inspiration wrote to the Saints at Rome was to satisfie them in any doubt that might arise by their living under Imperiall Goverment to tell them that untill God did finde out a way to free them from hard Taske-masters they must submit for conscience sake if Nero would send to them for halfe their goods it was better for them to part quietly with them then to resist and so to loose their lives for what could two or three hundred Christians doe to oppose the Emperours power however he was none of their Lord they set him not up but they came in by blood and conspiracies or els the Romans elected them the Christians were meerely passive in the Goverment and in conscience ought to pay tribute to them not as if the Goverment was approved by God but because it was Gods will that Christians should with as much peace and quietnes as the world would affoard thē passe the time of their sojorning here in feare wherein the Saints lookt at the performance of the promises of God and the will and minde of their heavenly Father which they found in Scripture to be that as the people of God had suffered under the Egyptian power those Pharoes and hard taske-masters and so under the Babylonish power in the captivitie and had suffered and were trampled upon by the Assyrian Persian and Grecian Monarchs so likewise they were to suffer and to be oppressed by the Roman power as we read Dan. 7. where by the vision of the foure Beasts is represented the foure Monarchs men of bestiall spirits that create a propertie by force as amongst the beasts possession is the onely right but sayes Daniel it must not be so alwayes for ver 18. and 26 27. But the Saints of the most High shall take the Kingdom and possesse the Kingdom for ever even for ever and ever but the Iudgement shall sit and they shall take away his dominion to consume and destroy it unto the end and the Kingdom and dominion and the greatnes of the Kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the Saints of the most High whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom and all dominions shall serve and obey him see Dan. 2. 44. now this is a truth that the Malignants exceedingly vex and fret at Psal 2. 1 2 3 4. why doe the Heathen rage and the people imagine a vaine thing the Kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take councell together against the Lord and against his Annointed saying Let us breake their bonds asunder and cast away their cords from us he that sitteth in the Heavens shall laugh the Lord shall have them in derision then shall he speake unto them in his wrath and vex them in his sore displeasure ver 6. Yet I will sayes the Lord set King Iesus upon his holy hill of Sion The Monarchs of the world thinke to intaile their Crowns so fast upon their posterity and make Lawes like the Medes and Persians to be unchangeable and men may thinke to establish Royall Statutes and make firme Decrees that Monarchy shall stand but the Lord will blow upon them It is admirable to consider that Scripture of Ier. 29. Babylon was to be destroyed as it is Psal 137. 8. 9 O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed happy shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us happy shall hee be that dasheth thy little ones against the stones and yet for the 70. yeeres the people of God must be patient and pray for the peace of that City where they were captives doe but read that excellent place Ier. 29. from the 4. to the 7. 10. If the Parliament had complyed with the late King and set him upon the throne it had been putting a golden Scepter into the hand of Anti-Christ and a reed into the hand of Christ to have called Christ master but to have Crowned him with thornes and a mortall man with Gold it had been but mocking and scoffing at the promises of Iustice Holines Purity Peace Plenty and freedom from oppression which the people of God are to enjoy upon the earth for doe but consider how ridiculous it is to call those Defendors of the Faith that are offendors of the faithfull that make the Saints offendors for a word that hate the Saints as men naturally hate poyson from whence it followes that the darknes and dissatisfaction which hath been upon the spirits of many Christians concerning the Iustice done upon the late King proceeds from their not understanding the Scriptures not distinguishing the times and seasons which the Lord hath appointed for his people when to be in a suffering condidition and when to be in a prosperous condition the primitive Christians were predestinate to be conformed to the image of their head Iesus Christ in a patient suffering Rom. 8. 2. 9. under Tirants but in these later times the Saints are to get victory over the Beast and the Kings of the earth shall bring their glory to Gods people Revel 21. 24. the Churches of Christ shall not any longer as sucking Lambes be in feare of wolves or as tender kids in the pawes of Beares nor as a prey to the mouthes of Lions but those that oppresse the Lords people shall be fed with their own flesh and drunke with their own blood as with sweet wine and all the world shall know that the Lord is the Saviour and the Redeemer of his people the mighty one of Iacob Esay 49. 26. as it is Gods prerogative to binde the Divell in chaines so the Saints shall binde Kings on earth let Malignants mocke and jeare at the Saints and servants of the most high God minde what the Scripture sayes Psal 149. 1 2 6 7 8 9. ver prayse the Lord sing unto the Lord a new song and his praise in the congregation of Saints let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the Children of Sion be joyfull in their King Let the high praises of God be in their mouths a two edged sword in their hands to execute vengeance upon the heathen and punishments upon the people to binde their Kings with chaines and their Nobles with fetters of iron to execute upon them the Iudgement written this honour have all his Saints prayse yee the Lord that as Paul was delivered from the mouth of the Lion so the Saints shall be delivered from all the Lions and beasts of prey for God will ere long visit Babylon and all those Kings that have been druncke with the blood of the Saints and then all men that are of the same spirit as the holy Apostles were as all Christians are animated by the same spirit as the members by the same soule shall rejoyce Rev. 18. 20. and it is a speciall duty of Christians to express their joy by singing exaltations in the Lord Rev. 19. 1 2 3. and for the effecting of so glorious a work the Lord will plead with fire and sword with
and humanity are inseperable it was in too much neglecting himselfe for like a candle hee wasted his vitalls to give light to others seldome thinking it time to eat till he had done the worke of the day at nine or ten at night and then will sit up as long as any man had busines with him indeed he was every thing from a foot Souldier to a Generall and thought nothing done whilst any thing was undone his last tedious and wet march into Conaught for the reducing of Clare and other Castles after the rendition of Lymericke cost him deere as I understand occasioning the fever his heavenly Father would not suffer him to dye by the hand of the enemy nor of the Pestilence whereby many of his deere servants have beene called home he was a most exact Iusticiarie in all matters of morall righteousnes and with strength of sollid reason had a most piercing Iudgement and a large understanding heart to discerne betweene good and evill truth and error hee was one of those good Magistrates prophesied of in Rom. 13. and his conversation was a true interpretation of that Text being so intent to Gods honor that he never thought himself served or be friended in any Action unles God was therein served and honored let us minde our duty sayes hee and what Scripture have you to warrant it I believe few men knew more of the Art of Policy and selfe interessed prudentialls but never man so little practized them he is and shall be most deere to my remembrance and of all the Saints that ever I knew I desire to make him my President for uprightednes singleheartednes and sincerity he exercised it to his enemies Oh sayes he deale platnely with them let them know what they must trust too and though hee was very sparing in his promises to the Rebells yet he was most liberall in performances he had a very cleere divine light of truthes supernaturall and being strong in faith and of a most humble and meeke spirit gave God the glory of all successe upon the least losse we received by the Irish or any disappointment Oh sayes he is not our God angry with us let us be fervent in prayer to know his minde in every checke or chastisement as upon the losse in attempting the Island by Lymericke where gallant Major Walker lost his life He wrote to Colonell Lawrence and others of us here by the name of his Christian friends and brethren to be earnest with the Lord to know his minde what he would have his poore servants in the Army to doe I doe verily thinke that since the Apostles dayes there was never more Divine breathing of the Spirit of Christ in any Letter then in that He had a most noble propertie that if any man was questioned or censured behind his backe he would be his Counsell and argue for him every thing that could be rationally alledged never did man in the owning of his Authority more disowne himselfe hee was a most exemplary Christian in duties of piety and Religion alwayes beginning and ending Conferences Councells with prayer seeking wisedom advise and strength from God upon all occasions he had constantly when in Garison an exercise before supper and though he satt in Councell till eight or nine at night yet by his good will the discourse should not be the shorter but when Mr. Pacient a man of great experience in heavenly things or any other seemed to be strained in time he would say let us not thinke that time too long in Gods immediate service and when others had spoken to any disputable and usefull question hee would speake with that depth of Iudgement ever tending to unity and unanimity in opinions and affections that to my slender apprehensions I doe not know that ever I heard him maintaine any error and was willing to heare truth from the Souldier when the sicknes encreased the last yeare he appointed not onely one or two dayes to seeke the Lord to revoke that Comission but every fourth day of the weeke for six weeks together and sure it is a blessed thing when Moses speaks to Aaron the Magistrate to all Gods people to be servent in prayer when wrath is gone out from the Lord and the Plague begin Num. the 16. 46. his estimat or character of a godly man was not principally that he was of such a sorme opinion judgement or attainement but where he found the maine bent and resolution of his scule to be to know God in the face of Iesus Christ and to promote his glory to serve the Saints to begin or second a good motion with all his might to doe good to every visible object to love the first appearances and cherish the least sparks of grace and Image of Christ in whom soever existing and to renounce the honors profits and pleasures of this life for Christs sake who became of no reputation for us he greatly delighted in the Communion of Saints and made union with Christ and not any other opinion the ground of it which is the onely foundation of that Church against which the gates of hell shall never prevaile as that sweet spirited Christian Mr. Iesse hath unanswerably evinced he would often say to this effect that there was no honor like to the service of Iesus Christ and let our ambition be who shall be most instrumentall for God in his generation and having done our worke with all diligence let us trust God for our wages but halfe worke is not pleasing to God I know the want of some distinguishing ordinances was a burden to him and I am afraid that our heavenly Father hath a controversie with many of us in Ireland for severall deficiencies or redundancies as first our undervallueing the Lords Supper I am afraid sometimes that God will make the lesse account of our bloods and of our children because we so little esteeme if not trample under-foot the blood of his Son in that Ordinance if a Christian cannot conveniently enjoy it yet he should mourne for the want of it Secondly for not Sanctifying the Lords Day the morallity whereof too many deny and such as hold it yet upon every triviall and slight busines which might have been done the day before or deferred till the day after forget to keep it holy I agree that works of necessity and mercy may be done upon that day where it is really so of Gods sending and for publique utillity but a culpable necessity of our owne making will not excuse the breach of that holy Law Thirdly that when the honest interest is strugling for life some should be striving for estates or rather when Iesus Christ is daily Crucified in his members by the bloody Tories there should be emulations and contentions amongst us for superiority or prudencie as was amongst the Apostles that whereas S. Paul only commands to render honor to whom honor is due Rom. 13. 7. wee are too ready to assume titles of honor which are
not owned in England Fourthly or it may be that every officer hath not the bowells and tender care of a father to his poore companions 1 Chron. 11. 17. 18. 19. And David longed and said Oh that one would give me drinke of the water of the well of Bethlem that is at the gate And the 3. brake through the host of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlem that was by the gate and tooke it and brought it to David but David would not drinke of it but powred it out to the Lord and said my God forbid it me that I should doe this thing shall I drinke the blood of these men that have put their lives in Ieopardy for with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it therefore he would not drinke it Fiftly or per adventure that we are not so intent upon the principle worke that wee were sent over about viz to right and restore the plundered banished and oppressed English Sixtly or lastly that we doe not put a difference between such as have been active in the beginning or prosecution of the Rebellion and such as have only had their hearts and not their hands in it the Lord help us wee know not how to cast a severe eye upon the offence and yet a pitifull eye upon the person some are too indulgent in the remission of just punishment others turne Iudgement into wormewood by an over exact severity but blessed be God what errors are amongst us they are but in the head I hope our hearts are sound and right for Holines Iustice and Mercy specially such as are intrusted in Councell and Conduct this is but as an humble Caution And whether it pleased God to take away so precius an Instrument either for his owne sins or for ours we being indeed not worthy of him or that his glory may be made more manifest that he is not tyed to any man but can carry on his owne worke in the removall of the wisest Counsellors and most valiant worthyes It is not for us positively to determine Pray pardon me but a word more truly all things considered I doe not know that there are diversities of gifts and operations but it is the same God and Spirit which worketh all in all 1. Cor. 12. 2. 4. and happily some may excell in one thing and some in another but for so great a stocke of knowledge such extraordinary abilities in matters and learning Military Iudiciall Reipublicall Mathematicall Morall Rationall and Divine I say for every thing requisite and desirable both as a man and as a Christian I thinke it will be hard with many candles to finde his equall but he that made him so good lives for ever and his yeeres change not Psal 102. 27. who can and I trust will richly adorne and quallifie his successors and make them such as he would have them to be that what his Mosesses shall leave undone may be finisht by his Ioshuaes which will undoubtedly be so if our unbeliefe hinder not good things from us for blessed be God they which are next in Command here and many others are of Gods designation Called and faithfull and Chosen and such as honor God and therefore ought to be honored but Tragedies must not be long those that knew him not may thinke I speake for affection and those that were intimate with him will blame me of ignorance that I say so little the more worthy he was the greater is the losse especially to his deere and honored relations whom the Lord blesse with all benedictions temporall and eternall for whose sakes I should not have said any thing in point of Comendation least it should encrease their sorrow but that I hope that they are and shall pray that they may be more possessed of that rare Iewell of Christian resignation and living in the divine will I am sure that hee was tender of the honor and wellfare of the Sonne of God and his members therfore no doubt but God will be a Father to his good Lady and Children but great griefes command silence and it is best to cast a vayle upon it that wee sorrow not even as others which have no hope and now most Honorable because God will honor them that honor him It is but my duty to beare testimony to all those excellent things which you have done for the glory of God and good of the Nations It was said of Hercules that no man deserved so much as he because hee freed the world from Lions VVolves and Tygers you that may truly say with David we have killed the Lion and the Beare shall I trust be blessed and assisted to curbe and overcome the Goliahs that oppose righteousnes and holines the Phylistins deceivers and mysticall wolves all oppressors and cruell men all such as are inwardly ravening wolves in point of selfe-interest building their fortunes upon the ruines of honest men though they appeare in any sheeps clothing so shall your names be famous and immortall which yet is not to be interpreted so much a comendations of the persons as the gifts and Graces of God in them And so with all submisse gratitude to Your Honors that wee Your faithfull servants here live in Your remembrances as knowing it to be all the interest expected therein resembling like deere Children Your Heavenly Father who finding a thankfull heart for one mercy conferrs another I shall turne my prayses of you into prayers for you and yours that God would make you masters over the peoples hearts and mindes as well as over their bodyes that you may be a burdensome stone to all oppression to breake in peeces all petty Tyrants and to conquer not only the Ecclesiasticall beast but the Politicall that if it be his will you may live to rayse the superstructures and finish the building of that foundation which you have so happily layd and begun And that after long lives for the glory of God and the good of the Nations you may follow that truly worthy member that is gone before into that blissefull inheritance of the Saints in light where is all day and no night where your daily cares and troubles shall cease and the voyce of the oppressor shall not be heard so prayes Your Honors most dutifull and thankfull servant Iohn Cooke Monarchie no Creature of Gods making c. BY Monarchy I understand the Government of one man over many to give lawes and commands alone to have thousands accomptable to him and he alone to be accomptable to God as the late King Charles in 3. Car. in his speech printed amongst the Statutes no doubt by the finger of God to let the world see what he ever intended in these words I must avow that I owe an accompt of my actions to none but God alone God is no more the Author of such a government then he is the Author of sinne which to hold is to deny him to be God for hee that believes a Deitie
alive in love but reproved him in his fury that others which should be borne after might see the vagabond and fugitife and magnifie the Iustice of God upon him the branding feare and shame that he underwent being farre worse then death and so the first King was not unaccomptable but lost all for a murder so true it is that many a man marries a widow that would gladly be rid of her traine of children and whereas many have instanced in Davids case that he was a man of blood in the murder of Vriah and yet not put to death the answer is easy that David ought by the Law of Man to have suffered death though he was a Monarch and Nathan caused him to be his owne judge 2 Sam. 12. 5. As the Lord liveth that man that hath done this thing shall surely dye then Nathan said to David thou art the man and if he had said no more there must have been some Executioner found out to have taken away the life of David it being against the law of Nature to make any man his owne executioner but be pleased to observe how Nathan aggravated the sin verse 8. 9. as if it were a farr greater sin for David to commit a murder then for a private man because it is a double sin murder and breach of trust it is the highest treason for a King to murder his Subjects and there can be no greater honor to any people in the world then to doe Iustice upon a murderous King but vers 13. David confesseth his sin I have sinned against the Lord in killing Vriah the Hittite with the sword and slaying him with the sword of the Children of Ammon though David never toucht the weapon that shed the blood of Vriah 2 Sam. 11. 14. therefore it is an impotent argument that the late King never killed any man with his owne hands and as weake to say that there was no malice in him which formally denominates and distinguishes murder from man-slaughter but a Martiall contending for his owne right upon such probable grounds that if a plaintif in Chancery were non-suited he ought not to pay any costs for that he had a probable cause of litigation for if there was not a prepenced and precogitated malice against all publique spirited men against whom he breathed out so many threatnings wishing that they had but one head that they might be taken off at a blow as another Nero yet there was malice in Law and malice implyed to kill every man that should stand in his way of an absolute unaccountable domination which certainely is a clearer malice then a thiefe hath that kills a man that will not loose his purse the thiefe hath no desire to hurt the honest man wishes him at his owne house in safety if he would but leave his purse behind him for I appeale to every sober man whose judgement is not corrupted by preingaged affections which is more hainous murder and offence in the sight of God for a poore man to rob a rich man of ten pound and in case of resistance to kill him or for a Prince that for the maintenance of his Pretogative which himselfe sayes is to be accountable for his actions to none but God alone shall grant Commissions of Array and raise Armies to put a whole Land into a Combustion and flame to the pillaging plundering massacring and destroying many thousands of poore innocent people And Nathan said to David the Lord hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye No man can pardon murder but God alone so that the reason why David was not put to death for that murder was not for the authority that he had as a King but out of Gods pure mercy to him there being a supersedeas to the Execution from the Court of Heaven thereby to make him and Manasses in the old Testament and Paul in the new patternes to such as should believe not only of Eternall but of Temporall salvation he that may command Abraham to sacrifice Isaac may pardon David for killing Vriah that however the good Thiefe was put to death and if a godly man commit a murder he ought as well regularly to suffer death as the most impious the Law of man bearing a correspondency with the Law of God that he that never sins till seventy if he then kill a man must then suffer death not only Temporall but Eternall if he be under the Law Galat. 3. 10. 1 Pet. 4. 5. Let no beleever suffer as a murderer thiefe or evill doer proves that if any such be murderers they ought to suffer and the next verse holds forth to me more then what is ordinarily observed yet if any man suffer as a Christian not for his Religion only for then it should signify no more then verse 14. but if a Saint should through the strength of a temptation and malice of Satan commit a murder as the best man living may possibly commit any sin but the sin against the holy Ghost in such a case let him suffer legall punishment as a Christian let not him be terrified so much at the present death as rejoyce that he is goeing to his fathers house to Eternall happines let him be more affected and afflicted that Religion should suffer by his fault then for his owne sufferings let him take a kinde farewell of faith which shall presently be turned into vision and of repentance for that all teares shall instantly be wiped from his eyes let him feele by the spirit how all things worke together for his good even his great sin for which he suffers it being the occasion to bring him soonet to his Crowne of glory I say though this be regularly true that if a godly man commit a murder the Law will take hold of him 1 Tim. 1. 9. 10. yet if the Lord worke hearty Contrition in his soule for the offence as in the case of David I have sinned the heart be kindly touched with godly sorrow which did not appeare to be the Case of the late King it seemes to me that they which carry the sword may in some speciall cases save such a man alive where happily the Lord hath so sanctified that affliction to him that he is thereby become a new creature and is not the same man that offended and may be more serviceable and instrumentall for the Publique then his death would have been advantage to the people in point of exemplary Terror without any violation or infringement of that preceptive fundamentall law of Gen. 9. 6. the reason whereof being perpetuall so long as men are made after Gods Image it can never be abrogated though any one should extraordinarily be saved by the equity of the Law as in Davids Case who certainely were it not for some speciall reason as a King did more deserve death then for a private person to commit a murder as he that is a Scholler and knowes the Law ought in reason rather to be hanged for stealing
to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them ver 20. that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his Kingdome he and his Children in the midst of Israel And they read those words I will set a King over me which is spoken by the people Thou shalt set a King over thee as if God had commanded a Kingly Goverment in Canaan which was only permissive as the sin of Adam let them have a King at their owne perill saith the Lord The Lord foresaw that the Israelites would rebell and cast off a happy Goverment by the heads of the people and Iudges and God permits it and Moses speakes of the election and dutie of a King the election is from the people they will have a King whether the Lord will or no where by the way wee may take notice how bold many have beene and poore deluded Royalists still are to wrest the Scripture for the advancement of Monarchy when men dare say that in the Hebrew it is that Moses commands them to elect a King which the holy Scripture reproves in them as the greatest insanity madnes in the world that when they may have honest Religious men to go in out before them that will not oppresse them nor exalt themselves above their brethren that they will notwithstanding inslave themselves to the Arbitrary and lawlesse Iusts of one man and his posteritie whether they be Idiots Children knaves Theeves Murderers Fornicators Gluttons Drunkards Idolators or Women which though never so wise Religious and mercifull as by reason of the tendernes of their spirits and want of temptation I believe there are more godly women then men in the world yet it is against the law of God and Nature to make Millions of men subject to the commands of a woman but blessed be God that the knowledge of the Hebrew language is not necessary to bring an English man to heaven Iosua had the honour to conduct them into Canaan and they tooke it into possession but there was a remnant of the Canaanites left unsubdued to prove them as the law is Deut. the 20. from the 16. 10 the 18. which I the rather mention for the Illustration of the equitable proceedings in Ireland the Lambe Iudges and makes war in Righteousnes Revel 19. 11. Every Souldier hath been as a Iudge to execute the Iudgment written Psal 149. 9. farre be it from Gods servants to slay the righteous with the wicked Genes 18. 23. No such beatificall sight as to see a Murderer that hath imbrued his hands in the effusion of Innocent blood to suffer the most painefull and shamefull death that can be imagined but the Children of those Murderers ought not to be put to death for their originall sin as we read in the case of Amaziah 2 Kings 14. 5. 6. And it came to passe as soone as the Kingdome was confirmed in his hand that hee slew his servants which had slaine the King his Father But the Children of the Murderers he slew not according unto that which is written in the booke of the law of Moses wherein the Lord commanded saying the Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children nor the Children be put to death for the Fathers but every man shall be put to death for his owne sinne Deut. 24. 16. And many that by reason of their wicked principles and adherence to the Pope are not fit to be trusted in Garisons yet receive rents for their houses or estates there Ezek. 18. 20. The soule that sinneth it shall dye the sonne shall not beare the iniquity of the Father neither shall the Father beare the iniquitie of the Son the righteousnes of the righteous shall be upon him and the wickednes of the wicked shall be upon him Now by the equitie of that law Deut. 20. 16. where Gods people shall reside they being chief in Command may and ought for their owne securities expell delinquents and malignants out of London or any Garrison in England or Ireland for a time or for ever as may conduce to the Weale publique and their owne safeties whose lives are so precious in the Lords esteeme But here I meet a Goliah in the way that threatens much but the spirit of God is not in it and therefore it is but as a statue that God had given the land of Canaan by promise to Israel and therefore they might justly maintaine a warr to destroy the Canaanites Hittites Amorites Perizites Hivites and Iebusites and there being no command to destroy the Gibeonites Deut. 20. 17. therefore the league with them was lawfull Ios 9. wherein the warr may be judged lawfull on both sides for Iosua to fight having a command from God and the Canaanites to defend their possession not knowing of any such command but is there the same reason to destroy ancient Monarchyes when they oppose Iesus Christ and wil not suffer his people to enjoy their liberties which he hath purchased for them by his precious blood Answer Yes doubtlesse there are as evident promises for the Churches of Christ in this age of the world to be redeemed out of Antichristian bondage by the Moseses Iosuas Sampsons Gideons Iepthahs and Samuels which the Lord shall raise up to be instruments in his hand to save his people as there were in Moses and Iosuas ages that the Church of Israel should be delivered from the Egyptian slavery and reason to me cleerely makes it out that if a promise of an earthly Canaan were a ground of the Churches Warre much more their spirituall liberties that if I may defend my house by force from theeves and robbers certainly I may defend my selfe in the exercise of my spirituall liberties which are ten thousand times deerer to me if I may fight for a peece of glasse may I not engage for a precious pearle that is invalluable The Kings of Canaan might have pleaded antiquity succession and the peoples consent which no King can plead against Gods people in the matter of their spirituall priviledges God will have the Monarchs of the world know that whatever Civill right they may pretend to their Kingdomes where they have by force or flattery gained the peoples consent as the honest man parts with his purse to save his life yet they must not upon paine of forfeiting their Royalties persecute his friends and servants Kings that stile themselves Defenders of the Faith if they prove offendors of the faithfull God will take away their Kingdomes in a way of Iustice and righteousnes when any of the 10. Kings having formerly given their power and strength to the beast Revel 17. 12. shall afterwards cut off his head as Henry the eight used the Pope in taking away his supremacy and making himselfe head of the Church by Act of
shall reap the same ver 8. 9. those to whom the newes of the murder of the Innocent is as sweet as a plentifull harvest is agreable to the husbandman shall not be able to avoid the stroke of Iustice but be like high trees that are planted upon the mountaines shall be made a sport and pastime for the windes and tempests But the poore Gibeonits case before wee leave it affords us an excellent document how Gods Israelites ought to carry themselves towards Ismaelits and Canaanits that would have destroyed them viz. to be very sparing in promises and protection towards them but haveing once conditionated with them and received them into favour to be very liberall in performances towards them and not to violate faith given in a title though the conditions were obtained by craft and deception And now I humbly intreat you to observe what little esteeme David had of Sauls Royall seed to hang up seven of them for what offence does not appeare but very probable that they had given Saul bad councell to destroy the poore Gibeonites and yet David had sworne to Saul not to cut off his seed after him 1 Sam. 24. 20. 21. And now behold I know well that thou shalt surely be King and that the Kingdome of Israel shall be established in thine hand Sweare now therefore unto me by the Lord that thou wilt not cut off my seed after mee and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my fathers house and David swore unto Saul With these two arguments I doe in the name of the Lord Challenge all the Royalists in England Ireland and Scotland to answer them if they can or rest satisfied with Scripture and reason 1. That no oath of Allegiance or Supremacy can be any ground to any people not to doe Iustice upon a King for murder David a man after Gods owne heart that never offended but in the matter of Vriah therefore did not erre in delivering up Sauls seven sons to execution would not make his oath to Paul a ground not to doe Iustice for the Spirit of God in David argued thus I am by the Law of Nature as I am a creature a poore worme bound to the holy and just Law of my Creator which is unchangeable and undispensable God can no more dispense with my loving and obeying of him then hee can cease to be God by reason of his Infinite goodnes which Law is that blood requires blood Genes 9. 6. It is a fundamentall Law without which there can be no conservation of human society and I finde in the Law of God that my eye must not pittie him that sheds blood Deut. 19. 11 12 13. But if any man hate his neighbour and lye in wait for him and rise up against him and smite him mortally that he dye and fleeth into one of these Cities then the Elders of the City shall send and fetch him thence and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood that he may dye ver 5. thine eye shall not pittie him but thou shalt put away the guilt of Innocent blood from Israel that it may goe well with thee paralell whereunto is 2 Kings 14. 4. And also for the Innocent blood that he shed for hee filled Ierusalem with Innocent blood which the Lord would not pardon And therefore when I take an oath of Allegeance or Supremacy it must be saving that faith which I owe unto my Creator as in Iustice Littletons case when any man did Fealty to his Lord it was with a saving that faith and dutie which he owed unto the King and those other Lords which he held land of by Priority of Tenure which if it were not expressed it is implyed in Law 2. Thus I argue that if it were just to put Sauls sons to death for their fathers sin wherein hee was principall and they but accessaries at the most doubtlesse it had been just to have recompenced it upon the head of their father it could be no sin to put Saul to death for killing the Gibeonites where it was lawfull to execute his sons which might have made many pleas that what they did was Sauls command they had the Kings Commission of Array and warrants from Saul to raise forces to secure the Countrey and under pretence of keeping the peace to plunder and destroy whom they pleased but observe what a glorious sight it was in the eyes of heaven 1 Sam. 21. 14. when those seven sons were executed God was intreated for the Land It may be the common Law would have acquitted those seven gentlemen because regularly where the principall is dead the accessory cannot be tryed but the Law of God makes all principall in murder whether present or absent as the Law of man makes all principall in the highest offences of Treason and the lowest offences of trespasse nor did David question what shall I shed the blood of the seed Royall for the Gibeonites who were strangers and bondmen hewers of wood and drawers of water upon which Eternall Law of Righteousnes Major Ottoway and Cornet Grant were shot to death for murdering an Irish-man at the siege of VVaterford who having leave to goe into VVaterford to receive some money and to returne was at his coming backe murdered by their Orders or Command for which by the Councell of Warre they were justly condemned and the execution was a most famous peece of justice for had not zeale and love to Iustice preponderated and out-voted all private affections much might have been said for the vallor Gallantry and hopefulnes of the Major and Cornet I could not in faithfulnes but mention it as being a case so parallell to that 1 Sam. 21. That Sauls sons should be executed for murder of the Gibeonites and out of my dutifull respect to beare witnesse to the exemplary and exact discipline of the Army where vice is punisht vertue rewarded whereof I was sometimes Advocate and count it more honorable to be a member of an Army fighting for Christ then to be head of an Antichristian Empire But before we leave David let me but observe how the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel for Davids one sin of numbring the people what had the poore sheep done that 70000. men from Dan to Beersheba should dye by the Pestilence in three dayes Did not God thinke you therein reckon with them for their Kingly goverment you will have a King saith the Lord to them whether I will or no you shall now smart for your wickednes for your great wickednes for unmanning your selves making your selves lesse then men to make one man equall with God to doe what he pleases I will not endure it in my owne people Eli sinned yet the people not punisht for he governed the people according to the minde of God but you will have a King sayes the Lord as the Heathens have be it so but if he sin I le punish you not only with the famine but by a