and Independent States which are and were one sort of Government in the World and comprized by them as I before hinted in the word Kingdoms and which the clew of their discourse would have led them to and they plainly seem to aim at Ch. Ca. 23. had they not by a Prohibition from the King been restrained However they said enough to maintain the Dutch Pretences who insisted immovably on the Claim of being acknowledged a Free and Independent State or else no Accommodation would be hearkened to no Truce concluded And the Spanish Affairs being such at that time as would not suffer them to contest the matter any longer they thought it convenient to yield to their Claim or if you would have it in the Answerer's Language to transfer their Right over to the States whereupon a Truce betwixt them was concluded whereof King James was made the Chief Guarantee And these were the Circumstances when the Convocation sat as from the History of those Times the Date of the Convocation which was called Anno 1603 and continued by Adjournments and Prorogations to 1610. that is a year after the aforesaid Truce was concluded which commenced in April Anno 1609. and ended after the Term of Twelve years and above all by King James his Commission to this Convocation if we could be so happy as to get a fight of it Thus the Affairs of Spain and Holland were Accommodated but it netled King James to have the Convocation determine so positively of Obedience to be due to Governments established upon such Revolutions as are there mentioned Hereupon it is supposed that he refused the Canons his Royal Assent and left them to be devoured Blattis Tineis or at least by Old Time if by nothing else But for the Honour of the Convocation something was to appear lest that Venerable Assembly should seem to meet only as the Emperor with his Army to gather Cockle-shels And therefore as I guess for it is no more the Book call'd God and the King which whoever compares with this will find in many things of its last Part to be an Abstract of some of these Chapters was collected hence and sent abroad into the World to atone his displeased Majesty And so much for the Convocation and the Occasion of their being summoned and Commissionated CHAP. III. Concerning the Four Propositions of Government Extracted out of the Convocation-Book A Grievous Charge is now laid against me That though I pretended to demonstrate yet I have omitted many things that are material P. 2. â— and pertinent to the present Controversie about Government and Allegiance That what I have drawn up into Proâ—â—sitions I have in some of them if not in all curtail'd and diminished the â—â—ll sense of the Convocation That above all by adding words and Limitions and Glosses and Explications I have destroyed the Text and perâ—â—â—tly corrupted and perverted their sense Well! I will not take any exceptions at his words else how I could argue on a Subject without adding Glosses and Explications c. I know not but how far I am guilty I leave the Reader to judge and so hasten to the Propositions The First of which was PROP. I. That the Power of Kings was originally Patriarchal Derived from God and not from the People Ca. 2 6 13. On which the Complaint is That I have expounded away P. 12. as I always do the sense of the Convocation for it seems I say that Kings are and ought to be bound up by Laws P. 13. and he prays to know by what Laws The very next words tell him but because nothing will digest with him but the express words of the convocation-Convocation-Book from them he might have understood that they wre the Laws of God and Nature P. 9 11. as they did concern Civil Societies and Governments which surely ought to bind But why did not I express it in the words of the Convocation-Book to which I refer A man hath need of patience that hath to deal with such a Questionarist But to give him satisfaction It was because I had a mind to deliver in general what the Convocation had said but in Particular For that very same Reason that obliged the Kings of Judah to the Observation of the Civil-Laws of their Particular Government obligeth all other Kings to the observation of the Fundamental Establishâ—â— Laws of their Respective Kingdoms And since it is the King 's being bound up by Laws that stomachs the Answerer I desire he would take notice from the Convocation what those Princes are that wâ—â—â— not be bound up by Law For Nimrod say they and by a Parity 〈◊〉 Reason we may add all such like Princes not cententing himself with the Patriarchal or Mild Government ordained of God by the Laws Reason and Nature became a Tyrant and Lord of Confusion Should have delivered this Notion of Tyranny to be sure we had had it 〈◊〉 his Scheme of New Notions and therefore I recommend it to the Answerers consideration Only I observe from them That a Patriarchal Power and the being limited in the Exercise of Power by Law are not inconsistent PROP. II. That Descent in Hereditary Kingdoms is the Ordinary way whereby a Right and Title to the Crown is claimable His Quarrel here is that these Words The Ordinary Way are Words of mine own for he observes that I add P. 2. I say the ordinary Way And since these were Words of mine own how could I let him know it otherwise than by telling him and all men that they were my Saying Surely the Cause is sinking when men catch thus at Reeds and Rushes But since I must not say pray do you say Is the Proposition true or false If true why so captious at it and if false why do you not reject it No matter for that for tho' there be some extraordinary ways in Hereditary Kingdoms P. 2 3. that may give a Right and Title to the Crown besides Descent yet the Author 's extraordinary way is none of them For this I shall appeal to the Reader to judge as also for his ingenuity in interpreting the Author's Meaning from the Convocation-Book which asserts That the Lord both may and is able to overthrow Kings or Emperors notwithstanding any Claim Right Title or Interest which they can challenge to their Countries Kingdoms or Empires to be only God's Permissive Providence which I think the Author scarce mentions above once and that far from the Sense that the Answerer would insinuate But my Citation and his must be adjusted anon and therefore here I will speak no more of this matter PROP. III. That no Violence is to be used to Kings from their own Subjects for any Irregularities that they commit This he saith doth not fully express the sense of the Convocation yet he intimates not wherein it is defective but the Author's Comment destroys it How does this appear Why Because the Doctrines of Passive Obedience
Divine Right for they had no Civil Right or Legal Claim to the Crown for Joram being in Possession and the other out his Title was far better by all Humane Laws And as for Ahud his being acknowledged a Subject he could pretend no Legal Title to the Crown Nor can he evade this by saying that they had both Gods express Nomination for that cannot alter the nature of things and create them a Civil Legal Title altho it gives them a Divine Authority which is far Superior unto it 'T is true he affirms that the Convocation expresly asserts Jehu to be a Lawful King page 5. but I expect he should recall his words unless he can make a Note of Similitude As of necessity to be a Character of Identity and prove things that may be construed only to be alike or equal to be the very same for the words are That Jehu upon the knowledge of Gods will page 46. and the Submission of the Princes and Captains of Israel unto hsm As to their Lawful King did put in execution the said Message by killing Joram Where the words only express the fullness of the Submission of the Captains to him who submitted as intirely As to their Lawful King but need not at all to respect a Legal Title for he had none Thus the Author hath declared what he means by Right and Authority and doubts not but to manifest it in its due place to be the meaning of the Convocation too For Secondly The account that he hath given of the calling of this Convocation and the Circumstances of Affairs that during its continuance occur'd which was to consider of the Claim of the United Provinces as to their being a Free and Independent State doth very plainly Evidence it For since their Authority could have no Legal Foundation it must wholly be derived from a Divine Interposition and it was not Civil Right but Gods Providence and Pleasure that possessed them of the Powers of Government I know the Answerer pretends the Doctrines of Passive Obedience and Non-resistance to be the whole Design of the Book page 21. Now all that I shall say to this at present is that neither of these is so much as once expresly named in all the Book and that this is the whole design of it will be found difficult for him to prove But upon the apprehension of these different Ends and Intention of the Convocation the different Construction of the words of the Book are in some measure grounded therefore as I promised Thirdly I must impartially and in their own words state the Matter in Debate betwixt them And the Author plainly affirms that Right and Authority may be separated and that when they are so separated page 5. the Claim of Right i. e. Civil Right without the Authority i. e. the Divine Power of Government cannot challenge our Allegiance On the other side the Answerer asserts that Right without Authority may page 4. and ought to challenge our Allegiance and that Authority without Right cannot challenge it Now if Reason might decide it since the Authority even in Civil Right comes from God and the Powers that be are ordained of God it seems strange that the Ordinance of God cannot command our Allegiance because it doth not quadrate with the Constitution of Man or that God who is acknowledged by the Answerer to be above all Laws cannot by his Providence dispose of his own Power but according to Law But I must remember that our Appeal was to be to the Convocation book and to it therefore let us go which is the last thing Fourthly To adjust the Authority that each Party brings from the convocation-Convocation-book that the Unprejudiced Reader may see on which side the plain Truth doth lye I will begin with the Author whose Assertion is That the Claim of Right without Authority is not sufficient to challenge our Allegiance the terms of which being before explained he produceth these Authorities from the Convocation-book to confirm it which if a Man will but open his Eyes are positive and determinative The Ground on which the Convocation builds the Justification of Jehu and Ahad in laying violent hands on their lawful Sovereigns clearly prove it for that is this that God may and is able to overthrow any Kings or Emperors page 53. notwithstanding any Claim Right Title or Interest which they can challenge to their Countries Kingdoms or Empires So that here is an Authority to which the Captains did pay Allegiance as to their Lawful King acknowledged without Right and executed without Guilt To put this past all doubt the convocation-Convocation-book having told us that it was not lawful for any Person whatsoever ibid. upon pretence of any Revelation Inspiration or Commandment from the Divine Majesty either to touch the Person of his Sovereign or to bear Arms against him makes this Exception Except God should first advance the said Person from his private Estate and make him a King or an Absolute Prince to succeed his late Master in his Kingdom or Principality Which words if they were not intended to express a Separation of Authority from Right and when they are so separated to vindicate our Allegiance to the Person whom God from a private Estate advanceth to be King have no design or meaning at All. It is to no purpose for the Answerer to pretend here Gods express Nomination for that is only to say that God may do by Revelation what he cannot by Providence and the one ought to be obeyed and not the other whereas if it be Gods doing in either way it requires our Submission Again the Convocation book expresly teacheth page 57. That Authority tho unjustly gotten and wrung by force from the True and Lawful Possessor who surely had and is here supposed to have the Legal Right being always Gods Authority is ever when any such Alterations are throughly settled to be Reverenced and Obeyed by all sorts of People and that for Conscience sake Where if they do not distinguish Authority from Right and require our Obedience to Authority against Right no words can declare it Again speaking of such Governments as are founded on being begun by Rebellion and I hope the Answerer will not say that Rebellion hath Right on its side the Convocation owns them when throughly settled page 59. to have Gods Authority and that the People who live within the Territories of such new Governments are bound to be subject to Gods Authority If this be not Demonstration I will pretend no more to it for it is hence plain enough that the Claim of Right without Authority cannot challenge our Allegiance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Case of the Moabites and Ammonites who had thus Authority over the Jews the History of the Kings and Chronicles and the very frame of the Governments in being throughout all the World are so many Instances of this Truth What the Answerer affirms to be the meaning of the
my Lord Clarendon observing that the Word Abdicate is no new Word nor the Caprice and Humour of Princes to abdicate their Kingdoms a new thing And representing it as the hardest Case of Subjects without their Privity Surv. of Lev. p. 94 95. to be left in an instant without any Protection without any Security as a Prey to all that are too strong for them He adds That it is no New Transaction for Kings and Princes to resign and RELINQVISH THEIR CROWN AND SOVEREIGNTY nor may it be the better for being old Yet besides other Accounts there mentioned Some Princes saith he have been so HVMOROVS as upon the FROWARDNESS AND REFRACTORINESS OF THEIR SVBJECTS AND BECAVSETHEY COVLD NOT GOVERNIN THAT MANNER THEY HAD A MIND TO DO TO ABDICATE THE GOVERNMENT AND WOVLD HAVE BEEN GLAD AFTERWARDS TO HAVE RESVMED IT Now I imagine according to the Judgment of that Great Statesman and true Church-man that our Allegiance to the Late King is void And the Letter of which I have sufficient Testimony sent from the Jesuits to King James at Sailsbury advising him to leave the Kingdom with a promising Assurance That he should be Restored and have his ENDS upon us implies something worse than a Caprice or Humour 3. The most that I have had Converse with conclude their Present Majesties to have a Right to as well as Possession of the Crown and that not only from the Law of the Land which receives and owns them as Legal King and Queen but also upon the Appeal which they made to God for the Injustice done them on account of the Impostor which being determined on their sides fairly gives them a Divine Right And if so then the Ground-work of the Gentleman 's whole Answer is undermined and his Building must fall And this the Author in his Pamphet asserted but because he knew not what to say to it he haughtily past it by And thus much for the Principles of some Approved Church-of England-men Then for their Practice The Case of the Engagement represented by the Judicious Bishop Sanderson who plainly intimates some good men to have taken it and which is left almost in an Aequilibrio by that profound Casuist nay and which was taken by a Great and Good Man now with God a Dying Advocate of the Doctrine of Passive Obedience shews the Practices of some that have owned her Principles not to be altogethee repugnant to ours But this is an unpleasing Subject because reflexive upon other men From hence therefore let us proceed to enquire something after the Convocation-Book CHAP. II. An Account of the Convocation-Book and why it wanted the Royal Confirmation THE Sense and meaning of this Convocation being to be enquired after especially in these two things 1. Whether Right must of necessity be united to Authority before our Allegiance can be due unto it And 2. When a Revolution of Government may be supposed to have obtained a thorow Settlement I thought it not amiss to enquire into the Reasons for the calling of the Convocation the circumstances of Affairs when the Book was written and the Causes why it was laid to sleep not being suffer'd to appear with the Royal Confirmation For the understanding of these will mightily assist us to comprehend their meaning And what I have received is thus The Spaniards growing weary of their wars with the Vnited-Provinces seeing Queen Elizabeth the great supporter of the Dutch against the House of Auflria to grow old and knowing that James then King of the Scots was after her decease to succeed her in the Throne of England a Prince of a Peaceable Disposition they made previous Applications to him to pre-engage him when he came to the Crown of England to mediate a Truce or Peace between them and Holland The good Queen according to the course of Nature in some time after dies whereupon the Spaniards by their Ambassador as soon almost as King James was seated on the English Throne renew their Negotiation with him to mediate the foresaid Truce supposing the Vnited-Provinces would scarce refuse his Interposition because at that time he held in his hands some Cautionary Towns of theirs which had been delivered to the late Queen The King being of himself inclinable to Peace and to oblige the Spaniards who had a Pontifical claim to the Crown of England to own and acknowledg his Right and Title to that Crown that so he might secure to himself the certainty of enjoying ease and safety undertakes the Mediation But difficulties arising from the Dutch Pretentions who demanded to be acknowledged a Free and Independent State tho' they had but lately withdrawn themselves from the Crown of Spain His Majesty of Great Britain taking this to be a tender Point and of great consequence to all Crowned Heads if a Province or Principality having shaken off their Ancient Lord might set up for a Free and Independent State desirous also to over-rule the Dutch in their Allegations to this Claim on the apprehension of a Fear that it would void the overtures of the designed Truce That he might do it with the greater appearance of Authority and Judgment he resolves to consult his Convocation about the Origine of Government its various Forms Alterations and Modifications intending them especially to exalt the Sacredness and Grandeur of Monarchy Accordingly the Convocation go to work and deduce the Power of Government from its natural and prime Original taking notice what it was in it self whence Tyranny and Arbitrary Power usurped upon the Patriarchal How that again was retrenched and the True Fatherly Government setled amongst his own People the Jews till the Captivity of Babylon giving also an Account what became of them afterwards what Revolutions they underwent till they and all the Western World were made subject to the Roman Eagle This led them to treat of the Variation of Government by the Providence of God who casts down Kings and sets up Kings who alters Kingdoms and turns them into Aristocratical or Democratical States and on the contrary States into Dukedoms Elective Monarchies and the like As also what Obedience ought to be paid to the said Governments when they are once throughly setled upon such Revolutions laying down a Rule when People with a safe Conscience may nay ought to pay Obedience to their Authority But their Determination herein touching too hard upon the Claims of Sovereigns and the Royalties of Monarchies of which scarce ever Prince had more tender feeling than that his Majesty of Britain King James is displeased with it and them charging them that they had dipped too deep into what all Princes did reserve amongst the Arcana Imperii as from his Letter at the end may be seen and by Orders sent by Mr. Sollicitor restrains them from medling any farther in it And this I believe might be a Reason why the Convocation which had promised to treat of the Government of the whole World did not handle more particularly the Case of Free
purpose because God did forbid it for this clearly shews that when a Prince is removed for his Usurpation it is God that did deprive him unless you will deny the Interposition of God in any other way than express Revelation which I suppose you dare not And this is so visible a Judgment of God upon Unjust Kings Edit Lat. Lond. 1651. P. 31. that the Book called God and the King cannot but take notice of it That it is common and familiar with God when he is vehemently provoked by wicked Kings and the Contemners of his Laws to threaten them that he will rent their Kingdoms from them as he did from Saul and Rehoboam and destroy and extirpate their Family But had he not had that express Prohibition might he not then have endeavoured to regain them P. 15. Yes if he would And so he did but what then doth God countenance Deposed Usurpers with Success No! he never could regain his Right And from this something more would follow than I shall mention The other thing is a foul Prevarication of Scripture for the Author says That God deprived Rehoboam of his Government for his only designed Usurpation whereas the Scripture is as express as can be that it was for the Idolatry of his Father Solomon If so I perceive Rehoboam had hard measure and God contrary to his express word made the Child to bear the Iniquity of the Father which unless they imitate the Fathers in Sin I believe the Answerer will not be so hardy as to assert and let him consider from hence who makes boldest with Scripture But tell me Sir was the Cause of this Dethronement so wholly Solomons Idolatry that Rehoboam had no Guilt in it or if he had Any speak out and shame the Devil For you might pretend if you so pleased the Saying which the Lord spake by Ahijah when he promised Jeroboam to whom he now gave the Kingdom to be the cause of it that so Gods Word which the Scripture also takes notice of might be fulfilled Yet neither of these being proper and personal to Rehoboam some other must be produced to clear the Equity of Gods dealing with him And since you disallow what I have mentioned pray Sir turn over your Bible and Squeeze out any other if you can Believe me Sir such Trifling Illusions as these may possibly become your Cause but they do not your Coat But the willful Prevarication that follows it is Injurious to them both for when I had noted That the Line of Descent in an Hereditary Kingdom might be interrupted and yet the Law of Succession not broken could I be supposed to mean it of Rehoboam and Jeroboam who were nothing related or of Solomon and Adonijah who are mentioned in the same Paragraph and where it is observed that the Younger Brother was advanced to the Crown I have heard and I find it true that none are so blind as those that will not see CHAP. VII Concerning a Thorough Settlement WE are now come to the Mighty Place and which indeed doth direct us in paying the Duty of our Allegiance for the Convocation taking notice of the Variation of Governments in the World having these words Ch. 28. P. 57. That when having attained their Ungodly Desires whether Ambitious Kings by bringing any Country into their Subjection or Disloyal Subjects by their Rebellions rising against their natural Sovereign they have established any of the said degenerate Forms of Government viz. Aristocratical Demecratical c. amongst their People the Authority either so unjustly gotten or wrung by force from the True and Lawful Possessor being always Gods Authority and therefore receiving no Impeachment by the Wickedness of those that have it is ever when any such Alterations are through setled to be reverenced and obeyed and the People of all sorts as well of the Clergy as of the Laity are to be subject unto it not only for Fear but also for Conscience sake Hereupon I had observed that upon a Revolution from the worst of Circumstances Usurpation and Rebellion Obedience to the Establishment is acknowledged due This the Answerer takes no notice of as if it had been nothing concerned in the Cause I then show'd the vast Dispacity betwixt that their Representation and our present Merciful Deliverance and Settlement but this also he passes over But when I moved here upon the Question when a Government may be said to be settled there he leaps like a Fish at a Fly and because I left out the word Throughly he thinks he has catch'd me Napping and what if he had greater than I are sometimes so taken But did I make any advantage of this Omission he charges me with none Did I not by Settlement intend as much a Thorough Settlement as if I had expressed it I am sure I did And after all what they call a Thorough do I not express it by a Real Establishment P. 12. by which for all he hath said I cannot yet but mean a Government that is Throughly Settled for what I said before I repeat again That that Government is then Setled and throughly Setled when the Crown with all its Dignities Prerogatives Administrations Authorities Revenues c. are generally Recognized and personally enjoyed which must be supposed to be when all Places of Power and Trust of Royalty and Importance are in the Sovereigns hands and wholly at his Disposal For to say because there are Foreign Wars or Secret Plots that the Crown is not in full Possession since there always were and always will be discontented Parties at home and Politick Machinations abroad that either actually do or craftily design to disture the Peace is to say that no Kingdom ever was or ever can be Setled He saw this last Period did obviate his Important Objection of Limerick and therefore he wisely but how fairly let others judge quite left it out But yet Limerick is a Place of Trust and therefore the Authors Notion of Settlement will do him no service just as much as he intended P. 16. and neither more nor less For it will prove as Thorough a Settlement now as was in Queen Elizabeth and some other Reigns when such-like places of Importance were in the Enemies hands But what becomes of the Poor Irish-men ibid. he doubts they must be Rebels for all our Authors Demonstration And the Author doubts the Tories will be so still which doubtless pleaseth the Answerer and somebody else besides one that would be call'd Most Christian very well Then for the Rest when the Answerer tells me what became of Jaddus whilst in the Power of Darius I will send him back the very self-same Answer for his satisfaction But a Victorious Army in Ireland sticks on his stomack and tho he is willing to blast them that they may fall before their Enemies yet neither his Breath or Pen is so Omnipotent and therefore acknowledging Ireland to be a Branch of the Crown of England
convocation-Convocation-book is this that Right without Authority may and ought to challenge our Allegiance page 4. and that Authority without Right cannot challenge it Now all that he brings for proof of this are these words Can. 17. If any Man shall affirm that the Kingdom of Judah by Gods Ordinance going by Succession when one King was Dead his Heir was not in Right their King howbeit by some Athaliah he might be hindered from enjoying it or that the People were not bound without any farther Circumstance upon sufficient notice of their former Kings death to have obeyed his Heir apparent as their lawful King he doth greatly err Add the Instance of Joash and Athaliah Where notwithstanding Joash had none of our Authors Authoritative Right and Title Ch. Can. 23. page 4. as the Answerer saith but if you believe it you believe a notorious Untruth as will shortly appear and had only the Claim of Right without the Authority yet when Jehojada called the People together and acquainted them with the Preservation of the Prince they altogether by a Covenant acknowledged their Allegiance to him as to their Lawful King and in consequence of that slew Athaliah the Usurper This is the whole of his Pretences and all that he can make of it is That God having declared that he would not give his Authority to any Person to Sway the Scepter of Judah but only such as were of the Line of David whoever did ascend the Throne not being of that Stock and Lineage did Usurp upon Gods Authority And when he can produce such a Declaration of Gods Pleasure concerning all other Kingdoms the Kingdoms of the whole World of which in General the Convocation treats then and not till then we shall allow his Plea for surely a particular and exempt priviledged Case of the Kingdom of Judah will not be a standing Rule for the Kingdoms of the whole World The Case of Athaliah But because this is all that he can build on it shall have a particular Disquisition The Case of Athaliah is the Burden of the Song let us therefore examine the Convocation-book about it which represents it thus David was called and advanced to the Kingdom of Judah by God himself Can. 14. as truly as Aaron was to the Priesthood and Davids Posterity had by Gods Ordinance as rightful an Interest to succeed him in his said Kingdom See Can. 17. as either Aaron 's Sons had to succeed him in the Priesthood or Moses and Joshua oend the rest of the Judges notwithstanding that God himself did chuse and named them particularly had in their Governments Nor had the People then any more Authority to withstand David or any of his Posterity from being their King than they had to have expelled either Moses or Joshua or any of the rest of the Judges whom God by name did appoint to govern them But Athaliah after the Death of her Son Ahaziah killed all his Children save one Chap. 23. who was secretly conveyed away and usurped the Throne which she held Six years After which space of time Jehojada acquainting the Fathers of Judah and Benjamin that Joash of the Seed of David to whose Posterity God had expresly given the Crown nay and what was more that it was the Lords Will that he should reign over them was alive page 31. they in Obedience to Gods express command acknowledge their Allegiance to him and advance him to the Throne In all which process saith the Convocation nothing was done either by Jehojada the High Priest ibid. or by the rest of the Princes and People of Judah and Benjamin which God himself did not require at their hands And let the Answerer produce such an Entail of the Crown upon a Family as this is let him add to that Gods express command to Dethrone the Possessor as the Convocation here saith Jehojada and the Princes had to depose Athaliah and then he produceth something to the purpose Otherwise since they attempted not to Dethrone Athaliah tho another had as Divine a Right to the Crown as Moses who was named by God till they were anew acquainted that it was the Lords Will that Joash should reign over them it would almost move a forward Man to infer the necessity of Circumspection and Caution in the Deposing even of Usurpers However from the Divine Entailment of the Crown of Judah on the Posterity of David it is manifest that Authority could not in them be separated from Right and therefore the Answerer unjustly affirms That Joash had not that Authoritative Right and Title which the Author speaks of page 4. but only a Claim of Right without Authority the contrary to which from what I have said is very evident What I would observe from the case of Joash and Athaliah is thus God by express Revelation had given to David and his Posterity the Throne of Judah and Israel and no one of those Kingdoms without opposing the Express Nomination of God could deny Allegiance to David or his Posterity till he had a Command as expressive to withdraw it as at first he had to yield it i. e. a plain Revelation to the contrary For since it was Gods express word to settle those Crowns on David and his Posterity nothing but the same word as Expressive could revoke the Donation It was therefore this express word by his Prophet revoking for the Sins of his Posterity that grant to David that excused the Ten Tribes in refusing their Allegiance to Rehoboam and transferring it to his Competitor And I believe it was the Admonition of the Prophet Jeremiah from God requiring the Jews to pay Obedience to Nebuchadnezzar that did discharge them of their Obedience to the Posterity of David For the Answerer may please himself with his Conceit of a Transferring Right But sure I am that God having once by Prophecy declared his Entailing the Crown on David and his Posterity nothing but a Prophecy to the contrary as express as that could ever revoke it or vindicate them in paying it elsewhere What I have discoursed of Gods express Nomination of the Posterity of David to rule the House of Judah that it required a Revelation as express to revoke that Authority and Donation may I think be happily applied unto all other cases where instead of Personal Designation by Prophecy the special Indication of Providence exalts Persons and Families unto Thrones and accordingly Dethrones them For what Prophecy was to them both to advance and remove that Providence must be to us There is now no Person or Family raised to a Crown but by the Providence of God and since it is Providence alone that doth inaugurate them when the same Providence doth Depose them who are we that we should Fight against God We have when once the Prevailing Power doth come unto a Settlement the same Providence that acted in their Exaltation and Depression to direct us in our Duty of Allegiance even as the