To the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England.  
SIRS,  
YOu know how that after Gideon had slain the Kings of Midian, Then the men of Israel said unto him, Rule thou over us, both thou, and thy son, and thy son's son also, for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian: And Gideon said unto them, I will not rule over you, 
Judg. 8.22.  neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you. And the Country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon. 
vers. 28. vers. 33, 34, 35.  But afterwards when they forgot Jehovah their God, 
Chap. 9.6.  they made Abimelech (the concubines son in Shechem) King, 
vers. 57 vers. 14, 15, 16, 21. vers. 7.3.  upon whom God brought the Curse of (Jotham) gideon's youngest son, who called Abimelech the Bramble, and his ambition after the Kingship the Brambles choice, and others leave.  
Therefore O ye chosen and betrusted Princes of England, what is in your minds, that ye now are about to set up a King over us again, since we have been and still are set free by your predecessors, the former Parliament, who after long and large experience abolished the Kingship, which you are about to establish? And Oliver Lord Protector, then Lieut. General, consented hearty thereunto, as in (charity) we verily believed.  
And it's remarkable, that in the time of the late wars the LORD of Hosts never wrought more powerfully for England then when the Parliaments Commissions were most effectual against the King, and his Malignant party: Then were the enemies of God broken in pieces, dissipated and dissimated, and their King cut off, as the foam upon the water: And the Kingly Office being utterly abolished with the house of Lords as useless and burdensome, God went on with his mercies, crowning this Commonwealth with many Victories.  
Since which time (before the late disaster at Hispaniola) Peoples have been subdued by us, and nations under our feet. As if the most high God had taken upon him to be King of the good people of England as formerly of Israel (in the days of the Judges till Samuel the Prophet) who under specious pretences said, 
1 Sam. 8.  Make us a King, 1 Sam. 8.5. there shall be a King over us, 
vers. 19, 20.  that we also may be like all the Nations, and that our King may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles. For the Philistines and the Ammonites were enemy to them, as the Spaniards and the French to us; and what reason have we to ask a King more than they? But the thing displeased the LORD and Samuel; and it was accounted no better than a rejecting of God: and Samuel declared the sore oppression which the King would exercise over them by his own will, and that the Lord would not hear them when they cried unto him by reason thereof. 
vers. 11, 18,   
Nevertheless they waved the religious counsel of the Prophet Samuel, 
vers. 19  and proceeded in their politic resolutions, and the Lord gave them a King in his anger, 
Hos. 13.11.  and by thunder and hail from heaven convinced them of this their wickedness: 
Judg. 12. vers. 19  and they confessed, saying, 
Chap. 9.13.  We have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a King, although they had not aught to say against their King, for King Saul was a member of the Church, and a man well fitted and qualified both in body and mind, for the Kingly Office, and sought not the place, but in humility said, Am not I a Benjamite, 
vers. 21.  of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all? and he was so wise, and prudent, and so far from vainglory, that he told not his uncle of the matter of the Kingdom, 
Chap. 10.16.  whereof Samuel spoke unto him; and in modesty, being little in his own eyes, not counting himself worthy or fit for, the Kingdom, which fell unto him by the Lords Let, he hide himself among the stuff, 
vers. 22, 23.34.  till by the direction of God, the people fetched him thence, and proclaimed him King. Since which time, when the Israelites revolted more and more from God, he hath complained against them, saying, They have set up Kings, 
Hos. 8.4.  but not by me; they have made Princes, and I knew it not.  
The premises considered (O ye Senators of England) take heed of setting up the Office of a King again, lest you entangle this Commonwealth again, with the grievous and intolerable yoke of Regal and Tyrannical bondage. For God hath said what the King will do, he will oppress the people, though chosen by the most High. 
1 Sam. 8.11.18.   
But as touching Kings set up by men, O how disgracesully doth the Scripture speak of them! 
1 Chro. 16.19, 20, 21, 22.  God reproved Kings for the sakes of a few.  
Many such kings have come justly to untimely ends.  
What became of the Kings of Sodom, Gomorrha, Adma, 
Gen. 19  and Zeboim? were they not all burned?  
Pharaoh King of Egypt, drowned. 
Exod. 15.   
One and thirty Kings all destroyed by Joshua, many of which were hanged. 
Josh. 12.   
Eglon King of Moab, killed by Ehud. 
judg. 3.   
Zoeb and Oreb, Zebah and Zalmunnab perished, and were made as the dung of the floor. 
judg. 8.   
Abimelech (aforesaid) who by cunning contrivances, and threaten, sought to be King, came to an untimely end, by means of a woman.  
Ambitious Absalon (that said, Oh that I were King, 
Chap. 9.53. 2 Sam. 15. Chap. 18.  that I might do Justice) and other aspiring Princes, perished utterly.  
And what became of most of the Kings of Israel from Jer●boam the first, to Hoshea their last King? The Lord said concerning them, All their Kings are fallen; yea, God appointed many of them to the slaughter. 
Hos. 7.7.   
The holy Scripture doth speak very much in the disparagement of such Kings, threatneth them with the sword, pestilence, famine, captivity. etc.  
And in battle, Kings of the Armies (it's said) did slay apace: Th' Almighty scattered Kings, 
Psa. 68.12, 14. & 110.5. & 135.10. & 136.17, 18.  and will strike through Kings in the day of his wrath.  
He sl●w mighty great and famous Kings, and is said to be Terrible to the Kings of the earth; especially in the latter days, when the times draw nigh that the Kingdoms of this world shall become, the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign for ever and ever, 
Rev. 11.15.  with the Saints on earth, Rev. 5.10. the rightful possessors thereof; 
Dan. 7.21.  To whom he hath given power on earth to bind Kings with Chains, 
Psal. 149.8, 9  and their Nobles in fetters of iron, and to execute upon them the Judgement written. Yea, and John saith (in the Revelations,) I saw an Angel standing in the Sun, and cried to all the fowls that fly in the midst of Heaven, 
Rev. 19.17.21.  Come and gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God, that ye may eat the flesh of Kings, and their Armies: and Tophet is ordained of old, for Kings in a special manner. 
Isa. 30.33.   
These things being considered, surely it will not be for the honour of this Free State and Commonwealth to set up a King over us like the rest of the nations.  
It God hath set us free, why should we return into bondage, and take upon us such an insufferable yoke that neither we nor our forefathers were ever able to bear?  
Had not Israel as great and as many pretences for to set up a King in the days of Samuel, as we have now? But it was sin in them to ask a King, and is it not a sin for any to offer such a thing to us?  
What warrant is there for it in the word of the Lord you cannot make it an action of Faith: and whatsoever is not of Faith is sin, and the wages of sin is death.  
Is there any necessity for us to have a King?  
What benefit or happiness may the Commonwealth expect thereby?  
Shall we ease our Taxes therewith?  
And what safety or security can we expect by the King whom you shall choose, whose life is but a vapour? and are you sure his Children will be right and just? Who knoweth whether he that shall come and reign after him, 
Eccles. 2.19. & 10.16.  shall be a wise man, or a fool? Then woe to this land, when thy King is a Child.  
Consider the great danger mischief, and inconvenience which may happen upon this evil choice of a King: For it is not to be doubted but that the hearts of all the well-affected, and well-informed Ministers and People will be against it, as they have been at the beginning; And it may well be feared that such a Regal choice will involve the Commonwealth in a Chaos of confusion, and the same may prove of dangerous consequence, and beget a Triangle division, a second most cruel bloody and unnatural war, and lay the Land open to a foreign enemy, and so the last error will be worse than the first.  
Pity it is that all the blood which hath been spilt and treasure spent to purchase our freedom, should be made ineffectual, to the gratifying of our enemies, and grieving our friends, trifling out the precious time, to twist briers and brambles, in stead of taking off the yoke of oppression and letting the oppressed go free, Isa. 58.  
Much more might be said against the aforesaid Regal choice; but you know the Scripture, Law, Reason, good men's writings, Parliamentary Sermons, the nations Engagement and Articles of Government, to be all against it; and so is an honest and unperjured English heart.  
Samuel Chidley.