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* Rom.

13. 2, 5.

Opinion of much the greater part of our dignified Clergy. If fo, I am fure they

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" of fubjection as any thing else whatfoever". And fome pages lower, he proposes an Objection, and answers it. "But, fays he, if mens hands be thus tied, will fome

fay, no man's State can be fecure: nay the whole frame "of the Commonwealth would be in danger to be fub"verted and utterly ruined by the unbridled luft of a dif tempered Governor.›

"I answer, God's Word is clear in the point, *Who“ foever refifteth the power, refifteth the ordinance of "God and they that resist, shall receive to themselves

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damnation: and thereby a neceffity is impofed upon "us of being fubject even for confcience-fake; which 66 may not be avoided by the pretext of any en fuing mischief whatsoever. For by this means we James 4.fhould have liberty given unto us to speak evil of the * Law, and to judge the Law. But if thou judge the * Law, thou art not a Doer of the Law, but a Fudge,

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faith St. James. It becomes us in obedience to perform our part; and leave the ordering of events to "God, whofe part only that is." The Power communicated by God to the Prince, &c. pag. 147, 149, 159, 157. London 1683, în 8vo.

Dr. SANDERSON was of the fame Opinion, as it appears by his long Preface to Archbishop USHER'S Treatife juft mention'd; wherein, among other things, he fays, that a mixt Monarchy is an arrant Bull, a Contradiction in adjecto, and destroyeth it felf; but more particularly by that famous paffage in a Sermon of his preach'd at Hampton-Court, in the year 1640: No conjuncture of Circumftances whatsoever, can make that expedient to be done at any time, that is of it felf,

are the most dangerous fort of Men alive, to our English Government; and it is the first thing ought to be look'd into, and ftrictly examin'd by our Parliaments. Tis the leaven that corrupts the whole lump. For if that be true, I am fure Monarchy is not to be bounded by humane Laws; and the 8th Chapter of 1 SAMUEL will prove

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and in the kind * unlawful. For a man to blafpheme the holy Name of God, to facrifice to Idols, to give wrong un aov, Sentence in Judgment, by his power to oppress those or ou that are not able to withstand him, by fubtility to overrip. Phose reach others in bargaining, to take up arms, (offenfive or niss. Alt. defenfive) against a lawful Sovereign: none of these 3. and fundry other things of like nature, being all of them fimply and de toto genere unlawful, may be done by any man, at any time, in any cafe, upon any colour or pretenfion whatsoever; the exprefs Command of God himself only excepted, as in the cafe of Abraham for Gen. z facrificing his Son. Not for the avoiding of Scandal, not 21 at the inftance of any Friend, or command of any Power upon earth; nor for the maintenance of the Lives or Liberties either of our felves or others; nor for the defenfe of Religion; not for the prefervation of a Church or State: no nor yet, if that could be imagined possible, for the Salvation of a Soul, no not for the redemption of the whole World. Sermon XII. ad Aulam, preach'd at Hampton-Court, July 26, 1640. on 1 Cor. x. 23. But all things are not expedient . ..... But all things edifie not. See XXXIV Sermons, &c. by Robert Sanderson, f. pag. 522. of the eighth Edit. Lond. 1686, in fol.

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(as many of our Divines would have it) the great Charter of the Royal Prerogative: and our Magna Charta, that fays, our King's may not take our Fields, our Vineyards, our Corn, and our Sheep, is not in force, but void and null; because against Divine Inftitution. And you have the riddle out, why the Clergy are fo ready to take themselves, and to impose upon others, fuch kind of Oaths as these. They have placed themselves and their poffeffions upon a better, and a furer bottom (as they think) than Magna Charta: and fo have no more need of, or concern for it. Nay, what is worse, they have truck'd away the Rights and Liberties of the People, in this and all other Countries, wherever they have had Opportunity: that they might be owned by the Prince to be Jure divino, and maintain'd in that pretenfion by that abfolute Power and Force they have contributed fo much to put into his hands; and that Prieft and Prince may, like CASTOR and POLLUX, be worship'd together as Divine, in the fame Temple, by us poor Lay-Subjects: and that Sense and Reason, Law, Properties, Rights, and

Liberties,

Liberties, fhall be understood, as the Oracles of those Deities fhall interpret or give fignification to them; and ne'er be made ufe of in the world to oppofe the abfolute and free Will of either of them.

Sir, I have no more to fay, but beg your pardon for this tedious trouble, and that you will be very careful to whom you communicate any of this,

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