Qu. 1 WHether any King can possibly at any time bee chosen with greater consent and approba­tion of the people, than was the first King of Israel, Saul? for it is said, 1 Sam. 10.24. That all the people shouted and said God save the King, and chap. 11.15. That Saul and all the People of Israel re­joyced greatly.

Qu. 2 Whether notwithstanding the said free electi­on and universal approbation, the Lord did not from Heaven manifest this choice to bee a horrible wickedness in his sight, by sending thunder and rain in wheat harvest, 1 Sam. 12.17. And did not the People acknowledge as much, saying (vers. 19.) wee have added to all our sinnes this evill, to ask us a King?

Qu. 3 Whether Gods severe punishment of Saul in rending the kingdome from him, for one sinfull act (which man would take to bee an act of mercy at first sight, in sparing Agag, and zeal in preserving the fatlings for sacrifice) doth not evidently declare Gods indignation against King-ship, 1 Sam. 15.23.

Qu. 4 Whether did not the Lord reckon with the People of Israel for their Kingly Government; and for this their great sinne of making themselves rather Beasts than men, by submitting the reason of the whole Nation to one man, when hee destroyed seventy thousand of them by the Pestilence in three days, for Davids one sinne of numbring the people [Page 4]2 Sam. 24.15. the Heathen could say, delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi.

Qu. 5 Whether the Lord by permitting Salomon (the wisest of the meer sonnes of men) to become a Fool by leaving the true God, who had twice ap­peared to him, and turning aside to Idols, and go­ing after the abominations of the Heathens, 1 Kin. 11.5. did not point (as it were) with the finger at this beastly folly of Israel, in advancing one man to so great a height, as to put him above man, and to make him a King, that so they might even fall down, and worship the great Idol which they had set up?

Qu. 6. Whether though the People of Israell had thus rejected the Lord in setting up a King, upon the revolting of the Ten Tribes from Rehoboam, when they cryed what portion have wee in David, to your Tents O Israel, because he hearkned not to the coun­sel of the old men, 1 King. 12.8. having all this time well smarted for their folly, and the Govern­ment of Kingship proving very burdensome and ty­rannical (as appears 1 King. 12.9, 10) doth the Lord either blame or condemn the said ten Tribes for their defection, or in any kind testifye his displeasure a­gainst them? nay, doth hee not plainly justify them therein, by sending Shemaiah the Prophet, to their brethren, that would have gone out to warre against them, saying, Yee shall not go up to sight against your brethren, return every man to his own house; for this thing is from mee, saith the Lord, 1 King. 12.24.

Qu. 7. Whether is it not probable that the Lord would give as good Kings to his own peculiar people, whom hee loved as the apple of his eye, as to any other people whatsoever, and yet what horrid murders [Page 5]and cruel bloodshed, were there continually among the said Kings of Israel to obtain the Crown; and how were the people vexed with warres continually, by reason of those cursed Kings, and how few of the said Kings have dyed in their beds, like other men. See the books of the Kings and Chroni­cles.

Qu. 8. Whether doth not the Office of King-ship in the very nature and being thereof, tend directly by advancing prerogative to the enslaving of the peo­ple, by whom it is establisht, and by magnifying its own power and grandeur perpetually to prey upon the peoples liberty, and property, according to the description given thereof, 1 Sam. 8. from 11. to 19. v. It being as diametrically opposite to the Peoples Li­berty, as darkness is to light, Prerogative, and Free­dome, being like two ballances, when one is up, the o­ther is down, and hath not the experience of all ages in other Nations, and in our own, very lately given sad and bleeding testimonies to the truth hereof?

Qu. 9. Whether would it not make the heart and bowels of any Christian to yern, tremble, and bleed within him, to consider how the poor people of Israel, were punished from time to time, for the wickednesse of their Kings, insomuch as it is said, 2 King. 14.26. The Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter, and have not war, and the plague been (as it were) entailed upon our own Nation on the account of Kingship from Generation to Ge­neration, and doth not the mercy of God in freeing the great City and Nation, both from the one and the other, since Kingship was abolished, give clear testimony hereunto?

Que. 10 Whether did not judgement and justice [Page 6]run down like a might stream, whilst the people of Israel in a free Commonwealth were under the go­vernment of their good Moses, Joshuas and Samuels; but when they would have Kings like the Heathens round about them; were not men made offenders for a word (though it were the Word of the Lord) to the imprisoning of their persons, witnesse the Pro­phet Jeremy, &c. Jer. 32.3. And many others; nay, were they not causelesly stript of their lives and properties, through the base lusts of their Kings, (though some of them good ones;) do wee not finde Naboth, 1 King. 21. in a solemn way of fasting, had his life taken away, that so his Vineyard might bee ob­tained by King Ahab; and Uriah, with many others lost their lives, most trecherously, that so the Adul­tery with Bathsheba his wife might bee covered and concealed from the people, though it could not from the Lord, 2 Sam. 11. and 12. ch. And for the pride of Hezekiahs heart were not the children of Israel car­ried captive into Babylon, 2 King. 20.17, 18. And did not the Lord for the wickednesse of Manasseh, bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever should hear thereof, both his ears should tingle, 2 Kings 21.12.

Que. 11 Whether doth it not appear as clear as the Sun at noon-day, from the Scriptures already quoted, that God did never institute or approve the office of a King, or Kingly government, but that it is directly opposite to the minde and will of God? On the contrary, did not the Lord himself ordain a free Common-wealth for his own people, whom hee chose from all the Nations of the world, [Page 7]and then gave them a Government, not like to theirs, (which was King-ship) and when they re­jected this, doth hee not plainly say, 1 Sam. 8.5. they had rejected him, that hee should not raign over them, 1 Sam. 8.7. and doth not God farther say, Hos. 8.3. Israel hath cast off the thing that is good, and verse 4. They have set up Kings, but not by mee, they have made Princes, and I knew it not.

Que. 12 Whether will this new modell'd King­ship bee the government of Jesus Christ so much spoken of in Scripture, as also in the Remonstrances, Declarations, and Papers of the Army, particularly in that Declaration from Muscleborrough in Scot­land, 1650. wherein they professe themselves not to bee Souldiers of fortune, nor merely the servants of men, but have proclaimed Jesus Christ (the King of Saints) to bee their King? Or will it bee the New Jerusalem descending from God out of Heaven, mentioned, Rev. 21.2. or the new Heavens, and new Earth, wherein dwells Righteousnesse, pro­mised and spoken of by the Prophets, and in the New Testament, 2 Pet. 3.13. Or rather is not this thrust on to prevent, keep out, and stand in the way of the said Government of Jesus Christ, and will not that which is spoken of by Ezekiel the Prophet, bee applicable hereunto; Thus saith the Lord God, Re­move the Diadem, and take off the Crown; This shall not bee the same, exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it; and it shall bee no more, until hee come, whose right it is, and I will give it him.

Qu. 13 Is not Kingship one of the ten horns of the Beast mentioned, Rev. 17.12, And hath it not given its strength and power to the Beast for these [Page 8]many hundred years past, and made warre with the Lambe in this Nation from time to time, to the pouring out of much innocent bood of the Saints, Rev. 17.13.14. And hath not the Lord broken this horn in peeces here amongst us, and sufficiently poured forth contempt, upon this Kingship? And shall wee yet again make warre with Jesus Christ the Lamb, and desert his cause and work, which hee hath so miraculously carried on to the wonder and astonishment of all Spectators; so that wee could truly say whilest wee were pursuing that, there was no Rock like unto our Rock, even our enemies being Judges; Deut. 32.31. And did not Englands Army once rejoyce to see this horn of the Beast cut off, and encourage Scotland thereunto, that they might become one in the Lords hand, and joyn together in the advancement of the Kingdome of Jesus Christ, and to trample down the Seat of the Beast, to hate the Whore, and burn her flesh with fire? See the Declaration of the English Army in Scotland, 1650. p. 7. Armies Declaration. Aug. 1. 1650.

Qu. 14 Whether the Lord doth not by all these punishments of his inflicted upon his own people, sufficiently threaten anger against any others, that being once free, shall upon any account whatsoever give up their liberties into the hands of any one man, to bee a King over them? And whether these things where not done as Types and Precedents for after ages; for saith the Apostle, 1 Cor. 10.6. These things were our examples, to the intent wee should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted, and Rom. 15.4. Whatsoever things were written afore-time, were written for our learning.