to be wiser then God The law of God Exod. 22. 1 2 3 4. in the case of theft proves that the looser shall be no looser by by a thief but that in case he find him with the goods in his hands the thief must restore it at least double and if he hath not to pay he is presently to be sold for his theft But by the laws of England a man may put a poor man into prison upon suspition and keep him in to his undoing a quarter of a year for nothing and the poor man can have no reliefe by law for the wrong done to him in such a case again if a man take a great thief that stole much from him and put him in prison he shall get nothing at last but his life a sad recompence to become a Murderer to loose his soul after his goods and though the true man and thief this suffer the receivers thieve-takers Jaylors and the Whore-houses get by it and the Prisons and Whore-houses the Nurseries of thieves to increase and multiply them exceedingly now if the law of God were put in execution there would not be so many thieves Eor God saith Fxod 21. 15 16 17 He that smiteth his Father or his Mother shall be surely put to death and he that stealeth a man and selleth him or if he be found in his hand he shall surely be put to death he that curseth or revileth his father or mother shall surely be put to death for all wickedness floweth from disobedience to parents and a wicked father commonly gives good councel to his son and will rejoyce to see him doe well it is naturally so with all men good or bad but in London and other great Towns the most part of children are very rebellious especially poor mens children are disobedient running away from their parents because they see nothing but hunger at home and that charity is cold then the Thieves takes them up and feeds them with good Victuals telling them that if they will forsake their parents and follow them they will teach them a trade to get good Chear and they will make them swear that they will forsake their parents and not work but steal for their living and not confess it and when they have tried them a while if they find that a child hath any principle of grace remaining so that they dare not trust him then will they make use of him and force him upon some great design and after sell him away to Sea lest being taken he should confess all In these Cases thieves are men-stealers and by the law of God they ought to die for it and the children also that abuse their parents by smiting and reviling them ought to die for it Therefore if you would have the wicked rooted out of the Land you must destroy the foresaid menstealing-thieves and be charitable to the poor by helping them to bring up their children in the fear of God and those that continue stubborn rebelling and abusing their parents must be made examples that the rest may fear and for the rest of the thieves make them to restore according to Exod. 22. 1 2 3 4. and if they have not to satisfie the owners let them be sold away to the Merchants for their theft and shipt suddenly whether they will or no for a thief hath lost his liberty to choose and by the law of God ought to be sold away for a slave and if they were so punished it would terrifie and restrain them more then hanging for a thief will rather chuse to die then be so bound to work it 's their nature to be so minded always All the Thieves may be divided into three Sorts First the covetous thief that hath enough yet will steal to encrease his riches he is worthy to make a five-fold restitution 2ly there is a thief that will not work but makes a trade of stealing yet lays up little or nothing make him restore double or in case he hath not to doe it he must be sold Thirdly there is a thief that is not able to work or that would work and can get none nor any relief is forced to steal or starve I know no reason why he should suffer but that ye should say to him as Juda said to Tamar Gen. 38. 26. thou hast been more righteous then we because thou wast not relieved thou didst steal and you ought to make restitution for him and put him in a way to live that his soul may blesse you And put no thieves in Prison but as soon as they are taken judge them and so clear the innocent and make the guilty to restore or sell him away to Sea speedily and this every Justice of the Peace may doe immediately for the Lord saith Isa. 42. 22. That the people are spoiled in prison-houses there they learn all villany and are made ten times worse then they were when they came in for judgement must be spedily executed because delays encourageth men to do evil Eccles. 8. 11. And you see Lev. 24. 11 12 13 14. 15 16. Num. 15. 32 33 34 35 36. Israel at first put none in prison but those offenders they had not a Law in readiness e to judge them and as soon as God by Moses gave them a precept for it it was immediately executed Now to conclude If you severely according to God's law Exod. 21. 15 16 17. punish disobedient children and men-stealers it will produce these three Effects following First It will make parents careful and diligent to save their children by bringing them up always in fear and not cocker them up in wantonness and suffer them to be bold and impudent with them but to fear and reverence them lest they should come to suffer for it Secondly It would make children tremble and give respect to their parents when they see the law thus executed upon disobedient children Thirdly It will make such as draw Children away from their obedience to their Parents to tremble least they should come under the Verge of men-stealers when they see how seveerly men-stealers are punished with death Another great defect in the English law is this a man commits an offence and not onely he but also his innocent Children must suffer for it when as God to the Contrary saith Ezek. 18. 20. That the Son shall not bear the iniquity of his Father for example Sir George Booth and the Cheshire Gentry is supposed to have committed Treason but to be sure if their Statebe sequestred as many was upon the like score their innocent Families are robbed fot is it not sufficient that if they have committed a crime that they only in their own person suffer for it and not to have their innocent Families Ruinated also by it In King James his time when I was a Boy a neighbour of ours being then the Constable made bold to steal some sheep and kill them to spare his own yet though he was Constable who thought
sons death 1 Sam. 28. 15 19. here we see what power self-interest hath ever good men therefore he that can deny himself is higher then an Angel for Lucifer fell through Ambition and that a Witch had power to raise Samuel is a great dishonour to him a terrour to me and showeth that self-interest is to be abhorred Eli was free from it for he submited to the sentence of God when it put a period to his time of prosperity 1 Tam 3. 18. And I will now speak touching English men there is a Book come forth intituled The Lord General Fleetwood's Answer to the Humble Representation of Col. Morley and some other late Officers of the Army If he wrote it he is a self-denying man indeed and sheweth in that book the only way for Englands happiness he that observes the series of Gods providence may be assured that this Stump-Parliament which was just seven years under the band of Ironsword and brass-Canon that is from April 22. 1652. to April 22 1659. I say we may be assured that this Parliament will grow to be full consisting of KING Lords and Commons as it was at first and then more excellent Glory shall be added to it by their setting up of Christ's Kingdom For surely the Lord's Decree shall stand let self-interest-men doe what they can God and the people shall bring it to passe for Nebuchadnezzar's Vision shall be fulfilled again Dan. ◠for he was but a type of King CHARLS and this Parliament promised him according to Dan. 4. 36. that they should add to his Majesties glory and so they shall keep their promise and oaths made to him God will have the first Oath performed Rev. 2. 4. later oaths for self-interest shall not prevail against it 3 therefore I say to your Lordship and to the Parliament Remember your Vows to be true to the KING 1 Esdras 4. 43. Pay your Vows Ecclesiast 5. 4. I looked upon your going to Scotland as a mighty providence for the welfare of the Nations and indeed the fulfilling of what I said should come to pass in that time for God worketh by hid wisedom so that men cannot see it when it is done no nor for a long time after but when there eyes are opened by a more shining of the work then shall they see in what time it was done My Lord the people came before you they dare not speak out as yet they have been so Curbd but you may know their mind by their miseries I beseech you pitty them that their souls may blesse you Else England will be distroyed for some old Prophesies saith that if England loose its opportunity it shall be invaded with three mighty Armies raised and supplyed by all Christendome one shall appear in the south with the Queen and a great favourite of our Army another in the North under the King and Duke of York the third in Ireland under Henry Duke of Gloucester and before these three Armies meet English men will be so few that the Daughter shall say to the Mother O Mother I have seen a man to day and London with all the Towns in England will be destroyed therefore I say again pitty poor England that God may blesse you the more Oh pitty poor decayed men that are daily cast into prisons for debs by their cruel Creditors where they are speyled being unable to pay or live there the Parliament were about to take some course to help them before now Oh move them to do it speedily you will have the prayers of many poor distressed souls which in the day of battail will be a greater defence for you then your Army David Psal. 41. 1. 2. So wishing your excellency all happinesse I hoping to be in your Lordships Judgement a faithful Servant to the Publick And your Lordships servant in particular ARISE EVANS From the Kings Play-House in Black-Fryers London Jan 30. 1659. Gentlemen MY last Book printed May 1659. sheweth you the Kingdom of Christ in part but now through Christ's assistance I shall shew you further and to give you a hint of what is contained in the said book called A Rule from Heaven First Ye have page 1. to pag. 26. the Introduction wherein is shewed the Descent of our Nation the noble Actions of our Predecessors with their Sufferings at several times for their sin and a view of our ancient Prophesies that foretels the trouble and sufferings of our KING Nobles and Royal party with a promise of great Glory to them at last and an Assurance of peace for Ever Secondly From page 26. to pag. 45. ye have the Kingdom of Christ shewed though indeed not so fully and so clear as I had done if time had permitted for when the combustion was among us by the Armies throwing down one Government to set up another it was in my mind suddenly afore they run into errour and to prevent it to shew them a better Government then they knew before even a Government of Christ's own Institution and therefore I hastned and was brief having not time enough to clear the matter Thirdly Page 45. Ye have a threatning of our Army if that they would not suddenly stand up for this Good Old Cause namely the Kingdom of Christ and set it up else as stout as they were they should fall and come to nothing and their Parliament you know sought divers wayes their ruine since that time and they have been divided so that now they had need look upon my words lest they repent too late as their Parliament did once yea twice now and knew not how to help it Fourthly page 46. and page 47. Ye have a speech to the Long Parliament to tell them that notwithstanding their endeavour to set up themselves their General should dissolve them and I bad them beware of Jehu for so I called him and though they us'd all their craft against him yet I said he should prevail and I told them that the Army had a Design they knew not of and shewed them that they had no way to make themselves happy but speedily while they had time to make their peace with CHARLS STUART and I gave them a Vision I had 1634. to assure them if they sought it they might have had peace as you see all along if you read to the end of the said book I say you may discern if you read from page 46. to page 60. of that book how far those words of my penning have been fulfilled upon the Army and Parliament Thus ye have the Contents of the said book Now it is true that it displeaseth some of the Kings party the reason is because they did not fully understand it and it is left dark in some points because I had not time to open it 〈◊〉 cannot abide to hear of any to be in power above 〈◊〉 KING It is true there is none above the KIN◠namely Charles the First We read that Israel had two Kings at one time and
THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE FOR A KING SHEWING The only way for the Future Settlement and Peace of England Humbly Presented to his Excellency the LORD General Monck By ARISE EVANS When there was no King in Israel every one did what was right in his own eyes Judg. 17. 6. LONDON Printed for the Author 1659. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE LORD GENERAL GEORGE MONCKE MY LORD I shall not wrap my self in a cloud of high Eloquence or be able to show your merits I hope you are he that God hath raised to make England again happy yea more happy then ever it was which now is in a sad condition under many miseries her once glorious Church and Kingdome that shined in prosperity in the sight of all the world troden under foot Parliaments-priviledges violated the peoples Liberties detained their goods being spent through long paying Excise Assesments and such new devises to pole them which never was known in England before trading utterly gone the one part of the Nation being imployed to destroy and eat up the other and of late no visible Authority and men kept under and kill'd for offering to shew their agrievances and yet no visible hope of redemption but of that which under God appears in you Many have promised well and God gaue them golden opportunities to make themselves and the Nation glorious but their self-ends deceived them and they fell into contempt because their minds was not fixed on just things to the glory of God and good of the whole Nation For the Nation now are not ignorant as they were in the beginning of these times before they fell like Adam but having tasted of such a fruit as shewed them their nakedness they are become wise knowing wherein their happiness lies ond are ready to say with Israel 1 Sam. 8. 19. notwithstanding all the perswasions of self-interest against it nay but there shall be a KING over us and to speak of Samuel's Case self-interest is such a thing that not only Samuel was blinded by it but the Angels also that fell for might not Samuel have seen that God promised Abraham that Kings should come out of him and to Jacob that Kings should come out of him also Gen. 17. 6. Gen. 35. 11. and that Moses had said that Israel might have a King Deuter 17. 14. and how the people did what was right in their own eyes slighting the law of God because there was no King in Israel to minister Justice Judg. 17. 6. and that they did then as bad as the Sodamites Judg. â—9 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27. I say might not Samuel have known these things I sure but it made against his interests for he was for a Government by Judges therein lay his and his sons interest but Israel will have a King for all Samuels pleading against it and the Lord perswades Samuel to barken to the people in it so that the Lord is also for a King and a King they have for all that Samuel could do and they lived more happy under their Kings and served God more truely then ever they did under their Judges Saul cloathed them in Scarlet and put Gold upon their apparel and David did more but Solomon made silver at plenty as stones Gideon the best of there judges got gold from them and made an Idol of it and the people left the Lord and iwent a Whoring after it Iudg. 8. 27. But King Asa upon the repetition of the judges evill times by Oded the Prophet and his comparing it to the time present Israel then was fallen from God I say Asa tooke courage from Odeds words and put down the Idols and he gathered Judah and Benjamin and most of Israel came to him and agreed with King Asa that whosoever would not seek the Lord and serve him he should be put to death 2 Chron. 15. now I say it appeareth by this that Kingship is best for the Nations Souls and Bodies therefore God and the People will have a King let Samuel do what he can he shall not be able to binder it Samuel a glorious Prophet saith to the people that a King was not Good for them and useth many arguments to perswade them against Kingship and in the conclusion saith your King will so oppresse you that you shall cry out in that day because of your King and the Lord will not bear you in that day what a strong motive is this from a Prophet yet the people will say nay but there shall be a King over us 1 Sam 8. 18 19. what is the reason they are so wilful it is because they knew that Samuel said all this for his own ends that his Children might have the preheminence over them and they knew that his sons were sinful Judges taking bribes and perverted judgement 1 Sam. 8. 1. 2 3. therefore they would not trust them with their warlike affairs for they had smarted of late days in the like case When the wicked Sons of Eli did rule which lost their own lives and the Ark of God and thirty thousand men in the field 1 Sam. 2. 12 22. 1 Sam. 5. And now they must go to war for Nahash King of the Amonites came against them and would not receive them to be his servants except they would suffer him to thrust out the right eye of every one of them lay it for a reproach upon all Israel 1 Sam 11. 1 2. and Samuel was old his Sons were wicked they must needs have a King to lead them out against this proud Nahash and you see King Saul under God ordered it so that Nahash lost the day and Saul was Victour but yet after this Samuel was displeased with the people and bids them tell him wherein he had wronged them and tells them a story of the excellency of their former Judges and that they had highly sinned in asking a King and threatneth them to the purpose but for all that they were for King-ship saying to Samuel who is he that saith Saul shall not reign bring him forth that we may put him to death 1 Sam. 11 12. 1 Sam. 12. then seeing that Samuel is angry with Saul that be could not please him at all and whatsoever Saul did he found fault with it and he laid snares for him about the sacrifice though indeed it seems Samuel was in the fault for he came not according to his promise yet he came as soon as Saul had sacrificed and then he tells him that he had broke the Commandement and that God would have another to be King 1 Sam. 13. after that Samuel send Saul against Amalek and commanded him to do such a thing that Saul could not do and then he Pronounceth judgement against Saul and came no more at him 1 Sam. 15. but went and anointed David to be King of Israel 1 Sam. 16. and after Samuel died his Ghost rose from the Earth to discourage Saul by telling him of his death and of his