Lex Rex, Question 5
QUEST. V. Whether or no P. P. the Author of Sac. San. Regum Majestas, called the sacred and Royall Prerogative of Kings, proveth that God is the immediate Author of Soveraignty, and that the King is no creature of the peoples making?
COnsider first that the excommunicated Prelate saith, cap. 2. p. 19. Kings are not immediatly from God, as by any speciall Ordinance sent from Heaven by the ministery of Angels and Prophets, there were but some few such; as Moses, Saul, David, &c. yet something may immediatly proceed from God, and be his speciall worke without a revelation or manifestation extraordinary from Heaven, so the designation to a sacred function is from the Church, and from man; yet the power of Word, Sacraments binding and loosing, is immediatly from Jesus Christ. The Apostle Matthias was from Christs immediate constitution, and yet he was designed by men, Act. 1. The soule is by creation and infusion, without any speciall ordinance from Heaven, though nature begeteth the body, and disposeth the matter, and prepareth it as fit to be conjoyned with the soule, so as the father is said to beget the sonne. Ans. 1. The unchurched Prelate striveth to make us hatefull by the title of the Chapter, That God is (by his title) the immediate Author of Soveraingty; and who denyeth that? Not those, who teach that the person who is King, is created King by the people, no more then those who deny that men are now called to be Pastors, and Deaco…s immediately,Kings elected & made by the people, though the Office in the …bst…act be imme…i…tely of God. and by a voice from Heaven, or by the ministery of Angells and Prophets, because the Office of Pastors and Deacons is immediately from God. 2. When he hath proved that God is the immediate Author of Soveraingty. What then? shall it follow that the soveraigne in concreto may not be resisted? and that he is above all Law; and that there is no armour against his violence but prayers and teares. So God is the immediate Author of the Pastors, of the Apostles Office, ergo, it is unlawfull to resist a Pastor, though he turne robber? ergo, the Pastor is above all the Kings Lawes? this is the Iesuite and all made, ergo, there is no Armour against the robbing Prelate but prayer and teares. 2. He saith in his Title, that the King is no Creature of the peoples making. If he meane the King in abstracto, that is, the royall dignity, whom speaketh he against? Not against us, but against his owne father Bellarmine, who saith (a)Bellarmine l. 5. c. 6. not 5. De Laicis.that Soveraignty hath no warrant by any divine Law. If he meane that the man who is King is not created and elected King by the people, he contradicteth himself and all the Court Doctors. 3. It is false that Saul and David, their originall of Royalty was onelyonly from God by a speciall Ordinance sent from Heaven; for their office is, Deut. 17.14. from the written Word of God, as the killing of Idolaters, v. 3, 7. as the Office of the Priests and Levites, 8, 9, 10. and this is no extraordinary Ordinance from Heaven, more than that is from Heaven which is warranted by the Word of God. If he meane that these men, Saul, and David, were created Kings by the onelyonly extraordinary revelation of God from Heaven, it is a lye; for beside the Propheticall anoynting of them, they were made Kings by the people, as the word saith expresly; except we say that David sinned in not setting himselfe downe on the Throne, when Samuel anoynted him first King; and so he should have made away his Master King Saul out of the world; and there were not a few called to the Throne, by the people; but many, yea all the Kings of Israel and Iudah. 4. The Prelate contendeth that a King is designed to his royall dignity, immediatly from God, without an extraordinary revelation from Heaven, as the man is designed to be a Pastor by men; and yet the power of Preaching is immediatly from God, &c. but he proveth nothing, except he prove that all Pastors are called to be Pastors immediatly; and that God calleth and designeth to the Throne such a person immediatly, as he hath immediatly instituted by the power of Preaching, and the Apostleship, and hath immediatly infused the soule in the body, by an act of Creation; and we cannot conceive how God in our daies, when there are no extraordinary revelations, doth immediatly create this man a King, and immediatly tie the crown to this family rather then to this; this he doth by the people now, without any Propheticall Vnction; and by this medium, to wit, by the free choice of the people. He needeth not bring the example of Matthias more than of any ordinary Pastor, and yet an ordinary Pastor is not immediatly called of God, because the Office of an ordinary Pastor is from God immediatly, and also the man is made Pastor by the Church.
Sacro. Sa. reg. Ma. 5.2. pag. 20.21, 22, 23.The P. Prelate saith, a thing is immediatly from God three waies. 1. When it is solely from God, and presupposeth nothing ordinary or humane, antecedent to the obteyning of it. Such was the power of Moses, Saul, David. Such were the Apostles. 2. When the collation of the power to such a person is immediatly from God, though some act of man be antecedent; as Matthias was an Apostle. A baptized man obtaineth remission and regeneration, yet aspersion of water cannot produce these excellent effects. A King giveth power to a favourite to make a Lord or a Baron, yet who is so stupid as to averre the honour of a Lord commeth immediatly from the favourite, and not from the King. 3. When a man hath by some ordinary humane right, a full and just right, and the approbation and confirmation of this right is immediatly from God.
The first way, Soveraignty is not from God. The second way, Soveraignty is conferred on Kings immediatly, though some created act of Election, succession, conquests intervene, the interposed act containeth not in it power to conferre Soveraignty; as in Baptisme, Regeneration, if there be nothing repugnant in the suscipient, is conferred, not by water, but immediatly by God. In sacred Orders designation is from men, power to supernaturall acts from God: election, succession, conquests remotely and improperly constitute a King. To say in the third sence that soveraignty is immediatly from God, by approbation or confirmation onelyonly, is against Scripture, Prov. 8.15. Psa. 82.8. Ioh. 19. then the people say; you are Gods, your power is from below. And Pauls, (ordained of God) is (approved and confirmed onelyonly of God) the power of designation, or application of the person to royalty is from man; the power of conferring royall power, or of applying the person to royall power is from God. A mans hand may apply a faggot to the fire, the fire onelyonly maketh the faggot to burne.
Ans. 1. Apostles both according to their Office, and the designation of their person to the Office w…re immediatly and onelyonly from God, without any act of the people, and therefore are badly coupled with the royall power of David and King Saul, who were not formally made Kings, but by the people at Mizpeh and Hebron, 2. The second way God giveth Royall Power by moving the peoples hearts to confer royall power, and this is virtually in the people, formally from God. Water hath no influence to produce grace, Gods institution and promise doth it; except you dream with your Iesuites, of opus operatum, that water sprinkled, by the doing of the deed conferreth grace, nisi ponatur obex, what can the child doe, or one child more then another baptized child, to hinder the flux of remission of sins, if you meane not that Baptisme worketh as Physick on a sick man, except strength of humours hinder? and therefore this comparison is not alike. The people cannot produce so noble an effect as royalty, a beame of God. True, formally they cannot, but virtually it is in a society of reasonable men, in whom are left beames of authoritative Majesty, which by a divine institution they can give, Deut. 17.14. to this man, to David, not to Eliab; and I could well say the Favorite made the Lord, and placed honour in the man whom he made Lord, by a borrowed power from his Prince; and yet the honour of a Lord is principally from the King. 3. It is true, the election of the people conteineth not formally Royall dignitie, but the Word saith, they made Saul, they made David King: so virtually election must conteine it. Samuels oyle maketh not David King, he is a subject after he is anointed; the peoples election at Hebron maketh him King; 2. differenceth him from his brethren; 3. putteth him in Royall state; yet God is the principall agent. What immediate action God hath here, is said and dreamed of, no man can divine, except Prophet P. Prelate. The foreign Royall authoritie is given organically by that act by which he is made King: another act is a night-dreame, but by the act of election David is made of no King, a King. The collation of foreign Royall gifts, is immediately from God: but that formally maketh not a King, if Solomon saw right, servants riding on horses, Princes going on foot. 4. Judge of the Prelates subtiltie, I dare say, not his own,The people have a reall action more then approbation in making a King. he stealeth from Spalato, but telleth not, The applying of the person to Royall authoritie, is from the people; but the applying of Royall authoritie to the person of the King, is immediately and only from God: as the hand putteth the faggot to the fire, but the fire maketh it burne. To apply the subject to the accident, is it any thing else but to apply the accident to the subject? Royall authoritie is an accident, the person of the King the subject: the applying of the faggot to the fire, and the applying of the fire to the faggot, are all one, to any not forsaken of common sense. When the people applyeth the person to the royall authoritie, they but put the person in the state of royall authoritie; and this is to make an union betwixt the Man and royall authoritie; and this is to apply royall authoritie to the person. 5. The third sense is the Prelates dreame, not a Tene… of ours; we never said that soveraigntie in the King is immediately from God by approbation or confirmation only, as if the people first made the King, and God did only by a posterior and latter act say Amen to the deed done, and subscribe, as Recorder, to what the people doth: so the people should deale kingdomes and crownes at their pleasure, and God behoved to ratifie and make good their fact. When God doth apply the person to royall power, what? is this a different action from the peoples applying the person to royall dignitie? It is not imaginable: but the people by creating a king, applyeth the person to royall dignitie; and God by the peoples act of constituting the man king, doth by the mediation of this act convey royall authoritie to the man, as the Church by sending a man, and ordaining him to bee a Pastor, doth not by that, as Gods instruments, infuse supernaturall powers of preaching: these powers supernaturall may be, and often are in him before he be in orders; and sometimes God infuseth a supernaturall power of government in a man, when he is not yet a king, as the Lord turned Saul into another man, 1 Sam. 10.5.6. neither at that point of time when Samuel anointed him, but after that, v. 5. After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, 6. the spirit of the Lord shall come upon thee, and thou shalt prophecie with them, and shalt be turned into another man. Nor yet at that time when he is formally made King by the people; for Saul was not King formally, because of Samuels anointing, nor yet was he King because another spirit was infused into him, v. 5, 6. for he was yet a privat man, till the States of Israel chose him King at Mizpeh. And the word of God useth words of action to expresse the peoples power, Iudg. 9.6. And all the men of Sechem gathered together, and all the men of Millo, foreign regnare fecerunt, The same word that is ascribed to the people in making a King, 2 Sam. 16.18. is given to God, 1 King. 12.28.they caused him to be King. The same is said, 1 Sam. 10.15. they caused Saul to reigne, 2 K. 10.5. foreign We shall not King any man, 1 Chron. 12.38. They came to Hebron foreign to King David over all Israel, Deut. 17. three times the making of a King is given to the people. 7. When thou shalt say, foreign I shall set a King over me: if it were not their power to make a King, no law could be imposed on them not to make a stranger their King, 1 King. 12.20. all the congregation Kinged Jeroboam, Kinging of a person ascribed to the people.or made him King over all Israel, 2 King. 11.12. They Kinged Joash, or made Ioash to reigne. 6. The people are to say, You are Gods, and your power is below, saith the Prelate: what then? ergo, their power is not from God also: It followeth not, subordinata non pugnant. The Scripture saith both, the Lord exalted David to be King, and, All power is from God: and so the power of a L. Major of a Citie:Kings in a speciall manner from God, but it followeth not, ergo, not from the people. and the people made David King also, and the Citie maketh such a man L. Major. It is the Anabaptists argument; God writeth his law in our heart, and teacheth his own children, ergo, bookes, and the ministerie of men are needlesse: So all Sciences and lawfull arts are from God: ergo, Sciences applied to men, are not from mens free will, industrie and studies. The Prelate extolleth the King, when he will have his Royaltie from God, the way that John Stiles is the husband of such a woman.
P. Prelate. Kings are of God, they are Gods, Ib. c 24.children of the most High, his servants▪ publike Ministers, their sword and judgement Gods. This he hath said of their royaltie in abstracto, and in concreto; their power, person, charge, are all of divine extract, and so their authoritie and person are both sacred and inviolable. Answ. So are all the congregation of the Iudges, Psal. 82. v. 1.6. all of them Gods: for he speaketh not there of a congregation of Kings. So are Apostles, their office and persons of God;Kings are from God, yet from the people also. and so the Prelates (they thinke) the successors of the Apostles, are Gods servants, their ministerie, word, rod of discipline not theirs, but of God: the judgement of Iudges, inferiour to the King, is the Lords judgement, not mens, Deut. 1.17. 2. Chro. 19.6. Hence by the Prelates Logick, the persons of Prelates, Majors, Bailiffes, Constables, Pastors, are sacred and inviolable above all lawes, as are Kings. Is this an extolling of Kings? 2. But where are Kings persons, as men, said to be of God, as the Royaltie in abstracto i… ? The Prelate seeth beside his booke, Psal. …2.7. But ye shall die as men.
P. Prelate. We begin with the Law, in which as God by himself prescribed the essentialls, substantialls, & ceremonies of his pietie & worship, gave order for justice & pietie, Deut. 17.14.15. the King is here originally & immediately from God, and independent from all others, (set over them) Them, is collective, that is, all & every one. Scripture knoweth not this State principle; Rex est singulis major, universis minor. The person is expressed in concreto, Whom the Lord thy God shall choose. This peremptorie precept dischargeth the people, all, and every one, diffusively, representatively, or in any imaginable capacity to attempt the appointing of a King, but to leave it entirely and totally to God Almighty.
Answ. Begin with the Law, but end not with Traditions. If God by himselfe prescribed the essentialls of pietie and worship, the other part of your distinction is, that God not by himself, but by his Prelates, appointed the whole Romish Rites, as accidentalls of pietie. This is the Iesuites doctrine. 2. This place is so far from proving the King to be independent, and that it totally is Gods to appoint a King, that it expresly giveth the people power to appoint a King: for the setting of a King over themselves, such a one, and not such a one, makes the people to appoint the King, and the King to be lesse and dependent on the people, seeing God intendeth the King for the peoples good, and not the people for the Kings good. This text shameth the Prelate, who also confessed, P. 22. That remotely and unproperly succession, election, and conquest maketh the King, and so its lawfull for men remotely and improperly to invade Gods chaire.
P. Prelate: Jesuites and Puritans say, it was a priviledge of the Jews that God chose their King. So Suarez, Soto, Navarra.
Answ. 1. The Jesuites are the Prelates brethren, they are under one Banner, we are in contrary Camps to Iesuites. 2. The Prelate said himself, Pag. 19. Moses, Saul, and David, were by extraordinary revelation from God; sure I am, Kings are not so now. The Jews had this priviledge, that no nation had. 1. God named some Kings to them, as Saul, David, he doth not so now. 2. God did tie Royaltie to Davids house by a Covenant, till Christ should come, he doth not so now. Yet we stand to Deut. 17.
The place, Prov. 8.15. proveth not but Kings are made by the people.P. Prelate. Prov. 8.15. By me Kings reign. If the people had right to constitute a King, it had not been King Solomon, but King Adonijah. Solomon saith not of himself, but indefinitely. (By me) as by the Author, efficient, and constituent, Kings reign. (Per) is by Christ, not by the people, not by the high Priest, State, or Presbytery, not Per me iratum, by me in my anger, as some Sectaries say. Pauls foreign, an Ordinance by high Authoritie not revocable: So Sinesius useth the word, Aristotle, Lucilius, Appian, Plutarch, foreign in me, and by me, as Doctor Andrews. Kings indefinitely, all Kings: none may distinguish where the Law distinguisheth not, they reign in concreto: that same power that maketh Kings, must unmake them.
Ans. 1. The Prelate cannot restrict this to Kings only, it extendeth to Parliaments also. Solomon addeth foreign and Consules, foreign all the Sirs, and Princes foreign and Magnificents, and Nobles, and more foreign and all the Iudges of the earth, they reign, rule, and decree j…stice by Christ. Here then Majors, Sheriffs, Provosts, Constables, are by the Prelate extolled as persons, sacred, irresistible: Then, 1. the Iudges of England rule not by the King of Britain, as their Author, efficient, constituent, but by Iesus Christ immediately, nor doth the Commissary rule by the Prelate. 2. All these, and their power, and persons, rule independently, and immediately by Iesus Christ. 3. All inferiour Iudges are foreign, the Ordinances of God not revocable. Ergo, The King cannot deprive any Iudge under him; he cannot declare the Parliament no Parliament; once a Iudge and alwayes, and irrevocably a judge. This Prelates poor pleading for Kings deserves no wages. Lavater intelligit superiores & inferiores Magistratus, non est potestas nisi a deo, Vatablus consiliarios. 2. If the people had absolute right, to choose Kings by the Law of Israel, they might have chosen another, then either Adonijah, or Solomon, but the Lord expressely, Deut. 17.14. put an expresse Law on them, that they should make no King, but him whom the Lord should chuse: Now the Lord did either by his immediately inspired Prophet, anoint the man, as he anointed David, Saul, Iehu, &c. or then he restricted, by a revealed promise, the Royall power to a family, and to the eldest by birth: and therefore the Lord first chose the man, and then the people made him King: birth was not their rule, as is clear, in that they made Solomon their King, not Adonijah the elder; and this proveth, that God did both ordain Kingly Government to the Kingdom of Israel, and chose the man, either in his person, or tied it to the first born of the Line. Now we have no Scripture, nor Law of God, to tie Royall dignitie to one man, or to one family; produce a warrant for it in the Word, for that must be a priviledge of the Iews, for which we have no Word of God, but we have no immediately inspired Samuels, to say, Make David, or this man King; and no Word of God to say, Let the first born of this family, rather then another family sit upon the throne; Therefore the people must make such a man King, following the rule of Gods Word, Deut. 17.14. and other rules shewing what sort of men Iudges must be, as Deut. 1.16, 17, 18. 2 Chro. 19.6, 7. 3. It is true, Kings in a speciall manner reign by Christ. Ergo, Not by the peoples free election. The P. Prelate argueth like himself: By this Text, a Major of a Citie, by the Lord, decreeth justice: Ergo, He is not made a Major of the Citie, by the people of the Citie. It followeth not, 4. None of us teach that Kings reign by Gods anger. We judge a King a great mercy of God to Church, or State: But the Text saith not, By the Lord, Kings and Iudges do not onelyonly reign and decree justice, but also murther Protestants, by raising against them an Army of Papists. And the word, 5. foreign, Powers, doth in no Greek Author signifie, irrevocable powers; for Vzziah was a lawfull King, and yet 2 Chron. 26. lawfully put from the throne, and cut off from the house of the Lord: And Interpreters on this place, deny that the place is to be understood of Tyrants: so the Chaldee Paraphrase turns it well, Potentes virga justitiae: so Lavater, and Di… datus, Thom. 12. q. 93. art. 3.and Thomas saith, this place doth prove, That all Kings, and Iudges, Laws, derivari a lege aeterna, are derived from the eternall Law. The Prelate eating his tongue for anger, striveth to prove, That all power, and so Royall power, is of God: but what can he make of it? we beleeve it, though he say Sectaries prove, by foreign, That a man is justified by faith onelyonly: so there is no power but of God onelyonly:Pag. 30. but feel the smell of a Iesuite; it is the Sectaries doctrine. That we are justified by faith onelyonly; but the Prelates, and the Iesuites goe another way, not by faith onelyonly, but by works also. And all power is from God onelyonly, as the first Author, and from no man. What then? Therefore men and people interpose no humane act in making this man a King, and not this man: It followeth, And let us with the Prelate, joyn Paul and Solomon together, and say, That Soveraigntie is from God, of God, by God, as Gods appointment irrevocable. Then shall it never follow: it is unseparable from the person, except you make the King a man immortall: as God onelyonly can remove the Crown; it is true, but God onelyonly can put an unworthy, and an excommunicated Prelate from Office and Benefice, but how? Doth that prove, that men and the Church may not also in their place, remove an unworthy Churchman, when the Church following Gods Word, delivereth to Satan? Christ onelyonly as head of the Church, excommunicateth scandalous men: Ergo, The Church cannot do it, and yet the Argument is as good the one way, as the other; for all the Churches on earth cannot make a Minister properly, they but design him to the Ministery whom God hath gifted and called: But shall we conclude, ergo, no Church on earth; but God onelyonly, by an immediate action from Heaven, can deprive a Minister? how then durst Prelates excommunicate, unmake, and imprison so many Ministers in the three Kingdoms: But the truth is, take this one Argument from the Prelate, and all that is in his Book, falleth to the ground, to wit, Soveraigntie is from God onelyonly. A King is a creature of Gods making onelyonly; and what then? Ergo, Soveraigntie cannot be taken from him: So God onelyonly made Aarons house Priests. 2. Solomon had no Law to depose Abiathar from the Priest-hood. Possibly the Prelate will grant all; the place, Rom. 13. which he saith hath tortured us, I refer to a fitter place, it will be found to torture Court Parasites.
I goe on with the Prelate, c. 3. Sacred Soveraignty is to be preserved, and Kings are to be prayed for, that we may lead a godly life, 1 Tim. 3. What then? 1. All in authority are to be prayed for, even Parliaments, by that text Pastors are to be prayed for, and without them sound religion cannot well subsist. 2. Is this questioned, but Kings should be prayed for; or are we wanting in this duty? but it followeth not that all dignities to be prayed for are immediatly from God, not from men. Prelate, Prov. 8. Solomon speaketh first of the establishment of Government, before he speake of the workes of Creation, ergo better not be at all, as be without government. And God fixed government in the person of Adam before Evah, or any else came into the world; and how shall government be, and we enjoy the fruits of it, except we preserve the Kings sacred Authority inviolable? Ans. Moses, Gen. 1. speaketh of Creation before he speaketh of Kings, and Moses speaketh, Gen. 3. of Adams sins before he speakes of redemption through the blessed seed; ergo better never be redeemed at all, as to to be without sin. 2. If God made Adam a governour before he made Evah, and any of Mankind, he was made a father and a husband before he had either sonne or wife. Is this the Prelates Logick? he may prove that two eggs on his fathers Table are three this way. 3. There is no government where soveraignty is not kept inviolable. It is true, where there is a King, soveraignty must be inviolable, What then? Arbitrary government is not soveraignty. 4. He intimateth Aristocracy, and Democracy, and the power of Parliaments, which maketh Kings to be nothing but Anarchie; for he speaketh here of no government, but Monarchy, P. Prelate, there is need of grace to obey the King, Ps. 18.43. Ps. 144.2. It is God who subdueth the people under David. 2. Rebellion against the King is rebellion against God. Pet. 2.17. Prov, 24.12. Ergo Kings have a neare alliance with God.
Ans. 1. There is much grace in Papists and Prelates then, who use to write and Preach against grace. 2. Lorinus your brother Iesuite will with good warrant of the texts inferre, that the King may make a conquest of his own Kingdomes of Scotland and England by the sword, as David subdued the Heathen. 3. Arbitrary governing hath no alliance with God; a rebell to God, his Country and an Apostate hath no reason to terme lawfull defence against …ut-throat Irish, rebellion. 4. There is need of much grace to obey Pastors, inferiour Iudges, masters, Col. 3.22, 23. ergo their power is from God immediatly, and no more from men then the King is created King by the people, according to the way of Royalists.
P. Prelate. God saith of Pharaoh, Exo. 9.7. I have raised thee up. Elisha from God constituted the King of Syria, 2 King 8.13. Pharaoh, Abimelech, Hiram, Hazael, Hadad, are no lesse honoured with the compellation of Kings, then David, Saul, &c. Ier. 29.9. Nebuchadnezer is honoured to be called by way of excellency Gods servant, which God giveth to David, a King according to his owne heart; and Esay 45.1, 2. Thus saith the Lord to his anoynted Cyrus, and God nameth him neere a hundreth yeare before he was borne, Esay 44.28. He is my shepheard, Daniel 2.19, 20.17.24. God giveth Kingdomes to whom he will, Dan. 5.8. and p. 37. Empires, Kingdomes, Royalties are not disposed of by the composed contracts of men, but by the immediate hand and worke of God, Hos. 13.11. I gave them a King in my anger, I tooke him away in my wrath: Iob, He places Kings in the throne, &c.
Ans. Here is a whole Chapter of seven pages for one raw argument ten times before repeated, 1. to Exod. 9.7. I have raised up Pharaoh, Paul expoundeth it, Rom. 9▪ to prove that King Pharaoh was a vessell of wrath fitted for destruction, by Gods absolute Will; and the Prelate following Arminius, with treasonable charity, applyeth this to our King. Can this man pray for the King? 2. Elisha anoynted but constituted not Hazael King, and foretold he should be King; and if he be a King of Gods making, who slew his sicke Prince, and invaded the Throne by innocent bloud, judge you. I would not take Kings of the Prelates making. 3. If God give to Nebuchadnezer the same still of the servant of God, given to David, Ps. 18.1. & 116.16. and to Moses, Ios. 1, 2. all Kings, because Kings are men according to Gods heart. Why is not royalty then founded on grace? Nebuchadnezer was not otherwise his servant, then he was the hammer of the earth, and a tyrannous conquerour of the Lords people, and all the Heathen Kings are called Kings. But how came they to their Thrones for the most part? as David and Hezekiah? but God anointed them not by his Prophets; they came to their Kingdomes by the peoples election, or by blood and rapine; the latter way is no ground to you to deny Athaliah to be a lawfull Princesse, she and Abim…lech were lawfull Princes, and their soveraignty as immediatly and independently from God, as the soveraignty of many heathen Kings. See then how justly Athaliah was killed as a bloody usurper of the throne; & this would licence your brethren the Iesuites to stab heathen Kings, whom you will have as well Kings … the Lords anointed, though Nebuchadnezer & many of them made their way to the Throne, against all Law of God and man, through a bloudy patent. 4. Cyrus is Gods anointed and his Shepheard too, ergo his Arbitrary government is a soveraignty immediatly depending on God, …nd above all Law; it is a wicked consequence. 5. God named him neare a hundreth yeare ere he was borne, God named and designed Judas very individually, and named the Asse that Christ should ride on to Ierusalem, Zach. 9.9. some moe hundred yeares then one. What, will the Prelate make them independent Kings for that? 6. God giveth Kingdomes to whom he will. What then? this will prove Kingdomes to be as independent and immediatly from God, as Kings are; for as God giveth Kings to Kingdomes, so he giveth Kingdomes to Kings, and no doubt he giveth Kingdoms to whom he will; so he giveth Prophets, Apostles, Pastors to whom he will; and he giveth tyrannous conquests to whom he will: and it is Nebuchadnezer, to whom Daniel speaketh that, from the Lord, and he had no just title to many Kingdomes, especially to the Kingdome of Iudah, which yet God the King of Kings gave to him, because it was his good pleasure; and if God had not commanded them by the mouth of his Prophet Ieremiah, might they not have risen, and with the sword have vindicated themselves and their own liberty, no lesse then they lawfully by the sword vindicated themselves from under Moab, Iudges 3. from under Iabin, Iaakin King of Canaan, who twenty yeares mightily oppressed the children of Israel, Iudges. 4.? now this P. Prelate by all these instances making Heathen Kings to be Kings by as good a title as David and Hezekiah, condemneth the people of God as rebells, if being subdued and conquered by the Turke, and Spanish King, they should by the sword recover their owne liberty, and that Israel, and the saviours which God raised to them, had not warrant from the law of nature to vindicate themselves to liberty, which was taken from them violently and unjustly by the sword; but from all this it shall well follow that the tyranny of bloudy conquerours is immediatly and only dependent from God, no lesse then lawfull soveraignty; for Nebuchadnezers soveraignty over the people of God, and many other Kingdomes also was revenged of God as tyranny, Ier. 50.6.7. and therefore the vengeance of the Lord, and the vengeance of his Temple came upon him and his land, Ier. 50.16, 17.18.28, 29.30. It is true, the people of God were commanded of God to submit to the King of Babylon, to serve him, and to pray for him, and to doe on the contrary was rebellion; but this was not because the King of Babylon was their King, and because the King of Babylon had a command of God, so to bring under his yoak the people of God. So Christ had a Commandement to suffer the death of the Crosse, Iohn. 10.18. but had Herod and Pilate any warrant to crucifie him? none at all. 7. He saith, Royalties even of Heathen Kings are not disposed of by the composed Contracts of men, but by the immediate hand and worke of God. But the Contracts of men to give a Kingdome to a person, which a Heathen community may lawfully doe, and so by contract dispose of a Kingdom, is not opposite to the immediate hand of God, appointing Royalty and Monarchy at his owne blessed liberty. Lastly he saith, God tooke away Saul in his wrath; but I pray you did God onelyonly doe it? then had Saul because a King, a Patent Royall from God to kill himselfe, for so God tooke him away; and we are rebells by this, if we suffer not the King to kill himselfe. Well pleaded.