fon upon which to believe it, and the Experience of all Ages doth abundantly confirm it.

We have good Reafon upon which to believe it, and that upon thefe two plain accounts.

1. Because Soveraign Kings and Princes are God's Deputies and Vicegerents, fet up by himself, and they derive their Power and Authority from him alone. God Almighty, the Maker of us all, is the only Abfolute Lord and Uncontrolable Soveraign of Men and Angels. Part of his own Power and Authority which he hath over his Creatures, he hath delegated and committed to Kings and Princes, who are the most principal Inftruments and Minifters of his Providence in the World. Hence are they called Gods, and Children of the Moft High, Pfal. 82. 6. God hath invested them with fome part of his own Majefty, ftamped his own Character upon them, and appointed them in his place to perform and adminifter even fome part of his own Divine Office, if I may so speak, amongst men: Thus conftituting them Earthly Gods, as to their Perfons facred, and as to their Actions accountable to none, but that fupereminent Divine Authority that gave them Commiffion.

This is not any new-coined Divinity, invented in favour of Arbitrary Power by Court Parafites, and needy Flatterers, who feek Preferment; (as the Ene

mies

mies of our flourishing Monarchy have fometimes represented it;) but it is exprefly delivered in the Holy Scriptures, was profeffedly owned and taught by the Primitive Chriftians, and hath been the conftant Doctrine of the Reformed Church of England: Nay, it is agreeable to the general fenfe of Mankind, and might be made out by rational Evidence, if we had no other Confirmation of it.

That Supreme Governours have their Power and Authority from God alone, is exprefly delivered in Scripture, and that not only of the Kings of Ifrael, who were evidently established by God's Appointment, but in general we are told, Prov. 8. 15, 16. By me Kings reign, and Princes decree juftice. By me Princes rule, and Nobles, even all the Judges of the earth. Thus Cyrus an Heathen Emperour is called God's Anointed, Ifa. 45.1. Thus Jaith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus; and in the laft Verfe of the preceeding Chapter he is called God's Shepherd: (Princes being often, by reason of the refemblance between the Paftoral Office and Government, called Shepherds) I have made the earth, faith God by the Prophet Jeremiah 27. 5, 6. and have given it to whom it seemed meet unto me, and now have I given all thefe lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the King of Babylon my Servant. Thus Daniel declares that the most high

ruletb

Tuleth in the Kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomfoever he will. And he tells Nebuchadnezzar, cap. 2. 37. that it was the God of Heaven that had given him a Kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. In the New Testament nothing can be plainer, than the beginning of the thirteenth Chapter to the Romans, where St. Paul tells us, that there is no power but of God: that the powers that be are ordained of God. Whence in the next Verfe he ftileth Magiftracy or Government the Ordinance of God; and in the Fourth Verse the Ruler is called the Minifter of God (not of the People) to execute his vengeance upon them that do evil.

I shall not now trouble you with any Quotations out of the Primitive Fathers, who fo often acknowledged even their Heathen Emperours to have been constituted by God, and to have held their Empire from him alone, and to have only him above them.

It is plain that this was always the Doctrine of our Church of England, as appears from the Book of Homilies, wherein we are taught, That the High Powers are fet in Authority by God, that they are God's Lieutenants, God's Prefidents, God's Officers, God's Commiffioners, God's Judges ordained of God himself; nay, it hath been directly afferted in our Church, That the most high and facred Order of Kings is of

Divine

Divine Right, being the Ordinance of God himself, founded in the prime Law of Nature, and clearly eftablished by exprefs Texts both of the Old and New Teftament.

Nor is it our Religion alone that teacheth us this, but the fame was of old owned both by the Heathen Poets and Philofophers, that Kings were from God, and to his Supreme Authority ordering, and appointing it, was to be referred the Original of all Soveraignty and Rule amongst men.

Nor indeed can it be well conceived, or reafonably imagined, from whence Kings and Soveraign Powers thould have Right to Govern and Command, but from God alone. Since he is the undoubted Lord of the whole Earth, and alone hath full power and right to Govern it, I cannot fee but that whoever shall go about to confer any power of Government, or take upon himself any fuch Authority over others, were it not by God's appointment and inftitution, he would thereby put himself upon difpofing of God's right, without his leave or ordering. So that Government and Superiority of one or more over others, is all Tyranny and Usurpation upon God's right, or else it must be granted to be Ordained by God himself. And it being fo neceffary for the Happiness and Welfare of Mankind, that it is impoffible Peace

and

and Order should be maintained, Juftice adminiftred, or that we fhould live in tolerable safety, every man enjoying his own, without Government, it would feem an unworthy difparagement and reflexion upon the Divine Wisdom and Goodnefs, to have left the World without any such provifion for the quiet and fecurity of it.

Thus whatever the Form of Government may be, which is different in feveral places, whether it be in a fingle perfon, or many, or in the Body of the People, or their Reprefentatives, whatever hand the people may have in fome places, according to the particular Customs of their Countries, in Chufing or Designing the perfon or perfons, that shall be invested with this Supreme Authority, yet the Power and Authority it felf is derived only from God, and is neither received of the People in truft, nor is the Soveraign Power anfwerable to them for the Administration of it. Which is fometimes illuftrated thus, Tho' the Wife may chufe what perfon fhe pleafeth to make her Husband, yet the Husbands Authority over the Wife is not owing to her, nor doth fhe confer it upon him, but it is of Divine Appointment.

The King (as it hath been faid of old) in regard of the Nature of his Body is of the fame Mould with every man, but in respect of the eminency of his Dig

nity