The prerogative of popular government. A politicall discourse in two books. The former containing the first præliminary of Oceana, inlarged, interpreted, and vindicated from all such mistakes or slanders as have been alledged against it under the notion of objections. The second concerning ordination, against Dr. H. Hamond, Dr. L. Seaman, and the authors they follow. In which two books is contained the whole commonwealth of the Hebrews, or of Israel, senate, people, and magistracy, both as it stood in the institution by Moses, and as it came to be formed after the captivity. As also the different policies introduced into the Church of Christ, during the time of the Apostles. By James Harrington.

Object. 2.

The government of Heaven is a Monarchy, so is the government of Hell.

Answer. In this (saith Machiavel) Princes lose themselvesand their Empire that they neither know how to be perfectly good nor intirely wicked. He might as well have said, that a Prince is always subject to error and misgovernment, because he is a Man, and not a God nor a Divel. A shepherd unto his flock, a plough-man to his team is a better Na∣ture, and so not only an absolute Prince but as it were a God. The government of a better or of a superior Nature, is to a worse or inferior as the go∣vernment of God. The Creator is another and a better nature then the creature, the government in Heaven is of the Creator over his creatures that have their whole dependence upon him and subsi∣stence in him. Where the Prince or the Few have the whole Lands, there is some what of dependence resembling this; so the government there, must of necessity be Monarchical or Aristocratical; But where the people have no such dependence, the causes of that Government which is in Heaven are not in Earth; for neither is the Prince a distinct or better Nature then the people, nor have they their subsistence by him; and there∣fore there can be no such effect. If a man were good as God, there is no question but he would be not only a Prince but a God, would go∣vern by love and be not only obeyed but wor∣shipped: or if he were ill as the Divel, and had as much power to do mischief, he would be dreaded

as much and so govern by fear. To which later the nature of man hath so much nearer approaches, that albeit we never saw upon Earth a Monarchy like that of Heaven, yet it is certain the perfection of the Turkish Policy lies in this, that it cometh nearest to that of Hell.