To this I answer: Yea certainly. Answ. Those who at first gave power for families and persons to keep these, never tolerated the great ones to break them. The Law of Nature never gives power to destroy it self, especially in a Kingdom where there are defensive & offensive means to be used against any means that the greatest in power may raise against the Laws and Liberties of men; for there is no man who is a subject to the Prince, but is also to the State, and the State may deal with his instruments that he employs either defensively, or offensively. Trajan after he was made Emperor put a sword into his Officers hand to defend him while he defended the Laws; but if he did fail in his duty, gave the Officer leave to deal with him as a delinquent. It will be worth our pains and cost if after all our troubles we can but get the Kingdom settled in its true rights and liberties, though our workmen who are making up our breaches through some negligence or miscarriage ⟨p. 460⟩suffer the wild beasts to break in, yet let not us murmur, and repine, but be content, and bless God that we have means for to help our selves; few years since we thought our breaches to be so wide, that none could help, or deliver us; now then that God hath raised up for us helpers contrary to our expectation, bless God for them, and be content, let us stir up our selves and join with them for their assurance. If the Sea should break in upon a Country, would you sit still or let any rest quiet by you that would not stir to make up the breach? A Farmer is contented to suffer Cattle, and see them to run up and down in his ground while his workmen are making up his hedges, and fences for to keep them out: So our workmen are making up the hedges, let us be contented to suffer a while patiently. The truth is those most complain of confusions and disturbances who have been most instrumental to make our breaches and distractions: and thus the Princes of Judah were, like them that break the bound, and for thus doing the Lord threatens in the following words, to pour out his wrath upon them like water. They have past their bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall pass its bounds upon them; they kept no bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall keep no bounds in punishing.
To this I answer: Yea certainly. Answ. Those who at first gave power for families and persons to keep these, never tollerated the great ones to break them. The Law of Nature never gives power to destroy it self, especially in a Kingdom where there are defensive & offencive means to be used against any means that the greatest in power may raise against the Laws and Liberties of men; for there is no man who is a subject to the Prince, but is also to the State, and the State may deal with his instruments that he imploys either defencively, or offencively. Trajan after he was made Emperor put a sword into his Officers hand to defend him while he defended the Laws; but if he did fail in his duty, gave the Officer leave to deale with him as a delinquent. It will be worth our pains and cost if after all our troubles we can but get the Kingdom setled in its true rights and liberties, though our workmen who are making up our breaches through some negligence or miscarriage ⟨p. 460⟩suffer the wild beasts to break in, yet let not us murmur, and repine, but be content, and bless God that we have means for to help our selves; few yeers since we thought our breaches to be so wide, that none could help, or deliver us; now then that God hath raised up for us helpers contrary to our expectation, bless God for them, and be content, let us stir up our selves and joyn with them for their assurance. If the Sea should break in upon a Country, would you sit stil or let any rest quiet by you that would not stir to make up the breach? A Farmer is contented to suffer Cattel, and see them to run up and down in his ground while his workmen are making up his hedges, and fences for to keep them out: So our workmen are making up the hedges, let us be contented to suffer a while patiently. The truth is those most complain of confusions and disturbances who have been most instrumental to make our breaches and distractions: and thus the Princes of Judah were, like them that break the bound, and for thus doing the Lord threatens in the following words, to powr out his wrath upon them like water. They have past their bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall pass its bounds upon them; they kept no bounds in sinning, and my wrath shall keep no bounds in punishing.
