hinder this work, which this brave king Artaxerxes laid upon his;
how many of the enemies of the Jews, before this time, would have
been hanged, banished, had their goods confiscated to the king,
or their bodies shut up in prison! The which we desire not; we
desire only that this letter of the king might be considered of,
and we left to do as is there licensed and directed: And when we
do the contrary, let us be punished by the law of God, as we are
his servants, and by the law of the king, as we are his subjects;
and we shall never complain.

Only I cannot but observe how prettily it is done of some, who urge
this text to colour their malice, ignorance and revenge withal,
while they cry, The law of God, and The law of the king, when they
will neither let, according to this scripture, the law of God,
nor the law of the king take place: Not the law of God; for that
they will not leave us to that, to square and govern ourselves in
temple-work, and sacrificing by. Nor will they do the law of the
king, which has made void, ipso facto, whatever law is against
the word of God; but because themselves can do, they will
force us to do so too. 2

Before I leave this, I would touch once again upon the candour
of this king Artaxerxes, who thus did: Because he gave this leave
and license to the Jews, contrary (if he had any) to his own
national worship; yea, and also to the impairing of his own incomes.
Methinks he should have a religion of his own; and that, not that
of the Jews, because he was a Gentile; and not, as we read of,
proselyted to the Jews religion. Indeed, he spake reverently of
the God of Israel, and of his temple-worship, and sacrifices, as
did also several other kings; but that will not prove that he was