any more in their former capacity ours have the liberty to resume their places if they please as many have repented and done so that the Scotch Authority does not only depend upon a Force but upon a greater Force then ours in England 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Our in ference from this Force in Scotland so usefull to the Kirk there and so in-offensive as it seems to the Ministers in Lancashire Cheshire that they judge it no force was this Hence we conceive that Parliament priviledges may be sometimes looked at as formalities rather then sacred and indispensible rights viz. when the greater number of Parliament men set themselves in a way of utter ruining rather then of building up and establishing a Nation on the sure foundation of peace and righteousnesse Certainly Sirs if any Priviledges should enable a Parliament to ruine us as good we sate content under the mercies of a Lawlesse-Royall-Prerogative as of a Parliament so priviledged yet this inference of ours the Gentlemen take too much to heart that even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it stirres them out of measure Theecr so that incontinently they fall into a fierce Parexysme This glosse say they calls not so much for an answer as for admiration and execration and aske Is this all the reverence and force which we give to Vowes Protestations and Oathes truly as little as they say we reverence them we yet reverence them as highly as the Kirke of Scotland does which are sometimes we see dispenced with in its respect to Parliament Priviledges we Covenant for them as servants not as Masters to the Publique good though they be not such light formalities but they may be lawfully Covenanted for what is a sacred thing in its place becomes a shadow if mis-plac'd and unduly preferr'd it may be Sacriledge to pursue that which zeale and duty well inform'd let goe as inconfistent with what is most sacred the Scots allow of a subordination in the matters of the most solemne Covenant as we shew'd in our Plea and subordinates we know are in a sense formalities dispensable withall surely if set in ballance with the more sacred and superiour ends encovenanted for so are Parliament Priviledges though in themselves grave and grand realities if they stand in competition or be compared with reformation publique liberty and safety those SANCTA SANCTORUM of the Covenant And now let wise men judge whether this inference or glosse of ours as the Ministers call it be such an execrable heinous one as they would render it and whether it be a dangerlesse and religionlesse excuse of the Armies force 1 Is there danger in preferring publique good before the priviledges of any particular men or any sort of men whatsoever this would implead not only the Armies force but also the Selfe-denying Ordinance Sirs 2 Religion lets us not know to give flattering titles to men Job 32.21 22. much lesse to indulge them with undue Seraphicall inrespective priviledges this is reall and transcendent adulation how comes it to be religionlesse then to give publique weale and safety an higher roome in our Covenant then Parliament Priviledges every publique spirit savours such ir-religion as this Covenants are conservatories of these Priviledges whiles improv'd to publique service otherwise men might ruine a Nation cum privilegio and plead Covenant for their justification but this is prevented by that limitation in our Solemne League and Covenant viz. in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdome This we alledge in answer to that question of these Ministers whother there be such a condition as we speake to reserv'd out of the covenanted preservation of Parliament priviledges yea or no The letter of the Covenant notes out this reservation or condition providing for Parliament Priviledges as things subordinate and sub-servant to Religion and Liberty but say they Doe we finde any where in Scripture that subjects are dis-engaged from subjection to and maintaining of the rights or the Authorities lawfully placed over them in case of their maeleadministration Ans There were many such texts of Scripture to be found eight or nine yeares agoe when men cryed out To thy tents O Israel and Ministers cryed Curse ye Meroz c. Subjection was not with drawne from King Charles nor Armes raised against him and he beaten from one place to another without some Scripture warrant but if men vomit up their principles and build again what they destroyed they are to be dealt with upon another score 2 There are some rights or particular priviledges belonging to Magistrates in all constitutions we conceive which may undergo a dominution yea be pessundated Salva authoritate personall rights may at some feasons interfer with common safety and peace which authority never doth therefore in the question propounded there is fallacia compositionis But 3 T is a thorny solemne point and we dare not rush on unheedily in it let the grave and bold Lapinian lead us the way in his Treatise touching peoples withdrawing subjection from their King or otherwise called the Soveraigne power of Parliaments and Kingdoms he thus expresseth himself it can hardly seem probable much lesse credible that any * Negari non potest quin populus aliquis necessitate coactus possit se vendere Regi ut omnes sint plâ—ne servi ipsius Gen. 47.23 sed neque hoc unquam praesumi debet quando non est manifestum quia contra mores est contra naturae inclinationem neque licitè honesteve ab ullo principe quaeri potest quia ejus officium est communem utilitatem populi praecipué spectare neque denique civitas aut politia esset quae illum in modum constitueretur sed herile dominium servitium monstrosum Ames cas consc lib. 5. cap. 25. free people whatsoever when they voluntarily at first encorporated themselves into a Kingdom or set up an elective or hereditary King over them would so absolutely resign up their soveraign popular originall authority power and liberty to their Kings c. as to give them an absolute irrevocable uncontrolable supremacy over them superiour to irrestrainable irresistable or unalterable by their own primitive inherent national soveraignty out of which their regall power was derived for this had been to make the creator in ferior to the creature c. a most bruitish sottish inconsiderate rash action not once to be imagined of any people and had our Ancestors or any other nations when they first erected Kings and instituted Kingly government been askt this question whether they meant thereby to transfer all their National Authority Power and Priviledges so far over to their Kings c. as not still to reserve the supremest power and jurisdiction to themselves to direct limit restrain their Princes supremacy and the exorbitant abuses of it when they should see just cause or so as not to be able ever after TO ALTER or diminish this forme of Government upon any occasion
for many Centuries of yeares this attempt we thinke few quiet and undesigning spirits will be forward to ingage themselves in but what besotting interests have wrought men to we see and seeing have cause to bewaile the fruits of their distempers shaking and indangering the publicke bottome that hath gone a nine years voyage for peace and is now within view of harbor our having been wounded is not so much as that our wound should be perpetuall Jer. 15.18 8.15.22 14.19 and still kept open by the sons of peace official healers if here you acquit your selves Sirs t is well Quisquis vel quod potest arguendo corrigit vel quod corrigere non potest salvo pacis vinculo excludit vel quod salvo pacis vinculo excludere non potest equitate improbat firmitate supportat August hic * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Clem. Alexan. strom l. 5. pacificus est Wee have insisted somewhat largely in our rejoynder to that exception commenc'd against our Argument touching the being of the present Authority over us from God both because it is of confessed importance and because it much facilitates our retargation of what followes under this head To proceed therefore To this explanation of our Position viz. That frames of Government are resolved by God into the peoples wills as the immediate cause of their specification They answer pag. 3. 1 That People destitute of a lawfull Magistracie have an elective Power in the constitution of Government but standing in the relation of Subjects they have not a privative or innovative power Wee Answer if at any time people are enabled to chuse what forme they will be governed under Answ then when necessitated they may lawfully innovate the very being or ordination of Magistracy for their good warrants the one as well as the other and though that Mode of Government from which they change be lawfull yet power tyrannically and injustifiably exercised justifies their election of those meanes for their comfort and security which the law of nature owned by the word Grot Nunquam aliud natura aliud sapientia dicit Juv. dictates to them Necessitas enim summa reducit res ad merum jus naturale Take away a peoples privative power in this case and their elective power serves onely to make them perpetuall slaves before their choyce of such a Governour or Government they were free to provide for their liberties and naturall immunities but after their choyce made they must be content it seemes with what falls out though to the destruction of these for ever this is to enable people to make themselves miserable and there to leave them remedilesse but the Lord has provided more mercifully for them ordaining Magistracy and Order as their accumulative freedome not destroying by his postuate institution what by that generall Statute that unrestrain'd Charter the Law of Nature he had before granted to them yet if a people have no greater cause to desire a change of Government amongst them then Israel had when they cryed ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 8.19 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Joseph Antiq. li. 8. Act. 26.18 Make us a King we shall never plead their excuse in endeavouring it 2 They say Some kinde of Governments are unlawfull in their owne nature so is that of the beast Rev. 17. and the ten Kings giving their power and strength to the beast these cannot be said to be approved of God Answ 1. The power of those ten Kings or Kingdomes is lawfull in its owne nature the text notes its abuse and suggests thus much to those that alledge it viz. That regall Government is apt above all other modes whatsoever for the service of the beast this is neither only nor also for their purpose 2 That beastiall power they instance in is but an equivocall power that sway of Satan in the hearts of the children of disobedience is called a power too but what hinders this that God may not approve all civil frames of Government upon the Earth how various soever every Ordinance of man which is confest to be only an Application or a Modification of the generall Ordinance of God These are capable of his owning sure notwithstanding this out-leape or essay of theirs touching a power Antichristian in its very essence and of an hellish Parentage our Position reaches to no such power when we say What kinde of Government a people doe will for their owne good the Lord sets his seale upon it Their instances indeed under the next Head and our instance in 1 Sam. 8 9 10 12. Chap. prove that God dis-ownes the sinfulnesse of their wils who are given to change and transgresse without a cause not that hâ— dis-approves the Government they desire It is ordinary for mâ—n to abuse their Liberty and that latitude of choyce which God allowes them in things of this kinde but to conclude that ergo God gives not a People liberty of change and that he resolves not frames of Government into their wils because some men have and others may sinne in erecting new Models and changing their constitutions is like dashing out a mans braines to cure the Megrime or like that practicall Logick of Lycurgus who prohibited the planting of Vines because men used to be drunke with the Grapes 3 We say That in all changes of Government the prevailing not the over-borne Party may lay claime to the signature of Divine approbation this they conceive contradicts our former Position which entitled the Peoples will to the specification of Government and the seale of Gods approvall We all know say they the Peoples wills may goe one way a prevailing Party another contrary to it c. Answ We need not labour much to shake off that contradiction which is pinn'd upon us gratis for though the wills of some people yea of most people may goe one way and the prevailing Party another way yet we all know that the prevailing will goes but one way and which way this will goes that way goes the divine approvall otherwise we had never been commanded to obey EVERY ORDINANCE of man FOR THE LORDS SAKE 1 Pet. 2.13 Though men may sinne in the motions of their wils yet God dis-owns not the power and priviledges he has given them but to hitch on a little These Gentlemen fight notably with their owne shadowes from hence all along till our second Medium as they call it gives them the opportunity of a new encounter proceeding from a supposition which is no grant of ours nor educible from any thing we have yet said viz. that the prevailing Party is owned of God quatenus prevailing hence they frame mountainous absurdities and lay them to our charge as the consequences of our Principles but we know that supposito quo libet sequitur quid libet if any Minister of this combination should deliver such a Doctrine as this The doers of Gods will not the hearers only may lay claime to salvation
the supposition may passe would he thinke himselfe fairely dealt with all if some wilde Antinomian should charge him with teaching that those whom God saves he saves them because they are doers or for their deeds We doubt he would hardly bear such a mis-construction or indulge the liberty of such an interpretation as this so we say the prevailing Party layes claime to Gods approbation in the contests about Government among the Sons of men but will it thence follow that we hold God approves them because they prevaile surely he may doe it upon another account but whatever that be their prevailency may beare witnesse that he does owne them Pro hic nunc whatever the ends be that his holy will makes use of those powers for we make God the great Arbiter in all Quarrels and prevailency in contests of this nature shewes us for whom he Arbitrates 1 Chro. 5.2 Judah prevailed (a) Hence comes Gibbor Nimrods stile that mighty Hunter Gen. 10.8.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was strong above his Brethren and of him came the chiefe Rulers but the birth-right was Iosephs the least that we can give to Iudah's prevailency is this to attest the Lords designement of that Tribe to beare rule and his actuall disposition of authority to it and wil it now follow 1 That we make force the infallible umpire betwixt Parties claiming interest in the constitution of Government or 2 That the same Government and cause without any alteration of its institution and demeanour may lay claime to divine approbation as its strength varieth That Absolons and Zimries authority were good before God during the time of their prevailence Sirs those instances are not of cases Arbitrated but in Arbitration David had then a considerable Army when he fled from his Sonne with which the Lord of Hosts pleaded his cause against that rebellious Absolon in the day of Battell so when Zimries wickednesse was heard of it presently came to umpeirage all Israel made Omri the Captaine of the Host King over Israel THAT DAY in the camp 1 King 16.16 and when upon the death of Zimri the people were divided into two parts 't is said the people that followed Omri PREVAILED against the people that followed Tibui the Sonne of Ginah so Tibui dyed and OMRI REIGNED ver 22. I wonder what witnesse we have of the Divine Authorization of many that were Kings over Israel setting aside theirs and the peoples prevailency that cleaved to them it wil be easily granted that Menahem Pekah and Hosea 〈◊〉 Kings over Israel and reigned till God cut them off for their abominations but how came they to be Kings what Titles had they how neare of kin to the Scepter the text tels us they were Captaines of the Host men of power and we say God disposed of the Kingdome into their hands but how will this be proved why they prevailed upon what score or to what purpose the Lord owned them we are unworthy to know but owne them he did as Kings and his people owned them too upon their prevailency this was the needle that drew after it the thread of Allegiance The like we say touching Jerobohams and Omri's Enthronment these dissenters acknowledge that Jerobohams reigning over the Ten Tribes was from God only they say that the businesse betwixt them and the Two Tribes adhering to Rehoboham was not debated by the Sword and so the two Tribes were not the worsted and over-borne party As if there could be no worsting or prevailency unlesse it be by the sword 1 Kings 12.22 23. True God tooke up that difference by the mouth of his Prophet he is not tyed to manifest his approvall onely one way this takes nothing therefore from our assertion touching prevailency it may be a testimony of Gods good pleasure in every contest about the disposall of power where he interposeth not more immediately notwithstanding this Concerning Omri they tell us that Gods not approving him and the people is but a slender argument that he approved their actions God sometimes will not suffer his Prophets to be reprovers Answ 1. Why then do these men take such paines to bend severall Texts in Hosea and Micah to a reproofe of them such Texts too as will then suit their purpose when the councells of the house of Ahab and the Statutes of Omri are proved to be the powers of Ahab and Omri the submission of Gods Prophets to Ahab and so many of Gods people to Omri would hardly have been gained if this had been to walk in the Statutes of Omri Micah 6.16 and to keep the councells and works of the house of Ahab 2 Those sinnes in the Kings of Israel which were of such a reach and influence upon the people under them as to involve the whole Nation in a miserable guilt never as we know of escaped reproofe the sins of Ahab Ahaz Jeroboham and Manasseth that were of this impliâ—ancy came all under the lash yea the sinnes of Omri too 1 King 16.26 yet he is not reproved for usurpation though by their principles it involves every one in his sinne who submitted to his power 3 T is the abuse of Gods patience and that line upon line he has given them which causeth him to stop his prophets mouthes I will make thy tongue cleave to the roofe of thy mouth that thou shalt be dumb and shall not be to them a man reproving for they are a rebellious house Ezek. 3.26 this sin these Ministers lay not to the charge of the people who chose Omri for their King as we can see In the close of their exceptions against our first medium though they thinke they have us fast enough yet they complaine they know not where to hold us we doe so contradict and thwart our selves here only say they we wish them to consider if the superinduction of a power against the wills of many yea of most men which in our plea we justifie be not a selfe-contradiction in reflexion upon that position of theirs viz. Frames of Government are by God resolved into peoples wills And in answer hereto we wish them to consider that this contradiction vanisheth as easily as the former if the case prove ever such as that the will of the most people happen not to be the prevailing will it will be hardly proved that that halfe of the people which made Omri King were the greater halfe though they were the prevailing halfe thus we see this other contradiction falls into accord without any helpe from Sancta clara or Scotus de duno And now having sufficiently as it should seeme broken the bones of our first argument brought to prove the being of these present powers over us from God they proceed to give their sence on our second taken from Rom. 13.2 and then discant upon it First they tell us if the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used for Divine Ordination bee any where used for the Lords Ordination of a power which
is as to the persons comming in and sustaining it unjustifiable as it is Hab. 1.12 then it cannot make the Text pregnant to our purpose Answer We neither say that the word makes the Text full and pregnant to our purpose the Scripture indeed we say is so nor doe we deny but our present powers may be ordained for judgement and ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Euseb praepar Evangel li. 8. established for correction Lord saith the Prophet thou hast ordained them the Chaldean powers for judgement this Text therefore confirmes what we have to prove viz. That the Powers in being over any people are Gods Ordinance though they may be as most commonly they are both attained unto as to mans agency and sustained unjustifiably thus they have not dis-favoured our argument at all by this septuagint-allegation After this velitation anent the word Ordained they come to a proposition of ours which they say we formed out of it viz. In what ever series of events God manifests his speciall concurrence or appearing that cause he ownes and authorizeth mans Agency in it This they deny But before wee joyne issue wee must needs gratifie them with some what which they would faine know from us by the way and it is this why we call the powerful working of God unto events flowing from the efficacious decree his speciall concurrence or appearing after wee had thus paraphrased the words the Powers that be are ordained of God as the first and cheife cause of all Beings but all Beings are not by his speciall concurrence Answer All those beings we speak of are viz. All positive futuritions determined by him and well pleasing to him Is it another contradiction to say the cheife cause of all Beings may both generally and specially concur to the production of the same event When we looke back unto the years of the right hand of the most high God and consider what great things he has done in England Ireland and Scotland and by what means we conclude thus Not by might nor by power but by the spirit of the Lord and cry grace grace to them intituling the special out-goings Isa 41.15 and unbareings of his holy arme to these effects wherein he made the worme Jacob a threshing instrument with teeth to beat the mountaines like chaffe every work morally good all the gracious actings of his Saints and Servants are drawne forth and his creatures inabled to them by a twofold divine concourse Twist vindic Gratiae li. digres or assistance the one Phisicall the other supernaturall but that we shall make use of in this debate is onely the speciall exertions of his divine power and the might of his arme unto naturall effects with his generall providence in the support of instruments these signall and observable exercions of his might in weake meanes we call his speciall appearings or efficiency Now to the businesse We must needs tel them they do us wrong in assuming that for the sinews of our argument which neither the argument it selfe nor our judgements any way befriend viz. That Gods efficatious decree and hand in powerfull working is conversant or operative in no humaine affaires or actions but what are in man lawfull or agreeable to the rule of Gods word and therefore this elaborate digression of theirs touching the Metaphisicall derivation of all Actions and Beings with their morall state and qualifications and touching Gods agency in all the affaires and actings of men without the least ‖ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Synes tincture of sinne might have wel been spared we acknowledge with them that if the present power over us have no more from God then a Metaphisicall existence or a naturall existence or a natural power and production by his concourse or co-operation with second causes it is dis-owned by him with abomination wee plead not Gods ordinary workings but his speciall appearings in favour of our present Authority as by our above mentioned proposition appeares though they would cajole it to speake their sence who make no distinction betwixt Gods ordinary operations and those workings of his which are marvellous in al mens eyes Surely Sirs you may acknowledge some kind of language in Gods lifting up of his arme to a wonder as well as the Psalmist does in all the works of his fingers day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night telleth knowledge there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard Saith David and if his wonders upon earth speake any thing it is the might of that God whose workes they are and his favour towards that people on whose behalfe and that cause in which they are wrought Hath God essayed saith Moses to goe and take him a Nation from the middest of a Nation by temptations by signes and by wonders and by war and by a mighty hand according to all that the Lord did for you and what followes because he loved thy Fathers therefore he chose their seed after them and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt Moses argues from the great things God did for that people to his owning of them as about seven year agoe these Ministers at least some of them made no bones to do when God shewed us any great salvation or gave us any notable victory over the late Kings forces though now the same presence of God with our Councells and Armys speaks nothing at all yet we confesse this Plea of Gods mighty workings towards a people would be very weak if it went alone but we plead the Law and Testimony for Gods owning our present Authority and their cause as the witnesse beyond exception His workes we mention in the second place as a good comment upon the word only Having thus righted our selves we need say little to their needlesse and exhojudiciall digression only it seemes strange to us that they should insinuate as if our present Powers derived from God only as a Metaphysicall entity when as his giving a Kingdome into any mens hands imports clearly another thing viz. Gods making them Rulers which in so doing he ownes notwithstanding he may dis-owne their interests in grasping of power and the sinfull or indirect courses whereby they may become possest of it It creates us not any carefull thoughts that in taking their leave of our second Medium they call our Paraphrase or glosse on Rom. 13.1 a wide one unlesse they could make it appeare we restraine Gods Ordination of the Powers that are to Divine concourse we have shewed that our Powers are from God by way of Authorization and that his disposall of the Kingdome into their hands conferring thereby his right unto them has made the Authority lawfull in the Subjects wherein it rests let us see now how it fares with our third Medium Their third Medium say