the object, or party against whom they are committed. Read the greatness of their sins in the greatness of the punish­ments, which God hath inflicted on them (as the Scripture tells us) who have so much as resisted or rebell'd against their Kings, but more against them who have put their Kings to death. When the Moa­bites, who had paid tribute to King Ahab, rebell'd against his Son Jehoram, 2 Kings 3.5. They were sorely beaten, and the King of Moab brought to such distress, that he took his Eldest Son, that should have reign'd in his stead, and offered him for a burnt offering upon the Wall, v. 27. Again we read how Ho eah the King of Israel was punished, and the Israel;ites carried away Captive (though the Governours were Heathen and the Sub­jects the People of God) 2 Kings 17. be­cause after he had made himself servant and tributary to Shalmonezer, King of Assiria, he afterwards denied him tribute, &c. In like manner Zedekiah King of Judah was punished, as you may see 2 Kings 25.1. compared with chap. 24.20. Thorow the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusa­lem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence ( viz. giving them up to Famine, Desolation, Captivity, Destruction [Page 127]of their City and Temple, chap. 25, &c.) that Zedekiah rebell'd against the King of Babylon, yea, see what is added chap. 25.7. They slew the Sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the Eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him in Fetters of Brass and carried him to Baby­lon. Lord what a dismal train of Conse­quences insued upon a Jewish King, his rebelling but against a Babylonish King? Instance we next in Sheba, who rebell'd against David, and drew all the ten tribes after him; was he not by him besieg'd in Abel, had his head cut off by the advice of a Woman, and thrown out to him, 2 Sam. 20.22. The Amalakite that said he had slain Saul, though he had not slain him, and though he said that Saul bid him, was notwith­standing presently put to death at the com­mand of David; saying this to him, 2 Sam. 1.14. How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thy hand to destroy the Lords anointed? Yea, David was so incensed at it, that he cursed the Mountains where Saul was slain, v. 21. Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings: for there the shield of the mighty is v [...]lely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oyl. The meer murmurings of the Israelites against Moses, [Page 128]are both spoken of and punished as murmur­ings against God, Exod. 16.8. So Num [...] 20, 13. it is said, the people chode with Mose [...] for water; and yet v. 13. it is said that th [...] water was called the water of Meribah; be cause the Children of Israel strove with th [...] Lord. Hannaniah perswaded the Jews to re­volt from the King of Babylon only, an [...] yet it is said, that he taught rebellion again [...] the Lord, Jer. 28.16. Was not Miriam pu­nished with Leprosie but for speaking again [...] Moses, Numb. 12.10. Mind what God said and did upon that occasion, ver. 8. were y [...] not then afraid (ye, viz. Miriam and Aaron) to speak against my servant Moses? ver. 9 And the anger of the Lord was kindled again [...] them, and he departed. v. 10. And the Clo [...] departed from off the Tabernacle, and behold Miriam became leprous. Nay, we find diso­bedience to the very Priests and Lovite [...] threatned with Leprosie, Deut. 24.8, 9. Tak [...] heed of the plague of Leprosie, that ye take heed diligently to observe, and do according t [...] all that the Priests and Levites shall teach thee; ver. 9. Remember what the Lord thy God d [...] to Miriam, viz. who was strucken with Le­prosie, for murmuring against Moses, who was no Priest, &.

To perswade men to revelt from those [Page 129]Princes whose subjects they are, is yet a farther Crime than bare murmuring, and see how God punished it in Ahab and Ze­dikiah, who were rosted to death by Nebu­chad-nezzer, Jer. 29.22. And how She­maiah's whole Family was likewise extir­pated, v. 32. Hear David's Sentence a­gainst Saul's Servants for not using their utmost indeavours to preserve his Life, 1 Sam. 26.16. As the Lord liveth ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your Master, the Lords anointed. See how mi­serably Rachab and Banah, two of Ishbosheth's Captains came off, who murthered their Master, and carried his Head as a present to King David, hoping for a reward, v. 12. David commanded his Young Men and they slew them and cut off their hands and feet and hang­ed them up (possibly in Chains as a terror to others.) Had Zimri peace who slew his Master Elah King of Israel? Surely no, for when he was besieged by Omri, and saw that the City was taken he went into the Pal­lace and burnt the Kings House over him and died, 1 Kings 16.18. How sped the Ser­vants of Amon King of Judah, who mur­thered him in his House? See 2 Kings 21.24, And the People of the Land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon, and [Page 130]made Josiah his Son King in his stead. Joash his Servants conspired against him and slew him, 2 Chron. 24.25. (which was a most just thing on Gods part, to avenge the Blood of the Sons of Jehoiada the Priest, v. 25.) but how came they off; see 2 Chron. 25.3. When the Kingdom was established to him, he (i. e. Amaziah) slew his Servants that had beheaded the King his Father.

If the Murtherers of private persons be now and then reserved to the judgment of the great day to be punished, yet Divine Ju­stice and Vengeance, as if more concerned about the death of Princes than of Private Persons (by the instances fore-cited) seems to have alwayes overtaken those, even in this Life; who have spilt the Blood of Kings as Water upon the Ground. Whence is easie to infer that though Homicide be a very great sin, yet Regicide is greater, and that he was a King whom the Men I am writ­ing of put to death no man ever doubted.

Seventhly, Neither was it Regicide only, or the murthering of one who was meerly a King, of which these men were guilty, but also Justicidium, or the murthering of a good King.

Who knows not that the wilful murther­ing of any man, though a bad, yea though [Page 131]the worst of men, is a great and crying sin? but the murthering of a good and ver­tuous man, a man of a thousand, is worse than that; and beyond either of them is the murthering of a good and excellent King, yea of one of the best Kings in the World, which is the case before us. Now by how much better the murthered person was, by so much worse was the murther, for Corruptio optimi est pessima; is a never failing rule. I dare not apply to this oc­casion those words of St. Peter, Acts 3.14. Ye denied the holy one and the just; because they are peculiar to our Saviour, who is the holy and the just one, [...], (and there is no man so besides him) but that the martyred King was a man of great vertue, is I think as generally acknow­ledged by them, that either knew him, or have seen what is in History concern­ing him, as almost any thing is. Who could ever taxe him with Intemperance more or less? Who knew not the great­ness of his Patience under his unparallell'd Sufferings, his professed forgiveness of his most provoking enemies? Who ever did read more Divine Lines, more pious Con­templations dropping from the Pen of any afflicted Prince, than his incomparable and [Page 132]unimitable Book doth contain? But it will not stand with the brevity here intended, or with the Symmetry of this part with the rest of this Book, to write a History in this place, of that renowned Kings Ver­tues; but he that shall read his Life ex­cellently written, as it is, by Dr. Perring­shief and others, if he have any faith in Hi­stories (as what wise men hath not some?) will not as much admire the greatness of his Vertues as the barbarousness of his Sufferings, and both together most of all?

Herein appeared the barbarousness of his murtherers, that they could find in their hearts to use a Prince so immensely ill who deserved so excellently well. The Apostle saith, Rom. 5.7. Paradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. Were they Men or Monsters, or Devils in­carnate, or what were they then, who in­stead of dying for a good man, put a good man to death? An untimely death, I had almost call'd it a shameful death, for so it in true tended, but that I know no shame was in martyrdom.

If any man doubt the piety of that Mar­tyr, and the tenderness of his Conscience, let him but read the 2. chap. in his excellent Book, viz. upon the Earl of Strafford 's death: [Page 133]Because when almost wearied out of his life by the importunity of those that he be­lieved did wish him well, and us'd it as a Maxime, Better one man perish (though un­justly) than the people be displeased or destroy'd, he had complied to sign a Bill against the Earl of Strafford's life (though without ple­nary consent to his destruction, as he himself saith.) Lord! how uneasie was his Consci­science: Reader, forbear weeping if thou canst, when thou readest those melting warning words of his. I see it a bad Ex­change to wound a man's own Conscience, thereby to salve State-sores; to calm the storms of Popular discontents, by stirring up a tempest in a man's own bosom. But I will not pre­vent thy reading of that whole most ex­cellent Chapter, which may almost warrant us; to call him, A father of Penitents, as A­braham was called, A father of the Faith­ful.

I shall conclude this seventh Article of my charge against the Murtherers of King Charles the First, with a short reflexion upon David's words to Baanah and Rechab, who cut off the head of Ishbosheth, and brought it to him, looking for a reward, 2 Sam. 4.11. How much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person? shall not I re­quire [Page 134]his blood of your hand, and take you a­way from the earth? As if David had said (for that he meant) Saul was a wicked King, an enemy to God, as well as me, and yet when one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, (viz. the Amalekite, who said he slew him by his own command, to put him out of pain, 2 Sam. 1.10) I took hold of him, and slew him, who thought I would have gi­ven him a reward for his tidings. If he were worthy of death who only reported him­self (upon a pick-thankly account) to have kill'd Saul (who seem'd otherwise about to kill himself) and at his own appointment, who was then full of anguish, though Saul was a very wicked man (as aforesaid) what have they deserv'd who beheaded a virtuous King sore against his will, and best endea­vours to the contrary, and that with many circumstances of barbarity, as you will hear hereafter.

And so I proceed to the eighth Article, wherewith I charge the said King's Judges, viz. Hypocrisie; I say with great Hypocri­sie, practized in that fact. It was Homici­dium maxime Hypocriticum. It was even the Master-piece of Hypocrisie, and the grand­est Cheat under the Notion of Piety that e­ver was imposed upon the world. Now all [Page 135] Hypocrisie is a perfect Lye, and the fault that needs a Lye grows two thereby (as Mr. Herbert tells us.) Who that understands the intrigue of that Business, do's not cry out, Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum? Could such a Monster spring from the Womb of Religion? Who laid that Brat at her Door? For it was none of hers. So Po­liticians talk most of Religion, when they mean nothing less; as if they would com­pensate by taking God and Religion often into their mouths, for their having nothing of ei­ther in their hearts. Commend me to a fa­mous Story which I heard from a Reverend and dignified Divine, not far off, and not long since, which was to this purpose: An excellent Knight told me (saith he) that a year or two before the late War betwixt the King and Parliament broke out, there were several Meetings held at his house ( then in Covent-Garden) betwixt some great Officers of State that were then in play, and other popular Gen­tlemen who had a great mind to their places. The late King was privy to all their Conferen­ces (if not sometimes present) and finding where the Cardo Controversiae, or Hinge of the Controversie was, viz. that some Popular, but yet private, and unpreferr'd Gentlemen thir­sted to get into publick Offices, such ( as Mr. of [Page 136]the Court of Wards, &c.) and that they would never be quiet till it were effected, yielded that all of them, save one, to whom he had some particular and unpardonable exception, should have and enjoy the Places and Offices which they sought for; but the King refusing him, and they being resolved upon one and all, hit or miss, the meeting was quite dissolved; and not long after the War broke out; which, saith he, could every one of those great Seekers have found the Preferment which he sought for, had been prevented. But that which the Au­thor of this Story said most of all to my purpose was this: Whilst we were thus ban­dying at this our meeting from time to time, one half to hold the places which we were possest of ( or parta tueri) the other half of the Compa­ny to throw us out and get themselves into our places; without those Walls nothing was talkt of but Religion, what great contrivances there were at that time for reforming and settling Re­ligion, whilst, God knows, within those Walls there was not all that while one word spoken concerning Religion, but some of us were wil­ling to hold our Preferments, and others to get them away from us. O Nation sweetly cheated! O thou blessed Name Religion! how oft hast thou been misus'd and made use of to christen the most horrid Villanies: [Page 137]For the Proverb has prov'd too true, In no­mine Domine incipit omne malum: Was it not under pretext of Religion, because Religi­on, as was alledged could not be preferr'd; if he were suffer'd to live, that that Martyrs blood must be made shed for the Church? that the King's Head was said to be cut off? As if to cut off the Head of the Church of En­gland, were the only way to keep life in the Body thereof: Now how fond and irratio­nal a thing was it, how groundless and ma­licious a slander and censure, to say or think that the life of King Charles the First could not consist with the true Christian and Protestant Religion?

Moreover, they knew no more than their heels, when the Religion established in the Church of England by Law was gone, what to put in the room of it; for they themselves were not of one Religion: nay, what if many of them were of no Religion. What think you of St. Martin, and St. Scot, were they not pure Saints? with several others of those Aeacus's and Radamanthus's, who gave Sentence against the late King? Oh, how did they burn? Was it with zeal for Religion? A man would hardly think that Religion to be chaste and honest, which such men courted or seemed to court. What [Page 138]Religion, I beseech you, in pulling down all the fences of the Church, and letting in all sorts of little foxes and wild bores to spoil God's Vineyard. If this were Reformation, it was not unlike that in Egypt, when the whole Land did swarm and was over-run with Frogs and Lice, and Flies, Exod. 8. Whilst these men pretended to the honour of Religion, who ever disgraced it more? to the preservation of true Religion, who indan­gered it more? to the Reforming of Religion who ever deform'd and undid it more? Look how the Ivy whilst it creeps into the wall, and clasp's close about it; embracing it as it were with greatest kindness, doth mean time rot, decay, and perish it: or look how the Ape so hugs her young ones, as that she kills them with her kindness; so kind and no kinder were those bloody Reformers to true Religion, which they could have as ill af­forded to have lookt in the face, as a Deb­tor his severest Creditor, or a Malefactor his Judge. Surely they were never intended by God for Reformers, considering what God said to David, 1 Chro. 28. Thou shalt not build an House for my Name, because thou hast been a man of war, or hast shed blood. Who could expect a Reformation of such men's making, worthy the cost of that [Page 139]Royal Blood wherewith they purchased it: That which they gave us was to dear by e­very drop which the purchase cost them. When I am convinc'd that Jezebel took the course which she took with Naboth upon a Religious account, that a zeal to reform Religion put her upon writing Letters in A­hab's name, and sealing them with his Seal, as it is 2 Kings 21.8, 9, 10. saying, Proclaim a Fast, and set Nabal on high among the peo­ple; and set sons of Belial to bear witness a­gainst him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the King; and then carry him out and stone him, that he may die. I say, when I believe that a true zeal against blaspheming of God, made her do as she did; who 'tis most certain, did all this meerly in order to what we read ver. 15. When Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned and was dead; Jeze­belsaid to Ahab, Arise, take possession of the Vineyard of Naboth, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is dead. I say, when I so believe, then, and not till then, shall I think that an unfeign'd desire to pro­mote true and undefiled Religion, to keep out Popery, and to reform Protestantism, as practised amongst us, was that which prompted the unhappy Judges of King Charles the Martyr, to send him packing [Page 140]out of the world. How hypocritical and false was the name that was given to the Court which tried him, called The High Court of Justice? For 1. we know it was no Court, for it was not any such thing legall [...]; and nothing is a Court but what is legally so: and moreover his Majesty would never own it for a Court. 2. It was no ways High [...] but in [...]ride, presumption and Arrogan [...]e to undertake what they did. 3. It was to be sure no Court of Justice, for it was called together only to serve one turn (like Jezeb [...]ls Court that was summon­ed against Naboth aforesaid) to do one wi [...] ­ked job or feat, that is, per fas aut nefas, right or wrong to cut off the Kings Head, and there was to be the end of it. But do men think that God will always be thus mocked? When Ananias and Sapphira added as little Hypocrisie as this comes to, to their Sacriled [...]e, did it not cost them their lives, and were they not charg'd with lying not only to men, but to the Holy Ghost?

Now there is nothing of greater tenden­cie and efficacie to bring Religion into ha­tred and disgrace (if a man had a real de­sign so to do) than to make a Cloak of Re­ligion for all sorts of Villanies and to enti­tltle them thereunto; to put Rebellions and [Page 141] Treasons, and Sacriledges, and Murthers, and Regicides all to its account, and to shel­ter them under its wings. They that make Religion the [...], which some do say signifieth the Dung-cart, which passes by a City to receive all its filth; or like to those persons whom the Latines called Pi­acula, i. e. Sacrifices, on whose head all the sins and curses of the people should be laid, and expiation made by sacrificing of them. I say, thus to do by Religion, is the way to make every one smile at the naming of it, and bid defiance to it. Their sin had been less, if they had said in so many words, we will kill the Heir that the I [...]heritance may be ours, &c. To conclude this Article, Wo to you Regicides, as because of Per­jury, Reb [...]llion, Treason, Sacriledge: so no less, because of what I mentioned last, viz. notorious Simulation and Hypocrisie. And so I proceed to the Ninth particular.

Ninthly, To all the former, I must needs add, That the putting of King Charles the Martyr to death, was Parricidium, Parricide, or the Murthering of a Father, a Crime which useth to make the ears of all that hear such a thing done, to tingle. If a Son or Daughter happen to kill either of their Parents, all the Country rings of it; and it makes as [Page 142]it were an Earthquake throughout the whole Kingdom. But the Parricide of Parri­cides was then committed, when K. Charles the First was put to death, who was not only a Father to them that had a hand in it, but to the whole Nation: besides, a common Father, a Political, though not a natural Fa­ther. To be fure he was one of those whom the fifth Commandment intends, by the name of Father, when it saith, Honour thy Father and thy Mother; meaning every whit as much Kings and Princes, whom God hath somewhere promised to make nursing Fathers and nursing Mothers to his Church; as those whom the Scripture calls the Fathers of our Flesh. For though we owe not our Being to them, as to our natural Fathers, yet our well-being we do owe to them under God; though we owe not our Generation to them, yet our Preservation we do owe to them under God. Every good King is a Protector of his People, as to their Lives, Limbs, Estates, good Names, Relati­ons, Property, Religion, &c. And is not that a great piece of Fatherhood (as I may call it?) Are not his Subjects safe under the sha­dow of his wings? Philosophers say, That Preservation is a continued Creation. If that be so, do we not owe as much to those [Page 143]by whom we are preserved under God (though not so preserved as by God him­self) as to them by whom we were pro­pagated. David did both represent him­self, and was represented by others unto Nabal as one that had deserv'd very well at his hands, and the hands of his; because he was able to say, as it is, 1 Sam. 25.7. Thy shepherds were iwth us, we hurt them not, neither was ought missing to them all the while they were in Carmel: As who should say, It is a favour in those who have power over us (though no lawful Princes neither) if they do us no hurt. Also in the 15th ver. we find one of Nabal's Servants thus plea­ding with Abigal the wife of Nabal; But the men (meaning David's Souldiers) who came to salute our Master, and he raild on them, were very good to us, and we were not hurt, neither missed we any thing, as long as we were with them. This they look'd upon as a great obligation, though that which fol­loweth as a greater, ver. 16. They were a wall unto us by night and by day all the while we were with them keeping sheep. Nay, Da­vid himself insists upon it as a piece of me­rit, ver. 22. Surely in vain (saith he) have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilder­ness, so that nothing was missed of all that [Page 144]pertained to them, and he hath requited me evil for good. Now Nabal's returning a churlish answer to a Captain and his Com­pany, who had not only not plundered, but protected him, tempted David to say in a great passion, as ver. 22. So and more also do God to the enemies of David, if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any one that pisseth against the wall. Did Na­bal owe so much to David and his Souldiers for not injuring him, or suffering others to injure him whilst they were near him, what then do we owe to good Kings for their fatherly kindness to us? In not dealing with us, as Samuel told the Israelites should be the mishepat hammelec, or the manner of a King's dealing with them, 1 Sam. 8.11. He will take your sons, and some of them s [...]all run before his Chariots: ver. 14. He will take your fields and your vineyards, and your olive­yards, even the best of them, and will give them to his Servants. ver. 16. He will take your goodliest Servants and put them to his work, &c. i. e. he will use them as he list, and you shall be able to call nothing your own; but he will let ye know that whatsoever ye call yours is now his, and shall be more at his command and dispose than at your own. If they who have power enough in their [Page 145]hands to serve us so, do not, even for that we have cause to thank them and bless God on their behalf; but if they defend our Lives, Limbs and Estates; and above all the true Christian and Protestant Religion (as thanks be to God His Majesty that now is doth, and so did his Father before him;) we have cause to own them as our Fathers, yea Nursing Fathers. Such Fathers they are, as we are bound to honour, fear, and obey, more than our Natural Parents; for though we are bound to obey them in all lawful things (and are not bound to obey Kings in what is sinful) yet when the Commands of the Parents of our Bodies in­terfere with the commands of our Political Parents, or of our Kings and Rulers, we ought to obey the later rather than the first, viz. because what is injoyned by the for­mer becomes unlawful when it is forbidden by the latter. I was about to say that re­spective Kings are not only our Fathers but our Fathers Fathers, our Grandfathers, yea our great Grandfathers Fathers, if they be living and within their Territories. Soon should we lose what our Parents gave us, viz. our Lives and Estates, if we had no King or Rulers to protect us. Re­ceive it therefore for an indubitable truth, [Page 146]that Kings are Fathers, what then are they that murther them but meer Parricides? yea and the worst and most flagitious of all Parricides. The Scripture foresaw some such would be, 1 Tim. 1.9. The Law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, [...], i. e. for murtherers of Fathers and murtherers of Mothers, &c. But what punishment short of Hell its self, can be thought great enough for those that are such? Sith Death the greatest of all tem­poral punishments had wont to be inflicted upon Chiidren, who were only disobedient to their Parents; yea since there is such a passage as that of Solomon, Prov. 30.17. The Eye that mocketh at his Father, and de­spiseth to obey his Mother, the Ravens of the Valley shall pick it out, and the young Eagles shall eat it, i. e. Such persons as these shall not live out half their days, but shall come to untimely and shameful ends; as to be hang'd, or such like; and so their Bodies exposed to be devoured by such revenous Creatures, as are Crows or Eagles, which are observed to aim especially at the Eyes of dead People (whether because a very tender part and grateful to their palates, or for what other causes I know [Page 147]not) what then shall be done to those who not only mock but murther Kings, who are their Fathers in a more eminent sense than were they who begat them?

We propagate to the Children of our Bodies original sin and actual misery (which yet they ought to excuse us for, as be­cause no man can help it, so likewise be­cause they will do the same by their Chil­dren, when they come to have any, and so will all men in all ages; and we must not set the whole World a quarrel­ling) so do not Kings to their Political Children, i. e. their Subjects. Kings as Kings are Fathers to us only for our good and real benefit, therefore called the mi­nisters of God to us for our good, Rom. 13.4. a terror not to good works but to them that do evil, v. 3. i. e. Whosoever therefore shall ravish the Lives of them that are such Fathers by Office, but especially if such by a due execution of their office, pu­nishing Vice and encouraging Vertue: what may or can they expect (to use and allude to the Apostles words, Heb. 10.27.) But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment, and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.

Tenthly, Neither was their Crime meer [Page 148] Parricides, as great a sin as that is) but also Patriaecidium, if I may have leave [...], or to make a new word up­on this occasion: Now by Patricide I mean the murthering of their Native Countrey, putting that to death for which they ought to die if need were. The phrase of killing ones Countrey may seem harsh, but will be rendred more soft and suitable, if we call to mind an ancient wise saying, viz. That England is a great Animal which can never die unless it kill its self. If it may be call'd an Animal it may be kill'd; for whatso­ever Creature here below is possest of Life, may also be dispossest of the same; but that none but its self could kill that Ani­mal, was a great mistake, unless they took the word Self synecdochically; i. e. for a part of its self; for by a part of its self it was indeed destroy'd, or brought to the very brink of destruction, kill'd out-right, or brought within one step of death. Wit­ness the grand and signal symptomes of death, which they brought upon it, for in that number are they reckoned by Physicians. Magnae Jactationes multae bigiliae, motus con­vulsivi, & ipsissimae convulsiones Pulsus Inter­mittens Facies Hippocratica, &c. All whichill symptoms, or what was analogous to them, [Page 149]were found upon England in the time of their raign who cut off the Head of King Charles the Martyr. Let me add two or three more, viz. Deliquium, or frequent Lipothymies, Faintings or Swoonings: Al­so Delirium, Doting and Phrensie: I might have brought in Singultus or Hiccops, as a­nother deadly sign, but that it is one spe­cies of Convulsions. Now give me leave to say our Ruling Regicides had brought upon this poor Nation and their Native Countrey, all the conclusive signs of death aforesaid, whereby it appeareth they had given England its deaths wound, but that God who killeth and maketh alive, who bringeth down to the grave, and saith return again; yea God who raiseth the dead, was pleased most miraculously to restore it to life again.

A short proof may serve for each of the particulars aforesaid, they being so much known to all ingenious men, that have either seen or read of the affairs and transactions of the late times: the truth is, the names of symptomes, which I menti­oned, because by Metaphor applied to poli­ticks or morals, may need some little ex­plication, but when that is done they will easily command assent and acknowledge­ment. [Page 150]Briefly then were there not Magna Jactationes, that is, great tossings and tum­blings up and down in those days (as dying men turn from side to side, sit up, lie down again, call to rise and to be removed from bed to bed, and chamber to chamber, finding themselves uneasie in every posture, seeking rest in change of posture though they find none.) How oft did we shift and change Governments in one year? pull down one and set up another, and pull down that again; Sic cum voluit fortuna jocari. So were we banded as it were by fortune, or male-administration rather, from end to end; so reell'd we too and fro like drunken men, or like a ship ready to be overset with stiff and contrary winds; so sound we no rest for the sole of our feet; and it was most easie to make the prog­nostick, that nothing but a miracle of divine power and goodness, could save us from sudden death and ruine. Such Governments as they then set up, seemed to be things that would not keep above a month or two, or little Gourds which had a Worm at their root, which caused them to wither presently. And as the Nation had at that time little rest in one sense, so little sleep in another; for were not the minds [Page 151]of men continually kept awake with fears and sad apprehensions, like people that live in an old rotten decay'd house who can­not sleep in tempestous nights for fear the house they dwell in should fall upon their heads? These were the magnae vigiliae which I spoke of, or rather the causes why men could not sleep in those days as they de­sired to do, and ought to have done.

Again, whosoever knows what State-Convulsions mean, must needs understand that we had a great many of them in those days. There are particular and universal Convulsions spoken of by Physicians, i. e. some of particular parts only, as of the eyes, when they are distorted; of the mouth, when that is drawn awry, &c. O­thers again of the whole body, whereby a man is rackt, as it were, from head to foot; we had of both sorts in those unsettled times, Disturbances in particular Counties, otherwhile almost all the Nation over. We were pull'd and hall'd forward and back­ward, as one sort of Convulsion is called [...], another [...]; yea, sometimes the Nation seem'd to be stiff as a stake, to have no motion with it, answe­ring to the Convulsion, called [...], when it is so with a Body: Was it not often so [Page 152]that we knew not how or which way to turn our selves?

Again, Could any Natural or Animal body have a worse Pulse than England had in those days? One while the Pulse of the Nation beat as high and feaverishly as could be, that is all things were done furi­ously, the Army called up to the City (which was to be the Trojan Horse for that time) the very Gates of the City appoint­ted to be broken down, &c. Otherwhile the Pulse of the Nation did beat exceeding low, so it could scarce be felt, was ve­ry unequal, intermitted often; it was often slow or languid, like that which goeth by the name of Pulsus mynrus, vermiculans, which is very bad; yea, Formicans, which is worst of all: The first of which viz. Myn­rus, betokens a Pulse that dwindles less and less like a Mous's tail: The second, viz. Ver­miculans, a Pulse that creeps or crawles like a Worm: And the last, viz. Formicans; i. e. a Pulse that takes many steps like an Ant, but the poorest strides that can be thought of, as if it moved but a hairs­breadth at a time. It were easie, but that I would not be too tedious, to find out things in the late times that did bear proportion to each of these.

As for Deliquiums, Lypothimies, or faint­ing-fits, nothing was more ordinary than them in those days: For, as the whole head was sick, so the whole heart was faint, mens hearts failed them very much, for fear of those things which were coming upon them.

That the Nation was then in frequent De­liriums or Frenzies is the easiest thing of all to prove; for how madly would men talk in those days, and how wildly did they act? Who hath not heard discourses of drying up the River Euphrates, interpreted to be seizing upon the Gold and Silver Mines of Popish Princes, which was to have been effected by taking Hispaniola, in lieu of which we accepted of Jamaico; also of sending an Army to Rome to pull down the Pope. Of our Saviours coming in the year 1666, now past and gone, to reign upon the earth; (and you know who intended or pretended themselves to be his Fore-runners.) And did not men act as wisely in those days as they talkt? How did they do and undo, set up and pull down again, and could come to no consistency?

That England in those times did fetch its breath very short, and was, as they say, very much out of breath (for so we had run our selves) was obvious to every mans eye and observation.

As for Singultus or Hiccough (a very dan­gerous symptom in sick bodies) how to ap­ply that to the case of England in the late times may seem hardest; but the definition of that Disease doth agree thereunto, therefore the thing designed must needs do so likewise. What is a Hiccough, but a convulsive motion of the Stomach, labouring to cast off something which sticks upon the coats thereof, and by either its quantity or quality rather, doth much offend it? Sure I am, many things did stick upon the Stomach of the Nation in those days, which fain they would have cast off, and did use their en­deavours so to do, but could not effect it.

Lastly, That the Nation had faciem Hip­pocraticam in those days (or did look like death:) I appeal to all that were judicious Spectators of it. Did we not look so ghastly as would even fright one? so pale, so thin, so wan, so sharp like a Skeleton, or like a deaths-head; so like a body that the Grave waited for, and the worms stood ready to devour? Were were not then the pity of our friends and the scorn of our ene­mies? Thus low was a once flourishing Na­tion brought by the hands and manage­ment of cruel Regicides, men profound to make slaughter, to ruine and demolish, but [Page 155]how to cure the breaches and distempers of a Nation they had no skill. More I could say upon this head, but for brevity-sake, I pass on to the next.

Eleventhly, Taking away the life of the King was Regnicidium, or the destruction of a Kingdom. For one and the same blow cut off the head of King and King­dom both at once. For what Kigdom can there be without a King? What signifies a body without a head? That Notion or Ma­xime of the Law, viz. That Rex nunquam moritur, i. e. The King never dieth, was me­thoughts become very Metaphysical, when the late good King did not actually reign either in his own Petson, or in his proper Heir or Successor, or any of his Line and Fa­mily. I have been oversavorable in talking of their destroying one Kingdom, where­as the truth is they did destroy three King­doms at once, that were united under that one good King. The mischief of their so doing will more fully appear, by what I shall say under the next head.

Twelfthly, This their horrid murder was not only Regnicidium, & Regicidium, or Mo­narchicidium, but Monarchiae-cidium, i. e. not meerly the destruction of one King and three Kingdoms, or of one Monarch and [Page 156] Monarchy, but of all Monarchy or King­ship; of all that most excellent form of Government in all parts of the world, so far as in them lay. For 1. They gave o­ther Nations a most pernicious Example of deposing Kings, and casting off Kingly Go­vernment. 2. Did they not make it their business by writing and speaking to dis­grace Monarchy, and to bring all Nations out of conceit with it, and to make it odi­ous to the whole world? 3. Did not the Army that then was, swear against being ever after governed by a single Person; but they only exchang'd (or suffer'd to be ex­chang'd) a Rowland for an Oliver (you know my meaning) and so therewith all was sal­ved.

Now give me leave to tell you, in la­bouring to destroy Monarchy, they labour'd to destroy the best form of Government in the world (as they that know me, do know that I have often said and undertook to prove.) For Monarchy is that Government which the light of Nature leads men to, & necessarily casts them upon. For the truth is, all Governments in the world by what names soever they are called or distinguish­ed, are nothing else but disguised and imperfect Monarchies. And this holds true [Page 157]both in publick and private Governments, as of Courts, Cities, Towns, Families, Socie­eties, Corporations, as well as in States, Com­monwealths, publick Aristocracies or Demo­cracies, as they are called both in Church and State. Take the instance in Juries, Is there not commonly one leading man that sways all the rest? So in all Committees, in Courts of Judicature or other Courts. So in Republicks: so in Congregational Church­es. For admit the diffused power of the two last should happen to be equally di­vided (as is possible for it to be, and yet to have a power of determining it self and turn the Scales) must not that be done by some one man? will it not necessarily issue there? For say, All power were in a Senate, consisting of a thousand men; admit there be all the Members of that Senate present at a debate, save only one; by means of whose absence, there being five hundred Votes on the one side, there can be but 499 on the other; upon this so great di­vision you see the whole Affair is carried by but one voice. Even amongst those who by their constitution have an equal share in Government, is there not generally a Dominus fac totum, a Chieftain, or Superin­tendant, a Leading-man, a man that hath [Page 158]the casting voice generally given him, in whose advice and counsel all the rest or the major part of them, do acquiesce? And what is such a man but a Monarch in his place, and amongst those over whom he governs so absolutely, so uncontroulably, let him go by what name he will, either of Justice, Magistrate or Minister, &c. Kings themselves do not act without their Privy Council and other persons of Honor, who are assisting to their Affairs; but in con­junction with them, their advice and as­sistance, they do what they please. And tru­ly so do those petty invisible Princes or Kings, that walk incognito and under dis­guise. They in conjunction with some of the best Head-pieces that are about them, and by the assistance of their party which adheres to them, carry what they please, carry all before them, in spight of all op­position. Thus it was from the beginning, thus it now is, and will be to the end of the world. Were it not easie to say, Who is in effect a Monarch amongst the Anabap­tists, and, amongst the Quakers, &c? So that all the Governments in the world are virtually, and in effect Monarchies, though the people see it not, and their Votes are little more than for fashion-sake, and to [Page 159]please them with a shadow of Power and Liberty, when their real power is little more than to sit still. He then that is an Enemy to Monarchy, and to every thing that is like it, will presently become an enemy to all sorts of Governments all the world o­ver, which are indeed and truth but so ma­ny Virtual Monarchies, all things considered. So men fly the Name, whilst they continue the Thing; and alter the Shadow, whilst they accept the Substance of Monarchy, over them. Amongst those who are equal in power, the wisest will always govern the weak­est, and they that by their Wealth or Pru­dence, or otherwise, can make the greatest Party will carry all before them. If then the light of Nature, and universal practice of the world hath determined Monarchy to be the best and most necessary form of Go­vernment, who can sufficiently decry their sin, who did not only destroy an excellent King and Monarch, but also aimed at the destruction of Monarchy, or Kingly Power throughout Europe, that if it were possible the Name and Thing might be rooted out, and might be restor'd no more. And so I have made good the 12th thing which I charg'd upon them, viz. an attempt to de­stroy Monarchy, though it be the best Go­vernment in the world.

Thirteenthly, It must needs be confest they were Self-murtherers, or Felo de se's, who murthered the late King. For in ta­king away his life, they forfeited their own. If an Earl or a greater Subject, do wilfully but murther a poor Foot-man, or Beg­gar, by so doing he forfeits his life ac­cording to God's Law, yea, and the Law of England too. He then that kills a King, had he a hundred thousand lives, would by so doing forfeit every one of them, and be made to pay his forfeiture too, unless great clemency interpose. I remember no one Regicide in all the Scripture but what is punished with death, save only that of Je­hu committed upon the person of Joram, which being done at the express command of God, ought not, I think, to be called Regicide. But I pass on.

Fourteenthly, The murthering of the late King was Animaecidium, not on­ly Self-murther, as to each of their Bodies, but Soul-murther, as to every of them, un­less the infinite Mercy of God should step in and prevent it. Is Hell-fire the wages of them that wilfully murder but a private person; witness those words, 1 John 3.15. And ye know no murderer hath eternal life a­biding in him: i. e. no wilful murtherer [Page 161]hath jus in re, as to eternal life, i. e. any present actual capacity, to enter into life eternal; as he that was under a Leprosie under the Law might not for that time be admitted to eat the Passeover, though jus ad rem, i. e. a dormant suspended right, which may or shall be restor'd and redintegrated upon his repentance, that he may have as David had when he defiled Bathsheba: But divers do say, If David had never actually repented of that great sin, he had never had eternal life, but had been everlastingly damn'd: So Baronius in his excellent Book De peccato mortali & veniali. If the wil­ful murthering of one private man be e­nough to sink a Soul into Hell, what will not the murder of a King do? Will not God heat that Furnace yet ten times hot­ter for Regicides? Korah, Dathan, and Abi­ram, are called sinners against their own Souls, Numb. 16.38. for rebelling against Mo­ses and Aaron, i. e. for but murmuring against them, though not one drop of blood was shed by their hands. How greatly then have they sinn'd against their own Souls, who have rebelled and resisted even to blood? I have before quoted that Text Rom. 13.2. They that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. I leave that word to [Page 162] fasten this head on their Consciences, as a nail in a sure place, and pass on to the next.

Fifteenthly, The murthering of the King was Multicidium (pardon the making of a new word in such a case as this) or Caedes multorum; or Homicidium multiplicatum & complicatum, i. e. it was a great many mur­thers in one. First, it was virtually so ac­cording to the computation which we read of, 2 Sam. 18.3. But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth (i. e. David should should not go forth to Battle) thou art more worth than ten thousand of us, &c. Second­ly, It was actually so, as the Complices in that violent action, by encouraging and emboldning each other thereunto, were guilty of the sin and death of one another. Thirdly, As the death of the late King was remotely the death of many persons and families, I mean the ruine and destruction of multitudes of Families, which depend­ed upon him, which was worse than d [...]ath its self.

Sixteenthly, Putting of the late King to death, was Legicidium, as well as Regici­dium, i. e. the death of the Law, as well as of the King. For first, By the King's death a stop was put to the making of any [Page 163]more Laws, which might be judged neces­sary for the good of the Nation. For with­out the King no Law can be made: His Royal Assent, Sanction, and Fiat, makes every Law to be a Law: Therefore the Parliament did never presume to call any things by the name of a Law, which they made without the King; but by the name not of Acts, but of Ordinances of Parlia­ment. Secondly, there was stop put to the execution of those good and wholsome Laws, which were before in being. Exe­cution (say they) is the life of Laws, and who but the King is the great Executioner of Laws, or the life of their Execution? When Judges and other great men in the Law went off by death, who but a King could legally substitute others in their room? If any Justice be done by Officers not le­gally called and constituted, we must be beholden to usurpation for it Laws are things full of life and spirit, if they be such for the constitution and execution of them as they ought to be; and upon the life of good Laws depend all our Lives, Liberties, good Names, Estates, Properties. It is as it were the breath of their Nostrils. If the true Soul of the Law go out of it (which is the King) they must either be restored by some [Page 164] Ʋsurper, or usurping spirit, or fall to the ground. They who destroy our Laws, or the due execution of them, had as good in effect burn up all our Ships, break down all our Forts and Fences; yea, they had as good almost cut down all our Banks and Buttresses upon the Sea-shore, and let in the Sea upon us, as do what they do. He that destroys one good Law, or the effect and progress of it, may do the world more mischief, than if he had destroy'd twenty men, yea, a hundred such as they might be. I had almost said, If a man could stop the motion of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, and all their Influences upon the earth, their light, and height, &c. for ought I know, would not be more missed than the free course or progress of Laws would be. What Death then could be greater than their de­merits, who kill'd not only the Law-maker, but the Laws themselves, which are all in all in all that we have to shew or plead for any thing that we call ours in this world.

Seventhly. Alas! alas! that I should yet have more wherewith to accuse those poor unhappy men, who put the late King to death; I say it was Homicidium barbarum, a barbarous Murther in reference to the circumstances of it. Who knows not [Page 165]that cruelty may be shew'd even towards a noxious Brute, which ought to be put to death; as towards a wild Boar, or the like, namely, by making its necessary death more painful, or more lingring than it need to be; but if the same thing be done to a harmless Animal, as to a tame Dove, or such like, the cruelty and barbarousness is yet greater upon that account. If the se­verity be applied to a reasonable Creature, man or woman, it is counted ten times so barbarous; but when barbarous usage shall be applied to a Prince, a King, our own King. a virtuous King, and one that had been a man of sorrows, and acquainted with griefs for many years together not to grant him as handsome an Exit out of the world, as could consist with an untimely death, was such a transcendant instance of inhumane barbarity, as I think no age can paral­lel.

Reader, If thy heart can bear the menti­on of them, which I assure thee mine hard­ly can, and if thou art content to weep a while (for the following Lines are scarce­ly to be writ or read with dry eyes) I shall quote a few instances of the barbarous usage which our dear and dread Sovereign, that then was met with, as I find them re­corded [Page 166]in Dr. Perrinshief's excellent Histo­ry of the Life and Death of King Charles I. To say nothing of the King-killing Party in Parliament and Army their over-ruling all the vigorous endeavours which were used from time to time by the whole House of Lords, together with the major part of the House of Commons to compromise all mat­ters with his Majesty, having courageously Voted (though the Army was drawn up to London to over-awe them) That the King's Concessions were a sufficient ground for Peace, Dr. P. p. 174. But to come immediately to such passages as do refer to his Death. Some would have the King (saith Dr. Per­rinshief, pag. 185. first formally degraded and divested of all his Royal Habiliments and En­signs of Majesty, and then as a private per­son exposed to Justice. Others designing a Ty­rannical Oligarchy, whereby they might have a share in the Government, would have the King proceeded against as King, that by so shed­ding his Blood they might extinguish Majesty, and so m [...]rther Monarchy. For several of them did confess that indeed he was guilty of no Crime more than that he was their King, and because the excellency of his parts and the rights of his birth would not suffer him to be a private person; pag. 186. In their second de­bate [Page 167]about the matters of Accusation, all em­braced the advice of Harrison to blacken him, &c. Ibidem. Accordingly they impeached him as a Tyrant, Traitor, Murtherer, and an implacable common Enemy, because he had levied war against the Parliament. Upon which the Author afterward descants thus excellently, pag. 187. Those who had none but the light of nature to make them generous, never reproached their conquered Enemies with their Victory; but these men would murther their Prince against whom they had nothing else to object, but the unhappy issues of a war, which leaves the Conquered the only Criminal, while the name of Justice and Goodness are the spoils of Conquerors. Most barbarous was their cruelty, because most inexorable. For (saith he, pag. 187. while they were thus in­gaged to perpetrate their intended mischiefs, all Parties declare against it. The Presbyterian Ministers, almost all those of London, and very many out of the several Countries, and some, though few of the Independents: The Scots also by their Commissioners declare and protest against it. The States of Holland al­so by their Embassadors did intercede and deprecate it, as most destructive to the Prote­stant Interest. Some of the most eminent of the Nobility, as the Earl of Southampton, [Page 168] the Duke of Richmond, the Marquess of Hert­ford, and the Earl of Lindsey, and others, neglact no ways either by Prayers or Reasons to save the King; yea, they offered themselves as Hostages for him, and if the Conspirators must needs be fed with blood, to suffer in his stead. pag. 189. The Prince of Orange did daily send as Arents the Kindred and Allies of the Conspirators with full Power, and to propose any Conditions, make any Promises, and use all threatnings to divert them from their intended cruelty. But all was in vain: For no conditi­ons of Peace could please them, whose Ambiti­on had swallowed the hopes of Empire; there­fore they would remove the King to enthrone themselves. To me it seems so barbarous, as nothing can be more, not to suffer his Majesty to plead for himself, because he would not own the Authority of the Court, which they themselves knew in their own Consciences was not vested with any law­ful Authority, but was a meer usurpation, and a high affront, to bring a King before such contemptible Judges. See in pag. 194. At his departure he was exposed to all the in­d [...]gnities that a base rabble could invent and commit; when the barbarous Souldiers cried out Justice, Justice, Execution, Execution. See also page 199. The Conspirators meet [Page 169]in a Committee to appoint the manner, time, and place of the murther. Now blush, O Heavens, and be ashamed, O Earth, at the reading of that which followeth. Some (saith he, page 199, and 200.) would have his Head and Quarters fastned upon Poles (as it is usual with Traitors) that the marks of their cruelty might outlast his death. Others would have him hang'd, as they punish'd Thieves and Murtherers. Others gave their Votes that he should suffer in his Royal Habi­liments, with his Crown, and in his Robes, that it might be a Triumph of the People's power over Kings. At last, they agree, That he should lose his Head near White-hall-gates before the Banqueting-house that so from thence where he used to sit on his Throne, and shew the splendor of Majesty, he might pass to his Grave, there parting with the Ensignes of Royalty, and laying them down as Spoils, where he had be­fore used them as the Robes of Empire. Thus did they endeavour to make their malice inge­nious, and provided Triumphs for their revenge. And because they suspected he would not stoop to the block, they caused to be fastned in it some Iron staples and Rings, that by them, with cords, they might draw him down if he would not comply.

Who can forbear to tell one signal Pas­sage [Page 170]of most barbarous and blasphemous Hypocrisie, which the same Author wri­teth, pag 203. Some of the chief Conspira­tors suspecting lest the Lord Fair fax should hin­der the Execution, came to him that morning that they had signed the Warrant for the Kings Ass [...]ssination, and disired him with them to seek the Lord by Prayer, that they might know his mind in the thing: which he assenting to, Harrison was appointed for the duty, and by compact to draw out his profane and blas­phemous discourse to God in such a length as might give them time for the Execution, which they privately sent to their Instruments to ha­sten; of which when they had notice that it was past, they rose up and perswaded the Ge­neral that this was a full return of prayer, and God having so manifested his pleasure, they were to accuiesce in it. But for further tor­menting my Readers heart and my own, I would add what the same Author tells us, pag. 205. Thus the King finished his Martyr­d [...]m, but the Enemies not their malice, who abused the headless trunk. Some washt their hands in the Royal Blood; others dipt their stav [...]s in it, they sold the chips of the block and the sands that were discoloured with his Blood, and exposed his very Hairs to sale, which the Spectators bought for different uses, [Page 171]some as the Reliques of so glorious a Prince, and some out of a brutish malice, would have them as Spoils and Trophies of their hatred to their lawful Sovereign. One is said to have curiously survey'd the murthered Car­cass, when it was brought in the Coffin into White-hall, and to assure himself the King was dead, with his fingers to have search­ed the wound, whether the head were fully se­vered from the body or no; pag. 206. After­terward they permitted the Body to be unbow­elled to an Emperick of the Faction, together with the rude Chirurgions of the Army (not permitting the King's own physicians to this of­fice) and commanded them to search (which was as much as to bid them so report) whether they could not find in it Symptoms of the French Disease, or some other evidences of frigidity and natural impotency, that so they might have some colour to slander him, who was eminent for chastity, or to make his Seed infamous. Shew me who can, a Murther committed, though upon but a private person, with more barbarous circumstances of cruelty, inhumanity and malice, then was this up­on the King? of which you may read more at large in the Book forementioned, p. 171, to p. 207. Read those passages over and over, and see how they make that [Page 172]sin out of measure sinful; and then consider if for the Nation to be humbled before God once a year for so prodigious and publick a Villany, be any more than is fit and neces­sary.

Eighteenth Aggravation, The Scripture will bear me out in the expression, if I call the murther of the late King by the name of Deicide, because the Scripture calls Kings by the name of Gods. I have said they are Gods; only allaying it with the following words, but they shall die like men. Though the true and the living God be immortal, yet there are certain mortals who are called Gods, even by him who is the true and only immortal God, or who alone hath immortality ( viz. in and from him­self.) And of this sort of Gods, are all Kings or Rulers therefore so called (be­cause they have the Image and Inscrip­tion of Gods Authority and Majesty upon them, so and in such a manner as private men have not) though Parents and Masters, as such are vested with some lower degree of Power and Authority in their re­spective Persons and Places. Now the mur­thering of King Charles I. was the mur­thering of a mortal God. which is a greater sin by much than is the murthering of a [Page 173]meer mortal man. There are three forts to which the name of God is applied, The first is, God [...], God by essence, that is, he that made the World; all other are but mortal gods, and much inferiour to him: To us there is but one; the true and the living God. 1. There are Dij [...], False Gods; such were all the Idols of the Heathen. 3. There are Dij. [...], Gods so called by Grace and favourable condescension. Such are Angels and Magi­strates: Kings are inferior to the true God, but superior to all false Gods; yea, in their own dominion superior to him who exalteth himself above all that is culled God, &c. 'Tis much to be feared that whilst a sort of men busie themselves, and are much concern'd about that I­mage of God in Princes, which consists in righteousness and true holiness, and do either ascribe, or not ascribe it to them, and have been wont to respect or disre­spect them accordingly, I mean as they have taken them for Saints or no Saints. I say, whilst men trouble themselves about that which is a matter of hope and charity, not of science or certainty; it is much to be fear [...]d they overlook that Image of God which is certainly in all Kings and Rulers, [Page 174]as such, viz. in point of Authority and Do­minion, which they ought to honor and re­verence, though they knew the other were wanting. For most sure it is, That Dominium non fundatur in gratia. A man may be a King, and ought to be reveren­ced as such, though he be no Christian, but a profest Ethnick or Heathen. God has gi­ven the earth to the Children of men: Wo would be to Princes if none were bound to obey them but such as do, and will own them for Saints. Then would they be Saint­ed and un-Sainted toties quoties, as oft as they pleas'd or displeas'd the people; for so has been the manuer of men. Who can­not instance in men, who but a little while before were generally vogud to be but carnal or moral men, that to serve an end, have presently been run up to Saints, cano­nized all of the sudden; and they who but a few weeks before were thought not to have grace so much as a grain of muster-seed, amounts to their grace in an instance, was become (by common same) like as a great tree, so that the birds of the air might come and lodge on the branches thereof. But let me tell thee (Reader) even such Princes as were Antiochus, Epiphanes (or Epimanes, as some call him) and such as Nero, who [Page 175]respective to their morals, have appeared in the world like Devils, yet were Gods by Office and Denomination from Scripture (and we must alwayes allow that God who is the fountain of all honour, is the best He­rald, and best knows what title to give to every one) and in their place and sphere ought to be respected as such. Saint Paul when inadvertently he called Ananias the high Priest a whited-wall, Acts 23.3. for judging contrary to the Law, when it was said to him, Revilest thou Gods high Priest; repli'd, I wist not that he was the high Priest, for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people: Not but that he of whom he spake it, was in and of himself as a whited wall or painted sepulcher; but nevertheless the respect due to a a great Noble ought to have been paid him in his place. Yea, to kill a very bad Prince were Deicide, or the killing of a mortal god, for as a Prince he is a god. But what if a King that resembles God, not only in his Great­ness but Goodness, not only in his Power and Authority, but in his Purity and Holi­ness, in his Wisdom and Mercy; and several other of his most glorious Attributes (and such a one many have told us, that knew him, if we did not, was King Charles the [Page 176]First, what if he be murthered by his own Subjects, are they not Regicides with a witness, that shall do it? yea, they have done it?

Now if any man shall ask me that in­divious question (as some account it) which of the Kings Subjects was it that put him to death? I answer first of all Negatively, Not the Body or Community of the Nation, not the major part or generallity, but a few in comparison of them. 2. Not the repre­sentative of the Nation, the Parliament I mean; for all the Lords disclaim'd it, and and most of the Commons, and were laid aside to make way for it; but positively first, All that were active in the War be­twixt King and Parliament, must be con­fessed to have remotely and ignorantly, though not voluntarily and intentionally con­tributed thereunto, because that the mur­ther of him had never been but for the War. Some classical men sore against their will and intention, were partly accessary to that most unclassical and illegal action.

But they must needs be charg'd with the murthering of the King, who suffered themselves to be made his Judges and to sit as such. His very Executioner, whoso­ever that disguised Caitiff was (for whom [Page 177]it bad been well if he had been born without hands, if not that he had never been born) was not so guilty of his death, as was every one of his presumptuous Judges. For Plus peccat Author quam Actor, is an old and a good rule; i.e. The Author is worse than the Actor.

Thirdly, Some chief Officers of the Army that then was, though possibly they were not nominated amongst his Judges, had as great a hand in his death, as any body had, and possibly were the first means of it, and the greatest sticklers for it. Their names and ends are sufficiently known.

Fourthly, That sort of men who not only adhered to the Parliament, but had a respect for the Covenant till neer the time of the King's death; and then of a sudden had wont to cry out, The Covenant was an Al­manack out of date. And why said they so? but because the Covenant did seem to stand in their light, and to be a block in their way, who had a mind to have the King's Head cut off? I say, Those who cri'd up the Covenant till towards the year 1648 but then cri [...]d it down as much, and made an Al­manack out of date of it, and about that time and ever after, did alwayes more ad­here to the Army than to the Parliament, [Page 178]they were the well-willers to the death of the King; they were promoters, counte­nancers and abetters of it. I have met with a parcel of Names, Characters, and Peri­phrases somewhere, which if I am able to expound them, do describe that Genera­tion of men, who were best pleased with the King's death, and gave most counte­nance to it, before and afterwards, viz. The Cantonizers of the Church, the dividers and subdividers of it in semper divisibilia. The Mother Church of Enthusiasts and En­thusiasm in England. The Ecclesiastical De­mocracy. The close Persecutors of such as dis­sent or depart from them. They who pretend to run so far from Babylon, as that they run beyond Jerusalem. The Punctuallists, who demand Scripture for every punctilio or circumstance in and about the Service of God, but can shew none for many of their own Practi­ces: ex. gr. Their Auricular Confessions of faith, &c. The people that talk much of a Judg­ment of Charity, by which they make Saints of those they have a kindness for; and yet have less charity in judging of others than most men have. The Antpodes to [...]rclacy and Monarchy. The Disciples of the Council of Savoy, such as d [...]scribe the Church of God, as if it were like to that which is unintelligibly [Page 179]said of the Soul of man, viz. tota in toto & tota in qualibet parte, Men of the new­found Discipline. The Trap door men, who from that passage in the Covenant, which was for preserving the L [...]fe and Honor of the King, found this door of [...]scape, viz. in the preservati­on of Religion, and insisted much upon it, That the life of Religion and the life of the King could not consist together. They who dscourse and act as if every Member-Church were the whole body mystical of Christ, or as if Christ had innumerable entire bodies, or his whole bo­dy mystical in every place; where two or three are met together (as Papists say of his body natural.) The younger Brethren of Presbytery: For saith one, Our English Amsterdam was founded since our English Geneva. They who cried down the Covenant, as it was for Monar­chy, and for the preservation of the King's Life and Honour; but did and do still cry up the Covenant against Prelacy, and to upbraid all Conformists with Perjury, who have declar'd the Covenant not to be obligatory. The great Freeholders in point of Discipline, who brook no Landlord in that point, or to have any Au­thority over them. The Hance-town Church­men, who claim to have all Power and Juris­diction within themselves, and say, Who is Lord over them? That sort of men, who of [Page 180]all sorts of Christians seem to have least re­gard to one Article of our Creed, viz. I believe the Holy Catholick Church; or they by whose practice one would think that were no Article of their Creed. If there be no sort of men to whom the Characters aforesaid do agree; sith no Party is nam'd, none need to be concern'd; but if any such there be, or have been, they were they who said of the King's death. Ah! ah! so would we have it. The Limner who drew the foregoing Picture thought it a disparagement to write under it. This is the Picture of such an one: for if it be like no body, it is good for nothing. 'Tis pos­sible that some whom it doth not concern, will out of a jealous humour, apply it to themselves; but let them be warn'd by what was said of one that did so. I (said the Author of a certain Character) have made a Fools Cap, and such an one has put it upon his head, and fancies that it fits him. But in good earnest, if the Painter have not wrong'd those people whose Picture he meant to give us, but such be their real Feature and Portraicture, if it be as like them as can be they are a people worthy to be exposed, chid, and rebuked, and most unworthy to be esteem'd by others, at [Page 181]any such rate as they esteem themselves and one another. Let those Characters be intended of whomsoever (for I shall not pretend to know of whom they are in­tended, but I have found them somwhere) methinks the men of such a Complexion and Constitution as they seem to describe, must needs be some of those men that were well-willers to the death of King Charles the Martyr. For they can never love Kings well, who would be Kings them­selves. John 19.12. Whosoever maketh him­self a King, speaketh against Caesar.

Fifthly, Doubtless Fifth-Monarchy-men gave no discountenance to the death of the King; for many of them thought long for the expiration of the fourth Monarchy (which they supposed might be at the death of the King or soon after:) For when all was overturn'd, overturn'd, overturn'd, then they thought he would come whose right it is.

Sixthly, But that the Papists should be so hearty for the King's Murther, as it should seem they or some of them were, is not that the wonder of all wonders? May not such a truth as that is be confirmed by the Testimony of two great Orthodox Di­vines? If so, they are forth-coming. The [Page 182]first shall be Dr. Perrinshiefe, pag. 195. For there mentioning Jesuitical Counsels, he ad­deth, whose Society, it is reported upon the King's offering to give all possible security a­gainst the corruptions of the Church of Rome; at a Council of theirs, did decree to use their whole Interest and Power with the Faction to hasten the King's death, which sober Prote­stants had reason enough to believe, because all or the most of the Arguments which were used by the Asserters of this violence on his Maje­sty, were but gleanings from Popish Writers. Also pag. 213. the same Author saith thus: How little the Papists credited what the Facti­on would have the world believe, was too evident by the Conspiracies of their Father against his Life and Honour, which the discovery of Hubernefield brou [...]ht to light. They were mingled likewise amon [...]st the Conspirators, and both heated and directed their fury against him. They were as importunate in their calumnies of him, even after his death, as were the vilest of the Sectaries. For his sake they continued their hatred to his Family, abetted the usur­pations of the following Tyrant, by imposing on the world new Rules of Obedience and Go­vernment; invent [...]d frrsh calumnies for the Son, obstructed by various Methods his return to the Principality, because he was heir as well [Page 183]of the Faith as of the Throne of his Father. My next witness (and two such witnesses may suffice as well as twenty) shall be Dr. Mo [...]ul [...]n, Prebendary of Canterbury, in a Book of his called, A Vindication of the Protestant Religion in the point of Obedi­ence to Sovereigns, &c. pag. 58. The late Re­belion was raised and fostered by the Arts of the Court of Rome, Jesuites professed them­selves Independent, as not depending on the Church of England, and in the Committees forthe destruction of the King, they had their Spes and their Agents. The Roman Priest and Confessor is known, who when the fatal stroke was given to our holy King and Martyr, flourish [...]d his Sword, and said, Now the great­est Inemy that we have in the world is gone, I'll [...]uote no more, but rather commend that excedent Book to thy reading. Thus have we made a competent discovery at whose door the death of the late King doth princi­pally [...]ie.

Her upon, methinks, I hear some say­ing, But what is the King's death to us, who had not the least finger in the death of the murthered King? What is that to us? Let them look to it, as was said to Judas, when in despair. Answ. There are many ways and circumstances whereby a man [Page 184]that was not principally concern'd, yet may be brought in as truly accessary to the Kings death, or to any such thing as it was, viz. 1. Connivendo. 2. Non reprehendendo. 3. Non praeveniendo. 4 Non dolendo. 5. Demeren­do. 6. Non deprecando. 7. Imitando. 8. Non detestando satis, & contra protestando. 9. Pro­vocando. 10. Non puntendo cum possumus. 'Tis much to be feared, that this whole Nation may come in for a share in the Kings death thus remotely, or upon account of one or other of the foresaid particulars: For 1. Some did as it were connive at it when it was in fieri, or bringing about, and dic not do all they could have done to prevent it. Now to such that passage, 1 Sam. 26.15, 16. may be applied, David said to Abner, where­fore hast thou not kept thy Lord the King? For there came one of the people in to destroy the King thy Lord. As the Lord liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kpt your Master the Lords Anointed: And now see where the Kings spear is, and the cruse of wa­ter that was at his Bolster. Was not old Eli therefore charged with the sins of his wic­ked Children, because his Sons made them­selves vile, and he restrained them not, 1 Sam. 3.13. There is a Saying that would bear hard in this case, Qui non prohbet cum po­test [Page 185]jubet. 2. Some did not enough deprecate the death of the King, which every one was able to have done, though many could do nothing else but that to promote it. The old Armor of Christians, which are Prayers and Tears ought to have been taken up by all men, and managed to the best advan­tage for the defence of his Majesty's life. If that were not done, you were remotely accessary to his death. 3. If you did not sufficiently lay that to heart, mourn over, and bewail it, you are in some degree guil­ty concerning it. So had Lot been of the sins of Sodom, if he had not vexed his righ­teous soul with the ungodly conversation of that place (as he is said to have done, 2 Pet. 2.8.) The Apostle chargeth the Corinthians con­cerning the Incestuous man, 1 Cor. 5.2. saying, Ye are puffed up and have not rather mourned that he who hath done this thing might be taken away from among you. God sent his Angel, as we read, Ezek 9.4. to set a mark (of preservation) upon the fore­heads of the men that sighed and cried for the abominations done in the midst of Jerusalem, and upon them only: as who should say, the rest were involved in the common guilt. 4. If we have not duly reproved and repre­hended such as had a hand in the King's [Page 186]death, according to what opportunities we have had so to do; labouring to con­vince them of the horrible evil and sin of which they were guilty, and to call them to repentance then are we in part guilty of, and accessary to it our selves. So much is intended in that passage of the Apostle, Eph. 5.11. Have no fellowship with the fruits of darkness, but rather reprove them; imply­ing, that they who reprove them not, are reckoned by God to have part or fellow­ship with them. 5. If we have not suffi­ciently detested the putting of the King to death, and seasonably entred a Protesta­tion against it; surely we are in part guil­ty of it. David hath an expression to that purpose, Psal. 101.3. I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me: in­timating, that the only way to have no­thing of other mens turnings aside, or sins to cleave to him, was for him to hate their wayes: and as for entring our pro­test against other mens sins, see how careful Joshuah was to clear himself by doing that, Josh. 24 14, 15. Put away the gods which your Fathers served in Egypt, and serve ye the Lord. And if it seem evil to serve the Lord, chuse ye this day whom ye will serve; but as for me, I and my house will [Page 187]serve the Lord. 6. They who do any ways provoke, stir up, or encourage others to a sin, the acting whereof they themselves do not touch with the least of their fingers, are for that reason guilty of that sin. Wit­ness that most remarkable passage, Exod. 32.35. The Lord plagued the people because they made the Calf that Aaron made. The people are said to have made it, because they put Aaron upon the making of it. 7. They who were any ways contributing and assisting towards the death of the King, though ignorantly, and far from in­tentionally, or to any of those things which did make way for the acting and ac­complishing of that bloody Tragedy, were in part accessary to his death. As the men who broke off the golden ear-rings which were in the ears of their wives and daughters, and brought them to Aaron, therewith to make a golden Calf, are therefore said to have made that Calf, though they made it not a Calf, but only Aaron gave it a form and shape, Exod. 32.20. And Moses took the Calf which they (i. e. the people) had made, and burnt it. Causa causae est causa causati, is an old Rule. 8. We become guilty of the sins of other men, which we imitate and follow; for in so doing we do as it were [Page 188]vouch, vindicate, and justifie them. Luke 11, 49, 50, said the Wisdom of God, I will send them Prophets and Apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute: That the blood of all the Prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this Generation, &c. 9. Lastly, (to name no more at this time) We may be guilty of other mens sins (and so of murthering the King in particular, Deme rendo by our other sins, whereby we have provoked God to let so great a judgment (for it may be considered as a judgment as well as a sin) befal the Nation. Witness that pat Text, 2 Sam. 24.1. And again the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, to say, Go, number Israel and Judah, Now quit himself who can from all those remote ways of accessoriness to the late Kings death.

Now I am very prone to think that the Accessoriness of men to the sins of others in such way and manner as hath been ex­pressed, is one of the best accounts that can be given why God punisheth some men for other mens sins; ex. gr. Israel and Judah for David's numbring of the people, 2 Sam. 24. Particularly for men's justifying the sins of others, by treading in their steps, and doing [Page 189]wickedly as they did before them, which is very provoking to God; witness Deut. 32.13, 14. The Lords anger was kindled against Is­rael, and he made them wander in the wilder­ness forty years, &c. And behold ye are risen up in your Fathers stead, an increase of sin­ful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord against Israel. Possibly one main rea­son of God's imputing Original sin to any besides him that committed it (and whose actual sin it was) is because men do justifie the same by their actual transgressions. For if Adam did not do well in doing what God had forbad him; why do we the same thing, presuming from day to day to eat as it were of forbidden fruit? Yea, I do veri­ly believe, that God never did and never will impute Original sin to the eternal con­demnation of any one person, male or fe­male, that hath not or shall not rise up and justifie the same by his or her actual trans­gressions.

But now lest the hearts of them, who were primarily, immediately, intentionally, and wilfully guilty of murthering King Charles the First, should be hardned by hearing that almost every body had remote­ly or indirectly a hand or finger in the death of that good King, give me leave to tell [Page 190]you, that there is no comparison betwixt the greatness of their guilt who are the principal Actors the wilful and deliberate Contrivers and Executots of such a bloo­dy fact as that was; and of others, who by some of the ways before-mentioned are become, sore against their will and inten­tions, and beyond all that they could ever imagine, in some sort Accessary to, and re­motely concern'd in it, and at a great di­stance guilty of the same. It was occasi­oned by a Lye of David's, that as we read, 1 Sam. 22.18. The King ( i. e. Saul) said to Doeg, Turn thou and fall upon the Priests. And Doeg went and fell upon the Priests; and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linnen Ephod. ver. 19. And Nob the City of the Priests smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, asses, and sheep. Hear David's Confession, ver: 22. that it was long of him; David said to Abiathar, I knew it that day when Doeg was there, that he would surely tell Saul, I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy Fathers house. Now had David been as deeply guilty of the death of so many Priests, and other Peo­ple as Saul was, who commanded Doeg to kill them, or as Doeg was, who did so wil­lingly [Page 191]execute that bloody command of Saul directly opposite to the Command of God, 'tis like he had been overwhelm'd with the sense of it; but as the case stood, he was not so, because, though he was not altogether unaccessary to the slaughter aforesaid, yet he had so small a hand in it, and was so very remotely, indirectly, and vn­intentionally concern'd therein, that his Con­science had not much to say to him con­cerning it. For it fareth in such cases as these, as it doth in some small and slender Errors in judgment, which may be charged with dangerous Consequences at the long run, they may possibly be no great preju­dice to these that hold them, or are de­ceived by them, because they do utterly abhor those Consequences wherewith they are charged, neither do they apprehend that they are chargeable with any such Consequences. Ex. gr. Suppose that be an Error that some have made such ill use of, That Christ shall reign upon the earth a thou­sand years, though Fifth monarchy-men have taken occasion from thence to raise Arms and rebel, under pretence of bringing Christ to his Throne, yet ought not all that ever were of that opinion, or now are, to be cour­ted Rebels. For there are and have been men [Page 192]of that perswasion, who knew full well that the Kingdom of Christ upon Earth stood in no need of mens sins and Rebellion to set it up, but would make way for its self when the full time was come. God forbid, that I should be so unjust as to charge every bo­dy, with the death of the martyred King, at any such rate as his Judges are charged with it; but this I am bold to say, viz. that the whole Nation, at leastwise by deserving that so great a judgment should befal it, as was the cutting off a good King, or by not sufficiently bewailing that such a thing was done, or notenough abhorring the tsinfulness of that fact, are become so far forth accessary to it, as doth give every man sufficient occasion to cast in his Lot a­mongst those that do fast and mourn upon every 30th. day of January.

And now, methinks, I hear some people objecting against the Law which hath esta­blished a perpetual Fast upon that occasion to be celebrated every year, and on such a day; as if it were a thing of which no good account could be given, or more than needs, and concerning which the great God would say, Who hath required this at your hands? As if it did but kindle coals, keep up revenge, renew heats and [Page 193]animosities, raise and disturb the Ghosts of the dead, which should be at rest; up­braid those who have received their pu­nishment, and upon the whole matter do more hurt than good. Now to those who ask us, Quo warranto do we keep our An­versary Fast on every 30th day of Janua­ry? To that I answer: 1. We have fre­quent instances in holy Writ, of Magistrates taking upon them to appoint Religious Fasts, 1 Sam. 7.5. And Samuel said, Ga­ther all Israel to Mizepeh: And they gather­ed to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the Lord, and fasted all that day, &c. (Which passage the Chaldee Paraphrase doth thus gloss upon, viz. Hauserunt aquas e puteo cordis sui & abunde lachrymati sunt coram Domino, resipiscentes, i. e. They drew waters out of the wells of their hearts, and wept abundantly before the Lord; but that by the way.) See also 2 Chron. 20.3. Jehoshaphat feared ( viz. because Moab and Ammon were come up against him) and set himself to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a Fast throughout Judah. See also Ezra 8.21. Then I proclaimed a Fast (saith Ezra) that we might afflict our selves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance. Also [Page 194] Esther 4.16. Go gather together all the Jews that are in Shushan (said Queen Hester) and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maids will fast likewise, and so will I go in unto the King, which is not according to the Law, and if I perish, I perish. See Jonah 3.5. So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaim­ed a Fast. ver. 6. For word came to the King of Nineveh, and he covered him with sack­cloth, and sate in ashes. And he caused it to be proclaimed and published thorow Nineveh, by the decree of the King and his Nobles, &c. All these Texts do manifest beyond all con­tradiction, That even the best of Rulers and Magistrates, such as Samuel, Jehosha­phat, Ezra, &c. have taken upon them to proclaim and enjoyn Religious Fasts when they saw causes for it: which doubtless so good and knowing men as these would ne­ver have done, if it had not belonged to them. So then, there can be no fault in Magistrates assuming to themselves to ap­point a Fast, and Fasts, upon sufficient and meet occasions; though some cannot en­dure to hear of Civil Magistrates their med­ling or making, more or less, about matters of Religion, no though it be to promote it; but I think they are more nice than wise in that particular.

But may some say, Will the occasion bear a Fast, viz. The Death of the King so many years ago? To which I answer, Why not? Surely it will. Great Judgments ei­ther incumbent or but impendent have been the occasions of Fasts. So of Jeho­shaphat's and of Esther's Fast; and why are not great sins as much and as just an occa­sion of a Fast, for they are causes and pro­curers of great Judgments? Have we not as much cause to fast and pray in refe­rence to that Guilt which is upon our heads, as to War or other Calamities, which do but hang or hover over our heads? Now whereas some may think that though such an occasion as that may well bear a day or two once for all, yet an An­niversary Fast upon such an account as this is too much. I am not of their mind: For why not Anniversary Fasts upon great and and publick sins, as well as Anniversary Feasts upon great and publick deliveran­ces? and that appointed by Magistrates too? Such was the Feast of Purim, i. e. of Lots, which was instituted by Mordecai, (who you know was a very good man) in remembrance of the Jews delivery from Ha­man, before whom Lots were cast from day to day for the destruction of them. We read al­so [Page 196]of an Anniversary Feast, called the Feast of Dedication, [...] (a Feast wherein something is renewed, because those things only are reputed consecrated, which are separated from their old common, and dedi­cated to some new and holy use. That Feast was appointed by Judas Macchabeus to be observed from year to year for the space of eight days together in the Month Ca­fleu, which answereth to our December. Of this St. John, chap. 20.22. speaks and men­tioneth our Saviour's presence there: It was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the Temple in Solomons Porch.

God hath given us standing general Rules for set days of Fasting or Thanksgi­ving as the matter shall require; but hath left it to the Rulers of the Church or State to appoint the time, whether every year, or as they please, and made it our duty to o­bey them in it, as in all other lawful things. God forbid that we should not obey the Magistrate in those Commands of his in which he obeys God; and surely he obeys God in commanding those things to be done which God also hath commanded, or for which he hath given general Rules to be applied to particular times and [Page 197]places, as the Magistrate shall think fit

If any do think that the Fast which I am now speaking of, is meerly a Fast for strife and for smiting with the fist. I utterly deny that any such thing doth appear to have been the Magistrates intent in appointing it, neither ought we to be so uncharitable as to think so, neither is there any necessi­ty of making it to be so. For upon that day we call to remembrance a great and shameful sin which divers men have suf­fered for, yet it is not to make their per­sons more odious, whose lives have paid for what they did, but to stigmatize their fact, that the like may never be com­mitted in this or any succeeding age; it is not to make the Murtherers infamous, but the Murther, the Regicide, to cause that to stink in the Nostrils of all men. 'Tis not to grieve the hearts of their surviving Relations, Widows, or Children, &c. I say, it is to grieve no body that had no hand them­selves in the death of that excellent King; but it is, that others may hear and do no more so wickedly.

I look upon a 30th. day of January to be the most proper day in all the year to preach up Loyalty, and to preach down Re­bellion, [Page 198]not in any railing or reviling, but in a sober rational convincing way, and may all Pulpits ring with Loyalty on every such day, and Rebellion be rendered as odious on that day, as we use to render Popery and his Holiness on each fifth day of November. Did I know any person or persons that were so wretched and cross-grain'd as to turn a 30th. day of January into a kind of Festival or Thanksgiving-day, I would not doubt to apply to him or her those words, Isai. 22.12, 13. In that day did the Lord call to weep­ing, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth. And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. ver. 14. Surely this ini­quity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of Hosts. I was about to say, that as many people as do rejoyce at the remembrance of the late Kings death, do as it were put him to death afresh (as some are said to crucifie our Saviour again, if I may so allude) and do what in them lies to bring the guilt of his Royal Blood, as much upon their own heads, as it was upon the head of his Judges.

Now in the close of all, If any man shall say to me, Cui bono? or Quorsum haec? To what purpose is it for any man to set [Page 199]forth the murthering of the late King in its colours (as you have done) since the thing is past and gone, and cannot be recall'd, and now there is no help for it, &c. To that I answer, By the same reason may you think it needless to call to remem­brance any great sin of your own; say­ing it is past and gone, and now there is no help for it, To what purpose should I mourn over it? any more than David did over his Child, when perfectly dead? or why should not I rather do as he then did, of whom it is said, That when the child was dead he washed and anointed himself, and changed his Apparel, and eat bread, 2 Sam. 20, &c. I answer, Though we ought to sor­row as little as we can for those Afflictions which are gone over our heads, and can­not be recall'd, and to forget them as soon as we can, yet it ought not to be so with us, such ought not to be our carriage, in reference to our sins: David saith, That his sins were ever before him. Who ever condemn'd Peter for weeping, after the crowing Cock caused him to reflect upon his denying his Master? Who ever found fault with David for watering his couch with his tears, after he had polluted it with Adultery? If we could forget our Afflictions more, and our sins [Page 200]less, it would be better for us. Sorrows are best forgotten, but sins are best remem­bred.

Possibly it is no more than God expects, that so notorious a fact should be publickly lamented every year. I am deceived if a good advantage may not be made of that days Solemnity, if piously and prudently managed, whereby to make more Con­verts and Proselytes to Loyalty, than have been in England of late years, and to bring men better acquainted with the Doctrine and Duty of Obedience to the lawful Com­mands of Magistrates, than they seem to have been hitherto: A Doctrine in which some men, the more their sin and shame, find no more relish than in the white of an Egg, and is one of those sound Doctrines, which some men will not endure, which is a part of that [...], that health­ful, wholsome, or healing Doctrine, of which the Apostle saith, 2 Tim. 4.3. The time will come when men will not endure sound Doctrine. Moreover, I was about to say, out of that Viper, or viperous Action, viz. Regicide (at lestwise as one principal ingredient there­of) may a good Theriaca, Treacle, or Anti­dote be made against all Sedition and Rebel­lion for time to come; which things have [Page 201]now the death of a King to answer for, and are become more infamous and hate­ful than ever before, because stain'd and tainted, and made more execrable by the guilt of Royal Blood.

Upon the 30th of January, of all days in the year, let Parents instruct their Chil­dren, and Masters their Servants in the fifth Commandment, particularly as it contains the duty of Subjects towards Kings and Ru­lers. Possibly your Children and your Ser­vants will be more obedient to you than now they are; when you have learnt to be more obedient to those whom God hath set over you in the Church or State; Nay, some good and pious women, whilst they are teaching their Children and Servants o­bedience to the King, may reflect and learn more obedience to their own Hus­bands. Ʋpon that day, let every thing that is under Government be taught to obey. I do really think it a very great defect in Pa­rents not to train up their Children in Loy­alty (amongst other Principles of Religion, for that is one head of the Fifth Command­ment) not to train them up in that way of their youth, that they may not forget it when they are old. Perhaps some Parents had kept their Children from those untime­ly [Page 202]ends which their Disloyalty hath brought them to, if they had done so. Let us pos­sess our Families with awful apprehensions of Magistracie, and the necessity of obeying those whom God hath set over us in all lawful things; and this especially upon e­very 30th. day of January. For want of this many are undone by scrupling what they need not, viz. indifferent things, and not scrupling what they ought, viz. Rebel­lion.

Is it not to little purpose generally for men to give their Children Learning, unless they instruct them in Loyalty; for if they are to seek as to that, where, and in what capacity shall they use their Learning? What shall be the Sphere of their activity? A little Learning would serve the turn to preach to so few hearers, as the Law will afford, or allow them, who are not in­structed in obedience. How many Lads of excellent parts and hopes, having suckt in d [...]sloyal Principles, as it were with their Mothers milk, have been put to mean and Mechanick Trades, and forced to live by their hands, who could have liv'd by their heads or head-pieces as well as most men, had they not been denied that Edu­cation that should have inabled them so to do.

It might prevent the ruine of thousands if such Texts, as some that I could name, were preached upon on every 30th. day of January, and handled as they should be; I mean so, as that the Reason and Consci­ences of men might feel what the Mini­ster saith, and go away more fixed in Loy­alty and Obedience, than they came thi­ther. Ex. gr. one of the Texts I mean is, Prov. 24.21, 22. My Son, fear thou the Lord and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knows the ruine of them both? What we translate given to change, some render by the word Rebellibus Rebels, others by nova Molientibus, such as project or attempt new things, i. e. new Governments. There are two expressions that bid fair for the sense of those words, who knows the ruin of them both? 1. Who knows what ruine may fall upon them who honour not God and the King from them both: i. e. both from God and the King. 2. Or the words may be rendred, who knows, Sheneicem, i. e. terminum annorum, the end of their years and days, who are given to change and overturn Governments, how soon they may perish in their Rebellion, as did Corah and his Complices?

Another Text which I wish that Parents would mind their Children, and Masters their Servants of upon every 30th, day of January, is Prov. 17.26. To punish the just is not good, nor to strike Princes for equity. Methinks at the first hearing the words do sound as if the meaning of them were, That it is not good to strike Princes, un­der pretence of bringing them as Delinquents to condign punishment, of trying them by a pretended Court of Justice, or Process of Law, as Jezebel tried Naboth. Surely, if a man be either a just man, or a Prince, he ought not to be stricken by the hand of any man. If just, because he deserves it not; if a Prince or King, because if you could sup­pose him to have deserved it, he is to be reserved to the judgment of the King of Kings, as David said concerning Saul, 1 Sam. 26.10. The Lord shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into bat­tle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lords Anoint­ed. ver. 9. And David said to Abishat, (who said to him, Let me smite Saul once with a spear to the earth, and I will not smite him a­gain) for who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless? Cause your Children and Servants to read such [Page 205]Texts as these upon every 30th. day of Ja­nuary. A disloyal Education, I perswade my self hath been the temporal ruine of ma­ny a hopeful Person. Let no Parents con­vey those groundless prejudices into the minds of their children, which may prove the seeds of Rebellion in time, at leastwise of Faction and Sedition, which will ever keep them from ever signifying any thing in this world, and consign them over to the woful temptations of want and beggery; and what if Parents, when they have compassed Sea and Land to make their Children Froselytes to their own perswasions, have proved but ignes fatui to their own children, meerly mis­led and misguided them? And whilst they being blind themselves as to those matters, lead their children as blind as themselves, both of them fall into the ditch? God secure all conscientious Loyalty and Obedience in this and all following Ages; and let all good and wise Parents cause their Chil­drn to suck it in with their Mothers milk, that such days of Rebellion, Treason, Perjury, Sacriledge, and Murther, as our eyes have seen, may never return upon us a­gain.

Tell your Children that in such a year begun a Civil War in England, which end­ed [Page 206]in the murthering, the barbarous mur­thering of a good King; say that, and you need say no more to make any conscienti­ous person tremble at the thought of ano­ther Civil War, o [...] of contributing there­unto. Let the murther of the King be ex­posed to deter all after-ages from ever thir­sting more after the blood of Kings, or at leastwise daring to gratifie and quench that their thirst, &c.

If Ministers will please to lay aside all in­vective language (if any be prone there­unto, of which I can charge no man parti­cularly) upon each 30th. day of January, and whatsoever may give people just occa­sion to say they railed in the Pulpit, using as (one expresseth it) soft words and hard Argu­ments, whereby to convince all gainsayers, that the putting of the late King to death, was an action monstrously wicked & an un­accountable sin to God or men: & if people will be so obedient to Authority, and so true to themselves, as to attend publick preaching and prayer on that day, the An­niversary Fast, may with the blessing of of God, turn to a very good account, name­ly, of securing the Peace and Safety of the Nation, and of the respective Kings of En­gland; and particularly of his gracious [Page 207] Majesty that now is, for ever after. Let us Ministers tell the people on that day how just and righteous God is, how God is known by the Judgments which he execu­teth, the wicked being taken in their own snare, and in the pit which they digged for o­thers; how he causes mens sins to find them out, and long forborn Murther and Re­gicides, to pursue men like Blood-hounds; how he brings the wheel upon ungodly men after long-forbearance, how though he be long-suffering, yet not ever-suffering; and when he maketh inquisition for blood, he will not forget the Blood of Kings, or suffer the shedding of Royal blood to go unpunish­ed.

Mind your people how dangerous the beginnings of publick Disturbances and Changes are, even like sparks of fire in the midst of a Magazine of Gun-powder, and may prove of as dangerous consequence. When a King and his people are once ing a­ged against each other in a War, ten to one but the issue will be, either he will hang them if he have the better of it, or they will be­head him if the day be theirs. Think of So­lomons words, Prov. 17.14. The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out waters, there­fore leave off contention before it be medled [Page 208]with. Think also of the words of St. James, Jam. 3.5. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth.

Labor on that day especially to bring one French fashion into England, viz. to cause the people of England to love and honour their King, as universally as the people of France are said to do, whose humour (and it is a very good one) is this (as I am in­form [...]d) viz. If their King enjoy great re­nown and prosperity, if he be victorious and successful, a little matter else will content them, they are content with any thing, looking upon their happiness as bound up in his; and that if he be happy, they ought not to think them­selves miserable.

A 30th. of January is as good and suta­ble a day as can be to exhort the people, as St. Paul doth, 1 Tim. 1.1, 2. That not on­ly supplications, prayers, and intercessions, but also giving of Thanks, [...], be made for Kings and for all that are in Authority; and in order thereunto, to make them sen­sible how many and great mercies, benefits, and priviledges they enjoy under the Go­vernment of his Majesty that now is. Doth not the blood and spirit of Justice (if I may so call it) freely and uninter­ruptedly circulate in all the veins of this [Page 209]Nation? Was there ever less complaint of Male-administration in publick Courts than has been ever since his Majesties re­turn? What great numbers are there of able Lawyers, Judges, Sergeants, and others Learned in the Law? And possibly as ma­ny Gentlemen of honesty and integrity as have been known of that Profession in any one Age. How well furnished are both the Ʋ ­niversities with good Scholars and good men (though it cannot be expected they should all be such) especially Masters and Fellows of Colledges. And that I may instance in every of the Liberal and Learned Professions. How many Learned Physicians are there in England, far surpassing the number of Learned men of that Profession, it may be, in any part of Europe (for so I have heard.) Nay, how many scores of Pious and Learn­ed Divines are there at this day in England? (doubtless in no age all Divines were such) and amongst them how many painful and excellent Preachers, acurate Disputants, no­ble champions for the Protestant Religion, mighty Goliahs to encounter the greatest Leviathan's, and as rational clear-headed enemies to Atheisme, Enthusiasme and Non­serse as ever drew sword against those Ene­mies.

I was about to fay, If God had given us leave to bespeak a King after our own hearts, or made one on purpose for us, such as we desired, he could not in sundry re­spects, have excelled what he now is: Ex. gr.

1. In point of Mercy and Benignity; I think he has forgiven more than any King did before him, or may do after him; a more unsanguinary Prince never was in the world. Blame him not if he exact that Obe­dience, which is due to him; but he cares as little for Sacrifice as ever King did, and as small a matter hath atoned him, as ever did atone any Prince so provoked and injured as he hath been. If he has not fed his enemies when he saw them hungry, and clo­thed them when they were naked (many men that were his enemies both in war and o­therwise) never did any man do it.

2. In point of Peaceableness, for all know him to be the true Grandchild of King King James. He is none of those that de­light in War, and are ever and anon im­mersing their Subjects in Seas of Blood. He loves not to quarrel his Neighbours round about him, and to Hector them into War, and to give up his people to the Sword, to eat their flesh, and drink their blood; but had [Page 211]rather have them sit under ther vines and under their fig-trees, none making them a­fraid.

3. If Humility and Condescention be an ornament to a Prince, and the advantage of his Subjects, I am much deceived, if his Majesty doth no abound therein; and yet reserveth to himself the Majesty and Greatness which doth become his place: What Prince in the world more affable, more accessible than he?

4. If it be a mercy to have a wise Prince, who understands his own business (as doubt­less it is) tis well known by this time of day that he is one: none but a wise Pilot could steer safely in so great storms as his Ma­jesty hath been in, and preserve a Ship from being lost, sayling amongst so many Rocks, and Shelves, and Sands, as he has done.

The wisdom of his Grandfather King James, as being one of the greatest Royal Scholars that ever was, began early to ap­pear; for the warm Sun of so literate an Education quickly brought him to maturi­ty. But the wisdom of King Charles the Martyr did then most gloriously shine out, when he himself was under a cloud of Ad­versity, and was like Musick, which makes [Page 212]the sweetest melody upon the waters. So did his Piety and Wisdom upon the waters of Affliction. As a man may bebold the Sun in a shady pit or well, better than a­bove ground, for there is no reflexion from the earth to divert our eyes: So they who beheld King Charles the First in the deep pit or well of Affliction, saw his wisdom to greater advantage than it was taken no­tice of before, and in him that Maxime verified, viz. Vexatio dat intellectum. Quite contrary it hapned to his Majesty that now is (whom God bless for ever.) In the years of his Adversity, his wisdom and other ex­cellencies were better known to Foreiners than to us his natural Subjects: for that he was then upon force-put, a stranger to his own Country and Kingdoms, and evil­minded men took the advantage of his Ex­ile and absence to represent him as they pleased. But since his Return we have had as much assurance as we need to wish of the greatness and goodness of his Princely Intellectuals, of his being endowed with ex­cellent natural parts (which brings to mind a Scotch Proverb, viz. That one inch of Mo­ther-wit (meaning natural ingenuity) is better than an ell of Clergy. (And those na­tural parts improved and exalted by forein [Page 213]Travel, converse with all sorts of men. Ex­perience both of Adversity and Prosperity, dispatch of business for many years together, the constant and assistance of wise Counsellors, and the advantage of his great office and Dig­nity;) and you know by how much higher any man standeth, by so much farther off can he see. So that now I know no man can question whether he hath great fitness and skill for the business and purposes of a King, great understanding how to govern in all points, and better skill to manage a Scepter, than any man who hath not a Scepter to manage.

5. If it be yet a further mercy or happi­ness to a people to have a King that is active or nimble, not dull or sluggish; so is he: I had almost said, that his Majesty seems to be as much an Ʋbiquitary when he pleaseth, i.e. here, and there, and every where (as his Affairs require his presence) as any man that wears a body. I had almost said, he hath not only a body so agile and active, as if it were a Soul; but also a Soul so active, as if it were an Angel, ra­ther than the Soul of a mortal man.

6. Is not that King a great mercy and blessing under whom his Subjects do live as easily, as freely, and as much like men, as [Page 214]any Subjects in the world do? Where more liberty, more peace, more plenty than amongst English men? who by their Representatives in Parliament may be said to carry the purse at their Girdles, whilst his Majesty carri­eth the Sword by his side. Go but over Sea to other parts of Europe, or of the world, and when you see how it fareth with Sub­jects almost every where else, what meer Slaves they are in comparison of English­men, you will look upon England as the most temperate Climate that any Subjects do live in; and think with your selves that if there were but a Bridge betwixt England and other parts of the world, all Subjects would chuse to come and live here: (as is said in another case.) Verily, the Subjects of En­gland are little Princes to what the Subjects are in other parts; and to them I may ap­ply those words of the Poet, Foelices nimi­um sua si bona norant. We are too too happy, if we did but know it. If there be at this day a Canaan upon earth like that of old flowing with milk and honey, I mean, a­bounding with all manner of good things, England is one, not for Bodies only, but for Souls also. In England God is known, and his Name great in England; he hath not dealt so with every Nation, nor have they known his [Page 215]Statutes as we have done. Why then hear we such bleating of the sheep, and such lowing of the oxen? Why such murmuring & complain­ing, and not rather serving God with chearful­ness in the midst of all the good things which we have in England. Is it not a great wonder that we should be the most happy of all people, and yet the least contented, the least thankful?

If it be a happiness to a trading people to have a King that maketh it his business to promote the Trade and Traffique of his peo­ple, we have such a one? I could safely produce a person of great worth and emi­nency, and of as much skill in Merchan­dize possibly as most men in the world, who has told me time after time, bona fide, that no Prince, to the best of his observation, was ever so much concern'd for the good of Trade or had more denied himself for the advancement thereof, than his Maje­sty that now is hath done? which I doubt not but he is ready to demonstrate to eve­ry rational man. But if after all this Tra­ding be but dead,, as that is the great complaint, and the very cardo controversiae, & hinc illae lachrymae, may not his Majesty say to his people, Am I in Gods stead? If the Lord help ye not, in that point (as the King said to the woman of Samaria, that [Page 216]cried to him for bread in the time of fa­mine?) How should I help you? So it fareth with many private Families, they are but poor, and yet the Master of the Family is a man of double diligence, providence, fore­cast, rises early, and eates the bread of care­fulness. Is it just and equal that his Chil­dren and Servants should be ready to stone him because he doth not grow rich upon all his labours: Nay, it is as God pleases for that matter; witness Deut. 8.18. Thou shalt remember the Lord thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth. If he that is poor in spight of all his diligence and care, had been careless and slothful, possi­bly his Family had been starv'd, which now is only not rich: So had we not had a Prince who had been such a Nursing-Fa­ther to Trade, as his present Majesty is, it may be by this time there had been no Trade at all, or next to none.

8ly. If Kings be Defenders of the Anti­ent, Catholick, Apostolick Faith, The faith once delivered to the Churches, of the true Christian Protestant Religion, have we not cause to bless God for them as such? And such an one is he whom God hath set o­ver us. Is not the Protestant Religion de­fended by him? Are not Protestants by [Page 217]him defended and protected in the publick, open, and free exercise of their Religion? So as Papists are not (who fly about like Bats rather than otherwise) Are not all the Preferments of the Church bestowed upon the Protestant Divines? have not they all the Archbishopricks, Bishopricks, Deaneries, Prebends, Masterships of Colledg­es, &c. amongst them? Are not good and learned Books against Popery licens'd from time to time, and Popish Books suppres­sed whether they come from beyond Sea, or endeavor to get out of our English Presses? Are not all publick Ordinations, Administration of Sacraments, and other Church-Offices dispensed after the manner of Protestants? Are not the Articles of the Church of England defended by his Maje­sty, and are not they all purely Frotestant? Those things considered, who can deny his Majesty to be really a Defender of the Faith? And why should any man go about to clip his Title, any more than he dare to clip his Coin? May he not be truly a Defender of the Faith, though he be no Defender of Presbytery, either Scotch or English, nor yet of Independency, nor of Anabaptism, nor of Quakerism, nor of Fifth-Monarchism? I say, though he be no Defender of any of them [Page 218]in the Abstract (but only of their persons in the Concrete, who are of those per­swasions) I say, he may be a Defender of the Faith nevertheless, and so he is, for none of these are the Faith: These are but Mint, Annise, and Cummin in respect of the great things of Religion, the Magnalia Dei, the two Tables of the Law, of which he is Keeper. Those are but the arbitrary Modes, Habits, and Dresses of Religion. Clothes do not belong to the essence of a man. A man is a man to all intents and purposes, whether he wear a Cloak or a Coat, or nei­ther, or both. Christianity is the same thing in all good men, whether they wear Gowns or no Gowns, Cassocks or no Cas­socks, and who are called either Epis­copal, Presbyterian, Independent, or whatsoe­ver else. So long as the essentials, Vitals and Fundamentals of Religion are guarded by the Laws of England, and the vigilant care of his Majesty, what becomes of those little airy vehicles of disciplinary names, divisions, and distinctions is the least thing of a thousand. For so long as a man lays no other foundation than that which God hath lay­ed, viz. Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. 3.11. building up­on him by faith, love, and obedience, if he should chuse besides Gold, and silver, and [Page 219]precious stones, to build upon the foundation wood, hay, and stubble, that his superstructure would be burnt, yet himself should cer­tainly be saved. If a man may go to heaven out of the Church of England, as well, yea, more readily than from Geneva or Amsterdam, and from under the Discipline of any of those places, let him look to it that he be a good Christian, exercising him­self to have a Conscience void of offence to­wards God and men; one that worshippeth God in the spirit, rejoyceth in Christ Jesus, and has no confidence in the flesh, as it is Phil. 3.3. and my Soul for his, having thus his fruit unto holiness, his end will be everlasting life. So a man come to Heaven at last, fighting a good fight, finishing a good course, and ha­ving kept the faith ( i. e. having been true to the great Doctrine and Rules of Christi­an Religion defended by the Church of En­gland, and his Majesty more especially, the Supreme Governor thereof under God) by a sincere life and practice thereof, I say, if a man persevering thus to do, come to Heaven at last, whether he come in the Kings high way (as I may call it) I mean, in the more eminent and beaten Road of E­piscopacy, or in the more private, narrow, and unfrequented paths, the matter is [Page 220]not great. But I make account no man can ever come there, who shall live and dye an incourager of known Schisme in o­thers (which is as truly a damning work of the flesh, as Adultery or Murther) or a wil­ful allower of it in himself.

'Tis no complement, much less flattery or blasphemy, to call him Defender of the Faith, by whom as much of Religion as is necessary to Salvation is defended, or ra­ther we his Subjects in the free and safe ex­ercise thereof, though the same favour be not shewn to those who turn aside from the only established Discipline (for but one Di­scipline can be established in one place) as to those who conform thereunto. If a man travel upon the Kings high way be­twixt Sun and Sun, and be rob'd, he may sue and recover his Money: but so may not he that travelleth in By-roads, or cross the Country, or over hedges and ditches. I say, if any man rob them that shall chuse to travel in such by, obscure, and unguarded paths, no amends is made him; only if he chance to be kill'd or murder'd in any wood or wilderness, the Law will lay hold on him that did it. Let who will govern, or the Government be what it will be, they who conform thereunto will always find [Page 221]more regard and countenance than those who do not, though others may be tole­rated and protected also. And so much of our Kings being Defender of the Faith, tru­ly and properly so called, upon account whereof we have cause to bless God for him.

9thly. We have cause to give thanks to God for those Kings, by and under whom all the great ends of Government are provided for, and therefore for his Majesty that now is. By him all the great ends of Government are provided for. What are they, but in two words, Religion and Property? How Religion ot the preservation thereof, and our protection in the profession and pra­ctice thereof are provided for, I shew'd under the 8th, and last head. 'Tis manifest that care is taken that we may lead a quiet and peaceble life in all godliness and honesty, as it is 1 Tim. 2.2. Also how Property is secured to us, may be gather­ed abundantly out of the formentioned particulars. Now if you have any thing more to expect from a King, declare what it is: For I confess I know nothing else that there is for him to do as a King for us, or for us as his Subjects to expect.

10thly, and lastly, I do solemnly appeal to [Page 222]the discontented people of the Nation, and to those whose mouths are most full of complaints; I say, I appeal to them in two cases, which I shall propound in the two following Questions. 1. Quest. If you meet with less misery, enjoy more mercy under his Majesty that now is, than ye did expect or look for, have you not cause to bless God for him? Quest. 2. Do you not really meet with less mi­sery and more mercy under his Majesty that now is, than you thought you should have done? How oft have I heard many that were Par­liamenteers say, If ever the King were resto­red they should not be left worth a morsel of bread, there would be no being for them then in England, he would make the Land too hot for them, and all such as they. They had as good buy Bishops, or Deans and Chapters Lands as not, for if a change came, they should as certainly lose their Lands of Inheritance, and what they got by their own labour, and was as free as any in the world, as Kings and Bishops Lands, if they intended to buy them. I know that many did look upon the King's return as the giving up the Ghost of all their joys and comforts, possessions and enjoyments. But did it prove so? Have not many of them seen as good days as [Page 223]ever they saw before? Where is the Pope­ry you prophesied of, that would come in presently? For you saw it flying towards us, as upon the wings of the wind? Where has been the bloody Persecution, the Marian-days which your minds boded to you? Have you not since that seen days of Grace and Peace, and of the Son of man? Is the Ark taken, as you thought it would be? Is God gone? Is the Glory departed? Is the Gospel extinguished? and the Sun set as it were at Noon day, as you fancied it would be? O leave your dreaming of Dreams, and divining of Divinations; away with those hypocondriack vapours which turn to new Light and Prophecy. Silence and slight your mistaken fancies: Your eyes yet see your Teachers, and your ears hear them. Now, even now, there is an accepted time, a day of Salvation. You were worse scar'd than hurt with the Alarm of a King: Such is not the manner of the King that rules over us, as is described 1 Sam. 8.9. ours is no such King. Are not your Estates (all but those that were ravished from the Church or State) continued with you? Is not the Law open and ready to defend you and yours if required, as much as any other of the Kings Subjects? If you be as quiet, [Page 224]may you not live as quietly as any people in England? To allude to that Text, Psal. 126.1. When the Lord turned again the Cap­tivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Are you not like men and women in a dream to see your selves in so good a plight and posture as you never expected to have been if God restor'd the King? Had God given you a new Law of thankful­fulness upon condition it should have been so well with you as now it is, would you not have accepted it with all your hearts upon those terms? If God has been better to you than his word or promise, your ob­ligation is so much the greater.

Learn we then to bless God for our good King, to love, honour, and obey him; and let us cry out with the man after God's own heart. Psal. 118, 28. God is the Lord which hath shewed us light, bind the Sacri­fice with cords, even to the horns of the Al­tar. ver. 29. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.

Now, Reader, let thine own invention tell thee how these heads may be further enlarged, and upon what other heads it may be most proper for thee to discourse, either in publick or private upon a 30th. day [Page 225]of January sacred to the Memory of King Charles the first his Martyrdom.

I will detain thee no longer, than whilst I have made a little enquiry into one great Mystery, and resolved one perplexing Que­stion, which is this: Quest. If the murther­ing of the late King were so great a sin as I have deciphereed it to be, How comes it to pass that none of all his Judges (one excepted, who by common fame is presumed to be a man of more Conscience and Religion than the rest) no not of those who were executed for it, were ever, for ought I heard, learn to confess and bewail what they had done, but rather to carry and brave it out with such confidence and seeming innocence as the adulterous woman, Prov. 30.20. of whom Solomon thus speaks: She eat­eth and wipeth her mouth, and saith I have done no wickedness. This their confidence hath cast such a mist before the eyes of some people, and so perverted their judg­ments, as to make them think there was nothing amiss in what they did, yea, to be almost perswaded, that they did God good service in it, and quitted themselves like Phineas, who stood up and executed judgment, and it was accounted to him for righteusness. Answ. But oh the mistakes of men! Oh the false Glosses which dazle the eyes of poor [Page 226]filly mortals! Oh the common fallacy which imposeth upon the world, viz. Non causa pro causa! They must needs have had the most false and flattering Consciences, the most deceitful hearts that ever men had, if ever they presum'd to tell them they had done well, or bid them, when taking their Viaticum, or last repast, to eat their bread with joy, and drink their wine with a merry heart, for God accepted their work, or that with such a sacrifice as that God was well pleased. Had an Israelite instead of sacrifi­cing a Lamb, cut off a dogs neck, or offered Swines blood for an oblation to God, or bless'd an Idol instead of burning incense, or slain a man instead of killing of an Oxe, as God expresses in Ifa. 66.3. he might as well have pro­mised himself Gods acceptance thereof, and his smelling a sweet savour of rest from thence, as those Murtherers of an excel­lent King could do of that bloody barba­rous Sacrifice which they had prepared; to which I may aptly apply those words of the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.10. But I say, the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sa­crifice to Devils and not to God. No drink-offering ever cheer'd the heart of Devils and wicked men, so well (according to Judg. 9.13.) as did that of Royal Blood. If ever [Page 227]there were mirth in Hell, surely it was up­on that day. That was such a Hecatomb, as the infernall Fiends never had a greater offered to them; never a Feast of more fat things sacrificed to their malice.

That they who were the Actors in this bloody Tragedy were no more sensible of what they had done, might spring from two causes. 1. Because the sin, being so great and horrid as it was, might well bring a kind of Apoplexy upon their Con­sciences, and in some such apoplectick Fit, they, or some of them, seem'd to dye. For great sins, as well as great sorrows, and blows are apt to stun and stupifie, as I proved be­fore. 2. Because there were many of them that were concern'd in it, and it might seem to them to be in this as in o­ther cases, viz. That many hands make light work. 'Tis a very true and common observa­tion, that when a great many men joyn toge­ther, when they go as it were in herds and droves, they do often venture upon doing of those things by consent, which were they in­vited to do alone, they would be ready to say as he, Is thy Servant a dead dog, that I should do this thing? One would think men were deceived with some such idle fallacy as this, viz. That if an hundred men joyn to­gether [Page 228]in one Murther, or other high act of Injustice or Dishonesty, every one of them were but the hundredth part of a Murtherer; as if multorum manibus grande levatur onus, were a Rule that held in this case, but as thus applied, it is a very great mistake: For what our Law saith is con­sonant to right Reason, viz. That in mur­ther no man is meer accessary, but all are prin­cipals and obnoxious to death. Shall I add a third. This their sin was not so universal­ly gone before to judgment, as is a plain ordi­nary Murther, because it was coloured o­ver with a pretence of Law and Justice, there were a great many that were ready not only to vindicate but applaud it; the mask was not quite taken off from it, nor the vail of darkness from the hearts of all the Spectators. This with a good strong Cordial, a sufficient opiate, and a seared Con­science, and an ambition to set a good face up­on what they had done, to make the best of a bad market, to dye like men and Souldi­ers, and those that some would not doubt to Canonize for Saints, even for the sake of their Regicide (could they but keep their own counsel, by dying such in point of Re­solution and seeming Assurance) those with some other things I could name, might [Page 229]be the true causes why they did or seem'd to die without the least remorse for what they had done. But far be it from us to think the better, or more favourably of that sin, the committers whereof did or seem'd to dye without repentance.

Now what I have written touching this matter, I call Heaven to witness, did not spring from any hatred that I do, or ever did bear to the persons of them, or theirs who had the infamous honour, or seem­ing honour, but eternal infamy of being the King's Judges; but from detestati­on of the fact, and a true desire that the like may be prevented for time to come; and wheras it is commonly said, that some do love Treason but always hate the Traytors; I by a reverse, do profess my self to have heartily pitied the persons of those Tray­tors, to have true compassion and good will to their innocent Relations that yet survive them; but mean time from my heart to abhor and detest that and all o­ther Treason.

Did I say that as much as I hate Trea­son, I have heartily pitied and do pity the Regicides, I do not mean that I think it any pity, that being what they were, they should be brought to an untimely end, to [Page 230]an ignominious death, that I thought them too good to be hanged, drawn, and quarter­ed, who had been so vile as to behead their King; all that they suffered in that nature was far less than they deserved. But I do really pity them in relation to their poor Souls: For I wish from my heart, that all men might be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth; and am not willing if I could help it) that any should perish everlastingly: I wish no man so ill as to wish him in hell, or that he might die in his sins, that the bottomless pit might open its mouth and swallow him up. Sure I am, the Regicides did run as great a risk and bid as fair for Hell and Damnation as men could do by any one action, their fact being so transcen­dently and complicatedly wicked and abo­minable as it was. Had they courted Hell, and been fond of Damnation, what could they have done more to have enjoyed it, than to bain their own Souls, as much as in them lay, by an eternal Poyson com­pounded of all sorts of deadly Ingredients, one of which might seem sufficient to ef­fect the work in spight of an Antidote. The great compounded Antidotes, Trea­cle, &c. do hardly consist of more Alexi­pharmacal Ingredients than this fact of [Page 231]theirs did of deleterious, and deadly things (or shall I call them damnable Ingredi­ents.)

For first, Is Perjury a damning sin, or is it not? If not, what mean these words of St. James, Jac. 5.12. Above all things swear not, neither by the Heaven nor by the Earth, nor by any other Oath, but let your yea be yea, and your nay nay, lest you fall into condemna­tion. Now in these words swearing, but vainly and frivolously, and that but by Hea­ven or Earth, or other Creatures, seems to be threatned with damnation; and is it not far worse and more damnable to swear falsely, and that by the Name of God, than to swear frivolously by the Name of any Crea­ture? yet even the later of those doth St. James deprecate with the most earnest ob­testation: Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by Heaven, &c. 2. Is there no damnableness in Rebellion think you? No danger that Rebellion should damn any man? Is that a venial and no mortal sin? Surely no: Witness the words of the Apo­stle; Rom. 13.2. Whosoever resisteth the pow­ers, resisteth the Ordinances of God, and they that resist them, receive to themselves damna­tion. Now in this case there was resisting unto blood.

[Page 232]3. Was no man ever damn'd for Trea­son? What think you of Judas who was a Traytor to his Master and Saviour; of whom the Scripture saith, It had been good for him that he had never been born. If he went to Heaven, if he were not damn'd, it was well for him that ever he was born: there­fore those words do intimate that he was damned.

4. Can Sacriledge damn no man? Is not that of its self a damnable sin? Surely it is. For 1. Sacriledge is Theft, and the high­est sort of Theft: For will a man rob God? saith Malachy. Now Thieves are brought into the Muster-rolls of persons that must be damned. 1 Cor. 6.9, 10. Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the King­dom of God, nor abusers of themselves with mankinde, nor thieves, &c. It is well if A­nanias and Saphira feel it not to their sor­row, that Sacriledge can damn Souls. In Zech. 5.3. we read of stealing and swear­ing, as things each or either of which will bring men under the flying-role, or curse of God. This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for e­very one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it. I will bring it forth, saith the Lord, and it shall enter into the house of [Page 233]the thief, and of him that sweareth falsely by by my Name: and shall remain in the midst of his house, and it shall consume it, with the tim­ber thereof, and the stones thereof, ver. 4. A­gainst whom but Thieves and Robbers is that threatning denounced Hab. 2.11. The stone shall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber shall answer it, (applied to the un­satiable Chaldeans.) Now in Sacriledge there seems to be a complication of Theft and Perjury, because it is a Robbing of God of that which was due to him by a Vow, or that men have sworn (for a Vow and an Oath come much what to one) that they will give to God. So was the case of Ananias and Saphira. Indeed the Sacriledge of some men is their robbing of God, not of what they themselves, but of that which others have made God's by a Vow. Now even they do fall under a hor­rible curse or execration. Things given or devoted unto God, called [...], be­cause they are devoted to God, with the accursing of them which should convert them to their own use; and so by a transla­ted sense, the word signifies a perpetual sepa­ration from Christ. The Rabbins say of Votum cherem (now the Hebrew word cherem, an­swereth to the Greek word [...], as [Page 234] face to face in a glass) est maximum votum. But to hasten.

5ly. Is Murther, wilful murther a damna­ble sin? If not, why saith St. John, Ye know that no murtherer hath eternal life abiding in him; i. e. hath any actual aptitude or ca­pacity to enter into Heaven. Now if the murthering of any man, be he good or bad, high or low, superiour or inferiour, be a damnable sin, sure I am the murthering of an innocent good man, yea, of a King, a good King, which are great aggravations, must be so too. Yea, if the wilful murthering of any one man expose to damnation, much more needs must the murthering of ma­ny men at once.

Now the Regicides may be said to have been all of them murtherers each of o­ther, because they did abet and encou­rage each other in and unto the murther of the King, in which was included their own consequentially. If there were forty of them, each of them was guilty of the death of forty, not the forty only guilty of the death of one man viz. the King; but each of them of forty murthers, viz. each of o­ther; for that they strengthened each o­thers hands in and unto the work.

Again, If naked Murther be a damnable [Page 235]sin, as hath been proved, that murther which is cloathed with barbarous and inhu­mane circumstances must needs be so much more. In Judg. 19.25. we read of a Le­vites Concubine not only killed, but with circumstances that were very barbarous, viz. forced to death by the Benjamites dwel­ling in Gibeah, Chap. 20.5. But what dread­ful things ensued, ver. 6. I (saith the Le­vite) took my Concubine, and cut her in pie­ces and sent her through all Israel, for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel. The product of this was what we read, Judg. 20.34, 35. And there came up against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Is­rael, and the battle was sore. And the Lord smote Benjamin before Israel, and the chil­dren of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and four thousand, and an hundred men, all these drew the sword, or were men of valour, as is said, ver. 44. Though wil­ful murther it self, cloathed with the most extenuating circumstances be a great sin; yet the barbarous circumstances wherewith it may be cloathed, may make it twice so great a sin as otherwise it had been, and much more expose it to the Divine venge­ance, as appeareth by the instance afore­said. But to proceed,

[Page 236]6thly. Is Hypocrisie a damning sin or not? It must needs be so, because Hell, or the place of weeping and gnashing of teeth, is cal­led a portion with the Hypocrite, Matth. 24.51. intimating that Tophet was prepared of old as much for Hypocrites as for any sort of men. Doth not our Saviour let fly as many Vae's, or Woes against Hypocrites, as against any sort of men, Mat. 25.14, 15, 16, 23, 25, 27, 29. and does he not utter those dread­ful words in the close, ver. 33. Ye Serpents, ye generation of Vipers; how can ye escape the damnation of hell? Now with what direful circumstances of Hypocrisie the late King's death was managed, I have told you be­fore.

7thly. If it be a mortal damning sin to murther but one man, especially if a King, a Monarch, or any thing so great, is it not more, so to murther a whole Kingdom, Country and Monarchy at once? The whole species of Monarchy is much more than one individual Kingdom or Monarchy. Now I have shew'd before that was aim'd at in putting the King to death, which was not only Monarchicidium, but designed to issue in Monarchiaecidium, or in the ruine of all Monarchy.

8thly. Is it not a horrid and damning sin [Page 237]to subvert and destroy the good and neces­sary Laws of a Nation all at once? Yea. Not the Laws only, but also the very Le­gislative Power, or the Power of making more good Laws, as the matter should re­quire? If they who resist (or disobey) the powers that are, shall receive damnation, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. 13.2. What will become of them, who in effect destroy and disanul all the Laws of a Nation at once, and all the Law-makers? Such were the Regicides. For when there was no King in England arm'd with power, no new Laws could be made, nor the old ones executed neither Legally; for who but a King has power to give Commission to Judges and other great Instruments of the Law upon all emergent occasions, &c? What the Apostle saith of the Law of God, viz. The Law is good if a man use it lawfully; is true of the Law of England, it is good if it be used lawfully or legally; but how could that be done when there was no King in be­ing?

9thly. Is it not a damning sin for a man to murther himself, as did Judas, Ahitophel, &c? And did not they murther themselves who murther'd the King? For besides that they were dead men in the Eye of the Law, [Page 238]the first moment they did or attempted it; did it not cost most of them their lives, and expose them to an untimely and shameful death, though no punishment could be so shameful as was their crime.

10thly and lastly. Is Deicidium, or stri­king at the life of God himself a damning sin? If that will not damn men without great repentance what will? The mur­thering of earthly Kings in Person, is it not a kind of murthering the King of Kings in Effigie? For his Stamp and In­scription they bear, and from thence are called gods in Scripture frequently; not that they are equal to the true and li­ving God, yea, not but that they shall die like men, but because in point of Power and Authority, of Honour and Majesty they do resemble God much more than Subjects do. Now as he that should spit upon the Kings Coin or Picture would be dealt with as one that offered an affront and indignity to his Person, and were highly disaffected to him, so in this case. Now all those Soul-damn­ing sins that I have mentioned, being in the womb of that one sin, viz. the murther­ing of the late King, let the Reader judge whether the Regicides did not take as direct a course to damn their own Souls as men [Page 239]could take? And whether if any shall here­after attempt to do the same thing to his Majesty that now is, as they did to his Fa­ther (which God forbid) it will not prove as ready and certain a course not only to throw away their corporal lives with ig­nominy, but also to damn their Souls, and the Souls of their Confederates, as any that men could take.

I am hardned against those that shall say (if any such there be) That this was done in favour of Religion, and for the preserva­tion thereof in power and purity; by a Story which a noted Parliament-man, and Purchaser of the revenues of a Bishoprick, told me about the year 1648. Whereas (saith he) it is given out that all the change which hath been made has been in order to the pre­servation and Reformation of Religion, there is no such thing. For (said he) had there been Preferments enough in Church & State where­with to have gratified all men of parts & inte­rest, who were ambitious of them, I do assure you, there had been no war. He was as capable of knowing what he said, as any man could be, being at that time a Member of Parliament, and a great man amongst them, though more plain-hearted than some others were.

The discoveries which I have made of [Page 240]notorious Hypocrisie and blasphemous pre­tences to God and Religion, whilst men did uti Deo at fruantur mundo, i. e. use God that they might enjoy the world, together with the little difference, which I could ever discern betwixt the conversations of those that called themselves the Godly Party save in a few instances, here and there one, &c.) and of them whom they censured as car­nal and ungodly, or but moral people at the best (for that the morality of some of them did much outstrip their own) has put me out of conceit with what had wont to be called The Good Old Cause, more than any thing else has done. And then to see that the Chieftains and greatest Bigots of, and for the good old Cause (as they call'd it) could swallow such a Camel as was the murthering of the King; yea, be themselves some of the Camels that murthered him, or caused him to be murthered, whilst they seem'd to strain at meer Gnats, could say, This is the heir, come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours. Those I say, are the things which have made me think cheaply of those times, those men, and their pretensions, to su­spect (if not more than so) a very grand cheat and a bottomless-pit of worldly inte­rest and carnal design in and under all those [Page 241]things, and to wish heartily, that the Church and State might always continue as now it is, much rather than to fall back again into the hands of such Tinker-like Re­formers, as were in those days (making ten holes where they mended one) and be re-invaded by hypocritical Ʋsurpation, Sa­criledge, Enthusiasme, and Confusion. If I know any thing of my own heart, I do at this very day sincerely love every body that I know or think to be truly good (and possibly my charity is as large as most mens, and my censoriousness as little) but as for those who make the highest preten­ces to Religion, and seem to be Piety-like Calomelanos, as Physicians call it, six or 12 times sublimed; or like the Pharisees of old, who said to other men, Stand off, I am holier than thou; who rather blaze and blare like great Comets, than shine like Stars in the Firmament of Religion; if I find them play­ing the Knaves, becoming the Ring-leaders of Murther, embrewing their hands in Roy­al blood; under pretence of abhorring Idols committing Sacriledge, and bringing all to confusion, and under colour of Reforming Church and State, to design nothing but the feathering of their own Nests, getting wealth and power into their own hands per [Page 242]fas & nefas, overturning, overturning, over­turning, till they themselves, whose right it is not come and take all; and when they have done all, entitling God and Religion to all their Villanies: (like those with whom the great God doth thus expostu­late, Jer. 7.9. Will ye steal, murder, and commit Adultery, and swear falsly, and come and stand before me in this House, and say, we are delivered to do all these abominations? &c.) I say, the people to whom this Cha­racter is due, whose Inscription this is, are to my Soul (as one calls it) the first-born of Abominations.

Now after all that hath been said of the exceeding sinfulness of their bloody fact, who were the Murtherers of the late King and of the woful hazard which their precious and immortal Souls did incur thereby, give me leave to hope, that if the same oppor­tunities should ever come again (which God forbid) i. e. if ever the now dissent­ing people of England should have so pu­issant an Army at their back as then they had, and so subtile, skilful, and resolute a General to conduct them, and so many co­vetous people at their heels, waiting to enrich themselves by the spoil of the Kings and Churches Lands (so dividing the Lions [Page 243]skin when once he were dead) from a real dread of thereby plunging themselves into everlasting flames, they would rather burn at a stake, than have their hands in such another business.

To shut up all, I have been induced to insist so long upon the heinousness and danger of their sin who put the King to death, because a thorow belief, and due consideration of what I have said (and I do aver it is all true) might and would in my opinion, be a very great security against all publick Mutinies, Insurrections, and Civil Wars hereafter. For if the people of En­gland did universally, and all as one man dread the thoughts of Regicide, as of a sin next to that which is unpardonable, there would be no cause to fear Rebellion; for then would men be govern'd and over-aw'd by this Dilemna: If the King against whom we rebel shall always keep his head, we shall lose our lives first or last; but if he lose his head by our means and contrivances, we shall be in great danger to lose our Souls, which is worse. For what will it profit a man to gain the whole world, and to lose his own Soul?