ABSTRACT
THE Introduction to the Work.
A Satyrical Allusion to the Heathen Gods, who are suppos’d to have been all of them Kings or famous Men in their Time, and fabl’d into Deities by the Error and Ignorance of those Days; concluding with a List of Great but Vicious Princes in our Modern times, fit to make Gods of in the next Promotion.
The Allusion brought down to the Kings below, who are call’d God’s too in the Scripture: Their Original Power examin’d from its Patriarchal Institution; and joyning in Societies for mutual Defence prov’d to be the General Act, even of those Patriarchs themselves; so that the Right of the People Govern’d, is plain from that very Foundation laid to oppose it; the Story Illustrated from Saul, who tho’ Anointed by Samuel, was not Crown’d till the Consent of the People was obtain’d.
An Enquiry why God in his Providence gives Power to wicked Men, and while he punishes private Murthers and Injustice, leaves the World at the Mercy of Tyrants to ravage and destroy it at their Pleasure; a Proof that he left Mens Liberty a Trust to them to preserve and defend, and gave them the use of their Reason to that purpose.
A Search into the Laws of Custom for the Divine Right of Princes; and among the rest, some Satyr on the Custom of those Gentlemen here that preach up this Doctrine, exemplified in their Treatment of the late King James; their first swearing, and perswading him to believe that they would pay an undisputed Obedience to him, exposed, as a greater Treachery than their deserting him.
A Retrospect on the earliest time; Property prov’d the true and only Original of Power. The Story of Rehoboam, and the Ten Tribes, Satyrically methodiz’d; a Hymn to Liberty.
A Draft of Tyranny, and an Enquiry from the Nature of it, if it ought not to be Resisted; an Excursion here on the Laws of God, Nature, and Reason, concurring to resist Oppression.
68 A Search into History; affirming, That all Nations, and in all Ages, have made it a constant Practice to Dethrone Tyrants, and Defend their Liberty, and Examples brought from Antiquity to prove this Assertion; an Excursion to Home Affairs and Persons.
The Search into History continued, with Remarks on the Introduction of Tyrranny and Idolatry hand in hand into the World; an Encomium on Arbaces, the first Man that ever took up Arms for Liberty, and Dethron’d a Monarch; the Median Monarchy examin’d, and prov’d Limited and Regulated by the People, and Universal History unravell’d for Examples of Tyrants Deposed.
An Historical Search into the Pretended Succession of Kings by Divine Right, and the spurious irregular Descent of all the Kings in the World, made out in order Explode the foolish Notion of Divine Succession.
The same continued and brought Home to the English Lines, from the Saxon Race to the Present Reign.
A Panegyrick on the English Happy Constitution, depending neither on Persons nor Race, but upon the Laws and Limitations of Government.
The like on the Person of the Queen, her Government, and Nobility. The Conclusion to the Queen.
