it do not why do men plead it But it is evident that the Noble blood comes not by Generation for God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth Acts 17.26 Now if they were all made of one blood that was either Noble blood or Ignoble If it were noble then all men were noble for he made them all of one blood and so they continue and will continue until the end of ages Therefore it is by Exaltation namely when God exalteth men as the Prophet saith Psal. 113.7 8. out of the dust and lifteth them out of the dunghill to set them with princes even with the princes of his people then they are honorable and not before Again if the same God will cast down the same persons for their wickedness whom before he exalted and pour contempt and shame upon them and their posterity and bring them again to dishonour Who can give them honour It is not in the power of all the men of the earth to do it if they should stand up for one man for it is God that poureth contempt upon princes and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way Psal. 107.40 and it is God that changeth times and seasons and removeth kings and setteth up kings Dan. 2.21 And it is God that turned out the greatest King that ever reigned upon the face of the earth to grasing among the beasts and made him even that head of gold more contemptible then the bafest of men Dan. 2.38 with Chap. 4.25 And it is the same God that exalteth the needy out of the dust and taketh the poor out of the dunghill that he may set him with princes even with the princes of his people and then they are of the Royal blood if men will plead for it let them But yet I humbly conceive that it is the vertue of all the honorable of the earth to consider from whence they were taken and though they be called Gods Psal. 82.6 7. yet they must die like men and return to the dust and after that cometh Judgement that so when they shall come to give up their account to God at the Great Day they may be able to do it with joy for then cometh that everlasting honour and glory which shall not be taken away from them that shall once be counted worthy to be made partakers thereof And thus much concerning the Blood Royal who are of it and how they came so And now I shall come to speak of the Lords Anointed whose name we ought not to take into our mouthes but with reverence and godly fear But I know that Ignorance hath been the mother of Devotion in this thing also and men have put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light and called Evil Good and Good Evil speaking evil of things they know not calling the Lord Bishops Anointed the Anointed of the Lord and have thrown down Christ the true Anointed and as much as in them lay have laboured to lay his honour in the dust reviling and persecuting him in his poor Saints wheresoever they found him even to the death not remembring the words of our glorious Lord Jesus Matth. 25.40 considered with 45. by which words we understand that what is done to his Saints is done to himself be it good or evil according to his words to Paul Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me which was his Saints holy people which contended earnestly for that faith once delivered by himself And thus have the kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers have taken counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed as it is written Act. 4.26 Therefore now the Lord that sitteth in heaven is laughing of them to scorn and hath them in derision and is vexing of them in his fore displeasure Psal. 2.1 2 3 4 5. staining the pride of all their glory and is bringing into contempt all the honourable of the earth and thus the poureth contempt upon Princes by casting down and destroying of them even by men that have been and are base and contemptible in their eyes And thus the Lord is vexing of them and will vex them in his sore displeasure until he have destroyed them from off the earth because they have vexed persecuted and shed the blood of his Saints therefore he will give them blood to drink for they are worthy And thus will God the Lord let his King upon his holy hill of Ston and learn all men to know who is the Lords Anointed For the clearing of which I would gladly be answered this Question if any will or can namely How King Charles or any of the Kings of the Nations became the Lords Anointed or when or what day was it What was done to them by which they were made the Lords Anointed But this I confess that when the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury anointed Charles the first deceased to be King of England that then he became the Lord Bishop of Canterbury's Anointed but no other Lords Anointed that I know of and therefore we may observe that when that Lord that anointed him lost his head he that was anointed by him could not keep his long And so their old Proverb was verified No Bishop no King But I much wonder what Lord 's anointed Charles the second is seeing there was no Lord Bishop in Scotland to anoint him Surely the highest Title he can claim is but Sir John Presbyter's Anointed But for the further clearing of this thing I deny that any King whatsoever he were since the Lords Anointed Christ came in the flesh was ever called the Lords Anointed See Acts 10.36 37 38. with Chap. 4.25 26 27. And let any of the most wise and zealous people in the Land for that thing prove it if they can and if they cannot let them confess that they have been zealous but not according to knowledge Another Question is Where ever any were called the Lords Anointed before Christ came in the flesh but onely those that had the rule and dominion over the Jews which were the people of God and Abraham's seed according to the flesh of whom as Paul saith Christ or the Lords Anointed came See Rom. 9.4.5 And therefore they were called so in the type as they were figures of Christ the true Anointed that was to come and be born of the Jews Matth. 2.2 If any shall object and say that Cyrus was called the Lords Anointed Isai. 45.1 I answer That is the same which I said before for he was at that time King and had rule and dominion over the people of God Abraham's seed and the Lord telleth us in vers 4. wherefore he calleth him so in these words For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by name and surnamed thee though thou hast not known me And thus the Lord himself hath fully answered that Objection and it 's clearly proved that none before the
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
at mine hand and cause all the Nations to whom I send thee to drink it Consider what Nations ver. 18.19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26. First Jerusalem and the Cities of Judah and the kings and Princes thereof to make them a desolution an astonishments and hissing and a curse as it is at this day We are sure this is true that they are a hissing and a curse at this day why then should the other be so incredible namely that he will destroy all the Kings of the Nations with their honorable Princes if they stand up against him and against his Anointed as followeth Pharoah King of Egypt and his Servants and his Princes and all his people and all the mingled people and all the Kings of the Land of Vz and all the Kings of the Land of the Philistines and Ashkolon and Azzah and Ekron and the remnant of Ashdod Edom and Moab and the children of Ammon and all the Kings of Tyrus and all the Kings of Zidon and the Kings of the isles beyond the sea Dedan and Tema and Buz and all that are in the utmost corners the Lord will find them out and all the Kings of Arabia and all the Kings of the mingled people that dwel in the desert and all the Kings of Zimri and all the Kings of Elam and all the Kings of the Medes and all the Kings of the north far and near one with another and all the Kingdoms of the world that are upon the face of the earth c. To all these was the Prophet sent to declare to them the words of the Lord of hosts the God of Israel namely that they should drink and be drunken and spue and fall and rise no more because of the sword which I will send among them The certainty of it doth further appear in the 28 29 verses where he saith If they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drinke then shalt thou say to them Thus saith the Lord of hosts Ye shall certainly drink for lo I begin to bring evil upon the City which is called by my name viz. Jerusalem and shall ye be utterly unpunished Ye shall not be unpunished for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth saith the Lord of hosts Thus is the designe of the Lord of hosts made plain by the Holy Scriptures of truth and not by any cunning devised fables or fancies of my own brain These sayings are faithfull and true therefore they will come to pass in their appointed times And that they are not yet come to pass is plaine to all that do understand for most of the Kings of the nations are yet in their pompe and glory and are enemies to the Lords Anointed therefore he will avenge himself upon them speedily for these be the days of vengence in which all things that are written in the Prophets against the enemies of Christ must be fulfilled Luke 21.22 And now in the earth is distress of nations and perplexity and mens hearts failing them for feare and for looking after the things that are coming on the earth For the signes of the coming of the Lord are now amongst us even here in England and the beginning of sorrows is in the nation the Lord hath now begun to make us drink of this bitter cup and it will be great mercy if we drink no deeper notwithstanding some murmur and complain it is because their eyes are not open to see God's designe now upon the face of the earth if they did they would see more cause to give thanks to the Lord for his mercies then to murmur against him for his favourable and gentle chastisements he hath not dealt so with every nation and if England escape thus it will be very strange to me and so I beleive it will be to all that rightly understand what God is now doing and his work which he will accomplish upon the face of the earth yet before the end for he hath not yet made a man more precious then fine gold even a man then the golding wedge of Ophir Isa. 13.11 12. neither hath he made the earth empty and laid it waste and scattered the inhabitants thereof Is 24.1 2 3. but when it shall thus be in the midest of the land among the peoples there shall be as the shaking of an olive-tree and as the gleaning of the grapes when the vintage is ended they shall lift up their voice and sing for the majesty of the Lord ver. 13.14 Therefore let the wicked and ungodly men that know not Christ and obey not his holy Gospel but are enemies and will not that he should reigne over them let them howl for sorrow of heart for their sorrows are begun and the day of the Lord is at hand and it shall come as a destuction from the Almighty then shall all their hands be faint and every mans heart shall melt and they shall be afraid pangs of sorrow shall take hold of them they shall be in pain as a woman in travel they shall be amazed one at another and their face shall be as flames Isa. 13.6 7 8. But let those that feare the Lord and keep his commandements rejoyce and lift up their heads for the day of their Redemption draweth nigh For it shall come to pass even in those days that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved Luk. 21.28 Act. 2.21 The next thing in order to be observed is wherefore God will destroy them Answ. Because in all ages they have been his enemies and the persecuters of him and his Saints Those they were that in the time of the Law being deluded and blinded by the false prophets did persecute and kill the prophets of the Lord as in Ahabs days Zedekiahs days and Jehoiakims days Ier. 26.29 chap. 37.12 13 14 15. with 1 King 9.9 10. and chap. 24.25 26 27. They also were the men in Christs days which by wicked hands brought him to his end as it is written Act. 4.26 The Kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ for of a truth against thy holy child Jesus whom thou hast anoninted both Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and people of Israel are gathered together c. This is the generation the Lord speaks of Mat. 23. calling of of them Serpents and generation of vipers saying to them How can you escape the damnation of hell because they had slain the Prophets and righteous men that lived in their days and in the days of their forefathers This is that wicked spirit of persecution which all along from Cain to the end of the world hath reigned and will reigne in the hearts of all ungodly men and women to persecute and kill the Saints Therefore saith Paul Gal. 4.29 As then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so it is now and Christ
saith The time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God good service And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Joh. 16.2.3 And indeed who have been the chiefest actors in it but the Kings and Princes of the nations which as Paul saith knew not God nor the hidden wisdom of God for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory 1 Cor. 2.7 8. and the reason why they did not know it was because they suffered the wicked priests and false prophets of the times to blind the eyes of their minds lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into their souls 2 Cor. 4.3 4. And this they effected by handling the word of God deceitfully changing the truth into a lye teaching for doctrines the commandments of men in stead of the commands of God given us by Christ So walking in cratiness smoothing over their deceits with a company of good words and false speeches thereby deceiving the hearts of the simple and through covetousness and sained words have made merchandise of their souls Rom. 16 17 18 with 2 Pet. 2.2 3. and indeed it 's no marvell though it be thus for it is the policy of Satan to gain the Kings and rulers of the nations to him self for by that meanes he can easily suppress the people of God living under them and also delude and deceive those that have not the knowledg of God amongst them by the examples of them in authority for look what religion the Kings and rulers of the nations are of the same generally the people are as for example The Kings of Israel and the rulers there of if they were good the people were the better but if they were evill the people were generally wicked and therefore it is said 1 King 14.15 16. The Lord shall smite Israel as a reed is shaken in the water and he shall root up Israel out of this good land which he gave to their fathers and he shall give up Israel because of the sins of Jereboans who did sin and who made Israel to sin We may likewise observe the same in Judah in the days of Rehoboam the son of Solomon 1 King 14.21 22 23 24. in these words And Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord and provoked him to jealousie with their sins which they had committed above all that their fathers had done c. The same things may be observed by us of late days here in England for in the days of Edward the sixth the people were Protestants but in Queen Marys days they were Papists for shee and the Rulers were soland in Queen Elizabeths days again Protestants for she and the rulers were so Thus we see it is the fashion of the nations and of our nation of England also to be of that Religion that their Kings Nobles and Rulers were and great reason for first its praise-worthy and highly commendable in the sight of men to be so secondly it is the way to live in peace and to escape the crose of Christ But let us remember that what is highly esteemed in the sight of men is abomination in the sight of God Luk. 16.16 Again the Lord will avengâ— himself upon them because they have persecuted his Saints without a cause as is written Psal. 119.161 Princes have persecuted me without a cause because they have given their power to the beast and suffered that serpentine and viperous generation of false prophets and deceivers to make use of them to persecute and destroy the Saints and Children of the most high God notwithstanding he hath said Psa. 116.15 Right dear and precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints and that he will require it at the hands of this generation Mat. 23.33 34 35 36. with Rev. 18.24 where he saith that in her was found the blood of all the Saints and Prophets and all that are slain upon the earth Eightly It is to be considered what the Kings and rulers of the nations may or should do to escape the hand of God lifted up against them for although there be a generall distruction pronounced against the Kings and Princes of the nations their sins and the sins of their fore-fathers being at the full without respect of persons yet it is not without respect of their conditions but except they repent as Christ saith they shall all perish Luke 13.5 as we also see in Jon. 3.4 When the Lord by the Prophet had pronounced destruction to Nineveh within fourty days yet we see when they acknowledged their sins and humbled themselves before the Lord he was pleased to forgive them and spare their King and their City according to his gratious promise as we may read Ier. 18.6.7 8.9 10. in these words At what instant I shall speak concerning a Nation on a Kingdom to pluck up or to pull down and destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil I will repent of the evil I thought to do unto them And at what instant I speak concerning a nation and a Kingdom to build and plaint it if that nation do evil in my sight that it obey not my voice then will I repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them Thus we see the Lord hath gratiously left open a door of repentance for them to escape thorow although it s to be feared that very few will make use of it notwithstanding my humble advice is to all in generall that they will let the counsell of the Lord be acceptable unto them which in these words is expressed Be wise now therefore ye Kings and be instructed ye that are Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Psa. 2.10 11. Break of your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor if it may be a lengthening of your tranquility Dan. 4.27 for who can tell whether God will turn and repent and turne away from his fierce anger that they perish not Seeing also he hath said Jer. 18.8 If that nation against whom I have spoken turne from their evil I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them But more particularly I shall apply my self to the honourable Rulers of this nation whose happiness with the prosperity of the whole nation I much long after and dayly pray for the continuing and perfecting of and to that end I shall make bold to put your Honors in mind of these following particulars not as one proudly taking in hand to teach you but humbly and in the fear of God to advise you as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord First That you will fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your hearts and consider what great things he hath done for you for if you and the nation shall still do wickedly we shall be consumed 1 Sam.
12.24 25. consider therefore how he remembred you in your low condition and when you were little in your own eyes he chose you and made you the heads of the nation 1 Sam. 15.17 and ever since hath gone before you and fought your battels and given you the victories and now at present he hath given you rest and a breathing-time to sit down and consider how he hath wonderfully delivered you out of the hands of your enemies so that they which hate you do not rule over you but he hath delivered them into your hands and you rule over them which is a double mercy Now therefore in the fear of God while you have time sit down and seriously consider how the Lord hath digged and planted you and how he hath fenced you and made an hedge about you and what could men fearing God desire more for a temporall safety and deliverance that he hath not done as he said once to Israel Isa. 5.2 3 4. now therefore is the time that the Lord looks for fruit and now is the time that the Rulers of the Nation and the Judges of the people ought to be instructed and to learn wisdom to serve the Lord that hath thus delivered them in fear and to rejoyce before him with trembling Secondly take heed therefore lest now when the Lord looks for judgement he behold oppression and for righteousness he hear a cry which may justly cause him to take away the hedge and pull down the wall that he hath built about us and lay us waste as he did his people Israel Isa. 5.5 6. I speak not these things to accuse any but to warn all in time to take heed for as Paul saith in another case Rom. 11. If God spared not his people Israel the naturall branches let us take heed lest he also spare not us and it is for you that are the heads of the people and Princes of the nation I say it is for you to know Judgment and of you that the Lord requireth these things Mic. 3.1 Therefore let all that are in authority in the nation Consider their ways And wash you and make you clean put away the evill of your doings from before the eyes of the Lord cease to do evil learn to do well seek Judgement relieve the oppressed judge the fatherless plead for the widow then you may have boldness to draw near and to come and reason together with the Lord and though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow if you will be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good things of the Land but if you refuse and rebel you shall yet be dovoured with the sword for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it Isa. 1.16 17 18 19 20. You may do all this now you have time enough no enemies to trouble you In time of distress you promised well the people hoped you would performe and therefore were willing to put to their hand to help in time of need and now the storme is over the eyes of all your friends in the nation are upon you expecting these things from you which the Lord requireth of you and his people do beleive you will perform although we thus speak to stir up your minds by way of remembrance Thirdly and you Honourable Noble and valiant men of the Army whom God hath crowned with so many Victories you that have seen the works of God and his wonders in delivering you in most eminent dangers and covering your heads in the day of battel and made your hearts and hands strong and your faces bold to look upon your enemies in the height of all their pride and gave them into your hands when you were in your lowest condition remember Dunbar be not now faint-hearted but remember and forget not to look your friends whom you have fought for in the faces and petition to them and plead with them for just judgement and equity that the Nation may be established in righteousness then may you sit down in peace and injoy the fruits of your labour and hazards But think not that the work is already done because you for present have done fighting its true the Lord hath delivered you and all the Magistrates in the Land out of the hands of your enemies but it now remaineth that both you and they strive together and that while you have time to deliver the oppressed from oppression and the poor needy out of trouble for God hath delivered you to that end that you as instruments in his hands may deliver them and he hath prepared yet another blessing for you against you have done that work as you may see Psal. 41.1 2 3. in these words Blessed is he that considereth the poor and neeby the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble the Lord will preserve him and keep him alive and he shall be blessed upon the earth and the Lord will not deliver him into the hands of his enemies but the Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing yea he will make his bed in all his sickness Thus we see how good and acceptable a work it is in the sight of God and what the Lord hath promised to those that faithfully labour in it therefore they that are already about it let them not be weary of well-doing for in due time they shall reap if they faint not And those that are not about it let them up and be doing and Lord that hath promised to be with them Therefore let none say The former Lawes and Statutes of the nation do hinder them in this work for if they be corrupt why are they not taken away who hinders you or can hinder you Is not the Lord with you while you are with him doing of his will and work and hath he not given the power into your own hands Be sure therefore he will require these things at your hands that are in authority and have the power in possession But men are very prone in these things to frame their work according to the politick Law of Nations rather then to measure it by the perfect Law of God therefore my humble advice in the next place is that your honours will Fifthly be pleased to consider David that man after Gods own heart who ruled the people prudently with all his power consider I say how he meditated in the Law of the Lord day and night Psal. 1.2 and how he sought him with his whole heart that he might not wander from his commandments Psal. 119.10 for by them he was made wiser then all his enemies and had more understanding then all his teachers because he meditated upon the testimonies of the Lord and because he kept his precepts he came to understanding more then the ancients verse 97.98 99 100. And these things are written and left upon record for our instruction upon whom the ends of the world are come therefore let us be instructed by them and especially you
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