it do not why do men plead it But it is evident that the Noble blood comes not by Generation for God hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell upon the face of the earth Acts 17.26 Now if they were all made of one blood that was either Noble blood or Ignoble If it were noble then all men were noble for he made them all of one blood and so they continue and will continue until the end of ages Therefore it is by Exaltation namely when God exalteth men as the Prophet saith Psal. 113.7 8. out of the dust and lifteth them out of the dunghill to set them with princes even with the princes of his people then they are honorable and not before Again if the same God will cast down the same persons for their wickedness whom before he exalted and pour contempt and shame upon them and their posterity and bring them again to dishonour Who can give them honour It is not in the power of all the men of the earth to do it if they should stand up for one man for it is God that poureth contempt upon princes and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way Psal. 107.40 and it is God that changeth times and seasons and removeth kings and setteth up kings Dan. 2.21 And it is God that turned out the greatest King that ever reigned upon the face of the earth to grasing among the beasts and made him even that head of gold more contemptible then the bafest of men Dan. 2.38 with Chap. 4.25 And it is the same God that exalteth the needy out of the dust and taketh the poor out of the dunghill that he may set him with princes even with the princes of his people and then they are of the Royal blood if men will plead for it let them But yet I humbly conceive that it is the vertue of all the honorable of the earth to consider from whence they were taken and though they be called Gods Psal. 82.6 7. yet they must die like men and return to the dust and after that cometh Judgement that so when they shall come to give up their account to God at the Great Day they may be able to do it with joy for then cometh that everlasting honour and glory which shall not be taken away from them that shall once be counted worthy to be made partakers thereof And thus much concerning the Blood Royal who are of it and how they came so And now I shall come to speak of the Lords Anointed whose name we ought not to take into our mouthes but with reverence and godly fear But I know that Ignorance hath been the mother of Devotion in this thing also and men have put Light for Darkness and Darkness for Light and called Evil Good and Good Evil speaking evil of things they know not calling the Lord Bishops Anointed the Anointed of the Lord and have thrown down Christ the true Anointed and as much as in them lay have laboured to lay his honour in the dust reviling and persecuting him in his poor Saints wheresoever they found him even to the death not remembring the words of our glorious Lord Jesus Matth. 25.40 considered with 45. by which words we understand that what is done to his Saints is done to himself be it good or evil according to his words to Paul Acts 9.4 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me which was his Saints holy people which contended earnestly for that faith once delivered by himself And thus have the kings of the earth stood up and the Rulers have taken counsel together against the Lord and against his Anointed as it is written Act. 4.26 Therefore now the Lord that sitteth in heaven is laughing of them to scorn and hath them in derision and is vexing of them in his fore displeasure Psal. 2.1 2 3 4 5. staining the pride of all their glory and is bringing into contempt all the honourable of the earth and thus the poureth contempt upon Princes by casting down and destroying of them even by men that have been and are base and contemptible in their eyes And thus the Lord is vexing of them and will vex them in his sore displeasure until he have destroyed them from off the earth because they have vexed persecuted and shed the blood of his Saints therefore he will give them blood to drink for they are worthy And thus will God the Lord let his King upon his holy hill of Ston and learn all men to know who is the Lords Anointed For the clearing of which I would gladly be answered this Question if any will or can namely How King Charles or any of the Kings of the Nations became the Lords Anointed or when or what day was it What was done to them by which they were made the Lords Anointed But this I confess that when the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury anointed Charles the first deceased to be King of England that then he became the Lord Bishop of Canterbury's Anointed but no other Lords Anointed that I know of and therefore we may observe that when that Lord that anointed him lost his head he that was anointed by him could not keep his long And so their old Proverb was verified No Bishop no King But I much wonder what Lord 's anointed Charles the second is seeing there was no Lord Bishop in Scotland to anoint him Surely the highest Title he can claim is but Sir John Presbyter's Anointed But for the further clearing of this thing I deny that any King whatsoever he were since the Lords Anointed Christ came in the flesh was ever called the Lords Anointed See Acts 10.36 37 38. with Chap. 4.25 26 27. And let any of the most wise and zealous people in the Land for that thing prove it if they can and if they cannot let them confess that they have been zealous but not according to knowledge Another Question is Where ever any were called the Lords Anointed before Christ came in the flesh but onely those that had the rule and dominion over the Jews which were the people of God and Abraham's seed according to the flesh of whom as Paul saith Christ or the Lords Anointed came See Rom. 9.4.5 And therefore they were called so in the type as they were figures of Christ the true Anointed that was to come and be born of the Jews Matth. 2.2 If any shall object and say that Cyrus was called the Lords Anointed Isai. 45.1 I answer That is the same which I said before for he was at that time King and had rule and dominion over the people of God Abraham's seed and the Lord telleth us in vers 4. wherefore he calleth him so in these words For Jacob my servants sake and Israel mine elect I have even called thee by name and surnamed thee though thou hast not known me And thus the Lord himself hath fully answered that Objection and it 's clearly proved that none before the
friends when you have read and considered what I have written and tried it by the Word of God if then you shall finde any thing too light or useless that you will impute it to that imperfect part which in some measure doth dwell in all men and remain fully assured that what I want in words and expressions is fully made up in my affection toward the State and Commonwealth in general Thus destring that what is according to Truth and sound Reason may be profitable to all I commit what is written to your serious consideration and impartial judgement and you into the hands of the Lord and remain to the utmost of my power Your faithful brother stedfast in the faith of the Gospel of Iesus Christ And his servant for your sakes HENRY HAGGAR The Particulars of the Book are in order at followeth I. THat it is God alone that ruleth in the Kingdoms of men and they have nothing to do to question him how whether it be by Kings as supreme Heads as in and after the days of Saul David and Solomon or by the Elders of the people to rule and judge them as before there was any King but God himself in Israel II. What it is to rule with God III. What was the original of Monarchy amongst men or whence it first came that a man should bear the name of King over the people of God IV. Who is of the Royal blood V. Who is now the Lords Anointed VI What is Gods desine against the Kings and Rulers of the Nations in these last days VII Wherfore he will destroy them VIII What they may or should do to escape the hand of God lifted up against them IX What the Saints and people fearing God should do in these days of vengeance X. Their duty to this Present Power acknowledged and they vindicated from the reproaches and slanders falsly cast upon them by wicked men Viz. That they are the false Prophets of the last times and those that cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine of Christ and the ignorant and unlearned that Peter speaks of which wrest the Scripture to their own destruction and despise Government and are not afraid to speak evil of dignities and will not obey Magistrates but have slain their King c. No King but JESVS c. ANd now according to the method propounded I shall proceed to shew first that it is God alone that ruleth and men have nothing to do to question how whether it be by Kings as supreme heads as in and after the days of Saul David and Solomon or by the Elders of the people to rule and judge them as before there was any King but God himself in Israel But now let me not be mistaken and abused as if I went headlong without wisdom or the fear of God to rail against kingly power or Kings like those that spake evil of things they know not for I approve of Kings and Rule by Kings as well as of ruling or judging the people by Elders but it must always be considered in all ages and generations of the world what Rule and Rulers God doth approve of for it is he that setteth up one and pulleth down another and he it is that ruleth in the kingdoms of men and giveth them to whomsoever he will yea and setteth over them the basest of men Dan. 4.17.25 And now let us consider if the God of heaven did in that age take away the Kingdom and Dominion of the whole earth from Nebuchadnezzar that head of gold and turn him out a grasing among the Oxen and give his kingdom to whomsoever he pleased then let not men in this generation think it strange though God Almighty hath taken away the kingdoms of England Scotland and Ireland which are but a small part of the earth from Charles Stuart and given them to the honorable Parliament which were indeed at first confirmed by him before his evil Counsel had drawn him away from them therefore none can say they gathered together without him to conspire against him for they gathered together to him and were confirmed by him and with him and he with them and so were a lawful Assembly of Magistrates according to the Law of God and a lawful Parliament according to the Law of Nations and from this lawful Assembly and powers ordained of God he withdrew and by evil Councel rent himself from them and would come no more at them notwithstanding all the invitations they gave him in all humility as will yet appear by their Propositions and Remonstrances all which plainly sheweth the immediate hand of God against him and against his family his sins and the sins of his forefathers being now at the full And further let it be considered that God will have the living men to know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men and giveth it to whomsoever he will yea and settetth over it the basest of men Dan. 4.17 Now if the Lord will take a Kingdom from a King and give it to the basest of men how can the most honourable of men help it They may gnaw their tongues for anger and blaspheme the God of Heaven yea they may be found fighters against God as many have been but they shall not prosper as we see they have not in our days consider it for it was not because they wanted the noble blood for they had the King himself and the greatest Nobles in the Land with them neither was it because they wanted stout men of resolved spirits for they had of the prime of the Nation as they themselves have oftentimes boasted and for the number of men they far exceeded and the affections of the Country were generally towards them therefore it was the immediate hand of God against them who in his time pulleth down one and setteth up another whom he pleaseth who at this time hath pulled down the King and Lords of this Nation and hath and will make the Elders thereof Rulers and Judges in their places and who can say to him What doest thou Be wise now therefore O ye kings and be instructed ye that are judge's of the earth Psal. 2.10 Be still and know that he is God learn to know that The Lord of hosts is with us and the the God of Jacob is our refuge Psal. 46.10 11. Again that God alone is King and ruleth the Nations how he pleaseth or by whom he pleaseth is evident by considering that in 1 Sam. 12.12 where the Lord by Samuel reproveth the children of Israel for chusing another King besides himself in these words And you said Nay but a king shall reign over us when the Lord your God was your king And again he saith When they said Give us a King they rejected the Lord that he should not reign over them 1 Sam. 8.7 Therefore the Lord lamenteth over them saying O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self but in me is thine help I will be thy king for there
have done the same to Charles deceased which their fore-fathers did to King Ahab in stirring of him up to war against his subjects especially against those that most feared God and so have brought him to destruction And these are still at this present time deluding his ignorant son calling of him Charles the second having his person in admiration because of advantage as Jude saith v. 16. and by this means they stir up him and his poor deceived supposed subjects to war against the Powers of this Nation of England so wonderfully set up and established by God himself and powerfully preserved and defended by his immediate hand against all enemies whatsoever which all that have but eyes open may easily see and yet these Seers are so blinde that they cannot see the hand of the Lord lifted up against them and that Kingly power as they call it which hath always joyned with them being deceived by them to persecute the Saints and children of God of whom God is now taking vengeance yet they are still leading their King whom they have chosen and his subjects whom they have deceived into the pit of destruction without remedy they themselves being certain to fall with them for if the blinde lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch Matth. 15.14 Therefore let the honourable Parliament of England beware of them let the noble and valiant Army take heed of them and watch them as the worst enemies they have For what Satan and his instruments cannot do by tyranny and strength that they will accomplish by treachery and deceit if possible Therefore let the Commonwealth of England in general with all the noble Governours and Officers and honest plain-hearted Country-men learn to watch them with a single eye lest they seduce you and cause you to divide and so bring you to destruction before you are aware Therefore dear Country-men take heed of being deluded by them again to war and bloodshed lest you provoke the Lord to anger and so the whole Nation be drowned in blood without remedy for then they that now complain of some Taxes necessitated by these present troubles stirred up first by them will have cause to complain for want of bread to eat and cloathes to put on Therefore having food and raiment let us be therewith content and serve the Lord our God with gladness and joyfulness of heart for the abundance of all things lest he give us up to serve our enemies which he shall send against us in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he put a yoke of iron upon our necks until he have destroyed us See Deut. 28.47 48. Thus have I in some measure discovered who are the instrumental causes of our unhappiness I shall proceed to the third particular viz. Whence the original of Monarchy did spring And in the clearing of that I shall not make use of the worst of people viz. the Nations of the world for they were enemies to God and given up to work all manner of wickedness with greediness although they had Kings as appeareth by their adulteries abusing themselves with mankinde and with beasts and causing of their children to pass thorow the fire to Molech allowed of by their Kings like the wicked Rulers of Sodom Levit. 18.19 20 21 22 23 24. and God in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways Act. 14 16. therefore they are no example for us to walk by But we shall look into the ways of the children of Israel God's peculiar people for I know that the people of England in general would gladly be counted the people of God and would be offended if we should deny them the name of Christians We shall therefore consider how there came to be a King in Israel at first over the people of God Whether it was by the commandment of God and so according to his pure minde or whether it did not spring from a corrupt principle in the people and was the pride and wickedness of their hearts and not the least but the greatest of all the sins they committed to chuse any other King to rule over them but God onely For the clearing of which I shall examine these following Scriptures 1 Sam. 8.4 5 6 7 8 9. we read that all the elders of Israel gathared themselves together and came to Samuel and said Behold thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways now make us a king to judge us like all the nations Here we see the pride and wickedness of their hearts in that they would have a King to judge them like all other nations whom God had given up to walk in their own ways and according to the lust of their own hearts Therefore observe what followed first it displeased Samuel the Prophet of the Lord secondly he prayed to the Lord and sought him about it thirdly the Lord answered saying Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they have said unto thee for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not raign over them according to all the works which they have done since they came out of Egypt even to this day wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods so do they also unto thee Now therefore hearken to their voice howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them Thus we see that though they pretended good in it namely that it was because Samuel's sons were wicked yet the Lord was angry with them and said that they rejected him in so doing notwithstanding he gave them their desire which was a King but it was in his anger and he took him away again in his wrath See Hos. 13.11 Again when Samuel had declared the manner of their King and told them that they should cry out in that day because of their King which they had chosen but the Lord would not hear them yet still they refused to obey the voice of Samuel and said Nay but we will have a king over us to judge us and go out before us and fight our battels that we may be like all the nations So Samuel rehearsed all these words again in the cars of the Lord by which he was provoked and said in his anger Give them a King And here 's the beginning of Kings amongst the people of God And thus have I shewed plainly that it was not at all of God but contrary to his holy will that any should have the name of a King over his people but himself and it did arise from the pride and corruption of the people as further appeareth in these words And Samuel called the children of Israel together unto the Lord to Mizâ—eh and said Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all kingdoms and