coming of Christ did ever bear the name of the Lords Anointed so much as in the type but onely those that were Kings and had rule over Gods own peculiar people Abrahams seed which teacheth us thus much That none are now the Lords Anointed but he onely he that is Lord and King over the house of Israel Abrahams seed which in Christ the Lord that was borne King of the Jews Mat. 22. whom God hath Anointed himself not with oyle-olive sweetly perfumed but with the oyle of gladness above his fellows Heb. 1.9 even with the Holy Spirit of wisdome and understanding and of Counsel and might and of knowledge and the fear of the Lord See Act. 10.30 with Isa. 11.2 5. he is the Lords Anointed to whom God hath given a name above every name and him hath God highly exalted and set him at the right hand of his Majesty on high far above all Principality and power and might and dominion and every name that is named not onely in this world but also in that which is to come Psa. 2.9 10 11. with Eph. 1.20 21 22. And to him hath God committed all power in Heaven and in Earth Mat. 28.10 to give commandments to the sons of men for whom he hath dyed Act. 3.22 23 24. and also to reward them that observe and do them with the things promised which is to partake of the same eternall life and glory with himself that the Father hath given him according to these Scriptures Psal. 103.17 18. Rom. 2.6 7. chap. 8.17.1 Pet. 1.3 4 Rev. 2.26.27 chap. 3.21 22 chap. 22.14 and to reward those that know him not and obey not his holy Gospel according to their works Rom. 2.8 9. To those that are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness he will render indignation and wrath tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil whether Jew or Gentile and will destroy them with an everlasting destruction from the presence of God and the glory of his power And this honour and glory he received from God the Father in the holy mount when Peter James John were eye-witnesses of his Majesty and that voyce they heard that came from the excellent glory saying This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased 2 Pet. 1.16 17 18. This is the Lords Anointed who is the onely King of Kings and Lord of Lords by whom Kings raigne and Princes decree Justice even all the Judges of the earth Counsel is his and sound wisdome he is understanding and he hath strength Prov. 8.14 15 16. he loves them that love him and those that seek him early shall find him But those his enemies that will not that he should Reigne over them shall be brought and slaine before him Luke 19.27 And thus have I shown and clearly proved by the Scriptures that Christ is the Lords anointed King onely and alone and none of the Kings of the Nations can have any right to such a title any otherways then the Saints and all that fear God in generall have which is by partaking of the same anointing Spirit through believing as it is written The anointing that ye have received of him abideth in you and you need not that any man teach you but as that anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth 1 John 2.27 And againe he saith We have an unction from the holy One vers. 20. and he that stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed us is God who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of his Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.21 22. and this anointing is as proper to a Begger as to a King if he be a believer and if a King be an unbeliever he hath no Right at all to it for there is no respect of persons with God but he hath chosen the poor in this world rich in faith and heirs of the Kingdome prepared for them that love him James 2.5 And he hath revealed his Truth to Babes and Sucklings and hid it from the wise and prudent Insomuch that Paul saith that none of the Princes of this world knew it For had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory 1 Cor. 2.7 8. Therefore saith James 1.9 10. Let the Brother of low degree rejoyce in that he is exalted but the Rich in that he is made low For God will raise them both up to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Eph. 2.6 And he will make them partakers of his fulness and members of his Body of his flesh and of his Bones Chap. 5.30 Therefore let the Kings Princes and Rulers of the Nations be wise and learn to know what the Lord meaneth when he faith Touch not mine Anointed and do my Prophets no harm For he that once reproved Kings for their sakes and slew great and Famous ones for them Psal. 105.14.15 with 136.17 18. is now about to reprove all the Kings upon the face of the Earth for their sakes as I shall now make it appear by shewing Gods dedesigne against them in these last days And first The designe of God and his purpose is in this last age of the world to staine the pride of all their Glory and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the Earth Isa. 23.9 and to pour contempt upon Princes and to cause them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way and to set the poor on high from affliction and to make him families like a flock Psa. 107.40 41. Again the purpose of the Lord is to sacrifice the flesh of Kings and mighty men and the Chiefe of the Earth and to give their flesh to be meat to the fowls of Heaven Rev. 19.17 18. with Ezek. 19.17 18. where he saith They shall eat the flesh of the mighty and dâ—ink the blood of the Princes of the earth Now if the Lord will do these things to the great and mighty Kings and Princes of the earth who then can give them honour and deliver them in the day of his wrath And that the Lord will do it consider further what is written Jer. 25.31 32. A noise shall come from the ends of the Earth for the Lord hath a controversie with the Nations he will plead with all flesh he will give them that are wicked to the sword Thus saith the Lord of hosts Behold evil shall go forth from Nation to Nation This the Lord will do untill he have stained the pride of all their glory viz. untill he have taken away their Kings wherein they glory and of whom they so much boast That this is so consider the fore-going words They shall eat the flesh of Kings and Princes and mighty men and chief Captaines and of all that stand up with them against the Lord And for further confirmation of these words consider what is written Ier. 25.15 Thus saith the Lord of hosts the God of Israel to me Take the wine-cup of this fury
NO KING But JESUS OR The walls of Tyrannie razed AND The foundation of unjust Monarchy discovered to the view of all that desire to see it Wherein is undeniably proved That no King is now the Lords Anointed but JESUS And the designe of God now upon the face of the earth is briefly laid open And the Rulers of the Nation with their present Power and Authority plainly proved to be of God and therefore ought to be honoured and obeyed by all men living under them Being considered in the following Particulars By Henry Haggar a servant of Christ and of the Commonwealth of England sometimes belonging to the Garison of Stafford Wo to the Crown of pride For the Lord of hosts hath purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth Isai. 28.1 with 23.9 And behold a King shall reign in righteousness and princes shall rule in judgement Isa. 32.1 London Printed for Giles Calvert at the signe of the black Spread-Eagle at the west-end of Pauls 1652. To the READER Courteous Reader WHosoever thou art that lovest either peace or happiness here or hereafter To thee in all love I commend these ensuing lines with an earnest desire that thou mayst profit by them And to that end let me intreat thee to read and consider them impartially trie and measure them by that true Touch-stone and infallible Rule which is the Word of God ask him for wisdom to discern between things which differ and the Lord give thee understanding in all things The mark I chiefly aim at is to unfold the fraud and deceit of the man of sin and to lay open that mystery of iniquity in which he worketh by his instruments with all deceivableness of unrighteousness to deceive the hearts of the simple and to shew what Rights and Titles he doth falsly claim in these evil days and how grosly men mistake in giving him what is proper to God both in Church and Commonwealth I know thou canst not be ignorant of the great Change that God hath wrought in this nation in a few yeers for which cause many men do gnaw their tongues for anger and are ready to blaspheme the God of heaven being not afraid to speak evil of dignities and powers which are set up and established by God who pulleth down one and setteth up another whom he pleaseth And for want of knowledge in these things men perish as in the gainsaying of Korah being found fighters against God and are brought into the pit of destruction unawares to the ruine of body soul and goods Which things having been by me considered in some measure according to the understanding the Lord hath given me I finde my self in conscience bound and by love and pity constrained to speak what I know and am sure of to others having learnt it chiefly out of the Scriptures and somewhat by considering the times and the conditions of men in these days of danger and peril in which so many make shipwrack of faith and a good conscience I therefore am bold to present these lines to the view both of friends and enemies by which I shall discharge my duty towards God and man in some good measure and shall be at peace in my self when I know I have not hid my talent in a napkin nor kept back any thing that might be profitable to my country-men acquaintance amongst whom I live But it may be some will say that it is too weighty a piece of work for me to meddle with I should have left it to some wise and learned men that are better able to distinguish between things which differ To which I answer What I have done well was not too hard for me to do Secondly it hinders none of the wise and prudent of the nation that fear God from doing more Thirdly these are the days in which God is pleased to chuse and make use of foolish and weak instruments in the worlds account to confound the wisdom of the wise and to bring down the strength of the mighty and to bring to nought the understanding of the prudent and if God make choice let Men take heed how they refuse Therefore courteous Reader let not the weakness of the instrument cause thee to slight any thing that may be profitable but what is agreeable to truth and sound Reason receive in love and what is contrary reject And thus with my unfeigned love to all that wish themselves happiness I rest being ready to serve them in all things lawful and convenient to the utmost of my power Henry Haggar The EPISTLE To the SAINTS in the order of the Gospel with all that truly fear God Grace Mercy and Peace be multiplyed to you through the knowledge of God and our Lord and Savlour Jesus Christ Dearly Beloved SEeing it is the portion of the Saints and children of God living in this generation especially in this our Nation of England to partake of such great mercies from God our Father and from our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as to live under such Rulers and that the Lord hath set over us such in Authority as are for the praise of them that do well and for the punishment of evil doers so that under them we may live a quiet life in all godliness and honesty It is therefore expedient that we and all that truly fear God should labour to walk worthy of these mercies and to shâ—w forth our thankfulness by our obedience both tawards God and those men whom he hath set over us that so the Lord may still delight in us and rejoyce over us to do us good and to bless us with all manner of blessings both spiritual and temporal that we being thus delivered from all our enemies may serve him that hath wrought this great deliverance for us without fear in holiness and righteousness all our days walking as his children blameless and harmless without rebuke in the midst of a crocked and perverse Nation shining as lights in the world holding forth the pure word of life Therefore I exhort you and every of you professing godliness in sincerity in the Name of our Lord Iesus Christ and by the mercies that we have received from him and by him from God our Father that we may with all diligence labour and exercise our selves as our beloved brother Paul hath given us an example Act. 24.15 16. to have always Consciences void of offence both towards God and towards man And for as much as we believe with him the resurrection of the just and unjust and the eternal judgement that shall be at the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Iesus christ Seeing we look for such things let us consider what manner of persons we ought to be in all holy conversation and godliness looking for and making hast unto the coming of the day of God knowing that we which patiently continue in well doing shall then receive the reward of righteousness which
have done the same to Charles deceased which their fore-fathers did to King Ahab in stirring of him up to war against his subjects especially against those that most feared God and so have brought him to destruction And these are still at this present time deluding his ignorant son calling of him Charles the second having his person in admiration because of advantage as Jude saith v. 16. and by this means they stir up him and his poor deceived supposed subjects to war against the Powers of this Nation of England so wonderfully set up and established by God himself and powerfully preserved and defended by his immediate hand against all enemies whatsoever which all that have but eyes open may easily see and yet these Seers are so blinde that they cannot see the hand of the Lord lifted up against them and that Kingly power as they call it which hath always joyned with them being deceived by them to persecute the Saints and children of God of whom God is now taking vengeance yet they are still leading their King whom they have chosen and his subjects whom they have deceived into the pit of destruction without remedy they themselves being certain to fall with them for if the blinde lead the blinde they shall both fall into the ditch Matth. 15.14 Therefore let the honourable Parliament of England beware of them let the noble and valiant Army take heed of them and watch them as the worst enemies they have For what Satan and his instruments cannot do by tyranny and strength that they will accomplish by treachery and deceit if possible Therefore let the Commonwealth of England in general with all the noble Governours and Officers and honest plain-hearted Country-men learn to watch them with a single eye lest they seduce you and cause you to divide and so bring you to destruction before you are aware Therefore dear Country-men take heed of being deluded by them again to war and bloodshed lest you provoke the Lord to anger and so the whole Nation be drowned in blood without remedy for then they that now complain of some Taxes necessitated by these present troubles stirred up first by them will have cause to complain for want of bread to eat and cloathes to put on Therefore having food and raiment let us be therewith content and serve the Lord our God with gladness and joyfulness of heart for the abundance of all things lest he give us up to serve our enemies which he shall send against us in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things and he put a yoke of iron upon our necks until he have destroyed us See Deut. 28.47 48. Thus have I in some measure discovered who are the instrumental causes of our unhappiness I shall proceed to the third particular viz. Whence the original of Monarchy did spring And in the clearing of that I shall not make use of the worst of people viz. the Nations of the world for they were enemies to God and given up to work all manner of wickedness with greediness although they had Kings as appeareth by their adulteries abusing themselves with mankinde and with beasts and causing of their children to pass thorow the fire to Molech allowed of by their Kings like the wicked Rulers of Sodom Levit. 18.19 20 21 22 23 24. and God in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways Act. 14 16. therefore they are no example for us to walk by But we shall look into the ways of the children of Israel God's peculiar people for I know that the people of England in general would gladly be counted the people of God and would be offended if we should deny them the name of Christians We shall therefore consider how there came to be a King in Israel at first over the people of God Whether it was by the commandment of God and so according to his pure minde or whether it did not spring from a corrupt principle in the people and was the pride and wickedness of their hearts and not the least but the greatest of all the sins they committed to chuse any other King to rule over them but God onely For the clearing of which I shall examine these following Scriptures 1 Sam. 8.4 5 6 7 8 9. we read that all the elders of Israel gathared themselves together and came to Samuel and said Behold thou art old and thy sons walk not in thy ways now make us a king to judge us like all the nations Here we see the pride and wickedness of their hearts in that they would have a King to judge them like all other nations whom God had given up to walk in their own ways and according to the lust of their own hearts Therefore observe what followed first it displeased Samuel the Prophet of the Lord secondly he prayed to the Lord and sought him about it thirdly the Lord answered saying Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they have said unto thee for they have not rejected thee but they have rejected me that I should not raign over them according to all the works which they have done since they came out of Egypt even to this day wherewith they have forsaken me and served other gods so do they also unto thee Now therefore hearken to their voice howbeit yet protest solemnly unto them and shew them the manner of the king that shall reign over them Thus we see that though they pretended good in it namely that it was because Samuel's sons were wicked yet the Lord was angry with them and said that they rejected him in so doing notwithstanding he gave them their desire which was a King but it was in his anger and he took him away again in his wrath See Hos. 13.11 Again when Samuel had declared the manner of their King and told them that they should cry out in that day because of their King which they had chosen but the Lord would not hear them yet still they refused to obey the voice of Samuel and said Nay but we will have a king over us to judge us and go out before us and fight our battels that we may be like all the nations So Samuel rehearsed all these words again in the cars of the Lord by which he was provoked and said in his anger Give them a King And here 's the beginning of Kings amongst the people of God And thus have I shewed plainly that it was not at all of God but contrary to his holy will that any should have the name of a King over his people but himself and it did arise from the pride and corruption of the people as further appeareth in these words And Samuel called the children of Israel together unto the Lord to Mizâ—eh and said Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I brought up Israel out of Egypt and delivered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hands of all kingdoms and