The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

The trust and hope which Abdemelech had in God, made himself bold to oppose himself, being but one, to the King and to his whole Council, who had condemned to death the Prophet, whom his conscience did acknowledge to be innocent: for thus did he speak in presence of the King, sitting in the Port of Benjamin; My Lord the King, (saith Abdemelech) these men do wickedly in all things that they have done to Jeremiah the Prophet. Advert and take heed, my Lords, that the men who had condemned the Prophet, were the King, ⟨p. 20⟩his Princes and Council, and yet did one man accuse them all of iniquity, and did boldly speak in the defence of him, of whose innocency he was persuaded:¹ And the same, I say, is the duty of every man in his Vocation, but chiefly of the Nobility, which is joined with their kings, to bridle and repress their folly and blind rage: Which thing if the Nobility do not, neither yet labour to do, as they are Traitors to their Kings, so do they provoke the wrath of God against themselves, and against the Realm, in which they abuse the Authority which they have received of God, to maintain Virtue, and to suppress Vice. And hereof I would your Honours were most certainly persuaded, That God will neither excuse Nobility nor people, but the Nobility least of all that obey and follow their Kings in manifest iniquity; but with the same vengeance will God punish the Prince, People, and Nobility conspiring together against him and his Holy Ordinances; as in the punishment upon Pharaoh, Israel, Judah, and Babylon, is evidently to be seen; for Pharaoh was not drowned alone, but his Captains, Chariots, and great Army drank the same Cup with him. The Kings of Israel and Judah were not punished without company, but with them were murdered the Counsellors, their Princes imprisoned, and their people led Captive: And why? because none was found so faithful to God, that he durst enterprise to resist, nor gainstand the manifest impiety of their Princes. And therefore was Gods wrath poured forth upon the one and the other. But the more ample discourse of this argument I defer to better opportunity; only at this time I thought expedient to admonish you, That before God it shall not excuse you to allege, We are no Kings and therefore neither can we reform Religion, nor yet defend such as be persecuted.

The trust and hope which Abdemelech had in God, made himself bold to oppose himself, being but one, to the King and to his whole Councell, who had condemned to death the Prophet, whom his conscience did acknowledge to be innocent: for thus did he speak in presence of the King, sitting in the Port of Benjamin; My Lord the King, (saith Abdemelech) these men do wickedly in all things that they have done to Jeremy the Prophet. Advert and take heed, my Lords, that the men who had condemned the Prophet, were the King,