A VINDICATION OF KINGS AND NOBLES.  
Against that ungodly paper called, The Alarm to the head Quarters.  
By T. H.  
LONDON, Printed for R. L. Nou. 15. 1647.   

A Vindication of Kings and Nobles, against that ungodly paper called, An Alarm to the head Quarters.  
A Vindication and clearing of King Charles, against that ungodly paper called, The Alarm to the head Quarters, that paper speaks maliciously and wickedly, against the Title, Power, and Person of King Charles and his posterity.  
I hope the head Quarters will not commend such an ungodly Book, for by the help of God I shall make it plainly appear by the holy Scriptures, that Kings do much good, and blessed is the Land where good Kings are: Therefore let those that desire Anarchy count themselves slaves to their sins more than slaves to their Kings, if he rule according to godly Laws, for all their bibble babbling in that book, so leaving them to be wise in their own conceits, let us come to show something of the wisdom of the word of God, first of all, before Noah's flood we read of no Kings; and what wickedness was then committed, was not the earth then filled with blood and violence, so that the Lord repent that he had made man upon the earth, and so all was destroyed but eight persons, and so there was no King in Judah nor in Israel, when the civil wars began in Gibath of Benjamin, what a beastly act was there committed by this free people? how were they enslaved to their sins? and would not give up those wicked men to any justice, until ruin and bloodshed came upon them all, Judg. 10. 40. There was no King in Israel, when they went tumultuously, and wickedly went to burn and spoil their Neighbour Jephtaphs house, Judges 12. 1. and many times the people of Israel were oppressed by the Midianites, and by the Moabites, and the Canaanites, until God raised them up a Judge or General to go before them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies, and for their Religion these people of Juda and Israel when they had no King but God: they forsook him and did evil in his sight, and served Baalim and As-shateroth, and the God of Syria, and the gods of Zydon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistims, and forsook the Lord, and served him not, Judg. 10. 6, 7. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel: where then are those men which put all fault in their King for their idolatry? when as the people of Israel without a King, fell so much into idolatry, that God Almighty bid them cry unto their false gods, he would deliver them no more, Judg. 10. 13, 14. Now at last all the Elders of Israel came to Samuel at Ramoth, and said Make us a King to judge us like other Nations, when as yet the Lord their God was their King.  
And although Samuel told them the conditions of a King at large, Sam. 8. yet no persuasions would prevail, but they would have a King to fight their battles, like all other Nations, and God Almighty bid Samuel hearken to the people and make them a King, Sam. 10. 1. Then Samuel took a Viol of oil, and poured upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be Captain of his inheritance, and ver. 20. Saul is chosen of the Lord in public, And ver. 24. The people shouted and said, God save the King.  
Now presently God worketh a deliverance to the people by his King, for Chap. 11. 1. the Amonites came up and besieged jabesh Gillead, and would make no Covenant, nor show no mercy, but to put out all their right eyes, but King Saul gathered the people together and slew them, and scattered them so that there was not two left together, and the people would have slain the enemies of King Saul, had not the King hindered them.  
Then after God chose King David, Sam. 16. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward.  
Then Kings which come lawfully to be King, are of Gods choosing: Then let not men rail like Shimei, in their words, and in their books, against Kings, nor against our King, nor call him bloody man, as some do in their books, for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of the people.  
But leaving these people to their own consciences, let us speak something of the great good that many Kings have done.  
Some good did King Saul, we read of little Idolatry in his days, and he saved the people from the Amorites, he saved them from the Philistims, and King David mourneth for him, and saith, he taught them to shoot, and clothed them in Scarlet, and King David after him did great good, God Almighty enabled him to overcome all the Heathen his enemies round about, he brought renoun to his Nation, and made the Canaanites and the Amorites to pay Tribute, so that he had a great name through out the whole World.  
And for Religion he was most excellent, how many Psalms of thanksgiving did this worthy King write how mightily did this King set out God's works in the creation of the world, and how doth he record God's deliverance in former times, & how wonderfully did God reveal unto him by the spirit of prophecy, the Kingdom of Christ, and how did the people and the King rejoice together in their free will offerings toward the building of the Temple, and in their Sacrifices and feasting, and then he blessed them in the name of the Lord, and let them go. And after his decease, God chose Solomon to be their King, and he was anointed by the Prophet, proclaimed with great joy, so that the earth rang of the shouts of the people: Then why do Anarchy people scoff at the anointing of Kings, are they wiser than their Maker? surely no, and we find it no where forbidden in the New Testament, but we are commanded to give Caesar his due, and Christian Religion teacheth us to honour the King, and to pray for him and all that are put in authority by him, Saint Peter and St. Paul were better taught in Christ's school then all the Anarchy men in the world. And was not King Solomon the wisest man that lived, God almighty loved him, he builded that famous Temple at Jerusalem, and directed and ordered stately and wise orders in the Church and Commonwealth, as for his sins, God gave him repentance, and therefore we ought to speak little of that, then after his decease, by succession for many ages, God raised up his sons to be Kings, Rehoboam, Abia, Asa, Jehosophat, Ahaziah, Joram, Jehonas, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekias, and the rest, till the Captivity. Many of these were godly and religious Kings, some were, indifferent, and some were very bad, yet all were made Kings in order, Abia had some fear of God, and got a mighty victory against Jeroboam, and Idol Priests. Asa feared God, and prayed unto him, and God gave him a mighty victory over the Blackmoores and Lubines, which came to invade his Land, they had fared so well in his Grandfather Rehoboams time, because he had fallen to idolatry, that they came again, but he made them fly to Gaza, and took sheep and oxen, and an exceeding great spoil, and Jehosaphat feared God, and maintained righteousness and true justice, charging the Judges to do no wrong: And when he and the people fasted and prayed, when three Kings with all their power, came up with all their hosts, the Lord heard their prayers, and raised up a Prophet to tell them that they should not be afraid of them, but should go out against them, and so the Lord sent strife among the Heathen Kings, that they destroyed one another in such abundance, that the people were three days a gathering the riches which they left upon the ground.  
Thus God helped those good Kings, Hezekiah and Josias, many good Kings hath God sent amongst his people, and in many places we ought to judge so, and not to cry out slavery because there are degrees of men one above an other, they that are great and strong should help the needy and oppressed, and pull the prey out of their strength which they have taken from the simple widows and father less children. I hope none of these Anarchy people which are against Kings and Nobles, I hope none of them will speak against the King of Saints in heaven: for there are degrees of glory in heaven, yet all are free, one star differeth in glory above another, yet they should keep their places, Godliness is great gain, if a man be content with his estate: And here in England, God Almigty hath sent us many good Kings, Queens, and Nobles, although this Alarm paper doth envy all the Norman Race and Orders of Lords, yet we have had godly, learned, wise and valiant Kings and Nobles in this Land as any other. What valiant Edward's have we had in this Land, which conquered that great Kingdom of France, and made them pay tribute? And King Henry the Seventh how valiant he was to pull the Kingdom out of the Usurper and Tyrant's hand Richard the Third. How wise and prudent was he in bringing England's peace again, how just was he in sitting in Courts of Justice many times himself: What buildings did he build at Westminster? How valiant was his son Henry the Eighth, and Edward the Sixth? what care had he of Religion? how charitable was he to the poor Orphans of the City of London can tell, than Queen Elizabeth, how constant was she in the Protestant Religion? how learned in Languages? how wise and loving to the people? then King James a man very learned and peaceable: And now King Charles hath a great many good conditions. Who can tell what favour the Lord will show him. Yet than I pray (good brother and sister) to them that cry out thou art in slavery under Kings and Nobles, in this wicked paper called, The Alarm to the head Quarters, have ye not a double heart, and would you not have the brambles Kings of the Forest, if it be so, change your minds, for certainly God Almighty will keep better order in the world, therefore with the Apostles let us pray for Kings and Governors, that under them we may live a free and godly life, in peace and honesty.  
FINIS.   

Imprimatur  
I. Downame.