Honour to declare them with Christian Charity and reprove them with Christian Modesty Thou shalt not hate thy Brother in thine heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbour and not suffer sin to fall upon him Levit. 19. 17. whether he be of a great or little Figure in the World it matters not Go tell Judah of her sins and Israel of her transgressions be who will pleased or displeased therewith By which it appears that though Reproofs and Admonitions have been the Duty of every person from the very beginning of Religion Cry aloud spare not lift up your voice like a trumpet proclaim defiance sound a challenge and charge against them shew the people their transgressions and the house of Jacob their sins Isaiah 58. 1. yet they are seldom or never acceptable but on the contrary get hatred to those that discover their Dalilah's their bosome sins but their comfort is that by reproving they fulfil God's Precepts and he that hateth reproof erreth is bruitish and shall die Pro. 10. 1. 15. Pro. 12. 15. Pro. 10. A most strange and unhappy temper to return hatred for good will to hate those that show the greatest kindness that possibly mortal Man can show he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured and is prudent Prov. 13. 18. Pro. 15. 5. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding ver 32. As to despise Dominion and speak evil of Dignities is a great Crime to be punished by the Judges so there is a wo to them who call evil good and good evil that put darkness for light and light for darkness Isaiah 5. 20. Wherefore if they whose immediate Duty it is to tell Judah of her Sins and Israel of her Transgressions will by a sinful compliance be silent or daub with untempered Mortar not daring to declare plain Truths which is tant à monte a tacite giving consent and countenance to publick Sins and Injuries by such their connivance and dissimulation I hope they will not blame those who dare call Vices by their proper names I am ignorant of such quirks of Conscience which so much injure Justice and Piety as by such perverting the plain Truths of Religion and prevaricating with God Almighty by pleasing Men rather than Truth as if both might not and ought not to stand together as if a due respect to Men even to great Men and a just censure of Sin and Wickedness might not justly be maintained So that if any thing in this present discourse seem more harsh or severe than usual it is intended against the Vices and Abuses of the Powers not against the Persons nor any just Powers If they are Truths that I have declared I ought not to be blamed if Errors they 'l easily be discovered and refuted and the greater Truth will appear If I have committed Errors and injured Truth I am sensible of my own Infirmities and that Reason is seldom so perfectly reduced to Science but that I and all others may be mistaken Humanum est errare Let those that shall discover such Errors consider that they themselves are Men and subject to like Errors and Frailties and may be deceived and that possibly when by disquisition a greater Light may discover that that may be the Readers mistake which he esteemeth may be the Writers Error In summ All the Glory of Kings and Kingdoms ought to serve God by judging righteously by countenancing the Faithful of the Land and not suffering the Wicked to influence their Councils and by walking wisely in a perfect way and by hating the Works of them that turn aside and by not suffering those that have high Looks and proud Thoughts as being made choice of by him to administer in his Kingdom as Nursing-fathers of his people Isaiah 49. 23. God blessed for ever who setteth up Kings and removeth them doth only love the Principality and Kingdom of his own Eternity and himself continually addeth to the Glory and Enlargement thereof but willeth and expecteth the same from all Kings Princes and Governors of Temporal Scepters to do the same and that under severe Menaces and Penalties Whatever therefore of Inlargement Glory Stability the carking Cares or Designs of the great Men of the Earth may project and promise to themselves by being Kings and Princes on the Earth they are all but magnificum nihil toys gewgawes and vanity in the sight of God when put into the Ballance with that Kingdom which Christ alone loveth respecteth and desireth and unto which unless they be heartily subservient to serve and inlarge the Kingdoms of our Lord Jesus Christ they shall become like the chaff of the summer threshing-floor and the wind shall carry them away and the God of Gods and Lord of Kings shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces all other kingdoms and it shall stand for ever Dan. 2. 44 45 47. If Kings will not kiss the Son nor do their Duty in purging the House of the Lord may not Eliah and the People do their duty and cast out Baal 's Priests Reformation of Religion is a personal act that belongeth to all even to every private Person according to his place they may swear a Covenant without the King if he refuse and build the Lords House themselves 2 Chr. 15. 9. and relieve and defend one another if oppressed for our Acts and duties of defending our selves and the oppressed do not tye our Consciences conditionally so the King consent but absolutely as all duties of the Law of Nature do Jer. 22. 3. Prov. 24. 11. Isaiah 1. 17. 58. 6. Be wise now therefore O ye kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce with trembling Kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all they that trust in him Psalm 2. Therefore it becomes you that sit upon Thrones to observe and obey the true unquestionable divine Lex Regia to you it is commanded Deut. 17. 18 19 20. viz. to read in the Book of the Law all the days of your lives that you may learn to fear the Lord your God to keep all the words of the law and the statutes to do them that your hearts be not lifted up above your brethren by whom and from among whom ye your selves were chosen and set in great Glory Honour and Dignity to go in and out before them judging righteously and that you turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left do violence to no man for God hates the violent man and evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him Psalm 140. 11. Be content with your Tribute and exact no more than what is appointed you by publick consent take care that there be no violent perverting of Judgment no shamming of
be manifest that the People even in such choice had their share their influence and their power also as in Saul And all the People went to Gilgal and there they made Saul King before the Lord in Gilgal 1 Sam. 10. 15. And several Writers are of opinion that Saul was not only anointed with Oyle first privately by Samuel 1 Sam. 10. 12. but also at two other times before the People once at Mizpah an another time at Gilgal So David though he were anointed of the Lord by Samuel yet all the mâ—n of Israel came with a perfect heart to Hebron and anointed David King over Israel and made a Covenant with him before the Lord 1 Chron. 11. 2. 12. 38. In summ Many Writers of several Persuations from these examples conclude that the People under God make the King. Beside the want of the publick Stamp of the People made Zimri who had usurped that Title and Office no King and yet made Omri King 1 Kings 16. 16. And those whom the rulers of Jezreel at Samaria 2 Kings 10. refused to make a King were no Kings This Power of the People made Athaliah a Princess no Princess by their translation of the Crown to Joah 2 Cron. 23. There 's now no Voice no immediate Oracle from Heaven no Samuel no Elisha no inspired Prophets to anoint David not Eliab Solomon not Adoniah no particular persons and therefore no persons can have a just Title to Crowns but by choice and approbation publick God hath only ratified the Kingly Office and described fit qualifications viz. Men of truth hating covetousness c. Exod. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 16 17. but doth not now name or appoint particular Persons but hath left it wholly and freely to the People to chuse for themselves and make their own Conditions It is farther observable that Saul after Samuel from the Lord had anointed him remained a private Person and no King till the People had elected and made him a King. So David though anointed by the same Divine Authority yet remained formally a Subject and not a King till Israel made him King at Hebron So Solomon though by God designed and ordained to be King yet never was King till the people made him King 1 Kings 1. What greater demonstration can there possibly be than such Scriptural both Precepts and Examples as are here set down for justifying of the right of the People in the choice of Kings and not only in the free choice of this or that Person to the Diadem or to this or that Government but also in the alteration and granting of Succession and in the change and alteration of the very Form of Government Moreover by God's owning Kings to reign by him Prov. 8. 16. is no more than God's general owning and constituting all things else viz. thine is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in Heaven and Earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted above all both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all 1 Chron. 29. 11 12. This general Right and Power of the Almighty doth not abolish or impeach the Natural Right of his People in chusing themselves a King on their own Tearms and Laws woful experience having taught them that to live by one Man's will would be the cause of all Mens miseries the truth whereof we see experienced to this very day both in the Eastern and Western Empires which constrained them to devise Laws for the Regulation of every Man 's just Right that no Man might by lawless Dominion oppress another but that all should be governed by their own consent by Laws of their own making respect always being had Christianly speaking to the Laws of the Almighty Cui plus licet quam par est plus vult quam licet A People may be without a King but there can be no King without a People and therefore Kings not particularly and immediately named by God must own their Establishment and Inthronization to the People and ought to be accountable in some cases to them for they that give Power are by just Reason accounted greater and more honourable than they that receive it according to that old Maxime Quicquid efficit tale est magis tale and though Kings are to be accounted singulis majores yet are universis minores For Kings are not Patrons of their Kingly Power but Administrators and deputed Executioners thereof Now it necessarily follows that by the same Reason Kings have their Authority from the People so to them they are of right to be accountable for they chuse them and covenant with them for their own good If by God Kings do reign by God also the People have right and liberties to be governed how they please for the immediate appointment of Kings by God himself by his Prophets being now ceased the application of the Powers of the governed to this or that Person is left wholly to the common consent of themselves Be the right of Kings and of the People what it will from God they both equally derive it Wherever the People create themselves a King by the same right he is accountable to them and it participates as much of Divine right for the People to curb and oppose oppressing wicked Kings as to make Kings according to the 149 Psalm 8 9. To bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron To execute upon them the judgment written this honour have all his Saints Nay God 's own People on whom he had set his Love had his own Command that when he had brought them into the Land whither they were going to possess That they should smite them and utterly destroy them and shew no mercy unto them Deut. 7. 1 2. Kings are constituted by God and Man to go in and out before them for Protection and Comfort not for Violence and Oppression and it is by righteousness that the Throne is established and iniquity will be the ruine of any Nation fury is not in him Isaiah 27. 4. And God himself hath given no Power to Kings Princes or Potentates but what is just and honest and hath tied them up and bound them by Laws viz. He shall not multiply horses to himself he shall not multiply wives to himself that his heart turn not away neither shall be greatly multiply to himself silver and gold And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a Book And he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this law and these statutes to do them That his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from the
Tyranny which Conspiracy though acted so very privately and as it were by stealth yet blamed neither by God nor Man but justified by all Writers both Sacred and Prophane and the success answered the end designed As the King so all Israel as one Man the several Cities as parts of the Kingdom and their Magistrates did covenant with God to keep his Laws c. Joshua when old and near his end congregated all Israel in Sechem in the Presence of the Lord for the Ark of the Covenant was there and called for the Elders of Israel and for their Heads and for their Judges and for their Officers and they presented themselves before God Josh 24. 1. And he said unto them fear the Lord and serve him c. and the People answered and said God forbid that we should forsake the Lord to serve other Gods ver 14. 16. And Joshua said unto the People ye are witness your selves that you have chosen you the Lord to serve him And they said we are Witnesses ver 22. So Joshua made a Covenant with the Lord that day and set them a Statute and an Ordinance in Sechem And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God and took a great Stone and set it up there under an Oak that was by the Sanctuary of the Lord and Joshua said unto all the People Behold this Stone shall be a Witness unto us for it hath heard all the words of the Lord which he spake unto us it shall be therefore a Witness unto you least you deny your God ver 24 25 26 27. Hence it is evident that as every individual Person so more especially all Officers in a Kingdom that have any publick Authority ought every one in their several stations to take care that God's Law be fulfilled and of the Peoples happiness which Officers are Officers of the Kingdom from whom they have their Authority according to Laws of their own making and to them they are accountable If the Ark of God be to be brought back then all of the Congregation of Israel are to be summoned and consulted and to give their help 1 Chron. 13. 2 Chron. 15. So if a Temple be to be built to the Lord the chief of the Fathers and Priests of the Tribes of Israel and the Captains of Thousands and of Hundreds with the Rulers are summoned and moved to offer willingly 1 Chron. 29. So that there is no power committed to Kings to alter or change the Laws Covenants or Worship of God. So in the Covenants under Joah and Josiah between God the King and the People all the Kingdom were present and all were particularly bound to keep and stand to the Covenant so that not the King only but the Kingdom nor the Kingdom in general only but all the Parts thereof promise Faith and Allegiance to God Almighty Not the King only but Israel not Israel only but the Cities and chief Governours of them did secretly bind themselves to God to do him homage and leige Services against all Infractors of his Laws 2 Kin. 11. 23. 2 Chron. 23. For Example Libnah revolted from Jehoram because he had forsaken the Lord God of his Fathers 2 Chron. 21. 10. So Mattathias and all they that fled from the Persecution of Antiochus joyned themselves together and smote sinful men in their anger and wicked men in their wrath and they pursued after the proud men and the work prospered in their hands So they recovered the Law out of the hand of the Gentiles and out of the hand of Kings neither suffered they the sinner to triumph 1 Macc. 2. 42 47. saying We will not hearken to the Kings word to go from our Religion either to the right hand or to the left verse 22. So his Son Judas Maccabeus was valiant for the truth and fought for the People and the Sanctuary so prosperously Deo favente against Antiochus that he recovered Jerusalem and restored the pure worship of God from the Gentiles 1 Macc. 3. Though others took part and were obedient to Antiochus and they fell together with the Persecutor for their so doing by the edg of the Sword. When Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord he sold them into the hand of Jabin King of Canaan whom they served twenty years a fair prescription for a Kingdom worshipping strange Gods among whom especially were the Tribes of Reuben Ephraim Benjamin Dan Asser c. who adhered to Jabin Nevertheless Deborah who judged Israel at that time levied force with the assistance of the other Tribes of Zabulon Napthaly and Issachar over whom they made Barack Captain and went along with them being ten thousand men and discomfited the Hoast of Sisera Captain of Jabin and restored the true Worship of God to Israel and then sang Deborah c. Judg. 4. 5. Happily some may say that these Facts of Deborah Jael Mattathias and Libnah ought not to be drawn into imitation and practice as being stirred up by motions extraordinary like that of Phineahs and the Book it self but Apochypha and not so Authentick as Scripture What then It 's certain that not only the King but all Israel and the parts thereof viz. the several Cities and their Magistrates as in Josh 24. covenanted before God and did swear to worship the true God according to his Law which Covenant is expresly in force to this day in all Christian Kingdoms where King and People Covenant each with other and tacitely or interpretatively also where Kings Rule Vi Armis or by fraud or any other unjust way which is down-right Tyranny The People are the People of God and obliged in the first place to God and then to the Kingdom and to the King and though the King have the formality and executive part of Power all Writs Executions Proclamations c. issuing in his Name yet the People have the true Dominion originally Sunt enim universa in Regis Imperio non in Patrimonio Seneca lib. 7. de Benef. c. 6 7. Omnia Rex imperio possidet singuli dominio Consult all Histories search all Antiquity and you will find the true cause of all Rebellion in all Ages and in all Countries to have risen originally and most especially from the abuse of Power first and not from the disobedience of Subjects to the lawful commands of Kings If Kings command unlawful things as they have no Authority so to do so Subjects have no Obligation to obey When Covenants between Prince and People are of such a nature as cannot be broken or violated by either King or People without doing manifest Injury to the other The injured party may seek his Redress and Relief though it be vim vi repellendo which is always to be understood of unjust Force For if the Force be unjust the Defence must be lawful and contrariwise if the Force be just the Defence must be unlawful So that Kings and Princes if transgressors are as truly Transgressors and Invaders
and sworn and be accountable to the same Laws and to them from whom they derive their Authority and Power for whose good and benefit and by whom they were first and primarily enacted and constituted Magistrates are created and appointed by Men. Hence Peter calls both Kings and other Magistrates a human Creation or human Ordinance So Hâ—sea 8. 4. They have set Kings up but not by me th â— have made Princes but I knew it not In the Hebrew Commonwealth and Kingdoms only where they had several ways of resorting unto and consulting God Almighty they might and did refer the Nomination of their Kings unto him but concerning other Nations we have received no such like Custom or Mandate The Precept that God himself gave to the Children of Israel for the choice of their King did more especially respect the Qualifications of Kingship than the Nomination of the Person viz. When thou art come into the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee and shall possess it and shalt dwell therein and shall say I will set a King over me like as all the Nations round about me thou shalt in any wise set him King over thee which is a manifest Allowance and Commission to appoint their own Kings whom the Lord thy God shall chuse not personally not by his nomination but according to such and such qualifications viz. one from among thy Brethren shalt thou set King over thee thou maist not set a stranger over thee which is not thy Brother But he shall not multiply Horses neither shall he multiply Wives to himself that his heart turn not away neither shall he greatly multiply to himself Silver and Gold. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the Throne of his Kingdom that he shall write him a copy of this Law in a Book and it shall be with him and he shall read therein all the days of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to do them that his heart be not lifted up above his Brethren and that he turn not aside from that Commandment to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his days in his Kingdom he and his Children in the midst of Israel Deut. 17. From hence it is evident under what Laws and Precepts Kings are and ought to govern and if not so qualified and so chosen they can have no just Right to govern Vid. Dr. Sherrock de Officiis c. 4. N o. 8. p. 289. Sometimes the very Form of Government may be vicious and faulty sometimes they that obtain the Power may be so which may proceed from Men and from the Devil And the Devil taking Jesus up into a high Mountain shewed unto him all the Kingdoms of the World in a moment of time And the Devil said unto him All this power will I give thee and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me and to whomsoever I will I give it Hence is he called the Prince of this World John 12. 30. 14. 31. Rev. 13. 2. The Dragon gave unto the Beast Power and his Throne and great Authority yea the God of the World 2 Cor. 4. 4. Wherefore when it is written that there is no Power but of God it is always to be understood not of all Powers whatsoever but of all lawful Powers such as he there described and of the Powers themselves not always of the Persons that have the Power So St. Chrysostom the Powers that are are ordained of God who by his essential Wisdom and Goodness and by the express Warrant of his Ordinance never ordained any but what were good and behooful for the governed therefore the Apostle in this place will be understood of lawful Powers God may and doth permit unlawful Powers for the punishment of wicked doers even by wicked Men which are God's Sword but never ordained such but as his Rod and Scourges Wickedness and Vice and Sin being things inordinate it 's not possible that God should Ordain them and yet be sinful and vitious still he that resisteth the Power viz. lawful Power resisteth the Ordinance of God which Precept equally binds and obligeth Kings as well as Subjects that resist or transgress or obstruct the Laws or endeavour to sham them either by Force or coining Evasions I appeal to Heaven if they that resist Powers not lawful or abusers or overturners of lawful Powers do resist the Ordinance of God or not I do think that no Man in his right senses will say so The Apostle yet makes it more plain that he treats of lawful Powers when he says that Rulers are not a terror to good works but to the evil And he is the Minister of God to thee for good for he beareth not the Sword in vain a revenger to execute wrath on them that do evil Who unless Heathens or Persons of profligated Consciences will refuse to be subject to such Powers not only out of fear of punishment but for Conscience sake for without Civil Government not possible to live in Peace and Happiness But what Power what Magistrates soever ordains or acts contrary can never properly be said to be ordained i. e. allowed and approved of God and therefore this is no Precept no Command to yield Obedience to such neither is it any Precept or Command to forbid us prudently to resist defend and right our selves for in such cases we do not resist the Powers but human Errors of Kings and Princes nor the Magistrates that are ordained of God who ought to be such as the Apostles decipher but either Usurpers or Tyrants or betrayers of the Trust reposed in them who yet notwithstanding if they must be termed Magistrates in that only they have Power to vex revenge and ravage over God's People by the very self-same Logick the Devil is our Magistrate Of one thing only there can be but one true definition if therefore Paul doth here rightly define Magistracy and Magistrates as he doth most accurately then certainly by the same words he cannot define Tyranny Oppression Male-Government things Diametrically opposité and contrary one to the other then certainly to such Magistrates only as the Apostles here describes do we owe Subjection Tribute Honour c. and not to their contrary Reasons assigned are For this cause pay you Tribute also for they are God's Ministers attending continually on this very thing render therefore c. The labourer is worthy of his hire and they that hire ought to have their service and work well done so that if Magistrates fail of their Duty Subjects may slacken their Tribute which is given them only as a recompence of their Watchfulness Pains and Care in well Governing Therefore simple and absolute subjection is not here required but subjection with reason subjoyned which reasons are the Rule and Square of our subjection We are often told by our Priests that Prayers and Tears are the Weapons
respect not to this life only but to that of a better even to Eternity which no other Lawgivers had therefore Moses exhorted the Israelites that when they should possess the Land whether they were going that they should keep and do the statutes and judgments as the Lord had commanded him and it should be their wisdom and their understanding in the sight of the Nations which shall hear all those statutes and say surely this great Nation is a wise and understanding people And what Nation is there so great that hath Statutes and Judgments so righteous as all this Law which I set before you this day Deut. 4. 4 5 6 7 8. Having declared the necessity usefulness and benefit of Government and the final end thereof it is now requisite to show the true and efficient cause and right of Government where and in whom the just right of appointing Governours and Government is undoubtedly inherent and instated God beyond all contradiction reigns by his own Plenipotentiary Power and doth whatsoevor he pleaseth in Heaven above and in Earth beneath and in the Waters under the Earth Kings and other Governours only precariò at the good will and pleasure of others God by himself Kings by God and the Governed God by his own Jurisdiction Kings by deligated Authority from others the Jurisdiction of God is immense that of Kings limited So the power of God infinite that of Kings not so the Kingdom of God endless boundless that of Kings limited to certain Regions and fading When God sets Kings upon Thrones he sets them there as his Substitutes to go in and out before his people and to do Judgment and Justice 2 Chron. 9. 8. and upon condition that the governed should still be the Lords people 2 King. 11. 17. 2 Chron. 1. 10. So that God still remains Lord and Proprietor of the same People but sets Kings and other Magistrates over them to govern and feed them like good Shepherds not to pill poll and fley them so all good Kings acknowledged as David Solomon Jehosaphat and others So Nebuchadnezzar tho an Ethnick did acknowledge Dan. 2. 47. Hence it necessarily follows that Kings are set over a People to nourish and cherish them as God himself and not to wrong or oppress them So Jehojada made a Covenant between the Lord and the King and the People that they should be the Lords People and between the King also and the People 2 King. 11. 17. In the Inauguration of Joae we read of a holy Covenant between God and the King and the people as it is elsewhere expressed between Jorada the chief Priest and all the people and the King that they should be the people of God. So Josiah and all the people made Covenant with God 2 King. 11. 11. 2 Chr. 23. 13 16. 2 King. 23. from which is to be understood that the high Priest in the name of God covenanted between the Lord and the King and the People that they should be the Lords People and between the King also and the People that God should be truly and purely worshipped by both King and People of Judah And was not the King so to reign that he should suffer the People to serve God according to the Law of God and the People so to obey the King that in the first place they were to obey God and both King and People sworn by Solemn Sacrament in the first place to worship God and keep his Laws matter of Fact doth manifest it And all the People of the Land went into the House of Baal and brake it down his Altars and his Images brake they in pieces c. and restored the Worship of God the sum of the Covenant being that all should worship God and all should take care that God be worshipped according to his own Precepts and Prescript which if they did perform God would be with them and bless them if not then he would destroy them So Moses before his death rehearsâ—th the Conditions of the Covenant made with their Forefathers and all the Blessings and Curses attending the breach or performance thereof Deut. 29. 30 31. commanding them to take the book of the Law and put it in the side of the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord your God that it may be there for a witness against thee c. Deut. 31. 26 27 28. After Moses was dead God himself constituted Joshua to go in and out before his People on the same conditions Josh 1. which if they transgressed they should be delivered into the hands of the Canaanites One and the self-same Covenant which was made between God and the People under the Judges was made under and with the Kings After Saul was constituted King Samuel said to the People Fear the Lord and serve him in truth with all your heart but if you shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King Josh 12. 24 25. thereby shewing that God expects as strickt performance of his Laws from Kings as from the People Saul being rejected because he brake Covenant David was constituted King on the same Conditions and so Solomon his Son which Covenant was That if they and their Children kept his Commandments and observed his Statutes they should sit on the Throne of Israel for ever if otherwise they should be destroyed 1 Kings ch 2. ver 12. 2 Chron. 6. 16. ch 7. 17. Hence the Book of the Law found in the Temple in the days of Josiah is called the Book of the Covenant of the Lord which he commanded his People to deliver to the King 2 King. 23. 2. Deut. 7. 18. which Samuel did to Saul 1 Sam. 10. 25. and Josiah accordingly did covenant before the Lord So the Law which was kept in the Ark is called the Covenant of the Lord with the Children of Israel who being delivered from the Babylonish Captivity renewed their Covenantwith God which they had violated 2 Chron. 6. 11. whereby it is manifest that Kings as Vassalls to the Law of God solemnly swear to be obedient thereunto We make a sure Covenant and write it and our Princes Levites and Priests seal unto it Nehem. 9. 38. the breach of which Covenant is a like penal to King and People which is manifested in Saul who for offering Sacrifice and for sparing Agag King of the Amalekites was accounted a Rebel and punished accordingly 1 Sam. 13. 12 13. and thereby taught that Kings if they break the Laws are as truly Rebels as Subjects and that obedience is better than sacrifice thou hast rejected the wâ—rd of the Lord and the Lord hath rejected thee from being King over Israel 1 Sam. 15. 26 27. which crime doth not terminate only in the Persons of Kings so rebelling but is extensive also to their Children So God did rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and gave ten tribes to his servant Jeroboam because he forsook God and worshipped 〈◊〉 c. 1 King. 11. 32 33.