the having and using any such Dominion Lordship and Titles among them or allowing and giving it unto others And the Apostles according to the command of Christ have disclaimed all such Lordly power and charged all Church-Officers to do the same nor could any Church Officers have and exercise such a Power till the Dragon gave his Seat Power and Authority to the Beast of which Power is not here meant and so I have no occasion in this business to treat of it but of the Powers or Governours of the Commonwealth of which the Apostle directly speaketh and so every of them that in any Age or Nation are in being that which is in being possest of the Power it is ordered of God he in his Wisdom and Goodness seeth and so ordereth it as that which for accomplishing his ends is fitted for us and his will and Ordinance is That we acknowledge his Wisdom Soveraignty and Goodness in submitting to live peaceably and obedently under the same And he that resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God whence every Soul even of Believers ought to be subject to the Power in being and so the Apostles Prophets Evangelists and Elders were and the Church with all her Officers are to be subject to the Principalities and Powers that are in being and so to obey Magistrates As for fleshly Objections under pretence of Spirit by some Believers that which is said of the lowest in Power being much rather to be heeded in respect of them that are higher in Power we have answer given to them in Scripture If any say 1 Pet. 2.18 Col. 3.22 1 Tim. 6.1 I am a Believer and made free by Christ a Son of God and he that sits in the Chair of Government is an unbeliever and so in bondage to Satan it is not meet for him to govern me or for me to be subject to him It is answered Gal. 5.13 Job 4.17 The Liberty given us is not for an occasion to the flesh and shall mortal man be more pure than his Maker it is God that in his Wisdom and for his Ends hath set him in place of Government and thee in place of Subjection it is therefore right for all his works are right and thou that hatest right art of all others most unfit to govern Job 34 12.13-17.19-23.42 32. Therefore if thou countest God that set him in place of Government wise righteous holy and good count him God hath set as Governour above thee worthy all that esteem honour reverence and submission that by Gods command is due to the Governour But if thou have not this to object and the folly in thy deceitful heart move thee to a contrary reply saying I am a Believer and he in place of Government is a Believer also we are both free in Christ and there is no difference of bond or free in Christ we partake of the same Grace and priviledges and hope we have one Father one elder Brother and we are Brethren why should one Brother rule over another He taketh too much upon him Thou art answered 1 Tim. 6.2 3,4 Eph. 6.5 Col. 3.22 Philem. 12.13,14,15,16 He ruleth not over thy Faith and Conscience but over thy Body and outward affairs and to help thy understanding a distinction is afforded thee between In the Lord and In the Flesh and after the Spirit and according to the Flesh that we may not confound Adam and Christ the natural Man and the spiritual Man the Commonwealth and Christ Nature and Grace in one and so if those Sons of Adam that be our Governours be also Believers if the Governours of the Commonwealth be Members of the Church if he that sits as Man in place of Government be also in the Faith and so a Brother then Believers are to esteem love submit and obey so much the more cheerfully and the more readily because they are faithful and beloved so that if Governours possest of the Power of Magistracy be Heathen or Infidels yet the Power of Magistracy they are possest of is of God and ordered by God If the Magistrates be Believers and so Christians and Brethren their Christanity annibilates their Magistracy no more then Grace destroyeth Nature or the Church the Commonwealth but helps for the good and profitable exercise thereof and so without any question asking for Conscience sake about our submission to Principalities and Powers and obeying Magistrates What Religion do they most affect how are they qualified or disposed how came they to be possest of the Power by Birth and Inheritance or by Election of the people or by Conquest If God in his providence hath ordered that Power and possest such of that Power we are to look at the ordering hand of God and knowing him to be good to believe him to do good and so whether he hath ordered them for mercy or chastisement yet to submit to and not to resist the Powers but in all their commands that we may do though to our own damage obey them In things before commanded by God obey them more readily and cheerfully if any of their commands be to deny or dis-obey God yet resist not the Power but refuse doing the Command and submit to suffer the punishment they will inflict and this with patience before the Lord that comes so to try us and so if we will not lesist but please God it behoves us all every man and specially Believers so to be subject to the Higher Powers as is fully and plainly declared and commanded in places alledged Rom. 13 1-7 Tit. 3.1,2 1 Pet. 2 13,14-17 And many Evidences Demonstrations Reasons and Motives might be given to move and press as hereunto but that Explication would be tedious as to say 1. Jer. 27.5,6,7,8 The undoubted Soveraignty Right and Authority of the Lord the earth being his and they that dwell in it he having made all and being the upholder of all having also bought all men to be in his dispose so as he may put them under what Governours he please and those that will not serve those under whose Government he puts them wo will be unto them 2. Deut. 2.5,9 19-23 Josh 12. Ezek. 29.19 As he hath Right Authority and Wisdom Power and Godness to use it so he doth rule for ever by his Power and hath according to his will given the several parts of the earth first to one then to another to possess and govern Dan. 2.37 2 Chron. 36.33 and given Kingdoms and Commonwealths according to his will as in Scripture we may read at large 3. Isa 3.4,5,6 19.11,13 Deut. 28 48. Judg. 17 6. 18.1 21.25 Heb 1.14 Jer. 3.15 Pro. 29.2 11.10,11 When he is so provoked by a people that in displeasure he will chastise them though for gracious ends then he will give children or fools to be their Princes or Rulers or their enemies to rule over them or which is the heaviest of all deprive them of having any