He shall take your man-servants, and your maid-servants,
and the choice of your youth, and employ them in his
businesse. He shall take the tyth of your flocks;
and you shall be his servants.” This is
absolute power, and summed up in the last words, “you
shall be his servants.” Againe, when the
people heard what power their King was to have, yet
they consented thereto, and say thus, (Verse. 19 &c.)
“We will be as all other nations, and our King
shall judge our causes, and goe before us, to conduct
our wars.” Here is confirmed the Right
that Soveraigns have, both to the Militia, and to
all Judicature; in which is conteined as absolute
power, as one man can possibly transferre to another.
Again, the prayer of King Salomon to God, was this.
(1 Kings 3. 9) “Give to thy servant understanding,
to judge thy people, and to discerne between Good
and Evill.” It belongeth therefore to
the Soveraigne to bee Judge, and to praescribe the
Rules of Discerning Good and Evill; which Rules are
Lawes; and therefore in him is the Legislative Power.
Saul sought the life of David; yet when it was in
his power to slay Saul, and his Servants would have
done it, David forbad them, saying (1 Sam. 24. 9) “God
forbid I should do such an act against my Lord, the
anoynted of God.” For obedience of servants
St. Paul saith, (Coll. 3. 20) “Servants obey
your masters in All things,” and, (Verse. 22)
“Children obey your Parents in All things.”
There is simple obedience in those that are subject
to Paternall, or Despoticall Dominion. Again,
(Math. 23. 2,3) “The Scribes and Pharisees sit
in Moses chayre and therefore All that they shall
bid you observe, that observe and do.”
There again is simple obedience. And St. Paul,
(Tit. 3. 2) “Warn them that they subject themselves
to Princes, and to those that are in Authority, &
obey them.” This obedience is also simple.
Lastly, our Saviour himselfe acknowledges, that men
ought to pay such taxes as are by Kings imposed, where
he sayes, “Give to Caesar that which is Caesars;”
and payed such taxes himselfe. And that the Kings
word, is sufficient to take any thing from any subject,
when there is need; and that the King is Judge of
that need: For he himselfe, as King of the Jewes,
commanded his Disciples to take the Asse, and Asses
Colt to carry him into Jerusalem, saying, (Mat. 21.
2,3) “Go into the Village over against you,
and you shall find a shee Asse tyed, and her Colt with
her, unty them, and bring them to me. And if
any man ask you, what you mean by it, Say the Lord
hath need of them: And they will let them go.”
They will not ask whether his necessity be a sufficient
title; nor whether he be judge of that necessity;
but acquiesce in the will of the Lord.