Palaces, and Princely Revenues with insatiable Greediness! How ill did it accord with their profest Purity and Godliness, after they had strain'd at so many Gnats, to swallow such a Camel!

Could they, in Reality, have been held by any Religious Ties, they would have paid some Regard, if not to the general Precepts of Obedience, if not to the former Oaths of Allegiance they had taken; yet at least to their own Solemn League and Covenant, that precious Test of Disloyalty, they so eagerly contended for, and which they had contriv'd as a Snare for others, whilst, thro' the Deadness of their Consciences, they were unrestrain'd themselves.

Even that Engagement, rebellious as it was, provided for the Security of the King's Person, which they were bound, by all that was Sacred, to protect and defend; and consequently the putting him to Death, besides all the other bad Circumstances, was an Act of the most deliberate Perjury that ever was committed.

But as if something was still wanting to fill up the Measure of their complicated Impiety; they added Hypocrisy to the rest, gave a Religious Turn to their execrable Proceedings, and in the Depth of all this Mischeif, pretended a Zeal for God's Glory, and to have nothing so

much at Heart, as promoting the Purity of his Worship.

Nor was Piety the only false Pretence, they wou'd make a show of Justice too: They would seem to do that by Law, which was an open Violation of all the Laws both of God and Man. To this End was erected a Mock-Tribunal of Self-created Judges, who by Vertue of that usurp'd and imaginary Authority, presum'd to set before 'em as a Criminal, their unquestionably rightful Sovereign. They had false Witnesses, Sons of Belial, ready at hand to have born their Testimony against him, and to have charg'd him with such Things, as he not only, in Fact, was clear of, but which he was not capable of committing.

Naboth indeed might, 'tho' he did not, have Curs'd God and the King. [Note: So the Hebrew Verb should be rendred here, as it is elsewhere. The Arabick and Chaldee express it by two different Words. Thou didst Blaspheme God, and Curse the King.] There were really such Offences, tho' there was no such Offender. Whereas in the Case of our Martyr'd Prince, the Crime its self was as Fictitious as the Personal Charge. He not only was not, but cou'd not be guilty of that Treason they accus'd him of, since by our known Constitution, it was against himself only that any Treason cou'd be committed. We find in no Records the mention of such a Crime, as the Lese-Majesty of the People, nor that the cruellest Tyrants were ever

tax'd with being Rebels to their own Subjects. 'Tis possible for 'em to Misgovern, to subvert Fundamentals, to abuse their Trust, or to forsake it, and drive the People to a Necessity of transferring their Allegiance (of which our own Times have furnish'd us with an Instance:) But they can never be guilty of Treason, nor suffer the Punishment of Traytors.

When therefore the good King disown'd this illegal Judicature, and refus'd (as he well might) to Plead his Cause before 'em; they still went on with a Mask of Justice, and in Mock-Representation of a legal Process, to Sentence and Condemn him, and Sign a Bloody Warrant for his Execution.

Another Thing in which his Case does nearly resemble that of Naboth is, that they both were Murder'd for the same Cause, because they wou'd not part with the Inheritance of their Fathers.

Naboth might have compounded for his Life, by relinquishing his Vineyard, nay he might have had an equivalent too. But as he conceiv'd himself bound in Conscience, religiously to preserve his original Patrimony, he was under an unhappy Necessity of making such a Refusal, as brought him to that untimely End.

And the Desire of his Inheritance was the Motive that induc'd our unnatural Country-men, to take away the Life of their Lawful King. The Inherent-Rights and Prerogtiaves of the

Crown, which his Royal Predecessors had uncontestably enjoy'd, thro' a Succession of many Ages, were one after another disputed with him, and in the End violently extorted. What he cou'd depart from, with safety to his Conscience and Honour, he gave 'em, by a voluntary Consent, to preserve the Quiet of his Kingdom; but when he perceiv'd that nothing wou'd content 'em; (their Demands still rising, as his Concessions were larger) he adher'd with a steddy Resolution to those Branches of Power, which he judg'd to be inseparable from the Royal Dignity, and parted with them and his Life together.

Before they had thus compass'd their wicked Ends, and were become Masters of all without Controul, whilst there was yet the Appearance and Shadow of Kingly Government, and nothing cou'd be valid without the Royal Sanction; even then, tho' they left him the Name, they arrogated to themselves the Power. With what repeated Importunities did they Daily tear from him his most trusted and faithful Servants, under the Character of Evil Counsellors, and thrust into his Presence and Councils, their own Mercenary Creatures, Men of notorious Faction and Disloyalty, the profest Haters both of his Person and Authority, as the only Men to be confided in! How justly might he have answer'd their haughty and unreasonable Demands (for such in Effect were their humble

Petitions) in the Words of the wisest of Princes (when a very improper Application was made to him, in behalf of one, who had so little Pretension to Favour, that Impunity was more than he had deserv'd) Ask for him the Kingdom also. [Note: 1 Kings 2. 22.]

They wanted, in short, such a Power as should create Dependencies on them, and tie fast to their Service such Instruments of Mischeif as they should have Occasion to make use of. And not to descend to all the several Branches of Royalty, 'twas Dominion and Government they aim'd at; an Affectation of Lording and Ruling it, was the real Ground of their seditious Outcries (as the Event sufficiently show'd) however they varnish'd over their Designs with more plausible Pretences.

Once more, we may observe another Resemblance between these two Innocent Persons, in that neither of 'em suffer'd singly, but the Enemies of each extended their Malice to the whole Race of 'em. Tho' the History now before us is silent as to Naboth's Family, and only relates what befel him in his own Person; yet we may learn from 2 Kings 9. 26. what became of 'em. Surely I have seen Yesterday the Blood of Naboth, and the Blood of his Sons, saith the Lord, and I will requite thee in this Plat.

It cannot, I confess, be equally affirm'd, with relation to our Martyr'd Sovereign, that the Blood of his Sons too calls for Vengeance, that only Stream of Royal Blood having been Spilt,

that ran within his own Veins. But tho' they escap'd with Life, (no Thanks to the Usurpers of their Inheritance that they did so) yet were they devested of their just Rights, which none of 'em had then done any thing to forfeit, driven into Exile, branded with Names of Infamy and Reproach, and declar'd Traytors and Rebels themselves, as well as their Abettors and Adherents.

Having said thus much by way of Parallel, give me leave to conclude the Comparison between these two Innocents, as I first introduc'd it, with taking Notice of one other material Difference between the two