12. This opinion, that the whole law is abolished, doth pull up true magistracy by the roots, the office of rulers being for the punishment of evil doers, and for the praise of them that do well. But if the statutes and judgments be not in force, there is no corporeal punishment to be inflicted upon any, though thieves, murderers, or the like; and so there is no room for the magisterial power at all, but men are left in this respect as the beasts of the field, to shift one among another as well as they can. But the Apostle saith, _The law is made for the lawless and disobedient, for ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for man-slayers_, &c. 1 Tim. 1:9, 10. Now that this is the law of penalties, is manifest, in that it is said it was not made for a righteous man; but the ten commandments were for the righteous, for the Psalmist saith, _Make me to go in the path of thy commandments, for therein do I delight. O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day._ Psalm 119:35, 97. And how shall we have governors as at the first, and counsellors as at the beginning, (Isa. 1:26,) if they have no law to govern by? If any say we shall have laws from Christ, and shall not need those laws that were for the commonwealth of Israel, I answer, I know no word of God that doth give us ground to hope for any other laws of Scripture then what we have. And suppose that God should revive his work and bring his enemies under, and put opportunity into the hands of men fearing God and hating covetousness to rule the nation, and to make laws according to Scripture, what could they do if the Scripture were not their statute-book, if they should turn law-makers? Would not that be their sin, there being no warrant in the Scripture for it? And would it not bring all into confusion again, and make another Babel? For the great question which is to be resolved in the latter days, will be, Who is our statute-maker?--which the saints put out of question in Isa. 33:22, _The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Statute-maker, the Lord is our King, he will save us,_ (and not king Omri with his statutes.) Mich. 6:16. And when the saints come to own this truth in good earnest, their opponents' tacklings will be loosed; they shall neither strengthen their masts, nor spread their sails. And Malachi tells us what laws our King hath made, which the saints are to own when the day of the Lord shall burn as an oven all the proud, and the Sun of Righteousness arise upon all that fear him; when they shall tread down the wicked with so much ease that they shall be as ashes under the soles of their feet, so that it shall be counted the Lord's doings. And in the day that the Lord shall do this, _Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments._ Mal. 4:3, 4. * * * * *