I But this was adjudged horrid Treafon by two Acts of Parliament. [Let me tell you what our Law Books fay, for there is the ground, out of which (and the Statues together) we must draw all our Conclufions for Matters of Government] How do they ftile the King? They call him the LIEUTENANT OF GOD, and many other Expreffions. In the Book of 1 Hen. 7. fays that Book there, The King is IMMEDIATE FROM GOD, AND HATH NO SUPERIOR. The Statute fays, That the Crown of England is IMMEDIATELY SUBJECT TO GOD AND TO NO OTHER POWER. The King, fays our Books, he is not only Caput Populi, the Head of the People; but Caput Reipublica, the Head of the Commonwealth, the three Eftates. And truly thus our Statutes fpeak very fully. Common Experience tells you when we speak of the King, and fo the Statutes of Edward the Third, we call the King, Our Sovereign Lord the King. Sovereign, thai is, Supreme. And when the Lords and Commons in Parliament apply themfelves to the King, they use this Expreffion, Your LORDS AND COMMONS, YOUR FAITHFUL SUBJECTS, humbly beseech. I do not speak any Words of my own, but the Words of the Laws. In the Statute 24 Hen. 8. cap. 12. it is thus expreft, Whereas by divers, fundry, old, authentick Hiftories and Chronicles, it is manifeftly declared, that this Realm of England is an Empire, and fo hath been accepted in the World, governed by one Supreme Head and King, having the Dignity and Royal Estate of the Imperial Crown. 25 Hen. 8. c. 21. there it is the People fpeaking of themselves, That they do recognize no Superior under God but only the King's Grace. Gentlemen, you fee if the King be immediate under God, he derives his Authority from nobody elfe; if the King have an Imperial Power, if the King be Head of the Common-wealth, Head of the Body Politick; if the Body Politick owe him Obedience, truly I think it is an undenied Confequence, he must needs be Superior over them. The Imperial Crown is a Word that is fignificative, you shall find in all Statutes, Eliz. and Jacobi, nay even in the A&t of Judicial Proceedings of this Parliament, it is called an Imperial Crown. They that take the Oaths of Allegiance and Supremacy, they fwear, That they will to their power, affist and defend all furifdictions, Privileges, Prebeminencies, and Authorities granted or belonging to the King, bis Heirs and Succeffors, or annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm. What is an Imperial Crown? That, which as to the coerfive Part, is fubject to no Man under God, is not fubject to any bumane Tribunal or Judicature whatsoever. Gentlemen, fince this is fo, confider the Oath of Supremacy, which most Men have taken or should take. All Men that enter into the Parliament House they are exprefly enjoin'd by Statute to take the Oath of Supremacy. What fays that Oath? We fwear, That the King is the only fupream Governor within this Realm and Dominions. He is Supream, and the only Supream, and truly if he be Supream, there is neither Major nor Superior. I declare this, to you, to let you know that the King is immediately fubject to God, and fo is not punishable by any Perfon. He is the Supream Head, he is not punishable by any coerfive Power, the Laws provide for that, the King can do no wrong; it is a Rule of Law, it is in our Law Books very frequent, 22 Ed. 4. Lord Coke and many others. If he can do no wrong, be cannot be punished for any wrong. The King hath the Infirmities and Weaknefs of a Man, but he cannot iament. [Let me out of which (and Matters of Govern IEUTENANT OF 7. fays that Book TRACTS on all SUBJECTS. cannot do any Injury, at least not confiderable in Perfon. H Minifters, Agents, and Inftruments. Now the Law, though it King, yet if any of his Minifters do wrong, though by his Com punishable. He is not to be touched, Touch not mine Anointed. Thus far that great and eminent Lawyer, afterwards made I the Great Seal of England by King Charles the Second of ever-bl And if his Judgment be falfe, unto which most of the Lords of E of the Privy Council, fitting with him, did affent, fhall not we of the King's Regicides? To be fure they had hard measure, af that were given by Mr. Cook and Mr. Scott for what they did, Law. The LIFE and DEATH of NEBUCHADN the Great, the first Emperor of the CHALD was reprefented by the Golden Head of th Dan. ii. 32. and by the Lion with Eagle Dan. vii. 4. Whereby much Light is giver of the Prophecies of Ifaiah, Jeremiah, E: Daniel. By SAMUEL CLARKE, fometime M St. Bennet Fink, London. Printed 1664. EBUCHADONAZAR, or Nebuchadnezzar, was th buchadonazar, or Nabopolafer of Babylon, who was mad the Army by Saraco, King of Allyria and Chaldea; after whofe D lafer took into his Hands the Kingdom of Chaldea, which he held b one and twenty Years; at the fame time Aftyages was made Gov dia by Cyaxares his Father; and the better to ftrengthen themfe tred into Affinity, by Aftyages his giving his Daughter Amytis nezzar, the Son of Nabopolafar, and thereupon joining their For they took Nineveh, together with Saraco, the King thereof, pl roy in his ftead. Shortly after, the Governor of Celofyria, and Phænicia, revol bopolafer, he fent against him his Son Nebuchadnezzar (having ated him with himself in the Kingdom of Babylon) with a great was in the latter end of the third, and the beginning of the fourth Y kim, King of Judea; as appears Dan. i. 1. compared with Jer. x Nebuchadnezzar was no fooner thus affociated with his Father dom, but the things which he was to act, were prefently reveale phet Jeremiah; the firft whereof was the Overthrow of the Egyp the River Euphrates; then in their own Country, Jer. xlvi. Th VOL. III. E came to pass prefently, Pharaoh Necko's Forces, which he left at Carchemish, being cut off by Nebuchadnezzar in the fourth Year of Jehoiakim, Jer. xlvi. 2. The fecond was not till after the taking of Tyre, in the feventeenth Year of the Captivity of Jechonia. Ezek. xxix. 17, 18, 19. In the third Year of Jehoiakim, Nebuchadnezzar the fecond, his Father being yet alive, entred Judea with a great Army, who, befieging, and forcing Jerufalem, made Jehoiakim his Vaffal, in defpight of Pharoah Necho, who had made him King, and took with him to Babylon, for Pledges, Daniel, who was yet a. Child, with Ananias, Mifael, and Azarias. He took alfo part of the Treafures belonging to the Temple; but stayed not to search thoroughly for all. For Necho hafted with his Army to the relief of Jehoiakim, hoping to find Nebuchadnezzar in Judea. But this great Babylonian had no mind to hazard himself. and his Army against the Egyptian, Judea being fo ill affected towards him, and himself far from all Succour, or fure Place of Retreat. If he had (as may be fuppofed) any great Strength of Scythian Horfemen, it was wifely done of him. to fall back out of that rough, mountainous, and hot Country, into Places that were more even and temperate. And befides thefe Reasons, the Death of his Father happening at the fame time, gave him juft occafion to return Home, and take poffeffion of his own Kingdom, before he proceeded in the fecond Care, of adding more unto it. And this he did at reasonable good leifure. For the Egyptian was not provided to follow him fo far, and to bid him Battle, until the new Year came in, which was the fourth of Jehoiakim, the first of Nebuchadnezzar, and the last of Necho. In this year the Babylonian, lying upon the Banks of Euphrates (his own Territories bounding it on the North-fide) attended the coming of Necho: there, after a cruel Battel fought betwixt them, Necho was flain, and his Army forced to fave itself by a violent Retreat, wherein it fuffered great Lofs. This Victory was fo well pursued by Nebuchadnezzar that he recovered all Syria, and whatfoever the Egyptians held out of their proper Territories towards the North. The Egyptians being thus beaten, and altogether for the present difcouraged, Jehoiakim held himself quiet, as being in heart a Friend to the Egyptians, yet having made his Peace with the Chaldeans the Year before, and Nebuchadnezzar was contented with fuch Profit as he could there readily make: he had forborn to lay any Tribute upon the Jews. But this cool Refervedness of Jehoiakim, was, on both sides, taken in ill Part. 'Whereupon, the Egyptian King Palmnis, who fucceeded Necho, began to think of restoring Jeboabaz (who had been taken Prifoner by his Father, and carried into Egypt) and of fetting him up, as a domeftical Enemy against his ungrateful Brother. But to anticipate all fuch Accidents, the Judean had put in Practice the ufual Remedy, which his Fore-fathers ufed: For he had made his own Son Jechonia, King with him long before;* in the fecond Year of his own Reign, when the Boy was but eight Years old. As for this Rumour of Jehoabaz his Return, the Prophet Jeremiab foretold, that it should prove a vain Attempt, faying, He fall not return thither, but he shall die in the Place whither they have led him Captive, and fhall fee this Land no more. Jer. xxii. 11, 12. 2 Chron. xxxvi. 9. The The Egyptians, having loft all their mercenary Forces, and received that heavy. Blow at Carchemish, had more Gold than fharp Steel remaining, which is of fmall Force without the others Help. Befides, the Valour of Necho was not in Pfamnis Apries, who, reigning after Pfamnis, did indeed once adventure to fhew his Face in Syria; but after a big Look, he was glad to retire, without adventuring the Hazard of a Battel. Wherefore this declining Nation fought only with brave Words, telling fuch frivolous Tales, as Men that mean to do nothing ufe, boafting of their former glorious Acts against Johas, and Jeboabaz. And truly in fuch a Time and Cafe, it was eafy for Jeboiakim to give them Satisfaction, by letting them understand the Sincerity of his Affections towards them, which appeared in Time following. But Nebuchadnezzar went more roundly to work: For he fent a peremptory Meffage to Jehoiakim, requiring him not to ftand upon any nice Points, but prefently to acknowledge himself his Subject, and to pay him Tribute; Adding thereunto fuch terrible Threatnings, as made the poor Judean lay afide all Thoughts of adhering under Pharaob; and to yield to do, as the more powerful would have him. Thus he continued in Obedience to Nebuchadnezzar three Years; during which Time the Prophet Jeremiah, cryed out against the Impiety of the Jews, putting them in Mind that he had now for three and twenty Years exhorted them to Repentance; but because they had stopped their Ears against him, and the rest of the Prophets, he now foretold that their Captivity was at hand, and that they should bear the Yoak of Bondage for feventy Years. + The fame Calamity he threatned. to all the neighbouring Nations, to the Egyptians, Moabites, Ammonites, Idumaans, and the reft; + foretelling that they fhould all drink out of the Babylonian Cup the Wine of his Fury, whom they had forfaken; and that after the seventy Years fhould be expired, the Babylonians themselves fhould taste of the fame Cup, and be utterly fubverted by the Medes and Perfians, by which means the Jews fhould be permitted to return into their own Country, and Cities. The first Imprisonment of the Prophet Jeremiah | feems to have been in the fourth Year of this Jehoiakim, at which time, Baruch the Scribe wrote all his Prophefies from his Mouth, whom he fent to read them unto the People, and afterwards to the Princes, who prefented them to the King: But fearing the King's Fury, they had first set Jeremiah at liberty, and advised him and Baruch to hide themselves, Jer. xxxvi. 19, &c. Jeboiakim having heard Part of it read to him, and perceiving the ill News contained therein, he made no more ado, but cut the Book in pieces, and caft it into the fire. All which, Jeremiah caused to be new written, with this addition, that the dead Body of Jehoiakim should be caft out, being expofed in the Day to the Heat, and in the Night to the Froft, and that there should be none of his Seed to fit upon the Throne of David. Time thus running on, 7 hoiakim thought himself secure from all Danger, as being Tributary to the Babylonian, and yet withal, well thought on by the Egyptian: About which Time the mighty City of Tyre oppofed itself against Nebuchudnezzar and upon juft Confidence of her own Strength, defpifed all Preparations that could be made against her. Now for as much as the term of seventy Years was prefcribed for the Defolation, as well of Ty e, as of Jerufalem, and other Places, and Countries, it is apparent that th y that refer the winning of this City +Jer. xxv. 25, &c. + Jer. xxvii. E 2 City to the nineteenth Year of Nebuchadnezzer, have good Ground and Warrant for it. For the Siege thereof began in the feventh Year of his Reign, and lafted thirteen Years. Here it will not be amifs to infert a brief Note concerning the beginning of this great Prince's Rule; The third Year of Jehoiakim, was the laft of Nabulasser, who being freed from other Cares, and Bufineffes, took notice of fuch as had revolted from him to Pharaoh Necho, and fent this noble Prince, his Son, with an Army into Syria to reclaim them. In this Expedition was Daniel carried to Babylon, who therefore makes mention of it, Dan. i. 1. The Year next following, being the fourth of Jehoiakim, was the first Year of Nebuchadnezzar, which Jeremiah affirmeth in exprefs words, Jer. xxv. 1. And from this we must reckon all his Time, and Actions which follow to be fpoken of. In his three and twentieth Year he conquered Egypt, and then began his great Empire, there being none left that durft offend, or oppofe him. The fecond from this Year it was wherein Daniel faw that Vifion of the Image confifting of fundry Metals, which prefigured: the Succeffion of great Kingdoms, that fhould rule the World before the Coming of Chrift. But to return to the Siege of Tyre, which began in the feventh Year of his Reign. The ftately City of Tyre covered all the Ground of an Island, that was divided from the Continent by a deep, and broad Channel of the Sea. The Chaldeans had no Fleet of Ships, neither were they Seamen: the Tyrians excelled all other Nations in Multitude of goodly Ships, and Skill to use them: and every Wind, from one part or other, brought in all needful Provifions to the City: Wherefore neither Force, nor Famine could greatly hurt the Place; whereof neverthelefs, the Judgments of God (denounced against it by Ifaiah, Jeremiah, † and Ezekiel) had threatned the Destruction; and the obftinate Refolution of Nebuchad nezzar had fully determined to accomplish it. This haughty King,, impatient of Resistance, undertook a vaft Piece of Work, which was, to fill up that Part of the Sea which divided the Inland from the Continent. The City of old Tyre, that stood oppofite to the new, upon the firm Land, and the Mountain of Libanus near adjoyning, that was loaden with stately Cedars, and abundance of other Trees, furnished him with Materials to effect it. Thirteen Years were spent in this difficult, and hopeless Undertaking, which need not seem strange, if we confider, that Alexander, working upon that Foundation which was remaining of Nebuchadnezzar's Pier, and being withal affifted with a ftrong Fleet, was yet feven Months ere he could make way into the City. Wherefore, if the raging of the Sea was able to carry away that wherewith Alexander laboured to cover a Shelve, with much more Violence could it overturn, and, as it were, confume the Work of Nebuchadnezzar, who laid his Foundation in the bottom of the Deep; ftriving, as it were, to fill the empty Belly of this greedy Cormorant, whereas the Macedonian did only ftop the Throat of it. All may know that God could easily have accomplished his own Threatnings against this Place (though it had not pleafed him to ufe, either a Miracle, or fuch of hist more immediate Engines, as are Earthquakes, &c.) by making at least the Seas calm, and adding the favourable Concurrence of all fecond Helps. But fo it pleafeth him oft-times, in chaftifing the Pride of Man, to use the Hand of Man, Jer. xxii, 18, 19. & 36. 30. Ifaiah xxiii. + Jer. xxv. + Ezek. xxvi. even |