commanding all Judah and Israel to keep a solemn Passeover at Jerusalem on the second Moneth whereupon a great multitude then and there assembling they took away the Idols altars and cast them into the book Kidron and killed the Passeover Whereupon the Priests and Levites being ashamed of their bacwardness in this service sanctifyed themselves brought the burnt offerings into the house of the Lord stood in their places after their manner according to the Law of Moses and sprinkled the bloud 4ly Hezekiah not the Priests publikely prayed to God to pardon those who prepared their hearts to seek God though they were not sanctifyed and prepared according to the purification of the Sanctuary and spake comfortably to the Levites that taught the good Law of the Lord. 5ly This King Appointed the Courses of the Priests Levites after their Courses every man according to his Service appointed the Kings portion for all morning and evening sacrifices for every day Sabbath Feast as it is written in the Law of the Lord and commanded the people that dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the Priests and Levites that they might be encouraged in the Law of the Lord whereupon all the people brought in the First-fruits and Tithes of all things abundantly which Hezekiah commanded to be put in store-houses built by his command over which he appointed Rulers to distribute to every Priest and Levite his portion All undoubted Badges of his Supream Ecclesiastical Authority 7ly King Iosiah by his Regal Jurisdiction 1. Purged Judah and Jerusalem from their high places groves carved Images and molten Images brake down the Altars of Baal and cut down the Images that were above them and brake in pieces the carved and molten Images and stamped them to powder and strowed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed to them and burnt the bones of their Priests upon their Altars and so did he in the Cities of Manasseth Ephraim and Simeon even unto Napthali 2ly He assembled all the Elders of Judah inhabitants of Jerusalem Priests Levites and all the people great and small into the Temple and HE READ in their ears all the Book of the Covenant that was found in the House of the Lord Then the King stood in his place and made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandements Testimonies and Statutes with all his heart and with all his soul and caused all there present to stand to the Covenant and Oath 3ly He took away all the abominable things out of all the Countries that pertained to the children of Israel and made all that were found in Israel Priests and people to serve the Lord their God And all his dayes they departed not from serving the Lord God of their Fathers 4ly He assembled the Princes and he kept a most solemn Passeover to the Lord in Jerusalem the 14. day of the first moneth And He set the Priests in their Charges and encouraged them in the service of the house of the Lord and commanded the Levites that taught all Israel to prepare themselves by the Houses of their Fathers after their courses according to the writing of David King of Israel according to the writing of Solomon his Son said to them stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people and after the division of the families of the Levites So kill the Passeover and sanctifie your selves and prepare your Brethren that they may do according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses Whereupon they all prepared performed their respective offices and duties in celebrating the Passeover as this pious King prescribed Lo here no lesse then 7. most renowned pious Kings recorded in Sacred story by divine approbation exercising Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over High Priests Priests and Levites themselves ordering all sacred affairs offerings sacrifices Psalms prayers courses of Priests appertaining to Gods worship building consecrating repairing cleansing the Temple destroying Idolatry with other particulars 5ly From Moses Joshuahs and their presidents I shall observe 1. That they are all specially recorded in sacred Writ for their eternal honors reputations and the example of all other pious Kings under the Gospel 2ly That not one of them was ever taxed by God or the high Priests for invading or usurping their Jurisdictions or Offices for any of their forecited actions injunctions commands over them or exercising these high points of Monarchical and Regal Jurisdiction in and over all Ecclesiastical affairs or the essential ceremonial parts of Gods publike worship Which Popes and Popish Prelates would repute the highest most sacrilegious Encroachment upon their Ecclesiastical Rights and Jurisdictions if now acted by Christian Kings Magistrates Rulers and excommunicate them for it by Bell Book and Candle 3ly That we find no one part of Ecclesiastical power and Jurisdiction in these or any other particulars either exercised or claimed by the high Priest Priests Levites either joyntly or severally all their reigns 4ly There are only Two Kings but no other Magistrate in sacred History reprehended by the high Priest and punished by God for invading the Priests Office and Function and that only in one particular Ministerial not Jurisdictional sacred action peculiar unto Priests by Gods own restriction The first is of King Saul who sending for Samuel to Gilgal to offer Sacrifices and enquire of the Lord for help against the Philistims and he staying seven dayes for him and the people scattering themselves from him thereupon he calling for a burnt offering and peace offering offered the burnt offering to the Lord himself Which he had no sooner done but Samuel came and Saul telling him how he had in this extremity forced himself and offered a burnt offering to the Lord. Samuel thereupon said to Saul Thou hast done very foolishly thou hast not kept the commandement of the Lord thy God which he commanded thee for the Lord had now established the kingdom of Israel upon thee for ever but now thy kingdom shall not continue The second is King Vzziah who being lifted up with pride and prosperity to his destruction transgressed against the Lord his God and went into the Temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the Altar of incense whereupon Azariah the Priest went in after him with fourscore more Priests of the Lord that were valiant man and withstood the King and said unto him It pertaineth not to thee Vzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but to the Priests the Sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense Go out of the Sanctuary for thou hast trespassed neither shall it be for thy honour from the Lord God Then Vzziah was wroth with the Priests and took a censor in his hand to burn incense whereupon the Leprosie rose up in his Forehead before the Priests in the House of the Lord from beside the
High Priest during Moses his absence in the Mount had at the peoples request made erected a golden calf who committed idolatry with it Moses calls him to a strict account for it to whom he made an excuse with this memorable preface Let not the anger of MY LORD wax hot which stile he likewise gave him Nu. 12 11. Yea Moses not he Pronounced the Judgment and punishment upon the people for this Sin of Idolatry as likewise on him that gathered sticks on the Sabbath day the manner of whose punishment he inquired not Aaron and received from God 9ly When the Tables of stone formerly broken were renewed redelivered by God to the people it was alwayes done even after Aarons consecration by the hand mouth ministry of Moses who with his own mouth alwayes spake and delivered Gods Laws Messages to all the Congregation Elders people during all his Government and gave them a special charge of things future and a blessing at his death 10thly God made choice of Moses a Lay-man and Civil Magistrate to be the firâ—â— pâ—â—man and Register of all his sacred Laws and first Five Books of holy Scripture not Aaron or any other Priest And to shew that Kings and Temporal Magistrates were the principal keepers of both Tables God particularly enjoyned when the Israelites came into the Land of Canaan and had set a King over them that the King when he sate upon the Throne of his Kingdom shall write him a Copy of this Law in a Book out of that which is before the Priests the Levites that it may be well with him and he shall read therein all the dayes of his life that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to â—o them That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren and that he turn not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that he may prolong his dayes in his kingdom he and his children in the midst of Israel All which particulars laid together relating to and acted by the very first Supream Civil Magistrat that God himself set up over his own peculiar people Church when he first instituted modelled both their Magistrates and Priests with their distinct Offices and powers will infallibly clear the Superiour Jurisdiction of the Supream Civil Magistrate in and over all Ecclesiastical persons and causes by Gods own institution and that the Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction is united to the Temporal The reason why God reserved the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction to Moses the Chief Civil Magistrate and afterwards to Kings when he transferred the Priesthood to Aaron and his Sons and severed it from the Kingship was because it would be inconsistent with Monarchie and the Peace Unitie of the Republike Kingdom Church to erect two distinct Supream Powers independent on unsubordinate to each other in one and the same Body Politick Nation Kingdom united under one Supream Civil Head and a Cause of perpetual Wars Schismes Contentions between these different powers by reason of mens Natural ambition and desire to enlarge their Juriisdictions to the prejudice of each other This we find experimentally verified in the Israelites themselves immediatly upon their division into two independent kings kingdoms of equal power unsubordinate to each other which produced not only perpetual Warres between them all their dayes in their Realms as sacred Story oft records but a more sad division in their Religion Worship Church Jeroboam erecting two Calves and a new idolatrous worship with suitable Priests to promote it and a new place of worship contrary to that prescribed by God himself to keep his Subjects from Gods true worship at Jerusalem and returning to their allegiance and obedience to their rightfull Kings of the seed of David which all his Successors persevered in till their final captivity and utter desolation for their idolatry And it is infallibly evidenced by the manifold sad Divisions Schismes Wars Rebellions in most Christian Empires kingdoms ever since the ambitious Popes of Rome and other Prelates have claimed by a pretended divine independent right and usurped to themselves the Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over all Persons Causes inseparably united by God himself to the Crowns of Christian Emperonrs and Kings As God therefore out of his infinit Wisdom at the very Creation constituted but one natural head over every natural body of Men Beasts Fowls Fishes and creeping living creatures though they consisted of two different substances Soul and Body not two distinct heads the one corporal the other spiritual to govern each body because two Supream headâ— would have destroyed the unity harmony operations of these Creatures in their respective orbes and made a Schisme in their bodies So he at first united the Supream Spiritual and Temporal Jurisdiction over Men at the Creation in one person Adam the first sole Monarch of the World And afterwards when his Church and people multiplyed into such a vast dispersed multitude that one person could not possibly execute or discharge the Kingly and Priestly Offices as at first he conveniently might did whiles all united in one Tribe and Family so that there was an absolute necessity to divide them into several Hands Tribes God did even then reserve the Supream Ecclesiastical Government and Jurisdiction as absolutely necessary for inseparable from the Supream Civil Head and Governor of his people to prevent Schismes Confusions and preserve Unity Tranquillity both in Church and State not transferr it from Moses to Aaron the Church with all its Officers Members being included in branches of the Kingdom Republike not divided from it as a distinct independent spiritual corporation Therefore still to remain under the sole Government and protection of the Supream Politick Head This is most clearly and significantly expressed by Ezechiels uniting the two divided sticks into one rod in one hand typifying the uniting of the two divided Kingdomes of Israel and Iudah into one Kingdom Church PEOPLE under one King and Shepheard Jesus Christ and making them all but ONE in their Government and true Worship of God according to his Statutes Hence it is most apparent that the Civil and Ecclesiastical Powers Authorities or Jurisdictions are not thus denominated because they are vested in different persons hands or flow from various fountains or distinct in their natures as the Pontificians and others generally assert and mistake but meerly because they are exercised upon or about different things or objects the persons wherein they originally and supreamly reside and from whence they flow and the very Powers Authorities Jurisdictions themselves in their nature being but one and the same only the objects matters in upon or about which they are exercised various and distinct from whence they have these different Epithites To evidence this truth past all contradiction being the surest Oracle to resolve all future Controversies concerning these Jurisdictions yea keenest axe
Gods primitive instituting the First-born of every Family and Kings themselves before the Law to be not only Kings but Priests too as Melchisedech and others were And the very Romans Grecians with other Pagan Nations creating their Kings Emperors by the very light of Nature to be their high Priests likewise as I have formerly proved by sundry Testimonies and Alvarus Pelagius Lyra in Gen. 14. Numb 3. 12. 8. 16. Bellarmin De Romano Pontifice with other Romanists Bishop Carlton and sundry Protestants attest with one consent Because the care of Religion and Gods worship the instruction edification salvation and eternal felicity of all their Subjects souls did principally belong to them as a part of or appendant to their Regal dignity 8ly This truth is at large demonstrated by all the particulars I have formerly insisted on in the Second Chapter relating to Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Jehoshaphat and Josiah as likewise of the Kings of Assyria Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes Nebuchadnezzar and the King of Niniveth which I shall not repeat All Kings and supream Magistrates under the Gospel having the self-same authority charge trust to promote preserve the purity syncerity of Gods worship suppress Idolatry Blasphemy Heresy all sorts of sins against the first and second Tables and indeavour the instruction salvation and eternal welfare of their Subjects as they had under the Law the ends uses grounds of Kingly and Magistratical institution Government under the Gospel continuing still the same as they were before and under the Law and being all moral perpetual not ceremonial 9ly This is most perspicuous by this precept given to all Kings by the King of Kings Psal 2. 10 11 12. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth Serve the Lord with fear and rejoyce unto him with trembling Kisse the Son lest he be angry and ye perish from the right way Which they cannot do as Kings unlesse they command their Subjects to do it likewise Compared with these prophecies concerning Christian Kings under the Gospel Psalm 72. 2 10. The Kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents the Kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts Yea all Kings shall fall down before him and by their example and Regal authority all Nations shall serve him Psal 138. 4 5. All the Kings of the earth shall praise thee O Lord when they shall hear the words of thy mouth yea they shall sing in the praises of the Lord for great is the glory of the Lord. Isay 49. 22 23. Behold I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles and set up my standard to the people c. And Kings shall be thy Nursing-Fathers and Queens thy Nursing mothers they shall bow to thee with their faces toward the earth and lick up the dust of thy feet Kings shall see and arise Princes also shall worship Compared with Isay 41. 1 2. c. 52. 15 c. 60. 1 10 11 16. c. 62. 5. The Gentiles shall come to thy Light and Kings to the brightnesse of thy rising The Kings of the sons of Strangers shall come unto thee unto thee the rulers of the Gentiles and their Kings shall be brought c. And Psal 148. 11 12. Praise the Lord from the earth ye Kings of the earth in the first place and then by their examples and edicts Princes and all Judges of the earth both young men and maidens old men and children let them praise the name of the Lord this being the prime end of their creation and Gods instituting Kings Princes and Judges in the earth both before and under the Gospel 10ly This is most perspâ—cuous by the example of Jesus Christ himself the King of Kings of whom as Davis Solomon and other forecited Kings of Judah were types under the Law so himself is the president pattern for all Christian Kings under the Gospel Now the principal end scope of the Kingly Authority power 〈◊〉 of Jesus Christ is the propagation of Gods Kingdom Gospel worship glory the destruction of the Kingdoms of Satan sinne and all kind of wickednesse error heresie 〈◊〉 and the conversion sanctification salvation eternal beatitude of his Subjects souls that they may reign for ever with him in his heavenly kingdom in endlesse felicity Therefore it is and ought to be the principal end aym office duty of all Christian Kings who are his Viceroyes and ought to imitate his example 11ly This I shall more specially and peculiarly evidence by some few texts and examples 1. By Gen. 18. 18 19. Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty Nation and all the Nations of the earth shall be blessed in him For I know him that he will command his children are houshold after him that they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Iustice and Iudgement that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken Abrahams 〈◊〉 care being then a mighty Prince over his great and numerous family and to become a great and mighty Nation was to instruct and command his children and houshold after him to keep the way of the Lord that so they and all the Nations of the earth might be blessed in him 2ly By the whole Book of Deuteronomy especially ch 4. 5. 6. 26. 28. to 34. where Moses the supream Governour of Gods own people Israel with all earnestnesse exhorts and presseth them to keep do and observe all Gods commandements judgements and statutes that they might fear the Lord their God and love and serve him with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their might they and their sons and their sons 〈◊〉 all the dayes of their life that it might be well with them and their children after them for ever c. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgements thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart and with all thy soul thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his wayes and to keep his statutes and his commandements and his judgements and to hearken unto his voyce And the Lord hath avouched thee to be his people and that thou shouldest keep all his commandements and to make thee high above all Nations which he hath made in praise and in name and in honor and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God as he hath spoken This is the chief end of Gods instituting Kings and Magistrates in the earth to make their subjects an holy people to the Lord their God 3ly By Joshua his last Speech and Exhortation to the children of Israel and their chief Heads and Officers before God Josh 23. 24. where he severally charges them To fear the Lord and to serve him in sincerity and truth to put away the gods which their fathers served on the other side of Jordan and in Egypt and to serve the
people had avenged themselves of their enemies at his not the Priests prayer to the Lord. 8ly He not the Priests assembled all the Congregation of Israel to Shiloh and there set up the Tabernacle of the Congregation 9ly He by Gods special command with advice of the Heads of the Tribes of the children of Israel appointed and set out the Cities of refuge and the 48 Cities with their Suburbs given to the Priests and Levites out of all the other Tribes Lots 10thly Joshua a little before his death not the Priests assembled all the Tribes of Israel to Sechem and there calling all their Elders Heads Judges Officers who presenting themselves before God he repeated the Histories of Gods great mercies to them from Terah his time till then and commanded them to serve the Lord in sincerity and truth and to put away all the gods which their Fathers had served renewed the Covenant between God and them set them a Statute and an Ordinance in Sechem and wrote all the words thereof in the Book of the Law of God and set up a stone for a witnesse unto them lest they should deny their God And penned the History stiled Joshua During all this time of Moses and Joshua's Governments we find not one syllable of any Ecclesiastical Supream Authority exercised or claimed by the High Priest Priests or Levites severally or joyntly but only by Moses and Joshua themselves in all the forecited particulars Which Popes and Popish Prelates would repute most strange and uncouth should Christian Emperors Kings Princes now exercise the like Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and confine them only to Preaching Administration of the Sacraments reading Masse or Common-Prayers and those other essential Ministerial duties which they delegate for the most part to poor Curates as they do their pretended Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction and Judicatories to their Vicars Generals Chancellors Officials Commissaries and other such party Officers the more to fleece the people and ease themselves from Trouble or Clamors 3dly After the death of Joshua though the High Priest Priests and Levites were all setled in their possessions and offices in his life yet we read of none of them in all the Book of Judges when the people of Israel were very idolatrous wicked and most needed Ecclesiastical censures to reform them that did ever use the least Ecclesiastical Authority over them Therefore doubtlesse they had none vested in them or else were intollerably negligent and blame-worthy And to put it past Dispute it is no less then four several times specially recorded in that sacred story Judg. 17. 6. c. 18. 1. c. 19. 1. c. 21. 25. IN THOSE DAYS THERE WAS NO KING IN ISRAEL Every man did what seemed good in his own eyes First as the chief cause of Micah his making a graven and molten image and setting them up in the house of God and making an Ephod Teraphim and consecrating one of his sons who became a Priest to his Idols and after that in consecrating a Levite to be his Idols Priest 2ly b As the occasion of the Danites plundring and taking away Micahs Idol god and setting up his graven Image in the Tribe of Dan and making Priests unto it all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh 3ly Of a Levites taking to him a Concubine instead of a lawful Wife and the Gibionites ravishing her to death 4ly Of the Benjamites forceable taking away of the Virgins who came up to the feast of the Lord at Shiloth and making them their wives against their will and that by the Israelites advice and concurrence contrary to the curse and oath they had made All properly spiritual and ecclesiastical Crimes belonging rather to Papal and Pontifical then regal Jurisdiction and Coertion as they are now reputed yet all and every of these are recorded to be perpetrated but not corrected in the least because in those days there was no King in Israel Therefore questionless all the supreme Civil Ecclesiastical power to restrain punish these offences was wholly vested in the King not in the high Priest Priests or Levites of which they had then store in Israel And had this supreme spiritual Authority been in them these Texts had been very impertinently inserted and should rather have run in this Dialect In those days there was no high Priests or Priests in Israel nor any Ecclesiastical Court or Judge therefore every one did that which was right in his own eyes If any object that Ely the high Priest judged Israel forty years Judg. 4. 18. and that Samuel next high Priest after him judged Israel all his days till he was old built an Altar unto the Lord at Ramah and when he grew old made his two sons Judges over the people Judg. 7. 15 16 17. c. 8. 1. to 8. Therefore the high Priests had then the soveraign Jurisdiction as Priests I answer The Argument is most absurd for by the like Consequence they may argue Deborah a woman the wife of Lapidoth judged Israel and the Children of Israel came up to her for Judgement and she delivered them out of Sisera his hands who sorely oppressed them with his Chariots and Army Ergo Debora as a woman had then Soveraign Jurisdiction over them 2ly They judged them not as Priests but supreme Magistrates 3ly It seems the chief Ecclesiastical power was not in Ely when he judged Israel but in the Elders of Israel by their sending for and fetching the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord out of Shiloh unto them in the Camp to save them from the enemies against Ely his Will 4ly He was very remiss and indulgent to inflicting no civil nor ecclesiastical punishment upon his sons though sons of Belial whose wickednesse was great before the Lord both in lying with the women that assembled at the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation and forceably taking away from those that sacrificed to the Lord the flesh of the Sacrifices of those that came to offer how much when they pleased without burning the fat presently so that they made men abhor the offerings of the Lord His Sons presumed thus impudently to abuse the people because their father judged Israel who only gave them a mild Reprehension when he heard of their evil reports from all the people Which miscarriages of his sons in their Priest-hood and himself in his Judicature sharply reproved by a man of God were most severely punished of God by their slaughter and untimely deaths the ruine of their families and loss of the Priest-hood the taking of the Ark of God by the Philistines and slaughter of thirty thousand footmen in one day This was the Judgement befel the first Priest and his house who took upon him the supreme civil power and magistracy 4ly Though Samuel himself was a just Judge yet his sons were wicked n turning aside after Lucre perverting Judgement in so much that all the Elders of Israel
came to Samuel complaining against them and peremptorily desired him o TO MAKE THEM A KING OVER THEM to judge them like all the Nations not a Priest being so weary of Priests supreme Government that they would never permit him nor his sons to judge and govern them any longer and were never satisfied till they had a King which he made them by Gods direct on and Election much against his own will 5ly All the Priestly Offices and Jurisdiction he used towards them and Saul was but to pray without ceasing for them giving them good instructions and reprehending them for their sins telling them But if ye shall still do wickedly ye shall be consumed both you and your King his declaring Saul King by Gods election and the people 's doubled peremptory demand of a King and approbation of Saul when presented to them and his anointing David when a privat person with oyl King after Sauls rejection by God they were only Acts of Ministry not of Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in the High Priest above the King as I shall prove in its due place more largely in the cloze of this Chapter 4ly When God setled the Kingdom of Israel upon David and his posterity in performance of his promises to Abraham Sarah and Iacob that KINGS should come out of their loynes he translated the Supream Ecclesiastical as well as Civil Jurisdiction to them which they enjoyed exercised by Gods approbation not the high Priest Priests or Levites as the Scripture Annals attest 1. Davia a man after Gods own heart which fulfilled all his will not long after he was anointed King over Israel and Iudah assembled all the whole Congregation Priests Levites of Israel and went and removed the Ark of God from Gibeah with great triumph joy and shouting to the House of Obed-Edom and afterwards into the place tabernacle in the City of David which David had there chosen pitched for it and offered there burnt-offerings peace-offerings before the Lord and he blessed the people in the name of the Lord. 2ly At the second removal of the Ark he assembled not only the Elders but the chief Priest and Levites informing them of their error in carrying the Ark in a cart at its first removal contrary to Moses command for which God made a breach upon them and that None ought to carry the Ark of the Lord but the Levites for them had the Lord chosen to carry the Ark of God and to minister unto him for ever For violating which precept Uzza was smitten to death before the Lord Hereupon David commanded the Priests and Levites to sanctify themselves to bring up the Ark of the Lord God of Israel upon their shoulders as Moses commanded and to appoint Singers with instruments of musick and lifting up their voices to sing before it when they removed it to the City of David which command they punctually obeyed 3ly He appointed ordained certain of the Priests and Levits to minister by turns before the Ark of the Lord and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel continually prescribing them what instruments of musick they should use what Psalms and Praises they should sing most or all of them compiled by himself what burnt-offerings they should offer upon the altar of the Lord morning and eveing continually according to the Law of the Lord and to minister before the Ark continually as every dayes work required And appointed others of the Priests and Levites to minister continually in like manner before the Tabernacle of the Lord that was in the high place at Gibeon 4ly He purposed contrived propounded to Nathan and ordained the building of a standing House and Temple instead of a moving Tabernacle and Tent for the Ark and worship of God and intended himself to build it had not God inhibited him because he was a man of Warre and had shed much blood and appointed Solomon his Son and successor to build it he provided all sorts of materials for the building and exhorted all the Princes and Elders of the people to a liberal contribution towards it 5ly The Angel of the Lord commanded David to go and set up an Altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Ornan who accordingly went up at the saying of the Lord and build there an Altar and offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings and called upon the Lord who answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt-offering 6ly When he was old and had made Solomon King he gathered together all the Princes Priests and Levites and when he had numbred the Priests and Levites he appointed them their several Courses Services Offices Duties they should perform before the Lord from time to time as well before as after the Temple was built all which he set down in writing 7ly He as Moses assembled all the Princes of Israel and before all the Congregation in the audience of God gave Solomon them charge to serve and fear God and build the Temple Which done he gave to Solomon the pattern of the Temple and of the Houses thereof and of the Treasures thereof and of the upper chambers thereof and of the inner parlours thereof and of the Mercy-seat and the pattern of all that he had BY THE SPIRIT of the courts of the House of the Lord and of all the chambers round about of the Treasuries of the house of God and of the dedicated things AND FOR THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES and for all the work of the Service of the House of the Lord and for all the vessels of service in the house of the Lord. And David said unto Solomon Be strong and of a good courage and do it fear not nor be dismayed for the Lord God even my God will be with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee untill thou hast finished all the work for the service of the House of the Lord And BEHOLD THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS AND THE LEVITES FOR ALL THE SERVICE OF THE HOUSE OF GOD and there shall be with thee for all manner of wâ—rkmanship every willing skilfull man for any manner of service and ALL THE PEOPLE WILL BE WHOLLY AT THY COMMAND 7ly David as King not the Priests compiled all or most of the Psalms and Prayers afterwards sung or used in the Temple recorded in the Books of Samuel the Chronicles and compiled together her in the Book of Psalms continually read sung used not only in the Temple and elsewhere by the Jewish but in all Christian Churches generally and more frequently read sung commented upon then any other Book of Canonical Scripture By all which memorable particulars and command to the Priests to annoint Solomon King it is most evident that the whole Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction over persons causes things relating to Gods Worship remained intirely in David as King and no part of it in the Priests 5ly King Solomon his Sonne succeeding David
by his Supream Ecclesiastical power First built and finished the Temple according to King Davids modell and then commanded all the Elders and Princes of Israel with the Priests and Levites to carry the Ark and place it in the Temple 2ly The King not the Priests or Levites though all present dedicated and consecrated the Temple with a most Divine heavenly from of Prayer answered and approved by God in sending down fire from heaven which consumed the burnt-offerings and sacrifices and filled the House with his glory so that the Priests could not enter into the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lords House 3ly He also hallowed the middle of the outward Court by offering burnt-offerings and peace-offerings there 4ly He appointed all burnt-offerings to the Lord after a certain rate every day according to the commandement of Moses on the Sabbath and on the New Moons and on the solemn Feasts of unleavened bread of Weeks and of Tabernacles 5ly He assembled all the Priests and Levites to Jerusalem at the Temples Dedication not in their courses But that solemnity ended He as King appointed according to the order of David his Father THE COURSES OF THE PRIESTS TO THEIR SERVICE AND THE LEVITES TO THEIR CHARGES to praise and minister before the Lord as the duty of every day required Porters also by their courses for every gate FOR SO HAD DAVID the man of God COMMANDED And THEY DEPARTED NOT FROM THE COMMANDEMENT OF THE KING VNTO THE PRIESTS AND LEVITES CONCERNING ANY MATTER or concerning the Treasures Here is Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction vested in and exercised by this King in and over all Ecclesiastical persons matters and exact canonical obedience yielded to King Davids and King Solomons Canons not to the High Priests Priests or Levites who had then no power to make or impose such Canons or Injunctions as Popes and Popish Prelates now doe without any Scripture president for their warrant 6ly This King was the inspired penman of three whole Books of Canonical Scripture the Proverbs Solomons Song and Ecclesiastes but no Priest or Levite we read of either in his or his Father Davids reign 7ly He as King thrust out Abiathar FROM BEING PRIEST TO THE LORD banished him from Jerusalem and might have put him to death for his Treason in crowning Adonijah King but saved his life for this reason because he had born the Ark of the Lord God before David his Father and been afflicted with him in all his afflictions and put Zadoc the Priest in his room Here is Regal Supream Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction exercised over the High Priests themselves 6ly King Asa as King First took away the Altars of the strange Gods and the High-places and brake down the Images and cut down the groves through all the Cities of Judah and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of their Fathers and to do the Law and the Commandements and afterward did the like in Benjamin and the cities he had taken from Mount Ephraim 2ly He renewed the Altar of the Lord which was before the porch and gathered all Judah Ephraim Benjamin and others to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices of the spoils they had taken unto God which done He as King made them enter into a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers with all their heart and with all their soul that whosoever would not seek the Lord God of Israel should be put to death whether small or great whether man or woman and they sware unto the Lord with a loud voice and with shoutings with trumpets and with cornets and all Judah rejoyced at the Oath for they had sworn with all their heart 3ly He removed Maachah his mother from being Queen because she had made an Idol in a Grove and burned her Idol at the brook Kidron 4ly He brought into the house of the Lord all the things gold silver vessels himself and his Father had dedicated All evidences acts of his Soveraign Spiritual Jurisdiction 4ly King Johoshaphat his Sonne 1. commanded the Levites accompanyed with some Princes to oversesee encourage assist them to go and teach Gods Law to all the people throughout all the Cities of Judah and to carry the Book of the Law with them which they did accordingly 2ly He went out again the second time through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim and brought them back to the Lord God of their Fathers 3ly He appointed not only Temporal Judges City by City through all Judah but likewise Judges Delegates at Jerusalem in cases of appeals between blend and bloud Law and Commandement Statute and Judgements wherein he joyned some of the Levites Priests and chief Fathers of Israel and Amaziah the chief Priest in all matters of and judgements for the Lord as his subordinate Judges receiving their Commissions from him and gave them an Excellent admonition how to judge proceed uprightly 4ly He proclaimed a solemn Fast throughout all Judah to come to Jerusalem to seek the Lord for help against a great host of invading Enemies where he nor the Priests stood in the Congregation of Judah and Jerusalem in the House of the Lord before the Court and made a most pertinent effectual Prayer to God which God answered with a miraculous victory causing his enemies to destroy one another without fighting them and giving his Army all the spoil For which victory he commanded them to return to Jerusalem to give publike thanks to God 5ly King Jehoash commanded the Priests to repair all the breaches of the Lords House with the moneys and the dedicated things brought into it and called for and reprehended Jehoiada the High Priest and the other Priests for their negligence in not repairing them as he commanded whereupon they received no more money and repaired the House 6ly King Hezekiah by his Regal power 1. Opened the doors of the House of the Lord which had been shut up by his idolatrous Predecessors and repaired them gathered the Priests and Levites together brought them into the Lords house commanded them to sanctify themselves and then the house by carrying all the filth out of the holy place and cleansing the holy vessels Then made a second exhortation to them and strictly commanded them diligently to discharge their respective duties without ceasing All which they executed according to the Command of the King in the Businesse of the Lord. 2ly He afterwards commanded the Priests to offer burnt sacrifices and the Levites to praise God in the Temple according to the Commandement of David And He set all the services of the House of God in Order Moreover the KING and the Princes commanded the Levites to sing praises to the Lord with the words of David and they sang praises with gladnesse 3ly This King taking counsel with his Princes and the Congregation at Jerusalem made a Decree sent forth a solemn Proclamation inviting
incense Altar which Azariah the chief Priest all the Priests looking upon drave thrust him out from thence yea himself also hasted to go out because the Lord had smitten him And he continued a Leper until the day of his death and dwelt in a several house being a Leper for he was cut off from the house of the Lord and Jotham his Sonne was over the Kings house judging the people of the Land Had the exercise of Supream Ecclesiastical power in all the premised particulars been any usurpation of the Priests Office in Moses Joshua David Solomon Asa Jehoash Hezekiah or Josiah no doubt God would have punished them as exemplarily for it as he punished King Saul and King Uzziah for offering a burnt offering and burning incense upon the Altar of incense Or as he did Corah Dathan and Abiram before them for rebelling and usurping the Priests Office in burning incense with their censers asVzziah intended to do Or as he punished and slew the men of Bethshemesh for looking irreverently into the Ark and Vzza for stretching out his hand to hold the Ark steady when it â—â—ook in the Cart when as none but Levites were by Gods special precept to come near bear or touch it whose office all these directly invaded for which they were thus signally punished by God himself But since neither of all these Kings Rulers received any check punishment at all from God or the high Priests but on the contrary praise honour blessings from God and chearfull obedience from all the high Priests Priests Levites themselves for these their sacred Ecclesiastical transactions they were doubtlesse no parts of the high Priests Priests or Levites Offices but of their own proper inherent Supream Magistratical and Regal Authority vested in them for these ends by God himself 6ly When the Kings Kingdoms of Judah and Israel were destroyed for their Idolatry and both Kings Princes people carried away Captives into foreign Nations so that they had no King nor Magistrate of their own to govern them the sacred story records that even Heathen Kings exercised Supream Authority over them in all Religious and Ecclesiastical matters as these presidents demonstrate 1. The King of Assyria sent one of the Priests they had carried away captive to the Nations he had placed in and about Samaria instead of the Israelites to teach them the manner of the God of the Land and to fear the Lord. 2. God stirred up the spirit of Cyrus King of Persia to make a publike Proclamation through all his kingdom in writing for every man that would to go up to Jerusalem and build the house of the Lord God of Israel who had charged him to build it and that all should assist them with silver gold beasts besides the free-will offering for the House of the Lord Whereupon God stirring up the spirits of the chief of the Fathers of Judah Ephraim Priests Levites and others to undertake the work King Cyrus brought forth the vessels of the House of the Lord which Nebuchadnezzer had taken from thence and put in the house of his Gods and delivered them to them by number all which they carried to Jerusalem for the use of the Temple when re-built and all they that were about them in obedience to Cyrus royal Proclamation strengthned their hands with vessels of gold goods beasts and pretious things besides all willingly offered Whence God said of Cyrus He is my Shepherd and shall fulfill all my pleasure saying to Jerusalem thou shalt be built and to the Temple thy foundations shall be layd and stiled him HIS ANOINTED Vpon which Proclamation and Grant of Cyrus the Jewes set up the Altar offered Sacrifices and laid the foundation of the Temple as King Cyrus King of Persia had commanded them 3ly King Darius confirmed and enlarged this Decree of Cyrus commanding his Officers not to hinder the building to furnish them with moneys out of the Kings tribute for the work and with young Bullocks Lambs Rams for burnt offerings of the God of Heaven wheat salt wine oyl according to the appointment of the Priests at Jerusalem to be given them day by day without fail that they may offer Sacrifices of rest to the God of Heaven and pray for the life of the King and of his Sonnes clozing his Decree thus Also I have made a Decree That whosoever shall alter this word let timber be pulled down from his house and being set up let him be hanged thereon and let his house be made a Dunghill for this And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there destroy all Kings and people that shall put to their hand to alter or destroy this House of God which is at Ierusalem I Darius have made a Decree let it be done with speed Whereupon the Iewes built and finished the House offered Sacrifices set up Gods worship in it according to the commandement of the God of Israel and according to the Commandement of Cyrus Darius and Artarerres King of Persia 4ly This King Artaxerxes sent Ezra the Priest up to Jerusalem and gave him sundry Vessels for the Lords house with a large Commission to like effect with that of Darius recorded Ezra 7. superadding Whatsoever is commanded by the God of Heaven let it be done diligently for the house of the Lord of heaven for why should wrath come upon the King and his sons And thou Ezra as my Commissioner after the wisdom of thy God set Magistrates and Judges which may judge all the people that are beyond the River all such as know the Law of thy God teach ye them that know it not And whosoever will not do the Law of thy God and the Law of the King let judgement be executed â—eedily upon him whether unto death or unto banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment all Temporal and Ecclesiastical Censures to be executed by Civil Magistrates not Ezra the Priest Upon receipt of which Commission Ezra used this Thanksgiving Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers which hath put such a thing as this into the Kings heart to beautifie the House of the Lord c. Which Commission he punctually pursued and delivered it to the Kings Lieutenants and Governors who thereupon furthered the people and the House of God This King likewise granted his Royal Letters to Nehemah commanding the Governours there to give him Timber and stone for the building of the Temple who as the Kings Lieutenant over the Jewes there exercised Supream Ecclesiastical Authority in building the Temple directing and ordering the Priests and Levites setting up the publike worship of God observing the Sabbath and solemn Festivals constituting publike Fasts and putting the Priests from their Priesthood and the Levites who could not prove their pedigrees causing all of them that had married strange wives to enter into a Covenant to walk in Gods Laws given by Moses not to marry with strangers pay
continuing King till his death and making his Sonne his Viceroy to supply his Government and order his house 5ly Here was no sentence of Excommunication thundred out against him with Bell Book and Candle no absolving of his Subjects from their oaths of Allegiance no exciting of them to rebell or take up Arms against him to dethrone him Wherefore Popes and Popish Prelates can no wayes justifie from this president their excommunicating deposing Kings Emperors or absolving Subjects from their Allegiance against their wills for the greatest crimes Having removed these 4. Grand Romish stumbling-blocks before under the law and Gospel out of the way of my Chronological Progresse I now proceed to my third Conclusion BOOK II. CHAP. III. III. My Third Proposition is That the Supream Government of the Church after Christs Incarnation under the Gospel was and is vested in Jesus Christ himself God and Man only as he is the King not Priest or Prophet thereof and as it is His KINGDOM And that his Priestly and Prophetical Office are united to his Kingly as the first highest in dignity order not his Regal to his Prophetical or Kingly Office BEcause this is of very great Consequence and may seem strange to Usurping Pontifs and other Prelats who appropriate the Soveraign Spiritual Jurisdiction Government over Christs kingdom Church to themselves as united to his Priestly and Prophetical not Regal Office and so derived wholly and immediately to themselves by Christ as Bishops Priests not to Kings by from and under whom they will not claim nor exercise it as a flower of Christs Crown though delegated to Kings his sole Vice-royes upon Earth not Popes or Priests who are no Kings I shall fully demonstrate its verity by pregnant Scripture-proofs 1. It is generally asserted by all Divines Old and New Pontificans and Protestants That King David and Solomon both of them anointed by Gods special command to sit upon Gods throns to be Kings for the Lord their God 〈…〉 his people Israel to do Justice and Judgement to reign over rule 〈◊〉 in the fear of God and to establish them for ever as likewise to prepare build consecrate a most 〈…〉 and holy Temple for him under the Law were both lively Types of Christ 〈◊〉 by God with the oyl of gladnesse above his fellowes as the son and seed of David to be the Soveraign King as God incarnate over his Church Saints under the Gospel which he redeemed built sanctifyed with his own blood adorned with all saving graces and in which he should sit rule as King and Soveraign Lord for ever to govern rule help protect save glorify it for eternity 2ly That Christs comming in the flesh to rule reign in and over his People for ever is alwayes prophecied of and promised in the Old Testament under the Title and Office of a King not Priest or Prophet and that he shall sit upon the Throne of David his Father to govern them as a King not Priest Witnesse I say 32. 1 2. ch 16. 5. ch 9. 6 7 8. Behold a KING shall raign in righteousnesse and Princes shall rule in Judgement and a man shall be as an hiding place from the Wind and a covert from the ten post as rivers of waters in a dry place as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land And in mercy shall his Throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth in the Tabernacle of David Iudging and seeking Iudgement and hasting righteousnesse For unto us a Child is born unto us a Sonne is given and the Government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be call Wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the everlasting Father the PRINCE of Peace Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this Isay 33. 22. Forthe Lord is our Iudge the Lord is our Law giver the Lord is our King he will save us Jer. 23. 5 6. The dayes come saith the Lord that I will raise 〈◊〉 avid a righteous branch and a King shall reign and prosper and shall execute Iudgement and Iustice in the Earth In his dayes Judah shall be saved and Israel 〈◊〉 dwell safely and this is his name wherewith he shall be called the Lord our righteousnesse c. Ezek. 27. 22 24 25. And they shall be no more two Nations neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all And David my servant shall be King ever them and they all shall have one Shepherd and they shall also walk in my judgments and observe my statutes and do them And they shall dwell in the Land which I have given unto Jacob my servant wherein your Fathers have dwelt and they shall dwell therein even they and their children and their childrens children for ever and my servant David shall be their Prince for ever Hosea 3. 5. ch 13. 9 10. Afterward shall the children of Israel return and seek the Lord their God and David their King and shall fear the Lord and his Goodâ—esse in the latter dayes O Israel thou hast 〈◊〉 thy self but in me is thy help I will be thy King where is any other that may save thee in all thy Cities Jer. 33. 15 16 17. chap. 8. 19. ch 9 10. In those dayes and at that time will I cause the branch of righteousnesse to grow up unto David and he shall execute judgement and righteousnesse in the Land In those dayes shall Judah be saved and Jerusalem shall dwell safely and this is the name wherewith he shall be called The Lord our righteousnesse For thus saith the Lord David shall never want a man to sit upon the Throne of the house of Israel Is not the Lord in Zion is not her King in her The Lord is the true and living God and an everlasting King or King of eternity Micah 2. 13. Their King shall passe before them and the Lord on the head of them cap. 4. 7 8 9. I will make her that was cast off a strong nation and the Lord shall reign over them in mount Sion from henceforth for ever Unto thee shall it come even the first Dominion the Kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem Now why dost thou cry out aloud Is there no King in thee Zach 9. 9. Rejoyce greatly O daughter of Sion shout O daughter of Jerusalem Behold thy King cometh unto thee he is is iust having salvation lowly and riding upon an Asse and upon a Colt the fole of an Asse Actualy fulfilled at Christs triumphant riding into Jerusalem and crying 〈◊〉 to the Son of David blessed is the King of Israel and blessed be the kingdom of our Father David that cometh in the name of the Lord Hosanna in the highest as all the four Evangelists record Zech
14. 9. 16. And the Lord shall be King over all the earth and in that day shall there be One Lord and his name One. And it shall câ—me to passe that every one that is left of all the Nations that came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King the Lord of Hosits To which I shall subjoyn these prophecies of King David himself concerning the Kingship and kingdom of Christ Gods Son of his seed Psalm 2. 6 7 8. Yet have I set my King upon my holy Hill of Sion I will declare the Decree the Lord hath said unto me Thou art my sonne this day have I begotten thee Ask of me and I shall give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance and the uttermost parts of the Earth for thy possession Thou shalt break them with a rod or Scepter of Iron c. â—salm 10. 16. The Lord is King for ever and ever c. Psalm 29. 10 11. The Lord sitteth King for ever The Lord will give strength uâ— to his people the Lord will blesse his people with peace Psalm 24. 7 8 9 10. Lift up your Heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in Who is this King of Glory The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel The Lord of Hosts he is the King of Glory c. Psalm 47. 6 7 8. Sing praises to God sing praises sing praises unto our King sing praises For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding God reigneth over the Heathen God sitteth upon the Throne of his Holinesse Psalm 96. 9 10 c. 98. 6 9. 99 1 2. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holinesse fear before him all the earth Say among the Heathen that the Lord reigneth the world also shall he establish that it shall not be moved he shall judge the world uprightly With trumpets and sound of a Corn it make a joyfull noise before the Lord the King c. For he cometh to judge the earth with righteousnesse shall he judge the world and the people with equity More especially Psal 95. 3. 99 to 2. The Lord is a great God and a Great King above all Gods The LORD REIGNETH let the people tremble The Lord is great in Sion and high above all people The KINGS strength also loveth judgement thou dost establish equity thou executest judgement and righteousnesse in Jacob. Psal 149. 2. Let Israel rejoyce in him that made him let the children of Sion be joyfull in THEIR KING Let them praise his name in the Dance c. Psalm 89. 18. 34 35 36 c. For the Lord is our defence and the holy one of Israel is our King Also I will make him my first-born higher then the Kings of the earth My covenant will I not break nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips Once have I sworn by my holinesse that I will not lie unto David His seed King Jesus shall endure for ever and his Throne as the Sunne before me It shall be Established for ever as the Moon and as a faithfull witnesse in heaven In all these Texts of sacred Story to omit others Christ is still prophecyed of and promised to his Church only under the stile of a King Lord or Great King of the Seed of David sitting upon his Throne righteously judging and reigning over his people as a King and he is sometimes stiled David their King he being a Type of Christ his Supream government of them being attributed annexed only to his Kingship not to his Priesthood or Prophetical office as it was in King David his Father and the forecited kings 3ly That as the Scripture prophecied of and promiseth Jesus Christ in the flesh under the Title of a King so it stiles the Church and Saints he should reign over under the Gospel a kingdom wherein and over which he sits and reigns as a King for ever This is evident by all the last recited Texts and those I shall adde unto them 2 Sam 7. 13. 29. 1 Chron 28. 7. I will establish his kingdom for ever 1 Chr. 29. 11. Thine O Lord is the greatnesse and the power and the glory and the victory and the praise for all in the heaven and in the earth is thine thine is the kingdom O Lord thou art exalted as head above all as a King not Priest or Prophet both riches honor come of thee and thou reignest overall and in thin hand is Power and Might to â—ake great and to give strength to all Psal 103. 19. The Lord hath prepared his throne in heaven and his kingdom ruleth over All Yea the contemplation and discourse of the Glory and excellency of Christs everlasting kingdom over his Church and Saints is thus prophecied of by David as one principal part both of their and all other Christians duty and felicity upon earth Psal 145. 10 11 12 13. All thy works shall praise thee O Lord and thy Saints shall blesse thee they shall speak of the Glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power to make known to the Sons of men his mighty acts and the glorious maiesty of his kingdom Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom and thy dominion endureth through all Generations In pursuance of which duty King David himself penned two special Psalms of praise Ps 45. 1. My heart is inditing a good matter I speak of the things I have made for the King c. Gird thy sword not Peters or the Popes keyes upon thy thigh O most mighty with thy glory and thy majesty and in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meeknesse c. Thy throne O God is for ever and ever the Scepter of thy kingdom not Peters keyes is a right Scepter Thou lovest righteousnesse and hatest wickednesse therefore God thy God hath anointed thee with the oyl of gladnesse above thy fellows Hearken O daughter and consider c. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty for he is thy Lord and worship thou him The King daughter 〈◊〉 the Church is all glorious within c. She shall be brought unto the King Christ Jesus in rayment of needle work they shall enter into the Kings passage c. To which he addeth many Psalms of like nature especially two begenning thus Psal 97. 1 The Lord reigneth let the earth rejoyce let the multitude of the 〈◊〉 and ours amongst others be glad thereof Psalm 99. 1. The Lord reigneth let the earth tremble c. The Prophet Daniel presents us with this excellent description and prediction of Christs Kingdome Dan 2. 41. And in the dayes of these Kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people but it shall break in pieces and consum all these Kingdome and it shall stand for ever Thus farther illustrated Dan 4. 3.