A pleasant new nosegay full of many godly and sweet flowers, lately gatheredA pleasaunt newe nosegaye full of many godly and swete floures, lately gathered

When God by his extent puissance & stretched out power had ⟨image 55⟩delivered the people of Israel out of their miserable servitude, wherewith they were grievously oppressed of the cruel and lionlike Tyrant Pharaoh, did he not appoint Moses to be their ruler,¹ guide, captain & governor, that he having the preeminence & rule over them, should safe conduit them, rule & govern them after the will of God? Would he have done this, if it had been a thing unjust, unmeet & unlawful? Would he not rather have suffered his people to run astray as masterless hounds and as sheep destitute of a shepherd or herdsman without any order? Did not Jethro also, a man of great virtue,² and replete with the holy Ghost, when he saw Moses alone take all the pains in hearing the causes of the Israelites from morning until even, say to him these words? Look out among all thy people such as be wise men, & ⟨image 55⟩that fear GOD, and such as are true, and hate covetousness. Make these rulers over them, some over thousands, some over hundreds, over fifty, and over ten, that they may alway judge the people. Moses so did, & God approved his act. Here see we other magistrates & rulers appointed also to serve in the public weal besides the head officer, which they also being lawfully chosen and set in office, are approved before God.³ After Moses were not Joshua, Othoniel, Aioth, Sangar, Delbora, Gideon, Abimelech, Thola, Jayr, Jephthah, Samson, & at the last Samuel, Judges and rulers over the Israelites? Ware not all these approved to be the just and lawful ministers of God. Did not Moses also before his death show to the people of Israel, that afterward God should give them a king of the number of their brothers, ⟨image 56⟩which should be their rulers as all nations have through out all the world? Do we not here learn that all Nations at that time had kings, & that kings are appointed & chosen by the election of god? This is sufficient for any faithful heart to prove, establish, & corroborate the authority of Kings and other civil magistrates. But let us hearken more to the Scripture.