Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	judge_n	king_n	power_n	3,562	5	5.1146	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85177	The oppressed close prisoner in Windsor-Castle, his defiance to the father of lyes, in the strength of the God of truth. Occasioned by some late, scandalous and slanderous reports, raised and dispersed to the dishonour of that noble cause, wherein he (with others of the Lords servants) is so deeply engaged. As also, a seasonable word, concerning the higher powers: concerning the payment of taxes and tribute-money by the saints to those powers: and how far a minister of the Gospel may intermeddle in state-affairs without sin. / By Chr. Feake, in his prison-watch-tower.	Feake, Christopher, fl. 1645-1660.	1654 (1654)	Wing F572; Thomason E820_10; ESTC R202087	97,195	127

further urged by others But particular Christians did go to Law with the King before the Parlament was called and so opposed him that way by Arguments drawn from Reason and Justice as Mr. Hampden c. and cannot you go and do thus likewise namely wage Law with your Oppressors Answ 1. Most of the Judges were deaf on that ear concerning Law and Justice and were for the Kings Power and Prerogative and so carried it for the King being over-awed this I have from a good hand Nevertheless I honor the memory of those worthy persons who were willing to spend their Estates and hazzard all rather than not to bear testimony against tyranny 2 If the Sword were not the supreme Power and if all the Laws were not silenced or suspended at least which are against that Sword-interest It may be some particular persons whom God should make free might dare to wage or plead the Law of the Land against their oppreffors or appeal to the higher Powers if there were any as high or higher than the sharp power of the Sword as Paul did from the Jewish Powers unto Augustus Act. 25.11 12. But when Caesar who was the highest Power on earth did oppress him whither or to whom could Paul appeal but to Jesus Christ the Lord of Lords and King of Kings and thus it is with me Cranmer appealed from the Power in being which oppressed him to the next General Council whch was a Power in some ages had in great veneration but what good could that do him the present Power burnt him to ashes and his Appeal to a future contingent Power dyed with him yet it was a kind of Testimony against his persecutors And if that be judged to be of any use upon Scripture-ground I can enter my Appeal to the next higher Powers which the God of Heaven shall set up in mercy and love to his poor Remnant to do us right and deliver us from our potent persecuters But as the case now stands I am made a Bond-slave who was born free and never forfeited my liberty blessed be the Lord I can speak it before men and devils by any transgression of mans Laws yet I have and do cheerfully and with great delight submit to the will of God in these sufferings so burthensome to flesh and blood and I am perswaded if they should scourge me as the Jews did the Apostles and as the Prelats did some under the former Monarchs I should rejoyce to be counted worthy to suffer shame for his name * Acts 5. last vers Gal. 2. last verse who hath loved me and given himself for me the unworthiest worm of all and if the Lord should permit them to put me to a shameful death like the death of the Crosse I am ready But it is not yet signified to me by what death I shall glorifie God Oh it s a sweet life to live free from the fear of death Joh. 21.19 Heb 2.14 15 1 Cor. 15.57 Thanks be to God who giveth us victory through Jesus Christ to whom be Glory and Dominion for ever Amen Hitherto of giving Tribute Now as touching the other two particulars Honor and Fear due to Higher Powers as Tribute and Custom is due unto them Honour and Fear which are to be given to the Higher Powers beside Tribute and Custome In a very few words this I have to say That I alwayes freely gave honor to whom honor was due And in particular when I was apprehended the first time namely about the 21. of the 10. Month 1653. and brought before the Council for expounding the Prophecie about the little Horn in Dan. 7. I did obeysance according to the custome of the Country or Nation in which I live used towards Superiours I stood while they sat and with my head uncovered the General having his hat on and this without reluctancy besides I freely gave him the honorable Title of a Lord in discourse with him as being Captain General of all the Forces and I suppose this is to own a Higher Power for those who do not own Government and Superiority among men do not so behave themselves as namely the Shakers as they call them or any others of those principles and thus I did to the Committee of the Council when I was apprehended and brought before them this second time and I do not remember that ever any Powers did challenge me in this matter As for Fear and the rendring of fear to whom fear is due I am of this perswasion that if I were guilty in mine own conscience and before the Lord of any such grosse wickednesse as some of the choisest Saints have been overtaken and overcome withall and were brought to a legal trial and convicted by witnesse without as well convinced by witnesse within I should be afraid of the Power but not otherwise For the Apostle saith Wilt thou not be afraid of the Power do that which is good but if thou do that which is evil be afraid so that in this also I am ready to own any Higher Powers which shall be set up in my dayes when there is occasion and reason for it and surely no man can say at least if his words have the sap and juyce of sense and reason in them that I ought to fear any power higher or lower unlesse when I have done evill and this be made known unto me in the light of the righteous Law of God But though I know nothing by my self yet I am not thereby justified in the sight of God Thus I have for the Cause sake which might suffer if I should have neglected this impudent slander freely declared my former and present principles concerning the Powers in being But who could have imagined first That in saying I owned the present powers I had recanted and submitted and acknowledged them to be a lawful Authority and an hundred false rumors to the grief of my brethren of the same spirit with me in the present Truth whereas I never said nor thought otherwise And who could have imagined secondly that any one who calls and accounts himself a Christian would take part of the letter or a few sentences here and there torn from the rest and thereupon divulge and shew them as a testimony and proof of such a Report whereas to recapitulate all in a word This is that I will close up this Section with 1 I acknowledge there are Higher Powers in being and every one must grant this as well as I and my Fellow-prisoners for they feel it I beleeve though not so effectually as we do 2 I yeelded my body to be apprehended and carried away without striving or lifting up my voyce in the streets when they sent their Messengers with swords and it may be other weapons about them to bring me before the Council And I reckon this to be an owning of the present powers I never did yeeld thus far to private men who should come to apprehend me in my

It is to be noted that one and the same person or the same persons may be lawful higher powers by an accumulation of all these titles put together in several respects after the examples in Scripture and in other Histories They may rule over some people in the Authority of God over others by the Title of Natural Right over others by Inheritance over others by Election over other people by the Title of a Lawful War and all at the same time I could give a good account of this upon principles of Justice and Right Reason But I hasten and therefore this shall suffice concerning Higher powers lawfully such becoming so by the appointment of God of Nature or of Nations by Any or by All of these claims before mentioned or by any other warrantable plea whatsoever it may be Now concerning those Higher powers who are such de facto only and in present possession but not de jure or by any known law of God or man they also come under a Ministers confideration and have several heads of distinction whereby they may be known The Higher powers in being without lawful Title and just Authority so to be and so to Rule are such first of all by Vsurpation which shews it self either in times of Pence or in time of War And secondly by degenerating into Tyranny Vsurping Powers in times of Peace Higher Powers by usurpation are unjust attain the Government either by murther and other violence or else by fraud and flattery Of the first sort I judge Athaliah to be one Athaliah usurps the power by murther who espying her oportunity took hold of it and destroyed all the seed Royal and reigned over the Land above six years according as I compute 2 King 11.1 2 Chron. 22.10 Thus Hazael murthered his Lord and reigned in his stead 2 King 8.15 Hazael likewise even when he lay upon his sick and death-bed and afterward became a cruel Tyrant and ripped up the women with child as it is upon record 1 King 8.12 15. So Richard the third Sirnamed the Vsurper Richard the third mide himself King by murther who being Lord Pretector murthered his two Nephews that he might reign in their stead But did the Crown fit fast upon his head no about two years after his Coronation he was slain in Battel and the dead Carkass contumeliously used all men observing how he was rolled to his grave in blood and mire See the History more at large This for the first member of the distinction In the next place Higher Powers in being Usurpation of the power by fraud 2 Sam. 15.6 first verses Absolom a most traiterous Usurper by speaking lies in hypocrisie may get possession of Government or Rule by fraud and by speaking lies in hypocrisie as Absolom for a time by his fair and plausible dissimulation and officiousness telling the people what he would do if he were King his words are these First See that thy matters are good and right but there is no man deputed of the King to hear thee this was to insinuate a dislike of the lawful present Power Note again Moreover saith Absolom Oh that I were made Judge in the Land that every man which hath any Sute or Cause might come unto me and I would do him justice and he would even kiss those who did obeysance to him and thus stole away the bearts of the men of Israel that he might the more easily EXALT HIMSELF Thus the p. O.P.e. and other Vsurpers innumerable The p. O. P.es Ulurpers by speaking lies in hypocrifie that of Dan. 11.21 is considerable There shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the hour of the Kingdom but he shall come in peaceably and OBTAIN THE KINGDOM BY FLATTERIES Also Abimelech a notorious Usurper Judg. 9. Abimeleck made himself King such an one as it was by fraud flattery and murther Judges 9. throughout This for the second sort of Vsurpers in peaceable times Vsurping Powers by force of Arms Usurpers by the means of war 1. During the War are to be reputed so either during the War slagrante bello betwixt the lawful and unlawful Power or after the end of the War extincto Bello when the Victory is obtained by him who usurpeth the power Instances of the first 2 Sam 2.9 10 are Abner and Ishbosheth Abner after Sauls death made Ishbosheth Sauls Son King I commend him he did not make himself the Monatch King over Gilead and over the Ashurites and over Jesreel and over Ephraim and over Benjamin and over all Israel over whom he reigned two years but the House of Judah followed David Now let the Reader observe carefully David onely was the lawful Power the onely Higher Power de jure of right over all Israel and though Ishbosheth reigned two years yet he was not the King de jure but only de facto and so was not a lawful Higher Power or Supreme but an Vsurper while the War lasted on his part it was an unjust war also and Abner had not a lawful military Power neither as General of the Army All was unlawful and against the express will of God This for the first The second sort of Usurping Powers by the Sword 2. After the war 2 Sam. 17. 18 chapters are so accounted who set up themselves or are set up by their Armies upon Victory in an unjust Quarrel Thus Abselom would have been an unlawful Power if he had prevailed in that Battel which he fought against his Father and there are many examples in Histories of this kind of Usurpation particularly in the History of the German Emperors But I hasten An Higher Power also 2. Head Powers 〈◊〉 unjust by ●●generating into tyranny who hath lawful Authority at the beginning of the Government may through Tyranny or mal-administration become an unlawful and unrighteous Power afterward as King Saul and King Charls And Histories are full of it But of all Vsurpers or usurping Higher Powers who get into the Throne those are most abominable as Powers who being INTRVSTED BY A PEOPLE to deliver them from slavery and servitude and for the publick good and Commonwealth having Conquered the common Enemy or Tyrant do betray their Trust and bring their friends who paid them and prayed for them who helped to bear their burthens esteemed them as Brethren and fellow-Citizens into as bad or worse servitude and slavery than they were in before and this contrary to Oaths and all manner of Promises Protestations and other Ingagements Pretending they would make them a free people and then MOST PERFIDIOVSLY put an IRON YOKE upon their friends and upon their posterity as much as in them is But more of this abomination by and by I shall break off from this work of distinguishing of Higher Powers for the forms variations are endless the supplanting and pulling down of each other in a most wonderful manner is represented in two chapters most

their shepherd to feed them with knowledge and understanding in this point and therefore accordingly I spent some time in clearing it up unto the Congregation in a second Epistle written in answer unto theirs It seems some of them through anacquaintedness with Scripture-distinctions in this doctrine and otherwise did not make a right interpretation of the Truths therein expressed but mistooke my minde and meaning and so whether weakly or willingly divulged or suffered to be divulged abroad some passages in the Letter which ought not to have been done considering the Letter was intended for their use and edifying onely and not for open publication I had some hint of this in a short time but not being conscious to my self of any alteration in the least no not in thought and purpose of heart toward a compliance and well knowing that no part of the Letter could signifie any such thing if rightly understood I neglected the rumour as onely one of the petty stratagems of the devil whereby to do me some mischief But afterward finding that that secret whisper and murmur was ripened suddenly into an infamous report Letter after Letter also representing this as of very sad consequence to that Name and Cause for which I am bound with this Chain I was brought under a necessity of presenting to publick view the Epistle it self so far as it concerns this Cause Especially when I finde it certified that one well known to all sorts of people in the City coming where several were together in company did in a laughing and scoffing maner draw forth a paper and say There was my Recantation pretending it was mine own Letter or a Copy of it wherein I wrote That I was now satisfied that the Government was a lawful authority c. It appears to me that the envious One and his Emissaries are altogether in extreams in their suggestions against my Good Name sometimes the world must be made believe yea and the Elect also that I am against Magistracie and Ministery that I am an enemy to Government a most dangerous man in my Principles that way c. Again sometimes it is for his advantage to perswade such as would have it so that I am come over to my Adversaries and Oppressors of mine own accord and that suddenly too without any Overtures made or Arguments used to draw me to a compliance or conformity But how improbable and irrational a practice such an hasty return would appear to solid Christians to be I refer it to themselves to say and judge No blessed be the Lord I shall not so far be forsaken by him or left to my self as to gratifie the foes and grieve the friends of my dear Redeemer by turning Apostate after all my sufferings in so good a Cause HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR HIS SERVANT yea let all my Friends and Enemies also know assuredly that I stand my ground by divine assistance yea I get ground and am abundantly confirmed that I am out of the reach of the earthly powers insomuch that if they should slay me they could not hurt me Let God in all things be glorified by Jesus Christ to whom also be glory for ever Amen The Epistle followeth together with a further manifestation of the Truth This following is a true Copy of the Epistle so far as concerns the matter in hand which I have divided into Sections for methods sake in the explanation of my meaning Grace mercy and peace from the ever-over-flowing Fountain to every son and daughter of the living God Sect. 1 HAving lately even in my last unto you declared among other things that purpose and determination concerning my Bonds and Imprisonment which I have according to my best understanding taken up upon Scripture-ground I shall now proceed to add something for the rectifying of some mistakes about the present powers and the image of the Beast It falling in properly upon this occasion for me to speak something to you concerning those Truths which do lie somewhat remote and out of the way of ordinary observation Sect. 2 The judgement of the Congregation appears by their Letter to me to be this viz. That you cannot do any thing toward my enlargement prayer excepted without owning the Powers in Being the doing of which say you is accounted a bowing the knee to the image of the Beast Now for the better clearing up of the minde of God in this dark and doubtful matter I shall plainly declare as follows Sect. 3 First I do not know by whom the ownnig of the Powers in Being is accounted a bowing the knee to the image of the Beast It was never neither is it like to be mine Opinion and whether you mean some of your Number or of other Congregations I cannot tell if I had particularly known I should have given a particular Answer for as for my self I do own the Powers in Being according as God himself hath commanded and have done all along I have and do render to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custome to whom Custom Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour Sect. 4 And therefore secondly the doing of this that is Owning the Powers in Being is not ought not to be accounted a bowing the knee to the image of the Beast to own those Powers aforesaid is a plain duty not to be dispensed with by any Law of man whatsoever where as to worship or bow the knee to the Beast is a known sin forbidden in the Word of God By the Powers in Being I understand the Army as Supream and all those who joyne with them to carry on the work of justice and of mercy according to the indubitable principles of right reason and equity for Rulers saith the Apostle are not a terror to good workes but to the evil and so far as the Powers answer those principles they are Powers and the Ordinance of God and there is no more reason to resist them then there is to resist righteousness and truth whilst and so long as they answer the ends for which they were ordained and you know I never taught you to rise up against them in the least Sect. 5 If any would ask me How I can be said to own the Powers and yet preach against them and for the destroying of them thus one after another I answer I do in this matter as the Prophets and Apostles and Martyrs and upright and understanding Saints in all ages did before me for I make no question but they owned the Powers then in Being according to their own Doctrine and principles and yet at the same time preached and prophesied against them for their abominations both to their faces and behinde their backs also and this was done by the Lords faithful servants in all ages but I confess it did cost them very dear some their lives others their liberties others their ther substance c. where as the Court-Chaplains the Parish-Clergie and the Apostate Independents take a very

as far as my heavenly Father pleaseth I rejoyce I have any thing to suffer the losse of in so excellent and honourable a Cause as this is wherein with my Fellow-sufferers I am imbarked But having treated thus largely from the word of God and from Authentick Histories which are excellent Interpreters of Prophecies concerning these troublesome Inmates which have gotten into our houses and bowels which sit upon our skirts so constantly at every turn of Government and though we should speak them never so fair they will not depart till they are forced out by Judges as at the first and by Councellors as at the beginning Quest Moreover having also declared my practise in paying Taxes and suffering imprisonment without resistance It may be asked of me by some knowing Saints What are the particular grounds and reasons of your practice in this particular Ans The reason of paying tribute without resistance The return I give to such a Question is this according to the Apostle I AM SVBJECT TO THE POWERS IN BEING BECAVSE I MVST NEEDS BE SVBJECT PARTLY FOR WRATH PARTLY FOR CONSCIENCE SAKE Rom. 13.5 read and consider that sentence I explain my Answer thus First I am subject for wrath * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or because of wrath that is the wrath of the fourth Beast or Roman spirit in the powers for if I should have resisted when the Pursevants came to attach my body for my spirit indeed blessed be the Lord was and is out of theirs and their Masters reach their Roman wrath would have shewed it self presently by wounds or bruises or other outragious violence now I was not prepared to stand upon my guard as others have done in the like case neither did I intend to flee or make any escape for I was not afraid having done no evill for which I should be afraid of the powers Now I knowing that there was a power in being and apprehending that I could not glorifie God better for the present than by suffering I quietly and exceeding cheerfully submitted and obeyed the Order in the Authority whereof as to them they had apprehended me and went along with the poor creatures without gain-saying I had a blessed Catalogue of suffering Saints beside the King of Saints whose examples were very encouraging in conjunction with so good a Cause And thus I was and am still subject for wraths sake as it is translated or because of wrath for what single person can stand before the wrath of the Powers of this world during that time of Domination which is allotted to them he must needs be subject or come under their ordering as the word implies because of wrath their wraths not Gods thus I understand the place In the next place I say I am subject to the Powers in being because I must needs be subject NOT ONELY for wraths sake BVT ALSO for conscience sake or because of conscience that is as the wrath of violent men have a kind of compulsive power which will necessitate single persons or unarmed persons to yeeld to those who have power which is a real acknowledgement that they are the Higher Powers who bear all before them So in like manner but in a different way of working Conscience in a godly man and a knowing Christian hath a constraining power which will produce a resignation of our selves up to the will of God who is Lord of the Conscience and he perswading me upon plain grounds in his word to suffer under the fourth Kingdom for the service of himself and his Son I chearfully obey and forbear all words and actions of opposition after the manner of men untill the Dominion be taken away to consume and destroy it utterly as other Kings and Kingdoms have been destroyed heretofore And so I acknowledge there are Higher Powers in being and I finding and feeling it so to be am subject because it must be so not onely for wrath sake but for Conscience sake also and as Peter saith for the Lords sake 1 Pet. 2.13 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a further obligation upon a Christian to suffer patiently those abuses which are offered to his person Relations good Name Estate or any thing that is his Nevertheless this I add That I groan all this while with other oppressed creatures Rom 8.19 20 21 22 23. for the manifestation of the glorious liberty of the Sons of God For certainly the creature being made subject to tyranny and the cruel lusts of proud men NOT WILLINGLY but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope cannot but in the light and power of that Spirit which is in them cry out in Faith and earnest expectation COME LORD JESVS COME QVICKLY and let all the followers of the Lamb say Amen And let all the wonderers after the Beast fill up the measure of their Fathers in reproaching imprisoning oppressing and otherwise persecuting the Saints of the most High and receive that recompence of reward which is meet Object If any shall here object and say Why did we fight against the King you your self did ●ppose him you preached other Doctrine in those times and if we must be so subject now and yeeld to the present Powers without resistance as you have said and done of late is not this a contradiction to former Principles and practices c. Answ All particular persons of whom I alwaies speak and it must be remembred I mean the Saints of the most High did yeeld subjection to the King yea and to the Prelates actively or passively without resistance those who were Non-conformists then to the Antichristian power as I am now did suffer patiently and chearfully as Christ left them an example this was so while the King was the only supreme Power in being and untill God raised up a Horn of Salvation for them and then as I said before the Puritans joyned with Parlamentary Power against Regal Power exercised contrary to Law and Justice and I was one of the number being lawfully called to oppose tyranny by the authority of the highest Court and I never did nor do repent of that ingagement against that party c. Whereas now there is no visible Powers in being to relieve me and other oppressed servants of the Lord it is with us now as it was under the old Monarchy there are no Saviors no Deliverers our Deliverers are become our Persecutors Zach. 1.2 or 3 last verses and there is no power to refist or oppose for the spirit of the Horns as Zacharias calls the persecuting Powers is gotten into the Carpenters the Carpenters are at length metamorphozed into pushing and goring Horns But when soever God shall provide new Carpenters to fray away these Horns that scatter the true Israel no question but Israel will be willing to be delivered and to take them Captives whose Captives they were and to rule over their oppressors as they did about fourteen years ago Obj. 2. But it may be

notably 1 King 16. and 2 King 15. One King reigns two years that 's a great space another six months another reigns one ful month another seven daies These things are written for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come But of all Claims and Titles to Government that of the long sharp Sword is the most confounding and the most confused of all the rest Now let the Army prepare themselves to plead in their own defence for a most strict inquiry will be made in whose Name and by what Authority they have done and continue to do all these things which they have done of late dayes against the Truth the Work the Cause of God now to be advanced by Others whom God will chuse and use This for the present shall suffice to the point of the Armies Supremacy As for those who joyn with them to carry on the work of Justice and Mercy according to the Indubitable Principles of right Reason and Equity which is the other part of the clause under consideration By those I mean the Inferior or lower Powers who comply with the Sword-men in governing the Nations by new Laws and of these I say they are not to be resisted * That is by particular private persons as I mean through out doing that which is just and right among the people That is the sum of the matter in hand Object It will be said This is strange is not this to speak contradictions to speak so sharply against the Powers but even now and now to acknowledge that they do carry on the works of Justice and Mercy Answ No not so in the least for you shall hardly read or hear of any Powers though never so wicked and tyrannical in their Government but at times they were found to do many things good in themselves and agreeable to the Principles of Righteousness and Equity though in other respects they were abominable wretches in their governing of the people under them For instance when I wrote this passage in my Epistle of carrying on the works of Justice and Mercy I particularly thought of their keeping under that Enemy which hath been so long contended against with so vast expences and this is the great work of Justice upon that party and Generation whose malice hath been and is inveterate against the Saints of the most High whom the Lord would not ever have to rise up any more to molest and persecute his people Justice upon the wicked is mercy to the righteous The suppressing of Theeves and Murtherers c. is Justice and Mercy both and so far as any Powers Higher or Lower do promote these works they are not therein to be resisted or hindred But I shall make it plain by two or three Scripture-Instances Avashuerosh made a Feast according to his state but the drinking was according to the Law Ester 1.8 None did compel for the King had appointed to all the Officers of his house that they should do according to every mans pleasure Now in this law and appointment the King was not to be resisted But when the same King gave the Jews Gods people into Hamans hand Ester 3.11 To do with them as it should seem good unto him this was to be resisted so far as God gave power and oportunity See the end of the Story The Jews fell upon their enemies and destroyed them Again Saul persecuted David for his life like a wicked Tyrant as he was and having almost laid hold on him tidings came the Philistims had invaded the Land 1 Sam. 23.27 28 he left David and went to drive out the Enemy in this he was not to be resisted or opposed it being for publick good and the escape of the Lords servant So Herod that vile Tyrant who beheaded John Mark 6.20 yet heard him at sometimes and that gladly and did many things that is such things as Johns Doctrines did direct unto Thus you know my meaning in this also that when I speak of the Higher Powers their doing what is in it self morally good and that we are not to resist them in such actions yet I do not hereby in the least acknowledge them to be a lawful Authority for there is no such necessary connexion betwixt them two as if when the present Powers at some times in some things happen to do that which in it self is just and right therefore it must needs follow that they are a lawfull Authority or Just Power for the one is found to be where the other is not As a lawful Magistrate in doing wickedly is to be hindred prevented that he bring not ungodly enterprizes to pass so when any Tyrant or Vsurper doth that which is lawful and right and according to the plain Principles of Justice as most commonly they do somewhat of that kind at certain seasons herein there is no reason of resistance Yet this is no confirmation of him in his unjust Power for there are sufficient grounds for any whom the Lord shall annoint to that work to take such Tyrants off from the face of the earth notwithstanding that which hath been spoken concerning a private persons forbearing to interpose for the hinderance of any good thing performed by them at any time This is all that I intend to speak to the second part of that clause which in this fourth Section was to be explained Onely I think it useful Gods end in this strange unexpected alteration is to be considered that some consideration should be had of the Lords END in ordering the Affairs and alterations of this Time and Day in such manner That after all antient Forms of Government in this Nation are destroyed the Army should thus take upon them to Rule over the people good and bad friends and foes in like manner as if we their Brethren had been conquered by them and subdued as were our enemies and theirs which to me appears one of the most astonishing providences of these last fifteen years That those who were such a praying company such an Heavenly people in their carriage as if the Head-Quarters had been the very Suburbs of the New Jerusalem at the least what a sound from the Camp in those daies of the Cause of the Lord Jesus of the deliverance of the Saints of the Kingdom and reign of Christ of vengeance against Babylon and Antichrist and multitudes of such phrases and Scripture-expressions I say this is most marvellous to observe that these things are forgotten as if they had never been mentioned or talked of in the least What should be the Lords intent or design what may be the mind and counsel of the Almighty thus to suffer these men after all the goodness and kindness of the Lord towards them to set their feet upon the necks of their poor oppressed Brethren that never left them in the least till they left Christ and his Cause to sink or swim and then to raise up themselves into this high and