Paul of a
different
opinion from Mr.
Rehearsal - v1 - 1750
xxxvii.
36.
That the angelsmote in the camp of the Assyrians 1 85000 ; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they wcre all dead men.
Where by the word all can only be meant a great many, and that there was a very general flaughter ; for the rest
of the army returned.
Thus for the voice of the people, thus understood, that
is, of the generality of the people, bung the voice of God, we sind, that Belialhad put that notion into the heads of hissons, whom he stirred up, to vindicate their liberty against David, the best king ever they had, and to set up his son, a vain, young man, in his stead, as Heshai speaks,
in the language, we must suppose, that then prevailed among these Rebel. ', 2 Sam. xvi. 1 8. Nay, but vehom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel cheese, his
be, find v. ith him will I
will Iwe have of vox pofuli, vox Dei. That whom the
siance
people chose,
we must conclude, that God did choose- After this, ten parts of twclve of the people, who art
called all Israel, boufeofDAyid,
1 Kin. xii. 16. rE bell'd
the as it is faid, ver. 19 andchoseanew king for themselves ; and yet all even of the ten tiiks
were not in this conspiracy, tho' it be faid all Israel; for we sind 2 Chron. xi. 13, 14, 15. That the priests and the hevites thatswere in all Israel resorted to him (their le? ui-
ful hereditary king) tut of all their coasts; sir the Levitts
ahide. This is the sirst in-
against
The REHEARSAL.
325
left their suburbs, and their posses/ions, and eame to Judah *a. nd Jerufalem. And not only these priests and Levites, but as it is faid, ver. 16. And aster them, out of all the
tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God
of Israel, came to Jerufalem So they strengthened the
kingdom ofJudah.
From this time forth, the ten tribes became a distinct
kingdom, and their kings were elective by the people,
(the rule of hereditary succession continuing in Judah) and whether the voice of the people, in this case, was the voice
of God, is determined by the mouth of God himself. Has.
up kings, but not mt, have viii. 4. They haveIset by they
knew it not .
But to conclude this point, was the voice of the people
the voice of God, when they preserr'd Barabbas to our blessed Saviour, and cry'd crucify him, crucify him? And it is faid, Luke xxiii. 23. And the voice of them prevailed, that is, with Pilate to condemn our Lord. Was the voice
of the people then the voice ofGod?
Go thro* all histories and instances, you will sind it oftener the voice of the devil, especially in matters of go vernment ; for God ordained the people to be governed; and when they usurp the office of being governottrs, they invert the institution of Gc•/, and are actual rebels against
him, and inlist themselves under the banner of Belial ;
whose service (instead of God's) they take to be perfect fREEdOM.
The holy scriptures give us the history of two king doms, that of 'judah, which was hereditary to the house of David, and that of the ten tribes, which was by the voice of the people. In the sirst the right of succession be
ing preserv'd, the people were in quiet, and the kingdom prolper'd, until the Babylonish captivity. But in the other, where little regard was had to succession, what else is to be met with but seditions, murders and destruction ?
Baa/ha conspir'd against his master, and being made king by the people, destroy'd all the posterity of Jeroboam, the people's king. Thus Zimri served Elam and was
killed himself seven days after. Omri again chosen by
mn de princes, and
326
The REHEARSAL.
all the people, and then Tibni and the people were divided - K. Zacharias was destroy 'd by Sballum, Sballum by Me- nabem, Sec. And as these kings mounted the throne by blood of their predecessors, and were not removed with out blood, so the people that chest them were continually
butchering and destroying one another.
From &at. Aug. 4, to &flt. Aug. 11, 170 y. N° 54.
1. The neceffity if a divine right in government. No di vine right in the pretences of the whigs ane/ heathens, the' they consirm it. 2. Some account of the heathens
deifying their kings. 3 . The original of government was among the angels in heaven. 4. And what the rebellion of Luciser was.
(1. ) Coun. 'XT O U have given me full fatisfaction, maf- X ter, as to the weak pretence of the popular orators, to any divine right in the people, either towards the foundation, or alteration of government . You have
shewed how it is exploded in holy scripture, as the princi ple of Belial, who has instill'd it into mankind, under the notion of asserting their liberty, which is, their liberty
from the institution of God; all of whom that are thus per suaded, are, as the holy scripture calls them, sons of Be lial, and directly rebel against God, that is against his in-
stitution.
You have shewed that a divine right is neceflary to
found and support government among men ; and the pre
tence of the people to strong confirmation of it, and shews, that even in their own sense divine right ne
cessary.
The pretence of the heathen likewise great confirm
ation of this but their plea of their laws having been
ven from heaven, and their kings being begotten Godsr
fable and superstition and their deifying and worfiip- ing their kings was wild idolatry*
These
is
;
it,
,
is
a a
by
is
gi
is a
The SHEARS AiL.
327 These dr/honour the great God, and the wxptpali cru-
cisy'd Christ.
Therefore I have done with them, I'm sure there can
be no divine right here.
But now, master, where shall we sind it ? When did
government begin ? and by whom ? that we may know whether its original was divine or not. I want some in struction in these things.
(2. ) J3ut before you give me an answer to this, pray tell me, were these heathens such dolts, (vxhfilly sellows, as to believe their kings, whom they faw die before their eyes, to be all God Almighties ? I have heard much of the -wisdom of the heathen, and of the fame of their phi- Infipbers.
R. They were wifi men, and not such dolts as you
imagine. They acknowledged one supreme Being Sove reign over all, and spoke as great things of him as we
tan- This supreme God they called Jupiter, tho' some times they gave even that name, in high flattery, to some
with distinction of Jupiter of this or that
ef their kings,
pace. But then they imagined that this supreme God de
puted others under him to govern in their several pro
vinces, as Æolus to command the •winds, Neptune the fia, Vulcan the fire, and so forth. These they called Dii medioxumi, lesser Gods, who stood in the middle be
twixt the supreme God and men, and governed under him, and over them.
Then they had their tutelar Gods and their Lares, and genius' who they suppos'd prefided over such and such*
countries, cities, families, and particular persons.
Now was among these lesser Gods that they ranged their kings, who had lived vertuoufly, and done great
things for them. And indeed their Gods, as Bacchus, Neptune, Hercules and others, were men that had been. &ffld, after their deaths, for remarkable things that they had done of which their stories still remain in the heathen authors.
Bat they had not foolish thought, as, that they iould make a man to become the supreme Being, which
h«-.
so
a
;
's, it
The REHEARSAL.
328
he was not before their apotheofis, or declaring him I \ God.
Your wonder at the heathen will abI
ate, when you («
kings called Gods in holy scripture.
Gods. And revile not the Gods, nor speak evil of the ndtr of the people. And our blessed Saviour gives the reason why they are called Gods, because unto them the word (that is the commijsion of God) came to be the rulers ofthe
people. Joh. x. 35. And they who bear God's office, by commixsion from him, bear likewise his name. And Chris
owned the power of Pilate against himself to be given him from heaven. Joh. xix. 1 1.
C. This strikes-us with great astonishment ! This raises the character of king very high indeed ! that they stand before us, in the person of the great God himself, and are Gods to us. And can the people create Gods! Are kings called any where in scripture the anointed of the
people, or the deputies, vice-gerents, orJubstitutes of the people? No, they are called God's anointed, and HIS
vice-gerents : So that to rebel against them is to rebel against the most high God, who has made them Gods. They are the ordinance of God, therefore to refift them is to refist the ordinance of God, and is pronounced to be dam nation. Rom. xiii. 2. and therefore, That we must needs
have ye en /aid
be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. All this is now very plain to me, and the authority un
deniable. But still, master, I would have you help me into thefact, to see how, and where, and by whom this
thing called government was sirst instituted, that we may view it from its very original, and so deduce it down wards to us at this day ; for tho' we are obliged to give absolute credence to what is deliver'din holy scripture,that
government is the ordinance of God ; yet if the fact appears plain to us, it confirms us the more, and makes us fubicit to the authority with greater alacrity, conviction of rta-
fan. (3. ) R. What you desire of me is an history of govern ment from the beginning ; wherein we shall have occasi on to mention that of rebellion also.
z
And
straining
The REHEA RSAL.
329 And for the original of both of these we must go as high
as beamen ; for there they both began.
When God created the angels he distributed them into
an hierarchy of higher and lower orders. He made an gels, arch-angels, cherubims, ferafhims, dominations, prin
•
cipalities, powers, &c.
C. ' Was there government among these ? What need of gevermnent before there was fin's Government and laws are made to restrain the wicked. But where there are no veicked, there needs no government or laws.
JZ. There are other ends of government besides re
of wickedness ; there can be no order without government. The words principalities and pewers imply government. They are government, there can be no prin
cipality or power without government. Heaven and earth arc called one family, of which Christ the head. Eph. iii.
There can be no family and a head without govern ment. It is faid Eph. i. 21. That Christ is exalted far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come. So that here you see there is domini on, that government in heaven. And there no fin there now.
C. This clear. Now, master, go on.
15.
R. The hierarchy or government in heaven having been established by God from the beginning, principal
post of very high dignity was assigned to Lucifer but he not being content with his own principality, aspired higher, and so broke in upon the hierarchy.
C. How does this appear thought Lucifer had de signed to be God, and had made an attack upon him, to
d,pofe him, and reign His stead.
R. The person of God far exalted above the attempts
of angels, as well as men, and to invade his person thought too foolish for much more for an angel of heaven. The y? » of Lucifer and his angels was aspir ing to higher rank in the hierarchy than that in which God had plac'd them, and so was an immediate revolt from under the government of their superior angels but in
conse
(4. )
a
in a
is
;;
a
is
is a
? I
is, is
f~
330
The REHEARSAL.
consequence it was a rebellion against God, who had in-
stitutedtkoit orders of angels. There is no other way of
rebelling against God, but by oppofing his institutions ; for, as I faid, his person is not only above the reach, but out
of the fight, and above the understandings of angels, as well as of men.
Hence likewise will follow, that there is no rebellion whatever but against God ; for all order and government on earth, as well as in hea•ven (as we shall see in the sequel of this inquiry) being the positive institution of God, conse quently all disobedience to government, or rifing up against
i^t, is a rebellion against God the institutor ; as Moses faid to Korah, What is AArON that you murmur against him ? Your rebellion is against the Lord. Num. xvi. 1 1. As if a
servant mutiny against his fellcw-servant, and will not obey the orders of the steward, his rebellion is against
the master of the family ; and the consequence, if suffer
ed to go on, must prove the dissolution of the family,
and so may be faid to be an attempt against the master himself.
C. But how does it appear that the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels was for an higher rank in the hierarchy of heaven than was allotted them ?
Jl. St. Jude tells us, ver. 6. The angels who kept not their first estate (or principality as our margin reads the word 'A^))r which signisies government but left their ovun hahitation (eueqlqgeon that house or station allotted them) He hath reserved in everlasting chains, under dark
ness, unto thejudgment the great day.
keeping to their first estate or station crime the reserving in chains, &c. that crime.
Where their not nam'd as their the punishment for
The like description given Isai. xiv. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, sen the morning For thou hast said in thine heart, will exalt my throne above the stars God will be like tke most
High. This was spoke of the king of Babylon, way 0/ allusion to the pride of Lucifer, which was only to be like the most High, not to dethrone him, but to be above the
of
O is
of
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is is
)
;
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it,
The REHEARSAL. 331
that the angels of God, as the bishqps of the rhurch are called stars and angels, Rev. 20. Tie seven Qars are the angels ofthe churches.
lars,
Gregory the great, bishop of Rome, who died in the 7th century, apply'd this text of Isaiah to 'John then bishop of Constantinople, who was the />yr that set up: for universal bishop telling him, that the bishops of the church were the
(lars of
above all these, he did imitate the pride of Lucifer.
Goct', and his to advance his throne seeking
What Isaiah called stars, Exekiel calls stones of fire, and makes the like allusion to describe the pride of the
ting of Tyrus. Thou art the anointed cherub thou wast upm the holy mountain of God thou hast walked up and douvn in the midst of the stones of fire —Thine heart wast lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wis-
etotn by reason thy brightness, Ezek. xxviii. 14, 17.
C. am fatisfy'd that government was sirst instituted in heaven among the angels of God, and that the sirst fin was
the revolt of Lucifer and his rebel-angels, to the distur
bance of that hierarchy, appointed God.
-At our next meeting, hope you will shew me,
how government began upon earth among men. And thence go on to shew the deduction of from that be
ginning, to this day. Which you can perform with clearness, will be of great use to the world but to
no place more than our England.
From
i
it
is,
I if
;
it,
i.
by
I
of
;
;
by
332
The REHEARSAL. i
From ctat. Aug. 1 1, to &at. Aug. 18, i 705. N° 55.
1. The oricinal state os nature sbewd to be a ftzte of government and subjection, not of independency. 2. St.
Paul of a different opinion from Mr. Lock, as ts AdamV right by creation. 3. The sirst government
by institution, as well as nature. 4. A vindication of the sifth commandment from the trifling of Mr, Lock. An advertisanent. Concerning Sandwich. The Review, and experiment.
Counts Come now to hear, master, how government fae- JL gan among mankind ; and how it has been d, • dued to us from the beginning ; for that is the point we
are chiefly concern'd in.
R. The erecting of government among the spirits of heaven, and the sirst rebellion against it there, will be of
mighty use to us, in our inquiry after the nature of go-
vernment, and rebellion among mankind. Therefore the first of our six homilies against rebellion, begins with this revolt of Lucifer and his angels, as thesource and spring
of all rebellion among men.
(1. ) Government is dependency, when one depends upon another. It issuperiority, when one is superior, and an other inferior. Therefore they who wou'd have the ori ginal of government in the people are oblig'd to suppose a
of independency among all mankind, when no man in the world had any dependence upon any other man; and when no man wassuperior to another. This they call the siate of nature. And if such a state cannot be shew'd their whole scheme falls to the ground.
But they happen'd ill to call this the state of nature, a- mong a race of mankind, who all came into the world by generation. And nature has imprinted nothing more
strongly upon all mankind, than the duty and dependince ofchildren towards their parents, and the superiority of
parents over their children. And where either parents or
state
The REHEARSAL.
333 Or children ofsend against this law ofnature, the parents
not taking care of, and providing for their children ; or the children in not returning duty and obedience to their parents ; such are call'd un-natural. This is the com- . mon sentiment of all mankind : therefore this supposed in dependent state of mankind must be look'd for among the prœ-adamites. Or, we must suppose a shower of men dropping out ofthe clouds, without fathers or mothers, all upon the level. Or, that men were created in multi- ' tudes, like the beasts, hirds, fi(h, and fowl. And then indeed two men created at the same time, and not de- due'd the one from the other, wou'd be independent as to
nature. But without that, the independent^? ^ can not be the state of nature; but directly contrary to it.
(2. ) Now, countryman, letus observe, how Gorfdesigning man for government, express'd it in the occonomy of his creation, and founded it in very nature. To obviate these
salsely suppos'd pretences of the natural state, he created
but one man ; and did not create the woman at the fame
time, lest she might have pleaded independency ; but made her afterwards out of the man ; which shew'd her depen dency upon him : and she was made for his use, as an help meet for him. The apostle argues the authority of the man over the w/oman, from his being sirst created,
l Tim. ii. 12, 13. suffer
not a woman to teach, or to usurp authority over the man, but to be in filence. For
Adam was first formed, then Eve.
C. Our renown'd Mr. Lock, in his two treatises of go
vernment, which you have before taken notice of, laughs
at this argument. Which having been urg'd by Sir Rob. Filmer, Mr. Lock answers hook I. chap. iii. p. 19. That this argument will make the lion have as good a title to it
(the government) as he (Adam) and certainly the ancient- er, fays he.
R. Cou'd this pass from a school-hcy ? It is answer'd
like-a merry-andrew. Besides the utter contempt of, and
burlesquing the holy scriptures. But we must suppose Mr. Lock (like the rest of our common-wealth -men ) little con
verfant in those sacred oracles ; where they can sind no thing
334 The REHEARS AL. I cannot
thing favouring their papularschemes, otherwise
think that Mr. Lock, who pretended to sobriety* and a character ; would have attack'd the argument of the apt-
silt, in the person of Sir Rob. Filmer, if he had known it. (3. ) But to go on. I urge not nature alone for the
foundation of government : only I have gone thus far up on the argument of nature, to shew, that thestate of na
ture, which our vnhigs set up and recur to upon all oc
casions, was not a state of independency, as they wou'd
have it.
Now I proceed to shew, that God did not leave it
wholly to nature, though the arguments from nature were
strong against the state of independency : but he likewise
added his positive command and institution for government, betwixt Adam and Eve, before there were any other of
mankind in the world, faying- to Eve, Gen. iii.
defire /hall be to thy husband, and he shall rule truer tbee. Or, as our margin reads it, tboushall hesubject unto him : Or art commanded to be under obedience, as the apostle-
words Cor. xiv. 34. that there was no of in C. exceeding plain, state
dependency then. And that, both from nature, and the positive institution of God: otherwise Eve might have
with Adam, and claim'd the breeches, as some
disputed
ef her daughters have done since.
But now, master, when children were born to Adam,
how did go then
R. have told you before, that there no dictate of
nature more impress upon us, than the obedience of
your parents in all things, Colosl'. iii. 20. And this called thestrst commandment ivith promise, Eph. vi. 2. And the promise remarkable, that may be null -with
thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth. fay this remarkable, considering that in this command our
duty to our governors contained, who are our political fathers; and our rebellion against them, and taking the sward, will cause US to perish by the sword, and shorten
our
besides the frequent commands
children to their parents
of God in holy scripture for the fame as children obey
1 6. Thy>
is
? d
is
I It it,
is
it
'
:
is
I
is
;
it it
is 1
The REHEARSAL.
355 »ur days. And this is even a natural consequence, be
sides the tbreatning of God, and his promise, that \tshall be nvell with us, if we be obedient.
God expresses his own authority over us, by what we owe to our natural fathers. As he fays, Mai. i. 6. If I be a fatber, where is mine honour ?
(4. ) C. Mr. Lock thinks, or at least fays, that the pow er of the mother was equal to that of the father over
the children. And thence wou'd persuade us, that no thing of government is included in the $th command. He fays, book I. chap. vi. p. 76. that the fifth command was
so far from establishing the monarchical power of the fa ther, that itset up the mother equal with him. Then he quotes a great many texts where children aIre to honorfa
to that of the father's over their children.
R. No doubt there is honour and obedience due from
children to their mother, as well as to their father ; but to the mother in subordination to the father. So that if their commands shou'd interfere, that of the father must take place.
And the dominion and rule of the husband over the wife, and her being made subject to him, which I have shew'd before, duly consider'd, it cannot be suppos'd,
that her power was equal to his over their children. The mother has a poiver and authority over her children. But the supream po-wer is only in the father: for he commands both mother and children. Therefore God
ther and mother. And concludes,
ber that I
no more, the scripture joins mother too in that homage -which is due from children. And he employs a whole chapter, book II. chap. vi. to prove the mother's title equal
p. 78.
do not remem any where read, children obey your father and
supream I
when he asserts his authority over us, calls him
be a father, where is mine honour ? Whence some have thought, that
self our father, but never our mother.
our duty to God our father is contain'd in the c,th com mand, and therefore reckon'd it into the first table, of what relates to God.
But that it relates to- our spiritual and political fathers, to
If
336
The REHEARSAL.
to our governors in church and slate, is the common and
received opinion of the Chrisiian church : and express'd in our catechism, in our duty towards our neighbour : where immediately after honour thyfather and mother, follows, by way of explanation, to honour and obey the king, and all that are put in authority under him. To submit our selves to all our governors, teachers, spiritual pastors and masters. To order ourselves lowly and reverently to all our
betters. Where the whole œconomy of government, from the highest to the lowcst, is all included under the yh con- . mandment, and dedued from it.
This is shew'd more at large in Bishop OveraWs con- vocation-book, p. 25. where it is faid, " Thatitjs
generally agreed upon, that obedience to kings and ci vil magistrates is prescribed to all subjects in the sifth commandment, where we are enjoined to honour oui
parents. Whereby it followeth, that subjection of in
seriors unto their kings and governors, is grounded up on the very Jaw of nature; and consequently, that
the sentences of death, awarded by God himself, against such as shew'd themselves disobedient and incorrigi ble to their parents, of cursed them, or' struck them, were likewise due unto those, who committed any such offences against their kings and rulers, being the heads and fathers of their commonwealths and
kingdoms. "
Here is the authority of the whole church of England
in convocation assembled, against Mr. Lock in an expla nation of a text of scripture. And for his criticism, wherein he shews his wit, and found it out, (being cun ning ! ) that mother is join'd with father in the $tb com mand, it is no more an objection than where inferior go vernors are join'd with the supream, in the commands of oar obedience to them. As l Pet. ii. 15. Submit your
selves whether to the king as supream, or unto go vernors, as unto them that are sent by him. Will any fay here, that there is no supremacy given to the king, be cause other governors are join'd with him, in the fame
command of obedience? As much and no more, does the motbir,
The REHEARS AL.
337 vatber, being join'd with the father in the $th command,
take away the supremacy of the father! And yet so fond is Mr. Lack of this, as he thought, new discovery,
that he fays, p. 272. Had but this one thing been well
confider d— it wou'd have ended all the dispute about fa
therly authority, by setting up two co-ordinate monarchs,
Ithefather, and the mother.
Am told, that the Obfcrvator (which I have not seen,
for I
because no answer is given to those affidavits he has
printed relating to the flag hung out at Sandwich,
on the day of the late election there : and insers that the Rehearfal, by his silence, yields what he faid to be false. The Rehearsal did not think it needful to take any no
tice of these affidavits, because they are nothing to the purpose, nor do they contradict the affidavits of Joseph
Hunger and George Broad, printed in Rehearsal, N. 46. Which do not so much as name some persons, which the other affidavits take pains to clear from having done that deed: so that this is wholly trifling. Again the affi davits of Joseph Hunger and George Broad do not posi
tively assert that this flag did belong to a troop of horse in the time of Oliver Cromwell, only, that they did take it to be so, and believd and that was Francis Hook who had caus'd to be hung out. But they name not the window, or any window out of which was hung, nor who did but as theysuppose: but that such fag
was hung up at the anabaptift meeting-house, and that they took particular notice of and of the arms decipher'd
read no more that paper scurrilous
)
does
insult,
and that was not the fame flag which Francis Hook afterwards produc'd to the mayor of the town, un
less alter this they positively swear against which nothing faid in the other affidavits, but that such one, and such one did not do and such one did not see and was not hung out at such win dow. All which makes nothing against what the two forenam'd had sworn.
In the fame Rehearsal, N. 46. are set down certificates Vol. Q. t.
upon
up
I. it,
is d,
it :
a it
it,
it
a a
a
it,
:
it it
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it
it,
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338 The REHEARSAL;
to disprove the •villainous lye of the Review, about the mieather-cockiX. Oxford. And Rehear. Mt 44. disproves another as notorious a faljhood of the Review, in siA'am
to the church of England, which he asserts so pofitively, as that ifit be otherwise, he promises /»r ever to
do-wn this cause, and not to fay one word more to it. Yet he writes on still with as much fury (by way of modera tion against the church as ever. And without much as offering to justify or retract his weather-cock, and Other
as gross impofition's upon the credulity of the vulgar to en- flame the nation, and prejudice them against the church
established.
Shou'd now call him to repentance, and to make good
his promise Or to retract and make satisfaction to the world for his very lying book call'd the experiment, about Abraham Gill, prov'd to be such by certificate from the present lord bishop of Chester, publish'd in several Ga zettes In that book he lays load, with all his venom, upon the church of England, and turns his own Shortest •way upon her (he still fond of that performance and provokes any to disprove one word of thesatis he relates. Yet being undeniably disproved, in the principal point, he blusheth not, nor thinks of repentance These men's principle is, to do no right, and take no -wrong. They boldly call upon others to make good what they fay. To prove, or to retract. But when requiri from themselves, they laugh and make jest of and go
on still in their wickedness and make no scruple to re peat the fame di/prov'd lyes and slanders over and
over again, with re-doubsd assurance
This by way of advertijement. For will not be
verted from the thread of the subject am upon, to fol
low men destitute of common honesty or shame. But my fatisfaction is, that have fully shew'd them to be yici:
and have left them.
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The REHEARSAL.
From ^at. Aug. 18, to ,f>at Aug. 25, 1705. N° 56.
I. The government os Adam was sovereign ; with pow er os'lise and death, &c. 2. Proved by Mr. Lock, in his oppofing it. 3. The succession os the sirst-born,
to the government, proved from the consent os man kind, and the law os nature. 4. Some exceptions do affirm the rule. 5. App'lyd to elective kingdoms, and common-wealths.
Coun. ' I HUS far, master, I think we have gone on
X. s<*fily and clearly, that the state of nature was at the sirst a st ate of government and subjection, not of
That Adam had the government over £1^ ; and over all their children. And that all this was found
ed in very nature, besides the positive institution of God, to render all sure and certain, and cut off all occaston of dispute. So that the first state of nature, to which all
independency.
our whigs do reser, makes clearly against them, and is wholly on your side who plead for government, and the
divine institution of it; against that original indepen dent state of nature, which the wAtjs do suppose, but can never prove, unless they can sind some other origi
nal of mankind than the holy scriptures have told us.
But now, master, it remains to enquire what this government was which was plac'd in Adam ? How far it extended ? whether to life and death ? And all things to which our present governments upon earth do extend I
R. The nature of government is the fame, in all siWs and places.
of the army returned.
Thus for the voice of the people, thus understood, that
is, of the generality of the people, bung the voice of God, we sind, that Belialhad put that notion into the heads of hissons, whom he stirred up, to vindicate their liberty against David, the best king ever they had, and to set up his son, a vain, young man, in his stead, as Heshai speaks,
in the language, we must suppose, that then prevailed among these Rebel. ', 2 Sam. xvi. 1 8. Nay, but vehom the Lord, and this people, and all the men of Israel cheese, his
be, find v. ith him will I
will Iwe have of vox pofuli, vox Dei. That whom the
siance
people chose,
we must conclude, that God did choose- After this, ten parts of twclve of the people, who art
called all Israel, boufeofDAyid,
1 Kin. xii. 16. rE bell'd
the as it is faid, ver. 19 andchoseanew king for themselves ; and yet all even of the ten tiiks
were not in this conspiracy, tho' it be faid all Israel; for we sind 2 Chron. xi. 13, 14, 15. That the priests and the hevites thatswere in all Israel resorted to him (their le? ui-
ful hereditary king) tut of all their coasts; sir the Levitts
ahide. This is the sirst in-
against
The REHEARSAL.
325
left their suburbs, and their posses/ions, and eame to Judah *a. nd Jerufalem. And not only these priests and Levites, but as it is faid, ver. 16. And aster them, out of all the
tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the Lord God
of Israel, came to Jerufalem So they strengthened the
kingdom ofJudah.
From this time forth, the ten tribes became a distinct
kingdom, and their kings were elective by the people,
(the rule of hereditary succession continuing in Judah) and whether the voice of the people, in this case, was the voice
of God, is determined by the mouth of God himself. Has.
up kings, but not mt, have viii. 4. They haveIset by they
knew it not .
But to conclude this point, was the voice of the people
the voice of God, when they preserr'd Barabbas to our blessed Saviour, and cry'd crucify him, crucify him? And it is faid, Luke xxiii. 23. And the voice of them prevailed, that is, with Pilate to condemn our Lord. Was the voice
of the people then the voice ofGod?
Go thro* all histories and instances, you will sind it oftener the voice of the devil, especially in matters of go vernment ; for God ordained the people to be governed; and when they usurp the office of being governottrs, they invert the institution of Gc•/, and are actual rebels against
him, and inlist themselves under the banner of Belial ;
whose service (instead of God's) they take to be perfect fREEdOM.
The holy scriptures give us the history of two king doms, that of 'judah, which was hereditary to the house of David, and that of the ten tribes, which was by the voice of the people. In the sirst the right of succession be
ing preserv'd, the people were in quiet, and the kingdom prolper'd, until the Babylonish captivity. But in the other, where little regard was had to succession, what else is to be met with but seditions, murders and destruction ?
Baa/ha conspir'd against his master, and being made king by the people, destroy'd all the posterity of Jeroboam, the people's king. Thus Zimri served Elam and was
killed himself seven days after. Omri again chosen by
mn de princes, and
326
The REHEARSAL.
all the people, and then Tibni and the people were divided - K. Zacharias was destroy 'd by Sballum, Sballum by Me- nabem, Sec. And as these kings mounted the throne by blood of their predecessors, and were not removed with out blood, so the people that chest them were continually
butchering and destroying one another.
From &at. Aug. 4, to &flt. Aug. 11, 170 y. N° 54.
1. The neceffity if a divine right in government. No di vine right in the pretences of the whigs ane/ heathens, the' they consirm it. 2. Some account of the heathens
deifying their kings. 3 . The original of government was among the angels in heaven. 4. And what the rebellion of Luciser was.
(1. ) Coun. 'XT O U have given me full fatisfaction, maf- X ter, as to the weak pretence of the popular orators, to any divine right in the people, either towards the foundation, or alteration of government . You have
shewed how it is exploded in holy scripture, as the princi ple of Belial, who has instill'd it into mankind, under the notion of asserting their liberty, which is, their liberty
from the institution of God; all of whom that are thus per suaded, are, as the holy scripture calls them, sons of Be lial, and directly rebel against God, that is against his in-
stitution.
You have shewed that a divine right is neceflary to
found and support government among men ; and the pre
tence of the people to strong confirmation of it, and shews, that even in their own sense divine right ne
cessary.
The pretence of the heathen likewise great confirm
ation of this but their plea of their laws having been
ven from heaven, and their kings being begotten Godsr
fable and superstition and their deifying and worfiip- ing their kings was wild idolatry*
These
is
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The SHEARS AiL.
327 These dr/honour the great God, and the wxptpali cru-
cisy'd Christ.
Therefore I have done with them, I'm sure there can
be no divine right here.
But now, master, where shall we sind it ? When did
government begin ? and by whom ? that we may know whether its original was divine or not. I want some in struction in these things.
(2. ) J3ut before you give me an answer to this, pray tell me, were these heathens such dolts, (vxhfilly sellows, as to believe their kings, whom they faw die before their eyes, to be all God Almighties ? I have heard much of the -wisdom of the heathen, and of the fame of their phi- Infipbers.
R. They were wifi men, and not such dolts as you
imagine. They acknowledged one supreme Being Sove reign over all, and spoke as great things of him as we
tan- This supreme God they called Jupiter, tho' some times they gave even that name, in high flattery, to some
with distinction of Jupiter of this or that
ef their kings,
pace. But then they imagined that this supreme God de
puted others under him to govern in their several pro
vinces, as Æolus to command the •winds, Neptune the fia, Vulcan the fire, and so forth. These they called Dii medioxumi, lesser Gods, who stood in the middle be
twixt the supreme God and men, and governed under him, and over them.
Then they had their tutelar Gods and their Lares, and genius' who they suppos'd prefided over such and such*
countries, cities, families, and particular persons.
Now was among these lesser Gods that they ranged their kings, who had lived vertuoufly, and done great
things for them. And indeed their Gods, as Bacchus, Neptune, Hercules and others, were men that had been. &ffld, after their deaths, for remarkable things that they had done of which their stories still remain in the heathen authors.
Bat they had not foolish thought, as, that they iould make a man to become the supreme Being, which
h«-.
so
a
;
's, it
The REHEARSAL.
328
he was not before their apotheofis, or declaring him I \ God.
Your wonder at the heathen will abI
ate, when you («
kings called Gods in holy scripture.
Gods. And revile not the Gods, nor speak evil of the ndtr of the people. And our blessed Saviour gives the reason why they are called Gods, because unto them the word (that is the commijsion of God) came to be the rulers ofthe
people. Joh. x. 35. And they who bear God's office, by commixsion from him, bear likewise his name. And Chris
owned the power of Pilate against himself to be given him from heaven. Joh. xix. 1 1.
C. This strikes-us with great astonishment ! This raises the character of king very high indeed ! that they stand before us, in the person of the great God himself, and are Gods to us. And can the people create Gods! Are kings called any where in scripture the anointed of the
people, or the deputies, vice-gerents, orJubstitutes of the people? No, they are called God's anointed, and HIS
vice-gerents : So that to rebel against them is to rebel against the most high God, who has made them Gods. They are the ordinance of God, therefore to refift them is to refist the ordinance of God, and is pronounced to be dam nation. Rom. xiii. 2. and therefore, That we must needs
have ye en /aid
be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. All this is now very plain to me, and the authority un
deniable. But still, master, I would have you help me into thefact, to see how, and where, and by whom this
thing called government was sirst instituted, that we may view it from its very original, and so deduce it down wards to us at this day ; for tho' we are obliged to give absolute credence to what is deliver'din holy scripture,that
government is the ordinance of God ; yet if the fact appears plain to us, it confirms us the more, and makes us fubicit to the authority with greater alacrity, conviction of rta-
fan. (3. ) R. What you desire of me is an history of govern ment from the beginning ; wherein we shall have occasi on to mention that of rebellion also.
z
And
straining
The REHEA RSAL.
329 And for the original of both of these we must go as high
as beamen ; for there they both began.
When God created the angels he distributed them into
an hierarchy of higher and lower orders. He made an gels, arch-angels, cherubims, ferafhims, dominations, prin
•
cipalities, powers, &c.
C. ' Was there government among these ? What need of gevermnent before there was fin's Government and laws are made to restrain the wicked. But where there are no veicked, there needs no government or laws.
JZ. There are other ends of government besides re
of wickedness ; there can be no order without government. The words principalities and pewers imply government. They are government, there can be no prin
cipality or power without government. Heaven and earth arc called one family, of which Christ the head. Eph. iii.
There can be no family and a head without govern ment. It is faid Eph. i. 21. That Christ is exalted far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, not only in this world, but also in that
which is to come. So that here you see there is domini on, that government in heaven. And there no fin there now.
C. This clear. Now, master, go on.
15.
R. The hierarchy or government in heaven having been established by God from the beginning, principal
post of very high dignity was assigned to Lucifer but he not being content with his own principality, aspired higher, and so broke in upon the hierarchy.
C. How does this appear thought Lucifer had de signed to be God, and had made an attack upon him, to
d,pofe him, and reign His stead.
R. The person of God far exalted above the attempts
of angels, as well as men, and to invade his person thought too foolish for much more for an angel of heaven. The y? » of Lucifer and his angels was aspir ing to higher rank in the hierarchy than that in which God had plac'd them, and so was an immediate revolt from under the government of their superior angels but in
conse
(4. )
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330
The REHEARSAL.
consequence it was a rebellion against God, who had in-
stitutedtkoit orders of angels. There is no other way of
rebelling against God, but by oppofing his institutions ; for, as I faid, his person is not only above the reach, but out
of the fight, and above the understandings of angels, as well as of men.
Hence likewise will follow, that there is no rebellion whatever but against God ; for all order and government on earth, as well as in hea•ven (as we shall see in the sequel of this inquiry) being the positive institution of God, conse quently all disobedience to government, or rifing up against
i^t, is a rebellion against God the institutor ; as Moses faid to Korah, What is AArON that you murmur against him ? Your rebellion is against the Lord. Num. xvi. 1 1. As if a
servant mutiny against his fellcw-servant, and will not obey the orders of the steward, his rebellion is against
the master of the family ; and the consequence, if suffer
ed to go on, must prove the dissolution of the family,
and so may be faid to be an attempt against the master himself.
C. But how does it appear that the rebellion of Lucifer and his angels was for an higher rank in the hierarchy of heaven than was allotted them ?
Jl. St. Jude tells us, ver. 6. The angels who kept not their first estate (or principality as our margin reads the word 'A^))r which signisies government but left their ovun hahitation (eueqlqgeon that house or station allotted them) He hath reserved in everlasting chains, under dark
ness, unto thejudgment the great day.
keeping to their first estate or station crime the reserving in chains, &c. that crime.
Where their not nam'd as their the punishment for
The like description given Isai. xiv. 12. How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, sen the morning For thou hast said in thine heart, will exalt my throne above the stars God will be like tke most
High. This was spoke of the king of Babylon, way 0/ allusion to the pride of Lucifer, which was only to be like the most High, not to dethrone him, but to be above the
of
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The REHEARSAL. 331
that the angels of God, as the bishqps of the rhurch are called stars and angels, Rev. 20. Tie seven Qars are the angels ofthe churches.
lars,
Gregory the great, bishop of Rome, who died in the 7th century, apply'd this text of Isaiah to 'John then bishop of Constantinople, who was the />yr that set up: for universal bishop telling him, that the bishops of the church were the
(lars of
above all these, he did imitate the pride of Lucifer.
Goct', and his to advance his throne seeking
What Isaiah called stars, Exekiel calls stones of fire, and makes the like allusion to describe the pride of the
ting of Tyrus. Thou art the anointed cherub thou wast upm the holy mountain of God thou hast walked up and douvn in the midst of the stones of fire —Thine heart wast lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wis-
etotn by reason thy brightness, Ezek. xxviii. 14, 17.
C. am fatisfy'd that government was sirst instituted in heaven among the angels of God, and that the sirst fin was
the revolt of Lucifer and his rebel-angels, to the distur
bance of that hierarchy, appointed God.
-At our next meeting, hope you will shew me,
how government began upon earth among men. And thence go on to shew the deduction of from that be
ginning, to this day. Which you can perform with clearness, will be of great use to the world but to
no place more than our England.
From
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332
The REHEARSAL. i
From ctat. Aug. 1 1, to &at. Aug. 18, i 705. N° 55.
1. The oricinal state os nature sbewd to be a ftzte of government and subjection, not of independency. 2. St.
Paul of a different opinion from Mr. Lock, as ts AdamV right by creation. 3. The sirst government
by institution, as well as nature. 4. A vindication of the sifth commandment from the trifling of Mr, Lock. An advertisanent. Concerning Sandwich. The Review, and experiment.
Counts Come now to hear, master, how government fae- JL gan among mankind ; and how it has been d, • dued to us from the beginning ; for that is the point we
are chiefly concern'd in.
R. The erecting of government among the spirits of heaven, and the sirst rebellion against it there, will be of
mighty use to us, in our inquiry after the nature of go-
vernment, and rebellion among mankind. Therefore the first of our six homilies against rebellion, begins with this revolt of Lucifer and his angels, as thesource and spring
of all rebellion among men.
(1. ) Government is dependency, when one depends upon another. It issuperiority, when one is superior, and an other inferior. Therefore they who wou'd have the ori ginal of government in the people are oblig'd to suppose a
of independency among all mankind, when no man in the world had any dependence upon any other man; and when no man wassuperior to another. This they call the siate of nature. And if such a state cannot be shew'd their whole scheme falls to the ground.
But they happen'd ill to call this the state of nature, a- mong a race of mankind, who all came into the world by generation. And nature has imprinted nothing more
strongly upon all mankind, than the duty and dependince ofchildren towards their parents, and the superiority of
parents over their children. And where either parents or
state
The REHEARSAL.
333 Or children ofsend against this law ofnature, the parents
not taking care of, and providing for their children ; or the children in not returning duty and obedience to their parents ; such are call'd un-natural. This is the com- . mon sentiment of all mankind : therefore this supposed in dependent state of mankind must be look'd for among the prœ-adamites. Or, we must suppose a shower of men dropping out ofthe clouds, without fathers or mothers, all upon the level. Or, that men were created in multi- ' tudes, like the beasts, hirds, fi(h, and fowl. And then indeed two men created at the same time, and not de- due'd the one from the other, wou'd be independent as to
nature. But without that, the independent^? ^ can not be the state of nature; but directly contrary to it.
(2. ) Now, countryman, letus observe, how Gorfdesigning man for government, express'd it in the occonomy of his creation, and founded it in very nature. To obviate these
salsely suppos'd pretences of the natural state, he created
but one man ; and did not create the woman at the fame
time, lest she might have pleaded independency ; but made her afterwards out of the man ; which shew'd her depen dency upon him : and she was made for his use, as an help meet for him. The apostle argues the authority of the man over the w/oman, from his being sirst created,
l Tim. ii. 12, 13. suffer
not a woman to teach, or to usurp authority over the man, but to be in filence. For
Adam was first formed, then Eve.
C. Our renown'd Mr. Lock, in his two treatises of go
vernment, which you have before taken notice of, laughs
at this argument. Which having been urg'd by Sir Rob. Filmer, Mr. Lock answers hook I. chap. iii. p. 19. That this argument will make the lion have as good a title to it
(the government) as he (Adam) and certainly the ancient- er, fays he.
R. Cou'd this pass from a school-hcy ? It is answer'd
like-a merry-andrew. Besides the utter contempt of, and
burlesquing the holy scriptures. But we must suppose Mr. Lock (like the rest of our common-wealth -men ) little con
verfant in those sacred oracles ; where they can sind no thing
334 The REHEARS AL. I cannot
thing favouring their papularschemes, otherwise
think that Mr. Lock, who pretended to sobriety* and a character ; would have attack'd the argument of the apt-
silt, in the person of Sir Rob. Filmer, if he had known it. (3. ) But to go on. I urge not nature alone for the
foundation of government : only I have gone thus far up on the argument of nature, to shew, that thestate of na
ture, which our vnhigs set up and recur to upon all oc
casions, was not a state of independency, as they wou'd
have it.
Now I proceed to shew, that God did not leave it
wholly to nature, though the arguments from nature were
strong against the state of independency : but he likewise
added his positive command and institution for government, betwixt Adam and Eve, before there were any other of
mankind in the world, faying- to Eve, Gen. iii.
defire /hall be to thy husband, and he shall rule truer tbee. Or, as our margin reads it, tboushall hesubject unto him : Or art commanded to be under obedience, as the apostle-
words Cor. xiv. 34. that there was no of in C. exceeding plain, state
dependency then. And that, both from nature, and the positive institution of God: otherwise Eve might have
with Adam, and claim'd the breeches, as some
disputed
ef her daughters have done since.
But now, master, when children were born to Adam,
how did go then
R. have told you before, that there no dictate of
nature more impress upon us, than the obedience of
your parents in all things, Colosl'. iii. 20. And this called thestrst commandment ivith promise, Eph. vi. 2. And the promise remarkable, that may be null -with
thee, and that thou mayest live long upon the earth. fay this remarkable, considering that in this command our
duty to our governors contained, who are our political fathers; and our rebellion against them, and taking the sward, will cause US to perish by the sword, and shorten
our
besides the frequent commands
children to their parents
of God in holy scripture for the fame as children obey
1 6. Thy>
is
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:
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The REHEARSAL.
355 »ur days. And this is even a natural consequence, be
sides the tbreatning of God, and his promise, that \tshall be nvell with us, if we be obedient.
God expresses his own authority over us, by what we owe to our natural fathers. As he fays, Mai. i. 6. If I be a fatber, where is mine honour ?
(4. ) C. Mr. Lock thinks, or at least fays, that the pow er of the mother was equal to that of the father over
the children. And thence wou'd persuade us, that no thing of government is included in the $th command. He fays, book I. chap. vi. p. 76. that the fifth command was
so far from establishing the monarchical power of the fa ther, that itset up the mother equal with him. Then he quotes a great many texts where children aIre to honorfa
to that of the father's over their children.
R. No doubt there is honour and obedience due from
children to their mother, as well as to their father ; but to the mother in subordination to the father. So that if their commands shou'd interfere, that of the father must take place.
And the dominion and rule of the husband over the wife, and her being made subject to him, which I have shew'd before, duly consider'd, it cannot be suppos'd,
that her power was equal to his over their children. The mother has a poiver and authority over her children. But the supream po-wer is only in the father: for he commands both mother and children. Therefore God
ther and mother. And concludes,
ber that I
no more, the scripture joins mother too in that homage -which is due from children. And he employs a whole chapter, book II. chap. vi. to prove the mother's title equal
p. 78.
do not remem any where read, children obey your father and
supream I
when he asserts his authority over us, calls him
be a father, where is mine honour ? Whence some have thought, that
self our father, but never our mother.
our duty to God our father is contain'd in the c,th com mand, and therefore reckon'd it into the first table, of what relates to God.
But that it relates to- our spiritual and political fathers, to
If
336
The REHEARSAL.
to our governors in church and slate, is the common and
received opinion of the Chrisiian church : and express'd in our catechism, in our duty towards our neighbour : where immediately after honour thyfather and mother, follows, by way of explanation, to honour and obey the king, and all that are put in authority under him. To submit our selves to all our governors, teachers, spiritual pastors and masters. To order ourselves lowly and reverently to all our
betters. Where the whole œconomy of government, from the highest to the lowcst, is all included under the yh con- . mandment, and dedued from it.
This is shew'd more at large in Bishop OveraWs con- vocation-book, p. 25. where it is faid, " Thatitjs
generally agreed upon, that obedience to kings and ci vil magistrates is prescribed to all subjects in the sifth commandment, where we are enjoined to honour oui
parents. Whereby it followeth, that subjection of in
seriors unto their kings and governors, is grounded up on the very Jaw of nature; and consequently, that
the sentences of death, awarded by God himself, against such as shew'd themselves disobedient and incorrigi ble to their parents, of cursed them, or' struck them, were likewise due unto those, who committed any such offences against their kings and rulers, being the heads and fathers of their commonwealths and
kingdoms. "
Here is the authority of the whole church of England
in convocation assembled, against Mr. Lock in an expla nation of a text of scripture. And for his criticism, wherein he shews his wit, and found it out, (being cun ning ! ) that mother is join'd with father in the $tb com mand, it is no more an objection than where inferior go vernors are join'd with the supream, in the commands of oar obedience to them. As l Pet. ii. 15. Submit your
selves whether to the king as supream, or unto go vernors, as unto them that are sent by him. Will any fay here, that there is no supremacy given to the king, be cause other governors are join'd with him, in the fame
command of obedience? As much and no more, does the motbir,
The REHEARS AL.
337 vatber, being join'd with the father in the $th command,
take away the supremacy of the father! And yet so fond is Mr. Lack of this, as he thought, new discovery,
that he fays, p. 272. Had but this one thing been well
confider d— it wou'd have ended all the dispute about fa
therly authority, by setting up two co-ordinate monarchs,
Ithefather, and the mother.
Am told, that the Obfcrvator (which I have not seen,
for I
because no answer is given to those affidavits he has
printed relating to the flag hung out at Sandwich,
on the day of the late election there : and insers that the Rehearfal, by his silence, yields what he faid to be false. The Rehearsal did not think it needful to take any no
tice of these affidavits, because they are nothing to the purpose, nor do they contradict the affidavits of Joseph
Hunger and George Broad, printed in Rehearsal, N. 46. Which do not so much as name some persons, which the other affidavits take pains to clear from having done that deed: so that this is wholly trifling. Again the affi davits of Joseph Hunger and George Broad do not posi
tively assert that this flag did belong to a troop of horse in the time of Oliver Cromwell, only, that they did take it to be so, and believd and that was Francis Hook who had caus'd to be hung out. But they name not the window, or any window out of which was hung, nor who did but as theysuppose: but that such fag
was hung up at the anabaptift meeting-house, and that they took particular notice of and of the arms decipher'd
read no more that paper scurrilous
)
does
insult,
and that was not the fame flag which Francis Hook afterwards produc'd to the mayor of the town, un
less alter this they positively swear against which nothing faid in the other affidavits, but that such one, and such one did not do and such one did not see and was not hung out at such win dow. All which makes nothing against what the two forenam'd had sworn.
In the fame Rehearsal, N. 46. are set down certificates Vol. Q. t.
upon
up
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it :
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338 The REHEARSAL;
to disprove the •villainous lye of the Review, about the mieather-cockiX. Oxford. And Rehear. Mt 44. disproves another as notorious a faljhood of the Review, in siA'am
to the church of England, which he asserts so pofitively, as that ifit be otherwise, he promises /»r ever to
do-wn this cause, and not to fay one word more to it. Yet he writes on still with as much fury (by way of modera tion against the church as ever. And without much as offering to justify or retract his weather-cock, and Other
as gross impofition's upon the credulity of the vulgar to en- flame the nation, and prejudice them against the church
established.
Shou'd now call him to repentance, and to make good
his promise Or to retract and make satisfaction to the world for his very lying book call'd the experiment, about Abraham Gill, prov'd to be such by certificate from the present lord bishop of Chester, publish'd in several Ga zettes In that book he lays load, with all his venom, upon the church of England, and turns his own Shortest •way upon her (he still fond of that performance and provokes any to disprove one word of thesatis he relates. Yet being undeniably disproved, in the principal point, he blusheth not, nor thinks of repentance These men's principle is, to do no right, and take no -wrong. They boldly call upon others to make good what they fay. To prove, or to retract. But when requiri from themselves, they laugh and make jest of and go
on still in their wickedness and make no scruple to re peat the fame di/prov'd lyes and slanders over and
over again, with re-doubsd assurance
This by way of advertijement. For will not be
verted from the thread of the subject am upon, to fol
low men destitute of common honesty or shame. But my fatisfaction is, that have fully shew'd them to be yici:
and have left them.
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The REHEARSAL.
From ^at. Aug. 18, to ,f>at Aug. 25, 1705. N° 56.
I. The government os Adam was sovereign ; with pow er os'lise and death, &c. 2. Proved by Mr. Lock, in his oppofing it. 3. The succession os the sirst-born,
to the government, proved from the consent os man kind, and the law os nature. 4. Some exceptions do affirm the rule. 5. App'lyd to elective kingdoms, and common-wealths.
Coun. ' I HUS far, master, I think we have gone on
X. s<*fily and clearly, that the state of nature was at the sirst a st ate of government and subjection, not of
That Adam had the government over £1^ ; and over all their children. And that all this was found
ed in very nature, besides the positive institution of God, to render all sure and certain, and cut off all occaston of dispute. So that the first state of nature, to which all
independency.
our whigs do reser, makes clearly against them, and is wholly on your side who plead for government, and the
divine institution of it; against that original indepen dent state of nature, which the wAtjs do suppose, but can never prove, unless they can sind some other origi
nal of mankind than the holy scriptures have told us.
But now, master, it remains to enquire what this government was which was plac'd in Adam ? How far it extended ? whether to life and death ? And all things to which our present governments upon earth do extend I
R. The nature of government is the fame, in all siWs and places.
