Baxter - BT767 B28 1662

Part li. A Saint or 11 Br111t, 175" firfi, they are anfwered with the Obliga tion of the inviolable Oarh, YtJfh. 9 · · . . · . So thollgh Zedekj~th ~as the I<mgof :B~hyloNJ ~apttve, force could not excufe his pequry and C:ovenant-breakmg, but God fevercly condemned and nenged ir. . So that cyery Subject that bath but bound himfelf in Allegi· ance to his Soveraign, is u-nder fuch an Obligation 8!. to a tFue .Believer is more dreadful to violate~ then it is to foffcr death•. YeaGod hath written fuch a Law againfi Prrj14rJ, tven in Na– ture it felf, that he mu!l: needs be ajrt~id of it, that is not a fiat Arheifi, lefi his appeal to God~ do bring the vengeance of God· upon him : And in this life the perjured or:dinarily meet with that Divine revenge which is the fore-runner of eternal vcmge– ance : The perjured are untie for humane Society ; hated by God~and never more to be truUed by man , till found Repent~ ance makeachange : Which made .Augtt/iins determine, that he that urgeth another to forfwear himfelf, is as much worfe thena munherer, as killing the foul is worfe then killing the Body. Seeing then tha-t Religiondoublerh rh€fe fa.cred bonds , and caft– eth Hell-fire into the face of the perjured and perfidious, it mutl: needs beafingular preferver ofKingdoms andall Societies, which fall in pieces where thefe bonds are loofed ; and fall into -the hands of God, who is a confuming fire , ef,Recially to perjured men, I 3. MoreoTJer it u only God!inefs that o~eytth with true Loyalty ~ 11nd cllrryeth on Ill/ work! meth~dic!ill] for the 6"orm:non Good. As be that will obey every Jufl:ice of Peace in all things that he com– mandeth, without refpelt to the Laws or wiU of the Soveraign Po~er, maybe fooner aTrapor then truly obedimt; (for every JufiiCe or L~rd may arm him asai~U his Prince) fo he t~at will obey the Prmces of the earth, Wl[hout refpect to the Wtll or In– ttrefi of tbe Eternal God, will be but a Traytor wGod, under pretence of obeying Princes, that are but his Officers and Ser– vants. But the godly begi" 111t qod in their obedience; and there– fore they proceed methodically, and obey men upon tight grou~ds and in their proper places. lE is not the mcjJ a6fo1Hte obedtence to man that is thebtft. He that fho'ftld command men cauFcleily to fire his Countrey) or ro defiroy the innocent~ or eo ravi!h Virgins. or mens Wiv~s~ were noit.o.be obfyed , as D(je! obryed .

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