A Hind Let Loose: Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its PeriodsShields, Alexander
History
A Hind Let Loose: Or, An Historical Representation of the Testimonies of the Church of Scotland for the Interest of Christ. With the True State Thereof in All Its Periods
Shields, Alexander
Church of Scotland -- Controversial literature; Church of Scotland -- History; Covenanters; Scotland -- Church history
succession or constitution of the governors, and obliging the people to
own the government so constituted, with exclusion and disallowance of
any other. And so, if in that constitution there be a substantial
deviation from the rule, as when incompetent or unallowed persons be
the advancers of themselves, or others, into that place by illegal and
sinistrous means, in as much as in that case there is the divine
disapprobation, it may be said there is no ordinance of God, but a
contradiction and contra-ordination to God's order. Gee's magist.
origin. chap. 5. sect. 4. subject 3 page 135. This will shake off this
of ours, and all other tyrants and usurpers, that come into the
government, and hold it not according to God's rule.
4. It is clear also in the second place, that the authority which we can
own out of conscience, must have constitution by the people. The special
way by which men should be called into the place of sovereign power, may
perhaps not be found so expresly defined in scripture, as mens call to
the other ordinance of the ministry is; yet in this two things are
essentially necessary to the constitution of a magistrate, the peoples
consent and compact either formal and virtual. And without these we can
own conscientious subjection and allegiance to no man living. That the
first is necessary will be evident, from the law of nature and nations,
and from scripture. First, The light and law of nature dictates, that
the right and interest of constituting magistrates is in the elective
vote or suffrage of the people. This will appear, 1. If we consider the
original of government among men, especially after they were so
multiplied, that there was a necessity of a reduction into diverse
communities; which, whatever was before the flood, yet after it, behoved
to be by a coalition with consent under an elective government. The
scripture makes it more than probable, that the partition of
commonwealths was in Peleg's days, in whole time the earth was divided,
Gen. x. 2. occasioned by the confusion of "languages at Babel, which did
dissolve their union, and scatter them abroad upon the face of all the
earth," Gen. xi. 9.
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