the Lord's fake, whether it be unto the king, as unto the chief bead; either unto rulers, as unto them that are fent of bim for the punishment of evil doers, but for the cherishing of them that do well. For fo is the will of God, that with well doing ye may ftop the mouths of ignorant and foolish men: as free, and not as having the liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but even as the fervants of God. Honour all men, love brotherly fellow fbip, fear God, bonour the king. Servants, obey your masters with fear, not only if they be good and courteous, but aljo though they be froward. Thus far out of St. Peter.

By thefe two places of the holy Scriptures, it is moft evident that kings, queens, and other princes, (for he fpeaketh of authority and power, be it in men or women,) are ordained of God, are to be obeyed and honoured of their fubjects; that fuch fubjects as are difobedient or rebellious against their princes, difobey God, and procure their own damnation; that the government of princes is a great blefling of God, given for the commonwealth, fpecially of the good and godly; for the comfort and cherishing of whom, God giveth and fetteth up princes; and, on the contrary part, to the fear and for the punishment of the evil and wicked. Finally, that if fervants ought to obey their mafters, not only being gentle, but fuch as be froward; as well, and much more, ought fubjects to be obedient, not only to their good and courteous, but alfo to their fharp and rigorous princes. It cometh therefore neither of chance and fortune, (as they term it) nor of the ambition of mortal men and women, climbing up of their own accord to dominion, that there be kings, queens, princes, and other governors over men being their fubjects: but all kings, queens, and other governors are fpecially appointed by the ordinance of God. And as God himfelf, being of an infinite majefty, Pfal. x. 6. power, and wifdom, ruleth and governeth all things in xlv. 6, &c. heaven and earth, as the univerfal Monarch and only King and Emperor over all, as being only able to take and bear the charge of all; fo hath he conftituted, ordained, and fet earthly princes over particular kingdoms and dominions in earth, both for the avoiding of all confufion, which elfe would be in the world, if it fhould be without governors, and for the great quiet and benefit of earthly men their fubjects, and alfo that the princes themfelves in authority, power, wifdom, providence, and righteoufnefs, in government of people and countries. committed to their charge, fhould refemble his heavenly governance, as the majesty of heavenly things may by

H h 4

the

xlvii. 2.

xlv. 6.

xlvii. 2.

Pfal. lxxxii.

the baseness of earthly things be fhadowed and refembled. Matt. xviii. And for that fimilitude that is between the heavenly mo23. xxii. 2. narchy and earthly kingdoms well governed, our Saviour Pial. x. 16. Chrift in fundry parables faith, that the kingdom of heaven is resembled unto a man, a king and as the name Matt. xxii. of the King is very often attributed and given unto God 13.XXV. 34 in holy Scriptures; fo doth God himself in the fame Scriptures fometime vouchfafe to communicate his name with earthly princes, terming them Gods: doubtless for that fimilitude of government which they have, or fhould have, not unlike unto God their King; unto the which fimilitude of heavenly government, the nearer and nearer that an earthly prince doth come in his regiment, the greater bleffing of God's mercy is he unto that country and people, over whom he reigneth: and the further and further that an earthly prince doth fwerve from the example of the heavenly government, the greater plague is he of God's wrath, and punishment by God's juftice unto that country and people, over whom God for their fins hath placed fuch a prince and governor. For it is indeed evident, both by the Scriptures and daily by experience, that the maintenance of all virtue and godlinefs, and confequently of the wealth and profperity of a kingdom and people, doth ftand and reft more in a wife and good prince on the one part, than in great multitudes of other men being fubjects: and, on the contrary part, the overthrow of all virtue and godlinefs, and confequently the decay and utter ruin of a realm and people doth grow and come more by an undifcreet and evil governor, than by many thousands of other men being fubjects. Thus fay the holy Scriptures: Well is thee, O thou land, faith the Preacher, cubofe king is come of nobles, and subofe princes eat and xxix. in due feafon, for neceffity, and not for luft. Again, A wife and righteous king maketh his realm and people wealthy: Ifa. xxxii. and a good, merciful, and gracious prince is a fhadow in beat, as a defence in forms, as dew, as fweet showers, es fresh water fprings in great droughts.

Ecclef. x.

17.

Prov. xvi.

Eccl. x.

Ecclef. x.

16. Prov. xxvii. & xxix.

Again, the Scriptures, of undifcreet and evil princes, fpeak thus: Woe be to thee, O thou land, whofe king is but a child, and whofe princes are early at their banquets. Again, When the wicked do reign, then men go to ruin. And again, A foolif prince defroyeth the people, and a covetous king undoeth bis fubjects. Thus fpeak the Scriptures, thus experience testifieth of good and evil princes.

What fhail fubjects do then? Shall they obey valiant, ftout, wife, and good princes, and contemn, difobey, and

rebel

:

rebel against children being their princes, or against undifcreet and evil governors? God forbid for first, what a perilous thing were it to commit unto the fubjects the judgment, which prince is wife and godly, and his government good, and which is otherwife; as though the foot muft judge of the head: an enterprife very heinous, and muft needs breed rebellion. For who elfe be they that are most inclined to rebellion, but fuch haughty fpirits? From whom fpringeth fuch foul ruin of realms? Is not rebellion the greatest of all mifchiefs? And who are most ready to the greatest mifchiefs, but the worft men? Rebels therefore the worst of all fubjects are moft ready to rebellion, as being the worst of all vices, and fartheft from the duty of a good fubject: as, on the contrary part, the beft fubjects are moft firm and conftant in obedience, as in the fpecial and peculiar virtue of good fubjects. What an unworthy matter were it then to make the naughtieft fubjects, and most inclined to rebellion and all evil, judges over their princes, over their government, and over their counfellors; to determine which of them be good or tolerable, and which be evil, and fo intolerable, that they muft needs be removed by rebels, being ever ready, as the naughtieft fubjects, fooneft to rebel against the beft princes, fpecially if they be young in age, women, in fex, or gentle and courteous in government; as trufting by their wicked boldnefs easily to overthrow their weaknefs and gentlenefs, or at the leaft so to fear the minds of fuch princes, that they may have impunity of their mifchievous doings!

But whereas indeed a rebel is worfe than the worst prince, and rebellion worfe than the worft government of the worst prince that hitherto hath been; both rebels are unmeet minifters, and rebellion an unfit and unwholefomé medicine to reform any small lacks in a prince, or to cure any little griefs in government, fuch lewd remedies being far worse than any other maladies and diforders that can be in the body of a commonwealth. But whatsoever the prince be, or his government, it is evident that for the moft part those princes, whom fome fubjects do think to be very godly, and under whofe government they rejoice to live, fome other fubjects do take the fame to be evil and ungodly, and do with for a change. If therefore all fubjects that mislike of their prince fhould rebel, no realm fhould ever be without rebellion. It were more meet that rebels fhould hear the advice of wife men, and give place unto their judgment, and follow the example of obedient

fubjects,

fubjects, as reafon is that they whofe understanding is blinded with fo evil an affection fhould give place to them that be of found judgment, and that the worlt fhould give place to the better; and fo might realms continue in long obedience, peace, and quietnefs. But what if the prince be undifcrect, and evil indeed, and is alfo evident to all men's eyes, that he fo is? I ask again, what if it be long of the wickednefs of the subjects, that the prince is undifcreet and evil? fhall the fubjects both by their wickedness provoke God, for their deferved punishment, to give them an undifcreet or evil prince, and alfo rebel against him, and withal against God, who for the punishment of their fins did give them fuch a prince? Will you hear the Scriptures concerning this point? God, fay the holy Scriptures, maketh a wicked man to reign for the fins of the people. Again, God giveth a prince in his anger, (meaning an evil one) and taketh away a prince in bis difpleasure, meaning fpecially when he taketh away a good prince for the fins of the people: as in our memory he took away our good Jofias, King Edward, in his young and good years, for our wickedness. Prov. xvi. And contrarily the Scriptures do teach, that God giveth wifdom unto princes, and maketh a wife and good king to reign over that people whom be loveth, and who loveth him. Sam. xii. Again, If the people obey God, both they and their king ball profper and be fafe, elfe both fall perish, faith God by the

Hof. xiii.

II.

mouth of Samuel.

Here you fee that God placeth as well evil princes as good, and for what cause he doth both. If we therefore will have a good prince, either to be given us, or to continue; now we have fuch a one, let us, by our obedience to God and to our prince, move God thereunto. If we will have an evil prince (when God fhall fend fuch a one) taken away, and a good in his place, let us take away our wickednefs, which provoketh God to place fuch a one over us, and God will either difplace him, or of an evil prince make him a good prince, fo that we first will change our evil into good. For will you hear the ScripProv. xxi. tures? The beart of the prince is in God's band; which way foever it fball please him, he turneth it. Thus fay the Scriptures: Wherefore let us turn from our fins unto the Lord with all our hearts, and he will turn the heart of the prince unto our quiet and wealth. Elfe for fubjects to deferve through their fins to have an evil prince, and then to rebel against him, were double and treble evil, by provoking God more to plague them. Nay, let us either

deferve

deferve to have a good prince, or let us patiently fuffer and obey fuch as we deferve. And whether the prince be good or evil, let us, according to the counfel of the holy Scriptures, pray for the prince, for his continuance and increase in goodnefs, if he be good, and for his amendment, if he be evil.

Will you hear the Scriptures concerning this moft neceffary point? I exhort therefore, faith St. Paul, that, above 1 Tim. îis all things, prayers, fupplications, interceffions, and giving of 1, &c. thanks, be bad for all men; for kings, and all that are in authority; that we may live a quiet and peaceable life with all godliness: for that is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour, &c. This is St. Paul's counfel. And who, I pray you, was prince over the moft part of the Chriftians, when God's holy Spirit by St. Paul's pen gave them this leffon? Forfooth, Caligula, Claudius, or Nero; who were not only no Chriftians, but Pagans, and alfo either foolish rulers, or moft cruel tyrants. Will you yet hear the word of God to the Jews, when they were prifoners under Nabuchodonofor king of Babylon, after he had flain their king, nobles, parents, children, and kinsfolks, burned their country, cities, yea, Jerufalem itself, and the holy temple, and had carried the refidue remaining alive captives with him into Babylon? Will you hear yet what the Prophet Baruch faith unto God's people being in this captivity? Pray you, faith the Prophet, for the life of Nabu- Baruc. i. 11. chodonofor, king of Babylon, and for the life of Balthafar, bis fon; that their days may be as the days of heaven upon the earth, that God also may give us strength, and lighten our eyes, that we may live under the defence of Nabuchodonofor, king of Babylon, and under the protection of Balthafar, bisfon; that we may long do them fervice, and find favour in their fight. Pray for us alfo unto the Lord our God, for we bave finned against the Lord our God.

Thus far the Prophet Baruch's words, which are spoken by him unto the people of God, of that king who was an Heathen, a tyrant, and a cruel oppreffor of them, and had been a murderer of many thoufands of their nation, and a destroyer of their country, with a confeffion that their fins had deferved fuch a prince to reign over them. And fhall the old Chriftians, by St. Paul's exhortation, pray for Caligula, Claudius, or Nero? fhall the Jews pray for Nabuchodonofor? thefe emperors and kings being strangers unto them, being Pagans and Infidels, being murderers, tyrants, and cruel oppreffors of them, and deroyers of their country, countrymen, and kinfmen, the

burners