'Of our 'Duty ,to our IJ.\tders; Have we deferved .to have a Cbrifiian King, when five parts of the worl<l have Rulers that are Hea– thens and Mahometans ? Have we ·defervcd to have a Protdlant King, when all the world hath bat two more? How happy were the world if it Were fo with all ria'tidns as it is with us ? Remember how lmthornkfulnefs forfeitcth our happinefs. . .. ~· 4) • Direi!l-. 19· Confider aswe1J rht Bt~tfitt ·whitb you rtceiv_e b:J GoverHdurs, 11 the fufferin~s Vire/1. 19. wbicb yo11 Hndtrgo: And_c[peciaUy confiiler of the.commun bt~efits, w~d l!a/ue tbem 'above your own. He that knowcrh what m(Jn ts, and what the iflorld !5, and what the Temptations of Great men arc; and what he himfelf deferveth, and Yl.h:it need the bdl have of aflliCl:ion, ana what good tlrey may get by the right i''m.Provert)ent of it, will n·cvcr wonder rtor-grudge, to haVe his earthly mercies miX:t With Crefres,and to find Jotnc fait or fowtenefs in the fawce,'of his pleafant dilhes. For the mo{l lufcious is: not i>f befi conco6\ion. And he that will more obferve his few affii6\ions than his many bencfits,hath much inorc frljijh trndcrnefs of the Aefl1, than ingenuous thankfulnefs to his benefactor. It is for your good that Rulers arcthe Minij!euof God, Rom. 13· 3, 4, 5· Perhaps you will think it firange that I fay to you ( ~hat 1 have o(t £-aid ), that 1 think the'i:t arc not very many Rulers, no not Tynnts and Perf~cutOJS fo &ad, but that the Godly that live under them do receive from their Government more good than hurt.: and ( thou~h it mafi be confefi that better Govai\ours would do better, yet) alnio(l . . .. rhc worft arc better than none. And none are tiloi'e beholden to God for Magiltrates thah the God1 D1~untStoJcJii are, however nonC fuffer fO much by them in mofi places of the worHi. My leafon is, 1. Be,aule f:al'dnt~b:~n the multitude of theneedy 1 'alld the diffolu'te Prodigals, if they were ill ungoverned, would tear out dJ~ :u~:~ the throats of the.PlOIC wealthy and indufirious, ana as Robbers ufe men in !heir houfes and on the Rtges ' cum high way, fo would luch ptrfons ufe all about them, an~ turn all irito a confiant war: And hereby lie Re~num . ~U honefi indutlry would be overthrown, while the fruit of mens.labours ~ere all a! the mer'y of every ~~~ir~~~o:i~-. one that is firong_er than the ownet ; and a_robber can take away all a mght, whtch you have heed um, quod de· labouring for many years, er may fct all on fire over your heads : And more perfons would be killed f:a~ientib~t in thcfc.wars by thofe that fought their goods, than Tyrants and perltcutors ufc to kill (unlefs rbey folu oll'mmr. ~e of the mofi Cr\\Cl f~rt df all.j. 2. And it ~s plain that ln rho~ Co~htreys ihC uniYtrfal enniity of !tac~t~~~~i:cor.rupted natur~: to feuous God1md5, would mfhme the dhbk tf•they were but uhgoterned, to corn.. c~m de bo-. aDit more murders and cruelties upon the Godly, than mofi of the perfe,utors in the·world have ,om- nis & mal is:. mittcd. Yettl deny nor, that 'in rnofi placesthetc aie a ~ober fort of men of the middle ran~, that h:rcaure(. , ';"ill hear rc:afon, and arc rtlbte equal to Religion t~an the Highejf or the Lowtft uf~aHy are. ~ut ~up- ~~~i:!~. S~ pofc thc:fefobe{ men were the more ~;~umC:rous, yet ts the vulgar rabbit the mort vtoleHt, and tf Rulcts milireradMa~ refirained them no.t, would leavc,few of the faithfulilive on earth.. As many volumes as arC: written 1 ifh:uus, & of the Martyrs, wh9, have fuffered by perfecuters1 I t~i~k they faved the lives of many more th~ri ~~!!~ri.~ fo" ~hey murdem!. ; Though thts is·no thanks to them, 11 t! a merey to others: As many as Q!.cen Mar). los illos ido- ' Martyred, they had ~ocn far mort tfShe had but turned the ra~l>lt Iooft: upon them, ahd never medd!ea noos, nemi-· · with them by Authority. I do not think Nero or Dioclefian Martyred near fo tnany, as the people nemque maloO turned loofe upon them would hate done. Much tnore was Julian a prote8:ot of the Church from !um. L<<rt. the popular r>ge, though in ccmparifon of aConft•ntinl, or 1heodofius he was a plague. If you will "ZtnOilt. but confider rltus the benefits of your common protcdion, your thankfulnefs for Rulers would overcome your mutmarings. In fome places and at fome titnes ptthaps the people w6u!d favour the Gofpel, and flock after Chrifi if Rulers hindered them not: Butthat would not be the ordinary cafe ; and their unconfia·"Y is·f6 great, that what thty built up one day in their zeal, the next day they would pull down in fury. f· 44· Dircd. 20•. 1hinl<_ n01 that any ehangi of tht f()'lm of Governmtnt, rPould cure that which if Dire/1. io. ctiH[td by tke peoples fin, rJr 1ht corll.monpravity of huma~e n1JI"Hre. Some think they cln contrive fu,h Eam Rem– IOrms of Government,~' that Rulers !hall be able to do no hurt : But either they will difab!e them publi<am ope to do good,dr elfe their engine is but glafs., and will fail or break when it comes to exc,utiod. Men ti~a!" dicunt !hat :ue ~hcm~clvc:s fo bad and unhumbled_, as not to know how bad the~ ar~, an~ how had.mank,pJd ~i:~~'ei~~~: "• are fiilllaymg the blamcupt>n the form of ?~vernment,.when any thmg IS imtfs, and thmk by a &populari cllange to find a cure. As tf when an Atmy ts mfe8:ed wtth the Plague, or compofed of Cowarcb, d.ominuu,opc the change of the Gentral or form of Govern'mcnt, Would prove a cure. But if a Montirchbe faulty. umorumque in an ArijfocYacy you wlll but havema~~y faulty GoVeinours foi okf: and in aD,mocracy a multitude of ~~.tj~r~~~";t~~ Tyrants. 9· 45· Dire&' 21· Stt your filvu much mm to jlltdy your Duty to your Gov«<ours, than the' duty Dirc<l. 2 1 , of your Governcm~i 10 you: as l;•oriri»g that both your tth1poral and (tmlal hatpinefs Jipendeth much mort upon your fei'Dtr than upm them. God·d'oth·not call you to fiudy other mens.duties fo much as; Bad people your.own. If Y"'' Rulers fin, you !hail not ~nfwer fot'lt : but if you fin your fclves you ffiall. If make b>d you lhould live under the Turk that would oppttfs and pcrfccute y·ou, your fouls !hall fpeed' never the Gomnoun ' worfe for this·: l1 is not yot<but He that !houfd b·e dat'lilicd for it. If you fay, 'B'uf it'il we thatJhoufJ l~ mol! flacos lrt "ppnff(dby it, I anrwer, r. How fmall are temporal things to a true believer, i'n comp.uifon of fa e~1f~t':~d t:ternal (hings? Have not yo~ agreater hutt to fear, than the killing of yoUr bodie-S by men? LH~t tenacious of 12. 4· 2. And even for tiJU life, do you not believe, that your lives and liberties are in the power rheir finful of God, and-that 'he can relieve you frorc the opprduon of ail the world', by lefs than a word, even by c;:no'h:sb R lus will? If you believe not this, you are Atheifts : If you do, you mult needs perceive tha~ it con- ~~~e~ :u:not . able rorcfolni them. Yea ~any :rRukl'h_:nh ctlfio~ ~is Go~ernment~bOina: WcJ:ry.ed with ·m~tino0~2h(i obllinite people~ P/4t't Would Ji!Ot med~J~_wh~· ~ovemnunt m. Atfmu, ~1:1 plebs :alur mA:JtutJS & monbu~. :aitue~erat. Lartt.lll Platant : J!d' ~~retllcr Philofopbcrs t~t weu: titlc'(t tor uvtr~tt'tnrJ re~ed it on the ~JJI.c account, t~r~U&~ ~~ d1(o~zence ~f tbe people; ·
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