Engliſh Liberty and Property Aſſerted.

Qu. 1 WHether any King can poſſibly at any time bee choſen with greater conſent and approba­tion of the people, than was the firſt King of Iſrael, Saul? for it is ſaid, 1 Sam. 10.24. That all the people ſhouted and ſaid God ſave the King, and chap. 11.15. That Saul and all the People of Iſrael re­joyced greatly.

Qu. 2 Whether notwithſtanding the ſaid free electi­on and univerſal approbation, the Lord did not from Heaven manifeſt this choice to bee a horrible wickedneſs in his ſight, by ſending thunder and rain in wheat harveſt, 1 Sam. 12.17. And did not the People acknowledge as much, ſaying (verſ. 19.) wee have added to all our ſinnes this evill, to ask us a King?

Qu. 3 Whether Gods ſevere puniſhment of Saul in rending the kingdome from him, for one ſinfull act (which man would take to bee an act of mercy at firſt ſight, in ſparing Agag, and zeal in preſerving the fatlings for ſacrifice) doth not evidently declare Gods indignation againſt King-ſhip, 1 Sam. 15.23.

Qu. 4 Whether did not the Lord reckon with the People of Iſrael for their Kingly Government; and for this their great ſinne of making themſelves rather Beaſts than men, by ſubmitting the reaſon of the whole Nation to one man, when hee deſtroyed ſeventy thouſand of them by the Peſtilence in three days, for Davids one ſinne of numbring the people4 2 Sam. 24.15. the Heathen could ſay, delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.

Qu. 5 Whether the Lord by permitting Salomon (the wiſeſt of the meer ſonnes of men) to become a Fool by leaving the true God, who had twice ap­peared to him, and turning aſide to Idols, and go­ing after the abominations of the Heathens, 1 Kin. 11.5. did not point (as it were) with the finger at this beaſtly folly of Iſrael, in advancing one man to ſo great a height, as to put him above man, and to make him a King, that ſo they might even fall down, and worſhip the great Idol which they had ſet up?

Qu. 6. Whether though the People of Iſraell had thus rejected the Lord in ſetting up a King, upon the revolting of the Ten Tribes from Rehoboam, when they cryed what portion have wee in David, to your Tents O Iſrael, becauſe he hearkned not to the coun­ſel of the old men, 1 King. 12.8. having all this time well ſmarted for their folly, and the Govern­ment of Kingſhip proving very burdenſome and ty­rannical (as appears 1 King. 12.9, 10) doth the Lord either blame or condemn the ſaid ten Tribes for their defection, or in any kind teſtifye his diſpleaſure a­gainſt them? nay, doth hee not plainly juſtify them therein, by ſending Shemaiah the Prophet, to their brethren, that would have gone out to warre againſt them, ſaying, Yee ſhall not go up to ſight againſt your brethren, return every man to his own houſe; for this thing is from mee, ſaith the Lord, 1 King. 12.24.

Qu. 7. Whether is it not probable that the Lord would give as good Kings to his own peculiar people, whom hee loved as the apple of his eye, as to any other people whatſoever, and yet what horrid murders5 and cruel bloodſhed, were there continually among the ſaid Kings of Iſrael to obtain the Crown; and how were the people vexed with warres continually, by reaſon of thoſe curſed Kings, and how few of the ſaid Kings have dyed in their beds, like other men. See the books of the Kings and Chroni­cles.

Qu. 8. Whether doth not the Office of King-ſhip in the very nature and being thereof, tend directly by advancing prerogative to the enſlaving of the peo­ple, by whom it is eſtabliſht, and by magnifying its own power and grandeur perpetually to prey upon the peoples liberty, and property, according to the deſcription given thereof, 1 Sam. 8. from 11. to 19. v. It being as diametrically oppoſite to the Peoples Li­berty, as darkneſs is to light, Prerogative, and Free­dome, being like two ballances, when one is up, the o­ther is down, and hath not the experience of all ages in other Nations, and in our own, very lately given ſad and bleeding teſtimonies to the truth hereof?

Qu. 9. Whether would it not make the heart and bowels of any Chriſtian to yern, tremble, and bleed within him, to conſider how the poor people of Iſrael, were puniſhed from time to time, for the wickedneſſe of their Kings, inſomuch as it is ſaid, 2 King. 14.26. The Lord ſaw the affliction of Iſrael, that it was very bitter, and have not war, and the plague been (as it were) entailed upon our own Nation on the account of Kingſhip from Generation to Ge­neration, and doth not the mercy of God in freeing the great City and Nation, both from the one and the other, ſince Kingſhip was aboliſhed, give clear teſtimony hereunto?

Que. 10 Whether did not judgement and juſtice6 run down like a might ſtream, whilſt the people of Iſrael in a free Commonwealth were under the go­vernment of their good Moſes, Joſhuas and Samuels; but when they would have Kings like the Heathens round about them; were not men made offenders for a word (though it were the Word of the Lord) to the impriſoning of their perſons, witneſſe the Pro­phet Jeremy, &c. Jer. 32.3. And many others; nay, were they not cauſeleſly ſtript of their lives and properties, through the baſe luſts of their Kings, (though ſome of them good ones;) do wee not finde Naboth, 1 King. 21. in a ſolemn way of faſting, had his life taken away, that ſo his Vineyard might bee ob­tained by King Ahab; and Uriah, with many others loſt their lives, moſt trecherouſly, that ſo the Adul­tery with Bathſheba his wife might bee covered and concealed from the people, though it could not from the Lord, 2 Sam. 11. and 12. ch. And for the pride of Hezekiahs heart were not the children of Iſrael car­ried captive into Babylon, 2 King. 20.17, 18. And did not the Lord for the wickedneſſe of Manaſſeh, bring ſuch evil upon Jeruſalem and Judah, that whoever ſhould hear thereof, both his ears ſhould tingle, 2 Kings 21.12.

Que. 11 Whether doth it not appear as clear as the Sun at noon-day, from the Scriptures already quoted, that God did never inſtitute or approve the office of a King, or Kingly government, but that it is directly oppoſite to the minde and will of God? On the contrary, did not the Lord himſelf ordain a free Common-wealth for his own people, whom hee choſe from all the Nations of the world,7 and then gave them a Government, not like to theirs, (which was King-ſhip) and when they re­jected this, doth hee not plainly ſay, 1 Sam. 8.5. they had rejected him, that hee ſhould not raign over them, 1 Sam. 8.7. and doth not God farther ſay, Hoſ. 8.3. Iſrael hath caſt off the thing that is good, and verſe 4. They have ſet up Kings, but not by mee, they have made Princes, and I knew it not.

Que. 12 Whether will this new modell'd King­ſhip bee the government of Jeſus Chriſt ſo much ſpoken of in Scripture, as alſo in the Remonſtrances, Declarations, and Papers of the Army, particularly in that Declaration from Muſcleborrough in Scot­land, 1650. wherein they profeſſe themſelves not to bee Souldiers of fortune, nor merely the ſervants of men, but have proclaimed Jeſus Chriſt (the King of Saints) to bee their King? Or will it bee the New Jeruſalem deſcending from God out of Heaven, mentioned, Rev. 21.2. or the new Heavens, and new Earth, wherein dwells Righteouſneſſe, pro­miſed and ſpoken of by the Prophets, and in the New Teſtament, 2 Pet. 3.13. Or rather is not this thruſt on to prevent, keep out, and ſtand in the way of the ſaid Government of Jeſus Chriſt, and will not that which is ſpoken of by Ezekiel the Prophet, bee applicable hereunto; Thus ſaith the Lord God, Re­move the Diadem, and take off the Crown; This ſhall not bee the ſame, exalt him that is low, and abaſe him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it ſhall bee no more, until hee come, whoſe right it is, and I will give it him.

Qu. 13 Is not Kingſhip one of the ten horns of the Beaſt mentioned, Rev. 17.12, And hath it not given its ſtrength and power to the Beaſt for theſe8 many hundred years paſt, and made warre with the Lambe in this Nation from time to time, to the pouring out of much innocent bood of the Saints, Rev. 17.13.14. And hath not the Lord broken this horn in peeces here amongſt us, and ſufficiently poured forth contempt, upon this Kingſhip? And ſhall wee yet again make warre with Jeſus Chriſt the Lamb, and deſert his cauſe and work, which hee hath ſo miraculouſly carried on to the wonder and aſtoniſhment of all Spectators; ſo that wee could truly ſay whileſt wee were purſuing that, there was no Rock like unto our Rock, even our enemies being Judges; Deut. 32.31. And did not Englands Army once rejoyce to ſee this horn of the Beaſt cut off, and encourage Scotland thereunto, that they might become one in the Lords hand, and joyn together in the advancement of the Kingdome of Jeſus Chriſt, and to trample down the Seat of the Beaſt, to hate the Whore, and burn her fleſh with fire? See the Declaration of the Engliſh Army in Scotland, 1650. p. 7. Armies Declaration. Aug. 1. 1650.

Qu. 14 Whether the Lord doth not by all theſe puniſhments of his inflicted upon his own people, ſufficiently threaten anger againſt any others, that being once free, ſhall upon any account whatſoever give up their liberties into the hands of any one man, to bee a King over them? And whether theſe things where not done as Types and Precedents for after ages; for ſaith the Apoſtle, 1 Cor. 10.6. Theſe things were our examples, to the intent wee ſhould not luſt after evil things, as they alſo luſted, and Rom. 15.4. Whatſoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning.