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Title:  A defence of the people of England by John Milton ; in answer to Salmasius's Defence of the king.
Author: Milton, John, 1608-1674.
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ages, that the King of England is the head of the Church of England, to the end that you may, as far as in you lies, bring in the Bishops again, his Inti∣mates and Table-Companions, grown so of late, to rob and Tyrannize in the Church of God, whom God himself hath deposed and degraded, whose very Or∣der you had heretofore asserted in Print that it ought to be rooted out of the world, as destructive of and pernicious to the Christian Religion. What Apostate did ever so shamefully and wickedly desert as this man has done, I do not say his own, which indeed never was any, but the Christian Doctrine which he had formerly asserted? The Bishops being put down, who un∣der the King, and by his permission held Plea of Ecclesiasti∣cal Causes, upon whom, say you, will that Jurisdiction devolve? O Villain, have some regard at least to your own Conscience; Remember before it be too late, if at least this admonition of mine come not too late, re∣member that this mocking the Holy Spirit of God is an inexpiable crime, and will not be left unpunisht. Stop at last, and set bounds to your fury, lest the wrath of God lay hold upon you suddenly, for endea∣vouring to deliver the flock of God, his Anointed ones, that are not to be touched, to Enemies and cruel Ty∣rants, to be crusht and trampled on again, from whom himself by a high and stretched out arm had so lately delivered them; and from whom you your self maintained that they ought to be delivered, I know not whether for any good of theirs, or in order to the hardning of your own heart, and to fur∣ther your own damnation. If the Bishops have no right to Lord it over the Church, certainly much less have Kings, whatever the Laws of men may be to the contrary. For they that know any thing of the Gospel know thus much, that the Govern∣ment 0