any civil members refusing, either by
word or deed, an acknowledgment of, or subjection unto the authority of
any magistrate actually in office, by the will of the civil body:
besides what have been already adduced, take these few following
examples of many. After that _Saul_, by his disobedience to the
commandment of the Lord, had forfeited his title to the kingdom, he was
no more honored as king, by _Samuel_, the prophet; but, on the contrary,
he openly testified to his face, that the Lord had rejected him from
being king; 1 Sam. xv, 26-35. Though he mourned over him as one
rejected, yet he no more acknowledged him as clothed with the authority
as a lawful king; nay, the Lord having rejected him, reproves his
prophet for mourning for him, 1 Sam. xvi, 1. From which, and the command
he received to anoint _David_ in his stead, and that even while the
civil society did acknowledge, and was subject unto _Saul_, it appears,
that the throne of _Israel_ was then regarded, both by the Lord and his
prophet, as vacant, until _David_ was annointed; from which time, in the
eye of the divine law, he was the rightful king, and ought, in
consequence of the public intimation made by the prophet of _Saul's_
rejection, to have been acknowledged as the Lord's Anointed by the whole
kingdom of _Israel_. In agreeableness whereto, the scripture informs,
that not only _David_ in expectation of the Lord's promise, resisted
_Saul_ as an unjust usurper, but many among the tribes of _Israel_, whom
the Spirit of God honorably mentions, rejected the government of _Saul_,
and joined themselves to him that was really anointed of the Lord; 1
Chron. xii, 1-23. Now, if the Lord did command, under pain of damnation,
to give loyal obedience to all in the place of supreme authority,
however wicked, while acknowledged by the body politic, he would not
reject such, nor command to set up others in their room, nor approve of
those who disowned and resisted them. But all this is done in this
instance, which of itself, is sufficient to overthrow their scheme.
Another instance is in 2 Chron. xi, 13, 16, where the authority of
_Jeroboam_ is rejected and cast off, even when acknowledged and
submitted to by the nation of _Israel_, by the priests and _Levites_,
and after them, by all such as did set their hearts to seek the Lord God
of _Israel_, through all the ten tribes; and this, because of his
abominable wickedness. Whereby it appears a commendable duty to refuse