A leaf pull'd from the tree of life: medicinall for the healing of Englands divisions. Or, A glimpse of the excellency of a kingly government.: Proving it to be 1. Most Godly. 2. Most Christianlike. 3. Most ancient. 4. Most safe for the people. Written out of love and good will to the peace and tranquility of the three nations, of England, Scotland, and Ireland. By John Moore.

CHAP. IV. That the Government of a KING is most safe for the People.

ANd as the Government of a single person is most Ancient, so it carryeth most of the peoples safety with it: this also is clear from Scripture and Reason. Moses the Servant of the Lord, from the tenderness of his heart to Israels safety, and fearing least the late distemper of Corah and his Accomplices might be revived after his death to their utter ruine and destru∣ction (after that the Lord had told him, that he should not go into the Land of Canaan, but that he should go up into Mount Nebo and die there) earnestly prayed unto the Lord in these words, Let the Lord the God of the Spirits of all flesh, set a man (not men) over the Congregation, which may go out before them, and which may go in before them: And which may lead them out▪ and which may bring them in; that the Congregation of the Lord be not as sheep without a shepherd, Numb. 27. 16, 17. In this Scripture, the Holy Ghost shews these two things:

First, Moses his earnest desires for the Peoples safety.

Secondly, His Proposition to God, of what he apprehended might be the most effectual mean for the people to attain it (Let the Lord set a man over the Congregation) and in the 3. verses following, the Holy Ghost shews these things; First, Gods ap∣probation of Moses his Proposition: Secondly, his consent and grant, of his charitable and loving Petition for the peoples safe∣ty. And me thinks the Lord speaks thus to him, Moses I have read thy Petition, I finde it honest, just, and godly, and no way contradicting my mind and will: I have therefore granted thy request, I have considered thy wisdom in propounding such an effectual means for the peoples safety, as the placing one Head Governor over them, and I approve of it, it likes me well, and it shall be done. Be it therefore enacted in Heaven by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost (three Persons

and one God) that the government of a single Person, be esta∣blisht upon earth, as the most effectual means for the preserva∣tion, peace and safety of the people thereof, and that they be conformable and obedient to it: And whereas Joshuah the son of Nun hath been hitherto faithfull, godly, and upright in all his ways, and was not consenting to the seditious, and Govern∣ment-despising principles of Corah, Dathan and Abiram, and hath followed me fully in my Ordinances and commands, which I have given to Israel, he shall be the man that shall be their Chief governour, thus we may see what government was best pleasing to God, and most suitable to his minde. Israel had a Judge by a heavenly Ordinance; and the Nations of the Gen∣tiles a King by an eternal unalterable decree.

The Reign of Kings▪ to generation came, Judges being qualify'd receiv'd the same.

Secondly, The greatest time of safety that God hath promi∣sed to his Church and People on Earth, in the great union of J••ws and Gentiles, will be in the time of a Kingly Government, and from thence shall they receive an abundance of indulgen∣cy; for this is the word which the Lord hath spoken by the Prophet Isaiah, Behold, I will lift up my hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people, and they shall bring thy s••ns in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried on their shoulders, and kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing Mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. In this Scripture, the Lord hath promised, that he wil so bring about and work such a change upon the heart of Kings; that they shall be so far from being persecutors of his Church or Exercisers of Tyrannie over them; that they shall embrace them with the arms of love, and stoop to them with Congies of love, that they shall give the right hand of fellowship to them, and take sweet counsel together in the house of God, that they shall be their chief and choicest friends, using their power for their protection, whereas formerly they have been great ene∣mies

and destroyers thereof. Now if a Kingly Government should be raced out and abolished: How shall the Church of God have Kings for their nursing Fathers, and Queens for their nursing Mothers.

But besides these Scriptures, reason it self will tell us, that it is more safe for the people to enjoy a Government invested rather in one person then in a multitude of men; for a Nation may very fitly be compared to a private Family, consisting of many Servants; which can never be well ordered, wherein there are many Masters: for, if according to the words of our Savi∣our, no Servant can well serve two Masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and des••ise the other: How then can he serve more then twice two hundred. Amongst many there may be much division, in one there can be but little, if any. In unity there is safety; in Di∣vision confusion. This is not a bare conjecture, or a supposed thing, many late years sad experience hath confirmed it for Truth. How prone men are to division, we need not ask; and how bitter the fruit of it is, we have been made to know by ta∣sting the forbidden fruit: I mean by doing that in obedience to men, and their Ordinances which God hath expresly forbidden in his word. A Ship must needs sail in hazard and danger of being cast away, that hath many Pilots of equal Authority at the Helm, let the Marriners handle their Ropes as skilfully as they can, and the wind blow never so fair: Nor is there any real like∣lyhood, that a sick person should be in safety or recover health that hath a multitude of Physicians about his sick bed. If Eng∣land then would be healed of the Falling-sickness, and Convul∣sion Fits of Division: Let them apply to their stomacks the Leaf of a godly Christianlike, Ancient Government, and they shall be healed, or else never.