IT is the Commandment of the Lord, that a people should enter into Covenant with the Lord to become his people, even in their Civil Society, as well as in their Church-Society (a). Whereby they submit themselves to be ruled by the Lord in all things, receiving from him, both the platform of their Government, and all their Laws; which when they do, then Christ reigneth over them in all things, they being ruled by his Will, and by the Word of his Mouth (b).

The substance of which Covenant, and subjection of themselves unto the Lord, to be ruled by him in all things, is this. That they do humbly confess their corruption by nature, and lost condition; that they acknowledge the free grace (c) of God, in their redemption by Christ, and in the promulgation of the Gospel unto them, and making

you,

(a) Deut. 29. 10, 11, 12, 13. You stand this day all of before the Lord your God: your Captains of your Tribes, your Elders and your Officers, with all the men of Israel. (11.) Your little ones, your wives, and the stranger that is in thy Camp, &c. (12.) That thout shouldest enter into Covenant with the Lord thy God, and into his oath which he maketh with thee this day, (13.) That he may establish thee to day for a people unto himself, and that he may be to thee a God, as he hath said unto thee, and as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.

(b) Isai. 33. 32. The Lord is our Judge, the Lord is our Law-giver, the Lord is our King, he shall save us.

(c) Deut. 26. 1. ad 12. I profess this day unto the Lord thy God, that I am come into the Countrey, which the Lord thy God sware unto thy fathers to give us, &c. vers. 5. And thou shalt speak, and say before the Lord thy God, A Syrian ready to perish was my father, and he went down into Egypt, &c. vers. 7. And when we cried unto the Lord, he heard us, &c. ver. 8. And the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, &c.

application thereof effectually unto their souls: and therefore the Lord hath shewed his everlasting Love unto them, and caused them inwardly by faith, to give up themselves unto him, to be for ever his, to love, serve, and obey him, in all his Word and Commandments: so now they do outwardly, and solemnly with the rest of Gods people joyn together so to do in their Civil Polity, receiving from the Lord both the platform of their civil Government, as it is set down (in the essentials of it) in the holy Scriptures; and also all their Laws, which they resolve through his grace, to fetch out of the Word of God making that their only Magna Charta; and accounting no Law, Statute or Judgement valid, farther then it appeareth to arise and flow from the Word of God.

Such as with a lively faith enter into or walk in this Covenant, do perform every Act (wherein they are free from temptation) of civil conversation among men (a) by faith in obedience unto God. Instructing that all should do so, who take this Covenant; and if they do not, they are guilty of breach of Covenant, before God. A willing subjection of a mans self to Christ in this Covenant, is some hopeful sign of some degree of faith in Christ, and love to God; and as a good preparative for a more neer approach to Christ in Church-fellowship, and Covenant: he that is willing to serve Christ by the Polity of the second Table civilly, is in some degree of preparation to serve him, by the Polity of the first Table Ecclesiastically.

The Child is implicitely comprehended in the Fathers covenant (b), the Wife is explicitely comprehended in her Husbands, insomuch that in her Widowhood she and her Family are one, under the order of the Government of God.

The particular form of Government, which is approved of God (c), instituted by Moses (d) among the sons of Israel, (and profitable to be received by any Nation or People,

(a) 1 Cor. 10. 31. Whether ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

(b) Deut. 29. 14, 15 Neither with you onely do I make this Covenant this day, but with him that standeth here this day before the Lord our God, and with him that is not here with us this day.

(c) Exod. 18. 23. If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so. (d) Exod. 18. 24. Moses hearkened, and did all.

who reverence the command of God, and tremble at his Word) is this; that they chuse (a) unto themselves Rulers of thousands (b), of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens, who shall govern according to the pure, holy, righteous, perfect and good Law of God (c), written in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

The forming of which Platforme of Government, deduced from the Scriptures, is as followeth.

CHAP. II.

THE several degrees of tens, fifties, hundreds, and thousands may fitly be called orders of men, governed by God, the God of order (d).

Which orders of men

are

1. Those of the single Platforme. 2. Those of the Superior arising upon the first.

First for the single-Platform, which is Gods Standard, according to which the Superior is delineated, or measured out. God hath commanded that ten men should chuse unto them a Ruler of ten.

Hence, if they be not ten, they cannot chuse unto them a Ruler of ten. Hence also the Ruler maketh the eleventh man; or rather, is the head (e) of the order of ten.

Hence also one Ruler of ten, may Rule over nineteen men; but if they become twenty, then by Gods institution, they must chuse another Ruler of ten; for God hath said, Chuse you Rulers of tens.

Servants, or Sons living with their Parents, as in the condition of Servants (ƒ), they may not explicitely, politi

、

(a) 18. 21. Thou shalt provide able men. With Deut. 1. 13. Take ye wise men, and I will make them Rulers.

6.

(b) Exod. 18. 25. Deut. 1. 15.

(c) Deut. 1. 17. Fear not the face of man, for the judgement is Gods. 2 Chro. 19. And said to the Judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the Judgement: Ezek. 44. 24. They shall judge it according to my judgement.

(d) Isa. 9. 7. Of the increase of his Government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order it.

(e) Exod. 18. 25. Make them heads over the people, Rulers of tens, &c.

18.25Th Malit to long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant.

cally, personally, chuse publick Rulers; while they live under the Authority of Family-government, they are not personally capable of interest in publick Political Elections: it is enough to attain Gods ends, that they be virtually comprehended in their Fathers Covenant.

But if they Marry, or live in the State of allowed publick Free-men, then are they capable of, & are bound personally to act, in the choice of their publick Rulers. The Rulers of the Father are virtually Rulers of the Child; but when the child putteth forth an act of choice, he hath liberty to chuse, in due order, another Ruler of ten, unto whom he doth personally submit himself: for all men are commanded to chuse unto themselves rulers.

By that one act of chusing his Ruler of ten, and subjecting himself unto him, he doth chuse, and subject himself unto all the Superior orders, under whom his ruler of ten is ruled.

No man may lawfully, or without sin, live out of the order of Gods Government: and should any man refuse to chuse and subject himself unto the same, he cannot justly challenge any priviledge, benefit, or protection thereby, though his virtual interest (in such as have it) hath hold upon him, until his actual choice doth more expresly engage him; and Love will improve every thing for the good of those, who know not what is good for themselves. He is beneath the condition of a stranger, who shall Apostatize from the Government of the Lord; yea, beneath the condition of Barbarians, who are not yet come in, either by themselves, or their Progenitors.

As the Ruler of ten may rule over more then ten, even any number under twenty; so it is with the other orders, one Ruler of fifty, may rule over nine orders of ten; but if they become ten, then they must chuse another Ruler of fifty; for the Lord hath said, Chuse you Rulers of fifties; that is, every five orders of ten shall chuse a Ruler of fifty.

Again, one Ruler of an hundred, may rule over three orders of fifties; but if they become four orders of fifties, then two of them must chuse another Ruler: for God hath said, Chuse Rulers of hundreds; that is, of ten orders of tens. Again, one Ruler of a thousand, may rule over nineteen

orders of an hundred; but if they become twenty orders, then they must by Gods institution chuse another Ruler of a thousand for the Lord hath said, Chuse you Rulers of thousands.

Hence one Ruler of a thousand may, in case all the orders under him be at the fullest, rule over 8436. men; which ordinarily, amounted to 33687 souls; which doth thus appear.

One Ruler of ten may rule over nineteen men.

One Ruler of fifty may rule over nine orders of ten; and nine times nineteen, maketh one hundred seventy

one.

One Ruler of an hundred, may rule over three orders of fifty; and thrice 171 maketh 413.

One Ruler of a thousand, may rule over nineteen orders of an hundred; and nineteen times 413, maketh 7847.

Add therefore to the people, their Rulers, thus:

One Ruler of 50. with his nine Rulers of ten, make ten Rulers.

One Ruler of an 100. may rule over three orders of 50. which maketh 30 Rulers.

One Ruler of a thousand, may have under him nineteen Rulers of an hundred. So that 19. times 30. and 19. added to them, makes

Add to them

589 Rulers 7847 People

Summa totalis is 8436

And generally among mankind, for one head of a family, there be at least three more souls of women and children; so that four times 8436. amounteth to 33687. soules. But it will be rare for all orders to be full at once.

Again, these orders of men, may be multiplied thus; when such as are Supernumerary in several orders, agree together to make another order. For example, if two Rulers of ten, have each of them fifteen men under them, then five men of one order, and five of the other order, may agree together to make another, a new order: and so in all other orders it may be.

But if they do this, if they make a new order because they desire it, and not because the Word of the Lord com