The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…

49. God hath not made any one form of Government universally necessary, Monarchy, Aristocracy or Democracy; and who hath the highest power, and in what degree, and under what limits, is not to be decided by Divines from the word of God alone, but by Lawyers from the Constitutions of the respective Common-wealths. And it is usually of ill consequence, when Divines are too forward to go out of their calling, and to be determiners herein; Especially when few of them use to be well studied in the Laws of the Land; at least not comparably to Lawyers, who have made it the business of their lives.

50. Those who dissolve the obligation of Oaths and Vows are most perfidious enemies to Kings and Common-wealths: much more those Infidels, who make every mans personal sensuality and lust to be the Highest Law of Nature, besides which nothing obligeth him to keep his Covenants or vows, nor to spare the lives of Kings, Parents or any neighbours. And though it is true that every man loveth himself and feareth him that can hurt him, yet so cross are mens sensual interests, so blind and various are their opinions, so violent their lusts, so desperate their passions, so cunning their contrivances, so many their opportunities and temptations, that the lives of Kings are never safe, if all mens consciences are once disobliged from the bond of Oaths and divine commands: which if the Atheists themselves did not perceive, they would not make Religion a necessary humane project for keeping Vulgar Wits in obedience: but they will shortly find that it was necessary from a nobler foundation and to a nobler end.

In sum, They that, 1. make man but a subtle beast, and make his Reason but a projecting Servant to his sense, 2. and deny all the Law of Nature save sensuality, 3. and make all the vitiosity of man to be his natural Law, 4. and then take up an answerable Idea of God, as being no moral Governor to whom no man oweth obedience, not just, not merciful, but only the equal spring of an unalterable engine called the universe, 5. and make all things that man can do to be lawful, and all that ever is done to be equally good, as being all but the effect of necessitating premotion, 6. and that no man oweth Love, justice or duty to Parents, King or Country, but what his personal sensuality perceiveth to be a fit means for it self, 7. and that it is no sin to kill King or Parents or Children or Neighbours; if he can scape revenge and hurt, and serve his lust thereby, 8. and that no Oaths bind him to his King or Country, longer than he finds it for his sensual good, 9. and that he that can kill or depose the King, and get possession, hath as good a Title, as he had, 10. and that all men are to be held by us as enemies except Subjects and confederates, 11. and that no man is to fear any punishment, nor hope for any reward from God in this life or in the life to come, 12. and so that Epicurean Physics are the sole Philosophy, and morality is nothing but a vulgar deceit: I say they that hold and publish this, are such as we hold more worthy to be banished five miles from all Cities and Corporations, than our selves: And we leave their Principles and ours to the judgement of posterity, wishing (in vain) that those Conformists who are thought sufficient for the sacred work without us, and have access to those whom we may not converse with, had proved more sufficient to have preserved Cities and Corporations and the Land from Infidelity, Popery and raging sensuality.