NO KING But JESUS OR The walls of Tyrannie razed AND The foundation of unjust Monarchy discovered to the view of all that desire to see it Wherein is undeniably proved That no King is now the Lords Anointed but JESUS And the designe of God now upon the face of the earth is briefly laid open And the Rulers of the Nation with their present Power and Authority plainly proved to be of God and therefore ought to be honoured and obeyed by all men living under them Being considered in the following Particulars By Henry Haggar a servant of Christ and of the Commonwealth of England sometimes belonging to the Garison of Stafford Wo to the Crown of pride For the Lord of hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Isai. 28.1 with 23.9 And behold a King shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgement Isa. 32.1 London Printed for Giles Calvert at the signe of the black Spread-Eagle at the west-end of Pauls 1652. To the READER Courteous Reader WHosoever thou art that lovest either peace or happiness here or hereafter To thee in all love I commend these ensuing lines with an earnest desire that thou mayst profit by them And to that end let me intreat thee to read and consider them impartially trie and measure them by that true Touch-stone and infallible Rule which is the Word of God ask him for wisdom to discern between things which differ and the Lord give thee understanding in all things The mark I chiefly aim at is to unfold the fraud and deceit of the man of sin and to lay open that mystery of iniquity in which he worketh by his instruments with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to deceive the hearts of the simple and to shew what Rights and Titles he doth falsly claim in these evil days and how grosly men mistake in giving him what is proper to God both in Church and Commonwealth I know thou canst not be ignorant of the great Change that God hath wrought in this nation in a few yeers for which cause many men do gnaw their tongues for anger and are ready to blaspheme the God of heaven being not afraid to speak evil of dignities and powers which are set up and established by God who pulleth down one and setteth up another whom he pleaseth And for want of knowledge in these things men perish as in the gainsaying of Korah being found fighters against God and are brought into the pit of destruction unawares to the ruine of body soul and goods Which things having been by me considered in some measure according to the understanding the Lord hath given me I finde my self in conscience bound and by love and pity constrained to speak what I know and am sure of to others having learnt it chiefly out of the Scriptures and somewhat by considering the times and the conditions of men in these days of danger and peril in which so many make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience I therefore am bold to present these lines to the view both of friends and enemies by which I shall discharge my duty towards God and man in some good measure and shall be at peace in my self when I know I have not hid my talent in a napkin nor kept back any thing that might be profitable to my country-men acquaintance amongst whom I live But it may be some will say that it is too weighty a piece of work for me to meddle with I should have left it to some wise and learned men that are better able to distinguish between things which differ To which I answer What I have done well was not too hard for me to do Secondly it hinders none of the wise and prudent of the nation that fear God from doing more Thirdly these are the days in which God is pleased to chuse and make use of foolish and weak instruments in the worlds account to confound the wisdom of the wise and to bring down the strength of the mighty and to bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and if God make choice let Men take heed how they refuse Therefore courteous Reader let not the weakness of the instrument cause thee to slight any thing that may be profitable but what is agreeable to truth and sound Reason receive in love and what is contrary reject And thus with my unfeigned love to all that wish themselves happiness I rest being ready to serve them in all things lawful and convenient to the utmost of my power Henry Haggar The EPISTLE To the SAINTS in the order of the Gospel with all that truly fear God Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed to you through the knowledge of God and our Lord and Savlour Jesus Christ Dearly Beloved SEeing it is the portion of the Saints and children of God living in this generation especially in this our Nation of England to partake of such great mercies from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as to live under such Rulers and that the Lord hath set over us such in Authority as are for the praise of them that do well and for the punishment of evil doers so that under them we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty It is therefore expedient that we and all that truly fear God should labour to walk worthy of these mercies and to shâ—w forth our thankfulness by our obedience both tawards God and those men whom he hath set over us that so the Lord may still delight in us and rejoyce over us to do us good and to bless us with all manner of blessings both spiritual and temporal that we being thus delivered from all our enemies may serve him that hath wrought this great deliverance for us without fear in holiness and righteousness all our days walking as his children blameless and harmless without rebuke in the midst of a crocked and perverse Nation shining as lights in the world holding forth the pure word of life Therefore I exhort you and every of you professing godliness in sincerity in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ and by the mercies that we have received from him and by him from God our Father that we may with all diligence labour and exercise our selves as our beloved brother Paul hath given us an example Act. 24.15 16. to have always Consciences void of offence both towards God and towards man And for as much as we believe with him the resurrection of the just and unjust and the eternal judgement that shall be at the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus christ Seeing we look for such things let us consider what manner of persons we ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and making hast unto the coming of the day of God knowing that we which patiently continue in well doing shall then receive the reward of righteousness which
friends when you have read and considered what I have written and tried it by the Word of God if then you shall finde any thing too light or useless that you will impute it to that imperfect part which in some measure doth dwell in all men and remain fully assured that what I want in words and expressions is fully made up in my affection toward the State and Commonwealth in general Thus destring that what is according to Truth and sound Reason may be profitable to all I commit what is written to your serious consideration and impartial judgement and you into the hands of the Lord and remain to the utmost of my power Your faithful brother stedfast in the faith of the Gospel of Iesus Christ And his servant for your sakes HENRY HAGGAR The Particulars of the Book are in order at followeth I. THat it is God alone that ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and they have nothing to do to question him how whether it be by Kings as supreme Heads as in and after the days of Saul David and Solomon or by the Elders of the people to rule and judge them as before there was any King but God himself in Israel II. What it is to rule with God III. What was the original of Monarchy amongst men or whence it first came that a man should bear the name of King over the people of God IV. Who is of the Royal blood V. Who is now the Lords Anointed VI What is Gods desine against the Kings and Rulers of the Nations in these last days VII Wherfore he will destroy them VIII What they may or should do to escape the hand of God lifted up against them IX What the Saints and people fearing God should do in these days of vengeance X. Their duty to this Present Power acknowledged and they vindicated from the reproaches and slanders falsly cast upon them by wicked men Viz. That they are the false Prophets of the last times and those that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine of Christ and the ignorant and unlearned that Peter speaks of which wrest the Scripture to their own destruction and despise Government and are not afraid to speak evil of dignities and will not obey Magistrates but have slain their King c. No King but JESVS c. ANd now according to the method propounded I shall proceed to shew first that it is God alone that ruleth and men have nothing to do to question how whether it be by Kings as supreme heads as in and after the days of Saul David and Solomon or by the Elders of the people to rule and judge them as before there was any King but God himself in Israel But now let me not be mistaken and abused as if I went headlong without wisdom or the fear of God to rail against kingly power or Kings like those that spake evil of things they know not for I approve of Kings and Rule by Kings as well as of ruling or judging the people by Elders but it must always be considered in all ages and generations of the world what Rule and Rulers God doth approve of for it is he that setteth up one and pulleth down another and he it is that ruleth in the kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will yea and setteth over them the basest of men Dan. 4.17.25 And now let us consider if the God of heaven did in that age take away the Kingdom and Dominion of the whole earth from Nebuchadnezzar that head of gold and turn him out a grasing among the Oxen and give his kingdom to whomsoever he pleased then let not men in this generation think it strange though God Almighty hath taken away the kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland which are but a small part of the earth from Charles Stuart and given them to the honorable Parliament which were indeed at first confirmed by him before his evil Counsel had drawn him away from them therefore none can say they gathered together without him to conspire against him for they gathered together to him and were confirmed by him and with him and he with them and so were a lawful Assembly of Magistrates according to the Law of God and a lawful Parliament according to the Law of Nations and from this lawful Assembly and powers ordained of God he withdrew and by evil Councel rent himself from them and would come no more at them notwithstanding all the invitations they gave him in all humility as will yet appear by their Propositions and Remonstrances all which plainly sheweth the immediate hand of God against him and against his family his sins and the sins of his forefathers being now at the full And further let it be considered that God will have the living men to know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will yea and settetth over it the basest of men Dan. 4.17 Now if the Lord will take a Kingdom from a King and give it to the basest of men how can the most honourable of men help it They may gnaw their tongues for anger and blaspheme the God of Heaven yea they may be found fighters against God as many have been but they shall not prosper as we see they have not in our days consider it for it was not because they wanted the noble blood for they had the King himself and the greatest Nobles in the Land with them neither was it because they wanted stout men of resolved spirits for they had of the prime of the Nation as they themselves have oftentimes boasted and for the number of men they far exceeded and the affections of the Country were generally towards them therefore it was the immediate hand of God against them who in his time pulleth down one and setteth up another whom he pleaseth who at this time hath pulled down the King and Lords of this Nation and hath and will make the Elders thereof Rulers and Judges in their places and who can say to him What doest thou Be wise now therefore O ye kings and be instructed ye that are judge's of the earth Psal. 2.10 Be still and know that he is God learn to know that The Lord of hosts is with us and the the God of Jacob is our refuge Psal. 46.10 11. Again that God alone is King and ruleth the Nations how he pleaseth or by whom he pleaseth is evident by considering that in 1 Sam. 12.12 where the Lord by Samuel reproveth the children of Israel for chusing another King besides himself in these words And you said Nay but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king And again he saith When they said Give us a King they rejected the Lord that he should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 Therefore the Lord lamenteth over them saying O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help I will be thy king for there
of Christ and abound in the work of the Lord for asmuch as we know our labour shall not be in vaine and if we do these things we shall never fall but an entrance shall be opened to us abundantly into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1 so that we may stand by saith and rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God even that eternal weight of glory the Apostle speaketh of 2 Cor. 4. 16 17 18. which will make our affliction seem light and momentary and though our outward man should perish yet our inward man will be dayly renewed Let us therefore consider these things lest we faint and be weary in our minds and that we may lift up our heads and rejoyce knowing the day of our Redemption draweth nigh Thus having laboured to stir up your pure minds in some measure by way of remembrance I shall proceed to the last particular namely the vindication of the Saints from the false aspersions cast upon them by wicked ignorant men First they assirme that we will not obey Magistrates but have rebelliously rose up against and prevailed over the King to the taking away of his life and therefore they conclude that we are those that dispise dominion and ars not afraid to speak evil of dignities To which answer This is no more true then that which Ahab spake of Elijah when he told him that it was he that troubled Israel 1 King 18.17.18 and therefore the same answer may well serve us viz. That it is not we that have troubled the Nation by fearing God and keeping his Commandments which are written in his Word of Truth for that is the whole duty of man Eccle. 12.13 but it was he and his fathers house in that he had forsaken the commandments of the Lord and brought in the commandments and traditions of men in stead therof as Ahab followed after Baalim and therefore in vain did they worship God as Christ faith But let our accusers remember those prophane days of Liberty which were set up by Authority and Books of liberty read in stead of preaching by which they strengthened the hands of the wicked that they could not turne from their wickedness for they thought all was well so long as it was set up and allowed by Authority and read by the Parish-Priest Secondly Let them remember the persecuting of them that feared the Lord in those days by banishment imprisonment and spoiling their goods and some by death whose blood cried for vengeance in the eares of the Lord with the prayers sighs and grones of the other banished out of their native Countrey from friends and acquaintance and those in Prison the wife being separated from her loving husband and the husband from his dear wife the children from their parents and parents from their children being thereby made uncapable of getting a livelihood in the world even to the utter undoing of many and all because they would but search into the Scriptures for eternal Life further then the Bishops and the King and his counsel would have them By all which it is evident that it is the just hand of God that hath taken vengeance upon his Teachers and Counselers and will yet find out more of them and that not onely in this Land but in other Nations also untill he hath stained the pride of all their glory and brought into contempt all the honorable of the earth the which is sufficiently proved before in the sixth and seventh particulars of this Book Thirdly Let them consider the abundance of wickedness that was at Court in his days what gluttony drunkenness pride swearing lying whoring carding dicing and all manner of unlawfull gaming allowed of practised and maintained by him his Courtiers and their attendance all which with the reft of their wickedness procured the just judgement of God upon them for because of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience Eph. 5.3 4 5 67. Againe whereas they accuse us of speaking evill of dignities and for resisting of powers I answer It 's false for there is no power but of God the Apostle saith Rom. 1.3.1 2. And how to know what power is of God he sheweth in the 3 4 verses in these words for Rulers and powers that are of God are not a terrour to good works but to the evil Therefore if thou doest that which is good thou shalt have praise of the same for he is the servant of God to thee for good and is for the praise of them that do well and for the punishment of them that do evil And saith the Apostle To such a power we must needs be subject not onely for wrath but also for conscience sake Object But the powers that are be of God and must be obeyed though they should be wicked Answ. I deny it for wicked men in Authority commanding wicked things ought not to be obeyed but opposed either actively by doing or passively by suffering Therefore said the Apostle to the Magistrates Act. 4.19 Whether it is right in the sight of God to hearken to you more then to God judge you And again Chap. 5.28 29. Peter and the other Apostles told the Magistrates they ought to obey God rather then them Thus we see Magistrates are not to feared and obeyed because they are Magistrates and powers but because they are good Magistrates and powers ordained of God such as are for the praise of them that do well and a terrour to them that do evill 1 Pet. 2.14 Therefore saith the Apostle Rom. 13.3 they that do well shall not need to be afraid of the powers that are of God but we know by wofull experience that those that did well had most cause of fear and were in greatest danger therefore that power was not of God and is cast down Againe if we must understand it in their sence viz. that all powers are of God and must be obeyed because they are powers then we shall prove the Devil and all wicked men as theives and murtherers must be obeyed for the Devil is both a Prince and a power even the Prince of the darkness the Prince of the powers of the aier the Spirit that now worketh in the hearts of the children of disobedience Eph. 2.2 but now I hope none will say that because he is a power that therefore he ought to be obeyed or that he is of God But if the other argument be true this must needs follow but men reason thus because they are ignorant and are indeed of the number of those that speak evil of things they understand not and shall utterly perish in their own corruptions except they repent 2 Pet. 2.12 for indeed these men know not neither do they consider what God hath done in former ages much less what he is doing and will do yet before the end of all things and therefore speak they evil of things they know not and as Peter saith