n
contumacy. But what Infidel King is so unreasonable, as knowing he has
a Subject, that waiteth for the second comming of Christ, after the
present world shall be burnt, and intendeth then to obey him (which is
the intent of beleeving that Jesus is the Christ,) and in the mean time
thinketh himself bound to obey the Laws of that Infidel King, (which
all Christians are obliged in conscience to doe,) to put to death, or to
persecute such a Subject?

And thus much shall suffice, concerning the Kingdome of God, and Policy
Ecclesiasticall. Wherein I pretend not to advance any Position of
my own, but onely to shew what are the Consequences that seem to me
deducible from the Principles of Christian Politiques, (which are the
holy Scriptures,) in confirmation of the Power of Civill Soveraigns, and
the Duty of their Subjects. And in the allegation of Scripture, I have
endeavoured to avoid such Texts as are of obscure, or controverted
Interpretation; and to alledge none, but is such sense as is most plain,
and agreeable to the harmony and scope of the whole Bible; which was
written for the re-establishment of the Kingdome of God in Christ. For
it is not the bare Words, but the Scope of the writer that giveth the
true light, by which any writing is to bee interpreted; and they that
insist upon single Texts, without considering the main Designe, can
derive no thing from them cleerly; but rather by casting atomes of
Scripture, as dust before mens eyes, make every thing more obscure than
it is; an ordinary artifice of those that seek not the truth, but their
own advantage.

CHAPTER XLIV. OF SPIRITUALL DARKNESSE FROM MISINTERPRETATION OF
SCRIPTURE

The Kingdome Of Darknesse What

Besides these Soveraign Powers, Divine, and Humane, of which I have
hitherto discoursed, there is mention in Scripture of another Power,
namely, (Eph. 6. 12.), that of "the Rulers of the Darknesse of this
world," (Mat. 12. 26.), "the Kingdome of Satan," and, (Mat. 9. 34.), "the
Principality of Beelzebub over Daemons," that is to say, over Phantasmes
that appear in the Air: For which cause Satan is also called (Eph. 2.
2.) "the Prince of the Power of the Air;" and (because he ruleth in the
darknesse of this world) (Joh. 16. 11.) "The Prince of this world;" And
in consequence hereunto, they who are under his Dominion, in opposition
to the faithfull (who are the Children Of The Light) are called the
Children Of Darknesse. For seeing Beelzebub is