The shields of the earth A sermon preached before the reverend judges, Sir Richard…The shieldes of the earth A sermon preached before the reverend judges, Sir Richard…

We see The Rulers of the earth belong unto God. We the people should from thence learn our duty of honour, reverence and loyalty towards The Shields of the Earth. To honour them in our hearts, as those that are worth ten thousand of us, 2 Sam. 18. 3. They were sons of Belial that despised Saul, 1 Sam. 10. 27. To honour them in our ^aPrayers, for their persons, their lives, their crowns, their government, their victories, their posterity, their salvation, 1 Tim. 2. 1, 2. To honour them in our services, and with our substance, with cheerful obedience, and with willing Tribute, Rom. 13. 7. 1 Pet, 2. 13, 14, 15. Since without them one man would but be bread for another, we should be as the fishes of the sea, the great would devour the small, Hab. 1. 13, 14. ^bIt was the dignity and practice of the ancient Christians thus to do, as they who write their Apologies against the calumniations of Heathen adversaries do still observe: whereby they did not only ⟨p. 21⟩discharge the conscience of loyal and dutiful subjects to their sovereign, but also of wise and wary Christians towards their profession, thereby putting to silence the ignorance of foolish men, who, either unable, or unwilling, to distinguish between the errors of Christians and their Religion, would have undoubtedly laid the envy of such disobedience, not upon the weakness of the men, but upon the doctrine which they obeyed: as the Apostles, Saint Peter and Paul, do both observe, 1 Tim. 6. 1. 2 Cor. 6. 3. 1 Pet. 2. 15