Kingdomes of the Lord and his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever therefore let us fall down on our faces saying we give thee thanks O Lord God almighty Rev. 11. 16. 17. because thou hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned But now give me leave to give you a few Reasons to shew you why I doe beleeve God is about such a glorious work in this Iland First because I do not know nor have read of any Iland in the Christian world that hath opposed the Lord Christ but this that hath a people that the Lord will save at this time that the Lord is destroying Antichrist you may see in that forenamed Isa 12. 14. place Secondly in this Iland there hath bin many famous Martyrs that have suffered for Christ Thirdly God hath had as many Iacobs that have wrestled with God by prayer against Antichrist as any Nation in the world ever had and I can speak it for above this twenty years they have sowen in tears and were like unto Israel groning under our burdens and bondage therefore I doe beleeve he is now bringing us out of bondage Fourthly I doe beleeve God is going on with this his glorious work here in this Iland because God hath raysed up choice Instruments in pulling down Antichrist powers that have opposed Christ Fifthly God hath given many of his choice servants a great measure of faith to beleeve that the work is begun in this Iland and that it shall not end till Antichrist be destroyed Sixtly I am sure of it God hath as many pretious and choyce servants such as doe love the Lord Jesus in sincerity after the inward man as any Nation in the world Seventhly and lastly because I doe find by the promises of Christ that his work in destroying Antichrist shall begin in the Ilands as the Scripture saith The Iles shall wayt for his Glory So if you read the 97. Psalm the whol Psalm is a glorious Prophecy of these Times it begins The Lord reigneth let the Earth rejoyce let the multitude of the Iles bee glad thereof I do beleeve God has made good this whol Prophecy by his acts of Providence in this Iland also that glorious prophecy in the 42 of Isa from verse 12. to the 21. which I do believe is now fulfiling in these Ilands and therefore we have no reason to murmur against the Instruments of our good nor to complain but to say with the Prophet in the 12. ver let them give glory to the Lord and declare his prayses in the Ilands hath not the Lord Christ gone out like a mighty man hath not hee cryed and roared against his enemies hath not he made wast mountains and hills hath not he brought the blind by away that they knew not and led them in paths that they have not known and made dark things light before them and crooked things straight these things hath he done unto them and not forsaken them and may it not be said at such a time as this who is blind but my servant or deafe but my messinger as I have sent who is blind as he that is perfect blind as the Lords servant seeing many things but observing it not this prophecy I beleeve is fulfilled in our days Sir this little Treatise was written some two years since then being dark times and therefore what you find of weaknesse in it let it be attributed to the author but what you find to be according to the mind of God let him only have the glory this Treatise was put forth by the desire of many godly frinds and beleeving you are one that is precious in the sight of the Lord therefore you will have a favorable construction of what is written I leave you in the Lord Your servant in the Lord Christ NOAH BANKS To the Christian Reader IN these last Ages of the world there hath been much ado about the Prerogative Power of Kings and great men in all Nations so of late years more then formerly in this Island as may appear by all those wayes that great men took in oppressing the poor in imposing taxes on almost all wares and in coat and conduct money and Ship-money which made the poor people to groan under their burthens and to cry unto the Lord for vengeance against the oppressors So also our Bishops they lorded it over mens consciences in bringing in Superstitions and Idolatry and seting up their Prerogative Power that godly men must doe what their Wils will have instead of Gods Word so racking the consciences of godly men till many times they crackt again making some fly to New-England others were imprisoned branding some and cuting off their ears Oh how sad was our condition then some would by their Prerogative Power rule over the Estates of men and others over the consciences it was worse then Egyptian bondage for they onely opprest the bodies but these did seek to destroy both souls and bodies of men and no visible help could be found because they that had the Prerogative Power called Parliaments and broke them up again when they would not serve their wills also over ruling Iustices and Iudges they must bow the strait Lawes to serve their corrupt lusts and like Issacar we begun to stoop under the burthen but when men will abuse their power God will make them know that he hath a power over them be they never so great the want of the knowledge of that Almighty power that there is in God and how he hath made known his Prerogative Power in all ages is the cause men are so troubled in these times but if men would search the word of God they would see how Gods wayes are in the deeps and his footsteps are in the mighty waters Isa 43. 16. Touching the Almighty we cannot finde him out he is excellent in power he can throw down the walls of Iericho by the blowing of Rams horns and open the eyes of one born blind with clay and spettle he can make little David strong enough to cut off the head of Goliah and the Lord Christ chose out poor Fishermen to be his Disciples and left the learned Scribes and Pharisees Gods Prerogative Power made known divers wayes in the Old Testament IN these knowing times most men will acknowledg that all Prerogative Power is in God but when God is making known his Power in some great acts of Providence in the world oh how are most men offended at it and will not beleeve farther then they can see by their dark light of naturall Reason thus we read that good men failed much as Jeremiah Job and David till they went and searched into the word of God So it will bee our wisdomes in these troublesom times dark various acts of Providence to search the Scriptures how God hath formerly made known his Prerogative Power by most unlikely wayes and Instruments First when God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt
Kingdom was departed from him and he was driven out from men he did eat grasse with the oxen Oh let all proud Kings know Dan. 4. 30. 31. that the great God hath a Prerogative Power over them he ruleth in the Kingdoms of men he giveth them to whom so ever he will Dan. 4. 17. So if Herod to whom God had given wisdome will harken to the applause of men God will suddenly abase him for the Text saith an Angell of God smot him because hee did not give the glory to God hee was eaten up with Wormes and hee died Acts 12. 23. By these Examples and many more wee may see the great Prerogative Power of God and how fearfull a thing it is to goe about to rob God of his Prerogative Power this sin hath always some Iudgment suddenly at the heeles of it God doth many times abase such proud men in this life for pride goeth before destruction Pro. 6. 18. and a high mind before the fall Secondly Then God maketh his Prerogative Power appear when God stops the natural course of his creatures as when God at the prayer of Ioshua made the Sun the Moon to stand Ioshua 10. 13. still and the Sun to go back ten Degrees and the fiery Oven not to burne the three Children and the Lyons not to destroy Dan. 4. 27. Exod. 14. 16. Daniel and the Red-Sea to stand like walls on both sides till Israel past over God hath the Prerogative Power over all his creatures if the Lord Christ command the Winds and the Seas they must obey him Thirdly God maketh his Power known when he maketh use of the weakest and basest of his creatures for to pull down the pride of man as he did to proud Pharaoh he did send Frogs Caterpillars and Lice and Flies to plague Pharaoh Exod. 9. and all Egypt and also if proud Herod will take the glory to himself which was due to God God will send his Angel to smite him and he shall be eaten up with Wormes Fourthly Then God maketh his Prerogative Power to appear when God makes use of the most unlikely instruments to do the greatest and most miraculous workes by as when God threw down the walls of Jericho with the blowing of Rams horns and the Lord Christ opened the eyes of one that was born blind with clay and spettle and Jonah must be delivered by being swallowed up of a great fish which was a very unlikely way but there is nothing too hard for God to do he hath a Prerogative Power to do what he will and by what means he will See the 6. Fifthly God maketh his mighty Power known when he leadeth people in untrodden paths as he did the people of Israel when he brought them out of Egypt they must go through the Red Sea and fourty years in the Wildernesse and through the waters of Jordane in all these wayes did God make his great Power appear so much the more so also many of the people of God in cases of necessities have gone in wayes that hath been contrary to the rule and revealed word as David did when he did eat the Shew bread which was lawfull for none but the Priest yet Christ said he was blamelesse so Phineas slew Zimry and Cosby he being the high Priest it was not his place to execute justice yet this act of his was well pleasing to God and turned away the wrath of God from the children of Israel and how did God reward him and all the rest that came after him Numb 25. 12. Sixthly The power of God appears when God doth many times his greatest workes by a few and they the most contemptible instruments Gideons Army was too many God would mould them till they came but to three hundred to overthrow the Hoast of the Midianites which were as Grasihoppers Iudges 7. 12. and as the sand of the Sea for number So God those out David to be King the most unlikely of all the sons of Jesse and he must fight with great Goliah that made all the Army of Israel to tremble whose spear was like a Weavers beam yet this David whom his brethren dispised he going in the name of the Lord killeth Goliah here was the power of God the more seen as when Jonathan and his Armor-bearer discomforted the whole Hoast of the Philistims so the Lord Christ chose poore Fisher-men to be his Disciples and leaving the learned Scribes and Pharisees thus God makes his power the more appear when he does do great workes by weak instruments and hath not God done wonderfull things of late by a poore small contemptible new-moddelled Army how hath God by them routed great Armies taken many strong Garrisons these last years it may be said what hath the Lord done by these despised instruments oh what a black cloud was risen in this poore land in Wales in Kent in Surry and that great Army of the Scots never to be forgotten and how did God by his poore instruments making them valiant bring down the pride and power of these bloudy men and surely if men were not blind they would see how God doth own this Army and if God own them let men take heed how they speak or act against them lest they be found fighters against God and God hath made his Prerogative power to appear by this Army that I am perswaded that many Generations to come shall have cause to blesse God for them and they having begun to throw down in this land the out-workes of Rome who knoweth if God will not so highly honour some of them that they may set up their Trophies on the walls of Rome Seventhly God hath made his Prerogative power appear in altering of the government of his Church five times already First God let down a Government to Adam Cain and Abel offered Sacrifice Secondly God let down a Patterne of Government to Moses as you may reade in Leviticus Thirdly God did let down a farther way to David and Solomon when the Temple was to be built Fourthly God let down to Ezra the second Temple the manner how it should be built and all things therein Fifthly The Lord Christ he comes and sets up the Gospel Government which hath continued this sixteen hundred years Now there is one more Government spoken of in the 21. Revel 2. that is the New Jerusalem that must come down from Heaven which will be a glorious time this we waite for which I beleeve will be the last Government on earth Eighthly So also the Lord hath made his Power appeare by changing the Government in the Common-wealth as first the Government was by Abraham the head of the Families secondly Moses a Prophet next Joshua who was a Warrier so Judges continued sometimes they were men sometimes they were women and thus it continued till Samuel's time and this was the most immediate Government of God But when Israel would have a King God told them
the enemies of his Church and Saints are at the highest and say I sit as Queen Rev. 18. 7. when they say I will ascend above the Clouds I will be like the most High Isa 14. 14. when the enemies of God are lifted up with pride and power then shall the Lord Christ make known his power then shall her plagues come suddenly for Reve. 18. 7. the Lord that judgeth her is a strong God then shall she come down and sit in the dust O how high were the enemies of Isa 47. 1. God and of his Saints in this Land of late how did they oppresse the Saints how did they begin to rule over mens estates and consciences too and sayd bow-down that wee may go over Now will God make his enemies his footstool now will God visit the wickednesse of the world as it is in Esay 13. 11. I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease and I will cast down the pride of Tyrants And is not this the work God is about in our dayes and hath not God done much in these dayes oh that men had eyes to see it that God might have the glory Secondly when the Saints are at the lowest then will the Lord repent him selfe for his servants when he seeth that their power is gone and they have no help left how sad was our Dâ—t 32. 3â— condition in England of late years in the time of our Prelates how did they oppress good men making some fly to new-England branding some and cutting off their Eares imprisoning others how sad was our condition this last yeare when so black a cloud did arise both in Kent Surrey Wales and Skotland and on the Seas and how did wicked men thraten to cut the throats of godly men and plunder them then did Gods people like Israel groan and cry unto the Lord and praysed bee our good God who hath scattered the proud and hath taken our parts and hath raysed faithfull Instruments who have jeparded their lives in the High Places in the Field oh let not such valiant Commanders and Souldiers go without their due Honor next to the honor of God and though the Saints were low yet God was on high and hee hath taken our part when there was none to help then Gods Arm brought Salvation for us Thirdly When wicked men rage against the Lord and against his Saints as in the second Psalm Wherefore do the Hethen rage and the people imagin a vain thing the Kings of the Earth set themselves and the Rulers take Counsell together against the Lord and against his anoynted Then will God set his King upon his holy Hill of Sion verse 6. when wicked men rage the Lord Christ shall dash them in peeces like Potters vessels and never did wicked men rage more then of late therefore sure their ruine is near did Saul prosper when hee raged against David did not God rend the Kingdom from him and is not this the day when wicked men shall fret themselves and curse their God and their King and look upward Isa 8. 21. but blessed be God that the rage of man shall turn to his prayse and the remainder of wrath will he restrayn When the Lord Christ comes to throw down Antichrist and his adherents he will shake all Nations in that day in the day of his fierce anger and by a mighty Earthquake turning Esay 13. 13. Kingdoms and Nations upside down every one must endure a shaking in this Earthquake and is not God now a shaking this Nation and throwing down what Antichrist hath built Revel 16. 18. 19 for many years o what a smoke doth this great ruinous house make it blindeth the eyes of most men yea many godly men surely in this ruinous heap Iesus Christ the wise Builder will finde many precious stones and many peeces of timber that are found at the heart and fit them to build the New Ierusalem though many great posts will bee found rotten at the heart when they are tried and they will be fit for nothing but for the fire for behold the day cometh that shall burn as an Oven and all the proud yea all that do wickedly shall be as stubble and the day cometh that shall burn them up saith the Lord of Hosts and it shall leave neither root nor branch Mal. 4. 1. wicked men shall be as rubbidge and he shall tread down the wicked for they shall be as ashes under the soles of his feet Mal 4. 3. Those Nations and Kingdoms that have lived in pomp and contempt of God and his Saints shall suffer dreadful shakings that no person nor Nation nor Government shall be able to stand that shall oppose the Kingly Government of the Lord Christ for he hath said once more he will not only shake the earth but the heavens also Heb. 12. Fiftly When the Saints are in the dark as well as wicked men much fearing and thinking of a dark Night that is comming with dreadfull troubles and so it will be to all those that are not acquainted what God is doing when the Lord reigns clouds and darknesse are round about him yet Righteousnesse and judgment are the habitation of his Throne and a fire shall go before him to burn up all his enemies Psalm 97. 2 3. At the comming of Christ will be a dark time for at midnight the Bridegroom came All those that would be acquainted what the Lord Christ is doing let them read Esay 42. 16. He will lead the blinde by a way that they known not and will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darknesse light before them and crooked things straight and not forsake them Many say in our dayes things go on as in untrodden paths and unknown wayes and dark wayes if you look into this Scripture you may see the Lord Christ will lead his peeple in such a way as they have not known and many good men are in the dark at this time and godly Ministers if you read Esay 42. 18. 19. 20. there he sayth who is so blinde as my servant who is so blinde as he that is perfect and blinde as the Lords Servant but at last God will let them see for at evening time it shall be light Zak. 14. 7. Sixtly when the Lord Christ fits and chuses out some choice instruments for his work such as Moyses Ioshua Sampson David Solomon Cyrus Zorobabel or moddel out some Army a Gideon and his three hundred men when you see God raise up men of another spirit choice men for wisdom and courage to do some notable work as God hath done by this Army of late years it is a sign that God is doing some excellent work for his Church and for the downfal of Antichrist Seaventhly When the Lord Christ makes his Power known in abasing proud men and women as you may read in the second and third of Isa at large there you may see what God is doing now