The originall of the dominion of princes, founded upon Gods soveraignty over the whole earth, or, The kingly prerogative, instituted by God, and proved from the holy scriptures to be jure divino by R.W. ...

CHAP. XII.

The Contents.

The Authors Reason for not beginning with the End of Dominion. The Reason why God himselfe retroceded from the immediate exercise of his just Monarchy; that Man might not by his Justice be consumed. The Reason why Priesthood is not administred by the Angels. God (by thus doing) doth not onely accommodate our Persons, but dignifie our whole Nature. The Fundamental Axiomes (in this Tract) recollected. The unalterablenesse of Gods Ground, for the unalterablenesse of these Constitutions. This great vouchsafing of God, doth display unto us the Blemishes of our proud frailty, as doe our clothes, and the written Word of God. Saint Peters cautions against wresting of Scriptures. What re∣maineth to be hereafter treated upon.

1. I Have deduced that which will prove (alone) to be Dominion from the sole Originall thereof, unto the full establishment of it, in the unchange∣able Covenant of the Gospell; unto which, whosoever addes a divers new one, is ipso Facto (as hath been shewed) excommunicated, Gal. 1. 8. though he be an Angell from Heaven. If I had not lived in an age, which denieth Prin∣ciples; particularly this, That all just Dominion (in Earth, as well as Heaven) is solely and Originally Gods: I had been to blame (as an ill Logician and Metho∣dist) for not beginning at the End. Which (as hath been said) is the composure of Earth according to the Image and Likenesse of Heaven; for the just, orderly, and

lasting preservation of its happinesse. This shall be explained and justified in a particular short Commentary on the Lords Prayer.

2. The Reason of Dominion thus established (as hath been manifested) is the preservation of mankind (through the compassion of the Almighty) from his very selfe. This is apparent, Exod. 33. 3. I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiffe-necked People; lest I consume thee. Neither will he quit his Do∣minion, but as in the precedent Verse, he will send an Angel to administer his Power, and a Moses with the evidence of his Commission; as in the Conclusi∣on of the precedent Chapter. Both of which, are by the incomparablenesse of his most mercifull vouchsafings, interposed between Him and Us; to keep at a distance the Immediatenesse of our Impiety and his Justice. This man∣ner of the exercising of his Monarchy, being mans security and shelter from GOD; whereby the Terrours of his Majesty visibly reigning over us, doe not (once for all) appall and confound us: with the Honour of whose Justice it could not otherwise stand, if he should not presently strike for every Insolency committed against his Highnesse.

3. For this cause hath he put his Temporary Scepter and Sword into the hands of a Deputy of our own Flesh and Bloud; who might more calmly ex∣ercise his Power. It is not mine; long agoe, Themistus published this Com∣mentary upon this action. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. It ap∣peares, that for this cause, Kingdome was adjourned from Heaven to Earth, that man might have on Earth a Sanctuary of refuge from the inexorable severity of the Di∣vine Majesty, by the exercise of Gods Dominion, by one, whose breath (like other mens) is in his nostrils; That so GOD might not be necessitated each moment, to fill the world with the destructions of sinfull, proud, dust and ashes.

4. When Israel saw the Thundrings and Lightnings, (Exod. 20. 18.) and heard the noise of the Trumpet of God, and beheld the Mountaine smoaking: when they saw this, they removed and stood afar off; and said to Moses, Speake thou with us, and we will heare; but let not God speake with us lest we die. So likewise for the Peoples sake it is, That the Priesthood is not executed by the Angels; yea, for their honour too, if they please to consider it. And therefore, Deut. 18. 17. the Lord sweetly accepted the desires of his People in this kind, and said, They have well spoken; to wit, that they might not heare againe the voyce of Jehovah Elo∣him; nor see that great fire any more, lest they should perish And thereupon GOD promised to raise them up of their Brethren, a Prophet, whom they might heare in stead of the Archangel; unto whom the Promulgation of the Law was de∣legated.

5. So that in these Dispensations, GOD Almighty doth not onely accom∣modate the personall frailties, but doth dignifie the whole nature of man∣kind. For, if one member be had in honour, all the rest rejoyce with it. What said I? with it! Nay, to them onely, is the employment thorny and dangerous;

to the others, the benefit redounds. For, as said Saint Augustine; They who are in eminent Place and Power, stand in more need of pity from others, and patience in themselves; then any others, for the reliefe of their Servitude and Vassallage. Our God is a consuming fire; Man in his place shall be consumed, if he doe not shed forth upon us the goodnesse of GOD, for the end of his placing there: much more if he doe consume us, though he be adopted; nay, because he is adopted into the dreadfull Power and sacred Name of Elohim. Thus farre hath GOD (with infinite mercy) vouchsafed, and no further. And who may say unto him, What doest thou?

6. But if it may be lawfull (and were further needfull) to justifie him herein; there is much to be said in defence of this his Act. I keep my selfe within my owne Province, and presume not to spoile the just Grounds laid by Politicians, concerning the generall Freedome hereby from the danger of Division, the mother of Confusion, &c. But these are the Maximes that I rest upon.

• That the Dominion over the Creature, cannot but be in the Creator.
• That the Dominion of the Creator, cannot but be Monarchicall.
• That if the Creators Power of Dominion were placed in all, or more then one; it could not be Monarchy, or Kingdome; and Christs Title of sole King of kings must be extinct. For he that is King, is alone in Power; and there must be Co-ordi∣nation with Cbrist, if any have to doe with those, who are properly and im∣mediately his Subjects; who neither can have, nor need more then such a King.
• That Christs Power is prophaned, if it be held in commune: That the King is so, if he quit it; and the Ʋsurpers that challenge it.
• That nothing but the Free and Formall Donation of God, in Terminis, can invest any under him with it; nothing at all from him.
• That he, who hath most frequently declared himselfe to be the Ʋniversall King of the whole world, hath in expresse termes Deputed Kings, and onely Kings, as Supreme and Irresistible Administrators of the earthly Dominion of Him and his Christ, over all the Nations of the world: and requireth most exact and especial Obedience of all Chri∣stians to them.

7. So that this Dispensation is that, which in prudent Justice could be done; and in inexpressible mercy (for the safegard of mankind) is done; and which, without ••earing of Christ from his due Throne, cannot be undone. That man may understand and value this great vouchsafing, is the end of my Prayers and Labours; it being the last which GOD will afford in this kind: as being sworn unto in the former, and ratified in the last of his Covenants, which he will make with mankind; which begun with the Law of Reason in the first: and it being that, which is set up in the Heavens, (the sampler for Earth) Reason must acknowledge, that to be the fittest Form of Govern∣ment, to make Earth another Heaven, which is established in Heaven.

8. And yet I cannot but acknowledge, that this Monarchicall. Law is but beneficiall unto us, as are our Clothes, as is the written Word or GOD; both of which, with the honour and comfort which they afford us, do cast a staine upon us. As we are without the warmth which our rayment brings us, the cold would destroy us: but if we had been, as we ought to have been, we should have had no need either of their commendation or protection.

9. Thus are the Scriptures of GOD blessed helps to bring us to the King∣dome of GOD; and such helps, as neither the Malice of the Jew, nor the Wis∣dome of the Greeke; nor the Subltily of the Hereticke; nor the Outrage of the Tyrant; nor the Gnashing of the Fiend; have been able to blast. And of so Sa∣cred and Inviolable Majesty are they, that whosoever shall adde to, or detract one tittle from them, shall have his Name blotted out of Heavens, and Ka∣lendred in the Dypticks of Hell. Whosoever, boldly blind (as Saint Peter saith) because unlearned; or timerously yeelding, because unstable; dare adven∣ture to themselves (in the high Mysteries thereof) without Science to inter∣pret; or (which is more desperate) with Jeroboams Priests, without lawfull Calling; to impose upon others: or who dare not but follow the Biass of potent Greatnesse; or the Tyde of the giddy Multitude; or the Engage∣ments of their owne masterfull masterlesse wills; and thereby doe pervert the sacred meaning of that holy Word, (though they cannot destroy its precious sense, yet) shall thereby destroy their owne sensuall senselesse soules.

10. And whosoever for such Ends, shall bring with them, either Saint∣like Vertues, or Angelicall Science, to countenance a false Glosse upon the Sacred Scriptures, is also Excommunicated from the Brotherhood of Saints and Angels. Yet (as the Fathers teach us) this Reverend, and never sufficiently esteemed favour, is withall an Argument of our shame. For if fallen man, had not fallen after his Fall, GOD would have inhabited with him, and face to face conversed with him, as a Friend doth with his Friend; as he did at the first instruct the Patriarchs in his wayes. Or as afterwards, when an Inunda∣tion of Sin had estranged him from this more familiar converse, have raised up, and fitted select Preachers of Righteousnesse, from his own mouth, to display his pleasure upon all Emergencies. Whereas now we have the last of his favours in this kind; Moses and the Prophets; Christ and his Apostles; and must for ever shut up our eyes (even unto detestation) from exacting further Miracles and Revelations for ever.

11. So must we doe with the last of his gracious vouchsafings in this particular; since the shame of our deservings, hath but stirred up the com∣passionatenesse of his condescending; that he hath in inestimable good∣nesse, thus stooped unto our sinfull frailty, not with his dreadfull visibility to Governe us; but to settle his venerable Right of Earthly Dominion, in a glorious Line of our Flesh and Bloud. For we cannot suppose, but that we deserve (at least) as little, as his first People, to have immediate Procurators

sent from his owne bosome, as they had Judges in all their Exigents. Which Government they would not endure, nor we any long, who will not en∣dure that which they preferred, and GOD graciously constituted amongst them; and through them, amongst us, for so long as the Sun and Moon shall last.

12. Thus have I (conscious of much infirmity, with unpassionate con∣quest of my wants) adventured on the great Demonstrative Efficient of Domi∣nion; according to the entertainment of this first part, I shall addresse my selfe for the other causes; as the Finall, so the Subjective matter, and the Formall; to wit, the Image of GOD and his Likenesse, infused into man∣kind: which I shall call the Seat of Dominion: wherein I make no doubt, but (through the assistance of him, who hath hitherto-kept and supported me) to make just Proofe of that which I have assumed.

That the Image of God is imprinted in the Imperiall Faculty of the Will of Man: as the Likeness in the deliberative part of the Ʋnderstanding; which though it be of the elder House, must not (here) claime its Birth-right; but be content to be as Aaron was to Moses, untill it come to the Inheritance which is above; where it shall no longer serve the younger; nor shall Japhet dwell in the tents of Shem.

That proportionably hereunto; in the great Hypostasis of a Christian Nation, (wherein is the Church) the Oecumenicall will of the Kingdome, is the King: and in the included Church, the Ʋnderstanding is the Bishop. Both which Powers are united now in Heaven, in the Great High-priest after the Order of Melchi∣sedec, who also is King of Salem.

To whom, as it is in Heaven, so also in Earth (which his Por∣tion, he receiveth onely in those, who be the Deputies of his Powers) be Really and Internally, as well as Externally and Verbally, ascribed All Dominion, both for Heaven and Earth; for the for ever of this world, which cannot faile him (with the Father and holy Ghost) in the for ever of the next.

Amen.

Notes

• Orat. 5.
• De Civ. Dei, l. 19. c. 16.