whether the power you exercise be of Christ Which you may discerne by these two things 1. By the manner of your reception of your power 2. By your exercise of the same For the first to wit the reception of your power you are to know that Christ deriveth power and authority unto his Servants these three wayes 1. By immediate call from Heaven Come and I will send thee saith the Lord to Moses Exod. 3. 10. So he said to Gideon Go in this thy might Jud. 6. 14. In like manner the Lord said to Samuel Arise anoint David 1 Sam. 16. 13. Which being granted to David by way of inheritance from the Lord 2 Sam. 7. 12. his posterity do succeed in his Throne without any further expresse call from Christ 2. Christ deriveth power and authority to his Servants by the free election of his people and so were the Rulers and Judges chosen Deut. 1. 13. And 3. when his people are oppressed and spoiled and cry to God then he is pleased to raise up some instrument or other to deliver them Judg. 2. 16. And this God doth by Spiriting them for such a service at such a time as it is said of Othniel Judg. 3. 10. And the Spirit of Jehovah was upon him and he judged Israel and went out to war Sometimes and I conceive ordinarily the people of God do call them hereunto as we see in the example of Jephthath Judg. 11. 6. They said unto Jephthah Come and be our Captain They are not chosen by a private Juncto of their own creation which when they have contrived a mush-room Government of their own will say and do any thing for their new Lords that they may do for them again This is not Christs Method but he allowes his people a free choise of their Rulers And these are all the wayes that I find in Scripture by which Christ deriveth power and authority unto men Indeed the bounds and limits of this power I mean the subjects of this Jurisdiction may be inlarged by a Lawful war which is alwayes defensive as that of the Israelites against Sihon and Og Numb 21. 23. and that of David against the Ammonites 2 Sam. 10. 7 17. Secondly you may discern whether the power be of Christ by the actings and exercise of your power If you protect the people of God from the injuries put upon them by carnal men and defend the poor and fatherless and deliver the poor and needy Iob 29. 12. Psal 82. 3 4. Iob 31. 31. then you act for Christ and rule for Christ and it is a real demonstration that you received your authority and power from him But now on the contrary if you receive your authority and power from the Dragon and act against the Saints it is manifest that you have not received your power from Christ Which will the better appear if you consider the manner of your reception of power and Satans way of conveying power to men which I find constantly recorded in Scripture to be either by force and violence quite contrary to Christs Method or by slye and subtil insinuatious and specious pretences or by both And thus you shall find that all Tyrants have by this way arrived to the height of their power Nimrod a mighty hunter vi armis by the length of his Sword grasped the power into his hand and erected a Kingdom and Government according to his own mind Gen. 10. 8 9 10. In like manner the four great Monarchs threw out their predecessours by the power of the Sword And as they obtain their Kingdom by force so also by flatteries fair promises protestations and the like as did that vile person Dan. 11. 21. which I conceive to be Nero that cruel Tyrant who by fair and sly insinuations to his Militia gained their assistance to obtain the Kingdom which being once gotten he then shewed himself a most bloudy Persecutor of the Saints I might instance in the Kings of these Nations also and all the ten Kingdoms of the Empire or hornes of the great Beast how they have obtained their power by force of Armes So did Bastard William the Conquerour the head of the Succeeding Princes And Iohn tells us Rev. 17. 12. compared with Chapt. 13. 2. that they all of them received their authority viz. civil power from the Dragon the Divel Indeed that power and authority which the Parliament put forth as the representative of the Nation in rooting up the race of those Tyrants was derived to them in Christs way not in the Dragons way They did not obtain their places by the Sword but were called thereunto by the Suffrage and vote of the people of God For though the Saints might be the lesser number of votes in point of Election yet they were the better part and by their instant prayers and Chiefly by the intercession of Christ it pleased God to order the Election so as such men were chosen for that service as should carry the work on effectually And they took not up arms till they were forced for their own just defence And indeed to take up armes for repressing an usurping Tyrant is not an offensive but defensive war Yea were it to curb and restrain a Lawful Ruler when he begins to Tyrannize it hath been approved of God as in the case of Amaziah Much more when like Athaliah they aspire to Government and cut down Parliaments or whatever stands in the way of their ambition as she cut off all the Kings Seed or at least indeavoured the same But 2. Let higher powers consider how they act and for whom For suppose they had received their power and authority in Christs own way which yet may not be acknowledged because Iohn saith they had it from the Dragon yet if they take the Dragons part and cast out floods of persecution against the Saints and brow-beat them and shut them up in Prisons renting asunder all relations The Hushand from the Wife denying them so much liberty as to Minister one to another a cursed and Divellish Tyranny putting them asunder whom God hath coupled together Renting also the Shepherd from the flock and murthering the Souls of such persons as far as in them lyes for whom Christ hath shed his most precious blood then let such powers know that the authority they exercise it is not from Christ but from the Dragon and rightly called Antichristian Ah! what a gloomy black day will it be to such Rulers when Christ shall send his Sergeant or Messenger Conscience to arrest them and shut them up close Prisoners for imprisoning his Servants and shew them the hand-writing upon the Wall MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN God hath numbred thy Kingdom and finished it thou art weighed in the Balances and sound too light and thy Kingdom is divided and given to others How will their countenance their splendor be changed and the bindings of their loynes loosed and their knees smite one against another and all their Lords stand astonished
had the sharp sickle saying Thrust in thy sickle and gather the clusters of the Vine of the earth for her grapes are fully ripe And the Angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the Vine of the earth and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God And the wine-press was trodden without the city and blood came out of the wine-press even unto the horse-bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs Rev. 14. 18 19 20. In regard whereof Christ is said to be clothed with a garment dipt in blood Rev. 19 13. No marvel then if the greatest Captains and stoutest spirts cry out unto the Mountains and Rocks to cover them and to hide them from the wrath of the Lamb. Let no man therefore invade this Royal Power of Christ but acknowledge themselves and Kingdoms subject unto him who is the King of kings and Lord of lords Object 2. But have not the Princes of the Nations exercised this Law-giving Power And do they not so to this day I Answer True de facto they have done so and they do so at this day in all the ten Nations of the Roman Monarchy but quo jure by what right do they exercise such a power Let them shew their Commission from Christ if they can I am sure we reade not of any such power delegated to the best and wisest Princes that ever reigned neither to David nor to Solomon nor to any of the rest of the Kings of Judah and how then can it be imagined that Wicked and Antichristian Princes should have such a power granted unto them by Christ And if not from Christ whence then have they received their power We heard before that Jesus Christ received his Power by Gift from the Father But loâ— these Antichristian Princes receive their Power by Gift from the Dragon Rev. 17. 12. The ten Horns which thou sawest are ten Kings which have received no Kingdom as yet but receive power as Kings one hour with the Beast And who gave the Beast his power and the ten Horns or Kingdoms theirs Reade you the 13th of the Rev. ver 2. and you shall see That the Dragon gave the Beast his power and by consequence he gave the ten Horns or Kingdoms their power also for they both received their power together This Dragon as we may reade in the 12th Chapter of the Revelation is the Devil And he did indeed make his boast unto Christ that he had such a power to give all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them to whom he pleased Luk. 4. 6. In respect whereof he is called The god of the World Joh. 12. 31. Thus you see the unsafe Tenure by which the ten Antichristian Kings and Kingdoms hold and exercise their power They have not received it by Gift from heaven but from the Prince of Darkness And how then should it be otherwise but as they have received their power from Satan so they must act for him against Christ and against his Witnesses all the dayes of Antichrists Reign Me thinks the consideration of this Original of their Power might be a strong Motive or Argument to such of the ten Kingdoms of the Empire as know most of Christ yea unto them all to throw away and to renounce all that Power and Authority which they have received from this Red Dragon the Devil and accept their Governments a new from Jesus Christ under the Broad-Seal of Heaven I doubt not but I may say of some that have been chief Rulers of this Nation that had they had such men about them as would have been faithful to shew them the Diabolical Rise of their Power and Jurisdiction out of the Word of God they would soon have renounced all such power and have submitted themselves and their Kingdoms unto Jesus Christ and received their power a new from him 2. There is a Ministerial Power which is none other but a power derived by Commission from Christ to act and execute the Laws of Righteousness and Judgement given by him And this power is committed unto States and Rulers and all sorts of Officers both of higher and lower rank For this great King the Messiah hath many Officers and Ministers under him to act and execute righteousness in his Name and according to his will and upon them he hath set a special character or image of his Mighty Power calling them Gods Psal 82. 1 6. Gen. 1. 26. Now that I may the better express the full latitude of Ministerial power or the Authority which Men and States do or should exercise by Commission from Jesus Christ the great King Let it be considered That all Magistratical Power may be distinguished into these two kindes Deliberative and Active The former to wit Deliberative Power belongs unto the great Councel or Representative of a State or Nation who are be trusted by them to deliberate about all Matters that concern the Publick Tranquillity and Peace of the State To negotiate with Forraign Princes and States To conclude of Peace and War To order the Militia To impower fit Officers for the service of the Commonwealth and to limit their Power To call all Officers higher or lower to an account and if there be just cause to displace them Of which you may reade more at large in Mr. Collons Abstract of Laws and Government Chap. 1. Sect. 2 3. This Councel or Representative are to be chosen by the Saints in all the Tribes or Shires of the Nation according to the Rules prescribed in the Word as appeareth Deut. 1. 13. compared with Exod. 24. 1. Numb 11. 24. Now what the Number of these Councellors shall be or whether one shall be President or chief amongst them I do not finde it strictly determined nor is it greatly material so be it they be qualified according to the Rule This Councel or Representative being the highest Power in the Nation they have Power to direct and determine in hard and difficult cases of Judgement such as may be transmitted to them from inferior Judicatories Deut. 17. 8. 1. 17. This Power though it be a Lordly Ruling Power and highest in respect of the People and Subjects yet it is a Ministerial and Subordinate Power in respect of the Messiah the Law giver 2. There is in every Commonwealth an Active Power which is to execute Judgement and Righteousness And this also is a Lordly Ruling Power but subordinate to the former And such is the Power of all Judges and Justices and other inferior Officers both of higher and lower rank who in their several Offices and. Stations are to do and execute their several Trusts according to the Laws and Rules of the Great Law-giver And Christ hath promised That this shall be the state and condition of his people in the Last-times when the Messiah shall reign Isaiah 60. 17. I will also make thine Officers Peace and thine Exactors Righteousness Now for the further clearing of the
mans beast shall kill another mans beast and the owner knew that his beast was wonted to push then shall he make full restitution in kind or at least in value else the parties shall each bear a share in the losse Exod. 21. 35 36. 4. If a man take hire for goods committed to him to keep and they be stollen or gone he shall make restitution Exod. 22. 12. 5. If a man borrow ought of his Neighbour and it miscarry the owner present Or if it were hired he shall not make it good but if the owner be absent he shall make it good Exod. 22. 14 15. 6. If a man gain any thing by force fraud or unfaithfulness he shall restore the principal and one fifth part more Lev. 6. 5. These are the principal cases which I find in Scripture but if any other be found which is here omitted let the ingenuous Reader add it to the number As for Common swearing and drunkenness I find not an expresse punishment yet being brutish sins as also common whoredome is they are punishable with the usual punishments of a beast And if they prove incorrigible then there is a Law to cut them off by death Now the perfection of these Laws of Christs Kingdom appears 1. By the equity of them they are most just 2. By the comprehensiveness of them for though they be but few in number yet may be extended in the application of them by way of proportion unto all cases and actions that do or can fall out at Sea or at Land all circumstances being duly weighed and rightly applyed 3. By the extent of them which reacheth all persons in all ages and in all Nations For unrighteousness is unrighteousness as well in one person as in another as well in one age and in one Nation as in another And by consequence as unrighteousness is one and the same so also must the Judgment and the punishment be And the reason thereof springeth from the unchangeable Nature of Christ who is the same to day Yesterday and for ever Again these Laws and Judgments cannot be altered or changed by any created power in regard of the Divine Original of them Whence also it comes to passe that they have a binding power over conscience I should now come to compare the Laws of men with these Laws of Christ and to shew the righteousness and equity of the one and the unrighteousness and iniquity of the other But if I should enter into particulars I should both weary my self and the Reader Let it suffice to give a taste of some few Christs Law makes it death to worship Idols Mens Laws make it death not to worship Idols And how many faithful Servants of Christ have suffered Martyrdom even in these Nations upon this Account Again Gods Law saith a Thief shall make double restitution unto the party wronged or be sold Mens Laws say they shall be hanged And what equity is there in it that the life of a man should go for thirteen pence half penny or a greater summe Or what recompence will that be to the party wronged Christs Law saith If a man lye with a marryed Woman he and she shall dye Mens Laws say they shall stand in a white sheet Or if they do make it death to commit adultery yet they must be found as they use to speak rem in re which cannot well be proved unless the parties will confesse against their own lives Again Christs Law alloweth any of the Sons of men to live in any place provided they commit not some capital sin that deserveth cutting off But Mens Laws at least in some places do make it death for a Jew to live amongst them When yet Jesuites and Seducers to Idolatry and worshippers of strange Gods can find allowance Moreover Christs Law gives all the Sons of Adam a kind of Lordship over the Creature But Mens Laws restrain that liberty making some kind of fowls the Kings game only forbidding others to meddle with them under such and such penalties Again Christs Law gives the eldest Son the birth-right of inheritance and alloweth him a double portion But Mens Laws sometimes give the yongest Son the birth-right and sometimes allows all the Sons to inherit alike And sometimes again gives all the Lands unto the eldest and puts off the yonger Children with small and inconsiderable portions to make the eldest Son a Gentleman Furthermore Christs Law is very tender of the subjects liberty and imprisoneth no man but only for matter of fact and that to secure them where other security cannot be had until the first opportunity of hearing and tryal which was not to be delayed But men will imprison others without matter of fact as we see Joseph was imprisoned in Aegypt So also was Paul when yet the Rulers confessed he might have been set at liberty for any matter of fact that they could charge him with and there he was kept in durance for two whole years and more Again Christs manner was to proclaim war before he make war but the Rulers of the World can begin war and proclaim it afterwards Now what a woâ—ul depravation of Magistratical power is this that carryeth it in such a contrary stream to Christ I might instance in many more particulars And such as are better acquainted with the Laws and customes of the Nations may pick out many more pregnant instances I suppose then I am able to alleadge being noâ— versed in those wayes But these few may give occasion to such as have power in their hands to consider how things may be best regulated and to prune off all such Laws as are most obnoxions and point-blank against the Royal Law of Christ For much might be done in this respect and as I conceive safely if it were meet for me to speak But I shall briefly wind up all in a few words of application in the general as my Method is Vse 1 1. For information that the Doctrine of the fifth Kingdom or Monarchy is no Novelty no Fancy no Childish nor ridiculous opinion as some unadvisedly speak But to use the words of him that Rules in Chief unto Mr. Tillinghast it is a most glorious truth For Daniel tells us that in the dayes of the fourth Kingdom or Monarchy especially towards the end of the same God will raise up such a Kingdom as cannot be destroyed which is that Kingdom of Christ or World to come wherein Christ shall reign as King and his Saints together with him for above a thousand years compare Dan. 2. 44. and 7. 27. Rev. 20. 4. 7. Now if the four Kingdoms or Monarchies must be destroyed and another Kingdom succeed which shall never have an end whilst the World lasts what is it else but a fifth Kingdome in number and order If any pinch upon the word Monarchy as not a Scriptural expression they may please to consider it is not words we do desire to contend for but for the truth The word Monarchy is a