Selected quad for the lemma: religion_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
religion_n	great_a	king_n	majesty_n	3,331	5	6.0086	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A86729	Digitus testium, or A dreadful alarm to the vvhole kingdom, especially the Lord Major, the aldermen, and the Common-Councel of the City of London. Or a short discourse of the excellency of Englands lawes and religion. Together, with the antiquity of both, and the famous Kings that England hath had to defend both the religion and the laws against the heathen Romish emperours, and against the Romish power, under Popes. With the several plots the Popes of Rome have used against the Kings of England, to throwe them down, and how of late he hath prevailed against the magistracy and ministery of England, his new designes, and manner of progress: together, with a serious view of the new oath or ingagement, with 22. queries upon the same. And also objections made against the non-subscribers thereof answered. Let the ingenuous reader take so much pains, as to read that incomparable peece of vindication of a treatise of monarchy by way of discovery of three main points thereof.	Hall, Henry, d. 1680, attributed name.; Hall, Edmund, 1619 or 20-1687, attributed name.	1651 (1651)	Wing H339A; Thomason E621_13; ESTC R206419	34,005	37

Religion the establishment of lawfull Magistracy and the establishing and reforming of the State as the tenour of the Covenant runs we do again professe that we will with all joyfulnesse submit and subscribe thereunto But if upon cleer and manifest grounds it appear to be destrctive to the Parliament Religion Laws Liberty Kingdom and Army and a meer design to introduce Popery they will be so far from promoting it we hope that they will speedily remove it out of the way as a burdensome stone upon Christians consciences and the Kingdoms Gangreen We could wish them to take notice of the hand of God against it since is came forth the same night that the Act for the taking the Ingagement was printed the same night a dreadfull blow by powder which blew up 70. and odde persons and slew them all in the twinkle of an eye Lieut Coll Smith who was Sir Hardresse Wallers L Coll he that was the busie man in pulling the Members of the Commons House out of the House and imprisoning the Members he was blowed up in the midst of his cups and slain and since that one of the promoters of the Ingagement we tremble to mention it on Jan 30. through the terror of conscience and temptation of the devil hanged himself We cannot but take notice of Gods displeasure and wrath which breaks out daily amongst us in fires and murthers since this Ingagement came forth We therefore resolve as we hate perjury rebellion and treason not to touch with this Ingagement until upon evident grounds of humane reason or Divinity it be made clear that it is for the good of Religion Laws Magistracy and Ministery and this our resolution is so reasonable and just that we conceive none but unreasonable men and the enemies of Church and State Parliament Army and people will speak against it or oppose this our resolution Ob. There is one objection or false glosse which the Ingagers make and that is in the clause of the 3d. Article of the Covenant concerning the King that we covenanted with the Parliament to defend the King so far as he defended the Protestant Religion but if he act contrary then to bring him to Justice according to the Covenant that injoyns us to bring Delinquents to condigne punishment But say they the King was a great Delinquent and an enemy to the Protestant Religion A. To this we answer briefly 1. The two former Articles of the Covenant speak wholly of the preservation of the reformed Religion the 3d. Article speaks wholly of the preservation of the King and Parliament and kingdome which together with the preservation of Religion we covenanted to defend To defend his Majesties person in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the kingdom is not inserted conditionally as I will defend his person no longer then he shall defend Religion and the Laws If so then t was taken with the like condition to be subject to the Parliament and then it must necessarily follow that we the Subjects make our selves the Kings Judges and that man or party may revolt from the King and indevour to pull him down because he maintains not his Religion and therfore we renounce that Interpretation of that Clause as Jesuiticall We Protestants took it in this sence that we would together with our Religion preserve our King and Parliament absolutely And if they did act any thing con●rary to Religion or Law we were resolved to yeeld passive obedience and in no wise to resist the higher Powers But grant it which we will not that it had been meant conditionally so long as he preserves Religion how comes it that when the King had fully determined and yeelded to root out Popery and to establish the Protestant Religion in the three Kingdoms and to establish Church government and put the Militia in the Parliaments hands and when the Parliament voted his concessions a ground to proceed on to settle the Kingdom then he was snatched away and both King and Parliament thrown down This plea of theirs joyned with their practice would make any man beleeve the Ingagers flat Papists How can they say they sincerely maintain the rights and privileges of Parliament when they contradict their Votes and take the boldnesse to tell them they are all treacherous and lay violent hands on them and exclude them from sitting in the House and imprison them And how can they say they defended his Majesties person in the maintaining of true Religion when they cut him off even then when both the Houses of Parliament and He had even concluded the Treaty to root out Popery and establish the Protestant Religion What Subject especially hired servants dare presume to contradict the Parliaments Votes upon serious debate shall any one party of Subjects surmises out-weigh the grave and serious debates of a Parliament T is true subjects duty to submit to higher Powers not resist them But this was a resistance at that very time when all things were concluded in a manner for setling the kingdome in peace and true Religion So that they that upon this ground plead for the necessity of cutting off the King must plead it because he would no longer defend the Popish Religion And therfore from the Ingagers own Argument of cutting off the King we cannot subscribe to this Ingagement lest the world take us for most rank hypocrites vile Apostates and absolute Papists Reader the times are such that they will not admit such Papers to be perused and corrected to thy hand therefore be pleased to amend with thy pen these grosse mistakes of the Printer P. 1. l. 4. for and peace and religion r pure Religion and famous Princes to defend both l. 5. for Fortescus r. Fortescue l. 10. for disposing r. dispensing l. 11 for Ras r. res l. 16. for spoke r. speaks l. ult for faind r. found p. 2. l. 3. for matter for r. matter so for l. 6. for for r so l 7. for constitution r constituting l. 9. for conjunctions r conjunctim l. 10. for apax r. apex l. 12. for procession r processes l. 13. for divisions r divisim l. 14. for compunction r conjunctim l. 17. for limitations r. as for limitations for power have r power they have l. 33. blot out and the kingdom of England by King Lords and Commons p. 4. l. 3. for time r line l. 4. fer divided Henry r. divided Henry pvt out and l. 13. for laying t uniting l. 21. 22. put out whose antiquity is beyond all kings in the world l. 32. for ●00 r 1000. l. 34. blot out alwaies acknowledged and granted by the king p. 5. l. 21. for then r. the three l. 35. for vegative r. Negative l. 31. for publike r. politick p. 7. l. 2. for lover r honour l. 3. for their r your for give r grant l. 5. for 4. but r 4. N. 17. But l. 7. for accesse r excesse l. 10. for meaner r meanest l. 7. for is r as l. 19. for implies r imploys l. 34. for approves r appeals l. 35. for and infinition r ad infinitum p. 8. l. 1. for Giudas r Guildas l. 2. for at r. of l. 6. for ptesevitians r persecutions l. 8. for Entichion Heresies r Eutichian Hereticks for Popus r Popes l 15. for Lucious r Lucius l. 17. for righteous r. religious l. 19. for Helea r Helena l. 25 for up Christian r. up the first Christian l. 29. for Antichrisian r Antichristian l. 35. for intrapped r Religious l. 38. for got r Acted FINIS Fortes Com. Leg. Cap. 17. Smith C. W. p. 19. Fortes C. 18. Commend Legum Origen Hom. 4. Ezekel 〈◊〉 ●aus 15. 〈◊〉 4. ●●oss 〈◊〉 l. 5. Rom. 〈◊〉 ca. ●7

three Estates cannot be molested yet the instruments that he implies against Law may be tryed This Law is most agreeable to the Law of God and the Law of nature to the Law of God for Kings are the Representatives of God on earth and none can touch them we see this clear in two famous instances in Saul who could crimes have brought him under the censure of men had enough to dethrone him for he was a Tyrant a murtherer and a publick enemy to the Church and State yet David when he could have done justice upon him said God forbid for he is the Lords anointed the declared King of Israel And David that was guilty of murther and adultery both of them deserving death by the Law yet was not questioned by his Subjects because God only hath the power of punishing Kings and not man This is most agreeable to the Law of nature for if Kings should be subject to their Subjects then the order must needs be confounded and the Law of nature utterly rooted up which orders approves no further then the supreme Authority which if judged by any is not the supreme and so produceth confusion and infinition Therefore we conclude that the Laws of England are the best Laws in the World in every respect both for matter form and distribution And as for Laws so for pure Religion it is beyond all other Nations it received the Apostolick faith almost if not all out as soon as Rome that brags of its antiquity Gindas telleth us that England received the Gospel in the Apostles dayes Joseph at Armathea bringing it into the Kingdom and Origen and Turtullian tell us that it received the Gospel as soon as any Natian in Europe This we are sure that it hath retained it in its purity the longest of any Nation it had a great share in the Presevitians under the Heathen Emperours of Rome after that under the Arrian and Entichion Heresies and after that under Popus the bloudiest and cruellest enemy to the Church so that from the Apostles time till this day Christian Religion though sometimes obscured never was obliterate nor extinct in the Kingdom And as this Kingdom hath been famous for Laws and Religion above others so it hath been the famousest in the World for Religious and valiant Kings to protect it and eminent Ministers to divulge it Lucious the Son of Coilus who was King of England was the first Christian King Jesus Christ smiling upon this Nation above all others in blessing it with a righteous King which was a miracle in the World at that time Constantine the 8. King of England after Lucius who was the Son of beautiful Helea King Coil his Daughter of England whom she brought forth at York he becam Emperour of Rome conquering the Heathen Emperours with a Brittish Army and so converted Rome Heathen into Rome Christian the famousest Reformation that ever was wrought in the World so that England is famous for being the first Christian Kingdom and setting up Christian Empire English Kings having been the only great friends to true Religion in the time of Paganisme And as they were the greatest friends to Christs Church against Rome Pagan so they have been the greatest friends to the true Chucrch against Rome Antixfian for about the year 1070. when the Pope was in his full height of soverainty the Normons line succeeding the Saxons in England were the first Kings that contemned the Popes Authority William the Conqueror spit at him and Wilt Rufus who succeeded him openly spake against the Popes usurped power of binding and loosing withstanding and rejecting his intrapped fopperies declaring against the Pope the folly of invocating Saints he plucked proud Arch Bishop Anselmes nose under his Girdle in despight of the Pope and so did the royal Family of the Plantagenets The Tudors and the Stuarts got their several parts in greater degrees against the Pope as they succeeded each other So that the Normans may be said to resist the Pope the Plantagenets to grapple with the Pope the Tudors to unhorse the Pope and the Stuarts to stob the Pope King James being the first King that writ against him proved him to be Antichrist Against the Kings of England the Popes have born an old grudge and indeavoured to destroy those Kings or Queens which resisted their Authority at least 12. Treasons against Q. Elizabeth were discovered and prevented which so frustrated Pope Pius Quintus projects that it broke his heart for malice that he could not with his Bulls which with his own hands he sealed depose and dethrone the Protestant Queen for she took occasion from the Popes wickedness and the Papists treachery to extirpate Priests and Jesuites out of the Kingdom whereupon Pope Gregory 13. erected a Colledge on purpose for English Priests and Jesuites that fled from England to Rome and another at Doway which was much nearer England that they might there both frame their granadoes of Treason against the English Court and receive such persons as were succesless in their Treason and made escapes out of England Against King James besides that Treason of Warson and Clarke the prodigious Gunpowder-plot was contrived by the Papists to destroy the King the Prince the House of Lords and the House of Commons in the twinkling of an eye upon this ground because Pope Clement 8. by a Bull Commanded that the King should not be crowned without a toleration of Popery but God prevented that prodigious blowe Hereupon the King and the Parl framed the Oath of allegiance to be taken by every subject in the Kingdom 't is thus I. A. B do truly and sincerely acknowle●ge profess testifie and declare in my Conscience before God and the World that our Soveraign Lord K. James is lawful and rightful King of this Realm and of all other His Maj. Dominions and Countries and that the Pope neither of himself nor by any Authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other means with any other hath any power of Authority to depose the King or dispose any of his Majesties Kingdoms or Dominions or to authorize any forraign Prince to invade or anoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his subjects of the allegiance and obedience to His Majesty or to give license to any of them to bear Arms or offer any violence or hurt to His Maj. person State or Government or to any of His Maj. Subjects I do swear from my hear● that no withstanding any Declaration or excom. against the King his Heirs and Successours or any absolution of the said Subjects from their obedience I will bear faith and true Religion to His Maj. His Heirs and Successors and him and them will defend to the utmost of my power against all conspiracies and attempts whatsoever and I do detest and abhorre as impious and heretical the damnable Doctrine of the Pope that Princes may be excommunicated and deprived of their Kingdoms deposed and murthered by their

intended to be brought up against the Parl to force them to condescend to the lusts of a Popish party Hereupon the first Protestation was framed and sent throughout the Kingdom no body refusing to subscribe it except Jesuitish Separatists J. A. B. do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest to maintain and defend as far as lawfully I may c. Soon after this the breach between the King and the Parl. fell out the King giving too much ear to evil Councel and that Popish faction which was the ground of all the former persecution and the civil War the King raised an Army to defend himself and the Protestant Religion the Parl did the like upon the same grounds which at that time was doubtless real their end propounded was to defend Religion Law the Kings Maj. Person the Parl. priviledges and the Peoples Liberties The Parl cause seemed the best in most Protestants eyes at that time in regard the Courts designs were long before discovered to the Parl The Queens departure with the Crown-Jewels into Holland and the numerous flocks of Papists going to the King with all the corrupt part and guilty persons of the Kingdom which made haste to the King after his departure made the Protestants afraid what would become of Religion Parliament and the Kings person should that party about him have prevailed however they professed the Protestant Religion though many of them convicted Papists Hereupon the Lords and Commons made a second Vow and Covenant with this preamble Whereas the Lords and Commons now assembled in Parl have declared that there hath been and now is a Popish and Traiterus plot for the subversion of the true Protestant Reformed Religion and the liberty of the subject c. And after all this still perceiving the Popish party to increase grow great victorious bloudy and blasphemous the Lords and Commons professing to the World that they had nothing before their eyes but the glory of God the advancement of Christs Kingdom and the happiness of the King and his Posterity with the true publique liberty safety and peace of the Kingdom against the plots of the enemies they entred into the solemn League and Covenant containing 6. Articles which every Parl. man publickly and solemnly at the Chappel of St Margaret Westminster with his hand lifted up to Heaven in the sight of the Scots Commissioners and the whole Congregation did subscribe 1. That we will sincerely really and constantly through the grace of God indeavour in our several places and callings the preservation of the reformed Religion of the Church of Scotland in Doctrine Worship Discipline and Government against our common enemies the reformation of Religion in the Kingdoms of England and Ireland in Doctrine c. 2. That we will in like manner without respect of persons endeavour the extirpation of Popery Prelacy Superstition Heresie Schisme Prophaneness c. 3. With the same reality sincerity and constancy in our several places and Callings indeavour with our Estates and Lives mutually to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of Parl and the liberties of the Kingdoms and to preserve and defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdom that the World may bear witness with our Consciences of our loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish his Majesties just power and greatness 4. We shall also with all faithfulness endeavour the discovery of all such as have been or shall be incendiaries or Malignants c. 5. And whereas the happiness of a blessed peace between the Kingdoms formerly denyedt our progenitors c. 6. We shall also according to our places c. This solemn League and Covenant being entred into by both Nations of England and Scotland made the deepest and strongest Politicians of the Roman faction to tremble yea as Mr. Hinderson the Reverend and Learned Minister of Scotland then Commissioner well foretold the news of this Covenant which was soon carried to Rome with the names of all the Subscribers made the Pope and his Conclave of Cardinals amazed and tremble insomuch that they doubled their diligence to work the destruction of the Covenanteers at this time The Duke of Lorane was solicited by Sir Kelem Digbies meanes who was then the Queens Agent for the English Affairs at Rome to help the King of England with an Army against the Covenanters in England Sir Kelenem Digby was the Popes right hand to promote and further all designs against the Covenanters party in England At the same time a Nuncio was forthwith sent from the Popes Court into Ireland there to make a Cessation with the Protestants and to further by all means possible the King of England against the Covenanters which was concluded with the Popes good liking as hath been confessed The old and sage Statesmen in Parl perceiving the designes of the Pope to drive furiously on towards the destruction of the Parl and Covenanters called in the Scots to their aid against the Popes designes The English A●my and Scots Army admitting no Officers or Souldiers in their Armies but such as took the Covenant the Covenanters through Gods providence beyond all expectation prospered in the field against their enemies and the Parl and Assembly of Divines prospered at Westminster and went on successively both of them being unanimous in the pulling down of Popery and Tyranny and establishing and maintaining the liberties of the Kingdom and Laws of the Realm and true Religion in Doctrine Discipline and Government for this purpose the Assembly of Divines first went over the Articles of faith drew them up after most deliberate serious and learned debates upon each of them and humbly presented them to the Parl under 33. heads 1. of the Scripture 2. of Gods Covenant and the holy Trinity 3. of Gods decrees 4. of Creation 5. of Providence 6. of mans fall and sin 7. of Gods Covenant with man 8. of Christ the Mediator 9. of free will 10. of effectual Calling 11. of Justification 12. Adoption 13. Sanctific●tion 14. saving faith 15. Repentance 16. good works 17. of perseverance 18. of assurance of grace 19. of the Law of God 20. Christian liberty liberty of Conscience 21. of religious worship and the Lords day 22. of lawful Oaths 23. of the civil Magistrate 24. of marriage and divorce 25. of the Church 26. of Communion of Saints 27. of the Sacraments 28. of Baptisme 29. of the Lords Supper 30. of Church-censures 31. of Synods and Councels 32. of the Resurrection 33. of the last judgement Then they regularly proceeded to settle Church-Government first proving Presbytery to be the Government which is most like to the primitive Government and coming nearest of all other Governments to Gods word next they drew up a Directory for Church-Government with an Orthodox learned and pious Catechisme and thus the Covenanters Magistracy and Ministry went on and prospered until they threw down their

open enemies in the field and were in great hopes of setling the Protestant Religion in purity and extirpating Popery out of the 3. Kingdoms at this time the Popes Politicians were got into the Parl Army under the name of Independents from which the King fled to the Scots The King being fallen into the Covenanters hands viz. the Scottish Army the Parl made speedy and seasonable applications to him at Newcastle offering to him Articles of agreement which news was forthwith carried to Rome whereupon the Pope and the Conclave of Rome were inforced to look about and change their designes projecting new wayes by contrary proceedings to effect one and the same end for whereas they had given order to the Catholiques in Ireland before to yield all assistance to the King against the Parl Seeing now the King was under the Parl power least he and his Parl should agree and so England and Ireland be lost the Pope played aforehand game sending his Army into Ireland commanding at this time all the Cathol quests renounce their allegiance to the King of England and from that day forward the Pope and all the Romish Politicians projected how to destroy both King and Parl and destroy the Reformation by the Covenanters so far carried on both in England and Scotland The task was hard at first view to destroy a Religious Parliament a victorious Army and an able pious and zealous Clergy was no small piece of work The Romish politicions therefore were inforced to fly to their last refuge of Hypocrisie and lies and like Euphrates Frog to change both shape and colour using the violent motion of Frogs from one extream to another from the extream of Tyranny to the extream of Anarchy from the extream of holy Orders to the extream of no ordination In plain tearms the Pope and his Counsel perceiving there was no probable way to get a Toleration for Catholicks in the Kingdom of England if the King Lords and Commons agreed consulted how to throw down King Lord and Commons and Assembly of Divines together with the Protestant Ministery That the chief Engines to effect this might be placed here in England and have sure footing free from the power of the Magistrates corrective and coercive power Independency was set up which five valiant Champions of the Popes had defended in the Assembly as long as they could and being there able to stand against truth no longer like Serpents hissed for all the viperous brood of Sectarious blasphemers or any Sect to creep into their bellies Hereby Independencie that bottomlesse pit and Independent congregations the very plot designed to destroy Religion in the Nethetlands by the Pope first enacted there by Hugh Peters the Popes hyerling became as so many nurceries of Jesuite and Popish Priests and so many dens of Theeves where they framed all their picklocks opinions and devilish destructive instruments to ruin the Magistracy and the Ministery For the propagating and facilitating of this design the chief of the Romish Politicians in Europe were sent to England where they all went under the name of dissenting brethren Independents tender consciens-men and great Enemies to Antichrist crying down with Antichrist calling the Pope Anti-Christ not that they thought so but that they might hereby carry an their design of throwing down the protestant Ministery undiscovered for this to this day is their great and chief argument The Pope is Anti-christ that 's true Antichrist making Bishops Bishops are Antichristian that in some sortis true also Antichristian Bishops making and ordaining Ministers Ministers of England are Antichristians Ergo down with the Ministery of England down with these black-coats down with Baals Priests down with them there is the design and there is the end of all They onely use the Argument to put in practice the conclusion they that presse the Argument and first framed it were far from thinking the Pope to be Antichrist or Prelatical Bishop eithe onely it was framed to destroy the Covenanteeres Ministery who abhor the Pope and long since renounced him and his adherents If it be well observed Indepency was but the wooden horse with a thousand Heresies in his belly brought into the Kingdom of England by the Romish Politicians and let forth as so many furies to sly in the face of the reformed Religion For he that views the Heresies of late sprung up amongst us cannot but see that against every one of the Assemblies 33. Articles they raised contrary Heresies and could the silly English Sectarians of their own heads without the help of Jesuits and Romish Casuists do all this 't is folly to think it The late Heretical Arguments are taken out of Cas●sts how subtilly did they devise liberty of conscience meerly to get free from the Magistrate and how vehemently did they preach peace for love and meeknesse and admonishing on e another in love and being tender of giving offence to tender cousciences whereas we plainly see they had war and murther and malice in their hearts onely thereby they Iull'd asleep secure and bleer-eyed Protestants who suffered these cheates to pick their pockets while they heard them cry Gentlemen look to your purses they cried out beware of Antichrist who brough him in be good to tender consciences while they carried under their sheeps cloathing the wolves teeth to wound tender consciences withall To tell how these subtilly crept into the Army who nourished and upheld them there would be too tedious Our end i● to shew that the setting up of Indepency was the Popes design to throw down the Covenanting party in England and those that opposed the Popish Religion Out of this bottomlesse pit came all that party which first taught Rebellion against the higher powers from the dens of Independensie arose that party that lest off the Covenant professed open hatred to it and them that took it with an intent to keep it That party that raised those Heresies against the true Religion having now got power put them in practice against true Religion They that held the opinion of being free from Magistracie under the Gospel now made themselves free They that held Magistrates Tyran's ●ow having got power used them as Tyrants these guifted brethren wete now high in the Army The chief men that were aimed at were those that stood most stoutly to their Covena●t The chief Protestants both in the House of Lords the House of Common and in the C●●● of London were the men shot at impeached imprisoned persecuted banished and some 't is to be feared poisoned This party laid hold of the King imprisoned him and when the two Houses of Lords and Commons sate freely and voted a Treaty with the King and when the King had agreed to extirpate Popery and establish the Protestant Religion in his three Kingdoms and to fettle Church-Government according to the primitive constitution and when upon a free and serious debate the Lords and Commons voted the concessions of the King to be a ground

of an immediate call to the contrary by revelation from God As Abraham was call'd to kill his son Isaac which was against a naturall precept yet having an immediate call from God had not God stayed his hand he might have lawfully done it because he that commanded Abraham so to do was the Lord and maker of the Law which he can dispense with But this case cannot be ours under the Gospel because God hath given us his revealed will in writing since which immediate revelations have ceased in the Gospel Churches there being no need of them at all Now as for the Providentiall acts of God or his revealed decrees these are no rules for us to walk by nor follow any otherwise then they concur with the revealed will of God in his precepts We bring a case shall make good this assertion and stop the mouthes of all rationall antagonists In the 1 King 11. 29. to v. 39. there was that decree revealed to Jeroboam by the prophet Ahijah who exactly revealed Gods intentions to give to him ten of the twelve Tribes and the house of David but two Judah and sickly Benjamin scarce worth the mentioning as a Tribe it was so small God reveals the reason to him why he did it viz for idolatry and forsaking the true God This v. 37. donation of Gods to Jereboam is repeated again to him that God would choose him and give him a vast power over the people to do and reign as his heart could desire Here if ever a man might have pleaded Providence and have urged the revealed decree of God for attempting treason against Solomon certainly if in any case or person it had not been rebellion in him to attempt that which Providence had decreed him Nor rebellion in Israel to have subjected to him whom God had declared to be their king But Jereboam in following the revealed decree of God contrary to a moral precept of God viz the fifth Commandment which injoyneth Subjects and inferiors to submit to their lawfull superiors for this very cause he is set down in the word of God as a Rebell against Solomon 1 King 11. 26. there he is put in the rear of the worst of the enemies of the Crown and royall family of Israel and stigmatized with this infamous mark of a Rebell for v 26. Jereboam the son of Nebat an Ephrathite of Zereda Sauls servant even he lift up his hand against the King and the cause of this his rebellion is set forth in the rest of the following Chapter because God had revealed his decree concerning the punishing of the Royall Family for their sin in giving him ten of the Tribes This revealed will of God was so far from justifying his acting against a morall precept that his actions are set forth hanging as it were on Hamans gallows expressed in the terms of the highest treason twice together He lift up his hand against the King he lift up his hand against the king Nor are the ten Tribes lesse excusable who subjected to Jereboam for though they might have pleaded self preservation and if they had not revolted they had all been undone and the providence of God who would have it so who had decreed it so and revealed those decrees to them by a Prophet these might not be resisted yet these ten Tribes notwithstanding for their rejecting of the visible and lawfull Authority and supremacie of the kingdome are twice branded in holy Chronicles for Rebels 1 King 12. 19. Israel rebelled against the house of David And 2 Chron. 10. 19. Israel rebelled against the house of David So that it is manifest that following of Providence is so far from being a Christians duty that many times it is a desperate sin and therefore it was that holy David when he might have cut off Sauls head and when Providence had cast him into his hands he durst not walk by acts of Providence but by divine precepts which commanded him to do no murther He might have pleaded self-preservation and in killing him he had killed a publick Enemie and a murtherer But David had a better guide then Providence to direct him Witty and true was that expression of a pious and learned Divine If Joseph in Aegypt had followed Providence he had without doubt committed folly with his Mistris and have said Providence put him upon it We therefore conclude that acts of Providence are no rules for Christians to follow and it is so far from resisting of God the not being governed by them that many times it becomes a great sin as is evident by what hath been declared and the ten Tribes have this sin written in bloody characters upon their back untill this day for from Rebellion they turned to Idolatry and from that day forward they sank deeper and deeper into misery untill they lost their Religion Laws liberties and Nation which judgement remains upon them untill this day God having hanged them in Gibbets to teach Posterities after them to take heed of their sins viz of following Providence against a Precept Ob. But how comes it to passe that they that make a scruple of subscribing this Ingagement yet make no scruple of paying taxes Is not such a subjection an acknowledgement of their Authority and do they not condemne themselves in doing one and not the other A. We will not undertake to give the fullest Answer hereunto yet we hope a satisfactory Answer we shall be able to give 1. We therfore say that we that do pay taxes do make scruples of paying them and were we not inslaved should much more expresse our selves 2. Paying of taxes doth not imply a not scrupling of the authority that demands and exacts them A man may pay his money to a thief yet not acknowledge that authority to be just 3. Taxes that are now imposed are extorted and not voluntarily payed and as to that a power is usurped over mens estates as if the Nation were compleatly conquered Now in such a case we conceive our selves meerly passive and no way active at least free from any spontaneous act Now this is far from acknowledging the iustness and lawfulness of the supremacie of such a Power t is one thing to be inforced to a subjection in person and estate and quite another thing to acknowledge that power which usurps this authority to be supreme and legall which the Ingagement absolutely inforceth upon the Subscribers But let the world judge from this Objection how cruel and tyrannical that Government is that when the poore Protestants shall be content to submit to most grievous taxes for quietnesse sake yet this is not sufficient unlesse they will subject their souls and insnare them also in unreasonable and cruell bondage Is it not sufficient for the paying of taxes bearing of Free-quarter and suffering many afflictions to purchase that which in no age was ever denyed our freedom but we must be cut-lawed accounted the off-scouring of the world and exposed to the cruelty of merciles