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<DATE>2013-04-02</DATE>
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<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<BIBNO T="oclc">11825107</BIBNO>
<VID>49673</VID>
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<TEXT LANG="eng">
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE Saints Freedom From TYRANNY VINDICATED: OR, The Power of Pagan <HI>Cae&s;ars,</HI> and Antichri&s;ti|an Kings Examined, and they Condemned by the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, as no Ma|gi&s;trates of God to be obeyed by Saints for the Lords &s;ake.</P>
<P>Being The Coppy of an An&s;wer to a Private Letter; wherein the Civil Power of Pagan and Antichri&s;tian States is &s;oberly debated, and the chief or main Arguments for Saints Subjection to them, is an&s;wered with much Love, Brevity and Plainne&s;s; and now brought forth for the Con&s;ideration of others</P>
<P>By a Lover of TRUTH.</P>
<Q><BIBL>Jam. 4. 12.</BIBL>
<P><HI>There is one Lawgiver, who is able to Save and to De|&s;troy.</HI></P></Q>
<Q><BIBL>I&s;a. 1. 26, 27.</BIBL>
<P><HI>And I will re&s;tore thy Judges as at the fir&s;t, and thy Coun&s;ellours as at the beginning:</HI> &amp;c. I&s;a. 10. 27. Ezek. 21. 26, 27. Zech. 14. 9.</P></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed in the Year, 1667.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>The Epi&s;tle to the Reader.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Courteous Reader,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>DIvine Commands put into Act, or Gods revealed Will and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a.</HI> 19. 1, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> Laws put into Execution, gave Being, &V;&s;efulne&s;s and Beauty to the whole Creation; when Gods Will is done by Men on Eearth (as by the Angels in Heaven) Gods <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 10.</NOTE> Kingdom, Rule, and Government is then come in this World, as pro|mi&s;ed, prayed for, and expected by Believers.</P>
<P>When <HI>Jehovah</HI> had perfected his &s;ix days work of the Creation, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 1. 31.</NOTE> he looked over all that he had made, and &s;aw that it was very good; but Mans di&s;obedience to that Law which God gave to him, brought <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 3. 17, 18, 19.</NOTE> the Cur&s;e upon Man, and upon the Ground for Mans &s;ake, &s;o that darkne&s;s, di&s;order, &s;orrow, and death hath been the fruits of Mans &s;in. This Cur&s;e was in &s;ome mea&s;ure abated, and re&s;trained by Gods grace in the promi&s;ed Me&s;&s;ias; and when God had freely cho&s;en and called <HI>Abraham,</HI> and promi&s;ed to him, <HI>That the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 12. 1, 2, 3. <HI>Mat.</HI> 1. 1. <HI>Exod.</HI> 19 4, 5, <HI>&amp;c. Exod.</HI> 20. 1, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3, <HI>&amp;c. and Ch. p.</HI> 21. 22, 23, 24, 25, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Me&s;&s;ias</HI> (in the fle&s;h) <HI>&s;hould come of his Seed,</HI> God after gather|ed <HI>I&s;rael</HI> into Covenant with him&s;elf, (and be&s;ides the Ceremoni|al Law for Wor&s;hip) God al&s;o renewed the Morral Law, (or Law of Nature) by the hand of <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had written Laws for the well ordering of every P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r&s;on, and Family, whether as Mem|bers of Families, Church or State. Under this Divine Government for Bodies, and Souls, <HI>I&s;rael</HI> enjoyed the pre&s;ence and protection of <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deut.</HI> 4. 5, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 18. 2.</NOTE> God Almighty in the mid&s;t of Bruti&s;h Heathen States. When <HI>I&s;ra|el</HI> kept clo&s;e to Gods Laws and Government in Church and State, God kept clo&s;e to <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and was their &s;afety, peace and glory.</P>
<P>But as <HI>Adam</HI> at fir&s;t, <HI>I&s;rael</HI> after (in their time) brake Covenant <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jer.</HI> 2. 17, 18, 19.</NOTE> with God, and God gave them up into the hands of bea&s;tly bruiti&s;h-heathen Kings, or States, to make them know what a &s;ad and bitter thing it was to depart from God. <HI>I&s;rael</HI> became Gods vi&s;ible Peo|ple by vi&s;ible Covenant, as a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hurch, and as a State, wherein they <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Exod.</HI> 24. 3, 4, 5, <HI>&amp;c. Jer.</HI> 3. 14. <HI>Ezek</HI> 16. 38&punc; <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 1. 2&punc;</NOTE> promi&s;ed Obedience and Subjection, in the way of a Marriage Cove|nant between Man and Wife; and in that &s;ence the Lord &s;o often charged <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah,</HI> for adultery, whoredom, and breaking
<PB REF="3"> the Bond of Wedlock, and at la&s;t gave them a Bill of Divorce and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jer.</HI> 3. 8. <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o&s;.</HI> 2. 2.</NOTE> left his vi&s;ible Protection of them. In the latter part of the Jewi&s;h oppre&s;&s;ed State, God fulfilled Old <HI>Jacob</HI>'s Prophe&s;ie of Chri&s;t, and <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 49. 10.</NOTE> &s;ent forth his Son Je&s;us Chri&s;t into the World, and laid the Govern|ment upon his Shoulders. When Chri&s;t was inve&s;ted into his Medi|atory <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 9. 6.</NOTE> Authority, he founded the New Te&s;tament State, or the <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 16. 17, 18.</NOTE> Kingdom of God, or the Kingdom of Heaven, or the Heavenly Kingdom, Rule and Government of God upon Earth, in vi&s;ible Be|lievers; and as King, ordained Laws, Ordinances, Officers, and Go|vernment <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 16. 19, 20. <HI>and</HI> 26. 26, 27, <HI>&amp;c. and</HI> 28. 18, 19. 20. <HI>Mat.</HI> 9. 15.</NOTE> to his Di&s;ciples or Followers, profe&s;&s;ing him, or his Sove|raignty, and &s;eparated from the World. In that time that He (the Bridegroom) was with his Bride on Earth, the Di&s;ciples had a ta&s;te and earne&s;t of this his Kingdom, Dominion and Government, which (in his time) he will more manife&s;t (in this world) in greater Pow|er <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Tim.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 15. 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 7. 1 <HI>John</HI> 2. 19. 2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 3, 4 <HI>v.</HI> 9. 10. <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 8.</NOTE> and Glory. The Mi&s;tery of Iniquity began early to appear in the Apo&s;tles times, and there were then many Antichri&s;ts, but the Anti|chri&s;t after aro&s;e as a Cur&s;e and Judgment upon the formal hyyocri|tical profe&s;&s;ing Party in the Chri&s;tian Church or State. Chri&s;t by the Spirit in the Apo&s;tles did reveal or fore-&s;hew the Ri&s;e and Tyranny of the apo&s;tate &s;tate, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> yet was no moving cau&s;e of the Apo&s;tacy, but fore-&s;hewed the effect, rather to deter than encourage to &s;in. &V;nder the <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>King.</HI> 24 2 <HI>Luke</HI> 21 20, 21 22, 23, 24. <HI>Dan.</HI> 7. 25. <HI>Rev.</HI> 17. 6.</NOTE> yoak of Heathen Tyranny the Jewi&s;h State was wa&s;ted and de&s;troyed; and under Antichri&s;tian Tyranny the Chri&s;tian Churches and Saints have been much worn out; but by the Saints long darkne&s;s and Bondage, they have been (like <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in <HI>Egypt)</HI> Naturalized to Servi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ude, and taught to &s;ubject to oppre&s;&s;ing Tyrants, as the Or|dinance of God, and as lawful Magi&s;trates &s;et over them by God. But &s;till God and his Word abides the &s;ame that it was; and God hath promi&s;ed to Redeem his <HI>Sion,</HI> and Re&s;tore his Polittical Go|vernment, <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 1. 26, 27. <HI>&amp;</HI> 11. 1. <HI>to</HI> 9.</NOTE> in Ju&s;tice, Judgement and Righteou&s;ne&s;s in the Earth, under the Peaceable Kingdom and Rule of Je&s;us the Christ. It's therefore the Saints Priviledge and Duty to pray for this, and to &s;eek for a thorow Reformation in the State, as in the Church. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Where <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat.</HI> 6. 10.</NOTE> Wor&s;hip is National, Purity in the Church cannot long &s;tand with Corruption in State. This is that Generation-Truth, which this Author labours to demon&s;trate, and bring forth into Victory, and only appeals to the Word and Law of God, the great, only, and in|fallible <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a.</HI> 8. 20. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 16 17.</NOTE> Judge in all Ca&s;es for Faith and Manners.</P>
<PB REF="3">
<P> Providence brought this Coppy to my hand, and upon the &s;erious peru&s;al of it, I took my &s;elf bound to give my a&s;&s;i&s;tance to bring it forth to the View of others, not que&s;tioning but the Subject it &s;elf will gain acceptance with all People, who de&s;ire &s;o to live and walk with God on Earth, that they may Reign with Je&s;us Chri&s;t in Glo|ry. This is the utmo&s;t end of him who waits and prayes for <HI>Sions</HI> promi&s;ed Redemp<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>A, B.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB REF="4">
<PB N="7" REF="4">
<HEAD>THE <HI>Saints Freedom from Tyranny Vin|dicated,</HI> &amp;c.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>YOur Return upon the Paper I &s;ent you, came to my hand, the which I thankfully receive, and acknow|ledge that you exceeded my expectation; I am not altogether a Stranger to the continued ingagements which lye upon you: But my great a&s;&s;urance of your Love, and Zeal for our Lords Honour, and Intere&s;t (with your appro|ved Wi&s;dom, and Meekne&s;s to manage this point in Contro|ver&s;ie) hath made me bold thus to pre&s;ume upon you. But I may &s;ay al&s;o (as I humbly judge) that you have &s;ome en|gagement upon you, to hear and an&s;wer the humble de&s;ires of your Brethren for Light in the My&s;tical Vi&s;ions of the Reve|lation; and upon that ground al&s;o I was the rather embolden|ed to de&s;ire your Return upon the Paper I &s;ent you, and you have done like your &s;elf, to make &s;o &s;udden and large return to me. Yours I have peru&s;ed, and on the behalf of our Lord, (and of Truth, as I conceive) I am emboldned to make &s;ome Reply in what I cannot receive. I do &s;ay with great confi|dence, that I believe your heart is one with mine, to find out and advance our Lords Intere&s;t in truth and clearne&s;s, but when we con&s;ider the Time, and State we have been born, edu|cated, and lived in; we have cau&s;e to admire the riches of free grace, which hath made us to differ from gro&s;s Idolaters, and hath given us any Light, and Faith to be Witne&s;&s;es for Chri&s;t in any of his Mediatory Offices. We, I &s;ay, who have had our Birth and Education under &s;o great Antichri&s;tian darkne&s;s and bondage, it is only of Free Grace that we are what we are.
<PB N="8" REF="5"> Though &s;ome have a little more light then others in Divine My&s;teries, yet it may be &s;aid to tho&s;e of highe&s;t attainments What have you that you have not received? Therefore &s;uch as have mo&s;t Light, have not to boa&s;t in them&s;elves, or carry it proudly to their Brethren of lower Light and Faith in Gene|ration Truths. If I mi&s;take not, the opening of the &s;even-&s;eald Book of Divine My&s;teries, &s;peaks a gradual di&s;covery of Light in Generation Truths; and now the Generation Truth is Chri&s;t Kingly Authority Civil and Spiritual for the Bodies and Souls of his People or Saints in Covenant-relation unto him. The Bea&s;t (here) doth not openly and profe&s;&s;edly deny Chri&s;ts Prophetical Office, and the authority of Holy Scriptures nor the Prie&s;tly Office of Chri&s;t, in the &s;ufficiency of this Me|rit and Righteou&s;ne&s;s to the Ju&s;tification and Salvation of Be|lievers. But the Kingly Office of Chri&s;t is only denyed, in his Soveraignty over his People in things Eccle&s;ia&s;tical and Civil. And this is the Generation-Truth now witne&s;&s;ed to, and &s;uffered for; and in which, or for which <HI>the Witne&s;&s;es are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rev.</HI> 11. 7.</NOTE> <HI>&s;lain, by the Bea&s;t a&s;cending out of the botomle&s;s pit,</HI> in my under|&s;tanding.</P>
<P>There are few real Profe&s;&s;ors at this day, but in words they confe&s;s Chri&s;t's Royal Soveraignty over their Souls in Spiritu|all, or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical things (though they live not in practice up to that profe&s;&s;ion:) but there are very few who in Light, Faith, and Profe&s;&s;ion witne&s;s to Chri&s;ts Royal Authority over the Saints Bodies, E&s;tates, and Liberties in Civil or Temporal things here on Earth. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> This Soveraign Authority I take to be actually &s;eated al&s;o in Chri&s;t as Mediator by God the Father, and is to be witne&s;&s;ed to now as a Generation-Truth. Some dear Soules have judged me &s;ingular (or alone) in this opini|on; but I find it a Truth which is and will be more and more witne&s;&s;ed to, as the Day of the Lord draweth on, and the Vail of Antichri&s;tian darkne&s;s is removed and taken away. Both this darkne&s;s and bondage of Antichri&s;t was a Cur&s;e and Judg|ment <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 10, 11.</NOTE> upon Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ors from God for their earthline&s;s and hypocri&s;ie. But it is promi&s;ed, <HI>That, that wicked one &s;hall be revealed</HI> (di&s;covered, or made naked) <HI>whom the Lord will</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>The&s;.</HI> 2. 8.</NOTE> <HI>con&s;ume with the &s;pirit of his mouth, and &s;hall de&s;troy with the brightne&s;s of his coming.</HI></P>
<PB N="9" REF="5">
<P> Although (as yet) the Bea&s;t Antichri&s;t is not fully made manife&s;t to the Lords People as he will be, yet we have great cau&s;e to ble&s;s and prai&s;e God for what we &s;ee, and thankfully accept our mea&s;ures of pre&s;ent Light, as earne&s;ts of what is promi&s;ed, and as evidences of our Lords appearing. As our Lords right to Soveraign Rule in Civil things is now the great Que&s;tion and Controver&s;ie among&s;t real believing Chri&s;tian Profe&s;&s;ors, it is our great duty to &s;earch the Scriptures therein, and humbly to lye at Gods feet, and beg for the teaching of the <NOTE PLACE="marg">John 16. 13.</NOTE> Spirit of Truth to lead us into this truth al&s;o. We are under the promi&s;e of the La&s;t Times, <HI>That many &s;hall run to and fro,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 12. 4.</NOTE> <HI>and knowledge &s;hall be increa&s;ed.</HI> And I hope that this our inter|cour&s;e to communicate our pre&s;ent Light to each other, (in this great point, in love and in meekne&s;s) may tend greatly to bring us both to more perfect and di&s;tinct knowledge of Gods will in this Truth, and the Truth into Victory.</P>
<P>In your Paper, I humbly accept your grave and Chri&s;tian An&s;wers (in ca&s;e of male admini&s;tration of a Lawful Power) in many particulars; but I mu&s;t confe&s;s that I yet &s;ee it not proved from the Scriptures of Old or New Te&s;tament, That the Heathen <HI>Roman Cae&s;ars</HI> were ever Magi&s;trates Ordained by God, to Rule and Govern his People, before or after Chri&s;t was inve&s;ted with his Mediatory Authority; and then much <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 1. 9, 13, 14. &amp; 16. 18, 19, &amp;c. Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3, &amp;c. 1 Pet 2. 13. 14. Jo&s;h. 7. 9.</NOTE> le&s;s that the Civil Power of Antichri&s;t was a Beam of Divine Soveraignty, and the Ordinance of God to be &s;ubmitted and &s;ubjected to by the Lords People, for the Lords &s;ake. Magi|&s;tracy, or Polittical Government, and Governors in Civil and Temporal things, I own to be the Ordinance and appointment of God, to Rule and Order his People according to his Law, as Polittical Fathers, to whom the Lords People (in di&s;charge of that Office and Tru&s;t) do owe obedience and &s;ubjection to for the Lords &s;ake, and Con&s;cience &s;ake (actively) as of duty, and pa&s;&s;ively, when they tran&s;gre&s;s the Laws and Commands of God. But that either the Heathen Emperors, or Antichri&s;ti|an Kings were called by God to this Office and Authority, I yet under&s;tand not.</P>
<P>That which doth con&s;titute, &s;pecifie, and denominate a <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 18. 21, 22. &amp;c.</NOTE> Political Governour, or Magi&s;trate to be the Ordinance of
<PB N="10" REF="6"> God, is, That he be &s;o Qualified, &s;o called to Office, and &s;o <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut 1. 9, 13, 14. &amp; 4. 1, 2, 5. &amp; 16. 18. &amp; 17. 18, 19, 20. 2 Sam. 23. 3.</NOTE> Ruling as God hath commanded, and ordained, or ordered, as his Mini&s;ter in the State, 2 <HI>Chr.</HI> 19. 6, 7. <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 13, 14.</P>
<P>I humbly judge, That due qualifications in a man for a <HI>Ma|gi&s;trate,</HI> makes not a man to be a <HI>Magi&s;trate;</HI> That a Call of a People only, makes not a <HI>Magi&s;trate;</HI> That a Per&s;on duely Qualified, and rightly Called by a People to Rule, if he rule not by Gods Laws, he is yet no <HI>Magi&s;trate,</HI> or <HI>Mini&s;ter</HI> of God, (as the Ordinance of God, or by Gods appointment) to be obeyed by the Lords People, <HI>for the Lords &s;ake,</HI> or for <HI>Con&s;ci|ence,</HI> not having the E&s;&s;entials of a <HI>Governour,</HI> or <HI>Magi&s;trate,</HI> which God Ordained and Commanded.</P>
<P>The <HI>Prie&s;thood</HI> under the Law was, and the <HI>Mini&s;try</HI> under the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 28. 1, 2, &amp;c. and 29. 1, 2, &amp;c. Eph. 4 11, 12. 1 Tim 3. 1, 2, 3 &amp;c. Act. 20. 28. Heb. 5. 4.</NOTE> Go&s;pel, <HI>is the Ordinance of Gods appointment;</HI> their Qualifica|tions, Inve&s;tment into Office, and Duties of Office, were all Ordained and commanded of God; but if any Per&s;on put him|&s;elf into the <HI>Prie&s;ts</HI> Office, or a <HI>Pa&s;toral Charge,</HI> by <HI>might,</HI> or <HI>force,</HI> or <HI>pretended right;</HI> or if a People &s;hould Call a <HI>Fool,</HI> or a Per&s;on (Man or Woman) to Office in the Church, as a <HI>Pa|&s;tor,</HI> not <HI>duely Qualified,</HI> as God hath appointed; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> or if a Per&s;on <HI>duely Qualified,</HI> and <HI>rightly Called</HI> to Office, do yet reject the Laws and Ordinances of God and the Go&s;pel (when in Office) <HI>and offer &s;acrifices to Idols, and obey the Comands of Men, contrary to the In&s;titutions of God;</HI> the&s;e, under the Law, were <HI>Sons of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 2, 12. 13. 1 King. 18. 19, &amp;c. 1 Joh. 2. 18, 22 1 The&s;. 5. 12. Heb. 13. 17.</NOTE> <HI>Belial,</HI> and <HI>Prie&s;ts of Baal;</HI> and in the Go&s;pel-&s;tate, &s;uch are <HI>Mini&s;ters of Antichri&s;t,</HI> and not <HI>Mini&s;ters of God,</HI> or the <HI>Ordi|nance of God, to be obeyed for the Lords &s;ake, as commanded by God.</HI> I might give other Demon&s;trations in the Ordinances of the Law and Go&s;pel, what E&s;&s;entials were, and now are nece&s;&s;ary to con&s;titute and denominate an <HI>Ordinance of God</HI> for matter and form; but I con&s;ider to whom I write. Indeed Anti|chri&s;t hath a&s;&s;umed the Soveraign Authority of God and of Chri&s;t <HI>Civil,</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tical,</HI> and by <HI>Popi&s;h</HI> darkne&s;s and &s;la|very, <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 2. 3, 4. 1 John 2. 22.</NOTE> his Subjects have received his Commands as <HI>Divine;</HI> not que&s;tioning or denying his u&s;urped Power over Bodies and Souls, how contrary &s;oever his Commands and Appointments <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 15, 16, 17. &amp; 17. 4.</NOTE> were, or are, to the <HI>Ordinances</HI> and <HI>Appointments of God,</HI> they mu&s;t be recieved as <HI>Gods Ordinances.</HI></P>
<PB N="11" REF="6">
<P> Through the Lords rich and free grace, the Antichri&s;tian Vail is (in a good mea&s;ure) taken away from many Profe&s;|&s;ors, in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical and Church-concerns; But the great Body of <HI>Prote&s;tants</HI> are &s;till &s;tumbled about Antichri&s;ts Civil Power, and do own Antichri&s;t (in his Civil Power) for <HI>the Or|dinance of God,</HI> though &s;ome few cannot: But that very way by which God hath led his People to di&s;cover the true and pure Ordinances of God in the Church (from fal&s;e Antichri&s;tian cheats and delu&s;ions in Wor&s;hip) <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> the &s;ame will al&s;o lead Be|lievers to the di&s;covery of Heatheni&s;h and Antichri&s;tian cheats in the <HI>Political State,</HI> and difference between <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> as the <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 104, 105. I&s;a. 8. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>Ordinance of God,</HI> and the <HI>Tyranny of wicked Men, viz.</HI> by com|ing to Gods <HI>Law and Te&s;timony,</HI> and thereby examine Church and State <HI>Officers,</HI> and <HI>Ordinances,</HI> as ordained, con&s;tituted, and appointed of God, and by God.</P>
<P>What Chri&s;t required of, and an&s;wered the <HI>Jews</HI> Me&s;&s;engers <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22. 15, 16, &amp;c.</NOTE> when they were &s;ent to entrap him in point of <HI>Cae&s;ars Power,</HI> I would query and an&s;wer, both of the Heathen and Antichri&s;ti|an <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 18. 19, 20, &amp;c. Deut. 1. 9, 13, 14. 2 Chr. 19. 6, 7. P&s;al. 82. 1, 6. Rev. 14. 1. and 17. 14. Rom 13. 3, 4, 5 Rev. 13. 1, 2. and 11, &amp;c. Rev. 2. 10. and 11. 7. and 12. 9. and 13. 5, 6, 7.</NOTE> Emperors and Kings, <HI>viz. Who&s;e is the Image and Super|&s;cription upon them?</HI> If they bear the Image and Super&s;cripti|on of God upon them, if they have the Name of God written in their fore-heads, and they in the Place, Office, and Work of God, to Rule his People by <HI>Divine Authority;</HI> then they were and are to be <HI>&s;ubjected to, for the Lords &s;ake:</HI> But if tho&s;e Emperors and Kings bear the Image and Super&s;cription of the Devil, are rai&s;ed by the Devil, and do the Devils work, (all which is true) there is no Scripture-Warrant (as I conceive) for the Lords People to obey &s;uch Emperors or Kings, as the <HI>Ordinance of God.</HI></P>
<P>The fir&s;t ri&s;e and original of <HI>Polittical Government,</HI> and <HI>Ma|gi&s;tracy,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 2 10 &amp; 18 15, 16, &amp;c. Deut. 1. 9, 13, 14. Exod. 21, 22, 23 Chapters, &amp;c.</NOTE> as Ordained and Appointed by God, was among&s;t the <HI>Jews</HI> at their coming out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and in the <HI>Wilderne&s;s,</HI> in their way to <HI>Canaan:</HI> God fir&s;t called <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> immediately, and intru&s;ted him <HI>(Mini&s;terially)</HI> with <HI>Magi&s;tratical Power</HI> and <HI>Authority,</HI> to Lead and Govern <HI>I&s;rael</HI> (not other Nations) his <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ovenant-People.</HI> In <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> time God gave <HI>I&s;rael</HI> Laws, and <HI>Poli<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">tical Government,</HI> which they were to exerci&s;e and put in <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 16. 18, &amp;c. and 17, 14, 15, &amp;c.</NOTE> execution when they came into <HI>Canaan,</HI> both as a <HI>Common|wealth,</HI>
<PB N="12" REF="7"> and as a <HI>Kingdom.</HI> At that time when God con&s;titu|led <HI>I&s;rael</HI> a <HI>Polittical State,</HI> there were many and great Nations <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deu. 4. 5, 6, &amp;c and 7. 7, 8.</NOTE> in the World, who made them&s;elves Kings, and exerci&s;ed <HI>Po|littical Government,</HI> from the Light and Law of Nature, (by the Permi&s;&s;ion of God) but not by the Ordination and Ap|pointment of God, as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> had: this is recorded by <HI>Mo&s;es, Deut.</HI> 4. 5, 6, &amp;c. and 7. 7, 8. And long after <HI>Mo&s;es, David</HI> &s;aid, <HI>He &s;hewed his Word to Jacob, his Statutes, and his Judge|ments unto I&s;rael. He hath not dealt &s;o [with any Nation;] and as</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 147. 19, 20</NOTE> <HI>for his Judgements they have not known them.</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Thus from <HI>Nim|rod</HI> to <HI>David</HI> the Heathen Emperors and Kings were not the <HI>Ordinance of God, to rule and govern his People.</HI> Again, in <HI>Da|vids</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 72, &amp; 89 20, 21, 22, &amp;c. Mat. 1. 1 an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 2. 1. 2. Luke 1. 35, 36 and v. 69, 70, &amp;c. Gen. 49. 10. Ezek. 21. 27, and 34. 24, 25.</NOTE> time, God by Covenant entailed the Royal Scepter of <HI>Judah</HI> upon <HI>David</HI> and his Heirs in the fle&s;h, but chiefly upon Je&s;us Chri&s;t, as the Son of <HI>David,</HI> according to <HI>Jacobs</HI> Prophe|&s;ie: <HI>The Scepter &s;hall not depart from Judah, nor a Law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: and unto him &s;hall the gathering of the people be.</HI></P>
<P>The&s;e Scriptures clearly a&s;&s;ert Je&s;us Chri&s;t, the Son of <HI>Da|vid,</HI> and &s;o he had right to the Royal Government of <HI>Judah</HI> &s;o &s;oon as he was born; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> therefore no Heathen King had right to the Crown of <HI>Judah,</HI> by <HI>Gods Donation,</HI> from fir&s;t to la&s;t.</P>
<P>But Chri&s;t, as Mediator, had al&s;o another Royal Soveraign|ty <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 2. 7, 8, &amp;c. Eph. 1. 21, 22. Phil. 2. 8, 9, 10. Mat. 28 18, 19 Mar. 16. 15.</NOTE> given him by God the Father, over <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles,</HI> for Souls and Bodies, which Authority was publi&s;hed and decla|red by Chri&s;t him&s;elf. <HI>Je&s;us came and &s;pake unto them</HI> (the eleven Di&s;ciples) <HI>&s;aying, All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth; Go ye therefore,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Thus <HI>Royal</HI> and <HI>Magi&s;terial Authority</HI> (as <HI>Gods Ordinance)</HI> was clearly in and among&s;t Gods Covenant-People, from <HI>Mo|&s;es</HI> to Chri&s;t, and with none other. <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> But it is Objected, That <HI>Daniels</HI> expounding <HI>Nebuchadnezzars</HI> Dream, of the great <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 2. 37, &amp;c.</NOTE> Image, &s;aid to him, <HI>Thou, O King, art a King of Kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a Kingdom, Power, and Strength, and Glory: and after thee &s;hall ari&s;e another Kingdom, &amp;c.</HI> There|fore the&s;e four Kings, or Imperial States, were the <HI>Ordinance of God,</HI> and lawful <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> or <HI>Mini&s;ters</HI> of God, to whom the Lords People did, and &s;till do owe <HI>Obedience to, in Civil things.</HI></P>
<PB N="13" REF="7">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> To this I humbly give my thoughts. </P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> This was a Vi&s;ion opened, of four Imperial States, (which God would Providentially rai&s;e in the World, &s;ucce&s;|&s;ively one after another) and u&s;e at his plea&s;ure either to af|flict, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 4. 17.</NOTE> or help his People, and one to de&s;troy the other; but nei|ther this Prophe&s;ie, or any other Word of God &s;peaks their <HI>Ordination</HI> and <HI>Con&s;titution</HI> of <HI>Governors, Magi&s;trates,</HI> or <HI>Mi|&s;ters</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 3, 4. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14.</NOTE> <HI>of God, &s;ent for the good of his People; for the encouragement of godline&s;s, and to be a terrour to evil-deers;</HI> (which are the great ends of <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> ordained by God) <HI>and wherein the Lords People are commanded &s;ubjection, for the Lords &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The&s;e Kings came &s;ucce&s;&s;ively to their Kingdoms and Rule, by the power of the Sword, and Strength, (as was prophe&s;ied) but not by Power and Authority; and &s;o accord|ingly were repre&s;ented, by <HI>Monstrous Bea&s;ts,</HI> and no Births of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7. 4, to 8. and 8. 4, &amp;c.</NOTE> Nature. All the&s;e Mon&s;trous States (or Kings) came &s;ucce&s;|&s;ively to Rule (by Gods Providence) in their times, as they got power or &s;trength to Conquer. The King of <HI>Babylon</HI> Con|quered <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 King. 24. 1, 2, &amp;c. ver&s;. 10. and 25. 1, 2, &amp;c.</NOTE> and Captivated the <HI>Jews</HI> for their &s;in, by Power and Might, not by Authority or Right. By Gods providence a Thief, or Thieves, rob or kill the hone&s;t Traveller; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but not by Power of Authority, as having right to the Travellers mony and life by the Law of God: and in this way (like Bea&s;ts of prey) one Kingdom or State &s;ubdued another, and &s;o it is &s;till.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Though <HI>Daniel</HI> &s;aid to the King of <HI>Babylon, That God gave him a Kingdom, Power, and Strength;</HI> yet this was prophe&s;ied after he had taken <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and captived the <HI>Jews</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 2. 37.</NOTE> living; therefore this Commi&s;&s;ion was not warrant for the former Cruelty.</P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> Not any of the&s;e Kings had the E&s;&s;entials of Gods <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> viz. <HI>As fearing God, as cho&s;en out of them&s;elves, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 13. Rom. 13. 3, 4. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14</NOTE> <HI>inve&s;ted with authority by them: nor ruling by Gods Laws, to en|courage godline&s;s, and be a terror to evil-doers.</HI> Therefore upon the&s;e grounds, not any of the Heathen Kings were the <HI>Ordi|nance of God, to be obeyed by the Lords People for the Lords &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> But it is &s;aid, <HI>That God brought upon I&s;rael, the King of the Caldees: and God gave Jehoiakim, King of Judah into the hand of the King of Babylon,</HI> 2 Chron. 36. 17. Dan. 1. 1, 2.</P>
<PB N="14" REF="8">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Yes; God did &s;o providentially, as a Cur&s;e and Judgement to fulfil the Word of his threatnings upon their di&s;obedience, <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chr. 36. 14, 15, 16, 17. I&s;a. 10. 5, &amp;c. 2 King. 24. 1, &amp;c. 8. 10, &amp;c.</NOTE> &s;tubbornne&s;s, and incorrigible rebellions again&s;t him: but not as his <HI>Mini&s;ter, for their good;</HI> as a <HI>Magi&s;trate</HI> ordained by God to rule and feed them. The Kings of <HI>A&s;&s;yria</HI> and <HI>Ba|bylon, &amp;c.</HI> were &s;uch powers of the Earth, or earthly powers, which God by his Almighty Power providentially u&s;ed as his Creatures, to afflict, or relieve, to di&s;tre&s;s or &s;ave his Cove|nant-People, when he plea&s;ed; but not to rule and govern them under God, or for God, as his <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> ordained by him. God by his Almighty Soveraign power, and plea&s;ure, threatned the di&s;obedience of his people with many &s;ore judg|ments, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 14, 12, 13 Deut. 28. 15, &amp;c.</NOTE> and he u&s;ed what Creatures he thought good to do it by, <HI>viz.</HI> Either noy&s;om Bea&s;ts, Famine, Pe&s;tilence or Sword. By Sword was meant the Sword of Kings or States, whom he providentially brought upon them; which Kings were only led by principles of Nature, and opportunities, and providences; when they knew not God, or his de&s;igns; and &s;o they were <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a 10. 5, 6, 7. v. 12. to 19. Jer. 51. &amp; 52.</NOTE> judged by God, and de&s;troyed, for the mi&s;ery, de&s;olation and blood of the Lords People.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Therefore the&s;e Heathen Kings, or Powers, were no other|wi&s;e the Ordinance of God, but as Locu&s;ts, Famine, Pe&s;ti|lence, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> (or the Devil) are the Ordinance of God.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But God gave it in Charge to tho&s;e Jews who were carried Cap|tives to Babylon, to &s;eek the peace of the City, and to pray unto the Lord for it: for in the peace thereof ye &s;hall have peace,</HI> Jer. 29. 7.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> This was the Lords Command to tho&s;e Captives: But, </P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> That &s;hort time of <HI>I&s;raels</HI> Captivity was fore&s;hewed, and al&s;o by whom their Deliverance &s;hould come, <HI>viz.</HI> by <HI>Cy|rus, I&s;a.</HI> 44. 28. &amp; 45. 1, 2, &amp;c. <HI>Jer.</HI> 29. 10, 11.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Their Captivity was very ea&s;ie; they had the <HI>Liberty of Con&s;cience</HI> in Religion; they had liberty to build Hou&s;es, to plant Vineyards, and to eat the Fruit; to marry Wives, and to live in &s;afety, therefore to &s;eek the Peace of the place, but not of the King of <HI>Babylon.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> This command, <HI>To &s;eek the Peace of the place,</HI> im|plies a Charge laid upon them, not to rai&s;e trouble by &s;eeking their Deliverance (yet not to pray for the pro&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ity of the
<PB N="15" REF="8"> King, or the e&s;tabli&s;hment of that Kingdom) for God had de|clared <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 44. 28. and 45. 1, 2, 3, &amp;c. Dan. 5. 30, 31. Rev. 18 6, 7.</NOTE> his determination to de&s;troy <HI>Babylon,</HI> and in <HI>Babylons</HI> de&s;truction their deliverance &s;hould come. Therefore God u&s;ed the King of <HI>Per&s;ia</HI> to redeem <HI>I&s;rael;</HI> but this is not the ca&s;e of Chri&s;tians under <HI>My&s;tery Babylon.</HI></P>
<P><HI>But Daniel and other Servants of the Lord &s;erved the King of</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>Babylon, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> They did &s;o, as Captives taken by the Sword, and Violence; not as <HI>Magistrates</HI> or <HI>Mini&s;ters of God to rule over them,</HI> for then they had had no cau&s;e to return to their own Country and Government. The Captive <HI>Jews</HI> under the King of <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> and Captive Chri&s;tians under the <HI>Turk</HI> are one in Nature, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but (I judge) that Chri&s;tians in <HI>Turki&s;h</HI> &s;lavery do not &s;ee them&s;elves bound (by the preceptive will of God) to abide in &s;lavery, if by Gods providence a way be opened for their e&s;cape. The <HI>Jews,</HI> under the Government of Judges, were <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 2. 11, 12 v. 14, 15, 16, &amp;c.</NOTE> oft (providentially) given up by God into the hands of &s;everal Heathen Kings or States, for their great tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions again&s;t God; and when they humbled them&s;elves before the Lord and repented, the Lord al&s;o providentially delivered them. But in the time of their Bondage, they looked not upon tho&s;e Tyrants as <HI>Gods Ordinance</HI> to rule over them, or as <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> they were bound to obey.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But Jo&s;eph (the Hu&s;band of Mary) obeyed the Edict of Agu&s;tus Cae&s;ar, and went with Mary his Wife from Nazareth to Jeru&s;alem, to be taxed,</HI> Luke 2. 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w:"> This act of <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> proves not <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> a Lawful Power, or Ma|gi&s;trate of God to rule over his people. For,</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Every act of a good man is not therefore lawful be|cau&s;e a good man doth it: <HI>In many things we offend all,</HI> Jam. 3. 2.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Though <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> obeyed the Edict of the Emperor, yet no Text can be &s;hewed, that he did it by the Command of God.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Though <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> exacted a &s;mal Tribute of the <HI>Jews,</HI> to &s;hew that they were Captives, Conquered by the Sword, yet he left them free in Religion, and many outward Privi|ledges, which Antichri&s;t denies to Chri&s;tians, <HI>Mat.</HI> 27. 1, 2. <HI>John</HI> 18. 31.</P>
<PB N="16" REF="9">
<P> <HI>Fourthly,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> The very Elect of God, and &s;uch as are eternal|ly &s;aved (by long bondage, and ignorance of their Priviledges, as Gods Children) may (by Tradition) give obedience to the Kings or States, (they lived or were born under) both in Civil things, and Spiritual Wor&s;hip, and not know that they do evil; as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> and all <HI>I&s;rael</HI> in <HI>Egypt.</HI> As <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> and <HI>Ma|ry,</HI> and other <HI>Jews</HI> in <HI>Canaan.</HI> And as many Chri&s;tian Martyrs have done under Antichri&s;tian Bondage and Tyranny, <HI>Gen.</HI> 42 15. <HI>Exod.</HI> 6. 9. <HI>Act.</HI> 7. 24, 25.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But Chri&s;t him&s;elf paid Tribute to Cae&s;ar.</HI> </P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Chri&s;t did it to avoid offence or &s;candal, yet &s;inned not in it; but he paid it not as to a lawful Magi&s;trate, or Mini&s;ter of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 17. 26, 27.</NOTE> God, who had power over his Body. For,</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Chri&s;t declared him&s;elf free.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Chri&s;t at that time was entred upon his Media|tory Offices; and had put out Royal Acts of Authority, as King over <HI>Jews</HI> and <HI>Gentiles, Mat.</HI> 3. 16, 17, &amp; 4. 18, 19, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Chri&s;t only paid that Tax for Him&s;elf and <HI>Peter,</HI> as per&s;ons only concerned, and not for the re&s;t of his Di&s;ciples.</P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> Chri&s;t did at that time, in that thing, give up or let go his own right, out of a gracious end and de&s;ign, to pro|pagate the Go&s;pel; and that was lawful, or no &s;in in him, which yet would be &s;in in his Servants. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> It is lawful, and may be good in a Ma&s;ter (&s;ometimes) to give up or let go &s;ome|thing of his right, which is not lawful in a Servant to do.</P>
<P><HI>Fifthly,</HI> Dark Scriptures are to be expounded from the con|&s;ent and currant of Scriptures to make a harmony, that one text do not contradict another. But to bring this text, to prove hence, that <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> was a lawful Magi&s;trate, and had Authority from God to tax Chri&s;t and his di&s;ciples, contradicts the words of Chri&s;t. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>And hath given him Authority to execute Judgement al&s;o, becau&s;e he is the Son of Man. All Power is given unto me in Heaven and in Earth.</HI> John 5. 17. Mat. 28. 18. Eph. 1. 20, 21, 22, 23. with many other texts, and currant of Scriptures Old and New.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But we find the Apo&s;tle Paul approved, and appealed to Cae&s;ars Authority, which was not only a bare &s;ubjection to, but an owning of that Power,</HI> Act. 25. 10, 11.</P>
<PB N="17" REF="9">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> Suppo&s;e <HI>Paul</HI> did &s;o, yet it is to be que&s;tioned, Whether <HI>Paul</HI> did that by a Command from God, or Chri&s;t? It is Di|vine <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11. 1. 8. 23.</NOTE> Authority which makes the Acts of the Apo&s;tles lawful, and imitable for Saints. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> The failings of the Lords Worthies were not written for imitation, but for caution, and con&s;ola|tion <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 10. 6, 11 Gal. 2. 11, 12, &amp;c.</NOTE> in failings. <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> were chief Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t, and yet had the infirmities of men. And as <HI>Paul</HI> blamed <HI>Peter</HI> in &s;ome things, no doubt but <HI>Peter</HI> al&s;o might have blamed <HI>Paul</HI> in &s;ome things, had he lived and travelled with <HI>Paul. Paul</HI> him&s;elf is much in confe&s;&s;ion of his humane frailties, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 14, 15, &amp;c, Act. 22. 24, 25, 26. &amp; 23. 35. &amp; 24. 26, 27. &amp; 25 1, 2, 3, 8, 10, 11.</NOTE> infirmities, through corruption and temptation. And it is clear, that <HI>Pauls</HI> appealing to <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> at <HI>Rome,</HI> was in de&s;ign to deliver him&s;elf, and &s;ave his Life from the <HI>Jews,</HI> and that Ju|dicature at <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> where he was &s;urprized and kept by vi|olence of arms (which hath been the ca&s;e of many of the Lords people) and not that <HI>Paul</HI> approved, or owned <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> as ha|ving Divine Authority or Juri&s;diction over his Body; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but by that appeal, (providentially) <HI>Paul</HI> had his Liberty. And we do not read that ever he was brought to further tryal at <HI>Rome.</HI> This <HI>Paul</HI> the Apo&s;tle of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> did yet Circumci&s;e <HI>Ti|mothy;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 11. 13. Act. 16 8.</NOTE> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and al&s;o, to &s;ave him&s;elf from the <HI>Jews</HI> rage (fell into <HI>Peters</HI> tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, which he accu&s;ed him for) who were &s;et again&s;t him for preaching down the Ceremonial Law, and Cir|cumci&s;ion; <HI>Paul</HI> did yet pretend him&s;elf (as a <HI>Jew,</HI> under the Law, and under a Vow) and after the manner of the Law purified him&s;elf, and went into the Temple; To &s;ignifie the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 21. 23, 24. &amp;c.</NOTE> accompli&s;hment of the dayes of Purification, until that an Of|fering &s;hould be made. The&s;e acts were not lawful in <HI>Paul</HI> an Apo&s;tle, nor imitable for the Saints now, though done by an Apo&s;tle; but how far God may wink at the&s;e, and the like weakne&s;&s;es in his People, I will not judge. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But it is &s;aid, that Paul wrote to the Saints at Rome, to &s;ubject to the Emperors of Rome though Bea&s;ts and Tyrants, &s;aying, Let eve|ry &s;oul be &s;ubject to the higher Powers, for there is no power but of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 1.</NOTE> <HI>God: the powers that be, are ordained</HI> (or ordered) <HI>of God.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> The Apo&s;tle in this place &s;peaks clearly of Saints &s;ub|jection to Magi&s;tracy, or to Magi&s;trates as <HI>Ordained by God;</HI> and Mini&s;ters of State, &s;ent by God, for the good of his Peo|ple; and not of the <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> then Tyrannizing over the Lords
<PB N="18" REF="10"> heritage, at that time (I judge) that the right of Civil Go|vernment <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 1, 2, &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> over the Saints was in them&s;elves, though they had not the power of &s;trength to put out all Acts. Thus it was with the <HI>Jews</HI> in <HI>Babylon,</HI> under the <HI>Romans,</HI> &amp;c. The <HI>Jews</HI> as Gods Covenant-people, had right to the exerci&s;e of all Civil Juri&s;|diction <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 49. 10. Deut. 1. 9, 13. and 16. 18, &amp;c. Deut. 28. 25, 47, 48, &amp;c.</NOTE> among&s;t them&s;elves by Gods appointment: But as a Cur&s;e and Puni&s;hment of their &s;ins, the exerci&s;e of that Power and Authority was, (by Gods permi&s;&s;ion) taken from them by the force and power of Enemies, e&s;pecially to &s;ome <NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 18. 31.</NOTE> acts of Juri&s;diction. Thus it was with the Chri&s;tians; Chri&s;t left Authority with his own &s;ervants (in all things without exception) among&s;t them&s;elves; and the Saints were in the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mar. 13. 34. Mat. 25. 14. 1 Cor. 6. 1, &amp;c.</NOTE> exerci&s;e of that Authority in Civil affairs, though debarred the publick exerci&s;e of &s;ome acts, or all acts, by the Armies or Strength of Heathen Kings. And becau&s;e the Churches, or Saints had not then power or &s;trength to execute &s;ome Laws on offen|ders, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> the Apo&s;tle pre&s;t the Saints to &s;ubjection (as of duty) to tho&s;e Civil Rulers, or Magi&s;trates they had among&s;t them|&s;elves, as <HI>Gods Ordinance, to be obeyed for the Lords &s;ake, and Con&s;cience &s;ake,</HI> as commanded by God.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> It is evident (both from the ri&s;e, and exerci&s;e of power in Heathen Kings) that they were not ordained by God <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7&punc; 2, 3, &amp;c. 2 Chr. 36. 17, &amp;c. I&s;a. 10 5, 6, &amp;c. and 42. 24, 25. Ezek. 34. 23, 24.</NOTE> to rule over his People under him, neither had they power and authority to govern from God; but only power and &s;trength to burn, de&s;troy, kill and captive the Lords People rebelling again&s;t him; and &s;o called, <HI>Gods Staffe, Hammer, Saw,</HI> &amp;c. not <HI>Fathers, Shepherds,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But Paul exhorted Timothy, That &s;upplications, and prayers &s;hould be made for all men; for Kings, and all that are in Autho|rity,</HI> (or eminent place) <HI>that we may lead a quiet and peaceable</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 2. 1, 2.</NOTE> <HI>Life.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> If by Kings, we under&s;tand the then Heathen Kings, <HI>Paul</HI> may be under&s;tood to enjoyn the Saints, to pray either for the conver&s;ion of their &s;ouls, or re&s;traint of their power, that the Saints Peace and Godline&s;s were not hindred, <HI>viz.</HI> That God would not &s;uffer tho&s;e heathen Kings to put out their power and &s;trength to per&s;ecute, or hinder the Saints Peace, Liberty, and Holine&s;s: But this text a&s;&s;erts not the <HI>Divine Authority of heathen Kings to govern the Lords People,</HI> or <HI>Saints to &s;ubject to them.</HI></P>
<PB N="19" REF="10">
<P> <HI>Secondly,</HI> If the Apo&s;tle be taken as referring to any time, when a Magi&s;trate (called King) &s;hall be called to rule over the Lords people in Authority (or eminent place of Tru&s;t) as <HI>appointed and ordained by God;</HI> then it will be the duty of Saints to pray for &s;uch Magi&s;trates, <HI>That their Rule and Government may an&s;wer the end of their Power and Tru&s;t,</HI> as Ordained by <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 3, 4, &amp;c. 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14</NOTE> God, <HI>viz. Saints Peace and Holine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But the Apo&s;tle Peter al&s;o gave this in charge to Saints; Sub|mit your &s;elves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords &s;ake: whe|ther it be to the King as Supream, or unto Governours (as to them that are &s;ent by him) for the puni&s;hment of evil-doers, and for the prai&s;e of them that do well,</HI> 1 Pet. 2. 13, 14.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> <HI>First.</HI> In this the Apo&s;tle is clear, that he pre&s;&s;eth Saints <HI>Subjection to Kings</HI> or <HI>Governours,</HI> as <HI>called or &s;ent of God, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> for the puni&s;hment of evil doers and for the prai&s;e</HI> (and encouragement) <HI>of them that do well.</HI> This is the currant of Scripture.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> The Apo&s;tle pre&s;&s;eth <HI>Saints Subjection to Kings, or Governours</HI> (as the Ordinance of Man, or as Mans appoint|ment in the State) when they an&s;wer the ends of Civil Go|vernment, as <HI>Ordained by God.</HI> If we &s;hould take the Apo&s;tle exhorting Saints, <HI>To &s;ubject to every Law and Ordinance of man (for the Lords &s;ake)</HI> then the Laws of Men &s;hould be obeyed by Saints, how unju&s;t, unnatural, or contrary &s;oever they were to the Laws of God; but this is too gro&s;s, and contrary to the currant of Scripture, not an&s;wering the ends of <HI>Government, as Ordained by God.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> If we take the Apo&s;tle, &s;peaking of Kings, or Go|vernours, as the Ordinance of Man; then the title <HI>King,</HI> or <HI>Power of Kings,</HI> is only humane; and God hath left it in the wi&s;dom, power, and will of a State, or Body Politick, to call to Office and Power, one Per&s;on, or a &s;et number of Per&s;ons joyntly, to rule over them, as they judge be&s;t for the whole; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and al&s;o to dignifie and di&s;tingui&s;h their Officers of State as they plea&s;e; and Saints are not hereby to be di&s;plea&s;ed, but mu&s;t <HI>&s;ubmit, for the Lords &s;ake.</HI></P>
<P>I am humbly bold thus to give my &s;ence; That both <HI>Paul,</HI> in <HI>Rom,</HI> 13. 1. and in his other Epi&s;tles, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> as al&s;o <HI>Peter</HI> in this text, had no re&s;pect to the Heathen Kings of that time; but that both the&s;e Apo&s;tles do a&s;&s;ert <HI>Magistracy to be the Ordinance</HI>
<PB N="20" REF="11"> <HI>of God,</HI> among&s;t his People, <HI>To &s;uppre&s;s evil-doers, and to en|courage them that do well,</HI> Rom. 13. 3, 4. to which Magi&s;trates the Saints owe <HI>&s;ubjection, for the Lords &s;ake.</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> This Apo&s;tle <HI>Pe|ter</HI> al&s;o implieth, That the de&s;ignation of Magi&s;terial Autho|rity, upon one per&s;on, or upon &s;everal per&s;ons (with the Names and Titles by which they are called or dignified) are humane, and left to men; and therefore Saints &s;hould not deny &s;ub|jection upon that account.</P>
<P>In the fir&s;t con&s;titution of the Jewi&s;h Polittick State, God gave them Judges about the &s;pace of 450 years; after which <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 16. 18, Act. 13. 20, 21, &amp;c. 1 Sam. 8. 1, 2, &amp;c. v. 19, 22.</NOTE> (upon the ill government of <HI>Samuels</HI> Sons) <HI>I&s;rael</HI> re&s;olved to change the Government, from Judge, to King, and God gave way to them. But as God fore-&s;aw that <HI>I&s;rael</HI> would change the Government of State (in which his &s;ecret coun&s;el was fulfilled, to bring in <HI>Davids</HI> Kingdom, and make way for Chri&s;ts Kingdom) God enjoyned and commanded <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> that <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 17. 14,</NOTE> Kings &s;hould rule by the &s;ame Laws which he gave to the Judges. The Apo&s;tle <HI>Peter</HI> then &s;eeing (or &s;uppo&s;ing that in after-time) &s;ome difference might ari&s;e among&s;t Saints about Political Government, or Governours, <HI>viz.</HI> Whether the chief &s;hould be in one Per&s;on, or in many; and by what names they &s;hould be dignified; <HI>Peter</HI> inferrs, that this is in man to order, ordain, and appoint; and therefore exhorts Saints, not <NOTE PLACE="marg">The Body or State Pol<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ick are the fir&s;t Seat of Power <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r.</HI></NOTE> to differ, or di&s;&s;ent from what the Body of the People, or State ordain and appoint in that matter, &s;o as the Governours do an&s;wer the ends of Government, as ordained by God.</P>
<P>I mu&s;t &s;ay, I know not that this was que&s;tioned by Saints in <HI>Peters</HI> time; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but it may be a que&s;tion among&s;t Saints in the Re&s;urrection of the Witne&s;&s;es; and here is the Solution, which is not again found in all the Scriptures. And let me add the&s;e my thoughts, That as Gods moral, judicial Laws (given to <HI>I&s;rael)</HI> are the Laws of Chri&s;ts Kingdom, Chri&s;t ratified and confirmed them in his Mini&s;try; and the Apo&s;tles gave many general directions to Saints about Political Government and Governours, as <HI>Ordained by God;</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but neither expre&s;t, or in|tended the then Heathen Kings in tho&s;e directions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But Rulers and Governours were commonly called Gods, and it is not likely that they &s;hould be &s;o dignified by holy men, if they were not ordained by God, and bare upon them &s;ome Image or Beam of Di|vine Soveraignty.</HI></P>
<PB N="21" REF="11">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> We may grant, that this high Title was a&s;c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ibed to Rulers and Governours, by <HI>David,</HI> by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> and by <HI>Paul,</HI> referring <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 22. 28. P&s;al. 82. 1, 6. John. 10. 34. Act. 23. 4, 5.</NOTE> to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Law; but ever, and only to <HI>Magistrates,</HI> in the Jewi&s;h State, <HI>as Ordained and Con&s;tituted by God.</HI> If there can be any one Scripture produced to the contrary, let it be urged.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> <HI>But in Scripture, the Heathen or Pagan Governours were com|monly called Magi&s;trates, which name or appellation of State Offi|cers was given to the Jewi&s;h Judges and Governours; which implies, That heathen Governours were Ordained by God.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> <HI>First,</HI> The Title <HI>Magistrate, Ruler,</HI> or <HI>Governour,</HI> are terms equivolent to Officers in the Civil State, as <HI>Bi&s;hop, Elder,</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Judg. 18. 7. Ezra. 7. 25. Deut. 16. 18; &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>Pa&s;tor</HI> are in the Church-State. Where the Title, or Appella|tion of <HI>Ruler, Governour,</HI> or <HI>Magistrate,</HI> is given to Officers in the <HI>Jews</HI> Politick State, it is given to them, as &s;uch as were <HI>&s;o Ordained and Appointed of God;</HI> but there is not one Text can be &s;hewed in all the Old Te&s;tament, where any of the Lords People gave the Title of <HI>Magi&s;trate</HI> to <HI>Heathens.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Such as had <HI>Magisterial Rule</HI> and <HI>Government</HI> a|mong the <HI>Heathens,</HI> were <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> to them (or in the place <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 16. 20, 22, 35, 36, &amp;c.</NOTE> of <HI>Magi&s;trates)</HI> and therefore &s;o owned and di&s;tingui&s;hed with <HI>Heathens;</HI> but I read not that ever Chri&s;t, or the Apo&s;tles dig|nified any <HI>Heathens</HI> with the Title <HI>Magi&s;trate;</HI> Yet if they had, that clears not the matter; for as it is common in <HI>Heathen</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;tian States</HI> to take the Names of Offices and Officers, from the pattern and example of the <HI>Jewi&s;h,</HI> or <HI>Christian</HI> State; yet that makes them not to be the <HI>Ordinance of God,</HI> by having the Name, and not the Thing. It is po&s;&s;ible for a Cheat to counterfeit Letters Pattents, or Letters Te&s;timonial to crave the charitable benevolence of good People, in one or in many Countries, as a <HI>Per&s;on of E&s;tate, Credit, or U&s;efulne&s;s in the time of his Pro&s;perity, but is fallen into decay and poverty, by Fire, great Lo&s;&s;es at Sea,</HI> &amp;c. many of the&s;e Cheats have gone on long in their wickedne&s;s, and have been much pittied and relieved by Charitable People; but as the&s;e Cheats have been di&s;covered, and their villanies manife&s;t, tho&s;e &s;ober People who before pittied and &s;upplied them in their ignorance, will after turn to hate &s;uch wretches, and &s;eek to bring them to due puni&s;hment, an&s;wering their demerit. Thus the Antichri&s;tian Kings and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 2. 3, 4, 7, 9, 10.</NOTE>
<PB N="22" REF="12"> States have played the grand Cheats of the World, and have <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 2. and 17. 1, 2, 3, 4, &amp;c. and 18. 2, 3, 7.</NOTE> feigned their Mi&s;&s;ions, and Commi&s;&s;ions, and Succe&s;&s;ions to to be &s;igned and &s;ealed by God, when they were from the De|vil; and they tell the People of their u&s;efulne&s;s, and nece&s;&s;ity of their Government, to enlarge and &s;upport Kingdoms in Wealth, Peace, Riches, and Honour, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> But all is to &s;ub|ject the People to their Lu&s;ts, and mainly to &s;upport their Pride, Luxury, and Domination in the World. This vile hy|pocri&s;ie cannot be charged upon the Heathen, or Pagan Kings, for as they knew not God, nor ever received the holy Scrip|tures, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and Laws of God, they neither claimed, or held their Crowns by Divine Right from God, But attributed all their Victorious Succe&s;&s;es of War and Conque&s;t over Countrys or Kingdoms, to their Wi&s;dom, Courage, Strength and the Fa|vour of their Gods, to whom they &s;acrificed freely. But the Names of Bla&s;phemy are upon the Antichri&s;tian Bea&s;t|ly State, which now reigns in the Chri&s;tian World, as they a&s;|&s;ume the &s;acred Titles and Supremacy of God Almighty, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> pro|per only to the Father, and his Son Je&s;us the Chri&s;t. Thus the Antichri&s;tian States have long gone for, and been &s;ubject|ed to (by &s;imple Profe&s;&s;ors) for Gods Ordinance, and Gods Mini&s;try &s;ent by him. But when the&s;e great cheats of the world &s;hall be di&s;covered to be Hell-born-brats from the bot|tomle&s;s pit of deep coun&s;els, acted in the Spirit and power of the Devil, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>Tho&s;e very Nations and People, who bowed to the Bea&s;t, and committed fornication with that Scarlet Whore, will hate the Whore, and make her de&s;olate and naked, and will eat her fle&s;h, and burn her with fire.</HI> Rev. 13. 1, 5, 6, &amp; 17. 3. Rev. 11. 7. &amp; 12. 9. &amp; 13. 2. &amp; 17. 16.</P>
<P>There are &s;ome few other Texts urged, to prove <HI>Saints &s;ub|jection to Heathen Kings (in Civil things)</HI> although they were <HI>Tyrants,</HI> but the&s;e which I have &s;poken to are the chief; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and if the Tree be digged up by the Roots, the Branches will fall with the Body. There is yet no Scripture urged to prove <HI>the Ordi|nation of Pagan Kings, to be Magi&s;trates of God, appointed to go|vern his People;</HI> But the force of the be&s;t Arguments lye in &s;uppo&s;ed Examples, and mi&s;taken Scriptures, (as I humbly judge) of &s;ome Apo&s;tolick Precepts. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> But if the Lords Ser|vants did thorowly con&s;ider, That a Politick State is the fir&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1 9, 13, 14, and 16. 18. and 17. 14, 15, &amp;c. 2 Sam. 2. 3. &amp; 5. 3. 1 Sam. 8. 1, &amp;c.</NOTE>
<PB N="23" REF="12"> Seat of Power Admini&s;terial, (and only Mini&s;terial) and no ab&s;olute Monarchs of Gods ordaining) they mu&s;t al&s;o &s;ee, that evil Governours are the Effect of Power neglected, or abu&s;ed in the fir&s;t Seat of Power.</P>
<P>It is po&s;&s;ible for Kings, or Governours, who were rightly called or inve&s;ted with Mini&s;terial Authority, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> to fall from their Tru&s;t and become Tyrants. Of the&s;e the Scriptures give example. This is a ca&s;e different from that which I have &s;po|ken to; but if my judgement were de&s;ired in this point, I &s;hould thus give my under&s;tanding. <HI>That Tyrants (in this last &s;ence) are not to be obeyed as Magi&s;trates and Mini&s;ters of God up|on the&s;e two grounds.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> As they an&s;wer not the ends of Political Govern|ment, as Ordained by God.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> As Governours (by Gods Appointment) are un|der <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 2. 4 and 5. 3.</NOTE> Laws, Articles, and Covenants, with the People, who call them to Office and Authority; therefore if Governours break Covenant with the People, they break the bond of Re|lation, and the People are di&s;ingaged, on their part from Sub|jection. <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 12. 1, &amp;c. Ezek. 16. 38.</NOTE> That a People Oppo&s;ing or Depo&s;ing a wicked or op|pre&s;&s;ing King or Ruler, is no Oppo&s;ition to Magi&s;tracy, for they own and honour <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> as <HI>Gods Ordinance,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> when they &s;eek to depre&s;s or remove a wicked man in the place of a Ma|gi&s;trate.</P>
<P>But &s;ome again &s;uppo&s;e, <HI>That Heathen Kings were Lawful Magi&s;trates and Gods Ordinance, until the ri&s;e of Antichri&s;t, and &s;ince that time the Saints do owe no &s;ubjection to Antichri&s;t in his Political or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical State; or to the Ten Kings.</HI></P>
<P>This A&s;&s;ertion (in this latter State) is my Judgement; but I confe&s;&s;e, I know not how this can be maintained by Scripture-Warrant, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> but by granting Chri&s;t to be preinve&s;ted with all Royal Authority Civil and Spiritual (as <HI>Mediator)</HI> before Antichri&s;t aro&s;e. I know not any Scripture which hints the Deputation and Inve&s;tment of Chri&s;t into this Royal So|veraignty, at, or upon the ri&s;e of Antichri&s;t, but what was in him long before. And if Chri&s;t was inve&s;ted by the Father <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 28. 18. Eph. 1. 20, 21, &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>with all Power in Heaven and Earth,</HI> Then the <HI>Heathen Kings</HI> from Chri&s;ts time to the ri&s;e of Antichri&s;t, were <HI>U&s;urpers,</HI> and not <HI>the Ordinance of God, to be obeyed by Saints in Civil things.</HI></P>
<PB N="24" REF="13">
<P> But it is your thoughts (as I take it) that Antichri&s;t (in his Civil State) is the Ordinance of God Magi&s;terial, and to be obeyed by the Lords People in Civil things, as derived from the Heathen Magi&s;tratical <HI>Power,</HI> or from the <HI>Roman</HI> State. Your words are the&s;e.</P>
<P><HI>I take the Dragon to be the Old Pagan Empire, as it was acted by Satan in advancing Idolatrous Wor&s;hip. And by the Bea&s;t I mean the Roman Empire, as Antichri&s;tian, or rather Antichri&s;t agita|ted by Satan in advancing Idolatry and Super&s;tition under other Names: And therefore if it were not a &s;in in the one, to yeeld obe|dience; I do not &s;ee how it &s;hould be &s;in in the other, &s;ince Satan act|ed both.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Reply."> To this I make my humble Reply. </P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> I am not yet convinced from Scripture or Argument, That any Heathen Emperors or Kings were Ordained by God, to Rule and Govern his People from him as his Magi&s;trates or Mini&s;ters of State, who were acted and influenced by the De|vil, and an&s;wered not the ends of Magi&s;tracy, as Ordained by God.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> It is my under&s;tanding, That upon Chri&s;ts Bap|ti&s;me, he entered upon his Mediator&s;hip, and upon all his Me|diatory <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 3. 16, 17. John 1. 41.</NOTE> Offices actually, and vi&s;ibly in the World; and that all Di&s;ciples believing and vi&s;ibly clo&s;ing with Chri&s;t as Me|diator, Prophet, Prie&s;t, and King, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> were actually di&s;mi&s;t, and di&s;-ingaged from the Cur&s;e and Bondage of that Heathen Yoke, which was brought upon Gods Covenant-People, for <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 10. 27. John. 1. 41, 45.</NOTE> their Rebellions again&s;t God, his Laws, and Government.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> I can ea&s;ily grant, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> That the &s;ame Satan acted the <HI>Pagan Empire</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;t;</HI> and al&s;o that the <HI>Dragon,</HI> or <HI>Pagan Empire</HI> gave to the Bea&s;t <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> his Power, his <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ev. 13. 2</NOTE> Seat, and great Authority, <HI>viz.</HI> All that Power and Authori|ty in the <HI>Roman</HI> or <HI>We&s;tern Empire,</HI> which re&s;ted in the <HI>Dragon</HI> or the <HI>Devil</HI> to give. And this Power and Authority is all which the Bea&s;t <HI>Antichri&s;t</HI> ever had. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> But it is not proved that God ever gave unto the <HI>Devil</HI> &s;uch Power, or inve&s;ted the <HI>Pa|gan Empire,</HI> either with the power of Government in that Em|pire, or with Power and Authority, to Inve&s;t and In&s;tal ano|ther State to Rule as Gods <HI>Mini&s;ters.</HI> And it is my Judge|ment, that neither the <HI>Dragon</HI> had Power of Authority from
<PB N="25" REF="13"> God to con&s;titute a New State, or to divolve <HI>Civil Power and Authority Magi&s;terial (as Gods Ordinance) upon the Bea&s;t Anti|chri&s;t;</HI> or that Chri&s;tian Believers are bound (from God) to receive and obey <HI>Antichri&s;ts Commands in Civil things,</HI> becau&s;e the <HI>Dragon</HI> gave him his Power.</P>
<P>I humbly judge, That your Inference cannot be binding to the Lords People, until the&s;e two things be proved.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>That the Heathen Dragonical State was the Ordinance of God, intru&s;ted with Supream Authority Royal, in all the World, as Lord and Law-giver.</HI></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>That the Dragonical State, or Power, was Inve&s;ted, and Intru&s;ted by God, to con&s;titute another Supream Royal State, Civil in the World.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Acts of Royalty put out, proves not the Authority to be from God; but it is ground of &s;trong &s;u&s;picion (if not of de|mon&s;tration) That the <HI>Power</HI> and <HI>Authority</HI> which is acted <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 10. 5, &amp;c. 2 King. 24. 1, 2, &amp;c. 2 The&s;. 2. 10, 11.</NOTE> and influenced from the Devil, is not of Gods appointing or ordaining; but only by Gods permi&s;&s;ion and &s;uffering in his ju&s;t Judgements. And to this I may add, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> That throughout the Books of the Prophets and Apo&s;tles, <HI>Old Babylon,</HI> and <HI>My&s;tery Babylon,</HI> are declared the Objects, and Subjects of Divine Wrath and Vengeance, and therefore not the Ordinance of God, as mo&s;tly taken to be Divine. I can grant (that by cor|ruption) evil and vile men may get in, and be in power of Go|vernment, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 12. 8 Ho&s;. 5. 1. and 8. 4. I&s;a. 3. 1, 4.</NOTE> which is appointed by God, the which God doth not approve; but threatens, and judgeth where &s;uch offences are committed and not reformed. Now this is the evil of Per|&s;ons, and not the evil of Government, as ordained by God. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> And in that ca&s;e, the Lord by his righteous Judgments may, and doth puni&s;h a Nation, both with, and for wicked Kings and Rulers. God al&s;o preceptively, and providentially removed evil Kings and Rulers, in <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah,</HI> yet &s;till continu|ed <HI>Magi&s;tracy</HI> as his Ordinance; but both <HI>Babylon Litterally,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 24, 25, 26.</NOTE> and <HI>Babylon My&s;tically</HI> (in their Civil and Eccle&s;i&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ical States, &s;hall be perfectly de&s;troyed, which is yet remaining) and there|fore <NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 25. 12, 13. Rev. 18. 21, &amp;c</NOTE> neither the <HI>Dragon,</HI> or <HI>Antichri&s;t,</HI> are <HI>Magi&s;trates,</HI> or <HI>Magi&s;tracy,</HI> as <HI>Gods Ordinance.</HI></P>
<P>As for tho&s;e Inferences, or Arguments drawn from <HI>Pauls</HI> practice, and from <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Pauls</HI> Writings to Saints or
<PB N="26" REF="14"> Churches, I have given my under&s;tanding in them, and &s;o pa&s;s them; but to what I have &s;aid, I humbly crave leave to offer my thoughts in the&s;e Particulars following.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Particu."> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> I &s;ee it not clearly proved, <HI>That the Pagan Roman Cae&s;ars are &s;ignified by the Dragon,</HI> Rev. 12. 3, 4, &amp;c. <HI>but that the Dragon may rather repre&s;ent Antichri&s;t:</HI> for two Rea&s;ons.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, <HI>The Man of Sin, Antichri&s;t, &s;its in the Temple of God,</HI> 1 The&s;. 2. 4. <HI>And this Dragon appeared in Heaven,</HI> Rev. 12. 3. viz. <HI>in the vi&s;ible Church:</HI> which the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;ars</HI> did not.</P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>This Dragon drave the Woman into the Wilderne&s;s</HI> 1260 <HI>dayes, the &s;ame time with the Witne&s;&s;es prophe&s;ying in &s;ack|cloth,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev 12 6. and 11. 2, 3. &amp; 13. 5</NOTE> <HI>and one &s;tate of time with Antichri&s;ts Reign.</HI> Therefore the <HI>Dragon</HI> mu&s;t &s;ignifie Antichri&s;t, or the Antichri&s;tian State, and not the <HI>Pagan Roman</HI> State. For, if we take the <HI>Dragon</HI> for the <HI>Pagan Empire,</HI> then the <HI>Pagan</HI> Per&s;ecutions are included in the Antichri&s;tian Per&s;ecution of 1260 days; or el&s;e <HI>John</HI> only hints the <HI>Pagan</HI> Per&s;ecutions, and then falls into, and &s;tates the Antichri&s;tian Per&s;ecution, 1260 dayes.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Particu."> <HI>Secondly,</HI> It is not clear, <HI>That the Bea&s;t ari&s;ing out of the Sea,</HI> Rev. 13. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and <HI>Daniels fourth Beast,</HI> are one <HI>Bea&s;t,</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 1. Dan. 7. 7. 2 The&s;. 2 7. Rev. 17 18.</NOTE> both repre&s;enting the <HI>Roman Empire:</HI> I humbly judge, That upon the fall of <HI>Daniels fourth Bea&s;t, the Bea&s;t with ten Horns Crowned</HI> then aro&s;e, <HI>over whom the Woman reigns;</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and &s;o is the Kingdom of the <HI>Bea&s;t Antichrist,</HI> as they are profe&s;&s;ed Chri&s;ti|an <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Joh. 2. 22. 2 The&s;. 2 7.</NOTE> States, and yet oppo&s;e and deny the Fathers, and the Sons Soveraignty. <HI>Paul</HI> infers that the <HI>Pagan Empire</HI> cea&s;ed, or was taken away when Antichri&s;t aro&s;e, and every of the <HI>ten horns,</HI> or <HI>kingdoms,</HI> as they put on Crowns, they became en|tire and di&s;tinct Monarchies. So <HI>Daniel</HI> makes the <HI>little horn,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7. 8.</NOTE> Antichri&s;t, to be another, or di&s;tinct &s;upernumerary <HI>horn</HI> to the <HI>ten horns</HI> of the <HI>Roman Bea&s;t; three of which ten horns, this little horn plucked up. Johns Vi&s;ion of the Beast with ten horns crowned, upon whom the Woman &s;its,</HI> I take to be a more ample <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 1. Rev. 17. 3, 18.</NOTE> and full di&s;cription of the Antichri&s;tian State in general; but neither <HI>Daniel,</HI> or <HI>John</HI> make God the Appointer or Ordainer of either of tho&s;e States, as <HI>Pagan,</HI> or Antichri&s;tian; neither do I &s;ee, but when the <HI>Bea&s;t Antichri&s;t had driven the Church into</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 12. 6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>the Wilderne&s;s,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> the Chri&s;tian Church in the Wilderne&s;s became as di&s;tinct and free a State from Antichri&s;t, as <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was from <HI>Egypt,</HI> when they were in the Wilderne&s;s.</P>
<PB N="27" REF="14">
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Partic."> <HI>Thirdly,</HI> I am greatly per&s;waded, the <HI>Bea&s;t, Rev.</HI> 13. 11, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is the <HI>Beast a&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ending out of the bottomle&s;s pit, Rev.</HI> 11. 7. and is a di&s;tinct <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> from that <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> though the latter Bea&s;t po&s;&s;e&s;s one of the <HI>ten horns,</HI> or <HI>kingdoms</HI> of the <HI>Pa|gan Empire.</HI> That Bea&s;t which a&s;cends out of the bottomle&s;s pit, and kills the Witne&s;&s;es, po&s;&s;e&s;&s;eth or reigns over the great and chief Street of <HI>My&s;tery Babylon, &s;piritually called Sodom, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 11. 7, 8.</NOTE> <HI>Egypt,</HI> or one <HI>horn</HI> and <HI>kingdom of the Bea&s;t;</HI> which Bea&s;t is more fully de&s;cribed, <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 11, 12, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> All the <HI>ten horns</HI> of the great Bea&s;t, or the ten &s;treets of <HI>Babylon</HI> as a City, were un|der the Whore; and that Woman reigned over the whole im|mediately, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 17. 3, 18.</NOTE> for the mo&s;t part of the 1260 dayes. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> But this Bea&s;t <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. the Holy Gho&s;t de&s;cribes to be another Bea&s;t, di&s;tinct from the former; and as it were one of the <HI>horns,</HI> rending and &s;eparating it &s;elf from the other Body, or &s;ubjection from the Woman, under a &s;eeming pretence of Reformation, or of more Purity, and ea&s;ie Government to the former, but is &s;till the <HI>Dragon</HI> in cruelty and tyranny.</P>
<P>That this is a di&s;tinct Bea&s;t from the former is evident. As,</P>
<P><HI>First,</HI> This Bea&s;t, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 11. had another original from <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 1. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>The first Beast aro&s;e out of the Sea,</HI> viz. Confu&s;ion in the <HI>Roman</HI> State; but <HI>this Beast aro&s;e out of the Earth,</HI> viz. Earthly and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></NOTE> carnal Wi&s;dom, or Prudence of State, to ca&s;t off Imperial Pa|pal Juri&s;diction over them.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> This Bea&s;t had <HI>two horns,</HI> or <HI>two Powers,</HI> viz. the <HI>Sword,</HI> and the <HI>Keys;</HI> Power <HI>Civil</HI> and <HI>Eccle&s;iastical.</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> The <HI>ten Kings,</HI> had only <HI>ten horns,</HI> viz. <HI>Civil Power;</HI> and the Woman which rode them, kept the <HI>Keys</HI> from them all; and this Bea&s;t got <HI>two horns,</HI> viz. both <HI>Powers</HI> to him&s;elf.</P>
<P>But the <HI>two horns</HI> of this Bea&s;t, are &s;aid to be <HI>horns like a</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 11.</NOTE> <HI>Lamb,</HI> viz.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t, Horns (like a Lamb)</HI> but new budding or putting forth, very tender and able to do little hurt.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly, Horns (like a Lamb)</HI> viz. Powers meekned and abated of that hardne&s;s and &s;trength, as was in the <HI>ten horns;</HI> or Powers greatly limited and re&s;trained, to what the former <HI>hornes</HI> were: and yet this Bea&s;t &s;till &s;pake as a <HI>Dragon,</HI> viz. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 11.</NOTE> he lays claim to Imperial Maje&s;ty, as ab&s;olute Monarch in his Dominions.</P>
<PB N="28" REF="15">
<P> <HI>Thirdly,</HI> Again, it is &s;aid of this Bea&s;t, <HI>And he exerci&s;eth</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 12.</NOTE> <HI>[all the Power of the first Beast before him] viz.</HI> All the Pow|er of the whol Antichri&s;t, Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical; therefore this is another Antichri&s;t, di&s;tinct from the former, <HI>viz.</HI> the Antichri&s;t with <HI>ten horns.</HI> Mark the words, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>He exerci&s;eth (or putteth out) all the power of the former Beast,</HI> in Church and in State; yet not by donation, or de&s;ignation from the for|mer <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 12.</NOTE> Bea&s;t, as the former Bea&s;t did by de&s;ignation from the <HI>Dragon,</HI> but meerly by abruption, or breaking off from the for|mer Bea&s;t, and &s;o a&s;&s;uming ab&s;olute Juri&s;diction Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical in his own Kingdom, as <HI>Hen.</HI> 8. did.</P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> It is further &s;aid of this Bea&s;t, <HI>And he had power to give Life to the Image of the Beast,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>viz.</HI> To the whole <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> form of the Government of the former great Bea&s;t, (or the old Antichri&s;t) in Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Juri&s;diction. Or this Bea&s;t with <HI>two horns,</HI> had power to give life, breath, or efficacy to Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Officers; to force and com|pel obedience to all his Laws, Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, as any <NOTE PLACE="marg">See the Acts of Allegiance and Supre|macy.</NOTE> of the Emperors, Kings, or Popes did, or do in their Domi|nions. From all which we may Ob&s;erve,</P>
<P><HI>First,</HI> That this Bea&s;t is not &s;aid to act his own Power &s;ing|ly and &s;imply, but he acts the Power of others. <HI>And he had</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Power to give Life.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> Though it is &s;aid, <HI>He had Power to give Life,</HI> but not &s;aid to be from God, or the <HI>Dragon,</HI> or the former Bea&s;t; therefore it mu&s;t follow that this Bea&s;t had his Power from the Earth, <HI>viz.</HI> from that earthly Intere&s;t out of which he aro&s;e, and &s;o is one of the Kings of the Earth.</P>
<P><HI>Thirdly, He had Power to give Life to the Image of the former Beast;</HI> Therefore this Bea&s;t, and the former Bea&s;t differ, as a Bea&s;t and the Image of that Bea&s;t differ. This latter Bea&s;t hath the Power of the former Bea&s;t Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, but not lo fully and ab&s;olutely. The Pope of <HI>Rome,</HI> and other Mo|narchs are Powers ab&s;olute, and Independant from the People; but this Bea&s;t with <HI>two horns</HI> is a Power under limitation and re&s;traint, both Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, and is but the Image, Likene&s;s, or Picture of the former great Antichri&s;t, and not the &s;ame Bea&s;t.</P>
<P>I might mention other di&s;tinct marks &s;et upon this latter
<PB N="29" REF="15"> Bea&s;t, to difference him from the former Bea&s;t, and yet &s;hew him to be one in Nature with the other Bea&s;t; &s;o that both make up but the great Bea&s;t Antichri&s;t in the whole: Yet they are &s;o di&s;tinct, that they are properly two Bea&s;ts, and two An|tichri&s;ts, which may be di&s;tingui&s;hed mo&s;t properly by Anti|chri&s;t <HI>Papal,</HI> and Antichri&s;t <HI>Prote&s;tant;</HI> and if this New Name of Antichri&s;t hold good, and Antichri&s;t be really found and di&s;|covered in the name and &s;hew of a Prote&s;tant or Prote&s;tanti&s;m, then Satan, the Devil, or Dragon, is di&s;covered in his Cheats. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> In influencing Heathen, or Pagan Powers. <HI>Secondly,</HI> As <NOTE PLACE="marg">Satans cheats di&s;covered.</NOTE> influencing Antichri&s;tian Powers Papal. <HI>Thirdly,</HI> As influ|encing Antichri&s;tian Powers Prote&s;tant, under which many Saints deeply &s;uffer in &s;everal Countries, as will be more ma|nife&s;ted in little time, as I humbly judge.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Partic."> <HI>Fourthly,</HI> I take the <HI>Politick Sate</HI> of this Nation to be dif|ferent and di&s;tinct from the <HI>Four Empires;</HI> It is plain both <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 5. 19. ver&s;. 30, 31. and 8. 3, &amp;c.</NOTE> from <HI>Prophecy</HI> and <HI>Hi&s;tory,</HI> That the <HI>Four Empires</HI> aro&s;e by the <HI>Sword</HI> and <HI>Conque&s;t</HI> &s;ucce&s;&s;ively, and &s;o gave Laws at plea&s;ure. And though we &s;hould grant, that <HI>William</HI> of <HI>Normandy</HI> inva|ded <HI>England</HI> by the <HI>Sword</HI> and <HI>Pollicy,</HI> and was called, <HI>William the Conqueror,</HI> yet he could not hold his Monarchy, but by <HI>A|greement</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">The People of <HI>England</HI> are the fir&s;t Seat of Power</NOTE> <HI>with the People,</HI> and <HI>to Rule by Law.</HI> Therefore by the Civil Con&s;titution of <HI>England, The People are the fir&s;t Seat of Power;</HI> and the Kings of <HI>England</HI> have been as well bound by Oath to Govern by Law, as the People are bound by Oath, or Law, to &s;ubject to Kings as Governours in Chief.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Partic."> <HI>Fifthly,</HI> and la&s;tly; The Lords People in <HI>England,</HI> have by the Light of the Go&s;pel, and brightne&s;s of Chri&s;ts coming, (and <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 3. 3, 4, 8</NOTE> with the &s;mart of Heatheni&s;h and Antichri&s;tian Tyranny) made great di&s;coveries of the <HI>Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition, who oppo&s;eth and exalteth him&s;elf above all that is called God;</HI> Ty|rannizing over their Souls and Bodys; and now &s;ighing and &s;ay|ing, <HI>O Lord our God, other Lords be&s;ides thee have had Dominion over us; but now by thee only will we make mention of thy Name,</HI> I&s;a. 26. 13.</P>
<P>Now for the Lords Remnant, under and after all the&s;e Bonds and Engagements to God, and one to another, with ex|periences of Gods appearing for them; for them to turn back to <HI>Egypt</HI> and <HI>Babylon,</HI> and break Covenant with God, and one
<PB N="30" REF="16"> with another; For <HI>them</HI> again to &s;et up what they had de|&s;troyed in Gods Name, Spirit, and Power, and from which they were redeemed by &s;o great Grace, through many Prayers, with the exhau&s;ting of &s;o great Trea&s;ure, and the price of &s;o much Blood of Saints, with others; and again (for tho&s;e re|deemed Souls) to &s;ubmit their Necks to the &s;ame Yoke of Ty|ranny: this mu&s;t needs be a &s;in of high nature, and dreadfully provoking God.</P>
<P>SIR,</P>
<P>YOu were plea&s;ed to give your Under&s;tanding upon &s;eve|ral Pa&s;&s;ages in that Paper, which I willingly pa&s;s, as loath to take up much of your time to read over my thoughts in every particular; but if the Lord &s;hall be plea&s;ed to bring to light more of his &s;ecret Will, and our Duty in our Day, this Labour will not be lo&s;t, or this time meerly &s;pent; and it will be found both our honour and our Souls quiet, to be witne&s;&s;ing for Chri&s;t again&s;t Antichri&s;t, however it goes with our outward man.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>The 10th. Month, the 12th. Day,</HI> 1667.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="letter">
<PB N="31" REF="16">
<OPENER><SALUTE>SIR,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>SOme dayes after I had written my thoughts in what I judged then meet in return to yours, I was under &s;ome conviction in my &s;elf, that I had not fully explained my Under&s;tanding upon <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> a Scripture which I had &s;everal times cited in a &s;ence which &s;ome do not receive. I am therefore humbly bold to add the&s;e Lines as a <HI>Post-&s;cript</HI> to the former. I find it is the opinion of &s;ome men (godly and learned) <HI>That the Pagan Roman</HI> Cae&s;ars <HI>were, and the Antichri&s;tian Kings are (though idolatrous, bea&s;tly, bloody Ty|rants) the Magi&s;trates and Mini&s;ters of God, Con&s;tituted and Or|dained, and Inve&s;ted by God with all Supream Authority (in Civil affairs) to rule over the Lords People; and that the Saints are commanded by God to &s;ubmit, and &s;ubject to tho&s;e Powers (in their Bodies and E&s;tates) for the Lords &s;ake, and for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> This I humbly judge is Written, Printed, Preached, and Pro|fe&s;&s;ed, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>It &s;eems to me, That the Old Te&s;tament (the Law and Pro|phets, which &s;peak mo&s;t of Political Government) are yet &s;i|lent in this point, neither recording the time when, the man|ner how, or the words of Gods Commi&s;&s;ion, and their Inve&s;t|ment into &s;uch ab&s;olute Soveraign Authority over his People; nor is there (as I know, or can be produced) any one Text from the Old Te&s;tament, where God by <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> or any of the Prophets commanded his People to &s;ubmit to <HI>Pagan Roman Cae&s;ars,</HI> or <HI>Antichri&s;tian, Idolatrous, Bea&s;tly, bloody Tyrants (as Gods Ordinance) for the Lords &s;ake, or for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> But the proof of this Doctrine is taken out of the New Te&s;tament; and two great Apo&s;tles of Chri&s;t, <HI>Peter</HI> and <HI>Paul,</HI> are made the only Fathers of this Opinion, which I de&s;ire to examine.</P>
<P>The Ri&s;e and Original of the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;ars</HI> (or the 4^t^h. Em|pire) was fir&s;t fore-&s;hewed by the Prophet <HI>Daniel,</HI> in the&s;e words; <HI>After this I &s;aw in the Night-Vi&s;ions, and behold, a fourth Bea&s;t, dreadful and terrible, and &s;trong exceedingly; and it</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7. 7. ex|pounded. v. 23.</NOTE> <HI>had great iron teeth; it devoured, and brake in pieces, and &s;tamped the re&s;idue with the feet of it. And it was divers from all the Bea&s;ts</HI>
<PB N="32" REF="17"> <HI>that were before it; and it had ten horns.</HI> Here <HI>Daniel</HI> (in his time) de&s;cribed the <HI>fourth Empire,</HI> whence it was, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 3. after what it was, and how it acted in power and &s;trength (by Gods per|mi&s;&s;ion) but not by Gods In&s;titution and Commi&s;&s;ion, that can be proved.</P>
<P>The Ri&s;e and Original al&s;o of Antichri&s;t (or the Antichri&s;ti|an State) I take to be darkly repre&s;ented by <HI>Daniel, in the lit|tle</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 7. 8. ver&s;. 24, 25, 26, 27.</NOTE> <HI>horn that came up among the ten horns</HI> of the <HI>Roman Empire,</HI> or <HI>Roman Bea&s;t;</HI> and how that acted al&s;o (by Gods permi&s;&s;ion) and how that <HI>Horn</HI> and <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> &s;hall end.</P>
<P>But this <HI>Horn</HI> or <HI>Bea&s;t</HI> is &s;hewed to the Apo&s;tle <HI>John,</HI> and de&s;cribed fully <HI>Rev.</HI> 13. 1, 2, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> which is generally taken to repre&s;ent, the Antichri&s;tian State Civil or Political. The Ri&s;e of this <HI>Bea&s;t, was out of the Sea; and he had ten horns, and upon his horns ten Crowns, and upon his Heads the names of Bla&s;|phemy,</HI> ver&s;. 1. <HI>The Dragon</HI> (or the Devil) <HI>gave this Beast his Power, and his Seat, and great Authority,</HI> ver&s;. 2. <HI>And there was given him a mouth (viz.</HI> to the Bea&s;t Antichri&s;t) <HI>&s;peaking great things, and Bla&s;phemies,</HI> ver&s;. 5. <HI>And he opened his mouth in Bla&s;phemies again&s;t God, to bla&s;pheme his Name, and his Taber|nacle, and them that dwell in Heaven,</HI> ver&s;. 6. <HI>And it was given him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them,</HI> ver&s;. 7. Now when the Original of Antichri&s;t is thus plainly &s;et out, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> That his Power, Seat, and great Authority is from the Devil; his work to Bla&s;pheme God, and his Wor&s;hip, and to make war with, and overcome the Saints; how unrea&s;onable and un|warranted &s;eems that A&s;&s;ertion, which yet makes the <HI>Pagan Roman Cae&s;ars,</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;tian Kings, to be Con&s;tituted, Or|dained, and Inve&s;ted by God with all Supream, Magi&s;terial Autho|rity, to rule over his People (in Civil Affairs) and that the Saints owe &s;ubmi&s;&s;ion, and &s;ubjection unto tho&s;e Powers, in their Bodies and Estates, how intollerable, bloody, and tyrannical &s;oever they be.</HI> But (to me) there &s;eems to be an unan&s;werable Argument couched again&s;t this, <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 7. in the&s;e words; <HI>And it was given him to make war with the Saints, and to overcome them.</HI> From hence I argue,</P>
<P>If in the ri&s;ing State, or under the Antichri&s;tian Civil State, the Saints were in Arms lawfully, upon their own defence, again&s;t Antichri&s;t in his Civil State, and Antichri&s;t overcame
<PB N="33" REF="17"> the Saints in war; then the Saints had Civil Priviledges which they lawfully defended again&s;t Antichri&s;t: But under the Ci|vil State of Antichri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c. Ergo.</HI></P>
<P>I will not follow this Argument as I might, to prove it from the con&s;ent of Scriptures, and Hi&s;tory; but I &s;hall humbly add my thoughts upon the&s;e words (which &s;ome think there is much in for Antichri&s;t) <HI>viz. And it was given him;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. 7.</NOTE></P>
<P>Here we are to enquire, <HI>First,</HI> Who is here to be under|der&s;tood by this particle <HI>him.</HI></P>
<P>To this the An&s;wer is clear, <HI>It is the Bea&s;t Antichrist,</HI> v. 1, 2.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> What Power Antichri&s;t had?</P>
<P>The An&s;wer is common, <HI>viz. Civil Power to make war, or power and &s;trength to rai&s;e Armies, and make war with, and over|come the Saints.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> How Antichri&s;t had or came by this Power?</P>
<P>To this the Text an&s;wers; <HI>It was given him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fourthly,</HI> But the great Que&s;tion is, Who gave Antichri&s;t this Power? <HI>viz.</HI> God, or &s;ome other?</P>
<P>The An&s;wer is plain, <HI>The Dragon gave him his Power, and</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 13. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"></NOTE> <HI>his Seat, and great Authority.</HI></P>
<P>Now when the holy Gho&s;t is thus plain, and punctual in de|&s;cribing Antichri&s;t in the Original of his Power, and in the improvement of it, again&s;t God, Holine&s;s and Saints; that yet Antichri&s;t &s;hould be a&s;&s;erted, <HI>the Ordinance of God,</HI> and <HI>Mi|ni&s;ter of God, &amp;c.</HI> I confe&s;s I &s;ee no ground for it from the&s;e Scriptures.</P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> But it is &s;aid by Saints to Antichri&s;t, as Chri&s;t once &s;aid to <HI>Pilate; Thou coulde&s;t have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above; therefore he that delivered me to thee,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Joh. 19. 10, 11.</NOTE> <HI>had the greater &s;in.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> To this I Reply, That (in like manner as <HI>Pilate</HI> was) <HI>Anti|christ</HI> was permitted of God (in whom it was to have hindred it) to ari&s;e and get &s;trength, and power to make war with the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 2. 5, 10.</NOTE> Saints, and to overcome them, either for trial of their Faith, or rebuke of their &s;in. <HI>Pilate</HI> and the <HI>Jews</HI> could have put out <NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 2. 22, 23. Rom. 9. 17.</NOTE> no act of power again&s;t Chri&s;t, or Antichri&s;t again&s;t the Saints, but as God permitted and &s;uffered, in his own wi&s;dom and coun&s;el, to bring to pa&s;s his de&s;ignes of greater Grace, Power, and Glory. So the Devil had no power over <HI>Job,</HI> but as God <NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 1. 9, 10,</NOTE>
<PB N="34" REF="18"> &s;uffered and permitted. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> And I &s;ee not but by the &s;ame Argu|ment that the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI> and <HI>Antichri&s;tian Kings</HI> are a&s;&s;ert|ed to be <HI>the Ordinance of God, and to be obeyed by the Lords People;</HI> by the &s;ame Argument the Devil mu&s;t be acknowledged to be <HI>the Orninance of God, and to be obeyed by the Saints.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="Object."> Or if it be &s;aid, <HI>That God doth the Saints good by the Afflictions and Per&s;ecutions from Tyrants.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3. 22, 23</NOTE></P>
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="An&s;w."> I &s;ay, That God by his Wi&s;dom, Grace, and Power, &s;o or|ders all for the good of Saints, inward or outward, and yet <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom 8. 28.</NOTE> neither the Devil, or wicked men are the efficient cau&s;e of that good which comes to Saints by &s;anctified afflictions. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> Therefore I yet &s;ee not any Scripture-proof, that the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;ars,</HI> or <HI>An|tichri&s;tian Kings are the Ordinance of God, and to be obeyed by the Saints, in their Bodies and E&s;tates, for the Lords &s;ake, and for Con|&s;cience &s;ake;</HI> becau&s;e God u&s;eth the&s;e Rods to cha&s;tize the Saints with. As there hath no Heathen or Antichri&s;tian State ari&s;en in the World but by Gods Permi&s;&s;ion and Providence, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan 4. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> &s;o there hath been a concurrance of Natural Cau&s;es, leading to &s;uch Changes of States and Governments (God &s;ecretly car|rying on his de&s;ignes in them) and yet &s;o as the Agents or In|&s;truments therein have not &s;een God in tho&s;e things, and &s;o they have been cur&s;ed in the de&s;ignes which they have accom|pli&s;hed again&s;t the Lords People and Intere&s;t. Thus the <HI>Hea|then</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 10. 5, 6, &amp;c Mat. 27. 1, 2, &amp;c. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ct. 2. 22, 23.</NOTE> <HI>State, Judas,</HI> and the <HI>Jews,</HI> came under the Cur&s;e for de|&s;troying <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> for betraying Chri&s;t, and putting him to death, although they fulfilled the determinate Coun&s;el of God. Therefore what Chri&s;t &s;aid of <HI>Judas,</HI> may be &s;aid of every apo|&s;tate Profe&s;&s;or, who (for gain or &s;elf ends) hath either former|ly or in later times, betrayed the Lords Intere&s;t and People into the hands of Antichri&s;tian Kings (though by Gods &s;ecret coun&s;el and permi&s;&s;ion.) The di&s;tre&s;&s;ed Saints may &s;ay, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> <HI>He</HI> (or they) <HI>that delivered us into the hands of bea&s;tly bloody men,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hn 19. 11</NOTE> <HI>have the greater &s;in.</HI></P>
<P>But &s;till &s;ome &s;uppo&s;e that they have but done their duty, and to confirm their opinion and practice, in &s;ubjecting unto <HI>Pagan,</HI> or <HI>Antichri&s;tian Kings</HI> (as having power of Rule over them in Civil Affairs, by Gods appointment) they urge the Writings of <HI>Peter,</HI> and both <HI>Pauls</HI> Doctrine and Practice; but the two chief Corner Stones on which they found their Opi|nion,
<PB N="35" REF="18"> is, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 2. 13, 14. and <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1. Of the&s;e Scriptures therefore, I will take a further view.</P>
<P>The words of <HI>Peter</HI> are the&s;e: <HI>Submit your &s;elves to every Or|dinance</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pe<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 2. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"></NOTE> <HI>of Man, for the Lords &s;ake, whether it be to the King as Supream, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>In the&s;e words <HI>Peter</HI> enjoyns Saints univer&s;al obedience to every Ordinance of Man, or Law of Man (as &s;ome take it) Civil and Eccle&s;ia&s;tical; not con&s;idering the &s;tate, condition, or quality of the Kings, <HI>Pagan,</HI> or <HI>Antichristian.</HI> But as <HI>Peter</HI> wrote this to Saints under the <HI>Pagan Roman Cae&s;ars,</HI> it is taken for granted, that <HI>Peter</HI> in his time commanded tho&s;e Saints to &s;ubmit to every Ordinance of tho&s;e Emperours (without ex|ception) though idolat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ous, bea&s;tly, bloody Tyrants.</P>
<P>Some men again (godly and learned) &s;ee cau&s;e to put a re|&s;triction upon <HI>Peters</HI> univer&s;al, and &s;ay, That <HI>Peters</HI> exhorta|tion to Saints in that day, was to &s;ubmit to every Ordinance of Man in Civil Affairs concerning the Bodies and E&s;tates of Saints; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> But the Saints Con&s;ciences to God, in Spiritual things were, and are only under the Government and Ordinances of God and Chri&s;t. And this their po&s;ition they prove from other Texts, and the currant of Scripture. But I have given my &s;ence upon this place in the former Papers, and therefore pa&s;s it here.</P>
<P>But the main and chief Text in all the Scriptures urged, are the words of <HI>Paul,</HI> written to the Saints at <HI>Rome.</HI> His words are the&s;e,</P>
<P><HI>Let every &s;oul be &s;ubject to the higher Powers; for there is no Power but of God: the Powers that be, are ordained</HI> (or ordered) <HI>of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 1</NOTE> <HI>God.</HI></P>
<P>From this Text, &s;ome argue thus.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> That <HI>Paul</HI> commands a univer&s;al obedience to the Higher Powers (by Saints and Sinners) <HI>Let every &s;oul.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> The <HI>Powers (that be) are ordained of God. Paul</HI> &s;aith not, <HI>The Powers that have been,</HI> or, <HI>the Powers that &s;hall be, are Ordained of God;</HI> But, <HI>the Powers [which be] are Ordained of God.</HI> And the Powers which then were in being, were the <HI>Pa|gan Roman Cae&s;ars,</HI> idolatrous, bea&s;tly, bloody Tyrants; the which command is &s;till binding to Chri&s;tians under the like Powers.</P>
<P>From this Text, &s;ome give the &s;ole Supream Power to
<PB N="36" REF="19"> Kings to rule over mens Bodies and Souls, as God. Some a|gain re&s;train the Royal Power of Kings only to the Bodies of Saints in Civil Affairs, and give the Soveraignty of Souls to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph 1. 21, 22, 23.</NOTE> Chri&s;t, <HI>as Head of the Church,</HI> upon the grounds before expre&s;t.</P>
<P>But I mu&s;t take the humble boldne&s;s (in Truths behalf) to di&s;&s;ent from others in their &s;en&s;e upon this Text&punc; I humbly judge, that this Text proves neither the one nor the others opi|nion, though &s;ome be godly and learned, as to the opinion of tho&s;e, who from this Text (or any other) do give the &s;ole Su|pream Power to Men, as Lords, and Law-givers to others, both for Soul and Body; I pa&s;s them by.</P>
<P>But to tho&s;e godly and Learned, who from this Text (or any other) do plead for Saints Subjection to <HI>Pagan,</HI> or <HI>Anti|chri&s;tian Kings</HI> (though idolatrous, bea&s;tly, bloody Tyrants) in Civil Affai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s, or Temporal Juri&s;diction, <HI>for the Lords &s;ake, and for Con&s;cience &s;ake.</HI> I humbly Reply, that they mi&s;take the Apo&s;tle, and mi&s;-apply the Text, who &s;o take the place; and to the&s;e I humbly offer the&s;e my Rea&s;ons, again&s;t that &s;en&s;e, to con&s;ideration.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> <HI>First,</HI> Though <HI>Paul</HI> &s;ay, <HI>Let every &s;oul be &s;ubject to the high|er Powers;</HI> yet he doth not &s;ay, Let every &s;oul be &s;ubject to the higher Powers in all Civil Affairs, concerning Bodies and E&s;tates; neither doth he &s;ay, to <HI>Pagan,</HI> or to <HI>Antichri&s;tian Powers,</HI> but with re&s;triction, <HI>to Powrs ordained of God,</HI> <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> as his Mini&s;ters of State. Therefore, though <HI>Paul</HI> commands &s;ub|jection <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> from <HI>every &s;oul,</HI> yet it is not in all things, or to all Per|&s;ons, or Powers, but as <HI>Ordained by God.</HI></P>
<P>My thoughts are, That tho&s;e who &s;ee cau&s;e to re&s;train gene|ral Scriptures (which &s;peak of Soveraign Magi&s;terial Power) to Civil Juri&s;diction over the outward man; and except their Power and Juri&s;diction (over &s;ouls in Spiritual and Eccle&s;ia&s;ti|cal things) will (upon good con&s;ideration) &s;ee cau&s;e al&s;o to re|&s;train Magi&s;terial Power and Juri&s;diction, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> over Bodies in Civil things, and will not &s;train Texts again&s;t the currant of Scrip|tures, to prove what they do not hint.</P>
<P>If we take the&s;e words of <HI>Paul,</HI> (or <HI>Peter)</HI> as commanding Saints &s;ubjection to the Higher Powers, (be they what they will) in all outward things; <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> this takes away the Soveraignty of God over Man in all outward things, and nulls the moral
<PB N="37" REF="19"> Law, which &s;ets bounds between man and man, Superiour and Inferiour. Therefore upon this ground the Apo&s;tle cannot be taken in that &s;en&s;e, <HI>viz.</HI> to give a power to &s;ome men <HI>(viz.</HI> to Kings) to command others to break Gods Moral Laws, which Moral Laws <HI>Paul</HI> him&s;elf maintained, and al&s;o taught others in his Epi&s;tles.</P>
<P>But I &s;hall humbly give my &s;ence upon this Text (as of o|ther the like Scriptures) That both <HI>Paul</HI> and <HI>Peter</HI> do only call and command Saints Obedience, to all Lawful Magi&s;trates, in all Lawful things commanded by God, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> and therein enjoynes &s;ubjection to Saints, <HI>for the Lords &s;ake, and for Con&s;cience &s;ake, as to God.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Rea&s;on,"> <HI>Secondly,</HI> The &s;cope of the Apo&s;tle in this place (as I judge) is to pre&s;s Saints to &s;ubmit and &s;ubject to Higher Powers, or Magi&s;trates, as <HI>Ordained and &s;et over them by God,</HI> as his Mini|&s;ters in State for their good, to re&s;train &s;ins again&s;t the Moral <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 1, 2, &amp;c. Exod. 18. 15, 16, &amp;c. 2 Chr. 19. 6, 7.</NOTE> Law, and to maintain Ju&s;tice, Equity, and Peace between man and man. <HI>Paul</HI> de&s;cribes not here the&s;e Mini&s;ters of State by Names, but by their Qualities, and gives only a general de|&s;cription of Magi&s;tracy, to be obeyed, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> as Mini&s;ters <HI>Ordained by God.</HI></P>
<P>In the &s;ame way, and after the &s;ame manner that <HI>Paul</HI> de|&s;cribes <HI>Antichri&s;t, the Man of Sin, the Son of Perdition,</HI> to be <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;. 2. 3, 4. Rev. 14 9, 10. Rev. 13. 1, &amp;c,</NOTE> rejected of Saints; he here de&s;cribes the true Magi&s;trates of God, to be obeyed by the Lords People, for the Lords &s;ake.</P>
<P>Surely tho&s;e have little &s;ight who &s;ee not, that the general Government of Nations is &s;till bea&s;tly Tyranny, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> both by Hea|then and Antichri&s;tian Kings, rather than the Government of God for the good of Mankind. But many are &s;tumbled at the&s;e words of <HI>Paul, The Powers that be.</HI> The great que&s;tion here is, <NOTE PLACE="marg">The que&s;tion to what Pow|ers Paul re|fers.</NOTE> to what Powers the Apo&s;tle refers? <HI>viz.</HI> Whether to the <HI>Pa|gan Cae&s;ars</HI> Power, who were then Monarchs of all the World, or to the Civil Power and Juri&s;diction then exerci&s;ed among&s;t the Saints, as far as they could, or to Magi&s;tracy, as ordained and con&s;tituted by God in the Jewi&s;h State.</P>
<P>If we take the Apo&s;tle in either of the latter &s;en&s;es, there is Scripture-grounds for it; but if we refer <HI>Pauls</HI> words to the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;ars State,</HI> there is only this poor plea for it, That <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 1, 2, with Pa<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ls time.</NOTE> the <HI>Pagan Cae&s;ars</HI> were then being, and reigning in the World;
<PB N="38" REF="20"> but an&s;wered not to the qualifications of tho&s;e Mini&s;ters of God as <HI>Paul</HI> de&s;cribeth, <HI>Magi&s;trates Ordained by God, now an&s;wer|ing the ends of Government.</HI> The <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> then being and reigning <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 3, 4, 5</NOTE> in the World, is but a circum&s;tance of time, but the qualifica|tions of Rulers, and the ends of Government, are E&s;&s;entials in <HI>Magi&s;tracy;</HI> and therefore to expound <HI>Paul</HI> by a conceived circum&s;tance, when and where the E&s;&s;entials of Government <HI>(as Ordained by God)</HI> are wanting, cannot be held Orthodox and &s;ound. But if we take <HI>Paul</HI> in the&s;e words, <HI>The Powers that be,</HI> to refer to that Civil Power and Juri&s;diction re&s;ting at that time, and &s;eated in the Saints by God, (according to the <HI>Moral Law</HI> given to <HI>I&s;rael)</HI> there is much Rea&s;on and Scrip|ture to confirm this Expo&s;ition.</P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> Before Chri&s;t left the World, he devolved the admi|ni&s;tration of all that Power and Authority (Civil and Spiri|tual) <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 28. 18, &amp;, Mat. 25. 14. Mar. 13. 34.</NOTE> over his own People, (as intru&s;ted with him by the Fa|ther) to his own Servants.</P>
<P><HI>Secondly,</HI> In <HI>Pauls</HI> time, there were Saints in the Churches who were fitted and qualified for Civil Governours or Ma|gi&s;trates. <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 4.</NOTE></P>
<P><HI>Thirdly,</HI> In Pauls time, the Sain<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s had &s;ufficient Laws, and power of Juri&s;diction, to hear and determine all Civil differ|ences among&s;t them&s;elves, that they needed not to go to Law before the <HI>Pagan</HI> Governours; and therefore <HI>Paul &s;harply re|proved the Saints of Corinth for going to Law before the unju&s;t, and not before the Saints.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 4</NOTE></P>
<P>The&s;e Con&s;iderations have &s;wayed with me, and I know not one argument to &s;hake me in my judgement, as this &s;en&s;e hath the currant of Scripture with it. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> But if we &s;hall yet &s;up|po&s;e, that there wants &s;ome words in the Text (as is common) to clear and fill the Apo&s;tles meaning; yet the current of the following Ver&s;es (which gives the qualifications of <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> as con&s;tituted by God) carries <HI>Pauls</HI> &s;ence from the <HI>Pagan Roman Cae&s;ars,</HI> that they were not the Powers which he intend|ed, neither <HI>Antichristian Kings.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Rea&s;on."> <HI>My Third</HI> Rea&s;on is, If we infer from <HI>Paul,</HI> or <HI>Peter, That Pagan, or Antichri&s;tian Kings were, or are Powers to be &s;ubmitted and &s;ubjected to by Saints in all Civil affairs (without limitation, or re&s;triction to the Law of God) then Saints were, and are to obey</HI>
<PB N="39" REF="20"> <HI>Men (in Civil things) rather than God; and the Command of a King is Authority for Saints to break the Moral Laws of God, and Nature, and not &s;in.</HI> Surely, if the Bodies and E&s;tates of men, be left by God, to the Wills, Lu&s;ts and Commands of any Emperours, Kings or States (and Saints bound to obey them in all outward natural things) <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> then if Emperors, Kings, or States make Laws to break and void the Laws of God and Nature, the Saints mu&s;t yet obey them in tho&s;e things. But this &s;en&s;e and interpretation of the place, is &s;o gro&s;s and con|trary to the current of Scripture, that this cannot be received, but &s;ome other &s;en&s;e mu&s;t be &s;ought out; and I am per&s;waded that this &s;en&s;e following is according to Truth, <HI>viz. That as Paul hath bounded the Authority of Parents over Children, and of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph. 6. 1. v. 4. 5, 6. Col. 3. 20, 21, &amp;c.</NOTE> <HI>Ma&s;ters over Servants, to the Law of God, and Rules of God; and therein commands Children to obey Parents, and Servants to obey Ma&s;ters in all things in the Lord, as to God and Chri&s;t: So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle enjoyns Saints &s;ubjection to Lawful Magi&s;trates, in all lawful things, <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> as to Political Fathers or Governours, for the Lords &s;ake, and for Con&s;cience &s;ake to God;</HI> and no further.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Rea&s;on,"> <HI>My Fourth</HI> Rea&s;on follows. It is recorded in Scripture (as an approved evidence of the Fear of God, in many of the Lords Servants) to &s;light and di&s;obey the cruel Laws and Commands of Kings in Moral Civil things; and in that di&s;|obedience, God owned and honoured them. Of the&s;e the Scriptures give many Examples: As <HI>The Midwives of Egypt;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 1. 17, 20 v. 22. Heb. 11. 23, v. 27. 1 King. 18. 3, 4.</NOTE> <HI>The Parents of Mo&s;es; Mo&s;es him&s;elf; Obediah, &amp;c.</HI> And though tho&s;e high expre&s;&s;ions of the <HI>Three Children,</HI> of <HI>Peter,</HI> and other <HI>Apo&s;tles,</HI> &s;poken boldly before <HI>Magi&s;trates</HI> in Coun|&s;el, be ordinarily re&s;trained to &s;piritual things and wor&s;hip, yet I judge, that tho&s;e Saints did not intentionally &s;o take them, but they may al&s;o as truly be &s;poken by Saints in Civil natu|ral Priviledges, when demnaded from them, or they com|manded by man to break any <HI>Moral Law</HI> of God. <HI>We are not</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 3. 16. Act. 4. 19. and 5. 29.</NOTE> <HI>careful to an&s;wer thee in this matter; We ought to obey God ra|ther than Man.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Rea&s;on,"> <HI>My Fifth</HI> and La&s;t Rea&s;on is; God is Supreamly (above all Per&s;ons and Powers) to be feared, obeyed, and &s;erved by Saints and Sinners, in all Commands, Natural and Spiritual, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 10. 26, 28. Luke 12. 5. I&s;a. 8. 13, 14.</NOTE> Civil or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical, as he made, and hath power over Bodys
<PB N="40" REF="21"> and Souls, to &s;ave, or to de&s;troy eternally. God is only to be feared and obeyed by his Children and Servants, and not <NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 13. 4. 1 Chr. 16. 25. Gen. 17. 1.</NOTE> Emperours, Kings, or States (whoever they be) in any Commands which are contrary to the Laws and Commands of God Almighty. <MILESTONE UNIT="Note."> All that Power and Authority which <HI>Ma|gi&s;trates</HI> can exerci&s;e over their Brethren (by Divine Right) is by the Law and appointment of God for the good of Mankind. No one man, as a Child of <HI>Adam,</HI> hath power of Juri&s;diction over another, but in the way and manner which God hath Or|dained and Appointed in his Law: Therefore it &s;tands not with the Revealed Will of God in the Scriptures, or Natural Rea&s;ons, that any Per&s;ons, or Powers on Earth, are Inve&s;ted by God with Supream Power, either to command any Per&s;on to do what God forbids, or to forbid what God commands, in matters Civil, Spiritual, or Eccle&s;ia&s;tical.</P>
<P>Thus I have given my under&s;tanding upon <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 4. at which &s;o many have, and yet do &s;tumble and fall &s;orely.</P>
<CLOSER><DATELINE><DATE><HI>The 10th. Month, the 20th. Day,</HI> 1667.</DATE></DATELINE></CLOSER>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
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