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A83999 Englands satisfaction in eight queries; concerning the true place, office, and power of a king, according to Gods word. 1643 (1643) Wing E3046; Thomason E105_14; ESTC R17568 12,050 15

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ENGLANDS SATISFACTION IN EIGHT QVERIES Concerning the true place Office and power of a KING according to GODS Word A KING as he is the Lords Anoynted over his GODS Judgemēts upon his people for asking of a King people Israel 1 Sam. 8.11 12 13 14 15 16 17. will take your sonnes and your daughters to serve him He will take your fields vineyards and your olive-yards even the best of them from you and give them to his servants He will take the tenth of your seed and of your vine-yards from you and give them to his Officers and to his servants and he will take your men-servants and your maid-servants and your goodliest young men and your Asses and put them to his worke He will take the tenth of your sheepe and yee shall be his servants 1. Quest Is it lawfull for Kings to doe as Samuel from the Lord told the people Saul would doe Answ No for Samuel at the establishing of Saul 1 Sam. 10. 25. told Saul and all the people the dutie of a King as it is written Deut. 17.16 17 18 19 20. and wrote it in a Booke and laid it up before the Lord as a witnesse betwixt King and people so that all that the Lord doth command is lawfull to be done and it is a sinne not to doe it and all that the Lord doth forbid is unlawfull to be done and it is a sinne to doe it The Lord in the 8th of the 1 Sam. doth not command Kings to take from one and to give to another and to doe their own wills therefore it is not lawfull for Kings to exercise this regall power but the Lord saith that they will doe so and so which is not a sufficient warrant for Kings to doe so and so because the Lord in his Law of the dutie of a King hath expresly forbidden the same Deut. 17 18 19 20. And it shall be when he sitteth upon the throne of his Kingdome that he write him The dutie of a King a copie of this Law in a Booke and it shall be with him and he shall reade therein all the dayes of his life that he may learne to feare the Lord his God that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren to the right hand or to the left Therefore it is unlawfull for Kings to exercise this regall power King David though a man after Gods owne heart because he by vertue of this regall power would have Barshebah the wise of Vriah to be his wife and caused Ioab to put Vriah in the forefront that he might fall by the sword for which Nathan the Prophet told David 2 Sam. 12. 9. Thou hast killed Uriah with the sword and hast taken his wife to be thy wife and hast slaine him with the sword of the Children of Ammon Vers 10. Therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house It made good David by the experience of evill the sight and knowledge of evill and repentance for evill say at his latter end 2 Sam. 23. 3. He that ruleth over men must be just ruling in the feare of the Lord. Rehoboam thinking by this regall power he might doe what he would over and with his Subjects refused the good and milde Counsell of his grave and wise Elders and tooke the rough and evill Counsell of his young Counsell 1 King 12. 3. which lost him ten of his twelve Tribes Ahab by this regall power thought he might take away Naboths Vineyard and so followed the wicked Counsell of Idolatrous Iezabel his wife and put Naboth to death for which the Lord saith by Eliah the Prophet 1 Kings 21 19. 21 22. In the place where the dogs licked the bloud of Naboth shall dogs lick thy bloud even thine And I will take away thy posteritie and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the sonne of Nebat therefore it is utterly unlawfull to use this regall power 2. Quest If it be unlawfull for Kings to take from and to give unto and to doe what they please why did or doth the Lord in the 1 Sam. 8. 17. command the people to yeeld obedience and serve their Kings according to such demands commands will and pleasure Answ For two reasons first in respect of the Lord himselfe because he was King of Israel and had that regall power and prerogative Royall to doe his owne will with man as the Potter with the clay who being able and did with a mightie hand and stretched-out-arme bring Israel out of Aegypt from the crueltie of Pharoah through the red Sea and in the Wildernesse caused the stony Rocks to yeeld them water to drinke giving them Manna Angels food and sent them Quailes to eate and gave them the Land of Canaan houses they builded not Vineyards Orchards and gardens they planted not and cast out seven Nations greater then they before them even a Land flowing with milke and honey Notwithstanding all which Israel would have a Man King as had the Nations 1 Sam. 8. 5. At which Samuel was displeased but the Lord said unto Samuel ver 7. heare the voyce of the people for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected mee that I should not reigne over them therefore testifie vers 9 unto them and shew them the manner of the King being but a man what evill inclinations he will be of that shall reigne over you to take from one unjustly and give it to another that hath no right to the same unequally to demand of and command over and from you according to his own corrupt lusts as it is vers 11 12 13 14 15 16. And when these things shall come upon you vers 18. yee shall cry because of your man King whom you have chosen you but the Lord will not heare you at that day therefore bethinke your selves O Israel because you will forsake the Lord to reigne over you as formerly and will have a man to be your King to sit in the Lords throne of Majestie for in all these things ver 17. yee shall be his servants in obeying of him without redresse whose answer is ver 19. Nay but there shall be a King over us Chap. 10. 18 19. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I brought Israel out of Aegypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all Kings that troubled you but you have this day cast away your God who onely delivered you out of all your adversities and tribulations And out of Chap. 12.12 the hands of Nahash King of the Children of Ammon when the Lord your God was your King yet yee said A King shall reigne over us Know O Israel vers 3 4 5. you and your King beare record Whose Oxe have I taken or whose Asse have I taken or whom have I done wrong to or whom have I hurt or of whose hands have I received any bribe and I will
Justice upon all evill doers and vers 3. to praise honour and encourage all such as doe well and also Exod. 18. 16. to judge of and decide matters in difference betwixt man and man according to the Lawes and Ordinances of the Lord and provide and appointing vers 21. men of courage fearing God dealing truely and hating covetousnesse such shalt thou make Deut. 16. 18 19. Judges and Officers and they shall Judge the people with righteous Judgement not wresting the Law nor respect any person neither take a bribe knowing that the Lord is King of Kings and Judge of all the world who is the searcher of the heart and tryer of the reines and discovereth the thoughts of mans heart 4. Quest Was there no difference between the Kings of Israels powers and the Kings of the Nations powers and the Subjects of both Answ Yes for the people of Israel were within the Covenant and promise of Jesus Christ unto whom the Lord gave his Lawes Statutes and Ordinances both Morall and Ceremoniall unto whom also was given Priests Levites and Prophets to administer unto them and to teach and direct them and Judges to guide and lead them and the great God of heaven and earth to be their King to save defend and deliver them therefore the Kingdome and Crowne of Israel was the Gods of Israel and so of a greater and higher power and majestie then any other Kingdome of the earth for the Kings thereof were by the immediate appointing and anoynting of the Lord and unto whom with their Crowne the Lord gave or of right unto the throne of that dignitie did belong a regall power and royall prerogative of selfe-will and pleasure which made them cry out and say Nehemiah 9. 36 37. Behold the Land that thou gavest unto our Fathers to eate the fruit thereof and the good things thereof behold we are servants in it this day indeed it yeeldeth much increase but it is unto our Kings whom thou hast set over us who because of our sinnes in asking a King have dominion over our bodies to command them and over our estates to take away them at their pleasure so that this promise or gift little availeth us so that the Kings of Israel had a regall power over their Subjects to demand and command according to their owne wills and pleasures in respect of the peoples charge of obedience The Subjects of Israel because of their sinnes against the Lord in asking of a King must submit 1 Sam. 8. 3. and be his servants without any redresse 1 Pet. 2. 13 14. Submit your selves unto all manner of Ordinance of man for the Lords sake both to the King as superiour and to governours sent for the punishment of evill doers Rom. 13. 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher powers and when they suffered they had no other meanes but to say Nehe. 9. 37. Wee are in great distresse The Kings of the Nations came out of the loynes of cursed Ham Gen. 9. 25. A servant of servants shalt thou be unto thy Brethren whose Grand-sonne Nimrod Chap. 10. 8. began to be a mightie man in the earth ver 10. The beginning of his Kingdome was Babel whose very name signifieth a rebell or wicked one and Canonized for a Proverbe ver 9. Wherefore it is said even as Nimrod the mightie Hunter before the Lord who was neither appointed nor anointed of the Lord. The second generations of Kings of the Nations was out of the loynes of Esau whom God hated in the wombe Gen. 36. 31. And these are the Kings that reigned in the Land of Edom before there reigned any King over the Children of Israel who was chosen by Election vers 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 The Kings of the Nations were out of the Lords Covenant and so had nothing to doe with the Lords mercies or promises but were used as the Lords instruments of wrath whom the Lord regarded not for good because they served him not nor knew the Lord by his Word Ioshuah 8. 29. tooke the King of Aie and hanged him on a tree and cast his carkasse downe at the entring of the gate of the Citie and laid thereon a heape of stones Chap. 10. 23. The King of Jerusalem the King of Hebron the King of Jarmuth the King of Lachish the King of Eglon vers 24. Ioshuah said to his Captaines come and put your feet upon the neckes of these Kings ver 26. and Ioshuah slew them and hanged them on five trees Chap. 12. 24. Ioshuah slew one and thirty Kings of the Nations whose manner of reigne was according to the custome of their Countreys and their power was by man and therefore all destroyed by the power of God so the power the honour and dignitie of the Kings of the Nations was not from the Lord as was the Kings of Israel therefore not worthy to be compared with the Kings of Israel therefore the Kings of the Nations cannot plead any right to this regall power from the Lord by his Word for the Kings of the Nations were ordained by and ruled over the Nations before the dayes of the Prophet Samuel they were not obedient unto the Commandements of the Lord and therefore have no right to the promises of the Lord. 5. Quest Now what difference is there betwixt the power of the Kings of Israel under the Morall and Ceremoniall Law and the power of the Kings of England under the Morall Law and the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Subjects of both Answ The Kingdome and Crowne of Israel was the Gods of Israel who in Judgement to the people for their sinnes gave the same to Saul and confirmed it upon David and to his seede 1 King 8. 25. There shall not faile thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel So that the inheritance of the Crowne of Israel was established upon David for Bathsheba said 1 King 1. 20. My Lord O King the eyes of all Israel are upon thee that thou shouldst tell them who shall sit on the throne of my Lord the King after him saith David ver 34. let Zadock the Priest and Nathan the Prophet anoynt Solomon King over Israel and blow with the Trumpet and say GOD save King Solomon The Lord never gave any Kingdome nor Crowne neither did the Lord appoint or anoynt any Kings save onely of Israel and Judah The Kings of England were not at their beginning appointed nor anoynted as were the Kings of Israel but were by the Nation ordeined as Kings over this Nation according to the custome of this Nation which is before they will admit the Crowne to him they doe intend he must by Covenant and Oath imposed upon him yeeld them their rights and priviledges and that he will rule them according to the Customes and Lawes of the Land and then they graunt unto him the Crowne for his owne life so that power that hath power to impose an Oath before a Graunt hath power to
restore it saith Samuel Then they said thou hast done us no wrong nor hurt us neither hast thou taken ought of any mans hand Then Samuel said the Lord and your Anointed is witnesse this day that yee have found nought in my hands And they answered he is witnes so the Lord in his anger Hosea 13. 11. gave them a King who was no blessing but a curse unto them as will appeare Secondly In respect of man because Israel would have a man to be their King and forsake the Lord their God peremptorily notwithstanding all before mentioned Israel must know that a mortall man one of their brethren to be exalted to the dignitie of the Lords throne of Majestie unto which belongs such a regall power and royall prerogative that was not fit for any sinfull mortall man because the wayes power and wisdome of man cannot as the Lord exercise such a power but either on the right hand or on the left they will transgresse against God or man in disobeying the Commandement of the Lord and this is the cause of the Lords anger and therefore for a punishment Israel must although their Kings should will unlawfull things 1 Sam. 8. 17. yeeld in obedience and serve their Kings accordingly and therefore the Lord Chap. 12.17 sent them in judgement even in wheat harvest such a thunder and raine to convince and to shew them their great wickednesse in asking of a King that ver 19. all the people said unto Samuel Pray for thy servants unto the Lord thy God they durst not say our God that wee dye not for we have sinned in asking us a King Chap. 8. 20. to judge us and goe out before us and fight our battles the first whereof was against the Philistims where Saul Chap. 13. 12. was bold to offer a burnt offering for which Samuel vers 13 14. told Saul thou hast done foolishly for because thou hast not kept the Commandement of the Lord thy God thy Kingdome shall not continue for the Lord hath sought him a man after his owne heart and the Lord hath commanded him to governe his people Another battell against the Amalekites Chapt. 15. 9. who against the Commandement of the Lord spared Agag and the best things of the Amalekites for which Samuel told Saul vers 22 23. Obedience is better then sacrifice and to heare the Word of the Lord better then the fat of Rammes that rebellion is as the sinne of witch-craft and stubbornnesse as iniquitie and idolatry because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord he hath rejected thee from being King ver 28. The Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israel from thee this day and given it to thy neighbour that is better then thou therefore Kings though Anointed of the Lord and sit in the Lords throne may not exercise this regall power to doe their owne wills against the Commandements of the Lord no not by duties of burnt offering or sacrifice even Kings are to be as subject to the Commandement of the Lord as well as other men none may doe evill for good to come of it for with the Lord there is no respect of persons and Kings must know as they are but men That Pro. 28. 15. as a roaring Lyon and a hungry Beare so is a wicked Ruler over the poore people therefore thus saith the Lord Ezek. 45. 9. Let it suffice you O Princes of Israel leave off crueltie and oppression and execute Judgement and Justice and take away your exactions from my people Thus saith the Lord Jere. 21. 12. O house of David execute Judgement in the morning and doe not delay and deliver the oppressed out of the hand of the oppressor Chap. 22. 2 3. O King of Judah that sittest in the throne of David execute yee judgement and righteousnesse And Pro. 25. 5. Take away the wicked Counsellors from the King and his throne shall be established in righteousnesse for Chap. 29. 14. A King that Judgeth the poore in truth according to Gods Word his throne shall be established for ever for Chap. 22. 23. The Lord will defend his cause and spoyle the soule of those that spoyle them Chap. 19. 21. Many devices are in a mans heart but the counsell of the Lord standeth Chap. 14. 26. In the feare of the Lord is an assured strength and his Children shall have hope therefore know O Kings Princes and Rulers that Chap. 21.30 there is no wisdome neither understanding nor counsell against the Lord who saith Mat. 5. 3. Blessed are the poore in spirit for theirs is the kingdome of heaven Luke 6. 20. Blessed be yee poore for yours is the kingdome of God that feare the Lord and unto salvation beleeve in Jesus Christ for Mat. 11. 5. The poore receive the Gospel Luke 4 18 19. The spirit of the Lord is upon me that I should preach the Gospel to the poore and heale the broken-hearted and preach deliverance to the captives and set at libertie them that are bruised and preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord. And Isa 61. 3. To give unto them beautie for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse that they may be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord. Jer. 22. 2 3. O King of Iudah vex not the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widdow doe no violence nor shed innocent bloud in this place where such of the Lords dwell although Kings thinke they have a regall power to doe their owne wills they are mistaken 3. Quest What is the true and onely right place office and power of a King according to the Word of God Answ First the true and onely right place of a King is from amongst above and over all the people alone to sit in the Lords throne of Majestie Secondly The true and onely right office of a King is Rom. 13. 4. to be the Minister of God for the wealth or good of the people over whom he is set doing the will according unto the Lawes Statutes and Ordinances of him in whose throne he sits vers 1. Let every soule be subject to the higher power for there is no power but of God and the powers that be are ordeined of God therefore Kings are not to make any Statute Law or Ordinance destructive or contradictory unto them that were made by God before he made any King so that even Kings are to be as subject to the Lord as men to Kings and so as one intrusted by God as the Lords Vicegerent or Lievtenant over the Lords people betwixt God and man to see and looke unto it that God may be honoured glorified and served by himselfe and all the people and to see and looke to and preserve the people from all enemies perils and dangers both from abroad and at home Thirdly The true and onely right power of a King is as the Minister of God Rom. 13 4. to beare the sword of Justice to take vengeance on or execute
deteine the thing to be graunted if the Oath be refused by him to whom the Graunt is intended and every Grauntee is subject to the Grauntor according to the Covenant of the Graunt there can be no fee-simple estate in the Grauntee of the thing graunted but the fee-simple estate of the thing graunted is in the grauntor The Kingdome or Common-wealth of England is the grauntor the King of England is the grauntee the Crowne of England is the thing graunted so that the fee-simple estate of the Crowne of England is the Common-wealths of England to dispose of according to the Custome and Lawes of the Land which is by Covenant and Graunt to the Prince in being and after whose decease by custome but not by right of inheritance to the next in or of bloud and so from one generation to another in like manner So that this regall power in the 1 Sam. 8. doth not at all belong to a King of England therefore if the Lord was wrath and did exceedingly punish the Kings of Israel for exercising this regall power before the light of the Gospel wherein is revealed a greater light of libertie unto the members of Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 2. 7. 9. 10. Vnto you therefore which beleeve in Christ Jesus he is precious for by him yee are a chosen generation a royall Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that yee should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkenesse into his marveilous light Revel 5 9 10. And they sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the Booke and to open the Seales thereof for thou wast slaine and hast redeemed us to God by thy bloud and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests How much more then shall Kings under the knowledge and light of the Gospel incurre the wrath of God if they be found guiltie of oppression and tyranny against the beleeving members of the Lord Christ themselves professing the same faith and acknowledging the same knowledge the Lord is no respecter of persons but the soule that sinneth shall dye A King of England may not by this regall power demand and command of and from the people as the Kings of Israel neither by the Lawes of God nor by the Lawes of the Land neither are the people of England bound to that slavish obedience as the people of Israel were but the people of England both by the Lawes of God and by the Lawes of the Land are freed from such a slavish obedience and therefore both according to the Lawes of God and the Land may lawfully deny and refuse to submit because it is an unlawfull imposition and where the demand and command is unlawfull the deniall or refusall is lawfull 6. Quest How shall we know when a King doth transgresse against his Oath and breake his Covenant and what is the remedy Ans A King doth trangresse his Oath and breake his Covenant when that his demands are beyond the Nationall Law which by vertue of his Oath as it is a breach thereof is oppression and when a King doth command of and from the people such things as are opposite unto and against the fundamentall Lawes of the Land which by vertue of his Oath as it is a breach thereof is tyranny which lawfully begets in the Common-wealth an absolute deniall and refusall to such demands and commands and so the peace of the Land is endangered the onely remedy to preserve the same is for the King to call a Parliament that is to send out his Writs to the Commons to choose their Knights and Burgesses who by vertue of the Kings Writs and the Commons voyces for them are Parliament-men and as Arbitrators are to decide all differences in Church State and Common-wealth whose conclusions and determinations together with the Kings assent consent and signing are binding Lawes both to King and people 7. Quest How farre may or ought a King lawfully to deny to assent consent and signe their determinations and conclusions Answ A King as he sits in the Lords throne may and as he is intrusted by God over the people ought to deny to assent consent and signe their determinations if the same shall either be dishonourable to the glory worship and service of the Lord or injurious to the good of the Common-wealth and no further for it is his office to be as or more forward and carefull for both as any other man both by the Lawes of God and the Land as he is the great Minister of the greatest trust for both by taking the same charge upon him 8. Quest But if a King shall deny to consent assent and signe the Parliaments determinations although honourable to the Lord and good and beneficiall to the Common-wealth then what is the Kings offence benefit or danger and their power as they are Parliament-men and so the body representative of the Land Answ If a King shall deny to assent unto that which is lawfull before God and man and contend against it and in stead of consenting unto them to dissent from them and in stead of signing their determinations to seperate himselfe from them and make warre against and upon them he doth thereby breake the peace which as he sits in the Lords throne of Majestie he ought to keepe maintaine and preserve and also thereby he breakes and wilfully violates his Oath and Nationall Covenant by which he enjoyes the Crowne and so is an offender both against God and man by both for both he is entrusted betwixt both Adam did not transgresse untill he was advised by Eve Gen 3. 6. And the woman said ver 13. The Serpent beguiled me because a King doth nothing without advise therefore he cannot transgresse but by the evill advice of evill Counsellors who with Eve are beguiled by that old Serpent the Devill and such Counsellors was 1 King 12. 13 14. Rehoboams young Cavaliers and such evill Counsellors was Chap. 22. 6. Ahabs foure hundred Balls Prophets who were beguiled by the Devill who said ver 22. I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets and also such advisers had Pharoah Gen. 7. 11 12. Jannes and Jambres who had the Devils helpe and by him did that they did in their withstanding of Moses and so such are all they that doe advise the King against the good advice of his grave and wise Elders the Parliament Long agoe these Counsellors were branded out and foretold by the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9. In the last dayes perillous times shall come men shall be lovers of their own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers unholy without naturall affection truce breakers false accusers fierce despisers of those that are good traytors headdy high-minded lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God having a forme of godlinesse in their mouths but denying the power thereof in their hearts ever learning but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth
who as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses so doe these also resist the truth Men of corrupt minds reprobates concerning the faith but they shall proceed no farther for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as Jannes and Jambres By which warre if the King get the better these wofull advisers will advise him that then he need not submit to the legall power according to his Covenant and Oath but may rule by that unwarranted unlawfull forbidden and often punished regall power of his owne will both in Church State and Common-wealth and so have all his Subjects to be his slaves as all tyrannicall Kings have that so doe as in prevention in a foretelling way of such an evill in these latter dayes wise propheticall Solomon as a remedy against such an evill and to make knowne the lawfulnesse of a violent power against such sayes in a high and commanding language Pro. 25. 5. Take away such wicked Counsellors from before the King and his throne by new and stronger Covenants and better Counsellors shall be established in righteousnesse vers the 4. take away these drossie hearts from the Kings silver godly heart and there shall come forth a vessell for the finer who is the Lord to make thereof a vessell of honour for his own glory to doe his owne worke which is Revel 17. 5. And upon her forehead was written a name Mystery Babylon the Great the Mother of Harlots and abominations of the earth this mystery is ver 8. The beast which thou sawest was to ascend out of the bottomlesse pit and is not because shee shall goe into perdition ver 9. here is the minde that hath wisedome or the minde of Gods intentions who is the God of wisdome the seven heads are seven mountaines on which the woman or whore or Antichrist sitteth ver 12. and the ten hornes which thou sawest are ten Kings or Kingdomes ver 17. whom God hath stirred up or put in their hearts and as one man to agree ver 13. and have one minde ver 16. to hate the whore the Pope of Rome and Antichrist of the earth and shall make her desolate and naked to shew her filthinesse and shall eate her flesh and burne her with fire even the fire of Gods wrath that shee may never take roote to appeare againe or any more Chap. 13. 18. Here is wisdome from heaven let him that hath spirituall understanding count the number of the Beast or the time of her desolation which shall be fulfilled in the yeare of Christ 1666. in Christ Col. 2. 3. are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and therefore are revealed to none but such as are in Christ and so a mystery to others for it is the number of a man by computation of mans nature which is 66. or a Prince or the prime Prince of the ten Kingdomes his age shall agree with 1666. and make up that number being added to 1600 for 1600. having 66. added unto it makes up 1666. Charles the first now King of England Scotland and Ireland his age doth agree to make up and to fulfill this prophesie who is the King of Englands Lyon the King of Beasts of Scotlands Unicorne the chiefe soveraigne expeller of all poyson of Popery and of Irelands Dragon the chiefe of all poysoning fierce Serpents and now have cause to be the most fierce in this worke because the whore Antichrist hath sucked out Irelands bloud in abundance these three Kingdomes are three of the ten Kingdomes and his Majestie a treble or three comprised lawfull King is to be the Lord Christs chiefest instrument to the destruction of the great whore or Antichrist the Pope who unjustly usurpingly and unlawfully weares the treble Crowne Now this worke of the Lord to destroy Antichrist must be done by the members of Jesus Christ which formerly have been of Antichrist of whom Peter saith in his first Epistle Chap. 2. ver 10. In time past were not a people and without mercie because yee were of Antichrist but now are the people of God and have obtained mercie because yee have forsaken Antichrist and are now the members of Jesus Christ therefore as now all things stand the Parliament or representative body of the Land as by the Lords providence are lawfully called by the Kings Writs thereby laying aside his regall power and the Commons voyces wholly committing all things unto them have power lawfully according to Solomons tenent by if need require a violent force even from before or out of the Kings presence Pro. 25. 5. To take away these forenamed evill Counsellors from the King that his throne in righteousnesse may be established unto him and then as in the 4. ver the Lords refining worke of seperation by a thorow reformation in taking the Atheisticall and Papisticall drosse from the silver members of Iesus Christ quite out of these Dominions but as Paul saith 2 Thes 2. 3. 7 8 9 10. Let no man deceive you by any meanes for the mystery of iniquitie doth alreadie worke onely he who now letteth will let untill he be taken out of the way who are the Kings evill Counsellors Papists Atheists traytors and all such as is before mentioned therefore away with them and then shall that wicked one be revealed whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth even him the Pope Antichrist whose comming is after the working of Sathan devillish with all deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse in them that perish for want of the knowledge and love of the truth in Christ that they might be saved and when such wicked ones are taken from his Majestie then as Jethro Exod. 18. 21 22. Counselled Moses so doe yee his Majestie to provide out of all the people able men such as feare God men of truth hating covetousnesse making such Rulers and Iudges and State Counsellors as it is Deut. 16. 18 19. that thereby both King and people may all as one man goe on amaine in the Lords refining worke of Reformation in these three Kingdomes by turning out of them all Antichristian drosse that nothing of it may remaine ever any more to defile the silver truths doctrines or members of Iesus Christ who must be first reformed from errors and then be informed in the truths of Iesus Christ for without a true knowledge there can be no good obedient practice and then the Lords second worke of actuall destruction will goe on the better against that Beast Antichrist to the glory of God in their destruction the Iewes conversion and Gentiles further information and confirmation FINIS