Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n
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A43676
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No King but Jesus, or, The Walls of tyrannie razed and the foundations of unjust monarchy discovered to the view of all that desire to see it wherein is undeniably proved that no king is the Lords anointed but Jesus ... / by Henry Haggar.
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Haggar, Henry.
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1652
(1652)
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Wing H187; ESTC R31087
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42,037
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60
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is none other that may save thee in all thy Cities Hol. 13.9 10. Again the people of the Nation of England need not so much to wonder and be disturbed at what the Lord hath done for it was always Gods way and work if any King displeased him he would pull him down and set up another whom he pleased yea even the basest of men therefore saith Dan. 2.21 He changeth the times and seasons he removeth kings Witness also his dealing with the Kings of Israel First his rejecting of Saul from being King and rending the kingdom from him and giving of it to his neighbour 1 Sam. 15.23 28. Secondly The Lord rent the kingdom again from David's house for Solomons Idolatry 1 King 11.11 and gave it to Jeroboam his servant which came to pass ver. 30 31. Thirdly The Lord took away the kingdom from his house in the days of his son Nadab and gave it Baasha the son of Ahijah 1 King 15.25 26 27 28. Fourthly He took it away from him and gave it to Zimri his servant See 1 King 16.2 3 15. And for his wickedness he gave it to Omri ch. 16.22 23. Again The Lord took away the kingdom from the house of Omri in Ahabs days it was prophesied and accomplished in the days of Joram See King 9.6 7 8 9. to the end Thus it is cleerly proved that God alone ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he pleaseth But it will be Objected That God did this to them for their wickedness but who can say King Charles was so wicked Answ. As for his wickedness it 's possible to make it appear he had some but I shall leave that to God to judge of onely this I dare assirm that some of the fore-named Kings were as good and as holy men as King Charles and did as many good things for the honour and glory of God in their generation as ever he did and had as much of the knowledge of God in them and more then ever he had as it appeareth by Saul 1 Sam. 10.9 10 11 12 13. David and Solomon Therefore for shame let not that be pleaded for if Saul onely for sparing the sheep and oxen with a good intent to offer sacrifice to God with them and for shewing mercy to Agag King of the Amalekites must have his Kingdom rent from him 1 Sam. 15.19 20 21 22. because he had left undone the commandment of God surely then it may be proved by the things already declared against Charles Stuart in print to the view of all men to which I refer you that he was so great a sinner that the great God that searcheth the hearts and is a true beholder of the inward parts of man hath seen so much evil in him as might in justice move him to take away his Kingdom and Dominion from him and lay his honour in the dust and will without question at the great day make it appear to the faces of all them that do oppose him to whom I leave it with what is written and proceed to the second which is to consider what it is to rule with God We read Hos. 11.12 the words of the Lord by the Prophet are these Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit but Judah yet ruleth with God and is faithful with the Saints From whence I thus reason That that power which is faithful with the Saints or to the Saints to protect them in well-doing that Power doth rule with God Secondly those people that do the good and acceptable will of God by keeping the holy and righteous commands of God given by Jesus Christ in these last days Heb. 1.1 2. with Act. 3.22 23. they are the righteous and holy people and the Saints of God and that Power and Authority that protects and preserves such a people in so doing doth protect and preserve the Saints But the present power and Authority of this Nation of England do protect such a people in so well doing Therefore they rule with God and are faithful to the Saints and do hereby honour God by having respect to his children and them that fear him And they which honour me I will honour saith the Lord but they which despise me shall be lightly esteemed 1 Sam. 2.50 And such a Power we must needs be subject to not onely for fear of wrath but also for conscience sake for they are not a terrour to good works but to the evil Again those Rulers that are a terrour to good works do not rule with God for Rulers And Powers ordained of God are not a terrour to good works but to evil See Rom. 13.1 2 3. Therefore saith the Lord Prov. 29.2 When the righteous are in authority the people rejoyce but when the wicked bear rule the people mourn And the truth is were it not to suppress the wicked that would destroy the Saints as Cain slew his brother Abel there should need no Power nor Law amongst men but the law of Love for the law was not made for the righteous man but for the lawless and disobedient c. And the powers that are ordained of God were not ordained to be revengers of wrath upon good men that keep the Commandments of God but upon evil men that break them And thus it is plain that those Magistrates and Rulers which are faithful with the Saints to preserve and keep them in well-doing That Power is of God and ruleth with God and it shall stand against all opposers And we may safely conclude That that Power which is used to vex persecute and destroy the Saints and honest men searing God is not of God and therefore it shall not stand But the Power in King Charles his days was so used as many honest conscientious men can testifie by woful experience therefore it was not of God and is thrown down But it will be objected that now since the King is gone there is as great persecution taxing and oppressing of men as ever To which I abswer I positively deny that honest conscientious men that fear God and desire to live in peace are persecuted as before But indeed if any conspire and rebel against this present power of the Nation of England so wonderfully set up and preserved by God himself it is their policie and good wisdom to suppress such malignant spirits by confining their persons to such places as they may do least hurt in and by sequestring their estates to make use of them for the best advantage of the Commonwealth And indeed to that end they are a power ordained of God even to take vengeance and execute wrath upon them that do evil Therefore if any man would not fear the present Power let him do that which is good and he shall have praise of the same See Rom. 13.2 3 4. Secondly whereas many complain of Taxes and oppression by Taxes more then ever I answer There was never such occasion for Taxes as
12.24 25. consider therefore how he remembred you in your low condition and when you were little in your own eyes he chose you and made you the heads of the nation 1 Sam. 15.17 and ever since hath gone before you and fought your battels and given you the victories and now at present he hath given you rest and a breathing-time to sit down and consider how he hath wonderfully delivered you out of the hands of your enemies so that they which hate you do not rule over you but he hath delivered them into your hands and you rule over them which is a double mercy Now therefore in the fear of God while you have time sit down and seriously consider how the Lord hath digged and planted you and how he hath fenced you and made an hedge about you and what could men fearing God desire more for a temporall safety and deliverance that he hath not done as he said once to Israel Isa. 5.2 3 4. now therefore is the time that the Lord looks for fruit and now is the time that the Rulers of the Nation and the Judges of the people ought to be instructed and to learn wisdom to serve the Lord that hath thus delivered them in fear and to rejoyce before him with trembling Secondly take heed therefore lest now when the Lord looks for judgement he behold oppression and for righteousness he hear a cry which may justly cause him to take away the hedge and pull down the wall that he hath built about us and lay us waste as he did his people Israel Isa. 5.5 6. I speak not these things to accuse any but to warn all in time to take heed for as Paul saith in another case Rom. 11. If God spared not his people Israel the naturall branches let us take heed lest he also spare not us and it is for you that are the heads of the people and Princes of the nation I say it is for you to know Judgment and of you that the Lord requireth these things Mic. 3.1 Therefore let all that are in authority in the nation Consider their ways And wash you and make you clean put away the evill of your doings from before the eyes of the Lord cease to do evil learn to do well seek Judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow then you may have boldness to draw near and to come and reason together with the Lord and though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow if you will be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the Land but if you refuse and rebel you shall yet be dovoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa. 1.16 17 18 19 20. You may do all this now you have time enough no enemies to trouble you In time of distress you promised well the people hoped you would performe and therefore were willing to put to their hand to help in time of need and now the storme is over the eyes of all your friends in the nation are upon you expecting these things from you which the Lord requireth of you and his people do beleive you will perform although we thus speak to stir up your minds by way of remembrance Thirdly and you Honourable Noble and valiant men of the Army whom God hath crowned with so many Victories you that have seen the works of God and his wonders in delivering you in most eminent dangers and covering your heads in the day of battel and made your hearts and hands strong and your faces bold to look upon your enemies in the height of all their pride and gave them into your hands when you were in your lowest condition remember Dunbar be not now faint-hearted but remember and forget not to look your friends whom you have fought for in the faces and petition to them and plead with them for just judgement and equity that the Nation may be established in righteousness then may you sit down in peace and injoy the fruits of your labour and hazards But think not that the work is already done because you for present have done fighting its true the Lord hath delivered you and all the Magistrates in the Land out of the hands of your enemies but it now remaineth that both you and they strive together and that while you have time to deliver the oppressed from oppression and the poor needy out of trouble for God hath delivered you to that end that you as instruments in his hands may deliver them and he hath prepared yet another blessing for you against you have done that work as you may see Psal. 41.1 2 3. in these words Blessed is he that considereth the poor and neeby the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and the Lord will not deliver him into the hands of his enemies but the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing yea he will make his bed in all his sickness Thus we see how good and acceptable a work it is in the sight of God and what the Lord hath promised to those that faithfully labour in it therefore they that are already about it let them not be weary of well-doing for in due time they shall reap if they faint not And those that are not about it let them up and be doing and Lord that hath promised to be with them Therefore let none say The former Lawes and Statutes of the nation do hinder them in this work for if they be corrupt why are they not taken away who hinders you or can hinder you Is not the Lord with you while you are with him doing of his will and work and hath he not given the power into your own hands Be sure therefore he will require these things at your hands that are in authority and have the power in possession But men are very prone in these things to frame their work according to the politick Law of Nations rather then to measure it by the perfect Law of God therefore my humble advice in the next place is that your honours will Fifthly be pleased to consider David that man after Gods own heart who ruled the people prudently with all his power consider I say how he meditated in the Law of the Lord day and night Psal. 1.2 and how he sought him with his whole heart that he might not wander from his commandments Psal. 119.10 for by them he was made wiser then all his enemies and had more understanding then all his teachers because he meditated upon the testimonies of the Lord and because he kept his precepts he came to understanding more then the ancients verse 97.98 99 100. And these things are written and left upon record for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come therefore let us be instructed by them and especially you