The crucifying of the world

but if he will proclaim himself King, you will either laugh at him as a fool, or abhor him as a Traitor; subjects do owe much honour and obedience to their Princes; but if Caligula will needs be Jupiter, or if they must hear as the Pope, Dominus Deus noster Papa, or if they will usurp Gods prerogatives, and undertake his proper work, or will set themselves against his truth and interest, and grow jealous of his power on which they must depend, and of his Gospel and spiritual Administrations and Discipline, lest it should eclipse their glory or cross their wills, this is the ready way to make them become base, and lay both them and their glory in the dust. The Jews ought to reverence Herod their King, ⟨p. 13⟩but if once they begin to say, [It is the voice of a God, and not of a man.] No wonder if he be smitten by the hand of Divine vengeance, and he that would be a God, become the food of worms; and God show them what a God they had magnified, that cannot keep the lice or worms from eating him alive. God useth to pour contempt upon Princes, when they will not know and submit to the everlasting King. He taketh himself as engaged to break down all that would usurp his honour, and tumble down the Idols of the world; therefore hath he alway so abhorred the two grand abominations, Pride and Idolatry, above other sins: For he will not give his glory to another: He will not with patience hear it spoken of an Idol, [These are thy Gods O Israel, that brought thee out of Egypt:] The first Commandment is not merely a precept for some particular act of obedience, as are the rest: but it is the fundamental Law of God, establishing the very Relations of Sovereign and Subject: And as this is the first and great command, and that which virtually containeth all, [Thou shalt have no other Gods before me] or, [Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart.] So he that breaketh this is guilty of all. When the Parent of the world would needs become as God, he made himself the slave of the Devil.

but if he will proclaim himself King, you will either laugh at him as a fool, or abhor him as a Traytor; subjects do owe much honour and obedience to their Princes; but if Caligula will needs be Iupiter, or if they must hear as the Pope, Dominus Deus noster Papa, or if they will usurp Gods prerogatives, and undertake his proper work, or will set themselves against his truth and interest, and grow jealous of his power on which they must depend, and of his Gospel and spiritual Administrations and Discipline, lest it should ecclipse their glory or cross their wills, this is the ready way to make them become base, and lay both them and their glory in the dust. The Jews ought to reverence Herod their King,