I. GOD is the Originall fountaine of all power, Therefore, every just power derives from God, Therefore no power is just that cannot derive from God.

II. Every just power is derived from God by just meanes.

Noe meanes is just, (or can Iustifie an ordinary con­tinuing power) but the Commission given by Gods will revealed in his Word.

Therefore every (ordinary continued) power that hath not such Commission is unjust.

III. Wee are not bound by Gods Law to obey the power of Man, save onely when it is the power of God committed to his dispensation by the direct Or­dinance of God (and then it is said, to be for Gods sake, and for Conscience sake.)

Whosoever demands, or exacts obedience from man, not having such a Commission, is an Vsurper, an Vnjust person, the Childe of Rebellion.

Therefore neither ought any man without such commission to assume such a power (upon the paines by St. Jude rehearsed) neither is any man bound to o­bey such an usurped power (but on the contrary wee are bound to detest, at least not to converse with such, For, he that sayth but Good speed to such ungodly procee­dings becomes partaker of their Sinne. Which well a­grees with that of Solomon, My Sonne feare God and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change, for their destruction draweth nie. &c.)

IIII Wee can no way honor God, so much as by obedi­ence [First to himselfe) 2. To that power and person he hath set over us.

We can no way dishonor God, more then by dis­obedience (in both these Cases)

Therefore whosoever obeyes not the Lawfull Ma­gistrate (as being set ever us by God's Ordinances) di­shonors God, and denies him one principall part of his honor, and our dutie.

V As to deny God his due is sacraledge, so to give God's due to man [without his appointment] is idola­try.

Whosoever gives obedience to man that God hath not authorized gives God's due to another (and sure­ly God is a iealous God and will not give his honor to any [Page 3] other nor will he hold him guiltless that dares do so with­out his Warrant.

Therefore he that usurps or assumes such an unwar ranted power, is sacralegious, and he that obeyes is his accessary, and an Idolater.

VI The persons directly trusted by God with his power (and therefore to whom only we doe directly owe o­bedience] are these five, the Husband, the Father, the Master, the Preist, and the King. [And though this last the King,] be sometimes called Judge, Captain, Prince, Patriarch, or the like, yet they all signifie the same image of Gods power given by God to those persons by his direct Commission [Some being effectuall only, as Moses, Gid­deon, Samuell, &c. others both formall and effectu­all, as Saul and David, Ahaz and Hezekiah, Ma­nasseh, and Josiah, Nebuchadnezer, Cyrus and Ne­roe &c.

There is no other continued power of what name, or nature soever can be by direct commission derived from God's grant (nor any such grant or commission shewed, save what is subordinate and inferiour to these.

Therefore these and only these are the powers au­thorized by God's direct commission, to which we ow and must pay an active (or at least a passive) obedi­ence. And the greatest obedience to the greatest power e­ver] & we are not bound to any or either sort of obedience to any other persons or power whatsoever, but to abhorre and resist the same as the power of Sathan and Anti­christ.

[Page 4] VII By vertue of the power given by God to the King, the King ordains other inferiour powers who have their Commission from the King.

But as the King then forfeits his power to God that gave it, and to none other, when he renounces God, and makes himselfe his enemy by flat Rebellion, Soe also those powers made by the King, then cease to have power, and forfeit it to the King that gave it, and to none other when they rebell against him, and make use of the power given by the King in a flat oppositi­on of the King.

Therefore no longer then they acknowledge the King's power to be just and superiour, and their owne to be derived from him, and so inferiour, and there­fore their obedience to be necessary and humble, have they any more power, or owe we any more obedi­ence.

VIII. (Next under God, and the King) all Ecclesiasticall power is by Christ and his Apostles established by a perpetuall succession on the (Lawfully called) Priests or Ministers of the Gospell.

Noe humane power ought, neither can oppose the divine institution, or demollish what Christ and his Apostles have erected. Therefore the Office it selfe (of A Bishop, A Doctor, A Deacon, &c.) is by direct Commission derived from Christ and his Apostles, and so of divine right clearly, and the forme, and choise of the person is in the King as Gods Deputy, and therefore (at least) of the best humane right that may be.

[Page 5] IX. The heart of Man cannot be converted by any out­ward meanes, but only by the preaching of the Gos­pell (for the Priests lips doe (or should doe) both keepe and speak knowledge.

But how shall they preach if they be not sent?

Therefore all that are the true Preists or Ministers of God's Word, are sent duly and visibly, and he that is not visibly and duly sent is not the true Priest or Minister of God, (But as Nadab and Abihu presump­tious, or as Korah and his complices ambitious, and A Rebell to the truth. If hee preach another Doctrine, though he seeme to be as an Angell of light, let him bee accursed; If he seeme to be in the right, yet because hee came not in by the Dore, (viz. Christ and his commissi­on) [...]e is A Theife and shall surely come to nought, and all that follow him, since though hee may seeme to allow some truths at the present, it is but to allure to greater errors afterwards, as practising by the subtilty of Sathau that sets all such a [...]ork to disturb the true Church.

X. In no age since the Creation, hath it beene allowed to any people under the Sunne that did rightly know and were knowne of God; to chuse their owne Go­vernour, or way of Government without first obtay­ning Gods visible consent.

For a people without any visible commission to do so, is not only to rebell against the present establisht Government and lawfull Authority of their Sove­raigne, but to oppose God and usurp his power.

Therefore let noe people or Nation that pretends to feare or obey God once think of such a course, [Page 6] (least happily) they be sound to fight against God, & that God set himselfe to fight against that Nation, and so they perish inevitably, eternally.

XI. If a Nation might chuse their governour or way of government, yet could they not be innocent in reje­cting Gods way, and taking that of his Enemies.

But Monarchy is indeed the forme by God invented and ordained. And Aristocracie, Democracie, Anar­chy, &c. was devised (at best by Philosophers) by hea­thens, Gods Enemies.

Therefore to refuse Monarchy (or the Government by one man as supream, which now is, and so many a­ges hath bin in this Kingdome established (this being Gods way) and to set up Anarchy, or the like so new­ly thought of in this Nation by the Sons of Beliall, so repugnant to the very fundamental Lawes of this Na­tion (it being the Devills own way) were prophane and damnable.

XII By all Lawes of God, Nature, or Nations, and by the principles of all governments under Heaven [especi­ally of this Nation] That which requires the whole power to set it up, or establish it, requires also the whole power to take it downe or revoake it, and both to be done in love, order, and peace.

But the Regall, the Episcopall, the Peerall, the mi­nisteriall powers, and functions, and the Booke of Common-Prayer were set up and established by the [Page 7] whole power of this Nation in love, order, and peace, and [so far as his maine power hath to do with them] could not have been otherwise established.

But this (for it's pride and covetousnesse only, unpa­ralel'd pretended parliament, (the Kingdomes Masters as they think) and this impudent, Independent, pre­sumptious army, (I mean the greatest part, & persons thereof, for as for many of the Common Souldiers, I rather pity their unhappy ignorance, and incline to pray that their eies may be opend to see the Kingdoms present, & their own suceeding misery (the Parlia­ments Masters, as all men may plainly see) had no just beginning, wants, nay despises their Head the K. their Neck the Bishops, their Shoulders the Nobility, the greater and better part of their bowells the Gentry e­ven of those that are more truly members of that now so much Idolized House of Commons, and of the people (their legges and feet) that make up the rest of the Body Politique. And were never yet, (and now refuses to be established by the whole power of the Nation, in love Order, or peace, Nor will acknow­ledg any greater power but themselves, nor any Cre­ator of their power, but that they have created one the other. And are therefore doubtlesse such monsters as this Nation never knew, nor heard of, till this present age.

Therefore the Kings power (as being supream least of all) nor the Bishops, nor the Nobilities (as subordinate to the Kings) nor that of those just Parliaments, that have or shall know the way to preserve, inviolate [Page 8] their duty to theit God, their allegiance to their King, and their Love to their Country, cannot by any knowne Law of God or Man, be taken away, by such an unjust, imperfect, pretended part of power in ma­lice, disorder, and Warre.

But on the contrary, let the King, and all that feare God and the King, trust in God, and in the Assurance of his never failing promise [expect deliverance] that these (as Iannes and Iambres that with stood Moses) shall proceed no further then God hath appointed, & that then their folly shall be made manifest to all men: And let all faithfull English men say Amen.