Phil. To honour the king, is not only to pretend & show an outward humility & humble obeisance toward ⟨image 75⟩him, as by putting of our cap to him, reverently to speak to him, to kneel unto him, to grant him freely & willingly what so ever he requireth of us, but also with heart & mind to wish well unto him, to desire all good & prosperous things unto him, to pray for him, to desire long life unto him, to pray that God may rule & govern all his councils, enterprises & affairs, to watch diligently that no harm, disturbance or incommodity chance unto him, and in all our acts either public or private, open or secret, to seek the honour of him, as of our most sovereign LORD. This honour showed David to king Saul,1 which knowing Saul to be his utter enemy, & one that sought his life, would notwithstanding so much as once hurt him, nor yet suffer any other to do it, although he had sufficient opportunity & occasion ⟨image 75⟩divers times to have slain him, if he had been so minded. The Lord forbid me, saith he, y• I should lay my hand on him. Again, kill him not. For who saith he, shall lay hands on the LORDS anointed, and be not guilty? The LORD liveth, he dyeth not, except the LORD smite him, or that his day be come to dye,2 or else go to battle, & there perish He also afterward commanded the young man to be slain, which came & told him, that he had killed king Saul, thinking by this means to have picked a great thank or obtained some beneficial reward at Davids hand.3 Here was true honour. For it is not lawful for any man being a subject to arise against his Prince, & to avenge his own quarrel, be he never so much a Tyrant, or sustaineth he at his hand never so great injuries & wrongs, but patiently to suffer all things, ⟨image 76⟩yea rather death,4 than he should once resist, leaving the vengeance unto him, which saith, vengeance is mine, & I will reward. For he that resisteth the ordinance of God, getteth to him self damnation. And they that dishonour the high powers, shall fall into ignobility, & prove a miserable end.
Phil. To honoure the kynge, is not only to pretende & shewe an outward humilite & hūble obeysaunce towarde ⟨image 75⟩him, as by puttyng of our cappe to hym, reuerently to speake to hym, to knele vnto hym, to graunte hym freely & wyllyngly what so euer he requireth of vs, but also with herte & mynde to wysh well vnto hym, to desyre all good & prosperous thynges vnto hym, to praye for hym, to desyre longe lyfe vnto hym, to pray that God maye rule & gouerne all his councelles, enterprises & affayres, to watch diligētly yt no harme, disturbance or incommodite chaūse vnto hym, and in all oure actes eyther publique or priuate, open or secret, to seake the honour of hym, as of oure mooste soueraygne LORDE. This honor shewed Dauid to kyng Saul,1 which knowyng Saul to be his vtter enemy, & one that sought his lyfe, woulde notwithstondynge so much as once hurte hym, nor yet suffer ony other to do it, althoughe he had sufficiēt oportunite & occasiō ⟨image 75⟩dyuers tymes to haue slayne hī, if he had bene so minded. The Lord forbyd me, sayth he, y• I should laye mynhand on hym. Agen, kyl hī not. For who sayth he, shall laye handes on the LORDES annoynted, and be not gyltye? The LORDE lyuethe, he dyeth not, excepte the LORDE smite him, or that his day be come to dye,2 or els go to battayle, & there perysh He also afterwarde commaunded ye younge manne to be slayne, whiche came & tolde him, that he had kylled kynge Saul, thynckynge by thys menes to haue picked a great thāke or obtained some beneficial reward at Dauids hand.3 Here was true honor. For it is not lawfull for any mā beynge a subiecte to aryse agēst hys Prynce, & to auenge hys owne quarell, be he neuer so muche a Tyraunt, or sustayneth he at his hand neuer so great iniuries & wronges, but paciently to suffer all thynges, ⟨image 76⟩yea rather death,4 thā he should once resist, leauynge the vengeaunce vnto hym, which sayth, vengeaunce is myne, & I wyl reward. For he that resisteth the ordinaunce of God, getteth to hym selfe dampnacion. And they that dishonour the hygh powers, shal fall into ignobilite, & proue a miserable end.
- 1i. Reg. xxvi.
- 2ii. Reg. i.
- 3Note.
- 4Deut. xxxii. Rom. xii. Heb. x. Rom. xiii.
