the King 2 Kings 11. 12. and blew their Trumpets then Athaliah rent her cloathes ver 14. and cryed Treason Treason she might with more reason have cryed out away with Kingly goverment that occasions so many murders treacherie villanous conspiracies who to get into the throne and to secure their stations and maintaine their pompe and grandor must destroy poore Innocents and all that stand in their way of absolute Dominion In Chap. 12. 2. Iehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord yet ver 20. his servants arose and made a conspiracie and slew Ioash in the house of Millo which goeth down to Silla if God sometimes gives a good Iosiah an Edward the sixt or a good Queene Elizabeth the office is not sanctified by the person when princes professe love to the people It is but sowing the seeds of future troubles and miseries for when Kings are good the people are never jealous of their liberties and faire language and a few good Acts and actions bring the people into a fooles paradise the prerogative then taking ten times firmer deeper root in such Halcyon dayes and certainly the Tares Wormewood Gall Colloquintida and bitter fruits which England hath lately tasted of and reaped in such aboundance were sowne set and planted in those calmer times and the precious blood that hath been shed is no doubt the seeds time of freedome and glory to the Nation the ground worke of those precious durable priviledges that English-men shall hereafter enjoy but see Chapter 13. Iehoahaz son of Iehu was King in Israel ver 2. and he did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord and followed the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nebat which made Israel to sin he departed not there from and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel and ver 3. he delivered them into the hand of Hazael King of Syria and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael all their dayes it would make the very bowels liver and intralls of a Christian to yearne and stir within him to consider how poore creatures from time to time have been punisht for the wickednesse of their Kings sayes David 2 Sam. 24. 17. Indeed I have done wickedly but these sheep what have they done Let thine hand be against me and my Fathers house against a Kingly goverment Next comes Amaziah upon the stage of Monarchy 2 Kings 14. and his comendation is for doeing Iustice upon those that killed his father and sparing the children of the murderers according to the Law of Moses that the Fathers shall not be put to death for the Children nor the Children for the Fathers but every man shall be put to death for his owne sin ver 6. but vaine man that he was to thinke to prosper knowing how greatly God was displeased with his office ver 19. the people made a conspiracie against him in Ierusalem and he fled to Lachish and they slew him there and they brought him on horses and buried him at Ierusalom as Rich. the third slaine at the battaile at Bosworth-field by Henry the seventh was throwne over a horse like a Calfe and carried to Leister there interred then ver 23. there was Ieroboam the second King of Israel he did that whch was evill in the sight of the Lord and departed not from all the sins of Ieroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin ver 24. then in chap. 15. 3. 4. Azariah son of Amaziah raigned in Iudah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord according to all that his Father Amaziah had done save that the high places were not removed the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places so the Lord smote him that he was a Leper to the day of his death and dwelt in a severall house apart by himselfe scarce a king of them that died like other men for hee that will take upon him to be above other mens judgements and only to account to Heaven is not worthy the society of men ver 8. Zachariah the son of Ieroboam reigned in Israel and ver 9. 10. he did that which was evill in the sight of the Lord as his Father had done hee departed not from the sin of Ieroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sinne how made them to sin is not example a morall violence that where the King is wicked the people must needs be so or is sin taken there for punishment that the people are punisht for the Kings enormities but ver 10. Shallum the son of Iabeâ—h conspired against him and smote him before the people and slew him and reigned in his steed what would the people stand by and see Shallum kill their King and then presently make him King how violently and insensately are men set upon Monarchy that though they feele all the Plagues of Egypt upon them for it yet they will have a King like the Heathens but how fared it with King Shallum ver 13. he reigned but a moneth in Samaria for Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samariah and smote Shallum there and slew him and reigned in his steed but how does Menahem comport himselfe in his Kingship ver 16. then Menahem tooke Tipsah and all that were therein and the Coasts thereof from Tirzah because they opened not to him and all the women therein that were with child he ript them up then ver 19. 20. Pul the King of Assyria came against him and he exacted a thousand Talents of silver of the rich men of Israel fifty shekells of silver thence they tooke the President for Ship-money to tirannize and bring themselves and the people into danger and then take what they please from the people to procure forraigne forces to assist King Menahem to confirme the Kingdome in his hand but ver 22. this bloody man slept with his fathers and his son Pekahiah raigned in his steed blessed God! that such a cruell monster should dye a dry death but if Murderers and Tyrants were alwayes punisht in this world men would thinke that there were no other hell for them and yet if they were not commonly punisht here many men would believe that there was no God well Pekahiah reigned two yeares and did mischief enough to have destroyed Israel because no doubt they might have cast off Monarchy but would not doe justice upon their King therefore the Lord stirred up particular men still to doe it ver 25. Pekah the son of Remaliah a Captaine of Pekahiah conspired against him and smote him and killed him in Samaria in the Palace of the Kings house with 52. more and reigned in his roome a good riddance of the King and his Cavaliers but the more unwise they to give them no worse Epithete being Gods people to suffer Pekah to be their King for he abounded in wickednes and in his dayes ver 29. seven Cities of Israel
did that which was right in his own eyes Chap. 18. 1. and 19. 1. repeated upon the occasion of the abuse and murder of the Levites Concubine where the Holy Ghost does not meane such a King as Abimelecke or as the Gentiles had to breath life into the Lawes by his Royall assent for such a King the people of Israel never had nor owned in the Land of Canaan not a man that challenged a power unaccomptable to oppresse murder sweare plunder and commit all manner of wickednes without controle such a monster being fitter to carry garbidge to Beares then to live amongst Civill people but there was then no man zealous for Gods glory to fight for Israel and to judge them according to the Law of God therefore the Lord raised up Samuel a singular man for Iustice and mercie 1 Sam. 1. 28. Hanah his Mother lent him the Lord Chap. 3. The Word of the Lord was revealed unto him he dealt faithfully in telling Eli what the Lord commanded thereupon he was established to be a Prophet of the Lord vers 20. Chap. 7. He exhorteth to solemne Repentance then they make him a Iudge vers 6. being so he yet prayed and sacrificed and the Lord discomfited the Philistines by Thunder and Samuel judged Israel all his dayes and went Circuits carrying home Iustice to the peoples houses and built an Altar unto the Lord having ver 12. taken a stone and called the name of it Ebenezer saying hitherto hath the Lord helped us Iudges being to take speciall care that God may be purely worshipped and glorified and that Gods people may not forget the mercie of the Lord in destroying their Enemies Certainly Moses and Samuel were two of the best Iudges that ever were in the world and are to be as patternes and looking-glasses to all Magistrates so that as he is the best Christian that is most like unto Iesus Christ so he is the best Iudge that is most like unto Moses and Samuel Moses Exod. 18. 13. sat to Iudge the people who stood by him from the morning untill the evening he ended the businesse of the day with the day ver 16. sayes he I Iudge betweene one man and another and I make them know the Statutes of God and his Lawes if a Iudge can but teach people the Statutes of God and his Lawes his worke is in a good forwardnes and more then halfe done In that Samuel is commended for telling Eli the destruction of his house it argues that the best part of faithfulnes is to discover the abuses and errors in any profession as being best knowne unto them for the end of the professors and of every ones profession ought to be the same viz. the welfare of the body politique therefore whereas there are many Ieofailes rubs that lie in the Allies of Iustice that poore men are overborne in their righteous causes by full purses which the Reverend Iudges proceeding regularly as they find the course of the Court cannot remedie without the power of Parliament I have seriously thought that oppressions in Courts of Iustice have been spun by the late Courtiers with so fine a threed that few but those that daily meet with it in practise can see it and therefore unlesse it please God to move the hearts of the honorable Iudges in pure love to Iustice to propound fit remedies to the Parliament plaisters that may be large enough for the wound I meane an Act of Retranchement to cut off all unnecessary delayes and expences in matter of Iustice between man and man that poore men may have it for Gods sake the rich for reasonable consideration it will lye very remote from the understandings of many worthy publike spirited men what course to take therein without which all the warres have been but as purgings and vomitings the health of a State consisting in the equallity and harmony of Iustice and all Martiall Iustice is sanctified by the Civill Iustice as for example if one of the Reverend Iudges would make it his suite to the Parliament that a bargaine and sale might be as strong as a fine Recovery that a poore Farmer or Cottager might leave some small portions to his yonger Children without paying one or two yeares purchase for the charge of a fine and recovery what an ease might this be to men of small estates to passe them from one to another and to cut off Intailes by a deed in writing without so much solemnitie and expence if another would set forth the unprofitablenes of Outlawries which are to no purpose but to multiply expence And a third be earnest for an Act to plead the generall Issue in all Actions and at the Assises to insist wholly upon the merit of the Cause whether the money be due or not whether the Plaintiffe have right to the Land or not I am confident it would make sweet musicke in Parliament I do not intend to dispute the lawfulnes of Legall proceedures in point of conscience to them that Iudge them so but in point of comfort at the day of Iudgment let me humbly propound this to those that sit in the seat of Iustice whether it appearing to them that the defendant hath paid the money though it be after the day of payment limited in the Condition or that the money is payd upon a single Bill where payment by Law is no plea or that the Plaintiff in an Ejectment hath a cleere right to the Land but the lease Entry and Ejectment was not proved in due forme of Law or if a wilfull murder be committed and so found by the Iury but there is a word mistaken in the Indictment whereby the murderer escapes for that Assises and so the matter compounded or the prosecutor desists and the Plaintiff in the Ejectment must begin againe having lost his own charges and payd above five pound costs to the defendant who continues the wrong keeps the Lands unjustly from the plaintif the defendant that hath paid the money is forced to fly into Chancery for reliefe where the unjust Plaintiff at Law refuses to appeare or else demurrs because he hath a Iudgement at Law or the witnesses dead and so the poore defendant taken in execution and buried above ground in prison for ten pound where the principle debt was but five pound and that paid though not at the prefixt day and so proved to the Iury I say whether it would not be easier for thē to give an accompt of reforming such errors then otherwise but if by the Parliaments intention in altering the Iudges oathes enjoyning them onely to proceed according to Iustice the Iudge may not of himselfe moderate such like extremities then of what huge concernment must it needs be humbly and earnestly to sollicite for present remedies for what souldier can with comfort fight with a blunt sword it is a great joy to Physicians to cure their Patients but if any dye under their hands when they might by a little
more then ordinary trouble have recovered them it cannot but be a purgatory to an Ingenious spirit certainly that Iudge which helps a man to his right and thereby preserves a family from beggery deserves as much as he that cures a man of a desperate fever But I Sam. 8. Is the Statute Law concerning Kings where it cleerely appeares that the first generation of Monarchs and the rise of Kings was not from above not begotten by the Word and Command of God but from the peoples pride ardent importunity they were mad for a King to be like unto the Heathens I beseech you observe the story it is a Chapter that deserves to be written in Capitall letters of Gold and if it were convenient to appoint the reading of it but once a moneth in the publique meeting places I am confident it might be of great advantage in the satisfying men of perverse spirits for let the most violent assertors and contenders for Monarchy but seriously consider and be intreated to heare it as the Word of God 1 Thess 2. 13. and they must needs be convinced that they which endeavour to destroy a Parliament consisting of Godly Wise and Iudicious men that are willingly bound by the same Lawes which are made for others abhorring all thoughts of unaccomptablenes and to set up a King who fights for a boundlesse prerogative to doe what he pleases on earth giving an accompt thereof only to God as if hell were made only for them who must not be toucht nor be punished in this life for any of their abominations doe cast off and reject the God of Iustice and mercy for when good Samuels rule the people it is God that rules in them and by them and there is nothing so contrary to the gracious Nature of God as the violence oppression and Legall Thefts of the wicked Nimrods of the world and then marke the doome of their favorits Iohn 12. 48. he that rejecteth mee and receiveth not my words hath one that Iudgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall Iudge him in the last day First it is very observable what it was that bred a dislike of the Iudges ver 3. they turned aside after lucre and tooke Bribes and perverted Iudgement which Samuel did not ver 5. when Common-wealths men turne private wealths men and more minde the Trimming of their owne Cabbins then the Ship of State then the people cry out make us a King to Iudge us like all the Nations as if they should say better have one Tirant then thirty Tirants in Athens better fill one purse then many now the Lord Commands Samuel to protest solemnly against Monarchy that they may not pretend ignorance but be left inexcusable and then if they will have a King hearken unto them sayes the Lord ver 7. which is no approbation of Monarchy as some vainely argue the Lord therein dealing with them as a tender wise Physician when the impatient Patient cryes out for wine which will encrease the disease the Physician to satisfie his importunitie gives him a little wine which he knowes rather encreases then asswages the disease but knowes that if he have it not his impatience may worke a greater mischiefe ver 19. Nay but we will have a King over us are words of men possessed with afrensie give us a King or wee shall run madd for him wee will have one whatsoever it cost us that we may be like all the Nations shall France and Spayne have Kings and we none will they take away our God from us from vers 11. to 17. Samuel describes a lively portraiture and lineament of a Kings prerogative which are principally three as you may please to observe first a prerogative over mens persons to imprison any one whom the King pleases Hee will take your sons upon pretence of disobedience or for reason of State either intowre him or send him beyond sea if he were a Commonwealths man which in Court language is as much as to say a dangerous man ver 11. 13. and 16. Secondly in point of Militia ver 12. Hee will ap point the Capitaines the Kings Councell called that an inherent priviledge as an inseperable accident and incident to the Crowne without which he is no King and then having the sword it is no head matter to command all the money in the Land Thirdly in point of Interest and propertie ver 14. 17. he will take a tenth of all the Corne Wine and Cattle if the Iudgement of Ship-money had not been reversed a tenth would not have sufficed I meane that senseles Iudgment which I cannot mention without indignation that men should be so silly to talke of building of ships when the Land was ready to be invaded or in eminent danger as if it were a time to looke after leather to make buckets when a house is on fire It seems to me that the holy Spirit in expressing those three grand prerogatives that the Kings of the Gentiles would pretend unto had an eye to the present age wherein wee live and therefore many booke learned Royalists not being able to answer this Scripture have declared their Iudgements to be whether their hearts and pens were of the same minde Ilargue not that the Lord did allow of such a Goverment and ver 11. hee will take your sonns which is to be meant by usurpation contrary to the Law of God Deut. 17. 20. See the learned Annotations upon that Chapter very excellent not what they ought to doe in right but that they would so doe in fact they read hee shall take your sons and ver 15. hee will take a Tenth that he shall and may take a Tenth as if they had a Commission from heaven so to doe and to fortifie that opinion they alleige Deut. 17. 14. When thou art come unto the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee and shalt possesse it and shalt dwell therein and shalt say I will set a King over mee like as all the Nations that are about me v. 15. Thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee whom the Lord thy God shall choose one from among thy brethren shalt thou set King over thee thou mayest not set a stranger over thee which is not thy brother ver 16. but he shall not multiply horses to himselfe not cause the people to returne to Egypt to the end that hee should multiply horses for as much as the Lord had said unto you yea shall henceforth returne no more that way ver 17. Neither shall he multiply wives to himselfe that his heart turne not away neither shall he greatly multiply to himselfe silver and gold ver 18. And it shall be when he sitteth upon his Throne of his Kingdome that he shall write him a copie of this Law in a booke out of that which is the Priests the Levites ver 19. and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne
Parliament leaving the body of Antichristian Goverment by Bishops as before or if the body of Antichrist come to be destroyed and the thighes leggs or feet onely remaining in any Coercive Presbiters when Kings will play at small games rather then sit out and joyne with any people in the world to persecute the people of God see the end of such Kings ver 14. They shall make warre with the Lambe and the Lambe shall overcome them for he is Lord of Lords and King of Kings and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithfull and this Arraignement of Monarchs and Grandees for abusing the Spouse of Christ shall not be onely upon the puritie of Intention which will not Iustifie any Irregular Action for to Act Irregularly upon an Impetus or Impulsive spirit makes Scripture uselesse but according to naturall Iustice and common equitie that when Kings shall proclaime the Saints Traitors Heretiques and Rebells because they will not fall downe and worship the Lord according to human inventions and shall raise Armies to destroy them as enemies to their Crowne and dignities such Kings have forfeited their Civill Rights as the Kings of Canaan did and honest faithfull righteous men chosen by the people shall be their successors to whom by vertue of the equity of the Oathes of Allegiance and Supremacy the people are to be true and faithfull as to the Lord for whom and by whose lawes they preside and regulate their Administrations and other obligation lies upon no man by vertue of any such Oath that he formerly tooke for there is no other successor the wisedome of God hath in Iustice so ordered it and He that is Truth when men are lyars is also wise when they are fooles for the oath was only binding to the positique capacity to be true to the King so farr as he was true to the Lawes and safety of the people Hee that tooke it in any other sense made the King a God infallible and impeccable when he sets up a standard of defiance against them is any man so unsound in his intellectualls as to thinke that the oath obliges him to stand still and suffer his owne throat to be cut No oath can tye any man to doe or suffer that which is destructive to humanity and as for Christians certainely by that statute of Numb 30. what ever any Christian vowes without the consent of her husband Iesus Christ is meerely voyd in Law and a precipitate rash oath as that of David against Nabal I Sam. 25. 22. binds not but to repentance Levit. 5. 4. 5. If it be objected that Iosua fought against Kings of another Nation as Gods people in England did not what forraigne assistance hath been in that kinde I shall not dispute but the answer is very easie that the neerenes of the relation much aggravates the offence on the Royalists part If ambitious Princes would give Commissions of Array against forraigners and not to destroy their owne people then it might be but a sin against the sixt and eight Commandement but to destroy his own Countreymen is a complicate offence of Treason also and a sin against the fift Commandement as well as the other two to betray those that trusted him and certainly had not the Parliament executed the late King the Danes or some others might have destroyed them for God binds his people by his legall Commands to Act and accomplish his designes and to destroy all Tirants and oppressors and to say who ever heard of such a thing before is an argument wherewith onely ignorant poore people are taken as the people said when Iesus Christ cast out the dumbe Spirit Matth. 9. 33. 34. it was never so seene in Israel he casteth out Divells through the Prince of Divells wee doe not read that God ever dealt with any Saint as with Iob yet Iob was no hypocrite I say the Lord hath layd an absolute Command upon the Parliament to proceed as they have done upon paine of his high displeasure and being guilty of high treason against the Majesty a terme not fit for any mortall man because higher then that wee cannot give of Heaven and of being utterly destroyed if they had not done it and that stroke put England into a salvable condition for doe but consider how severely the Lord dealt with Israel and Iudah when their Princes turned Lions and Wolves Then the Lord gave them a King in his anger 1 Sam. 8. 7. and Hosea 13. 11. ver I gave them a King in mine anger and tooke him away in my wrath will any man say that Sauls office of being King was of Divine ordination which was done in anger all Gods ordinances are appointed in love for the good of his people and Divine and humane society but Sauls being made King displeased the Lord and it is very remarkable that on the day and at the very houre of election Samuel dealt justly with them and told them of their great evill in rejecting God and his Goverment 17 18 19. and Samuel called the people together unto the Lord to Mizpeh and said unto the Children of Israel thus saith the Lord God of Israel I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all Kingdoms and of them that oppressed you and yee have this day rejected your God who himselfe saved you out of all your adversities and tribulations and yee have said unto him Nay but set a King over us but though the Kingly Government displease God yet observe how gently Saul behaved himselfe to the people 1 Samuel 11. 12. There were some that would not have Saul raigne over them which the people would have had put to death but Saul said ver 13. There shall not be a man put to death this day whereas the Monarchs of the world make men offendors for a word one man for speaking in jest that he will make his sonne heire of the Crowne meaning a house that had that signe in Cheape-side and another for saying there goes Ed. 6. in Coleman-street have been most Tirannically murdered and executed Saul was never so bloody minded But one passage I may not omit the Holy Ghost foreseeing that Monarchy would have many Advocates to plead for its divine right for the satisfaction of all that will not wilfully shut out the light calls this importunitie of the Israelites to have a King to be a great wickednes and such a sin that the Lord will not let goe unpunished but sent unreasonable weather thunder and raine in wheat harvest Proverbs 26. 1. As snow in summer and as raine in harvest so honor is not seemely for a foole I hope England will not forget the wet season in summer 1648. how it was mid-winter at mid-summer and certainely the works of God have a voice and are most eloquent to his owne people what the Lord did to the Israelites for their asking a King England hath great
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
Monitor and hee that is a friend to publique libertie is counted an enemy to Cesar poore Turks Russians and Europian slaves that delight rather in servitude then freedome and like spannells fawne upon those that most beat them and are sorry that they have but one life to loose for the glory of their Soveraigne well after Ieroboam and Rehoboam there was warre betweene Asa King of Iudah and Baasha King of Israel all their dayes 1 Kings 15 16. 32. and see what became of Baasha 1 Kings 16. 1. Then the Word of the Lord came to Iehu the sonne of Hanani against Baasha saying for as much as I exalted thee out of the dust and made thee prince over my people Israel and thou hast walked in the way of Ieroboam and hast made my people Israel to sin to provoke me to anger with their sins behold I will take away the posteritie of Baasha and the posteritie of his house and will make thy house like the house of Ieroboam the son of Nebat him that dyeth of Baasha in the City shall the dogs eat and him that dyeth in the fields shall the fowles of the aire eat Then Elah succeeds Baasha he being druncke was killed by Zimri who made himselfe King 1 Kings 16. 9. Where Monarchies have been elective or gotten by force or fraud what hath been alwayes held the best way to secure the new Monarch in his throne but by dedestroying the family of his predecessor Zimri destroyed all the house of Baasha left him not one that pissed against the wall neither of his kinsfolks nor of his friends 1 Kings 16. 11. As the Popes alwayes glory to rescinde and repeall the Acts of their predecessors what bloody butchers have Kings Popes ever been if any man stand in their way let his name be blotted out then Omri was chosen King and besieged Zimri in Tirzah Zimri becomes desperate sets the house on fire and burnes himselfe ver 17. 18. and ver 25. this Omri wrought evill in the sight of the Lord and did worse then all that were before him Ahab his sonne succeeded him and ver 30. Then Ahab the son of Omri did evill in the sight of the Lord above all that were before him so that 1 Kings 21. 25. there was none like unto Ahab which sold himselfe to worke wickednesse in the sight of the Lord whom Iezebel his wife stirred up and therefore whereas the practise of the primitive Christians is objected that they prayed for the healths and prosperitie of the heathen Roman Tirants that persecuted them here you may see the reason thereof they knew that if one Tirant died a more cruell one would succeed as the poore woman having had three cruell Landlords successively haveing wisht the death of the two former prayed earnestly for the long life of the third and being demanded a reason thereof answered that the last is alwayes the worst and if this should dye certainly the next would be the divell for a more cruell Tiger there could not be in a human shape then the third was but concerning the Primitive Christians that were as the Lords garden hedged in with his protection it pleased God sometimes to take away the hedge and to let the wild beasts in they saw that through many tribulations and persecutions in the world they must enter into the Kingdome of heaven and finding that Antichrist was to be their greatest and the most cruell enemy to the Church of God and that he could not get into the throne during the raigne of the Roman Emperors who hindred him as it is 2 Thess 2. 7. 8. therefore they prayed for the prosperity of the Dragon for the fourth Monarchy Dan. 7. 7. is generally interpreted to be the Roman Empire which is described to be very terrible and dreadfull and exceeding strong it had three iron teeth it devoured and brake in peeces and stamped the residue with the feet of it and if this heathen Empire was taken away the poore Christians knew that the same power must be given to the beast Anti-Christ Revel 13. And therefore it were better for them to have it continue but it is most admirable to observe that the great Monarchies of the world viz. Babylonians Persians Grecans and Romans should be set out and described by foure beasts it shewes unto us that those that are most highly esteemed by the men of the world are but as beasts in the sight of God that the great King of Kings who rules in Equity and Righteousnes over all the world looks upon the great Nimrods and Monarchs of the world with a most contemptible eye counts them no better then the most ravenous creatures that are suffered a little to rage for the punishment of wicked men when the Lord sayes that the beast shall devoure his people It is the King of Asiria and his wicked Cavaliers and therefore God threatens to deale with him as with a beast I am against thee O Gog the chief Prince of Mesbech and Tubal Ezek. 38. 2. 4. I will put a hooke in thy jawes and so the Lord threatned to put a hooke in the nostrills of Senacherib the King of Asiria and a bridle in his lips Esa 37. 29. because of his rage and his tumult it was fit to use him as a beast and marke how contemptibly God speaks of the great King of Babylon and his numerous Army Ioel 2. 20. his stincke and ill savor shall come up the Spirit of God gives no other Epithet then a stincking King an unsavorie prince and David speaking of Saul and his Courtiers Psal 59. 6. 7. 8. as if he had predicted the deportments and behaviours of the malignants about such time as the late King was Iusticed their nocturnall whisperings in Tavernes and Conventicles against the State and such as are Godly in the Land they returne at evening they make a noise like a dog and goe round about the City behold they belsh out with their mouths swords are in their lips for who say they doth heare but thou O Lord shalt laugh at them thou shalt have all the heathens in derision ver 14. at evening let them returne and let them make a noise like a dog and goe round about the City and therefore Gods people may rejoyce in the Lord as in ver 16. 17. But we will sing of thy power yea wee will sing of thy mercy in the morning for thou hast been our defence and refuge in the day of trouble unto thee our strength will wee sing for God is our defence and the God of our mercie Indeed he was the song of the drunkards Psal 69. 12. but now to be compared to a beast is worse then to be so by nature for it is no dishonor to a hog to be called so for it is but to be as God made it but for a man to make himselfe a beast is the corruption of the creature the worst deformitie that can be in the world and
were carried captive to Assyria but ver 30 Hoshea the son of Ekah made a Conspiracie against Pekah and smote him and slew him reigned in his steed indeed Iotham King of Iudah did righteous things howbeit the high places were not removed by him ver 35. hee is a good man against whom there is but one But or How beit in his Kingly goverment chap. 16. 2. succeeds Ahaz who walked in the way of the Kings of Israel and ver 3. made his son to walke through the fire according to the abominations of the Heathen whom the Lord cast out from before the Children of Israel and he sacrificed and burnt Incense in the high places and on the hills under every greene tree this is the fruit of their crying give us a King like the Heathen Nations it is noted how the Lord drove out the Heathens from before his people to aggravate their folly that when the Heathens were destroyed yet they would have a Government like the Heathens if the good Kings had removed the high places and burnt the ground then the wicked Kings had not sacrificed thereon but if the people had not been starke blind they would have seene their extreame folly in admitting that goverment but why doe I speake so improperly as to say good Kings a good Monarch is a white Divell cures one and kills twenty doe men gather grapes of thornes or figgs of thistles he that is bound to no Law cannot be a good King for the office is against Divine Institution and therefore sinfull unaccomptable Monarchs are no more to be suffered then Divells if they doe any good it flowes not from the constitution of the office but as they are private men that would do lesse hurt if they had lesse power if one should have a commission to rob and he should suffer some poore men to passe untoucht no thanks to his Commission but his Debonaritie and naturall pitie unaccountablenes is a most corrupt pernicious accursed and pestilent principle and fountaine from whence must needes flow streames of much Oppression Injustice and Crueltie towards poore people chap. 17. 3. Salmanezer King of Assyria falls out with Hoshea King of Israel about New-yeares-gifts Kings have so many Courtiers to feed that they must be like the Horse-leach that cry give give therefore the King of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison ver 4. then was Israel carried away captive for ver 21. Ieroboam had made them sinne a great sinne which ver 8. and 15. is said to be walkeing in the Statutes of the Heathen and of the Kings of Israel which they had made where note that the King had the Legislative power made what lawes he pleased and the people imitated the Heathen round about them therein in giving the same power to their Kings as the Heathens did to carry life death at his nod and honoring a wicked man more then the King of Glory ver 23. untill the Lord removed Israel out of his sight as he had said by all his servants the Prophets so was Israel carried away out of their owne Land to Assyria unto this day is it not admirable that the Israelites should be so extreame mad to set up a King like the Heathens to their owne destruction many sins might concurre to their captitie but the Grand Capitall sin is noted to be their inordinate desire to have a King the Lawes Customes Statutes and Ordinances of the Heathens now marke I beseech you poore mistaken deluded Carolists if wise men Gods peculiar people worth all the world for suffering such Tirants deserve for ever to be called not the men but the Children of Israel more foolish then babes nay then the brute creatures that will not impower one of themselves to destroy or to be cruell to their owne kinde It speakes loud to all such as by Gods infinit mercie have cast off Tirants to abrogate repeale oblitterate and change their Lawes Statutes Ordinances and Customes to suffer no filthy rags infected with the Plague to remaine not to thinke to wash and purifie them for the Blackamore will not change his skin the first worke done at Geneva upon the change of their Religion from Papists to Protestants was Reformatio Legum to examin their Lawes and such as were contrary to the Law of God they burnt them for Iustice is more necessary in a Commonwealth then reformed Religion no State can continue without the first but many flourish in Temporalls without the latter salt is more usefull then suggar and Pearles though not so excellent in its nature The next King chap. 18. was Hezekiah ver 5. who trusted in the Lord God of Israel so that after him was none like him among all the Kings of Iudah nor any that were before him he falling sicke by prayer had his life lengthened a Heathen King sent to congratulate his recovery and Hezekiah did not magnifie the Lords mercie to him and speake in the language of an Israelite to the Ambassadour but shewed him his treasures and rejoyced more in them then in the God of his mercies a fault that Gods people are too subject unto when their friends visit them they doe not entertaine the time by magnifying Gods mercy and multiplyed preservations towards them but shew one another their fine roomes cloathes and such vanities for which very thing the Prophet Esay denounces unto Hezekiah the Babilonian captivitie chap. 20. and see how the poore Iewes were punisht for that very sin of Hezekiah chap. 24. ver 10. to the 16. At that time the servants of Nebucadnezar King of Babylon came up against Ierusalem and the City was besieged and Nebucadnezar King of Babylon came against the City and his servants did besiege it and Iehoiachin the King of Iudah went to the King of Babylon he and his mother and his servants and his princes and his officers and the King of Babylon tooke him in the eight yeare of his raigne and hee carried out thence all the Treasures of the house of the Lord and the Treasures of the Kings house and cut in pieces all the vessells of gold which Solomon King of Israel had made in the Temple of the Lord as the Lord had said and he carried away all Ierusalem and all the Prince and all the mighty men of vallour ten thousand captives and all the Crafts-men and smiths none remained save the poorest sort of the people of the Land and he carried away Iehoiachin to Babylon and the kings mother and the kings wifes and his officers and the mighty of the Land those carryed he into captivity from Ierusalem to Babylon and all the men of might even seven thousand and Crafts-men and Smiths one thousand all that were strong and apt for war even them the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon blessed God that ever any people of understanding should contend for Monarchy when the Spirit of God speaks so plainely that whether the kings be good men
or bad I will punish the people sayes the Lord so long as they have any kings it is not a goverment of my ordination kings are the peoples Idols creatures of their own making if they will have them let them be sure that if the best of their kings doe but out of a little vaine-glory shew his treasures to a Heathen king I le punish them for that transgression The next successor was Manasseh and hee followed the abomination of the Heathens chap. 21. 9. he seduced the people to doe more evill then did the Nations above all that the Amorites did and made Iudah to sinne with his Idolls Is not man a free Agent if he suffer no outward violence hee hath none within him but a kings example is unresistible violence Mercifull God shall thy owne children that one of them before they had a king was worth 10000. Amorites be made worse then the most abominable Heathens onely by having a king ver 12 13 14. therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel behold I am bringing evill upon Ierusalem and Iudah that whosoever heareth of it both his eares shall tingle and I will stretch over Ierusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe Ierusalem as a man wipeth a dish wiping it and turning it upside downe and I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies and they shall become a prey spoile to all their enemies this Manasseh shed innocent blood till he filled the streets with it 2 Reg. chap 22. after Manasseh reigned Ammon who was the fathers own son in wickednes and his servants conspired against him and slew the king in his own house and the people slew them and made Iosiah king the hopefull prince who turned not aside to the right hand or to the left but walkt in all the wayes of David his father ver 2. but if the Lord will not turne from the fiercenesse of his great wrath against Iudah because of the provocation of Manasseh as it is 2 Kings 23. 26. will not the Lord be intreated to save the people for good Iosiahs sake no all that the Lord will doe for the best king is to take him away from the evill to come chap. 22. 19. 20. then chap. 25. Ierusalem the glory of the Lord is besieged by Nebucadnezar king of Babylon who built forts against it round about the famine prevailed and there was no bread for the people of the Land the men of warre therein forced to fly the City taken and defaced ver 9. the house of the Lord burnt and all the houses of Ierusalem every great mans house burnt the kings eyes put out and his sons slaine 7. and bound him with chaines as it is more at large expressed Ier. 39. 7. and it is very observeable to teach Gods people how to behave themselves when the people are so mad in contending for Monarchy to bring Gods Iudgments upon them that Ieremiah who in al probability would have been one of the first that had suffered for his faithfulnes in reproving sin so impartially as he did was onely preserved Ier. 39. 11. 12. Now Nebucadnezar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Ieremiah to Nebuzaradan the Captain of the guard saying take him and looke to him and doe him no harme but doe unto him even as he shall say unto thee this same Ieremiah that had mourned in secret for the Court vanities or rather enormities the insanitie and egregious folly of the people to cast off a Rationall just Goverment by worthy Patriots that charge their owne estates as well as others and to establish kings according to the manner of the Heathen for whose sins so many of the people lost their lives God punishes the people for their sins not onely where the kings are wicked and monsters of men but where they are good men and live good lives which yet is very rare yet the people must smart for suffering the kingly office to continue but if that be not a sufficient argument take another If the most desparate Malignant in England or Scotland was but in Ireland to heare of the horrid Massacres that have been committed upon the poore English 154000. barbarously murdered in one Province and to see the miserable effects and sad desolations of so bloody a Rebellion whereof the maintenance of the late Kings pretended prerogative was undoubtedly the first inducing cause he was as sure the Author of it as ever the Divell was the Author or first tempter to sin for without his countenance they durst never have attempted it without question he would be for the Parliament if it were but from the common sence of humanity for feare either of being tormented with the Ghosts and dismall apparitions of those poore Innocents or out of a sad consideration to bethinke himselfe what an astonishment it will be unto him at that great day to heare the cry of all the Innocent blood that hath been shed in the three Nations crying to the Iust God for vengeance vengeance against all those that have in any sort made themselves guilty or accessary to the death of their bodies but to the death of many of their soules as it is to be feared for as the tree falls so it lyes many a poore Creature innocently murdered for ought wee know to the contrary might have lived to repent but the sentence is past and he can but curse all those malignants that had a hand in his death as every one undoubtedly had that hath either warred or pleaded for the late King or his posterity The sum of these and many other Scripturs and reasons that might be alledged to the same purpose is to let you see that not only wicked Kings have brought misery and the wrath of God upon his people but the best men that ever swayed the Scepter of Iudah or Israel have been authors and occasioners of ruine and destruction to the poore people David by numbring the people Solomon by tolleration of Idolatry Iehosaphat by taking part with Ahab Asa for his confidence in the arme of flesh and his severity to the Prophet and Iosiah for his rash and unadvised war with Pharo Neco did all of them though godly men bring wrath upon Gods people which I beseech you observe the Iudges of old never did though Elies offence might be greater then theirs yet the people smarted not for that as for their Kings transgressions and though the Lord was pleased to choose the seed of David and not of Saul that did not justifie Israel but it was because God appointed Christ Iesus to come of Davids race from Iudah therefore there was a stabilitie of Davids throne and his posterity to terminate in Christ and therefore as that Scripture of Genes 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shiloh come and unto him shall the gathering of the people
MONARCHY No creature of Gods making c. Wherein is proved by Scripture and Reason that Monarchicall Government is against the minde of God And that the Execution of the late King was one of the fattest sacrifices that ever Queen Iustice had Being a Hue and Cry after Lady Liberty which hath been ravished and stolne away by the Grand Potentates of the Earth Principally intended for the undeceaving of some honest hearts who like the poore Iewes cry give us a King though they smart never so much for it By IOHN COOKE late of Grayes Inne Esquire Chief Iustice of the Province of Munster in Ireland Hosea the 8. and 4. They have set up Kings but not by me they have made them Princes but I knew it not O Israel O England Thou wouldst have destroyed thy selfe but in God is thy help he will be thy King Hos the 13. 9-10 I gave thee a King in mine anger took him away in my wrath Printed at Waterford in Ireland by Peter de Pienne in the yeare of our Lord God 1651. To the Supreame Authoritie of the three Nations the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England Most Renowned Senators who like the Heavenly bodyes having for many yeares been in continuall motion for your Countreyes good have by Gods blessing upon your unwearied labours after so many Hericanes by vertue of the Act of May 9. 1649. brought the Ship of State to Anchor into its desired haven and setled that forme of Government which was appointed for Gods peculiar people who chose a man of every Tribe a head of a house Captaines of Thousands and of Hundreds famous Choyce and mighty men of vallor Chief of the fathers of the Children of Israel to assemble at Ierufalem in publique Councells 1 Numb 4. 2 Chron. 1. 2. and 5. 2. a Commonwealth and free State governed by their Representatives in Parliament and such whom they shall appoint for the good of the People of which blessed Statute 〈◊〉 onely say this that since the Apostles dayes there was never more Divinitie Reason and Eloquence in any writing for as it is said of humility it is not onely a vertue but a ground worke for a vessell that containes all the rest so this Statute is that only Law of the Medes Persians that is unchangeable consequently above the Law makers for a free people may not make themselves subject to any mortall man that rule of my Lord Bacons that the supreme power may not binde but dissolve it selfe being to be understood from Monarchy to a free State but not from liberty to slavery But I observe that few understand the true ground and reason of it looking no further then at the wickednes of Kings their oppressing burdening impoverishing and enslaving the people and so make it an Act of selfe-love to ease themselves in casting their riders as if good Kings might be tollerated who giving the people many good words and some few good Acts of grace enslave them faster as the Sun sooner takes away the travellers cloake then the winde like those which we call good witches that seeme to cure one that they may without suspicion bewitch twenty whereas if any man shall aske why hath the Parliament abolished the Kingly office in England and Ireland the answer is because God commanded them so to doe that it was not out of any affection of change nor yet onely for the ease of the People but from a Divine precept and consciencious principle in the faithfull discharge of their duty to God and man that for any people willingly to suffer Monarchy is to make themselves wiser then God who hath told us that there are no Lawes so righteous as those which it pleased him to give to his Elech People to be governed by Deut. 4. 7. For what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Iudgement so righteous as all this Law that I set before you this day the very first of which Lawes was that wise men and understanding knowne to be such among the Tribes should be Rulers and heads of the people Deut. 1. 13. An Elective Aristocracie being a principle in nature for wise men to governe ignorants as parents their little children that cannot order themselves for I can finde no other ground whereon the conscience of a Christian can rest with any satisfaction but the Law of God hee whose Conscience beares him witnesse that he would have had no hand in the Kings Death no finger in the change of the goverment but in a dutifull conformity to the Law of God from the Divine authority which not to have done had been flat Rebellion against God and a contempt of his holy Law sleeping and waking will be at rest that to have made an agreement with him had been but to put a Crowne of Gold upon him and a Crowne of thornes upon Iesus Christ the saving of him had been the beheading of all holines and righteousnes the sparing of him would have been of far more mischievous consequence then the sparing of Agag and if the life of the Parliament and therein the lives of all honest people had not gone for his Certainely never can any true Christian that would have taken in his interest be quiet in his Conscience without repentance Iudge Fortescue chap. 5. hath a story of a Gentlewoman at Salisbury who being accused by her owne man for murdering her husband was upon his oath without any further proofe condemned and burnt to ashes but within a yeare after it was discovered that the Accuser was the murderer who cleered his Mistris though too late but the Iudge who suffered the Iury to finde her guilty upon a single proofe not informing them what proofe was necessary the Law of God requiring two witnesses at the least in such cases Num. 35. 30. who so killeth any person the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses but one witnesse shall not testify against any person to cause him to dye was so troubled in minde that he confessed that he should never be able to cleere his conscience of that fact You that professe your selves to be Christians and yet would have taken in the Interest of a murderer who was the principle Author Contriver Abettor and Countenancer of the effusion of somuch Innocent Blood Rapines devastations depredations and desolations in England Ireland and Scotland for an unjust prerogative read the next verse 31. yee shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer which is guilty of death but he shall surely be put to death and know that it is onely the blood of Iesus Christ which cleanseth us from all sin that can purge you from that sin which calls for repentance in all sorts of people Levit. 4. 2. 27. And certainly if that Iudge was haunted with the Ghost of that Gentlewoman for an omission in his dutie in manner as aforesaid or per adventure for not giving strict charge to the Iury to enquire
bring his cause to a period in three moneths he is dismist of course unlesse it be necessary to send Commissions beyond seas between Merchant and Merchants or in very difficult cases and where the witnesses are in forreigne parts rare The contrary practise whereunto is but as a sweet harmonie to Satan for does not he laugh to see a murderer escape through a misnaming or mistake in the Indictment and a poore man that cannot read hanged for a sheep or some corne taken to relieve his poore wife and children to see a man that hath an estate to walke abroad and confront his creditors though a prisoner in execution and a poore wretch not worth ten pounds thrust into a hole untill he pay one hundred pounds which he is no more able to doe then the Phylosopher to dry the sea with an Oyster shell It is not Cor gaudium to him to heare learned men say that the Plaintiffe hath a cleere right and title to the Land or money demanded but because of some mistake in the bill or proceedings he must pay costs to the Defendant that is the wrong doer Blessed God! did thy sacred Majestie dispence with the breach of thy holy Law to save the life of an Oxe or a Sheep that should fall into a pit on the Sabboth day and shall not thy servanti dispence with a circumstance where the right plainely appeares to save the life of a family nothing is substanciall in a course of Iustice but what is equall reasonable and good all other formes or methodes are but in effect Poperie or Turcisme as being a slavery to mens persons or estates and to be abolisht by vertue of the Covenant which in the equity of that branch of the Hierarchy I speake of the Ceremoniall and Circumstanciall formes and proceedings which are costly delatory and mortiferous but the essence of the Law like the substance of the doctrine of the Church of England truly so called not as Constituted in a Gospell order but in opposition to Rome as Antichrist is said to sit in the Temple of God and Rome called a Church in opposition to Turks and Pagans is in most things inviolable inalterable and immutable for indeed the Law of England is ancienter then books the maine pillar whereof is the righteous Law of God according to which the reformation must be otherwise it is impossible to have any setled peace in a Commonwealth where every one does or may study Scripture it is pure sollid reason whereof to deprive any Law Custome or Course of a Court is to take away the soule from man for where the Law or any Course of Practise is taken upon trust by tradition and not upon election and choice of reason the greatest tiranny and oppression is exercised by collour of that Law which puts oppression both into one Act and an Art but then this Law must be publique reason that which the Iudicious and most learned men judge so to be not the sense or Iudgement of any private man for that will be as dangerous to the Commonwealth as the private interpretation of Scripture arising out of some mens braines and not out of the Scripture it selfe is to their soules 2 Pet. 1. 20. and 3. 16. by misinterpreting and drawing them violently from the true sense to a false one to uphold their errors as it is possible some may uphold old errors against new truthes for advantage sake for there is a remnant of old Adam in the best man The two great enemies that S. Paul had were two Smiths the silver Smith and the Copper Smith that got much money by making silver and copper chaines or Image to the Heathen Gods and Goddesses Acts 25. 24. to the 28. great is Diana and 1 Tim. 4. 14. Now because it is of very high concernement for all that are servants to the Commonwealth in publique imployments to live in the opinion of all good men as the best and strongest fortification and engagement to faithfulnes and diligence therefore having received some loving advertisements from some faithfull friends in England as if we proceeded here irregularly or arbitrarily in matters of Iustice that some turned the Law into Preaching that had other busines to do and that Ministers are harshly dealt with or to that effect knowing that truth is very welcome and reason very prevalent with your Honors I crave leave to answer first as to the administration of Civill Iustice in this Province thus it stands my Lord Lieutenant the dayes of whose life the Lord of life multiply and sweeten to the further Terror of his Enemies and greater comfort of his deere servants upon many petitions from the Inhabitants of the Province of Munster was pleased to revive the Presidencie Court there as formerly consisting of the Lord President two Gownemen viz a first and second Iustice and other Commissioners My Lord Deputie who is a blessed Instrument and indefatigable in the works of holines and righteousnes for the great ease and safety of the people hath altered the Provinciall Court into County Courts that whereas before the people travailed fourty or fifty miles now their differences are ended at home in the nature of Assizes or sittings And the Honorable Commissioners of Parliament promoting the true liberties and freedome of the people have given great ease to them in taking away some needlesse offices and in matter of Fees there being seldome twenty shillings spent in a cause by all parties unlesse it be in Councells Fees which are ascertained and but very small in comparison I doe not in the twenty shillings include the charge of witnesses which yet is very small not goeing out of their owne County but the Fees usuall which are allowed to the officers Iury Clarks and Attorneys for the Court hath not any every man pleading his owne Cause which I observe to be a good way for discovering the truth The forme and method of proceedings hath not by me been altered in any point considerable but indeed the originall constitution of the Court seeme to me to be excellent in foure particulars The first proces of the Churt hath ever been a summons in the nature of a Subpena then an attatchement or distresse of the defendants goods not restraining his person but for matter of Contempt or upon very just and reasonable cause Secondly It is a mixt Court and the Bill may containe both Law and equitie whereby halfe the suites in the Province are ended or prevented but hath no Cognizance of Pleas reall concerning titles of Land Thirdly The Cause is heard and ended as soone as it is ripe for hearing indeed herein is some alteration for whereas formerly there were but two or three sittings in a yeare the Iustices and practizers attending the upper Courts at Dublin in the Terme-time and so causes depended long Now having no other busines to doe wee end the difference as soone as it is prepared for a hearing which some how Iustly let wise men Iudge
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
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
then he that cannot read a letter as Levit. 4. 3. 27. 28. if a Priest sin it requires a greater expiation he must offer a Bullocke whereas if a poore man sin through ignorance a Kid was sufficient He that with David meditates in Gods precepts and delights in his holy Law and Statutes Psal 119. 15. shall find that in Iudgement the person of the poore is not to be respected nor the person of the mighty to be honored but in righteousnes every man to be judged Levit. 19. 15. Kings to dye for murder as well as others and higher scaffolds to be erected for them then others by reason of their high birth that Iustice upon them may be more conspicuous another generation will as much wonder that Wise Royalists should be taken with such fond arguments as we doe now admire that our ancestors should so long beleeve Transubstantiation A Kings unaccountablenes and a Popes Infallibilitie being all one in the ballance of reason Did not the people disobey a man after Gods own heart in the case of Ionathan and yet vaine men to preach passive obedience where a power shall be assumed above Law to pardon murderers dissolve Parliaments contending for a negative voice to make solemne elections of Knights and Burgesses in Parliament ludibrious and no more then a spiders webb The Patriarks untill Moses time governed in their severall lines and families according to the minde of God never refusing to give an accompt of all they did to those whom they were over in the Lord Indeed the Nimrods and the Pharaohs exercised and usurped authoritie over poore creatures and finding Nimrods Monarchy Gen. 10. in the 16. Chap. we finde Warrs foure Kings fighting against five but for the great Empires of the Assirians oh Assiria the Rod of mine anger Medes and Persians Graecians and Romans that have been in the world there is no more ground in Scripture to make such Imperiall Government to be of God then there is for the Popes supremacie they that expect another Antichrist are as blind as the poore Iewes that looke for another Messias and I hope it will be granted me that Antichristian goverment is no more of Gods ordaining then the Divell may be said to be Gods ordinance because he is permitted to doe mischiefe for a time and though we read Gen. 21. 26. That good Abram and Isaac made a Covenant with King Abimelecke that does not prove him to be a King of Gods appointment for he had either made himselfe a King by force or else being a valiant man poore people were constrained to run to such for protection and to put their lives liberties and estates under their power to prevent a greater mischiefe and being so subjected the Nimrods have dealt from time to time no better with them then the Lyons with poore beasts which they get into their denns devoure them at their pleasures thinking it a great curtesie if they reserve them to the second course as Poliphemus promised Vlysses to keep him for the last bit or if they afford them food and rayment it is but as the Turks use their slaves feed them fat that they may the better endure their blowes it is the text of the Civill Law that all is the Emperours and what the people enjoy is of curtesie for sayes the Emperour I expect all and were it not for me another Nimrod should dispoile them of all and so hee that steales a Goose and leaves a few feathers behind him thinks the poore woman is much beholding to his gentlenes but let such titles claimes be examined by the Word of God Before wee come to King Moses wee read of many Kings of Edom and Dukes that descended of Esau Genes 36. c. he is Esau the father of the Edomites but not a word that this goverment was approved by God and what good did Pharoah ever doe but at the instance of Ioseph in giving a habitation and maintenance to Iacob and his Children Genes 47. It is possible that Tirants may at the crave and Rogation of worthy men consent to the enacting of some wholesome Lawes still keeping the Militia in their owne hands to have a power to destroy all when they please Exod. 1. 8. There arose up a new King over Aegypt which knew not Ioseph but oppressed Gods people and hee said unto his people behold the people of the Children of Israel are more and mightier then wee come on let us deale wisely with them Reason of state put Iesus Christ to death verse 14. All their service wherein they made them serve was with rigour then the Lord being moved with compassion towards the Israelites respected their crye he appeared to Moses saying that he would send him to Pharoah to bring them out of Egypt Exod 3. 11. So that Moses was the first King or Ruler of Gods making but Moses like unto his Saviour Christ Iesus was not willing to be King Exod. 4. 10. I am not eloquent sayes Moses but slow of Speech and Gods anger was kindled against him humble pride is proud humility when God calls to any imployment a Christian may not deny the worke of God upon his owne spirit but see what a gallant publique spirit King Moses had Exod. 5. 22. 23. Lord sayes hee I can doe no good for thy people it is the greatest griefe to a man of honour that hee cannot see through his busines to the furthest end of it and when he cannot with Paul doe that good which he would such a man hath a divine calling and see how Moses stands for the peoples libertie Exod. 10. 9. Hee would not accept of his owne libertie without the peoples rights but was willing to loose his owne naturall life to save them spiritually The next Ruler to him of Divine ordination was his successour Iosua Deut. 34. 9. as God had been with Moses guideing his heart and hand to governe the people by the law of right reason not assuming any unaccomptable authoritie over them but to speake and act in such evidence and demonstration of the spirit and power to them that the most ignorant amongst them might easily perceive that Moses intended the peoples good and if any one could have given advice how to have eased them or comforted them in the least kinde more then he did hee would no doubt have hearkened unto it and when the people murmured as for this Moses wee know not what hee is hee drew no sword against them to hurt them but prayed for them and cryed over them so then the Lord appointed Iosua to succeed Moses and the people accepted of him and approved of Gods election Iosua 1. 15 16 17 18. is a very sweet Covenant and agreement made between Magistrates and people not a word of passive obedience to doe Iosuas will or suffer his displeasure but the people promised to hearken unto him as they did to Moses onely the Lord thy God be with thee as he was
with Moses that is so farr as the Lord is with thee in the way of holines and righteousnes so farr we are thy subjects and no farther and whosoever rebells against thy Command so farr as it is the Commandment of the Lord shall surely dye then Iosua 3. 9. sayes to the people come hither and heare the Word of the Lord your God and 4. 14. the people feared Iosua but it was because the Lord had magnified him in the sight of all Israel the Lawes that the people were governed by were the Lawes of God which Moses had written in the presence of the people of Israel Iosua 8. from the 31. to the 35. and in all difficult causes no doubt but Iosua consulted with the Elders of Israel Iosua 10. Hee hangs up five Kings makes quicke worke with them they did not plead that their persons were sacred that they were the Lords anointed and not to be toucht but said Iosua verse 25. thus shall the Lord your God doe to all your enemies against whom ye fight as if he should say if there be at any time so long as God hath a people in the world a King in England Scotland or any other part of the world fighting against them the Captains of the men of Warre must put their feet upon the necks of such Kings who ever they be and they must be smitten slaine and hanged up untill the evening and never did trees in England yeeld and bring forth such sweet fruit as those wherof the Scaffolds were made at VVhitehall Ianuary 30. 1648. Some slips or stocks whereof to be planted for the same good use of hanging and beheading all Tirants and oppressors will be more worth to the three Nations then all the Timber in the Forest of Deane in the same Chap. 7. Kings more are Conquered and smitten and Iosua 12. 24. all the Kings 31. and observe the precious counsell that good Iosua gives to the people before his death such Rulers and no others are of the Lords appointment Come wee to the Booke of Iudges Iosua being dead the people did evill in the sight of the Lord 2. 11. and they were sold into the hands of their Enemies that spoiled them yet ver 16. the Lord raised up Iudges which delivered them out of the hands of those that spoiled them and Chap. 3. 9. the Lord raised up a deliverer to the people of Israel who delivered them even Othniel and the spirit of the Lord came upon him and he judged Israel and went out to warre ver 15. left-handed Ehud slew Eglon Chap. 6. 14. The Lord raised up Gideon to deliver Israel from the Mideanites and Chap. 8. they would have made him King then the men of Israel said unto Gideon rule thou over us 22. 23. both thou and thy son and thy sons son also for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian and Gideon said unto them I will not rule over you neither shall my son rule over you the Lord shall rule over you Gideon rejects the motion with disdaine hereditary Kingdomes have no footstep in Scripture but the Lord is said to rule when fit men rule by the Lawes of God Chap. 8. 33 34 35. The people soone forgot God and Gideon then Chap. 9. the bramble will be King that which is a curse of God upon the earth Gen. 3. 18. will play Reax Gideon would not be King but Abimeleck makes no bones to kill seventy of his brethren to make himselfe King 9. 5. is such one likely to be a governor of Gods appointment Can it be the minde of God that the Trees of the Forrest should have a bramble to raigne over them Iotham the Survivour ver 7. stands up and sayes hearken unto mee yee men of Sechem that God may harken unto you and may I humbly beg leave of my miserably deluded and discontented Countrey-men to put them in minde of Iothams Parable and in true love to tell them that as Iotham by that parable foretold their ruine and ver 57. the curse of Iotham the son of Ierubbaal was fulfilled upon them accordingly so undoubtedly whoever shall by plots and conspiracies endeavour to introduce any of Abimelecks race or conditions to be King of England Ireland or Scotland or act any thing against the late statute for the abolishing of Kingly power shall perish by the sword of Iustice and those Cities that resist so just Acts Ordinances shall be beaten down and sowed with salt ver 45. The Lord grant that the salt there mentioned and Lots wifes conversion into a pillar of salt Genes 19. 26. which the Lord Iesus would have us remember Luke 17. 32. may be as savory condiments to season mens spirits with a detestation of all Tiranny and oppression and with a love to Iustice and Rationall goverment that the Parliament may give us every day more and more of the fatnes of the Olive the peace bringing Olive quicke cheape and sure Iustice which can onely make peace and harmony in a Common wealth it being the onely strong oake that can keep up the ship of State from sinking and let all that would not be found fighting against God make a Covenant of salt to be true and faithfull to the Common-wealth as it is now established renouncing ever to have any thing more to doe with Abimelecke for see what became of him ver 53. So God will undoubtedly render the wickednes of those that imbrued their hands in the blood of that learned Doctor Dorislaus and Ingenious Mr. Ascam upon their owne heads for such bloody Actions are seldome onely punisht in hell Chap. 11. Iephthah the Gileadite that mighty man of valour who was thrust out of his native place by his brethren was soon called backe to their assistance to be their Captaine and Ruler note there a plaine agreement and stipulation betweene a Prince and people and certainly so it was in the beginning of Parliaments no doubt but it was agreed upon under hand and seale but Kings have been too subtill creatures to suffer it to be printed that if the King should be of one Iudgement and the Representatives of another it must passe according to the Publique reason of the whole and that Parliaments were not to be dissolved till the busines was done which they met about other wise what fickle things were Kings and what vaine things were Parliaments as building of Castles in the Aire Now Iepthah having judged Israel six yeares died 12. 7. after whom Ibzan and Edom were Iudges they being dead the Children of Israel did evill againe in the sight of the Lord and the Lord delivered them into the hands of the Philistins 40. yeares 13. 1. then the Spirit of the Lord began to move in Sampson and his valiant exploits are the substance of the 14 15 and 16. Chap. then comes the great objection which the Royalists make Chap. 17. 6. in those dayes there was no King in Israel but every man
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
cause to thinke that the Lord was highly displeased with those that would have made peace with the late King read but 1 Sam 12. from the 16. to the 22. and it is all one to say that God is the Author of Monarchy as that he is the Author of sin for the blessed spirit which cannot lye calls it a great wickednes the people call it their evill and Samuel sayes they have done all this wickednes yet feare not for the Lord will not forsake his people for his great names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people and he promises to pray for them ver 23. as if Monarchy was such a great sin that if it had not beene that the Lord will not truly destroy his owne people Psal 89. 33. Exod. 32. 12. for what would the Egyptians then have said hee would never have pardoned it for a Iust rationall Goverment is one of the things that is of the greatest concernement in the world but is it not said 1 Sam. 15. 9 10 11. that God set up Saul to be King true but no otherwayes then he set up Pharoah to oppresse his own people but Saul and the people spared Agag and the fatlings which was Sauls disobedience and observe for what Saul lost the Kingdome the people will have a King though he erre but in mercy saying it is more noble to save him whom wee may destroy then to kill him whom wee may save alive and the best of the Sheep and the Oxen spared for sacrifice unto the Lord and confessed his sinne v. 24. Saul said unto Samuel I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord and thy words because I feared the people and obeyed their voice 25. Now therefore I pray thee pardon my sin turne againe with me that I may worship the Lord 26. And Samuel said unto Saul I will not returne with thee for thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee from being King over Israel 27. and as Samuel turned about to goe away hee laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle and it rent 28. and Samuel said unto him the Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee this day and hath given it to a neighbour of thine that is better then thou 29. and also the strength of Israel will not lye nor repent for he is not a man that should repent 30. then he said I have sinned yet honour mee now I pray thee before the Elders of my people and before Israel and turne againe with mee that I may worship the Lord thy God 31. so Samuel turned againe after Saul and Saul worshipped the Lord what would not the mercifull God of Israel pardon the King of Israel an error in mercy being but too pittifull to spare a great man that happily might have repented that confest his sin prayed for pardon that he might worship the Lord that prayed againe for pardon of that particular sinne and did worship the Lord accordingly that was annointed 1 Sam. 10. 1. in token of the giftes and graces of Gods spirit and kist by Samuel for congratulation and homage 1 Kings 19. 18. Psal 2. 12. it speaks aloud to me that the Lord was very angry at Monarchicall Goverment and that Kings when they have possest themselves of such a God-like state and Immense powers Incompetible almost with humanitie not only by force and usurpation but by the peoples consent or election as Saul was the people shouted and said God save the King 1 Sam. 10. 24. and Chap. 11. 15. 't is said that the people made Saul King and Saul and all the men of Israel rejoyced greatly yet one offence and that a small matter in comparison though no sin be little that is committed against the great God makes a Monarch to forfeit all his Royalties for when people either for feare or through the vanity or pride of heart will tye themselves by Oathes or Covenant to be in subjection to any man the Scripture tells them that God is angry with them for giving away that libertie which he would have them keep and if they breake their trust never so little they may plucke them downe and choose godly and Iudicious men to rule over them in the feare of the Lord certainly Saul was a Saint in comparison of the pretenders to Monarchy in our dayes He sins in mercy not in cruelty confessed his sin never used any means to be King but hid himselfe as unwilling and unworthy to be King ventured his life most freely for the people was not guilty of Innocent Blood as we read of unles it were in the case of the Priests 1 Sam 22. 19. tooke the newes of his rejection from Samuel patiently acknowledged divine Iustice in all and would not have a man suffer that denyed his title to the Crown as in the place before alledged How unlike was Saul to Charles the last but by Solons law no evill is to be spoken of the dead least quarrells should be immortall He hath appealed to a higher Tribunall where no error will be found in the sentence pronounced against him but all that had a hand and acted in that execution from a consciencious principle to be rid of Tiranny and oppression in discharge of their duties to God and man Not for any sinister end to make themselves great but faithfully to serve their generation will have much cause of rejoycing therein at that great day when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed and many Iudgments given in severall Courts shall be reversed but that undoubtedly will be confirmed Object But it is strongly objected for Monarchy that God accepted David it is said of him 1 King 15. 4. 5. Nevertheles for Davids sake did the Lord his God give him a lamp in Ierusalem to set up his Son after him and to establish Ierusalem because David did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the dayes of his life save onely in the matter of Vriah the Hittite Ans Gods choosing David was no approbation of the Kingly office in him more then in Saul God never said that Davids office was after his own heart unles sin and great wickednes be after Gods heart God gave Saul gifts he had a spirit of Regiment the Israelites were resolved to have a King as the Heathens had whether God would or not let them have one sayes God at their own perills when the King was good and governed them as the good Iudges did and would give an account to the people a reason of all his actions Then God had his will and the people had their wils to have the name of a King but the Nature of good magistrates and certainly I have thought many times upon the late troubles that if I durst have asked any thing in the world contrary to the minde of God
which may not be mee thinks it should have been the continuance of a Kingly Goverment in England to have had the preeminence and power in one Good Gracious Iust Mercifull Valiant Faithfull and Patient Man as a Moses or a Iob Iehosophat Iosiah or Hezekiah that would dye for the people A Christian that like his Saviour Iesus Christ goes about doeing good Acts 10. 28. that makes it his trade to relieve the poore people the father lesse and widow and such as are oppressed and his recreation to sit down at night and thinke upon it and that day which he hath done no good in he counts it lost A man whose maine resolution of his soule is to know God as accounting it the most honorable thing in the world for the Creature to know its Creator that counts it his chiefest good to promote the glory of God to doe good if it were possible to every visible object and living creature at least to pray for them A man that loves the Saints as his owne soule for Christs sake knowing he will reward him and puts forward every good motion withall his might that will renounce his owne honour and become of no reputation and thinke himselfe highly honored if by the meanest office of love he may be serviceable to any specially to the Elect if such a man had a plenartie of power to doe what he pleased without controle from a blessed principle of love to God what aboundance of good might an E. 6. have done had his dayes been numerous whom God onely shewed to the world and recalled him as not worthy of him I say what aboundance of good might one such rare incomparable person doe in a short time when great Councells can move like great bodyes but slowly but this is but worldly wisedom to be wise above what is written for man to be wiser then God who sayes it is dangerous to trust any single person though never so singular with an unlimitted power for the best men are but men at the best and there is no grace but may be counterfeit he that seemes to be a Paul to day may be a Saul to morrow the heart of man is deceitfull above all things and the very conceit of such a power is enough to corrupt the best man living therefore the best goverment is to have Princes of the congregation godly righteous men to be chosen governors and Iudges a Iosua to lead and conduct their Armies against their Enemies which Iob calls a King in the Army Iob 29. 25. is a sweet text for a generall I sat chief and direct as a King in the Army as one that comforteth the mourners V. 11. to 18. When Iob was compassed about with extraordinary honors and seated in the Assembly of other Easterne Princes sat in the Chaire those honors entred not into his soule but his thoughts were taken up about the afflicted and miserable such as were in a mournefull condition his soule was with their soules to alleviate and ease his distressed Countrey men by bearing part of their burden his greatest coverousnes was to enrich the poore and the desire of comforting them was always the strongest of his passions and so the people are not to be led up and downe by the noses but the Magistrates are to open their eyes who are very sensible of their own good and this is the minde of God and great designe of Heaven to governe the world by rationall men as hee enlightens it by the sun for Reason is the soule of all things sublunary and the life of all Iust human lawes without exception by this reason no man in the world ought to challenge a power unaccomptable over others for the people are more immediatly the originall of all Iust power then any King ever was of a Constables authority And ought to be accountable by the same reason for offences against the Publique good as a Constable for his offence but it is not the name of a King but the boundlesse power which I argue against though the Romans for the insolence of Tarquin would not endure the name if any people shall place the Legislative power in Parliamentary authority and give unto one man the Title of King for their better correspondency with forraigne Kingdomes with no more power to hurt the people then the Duke of Venice or the Duke of Genoa have such a goverment may be Iust and Rationall but Domination is a sweet morsell let all States take heed how any man growes too popular engrosses too much power into his hands Object But many object that Paul and David being annointed by Gods speciall command that their office was pleasing unto God Ans I agree that Annointing does generally imply that God accepts of such persons and things that are so annointed by his command but observe that God and the people were of a contrary minde in that Action God appointed and annointed Saul as a Captain to goe before them to defend them from the Tyranny of the Philistines 1 Sam. 9. 15. 16. and Chap. 14. 47. So Saul tooke the Kingdome over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side against Moab and against the Children of Ammon and against Edom and against the Kings of Zobah and against the Philistines and whithersoever he turned himselfe he vexed them but the people tooke it as an accomplishment of their desires to have a King as the Nations had which power God gave him not but told the people that hee would make them cry Chap. 8. 18. And yee shall cry out in that day because of your King which yee shall have chosen you and the Lord will not heare you in that day and wee read 2 Sam. 21. That they had three yeares famine for Sauls wickednesse because hee had slaine the Gibeonites in his zeale to the Children of Israel it is a golden Scripture sufficient to satisfie an Iron age of men that are so stupid to thinke that Kings and their Children are not to be executed for murders vers 1 2 3 4 5 6. 9. then there was a famine c. and so did Iob 4. 10 11. The roaring of the Lion and the voice of the fierce Lion and the teeth of the young Lions are broken the old Lion perisheth for lacke of prey and the stout Lions whelps are scattered abroad I judge the meaning of it to be that men who raigne like Lions Kings and great ones who under the face of men carry the hearts of Tygers and their Children who equall them in and inherit their fathers crueltie and their wives who surpasse them in Insolence and Marian persecntions must all receive such punishments as their sins deserve they end their lives tragically heaven hath and will make it seene in their persons that it never leaves cruelties without chastisement as there shall be no Innocent ones abandoned so the greatest persons that are culpable shall not be unpunished such as plough iniquity and sow wickednes
great pestilence and as you like that so continue your Kingly goverment Object But Davids dayes drew to an end therefore he gives a charge to Solomon his son of righteousnes saying there shall not faile thee a man on the Throne of Israel 1 Kings 2. 4. which expressing a stability of Davids Throne some may argue that God approved Kingly goverment As also there is another objection that should have had priority in Deut. 17. 14. to 20. That God gave a Law for chusing a King therefore he approved that government the answer whereunto is easie that the Lord foreseeing that when he had brought them into Canaan they would desire a King like the Pagans being a people deere unto him he would not therefore cast them off but tells them how to make the best of a bad bargaine that if they will play with the Lion or the Beare let them plucke out his teeth all Kings are ravenous creatures in point of their office but some will doe lesse hurt then others and the words of the Text are very perspicuous when thou art come into the land which Iehovah thy God giveth thee and shalt possesse it and shalt dwell therein and shalt say I will set a King over me like as all the nations that are about me c. So that the rise of Monarchy was plainely from the peoples pride the words are not that God will set a King over them but they will have one against his desire If Pride Luxury Rapacity which were called R. 2. daughters and that if he did not marry them they would undoe him be of a divine of spring and originall then Monarchy is but the very constitution of it is Tirannicall Antichristian and diabolicall And now the reason why God chose the seed of David and not the seed of Saul was not his approbation of Monarchy but because he had appointed Iesus Christ to come of Davids race Genes 49. 10. The scepter shall not depart from Iudah nor a Law-giver from between his feet untill Shilo come and to him shall the gathering of the people be therefore a King must be untill Christs time yet onely over the Tribes of Iudah and Benjamin for the ten Tribes were carryed away Captive and who knowes but that the reason thereof was principally because of their great wickednes in casting of Gods goverment by godly righteous Iudges and setting up Monarchy like the Heathens and so Davids posterity did not terminate and end untill Christs time because the Law-giver was not borne before Solomon therefore after Davids death was a most glorious King who preferred wisedome before honor riches and pleasure none before him or after him were ever like unto him 1 Kings 3. 12. 28. For the Wisedome of God was in him to doe Iudgement yet being but a man was drawne away by his wives to Idolatry and did evill in the sight of the Lord 1 Kings 11. 5. hee went after Ashtoreth the goddesse of the Sidoneans And there is seldome any so singular eminent or rare-gifted man but wants his graines of allowance either he is contrited censorious passionate or hath some mixture or tincture of folly which yet must be charged upon the unregenerate part See what it is to be an absolute Monarch onely accomptable to God if Solomons power had been onely to have confirmed such good and wholesome Lawes as Gods people would have propounded to him or if Solomon had onely been a leading man in Parliament in probability Israel had not run a whoreing from the Lord after such Idolls but you shall tast sayes the Lord of those bitter fruits which are of your owne planting It was a web of your owne weaving a King you would have well saith God I will surely rend the Kingome from Solomon 1 Kings 11. 11. Yet not all the Kingdome for the Messiah is not borne and Solomon slept with his fathers and the people came to Rehoboam his son 1 Kings 12. who heard his Senators speake but did as the young men advised him 1 Kings 12. 10. how like unto Rehoboam are the Monarchs of this world they will be content to heare what a Parliament will advise but keep a negative voice and prefer copper heads before silver haires and Court Parasites have distinguisht betweene advice and consent that whereas by ancient fundamentall Lawes Kings could doe nothing without consent of the people in great Counsells and Parliaments they say they may not doe it without advise as if the great Councells of the Law stood only for a Cypher and a Kings pleasure to be the figure but let such as are wise but call to minde who it was that used this speech of Rehoboam that the late Kings little finger should be heavier then his Fathers Ioynes and Adore the Iustice of God in the Tragicall end of such wicked Councellors And in the revolt of the ten Tribes from the house of David see what meanes Rehoboam attempted to reduce them 1 Kings 12. ver 21. to 24. And why so certainly because the government was unjust and tirannicall in it selfe and therefore if the people who in their choice of a King have displeased God when they have well smarted for their folly have wit to cast him off the Scripture sayes it is from the Lord God does not say as in the case of Election they have rejected and cast off me not a word of anger or displeasure which holds forth this divine truth to all that will not willfully shut their eyes against the light that if the people in Turky Persia Russia or any place in the world where one man governes or pretends to rule as he pleases will rise against him and dethrone him it is an action not only justifiable but commendable and if the King cause any of them to be put to death as Traitors it is murder in him and he fights against God Iustice and Reason but it is otherwise where the goverment is just and rationall by godly righteous Magistrates and Iudges chosen by the people if they be affronted and injured it is an offence and high treason against the Majestie of heaven they have not cast off thee but they have rejected me sayes the Lord to a just authority acting for him and giving an accompt to the people of their lawes and administrations in love we may observe in Ionathans case that when the Legislative power is in one mans hand though none of the worst what lawes are unadvisedly enacted 1 Sam. 14. 24. And the men of Israel were distressed that day for Saul had adjured the people saying cursed be the man that eateth any food untill evening that I may be avenged on my enemies so none of the people tasted any food And they came to a wood and there was hony upon the ground ver 26. and when the people were come into the wood behold the hony dropped but no man put his hand to his mouth for the people feared the oath but Ionathan heard not when
his father charged the people with the oath wherefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipt it in a hony-combe and put his hand to his mouth and his eyes were enlightned then answered one of the people and said thy father strictly charged the people with an oath saying cursed be the man that eateth any food this day and the people were faint then said Ionathan my father hath troubled the land see I pray you how mine eyes hath been enlightned because I tasted a little of this hony ver 30. how much more if happily the people had eaten freely to day of the spoyle of their enemies which they found for had there not been now a much greater slaughter amongst the Philistins 'T is a cruell saw we had kild more if we had eaten Ionathan was a gracious man and had a sweet spirit for goverment and Ionathan said to the young man that bare his armour come and let us goe over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised it may be that the Lord will worke for us for there is no restraint to the Lord to save by many or by few As gallant Caleb said Ios 14. 12. If so be the Lord will be with me then I shall be able to drive out the Anakims but nothing would satisfie Saul but the life of Ionathan and the execution of a cruell law and that against nature for hungry men not to eat food which in the Hebrew is bread now bread being not hony and that being a penall law it ought to have been taken strictly and so Ionathan not guilty for a penall statute is not to be extended by equity for the oath was much better broken then kept but the people had more wit then to suffer Ionathan to be put to death ver 45. nor was Ionathan legally guiltie because hee was not present when the law was made ver 3. and 17. nor had any notice of it and such lawes that are not consonant to the lawes of nature are not obligatorie without full and perfect notice and proclamation thereof made to the people and in that the Lord did not answer Saul ver 37. It was because he was angry with him for his rash oaths he being given to swearing ver 44. and it appeares chap. 28. ver 6. 16. that Gods not answering is a signe of anger though Saul suspected Gods silence was for some hidden sinne therefore would cast a lot ver 7. sayes God to Samuel I am chief King thou art my Minister I rule by thee therefore they have rejected me in casting off a just goverment free from Tiranny and oppression which my soule abhorrs for God is King over all the earth hee keepes the supreme power to himselfe it is his prerogative onely to give no accompt of his Actions to any creature and yet in love he is pleased to condescend to poore creatures and makes out the reason of his administrations and the Image of God consists in Holines Iustice Mercy and Goodnes which is a goverment of a divine originall it comes from heaven and hath a tendancie thither and those that are my governors have such graces and gifts of my holy Spirit signified by powring on of oyle upon the heads of the rulers as being necessary graces for priests Prophets and Kings but the Israelites would not let the Lord to keep the power in his owne hand to appoint what governor and goverment he pleased Therefore observe in the next place what course does Ieroboam take to establish his Kingdome hee thinks to strengthen himselfe by the Idolatry of the two Calves the people will revolt from me sayes Ieroboam unles I make them two Calves of gold and say behold thy Gods O Israel which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt Monarchs care not what they doe though they destroy even the soules of millions of people to maintaine their pompe and glory make the people believe sayes he that these Calves which were made but yesterday brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt ver 27. If they sacrifice they will turne to Rehoboam Kings feare that pietie to God will draw away peoples hearts from thē Monarchs delight wickedly to keep the people in grosse ignorance and how foolish was this Ieroboam 1 Kings 14. to send his wife disguised to the Prophet Ahijah to know whether his son should recover as if the Prophet could tell the greater and not find out the wifes disguisement Ideots Minors Murderers any are good enough and will serve to be Kings marke therefore what becomes of King Ieroboam 1 Kings 14. ver 10. 11. Therefore behold I will bring evill upon the house of Ieroboam and will cut off from Ieroboam him that pisseth against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel and will take away the remnant of the house of Ieroboam as a man takes away dung till it be all gone him that dyeth of Ieroboam in the City shall the doggs eat and him that dyeth in the fields shall the foules of the aire eat for the Lord hath spoken it but if onely guiltie Kings might be punisht it were no great matter but the poore people must be destroyed for their Kings wickednes ver 15. 16. for 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 hee gave to their fathers and shall scatter them beyond the river because they have made their groves provoking the Lord to anger ver 16. and hee shall give Israel up because of the sins of Ieroboam who did sin and who made Israel to sin blessed Lord it was Ieroboam that made the groves high places and not the people but when the people choose a King what he does is reputed their Act they doe it by him as the whole body sees heares by the organs of the eares and eyes what a sad consideration is it that Gods people should be destroyed for the sinne of the Kings of Israel let them smart sayes the Lord a King they will have then there was warre betweene Rehoboam and Ieroboam all their dayes 1 Kings 14. 30 which the spirit of God reiterates Chap. 15. 6. as if Kings delighted in nothing but wars about prerogatives precedencie or such triviall matters the poore people must shed their precious blood loose their lives not onely temporall but hazard their inestimable soules for as the tree falls so it lies their Wives and Children utterly destroyed and all to attaine and satisfie the ambitious designes and wicked lusts of proud imperious men that set all on flame to warme themselves as if God had made Bees to make hony onely for the Drones poore men onely to be as the wooll in the breach to receive Cannon and Musquet bullets and yet when the world is in love and bowells of pittie jogged wakened out of this pleaseing dreame they are angry with their
where is there any Monarch in the world that assumes a power of accompting onely to God but hath in him the sensuallitie of a swine the filth and uncleanenes of a Leopard the crueltie and inexorablenes of a Tiger Beare or Lion the subtiltie and craft of a Fox the skittishnes and stubbornes of a Mule or an Asse and in what things they have common together with beasts they are worse then beasts for beasts will not be druncke with their drinke as the drunkard corrupts himselfe in his drinke Iude 10. they speake evill of that they know not and what they naturally know as brute beasts in those things they corrupt themselves if it would be such a judgement that a man would be willing to endure any misery in the world rather then to have his body turned into the fashion of a beast and if our Ancestors have been so diligent to destroy Woolves and such noxious creatures that whosoever should bring in the head of a Woolfe was to have a reward for it what a madnes or lethargie is it in men that would be counted rationall not onely to suffer Tirants and mysticall Woolves to domineere with a rod of iron when God gives them an opportunitie of extirpation root and branche but to contend against their brethren to set up a Tirant to rage like the waters because they cannot bring in an overflowing Tide and streame to breake downe the banks of honestie and equitie what was it that made David wish Psal 55. 6. compared with Ier. 9. 1. to 6. and Psal 59. Oh that I had the wings of a Dove that I might fly into the wildernes and there abide are not wild beasts in their proper element in a wildernes as fishes in the Sea true but the goverment of Saul and his prerogative creatures was more cruell then the fierce Lion that will either pitie the crouching passenger or not prey upon him till hunger require it and then put him out of his paine in an instant but Tirants and such are all that will not be accomptable to the people keep men in prison many yeares to satisfy their insatiable cruelties and torture poore creatures by lingring deaths denying them the favour of expedition in that kinde therefore David sayes Psal 22. 20. Deliver my soule from the sword my darling from the power of the dog the spirit of God in David calls Saul a dog better sayes David to fall into the hands of a Tiger and wilde beasts then live under a Tirannicall goverment there is a famous story of some Spaniards that being besieged by a Tirant and in danger to be taken the young men first tooke all the old people in the City and let them blood to death and cut off their heads killing them with the fairest and easiest deaths that could be next they tooke all the treasure and riches in the City and set it on fire and then they tooke poyson and poysoned themselves and the survivor opened the gates and killed himselfe so as the enemy had nothing but rubbish and ashes of two evills choosing the least old and yong and all the City to be destroyed together rather then to fall into the hands of a Tirant where no Iustice can be had the Lord cōtinue and increase the same gallantry and noblenesse of spirit in the English nation rather to endure any misery in the world then ever to admit any more of a Tirannicall Goverment for that is to make our selves lower then beasts which are not devoured by those of the same kinde to make one man more then a man with Titles of Sacred Majestie and Gracious Highnes Incompitible with a state of humanity Now I beseech you have patience a little longer to observe what strange creatures the Kings of Israel were and then let every honest hearted man but aske himselfe some such questions as these whether it is not likely that God would give his owne people as good Kings as to any other Nation Secondly if God was so exceedingly wroth with his owne children for desireing a King whether will he not be more angry with us if wee should not take warning by Gods people Note therefore that when King Ahab was dead Iehoram raigned in Israel 2 Kings 3. 1. 6. and because there was a famine in the Land the first newes is that Elisha the Prophet must be slaine 2 Kings 6. 31. 32. then he said God do so and moreover also to me if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day but Elisha sat in his house and the Elders sat with him and the King sent a man from before him but ere the messenger came to him he said to the Elders see yee how the son of a murderer hath sent to take away my head take heed all yee fighters for the son of a murderer in the 8. Chap. ver 15. Hazael kills King Benhadad and Elisha told him what a Tirant he would be against Israel and wept for griefe to thinke how Hazael when he came to be King should oppresse and Tirannize over them then ver 12. sayes Hazael why weepeth my Lord he answered because I know the evill that thou wilt doe unto the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with child ver 13 14 15. And Hazael said but what is thy servant a dog that he should do this great thing and Elisha answered the Lord hath shewed mee that thou shalt be King over Syria so hee departed from Elisha and came to his master who said to him what said Elisha to thee and he answered hee told mee that thou shouldest surely recover and it came to passe on the morrow that he tooke a thicke cloath and dipt it in water and spead it on his face so that hee died and Hazael raigned in his steed As if a King should take the Sacrament upon it that hee intends no more hurt to the Parliament then to his owne children and the very same day grant comissions to slay and murder the most saithfull patriots but see what credit there is to be given to such mens vowes and protestations 2 Kings 10. 32. Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel Iehu was next made King by the Souldiours and 2 King 9. 24. Iehu drew a bow with his full strength and smote Iehoram betweene his Armes and the Arrow went out at his heart and he sunck down in his Chariot then Iehu followes after Ahaziah King of Iudah and smites him and he died at Megiddo 2 Kings 9. 27. and Iehoahaz succeeds Iehu in the Kingdome of Israel 2 Kings 10. then Chap. 11. Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah arose and destroyed all the seed Royall onely Ioash who with his nurse was hid and peserved from the massacre and was afterwards annointed King and the people clapt their hands and said God save
be might be sufficient to convince the Iewes of their unbeliefe and that the Messias is come because the scepter is so long since departed from Iudah they have had no King of their Nation but have been many yeares as a scattered people though happily their dispersion hath been their preservation for had they not found favour amongst many Princes and to live quietly under them they might in all probability have been destroyed and in a worse condition then they are if there were not some malice and imbitterednes of spirit amongst them against Christians it being so pregnant a Scripture that a more cleere and expresse Text cannot be imagined so we may safely conclude from the forementioned Scriptures that if there were not much malignitie in the hearts of people they must needs be convinced that Monarchy was never any ordinance of God but an invention of wicked men acted by the spirit of Satan being content to Idolize one Tirant that themselves might tirannize over many and whereas it is called a Human Ordinance 1 Pet. 2. 13. Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as supreme that is either to be intended of a King that is guided and directed by his Parliaments or Counsells who in cases of Competition must yeeld to them with such power as a Duke of Venice or Geneva may have or else it is an agreement and constitution of Irrationall people a nation delighting rather in servitude then freedome and those ancient Scholasticks Phylosophers which made such learned arguments of the best kinde of Goverment whether Monarchy Aristocracy or Democracy were to be preferred many holding that Monarchy ought to have the preeminence specially where Kings were good men Certainely they did not intend it of absolute unaccountable Monarchs for Aristoteles King was no more then a Duke of Venice greater then any one but lesse then all the Prince of Orenge had two votes in Counsell which yet was more then right reason allowes for that saying of his that Nature makes Kings is meant that nature makes men valiant wise and amiable qualified for Kingly power or else being such that studied Books more then men did not understand the end of government and being little acquainted with those many provocations that the best of Monarchs have to degenerate into Tiranny and the strong temptations that they have to satisfie their sinfull appetites and how the Concupisible and Irasible faculties of the soule are predominant as occasions are presented they being good mercifull just and patient men themselves judged others accordingly and so are most Heteradox and Erronious in that opinion concerning Monarchy but they never consulted with the sacred Oracles of God which wee that professe our selves Christians must either yeeld unto or els make Scripture useles and leave every thing to the greatest incertainty confusion that is in the world and so being in the darke may run out heads one against another like two blind men that josling complaine of one another can you not see and why doe you thrust me but never complaining of their owne blindnes in a far thicker Egyptian darknes are all people in the world in matter of Goverment and Policy that reject the Councell of God and yet never complaine of want of wisedome but thinke themselves the wisest people in the world in contending so eagerly strenuously and impetuously for the maintenance of old heathenish Goverments and superstitious customes Ierem. 8. 9. The Wisemen are ashamed they are dismayed and taken they have rejected the Word of the Lord and what wisedom is in them and because many whom I honor in the Lord as godly and precious Christians may happily be entangled and captivated with the Majesty of Monarchy as being borne under it and are in love with their own issue though never so deformed Deare hearts let us consider that truth is more ancient then error and that all are but novelties to the Word of God you are in love with fowle mistris Monarchy not because she is not faire but for that you are in the darke and then we tell the Papists that in the darke Pope Ioane with them is as good as her Lady what ever may by carnall politicians be invented for the maintenance of Monarchy let us give more credit to the Word of God then the wisedome of men which is foolishnes when it approaches before the God of Wisedom God sayes he will not have his people come under a Kingly Goverment and that hee will plague them for their Kings offences if they suffer it there needs no other reason against Monarchy but a Divine Prohibition why was the Manna sweet at one time and at another corrupt but because it was Gods Ordinance for the better sanctifying of the Sabboth Why would the Lord have the walls of Ierica beaten downe with the sound of a Rams-horne onely but that the more of his own power might appeare why was there no more ceremonies used in the cleansing of Namaan but wash and be cleane are not other waters as good Is not Monarchy more pompeous and like the Heathens now God hath protested against Monarchy in all these places of Scripture and therefore to contend for it is flat rebellion against the Majestie of Heaven to make our selves wiser then God for this is certaine that what the Lord did enjoine or forbid unto his people of old in matters of Iudicialls there is an equity in it for Gods people to observe for ever Gods positive Lawes can no more be altered or changed then his essence hee is delighted with the wayes of Truth and Iustice It is very true that carnall Israel expected a restoration of Monarchy and therefore perceiving that Iesus Christ did not exalt himselfe as a Monarch they did not believe in him his Kingdome being not of this world though he will have a Kingdome in the world they did not conclude him to be the promised Messias we thought hee should have restored the Kingdome of Israel many godly learned men are of opinion that the Lambs bride will not be glorious till the calling of the Iewes Iesus Christ hath already a Spouse and visible Churches of Saints in the world but come and behold the Lambes bride is conceived to be after the Iewes conversion at which time it is likewise conjectured that the Iewes shall have a great command in the world but no man to be a King over them only King Iesus to be Lord and Soveraigne Consider well Hos 1. 11. Then shall the children of Iudah the children of Israel be gathered together and appoint themselves one head and they shall come up out of the Land for great shall be the day of Iezerel That head is meant Iesus Christ the head of his Church 1 Eph. 22. and Hosea 13. 9. 10. 11. Oh Israel thou hast destroyed thy selfe but in me is thine help I will be thy King where is any other that may save thee in
all the Cities and thy Iudges of whom thou saidst give me a King and Princes I gave thee a king in mine anger and tooke him away in my wrath no king but Iesus And Esay the 1. holds it out fully what Goverment they shall have when they have repented Not Monarchy but by good Iudges and Councellors ver 12. how is the faithfull City become an harlot it was full of judgement righteousnes lodged in it but now murderers so long as they had their good Samuels Iustice was like a mighty streame but when they would have a king like the Heathens then men were made offenders for a word if any man stand in the way of the kings domination the kings Iudges for money would condemne him as in the case of Naboth for his vineyard ver 23 thy Princes are Rebellious and companions of theeves therefore ver 25. when the Iewes shall be converted sayes the Lord I will take away the tin of Monarchy and I will restore thy Iudges as at the first and thy Councellors as at the beginning afterwards thou shalt be called the City of righteousnes the faithfull Citie there are hopes now that England Ireland and Scotland may be faithfull Cities the drosse and Tin of Monarchy being happily purged away the Lord tells them againe of their sin in choosing kingly Goverment in the dayes of Hezekiah Hos 8. 3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good the enemy shall pursue him ver 4. they have set up Kings but not by me they have made Princes and I knew it not did any Royalist ever thinke that God makes the sin of Monarchy equall to Idolatry as there he does but let any Royalist if he can shew me one word of approveing or commending kingly office or Regall Goverment in Scripture And when God redeemed them from the Babylonish captivity and gave them Ezra who was a ready Scribe in the Law of Moses Ezra 7. 6. he speaks not one word of the commendations of Kingly goverment nor yet Nehemiah who was the Kings cup-bearer 1 Nehe. 11. a most active and zealous instrument for Gods service speaks not a word of Kingly power to be of God but chap. 6. 6. 7. Sauballat and Tobiah enemies to reformation sent a letter to Nehemiah that it was reputed that he intended to make himselfe King and appointed Prophets to preach him up King at Ierusalem but Nehemiah sent word that there was no such thing but it was feigned by craft and pollicie to hinder the worke of God and ver 13. sayes Nehemiah they would have made me afraid and to have sinned that they might have matter for an evill report that they might reproach me and was not this the very language of the Malignants that the Parliament intended to make themselves Kings and many other false accusations raised against them to discourage weaken their hands from the worke but blessed be God that hath maintained a spirit of Christian fortitude in our good Nehemiahs ver 11. shall such men as wee doe good works by the halfes God forbid the Lord thinke upon his servants both in Parliament and Army for good according to all that they have done and suffered And so Haggai 2. 22. prophesies of overthrowing the throne of kingdomes and the strength of the kingdomes of the heathens and the chariots and those that ride in them but not a tittle in any of the Prophets whereby the lawfulnes of Monarchy may be gathered or maintained if the goverment were lawfull why should the Lord destroy it and if it must be destroyed from amongst the heathen people that are ignorant of God and rationall rather in habit then in act certainely God is exceeding angry with his owne people for suffering Monarchs to Lord it over them when they have a power in their hands to subdue them Object But was not Iesus Christ borne in the dayes of Augustus Caesar who had so great a power that all the world was taxed in his dayes Luk 2. 1. and did not Ioseph and Mary of their own accord goe up from Galilee into Iudea to be taxed and is not subjection commanded to the Roman Emperors that were some of thē monsters of men and that even for conscience sake Rom. 13. 5. nay did not Iesus Iesus Christ himselfe worke a miracle to pay tribute for himselfe and Peter for Caesars service Ans First concerning that of Rom. 13. I marvaile that any man that hath but a dram of ingenuitie will object it for it is as cleere as cristall that the Magistrates there which are not to be resisted are such as command just things and forbid the contrary that are not a terror to good works but to the evill for the Law is not made for the righteous man 1 Tim. 1. 9. Hee that punishes a man for doeing good is no more to be obeyed by any command from God then Satan is If God should suffer any people to be spiritually possest or obsest by the Divell the Scripture sayes that in such cases onely spirituall reasons are to be used this kinde of burning drowning and persecution goeth not out but by prayer and fasting Matth. 17. 15. 21. but when rulers are possest with a spirit of crueltie hunting and thirsting after the blood liberties and estates of honest people they are not to crouch under such burthens with an asinine patience but to quit themselves like men and purchase their freedome at any rate for no remedy can be so bad as such a disease If it should be intended of Religion then Nero might have compelld Christians to worship the Sun and the Apostles had find in Acts 5. and if it should be construed of a submission in Civill matters that is to arme sin by a Commission against the law but the question is whether Monarchicall Government have any footing or Divine approbation in Scripture for God is not obliged to hinder sin and oppression but he approves it not there is a plaine and direct prohibition against it my people shall not have a King sayes the Lord but we will have a King say they t is your great sin and wickednes to aske a King sayes the Lord but let us have one at our owne perills say they as the poore Iewes said in another cause his blood be upon us and our children let us have a King though wee smart never so much and pay never so deere for it the people are made sensible of their sin in asking a King and crave pardon for their rejecting God and a rationall Goverment against which expresse inhibition and charter in that 1. Sam 8. Some interences are made of the lawfulnes of Monarchy in generall which yet if it were lawfull as it can never be evinced being against reason amongst the Heathens yet it is no argument that it is lawfull amongst Gods people because of that Divine injunction that they shall not imitate the goverment nor manners of unbelievers but that which Paul by
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
all the potentates of the earth Esay 66. 16. but it must be a righteous warr Revel 19. 11. And I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and hee that sat upon him was called faithfull and true and in righteousnes he doth Iudge and make warr for unlesse Iustice be advanced in the front of all military designes God will not protect the reare It is an error in any to hold that the power of Anti-Christ must not be destroyed by the materiall sword and maintained by such only as turne all Scriptures into Allegories I doe not count it any superstition for the Gentry of Poland to stand up and draws their swords at the rehersal of the Creed signifying that they wil fight for their Religion against all opposers And they that are called are faithfull chosen and true Ier. 51. 20. Thou art my battell Axe and weapon of war for with thee will I breake in pieces the nations and with thee will I destroy Kingdomes men of Gods designation and appointment Hee is the Lord of Hosts that hath taught the hands of his servants to warre and their fingers to fight Psal 144. 1. For not only that knowledge which is divine is from God but skill in armes and expertnes in warrs which though it may in a great measure be acquired by naturall valour and understanding voluntary industry and long experiences yet considering how many veteran Commanders of noble extraction and education famous in feates of Chivalrie have been foiled broken in peeces and beaten at their owne weapons by a few gentlemen in comparison and inuenile mecanicks and honest tradesmen whose hearts the Lord hath drawn forth and engaged to fight his battailes we must needs acknowledge that their valor prowesse and dexterity hath either been infused by God or improved by him to a miraculous proficiencie The Scripture is very cleere that Gods people were governed by Parliaments for though we read 1 Kings 8. 2. That all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon yet v. the 3. the Elders of Israel only came the people were but vertually present by repre sentation as every man woman and child is supposed to be present in Parliament otherwise an Act could not in reason oblige them 1 Num. 4. one of every Tribe one chief of the house of his Fathers to appeare and stand up for the rest and more expressely in the 2 Chron. 1. 2. and 5. 2. They are called Captains of thousands and of hundreds that stand up for Counties and Cities Iudges that weigh mens causes Governors of Forts and Garrisons and chief men for wisedome principall officers for age and prudence and by Kings and Princes in severall texts of Scriptures are onely meant eminent nursing fathers to Gods people but accountable to their brethren for any Male-administration but Kings make themselves so sacred that they may not be toucht they say the Lawes are their own Creatures to which they can no more be subject then the Romans could be subject to their owne slaves the Civillians at Paris not long since resolved that the King could not be plaintiffe in any Action for he was not tyed to any Law all is the Emperors as to property though not as to possession say some of them and they have no other obligation but the conservation of their owne dominions and greatnes they must dissemble for their proper interests one made many promises and after being made a King said he was not the person that promised and so all was void In the Warrs betweene Henry the third and the Barons most of the Cittizens of London tooke part with the right side against the King for never had any King just cause to fight against the people who was taken prisoner an obstinate man that would not yeeld though he was brought to a morsell of bread the people in that midnight of Popery tooke oathes and protestations from him for the maintenance of their lives and estates and set him at liberty and in speciall he tooke a solemne oath not to question the Londoners for any former matter wishing damnation and the lowest chamber in hell for himselfe and his posterity if he did not punctually keepe and observe them and tooke the Sacrament upon it which hee believed to be the very Body and Blood of Christ and the people counted him a Heretique that made the least doubt of his non-performance what not believe the King upon such solemne Oathes and imprecations this was ratified by Act of Parliament but what followed he had no sooner got the Milicia into his owne hands but the active men that contended for their liberties were Imprisoned the Liberties of the City invaded Strangers appointed to be Governors of the City those that had been honest put to death their goods confiscate and never poore creatures more miserably afflicted and tormented and what promises did Queen Mary make to the Suffolke men at Franingham Castle that they should enjoy their Religion establisht by Edw. 6. but when shee had got power in her hand shee began to persecute and burne them for Heretiques the poore Suffolks men besought her to make good her promise what said shee keepe promise with Heretiques I shall make you know that the members must not be so bold with their head as to endeavour to rule it Innumerable instances might be made of forraigne Princes in this kinde but it is but to show the Sun with a candle Monarchs have no other principles but selfe preservation though they should intend to performe when they promise which I doubt very few of them doe it is but as the I esuits teach to keep untill they have power to break and forgive an injury as the Italian sayes till he can revenge it they have such strong temptations to draw their hearts from what they have engaged their selves unto if it crosse them in point of domination which is so sweet a morsell unto them that no prudent people will ever trust them for matter of their liberties Richlieus principle and Councell to his Master was keep your Subjects low Sir that having time little enough to get bread they may never thinke of any liberties I doe not know whether his tongue and his head were of the same opinions for he was famous for deep dissimulations but if he spoke as he thought I might without offence say that it was as unwise a speech as ever came from a Scholler Let me intreat your honorable patience but to read a little of Machiavell which Kings study more then Scripture his words are these in his Prince A King sayes he must be a Fox that he may be aware of snares and a Lion that he may scare the Wolves A wise Prince ought not to keepe his faith given when the observance thereof turnes to disadvantage and the occasions that made him promise are past if men were all good this rule would not be allowable but being the people are full of mischiefe and would not make it good
to the Prince neither is he tyed to keep it with them nor shall a Prince ever finde lawfull occasion to give collour to this breach very many moderne examples might be alledged wherein might be shewed how many peaces have been concluded and how many promises made have been violated and broken by the infidelity of Princes ordinarily things have best succeeded with him that hath been likest the Fox but it is necessary to understand how to set a good colour upon it and to be able to faine and dissemble thoroughly and many are so simple and yeeld so much to the present necessities that hee who hath a minde to deceive shall alwayes finde some or other that will be deceived Alexander the sixt never did any thing els but deceive men and never meant otherwise and alwayes found some to worke upon yet never was there any man that would protest more effectually nor averre any thing with more solemne oathes and observe them lesse then he did neverthelesse his cosenages thrive all with him and further sayes hee a Prince will be forced for the maintenance of his State to doe contrary to his Faith Charity Humanity and Religion therefore it behoves him to have a minde so disposed as to turne and take the advantage of all windes and fortunes and a little further let the Prince seeme to him that sees and heares him to be all pitie all faith all integrity all humanity all Religion nor is there any thing more necessary for him to seeme to have then this last quallity for men in generall judge by the sight and appearances few by the touch every man may come to see what thou seemest to be but few come to the truth and feeling of thee to understand what thou art and those few dare not oppose the opinion of many who have the majesty of State to protect them and in all mens actions especially those of Princes where there is no judgement to appeale unto men forbeare to give their reasons till the events and ends of things let a Prince therefore take the surest courses to maintaine his life and estate the meanes shall always be thought honorable and commended by every one for the vulgar is ever taken with the appearance and event of a thing and for the most part of the people they are but the vulgar the others are but few in comparison there is a Prince says he that preaches faith and that Princes are not above their words but had hee kept his promises hee had lost his state long agoe so far Machiavell And another principle amongst Monarchs is that if any subject begin to have a conceit of his owne merits or to deserve well from the publique he must in reason of state be discourted if not executed for seare of factions and Rebellion when David came to Ierusalem with the head of the Giant the women met him singing Saul hath slaine his thousands and David his ten thousands 1 Sam. 18. 7. thereby ascribing more honor to David then Saul for which Saul was wroth against him and from that houre you may observe that hee never lookt upon him with a pleasant countenance oh this David he stands in the way of my applause he is counted a better souldier more just mercifull or Religious then my selfe banish him at the least if not utterly destroy him Monarchy and wholesome Lawes can no more cohabit then the Arke and Dagon take but one divine instance what wicked lawes and statutes of Omri were practised and put in execution even by Monarchs that professed to governe and rule as for the Lord and over his people in that 59. of Esay v. 3. the land is defiled with blood the King shall have power by Law to pardon murders under the name of man-slaughters ver 4. none calleth for Iustice nor any pleadeth for truth ver 5. they hatch Cokatrice eggs and weave the Spiders web ver 8. there is no judgement in their goeings they have made them crooked pathes ver 9. therefore is judgement far from us neither doth Iustice overtake us ver 14. 15. and Iudgement is turned away back and Iustice standeth a far off for Truth is fallen in the street and equity cannot enter and the Lord was displeased that there was no Iudgement the meaning whereof can be no other then this That Evangelicall Propher or Propheticall Evangelist Isaiah foretelling the Iudgement that should befall his owne Nation by the Assirians and the Caldeans telleth Iudah and Israel that principally for corruption in their Courts of Iustice they shall be severely punisht his prophesie rising no higher then to the reigne of Vzziah King of Iudah and Ieroboam the second King of Israel hee tells them that their Lawes are like Spiders webbs they entangle poore clients as the Spiders web doth the flyes to their destruction and undoeing their Lawes are spun with so fine a threed that none but Eagle eyed practisers can discerne them the plaintiffe hatches Cockatrice eggs the issue of many tedious suites is poysonfull and pernicious if he recover considering his costs and paines he may put his gaines in his eyes and see never the werse and if he mistake his Action or doe not hit the bird in the eye hee must pay the defendant his costs who yet is in conscience indebted unto him to his utter undoeing but the Spirit of God prophesieing against such wicked Councellors that contend for Monarchs saith ver 6. their webbs shall not become garments when Monarchs are destroyed their Lawes shall perish with them they shall prove but as cobwebs to those that practise them and shall afford them no succour against Gods vengeance their Lawes are crooked like the serpent full of turnings and windings Maeanders and Intricaties such as swerve from the strait and easie path of Gods Iudiciall Lawes for equity can finde no admittance or is not able to stand and beare it selfe up and ver the 11. the people roare like beares and moutne sore like doves and looke many yeares for Iudgement yet there was none for Monarchy and good Lawes are inconsistent and what Amos saith chap. 5 21 22 23. I hate and abhorre your feast dayes and I will not smell in your solemne assemblies 22. though yee offer me burnt offerings and meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts 23. take thou away from me the multitude of thy songs for I will not heare the melody of thy violls that is leave off praying and singing till there be a settled course of Iustice betweene partie and partie to run downe not by drops but like a mighty streame of water in a firme quicke cheap and unvariable way and chap. 6. 8. saith the Lord. I abhorre the excellencie of Iacob and hate his Palaces what blessed Lord abhorre thy poore worme Iacob and his fathers pompe and best condition sure it must be for some transcendent iniquitie behold the reason rendred Amos the 5. and
7. and 6. 12. for yee have turned Iudgement into Worme wood and Gall and the fruit of righteousnes into hemlocke Iustice which of it selfe is the most pleasing and profitable thing in the world and which being tempered with mercie cures all the distempers and diseases in a Body politique was corrupted made most bitter to the oppressed and most abominable to God when men are undone by the Law which should preserve them And the Lawes were no better in Habakkuks time 1. 13 14 15. wherefore holdest thou thy tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he and makest them as the fishes of the Sea as the creeping things that have no ruler over them they take up all of them with the angle they catch them with their net gather theÌ„ in their drags therefore they rejoyee and are glad that as in the Sea the greater fishes devoure the lesser so a full pursed malicious plaintiffe or defendant wearies out his poore adversarie and right is conquered by might by meanes of those Angles Netts Draggs and Cobwebs and Rubbs that hang and Iye in the way and allies of Iustice preferring ceremonies formes and shaddowes before truths reallities and substances and Monarchs ever loved such wittie Iudges as could expound the Law that Iudgement should be given as his Imperiall Sacred Majestie desired and where the plaintiffs cause was so cleere that it was too grosse to give Iudgement against him then after Iudgement given for him to have such Councell as should finde a knot in a Bullrush an error in the proceedings to reverse the Iudgement and so the poore creature caught like a fish in a Net or a bird in the snare and the more he struggles to get out the faster hee is ensnared for he must pay costs to the defendant who unjustly keeps away his Land from him and if there be no such net or snare in one Court then he is brought into another because Law and Equity which should be the oearest friends in the world are many times together by the eares and it is hard reconciling them and being upon this subject let but the wisehearted consider what the Lord saith Esay 1. from the â—1 ver to the 18. verbatim so 5. 7. God looked for judgement but behold oppression for righteousnes but behold a cry God will at the length be cloyed as one is cloyed with meat which he loatheth and his stomack goeth against Prov. 27. 7. with the prayers and devotions of any Nation in the world that have not an expedient of quicke sure and cheape Iustice and will disown and spew out such a people though they be never so instant in prayer and by their instancie and importunities hope to speed Matth. 6. 7. yet his soule hateth them he abhores it from his very heart and take but that precious Text of Ier. 22. 15 16. did not thy father eat and drinke and doe Iudgement and Iustice and then it was well with him he judged the cause of the poore and needy then it was well with him was not this to know me saith the Lord Indeed a man would thinke that it should be easier to finde one good man that would even sacrifice his life to reputation and for the good of the people and so one good King for whom the people would even dare to dye Rom. 5. 7. and if Gods people had been left to any kinde of goverment which they should thinke best they might happily have intrusted some good man with a plenartie of power and have expected a blessing therein but Monarchie is against Gods institution and blessings are onely annexed to Gods Ordinances bread wine in the Sacrament are better to worke devotion then pompious toyes Images and Puppets are for carnall Gospellers sayes God when his people choose a King they reject him But does not Peter Paul call an absolut Monarchie Gods Ordinance I deny it for the power Legislative was in the Senate the Romans did never intrust any man by any Legall constitution to doe what he list without the peoples consent in the Senate Neroes cruelties were never with the peoples consent but sayes Paul to the poore Saints there you see what differences there are between the Caesars and the Senators who stand for the peoples Liberties in such a Case those that have the swords in their hands as the Emperors had the Millicia being at his dispose it is best for you to submit to them those to whom Peter wrote being strangers scattered by persecution were not to trouble themselves with State-matters no more then it had been proper for the Dutch or French Congregations that live quietly in London to have troubled themselves with the difference between the late King and the Parliament But may not people live happily in a mixt Monarchy where the King may have a prerogative in many things and yet the people enjoy their Liberties I say not for Monarchy and Liberty are inconsistent and incompatible Indeed an Apprentice that hath a good master may after a sort be said to be free but to speake properly he is a servant so if there should be a good King like a blacke swan the people may be lesse miserable for a season but it cannot hold long for every creature seeks its owne perfection which depending upon the destruction of one another they Act accordingly and therefore for any people to live in quiet it is necessary that they be totally slaves or wholly free and those Kings at first that promise or pretend to be satisfied with a mediocrity of power they doe not intend to rest there but that they may the more easily compasse what remaines and for my owne part when I heare many wise men speake of making peace with the King and tyeing him up so close to his Lawes that he should not be able to hurt the people I thought it was but a kinde of dissimulation to make people beyond Sea thinke him to be a great King and yet in effect to make him stand but for a cypher therefore I do much preferre the Spanish principle before the Scottish the first wishes that he had many lives to loose for his King and that hee had rather loose his life then question the Kings Iustice but the Scots contend for a King of Clouts meerely for the name of a King that must be whipt if he looke but awry keeping their Kings in as much awe as schoole-boyes for any people to live in slavery whenthey may be free is a basenes of spirit and for others to contend for a King and no King I meane a titular King without power not so much power as a High Constable hath to commit a night-walker is rather worse for God that hath punisht grosse profanenes in England and Ireland with rods will punish hypocrisie in Scotland with Scorpious But still versatill witts will be objecting what were all the former Emperors Tirants in the foure Monarchies or if so what